Every Day Counts

ikea.se/livethemma

         
If you love creating table setting for special occasions or  just enjoy  making  every day a special occasion, then you might  be interested in this new  book filled with inspiration, tips,  and recipes,  popping up  on the shelves of an IKEA store near you, its called Every Day Counts.

Summer Entertaining and Relaxing.

Images  Livet Hemma

The evening are lighter and warmer... finally, and there is something about eating out side in the cool summer evenings, food seems to take on a different flavour in the open air, then when the evening is over, retreating to relax in a soft billowy bed with a gentle breeze blowing through the window, just perfect don't you think?
In the book Love for Textiles   available from Ikea stores you will find more inspirational images like the ones above, and creative ideas to try such as the  pretty bed curtain to hang from above your head as you slumber in blissful summer sleep..... 

Decorate, Holly Becker & Joanna Copestick

All images Debi Treloar from the book Decorate,

I don't know about you but I am completely addicted to homes' bloggers' who each week, and sometimes several times a day, share inspirational decorating ideas and pictures of their homes in blog posts to the like of me and most probably you too, and more often then not I discover them though other bloggers such as the lovely Now while I love blog hopping, nothing really beats the printed page does it, so when it was announced that Holly Becker, together with Joanna Copestick and photographer Debi Treloar where going to release a book, and I discovered that among the pages of said book there was going to be one of my favorite (i have many favorite) blogs featured well I just new it would be a cracker of a book! landed on my doorstep this week, (with a thud, its quite a substantial book!) and I have been flicking through the '1,000 inspirational design ideas for every room in your home' ever since.

  

Turning the pages and coming across photos from blogs that I love is a bit like spotting a friends home, (even though I have never met these people, just an avid fan and follower)  like the photo above from  the lovely home of Anna-Malin Lindgren who blogs at Helt Enkelt, or Yvonne Eijkenduijn  of Yvestown blog, Anna-Malin  does black and white so well, her home just  its the spot for me, and it is always changing so following the  blog is like being on a constant journey of discovery, and Yvonnes home is understateadly  pretty and fresh.

The book its self is divided into four sections covering, Space matters, Setting Your Style, Room by Room, and Attention to Detail.  All  beautiful photographed by Debi Treloar, with quotes by famous designers and of course real homes by real people, will be a firm favourite of mine for some time to come!
The UK version which I am now the proud owner of is available through Amazon

Decorate Holly Becker

If like me you are a fan of the hugely popular blog decor8, written by Holly Becker   (and guilty of spending more time reading it then we should probably admit to) , then you will no doubt know that Holly has been very busy this year writing a book, with co-author Joanna Copestick, Decorate, and I am please  to say that it will be available to us UK fans eagerly awaiting its arrival in March of next year.  Not wanting to miss out on what looks like being a fab  book full of home inspiration, I have already added it to my wish list on Amazon  where you can pre-order it.  The picture above is for the UK version and there will be a US version also available next year, which you can see a peek of over at decor8.  Congratulations go out to Holly, I can't wait to get my hands on one.

Lisa Stickley made at home.

A few weeks ago I received  this book, Made at Home (1) by lisa stickley (who I recently wrote about here) and published by Quadrille, and I have been waiting until this week  to tell you about it because of release dates, but its available now, and I'm  eager to share it with you.  made at home, a guide to simple sewing, is just that, and is a great starting point for  anybody thinking of taking up sewing and wanting to embrace the current trends in all things home made.
I love that this unpretentious book has  the feel of almost being some ones school project written in a jotter, probably down to the lined pages, illustrations as well a photographs, and bits of wobbly writing,  but the teacher would be wagging her finger at the lack of any capital letters!  Yes that's right its all written in lower case.  Being a person who frequently forgets these kind of things while writing i kinda like it!

Its an easy to follow book which shows you how to create items such as a tea cosy (2), pretty napkins (3), coat hanger covers (5) and shoe bags, along with slightly more challenging things such as a pouffe, and roman blinds, but all achievable in a weekend.

The book starts by covering the basic such as equipment, basic stitches,  seams, and tips on tackling corners.  I also learnt a tip for making zips look neater in cushions.  The  sewing projects covered are, for the kitchen, for living room, for the bedroom and for the laundry, with handy templates (5) suggested shops and suppliers at the back.

