Making the most of summer
22 August 2010
How we all love summer days and this year has been exceptional, we have been able to enjoy our gardens and open spaces more this year.
During the summer interior design magazines love to run inspirational pages on living outside, extending our homes by taking the inside out. French living makes a reappearance….depicting the delights of dining outside like other Europeans, sharing time with friends or family at breakfast, lunch, barbeques or even grown up evening garden parties.
We can extend our homes with a simple bench or bistro table and chairs, a parasol can help us to dine out come rain or shine and if we are lucky to have enough space erect a marquee! We just need to be inventive and that is something British people are good at!
Although we may complain about our wet, cloudy, sunny, unpredictable summers we now spend more time at home, so much that the word ‘staycation’ has been added to the Oxford English Dictionary. It is also reported that the United Kingdom should easily become in the top seven countries for tourism, we obviously have lots to offer.
The recession has led me to investigate how I can revive things in my home so instead of casting aside our old outdoor table and chairs they have now had a revamp. I used a stripy material to make a table cloth and new cushions, similar coloured fabric was used to create bunting to cheer up the garden for our family parties. I bought the fabric from Derby Market so ‘Made in England’ can proudly go on the label! Before the autumn weather takes hold I want to finish off repainting the metal furniture with the special paint. I have started the table and cannot believe how new it looks and when the beads of rain sit proudly on the top, it makes me feel really good – it is protected and looks good too. Not only was it fun to do but I saved myself money by lengthening it’s life, and reduced my carbon emissions… how green is that?
I love the summer and hope it extends so that we don’t have to come indoors just yet but I do have to admit I love the lure of making my home cosy and so my eyes start to turn towards warm colours and indoors. There is something comforting about pulling the curtains at night, keeping warm and enjoying ones home with a good book or film, some home made cake and a comfy settee.
So for this reason I have already started to look around at the new seasons colours, trends & ideas.
There is no way I follow fashion vigorously either clothes or home furnishings it simply costs too much to keep on changing rooms. I do like to keep a keen eye though for any new fabrics or accessories that might enhance an existing room scheme. I have noticed that lovely bright green is still prominent and so is purple, along with florals and reflective finishes, on fabric and wallpaper.
My guest room is ready for redecoration so watch out for the photos and check out what I do. In addition a revamp of a clients bedroom is to be started at the beginning of September – so watch this space!
Alternatively come and join me for an exciting 10 week course at Murray Park School on Thursday evenings as I am again running and Interior Design Course. It is a leisure course so no exams or previous experience required, just check out the link on this page.
Also watch out for my new range of table linens, kitchen accessories such as aprons and tea cosies etc all ‘Hand Made in England’….ideal dare I say for Christmas?