365 Objects Of Design

So you know I always say that you should buy an outrageous sofa and bring it down with cushions? Well sometimes you gotta do it the other way round. Mostly if you already own a sofa and have no intention of buying another - which is most of us isn't it. Then you owe it

One of the themes that has emerged from the last few posts, be it about shopping for vintage furniture on eBay or finding new and unusual treasures from small stores, is that you do all care about where your stuff comes from and that it should mean something. I particularly loved one of the comments

Following yesterday's post on what makes a home, today I wanted to take that one step further and look at the idea of ethical interiors. We are all familiar with the concept of eco-friendly and sustainable materials and we are well used to wondering just who makes those super cheap clothes on the High Street

I have written on these pages before about how to buy a sofa. What to look for and roughly what you might need to spend. The point being that if you buy a sofa for 600 quid you can't really complain when two years and two toddlers later it's a but mullered. If you want

Many moons ago, when this blog was just a babe in arms, The Mad House featured in its first magazine shoot - it was way back in the January 2013 issue which, of course came out the previous November. I had been blogging for less than a year and was so excited to be included

A couple of months ago the French company La Redoute asked me if I would style a couple of rooms for them around the essence of French style. Now there are many books about why French women don't get fat (they do) and how to dress like a Frenchwoman, eat like a Frenchwoman and cope

Black and white porcelain pot from H&M  Sometimes it's just about finding a little treat to brighten up a corner of a room. It's like buying a new pair of earrings or a top for Saturday night... remember doing that in your 20s? This pot is £17.99 and you could use it for everything from

As part of my ongoing collaboration with Marks & Spencer, they asked me to look at their bedding range. "Let's make a video," they said. "Cool," I said. "What of?" "You. Making a bed," they said simply. And so we did. It's quite short, as you will see, but it's about how to make your

round brass mirror from cox and cox So there you are quite happily not even giving a passing thought to mirrors and then suddenly you notice that all the really good ones are round. That if you want a bathroom to look cool and modern it needs to have a round mirror over the basin.

Sometimes a new product comes along that really feels a bit different and, therefore, a bit exciting and these leather lampshades by Alp design are one such item. Alp Design Leather 305 Light Created by interior designer Annick Petersen the collection was launched at the London Design Fair last month and is all available to

Congratulations if you have made it past the headline. I know what you’re thinking. Natuzzi - isn’t that that Italian company that’s all about the very expensive leather furniture set in the 1980s? my room set for Natuzzi Well you’re right. And you’re wrong. Because yes there is that. But there is a whole lot

orange buttonback armchair from Audenza I don't know why more manufacturers don't do this when it comes up upholstering chairs and sofas. First up - it looks great Secondly, if you have bought a vintage item and need to pay for re-upholstery (hello pink chaise longue trashed by Enid will cost a fortune to recover)

Earlier this summer Hillary's blinds asked me to get involved with their Autumn campaign on new ideas for blinds and curtains to showcase their latest fabric collections. There were to be four of us - Sophie Robinson (her off the telly) Daniela Tasca York (her wot won the telly show) and Emily Henson (stylist and

So what have we learnt from last week's London Design Festival? Well, as is so often the case with these things, there is an element - as there is in fashion - of anything goes. It has become so vast that whatever your aesthetic you can find it. But, if we are to rummage about

Well the headline says it all really. Shall I just stop and we can all go and make a cup of coffee? No? Ok listen up. Or perhaps should that be read on.... anthropologie autumn winter 17 Anthropologie has long been known for its growing range of furniture and homewares (and clothes) but did you

Hello everyone and I very much hope that in addition to seeing this post in the first place - which would, frankly, after yesterday, be a bonus - that you are seeing my shiny new newsletter which promises to both function better and look better. Ideally the perfect marriage of form and function which is

First of all let me apologise for the late posting of this and admit to feelings of bafflement and rage. I spent all yesterday writing posts for the rest of the week and woke up this morning to find they had all disappeared. Vanished. Gone. Along with all the images I uploaded to go with

bruzzoni black and white electric toothbrush Now I shouldn't like it to be said (well not too often anyway) that I am all style over substance but there are times in life and interiors when you would like just a little more style to back up the substance. A feeling that the designer had thought

Because you have been asking. And because I may not necessarily be one for doing what I am told, but I do try to be obliging where possible. So, ten best round dining tables coming up. Because they're better in small rooms. Because a rectangular table for six or eight means that you are definitely