Over the weekend i got out my sewing machine and tried the project for making a little slip cover for those horrible wire coat hangers that I bet every home has hung in the wardrobe, and there it is in picture 5. so much better. 
What i really like about this book is that it doesn't have to be perfect, if you need to add a pleat here and there then do! (for making a bolster)  How many hours have I spent previously trying to get that round bottom to fit just so!
  

Ikea Beloved Homes

All images frpm the Beloved Homes book

Today I thought I would share a few pages of my Ikea book that I mentioned over the weekend.

It show cases 9 much loved homes in the Scandinavian style.

photographed by Stellan Herner

Whats on your book shelf?

Have you checked out your Homes and interiors books on your book shelf lately, which ones do you look through time and time again, do you have an old favourite that you just love?

Last week while looking through my collection of Homes' books I pulled out Sense of Style: Space, by Shannon Fricke, a book which I bought at the Grand Design Live Show a couple of years back in London.

Sense of Style: Space is all about creating a home that is individual to you, about surrounding you space with things you love, and letting the space say who you are. It reminds me a little of ETC by Sibella Court but a bit more gently and no so full on. And I had forgotten just how well illustrated this book is.

Today while out shopping I picked up the March-April edition of Inside Out magazine and as I flicked through the pages who should I spot but Shannon Fricke, talking about goals and dreams, and not giving up. This is something that I can relate to as I am still chasing-waiting to do an interior decorating course at my local college, but for one reason or another it is some how just out of reach, not enough money, not enough space, course not running until next September, etc etc. So as Shannon says 'if at first you don't succeed, then try try again...

You can also follow Shannon's blog at http://www.shannonfricke.blogspot.com/.

If you would like to purchase Sense of style: Space by Shannon Fricke then click here

By clicking through and buying a book I will receive a small percentage, but the good news is, it doesn't cost you any extra, in fact you will probably pay less then the RRP.

Sibella Court. Etcetera.

Photograph James Merrell

This morning like most other mornings I checked my blog, checked my emails and hopped on over to Twitter, to see who is saying what about who (in a good way of course) when I noticed a little tweet from Will of Bright Bazaar blog, it was about a book he had seen on amazon, knowing that Will loves all things about interiors, I thought I would check it out, and wow am i glad i did, you know that feeling when just checking something out s l o w l y turns to wide eyed excitement? well I got that this morning when the book that I checked out is Etcetera by Sibella Court a quick google of her name to check out that she was who I thought she was and.....yes it was....., got me digging through my magazine pile to refresh my memory of her great home that was featured in the insideout magazine of may-June 2008 (check it out here). Oooo imagine my delight to discover that her book is to be released in the UK This April! I have pre-ordered it already through Amazon and can't wait until it arrives!

The Fab Book

New to my book pile.

Thanks to my lovely Hubby, the latest book sitting on the top of my book pile is, A Girl's Guide to Decorating by abigail ahern. Described as a must have guide for any style conscious girl who won't let her budget compromise her taste, this book proves that style has nothing to do with money. Well I'm all for that in bucket loads!
The book covers such things as choosing your style, (something I'm currently working one) planning space, the wow factor, colour, texture and light, as well as handy tips and techniques.

I'm also a fan of her blog which offers a weekly peek into all that's hip and happening in the life and style of abigail ahern.

Interiors by Yoo

Philippe Starck has a strange story to tell you about the creation of Yoo and the book, Interiors by yoo ( I can't help it but his accent always reminds me of the villain in the Johnny English film, is it just me?)

Book review.

Earlier this week I received an email asking if I would be interested in reviewing a book! How exciting, my first book review! Well the book landed on my doormat yesterday, morning, So I spent this morning, a lazy Saturday in bed warm and cosy, Reading through Ms. Harris's Book of Green Household Management: The Essential Thrift Bible written by Caroline Harris, who is a journalist and mother, and also the Author of several children's non- fiction books. She has been a senior editor on the Observer, the Daily Express and has contributed to publications including the Sunday Telegraph, Evening Standard and The business.

After the birth of her son, she was inspired to change old habits and with her partner, have been trying to make their lives greener and more sustainable.

It couldn't have come at a better time, having been previously pouring over my bank statement and thinking we need to tighten our belts a little more so to speak, (my Husbands hours have been cut at work, which I think many people can relate too, what with the credit crunch and all) I was drawn to the word Thrift in the title and the prospect of money saving tips had me hooked. Actually the book is more about being green, but saving money along the way (by living with in your means) is a little incentive which helps. Does Living within your means mean going without? I ask myself.

Well having had a read through, I have discovered that living within our means is actually not as hard as it first sounds, for instance Caroline recommends things like forward planning, know what you are cooking for the next few days even up to a week, and use left overs rather than just throwing them away, a bit of forward thinking can save both time and money, not spending money on a dozen different house old cleaners, but rather use products that can be found in the kitchen such as bicarbonate of soda, lemons and vinegar.

The book is filled from front cover to back cover with a whole host of thriftier and greener ideas to help with the smooth running of the modern home, its like a gentle reminder on how to save money and live a more sustainable life. The subjects included range from detoxing you home, growing you own veg, making home made jams and bread and other recipes, sewing and mending your own clothes, and an interesting chapter on thriftier and greener family celebrations, for instance where to find ethical wedding rings, and where to buy diamonds that are conflict-free, and gold from ethical sources.

This book is not about installing solar panels and reed beds but more about making small changes in your every day life, its a straight forward practical no frills book that provides the reader with all the information needed to be more sustainable and save money. Described as a Mrs Beeton for the twenty-first century,it is a very useful book to have close to hand.

You can find her website/blog at http://www.ms-harris.com/ where your own comments and tips are very welcome.

Pumpkins.

I just had to share these photos today, just made me laugh. Spotted them over at yet another new blog that I found nest egg go check it out to find lots more pumpkin inspiration.

Its a real shame that no one has come up with a way to dry out the pumpkin shell, as some the the designs I have spotted are just beautiful, like this lace patterned one below by Martha Stewart, they make a beautiful candle holder lamps.

And if you are a lover of all things Martha Stewart you can get her new book out now called Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts, a 416 page hard back book, filled with over 200 projects with full step-by-step instructions for every technique, catering for everyone from first-time dabblers to the more adventurous crafters; all fully explained and beautifully photographed.

I discovered...

While I was buying paint from B&Q today, I also collected the free monthly Isle magazine, (a free island life paper) and I'm so glad I did. In the homes and interiors section I discovered Abigail Ahern and her take on interior design, which I have to say seems some what more laid back them most designers! I love her style, and after reading through the article discovered her website and then her blog which I have added to my ever growing blog list, and if that wasn't enough, I discovered she also has a book out which sounds right up my street, what with painting my chair black and all... the book is called A Girls Guide to Decorating and if you click on the book below, you will be able to see a quick video of her chatting about the book.

Abigail is also currently a guest blogger on mydeco which you can find by clicking here

I'm loving her already I'm sure you will too! This book is on my wish list!

Have you Visited Yvestown?

While I was having a little break from blogging last week, I couldn't help having a look around other peoples blogs, and came across Yvestown where I discovered these great little Paumes books of inspiration. Though they are written in Japanese, it does not really matter as the world of interiors is a universal language, and the images on the pages there to be enjoyed by all who care to. I feel this might be the beginning of a Paumes collection. For my first book I choose Apartment's de filles a Paris, which is filled to the brim with lovely homes created by the owners, and from what I can gather, how their jobs influence the decor of their homes. Hop over to Yvestown to investigate more in the series.

My Book arrived.

I received my new book this week, which I ordered while at the Grand Designs Live show,

Kevin McCloud's Colour Now: An Expert Guide to Choosing Colours for Your Home. If you are a fan of Fired Earth paint colours then chances are you will love this book, as all colours used in the book match the 120 paint colours chosen by Kevin and produced by Fired Earth. Fired Earth colours have a subtleness about them, that's like listening to music but with sound turned low rather than played full blast, or a well cut piece of clothing that make the wearer look simple amazing.

As you flick through the pages of this book, its almost like the colours take you on a history lesson, recreating a place in time, or a memeory of worn leather, or damp moss and slate stone. A beautiful example of the power, and effect colour can have on us.