It's started already!

I am now officially obsessed with all things baby. So why not start as I mean to go on with a post about nursery ideas. Below are a few lovely pics from Pinterest that I may use as inspiration.

I love this mobile and it would be dead easy to make if we have a girl, oh what the hell maybe I'll still make it anyway.

Image from Pinterest 

If you read any of my very first posts you'll realise I have a fascination with mirrors of all different shapes and sizes, to the point if I see one I have to buy it. These specimens below are from Pottery Barn in the us but I am going to have to hunt down some here in the UK.

Image from Pinterest

I love the subtle colours used in the nursery below, you could use the same basic principles for a boy too. Very calming, which is what I think I will need.

Image from Pinterest

I picked this image out purely because I love the collection of brightly coloured pom poms. What better view! Check these links out for instructions on how to make similar versions:

Fabric Pom Poms

Tissue Paper Pom Pom

Image from Pinterest

I love this aqua colour for a nursery, it's so tranquil and could easily be used for either sex.

Image from Pinterest

This mini wardrobe is soooo sweet. With the shelving above it looks clean and fresh. It gives me a great idea for the cupboard near the nursery to be.

Image from Pinterest

Last but not least, this picture rail is a great idea for displaying the alphabet or any lovely pictures that your baby can stare at but not reach.

Image from Pinterest

Glorious Gardens

I am currently creating a new greeting card range and was researching garden images and came across this very pretty garden from housetohome. It just goes to show what you can do with a small plot, I love the slightly Moroccan feel with the tealy blues, but is still kept very English by the wonderful summerhouse. The contrast of textures is also really lovely and helps to break up the space.

(Image from housetohome)

I was also flicking through Living Etc and fell in love with this garden by fashion magazine editor Edwina Mccann. It is an inner courtyard created in the centre of her Sydney home so it slightly feels like a riad, an oasis in the middle of a modern home. Hy husband and I are house hunting at the moment and we both agreed whatever we end up buying we would really like a long built in bench like the one below. You could cover it in wonderfully bright cushions in the summer and with the foliage behind and wide french doors that lead on it, it makes it an extension of the living space. The only thing we need now is the Australian sunshine to make it work, oh well heres hoping for a barbecue summer!

(Image from Livingetc)

Clear Blue at A Creative Mint

I was scrolling through a few blogs looking for inspiration and came across this post from Leslie of A Creative Mint. She takes some wonderful photographs and her Clear Blue post particularly caught my eye. Now that the days are getting longer and slightly warmer, you can't help but start thinking about Spring. I would love a bathroom styled like the second photograph, it has a hint on morocco about it. So if you ever need some colour inspiration or even just cheering up on a dull day, take at look at Leslie's blog.

I love the idea of Polaroids, they just seem to suggest escapism more than a regular photograph. I'm quite tempted to reprint a few of my existing photos in a Polaroid format, there is a application you can download from Poladroid where you can drag and drop your photos to reformat them.

(Images from a creative mint)

Fired Earth Mid-Century Paint

Apologies for not posting on Friday I was a tad distracted by the fact my best friend took me to see Dirty Dancing the musical as a surprise for my upcoming birthday. Having not been to many musicals I wasn't sure what to expect but it was fantastic, the sets, costumes and actors were brilliant and by the end I was singing along to all the songs, I didn't realise how much of the dialogue I knew by heart. So that was Friday, then on Saturday we spent all day coming up with designs for my friends wedding stationery, which I think we've finalised. I'll post it once it's completed. Hope you all had a fun weekend!

Anyway down to the topic at hand. Fired Earth one of the best suppliers of paint colours in the UK has developed a Mid-Century range. So now not only can we have the furniture and fabrics that we love so much in lovely retro colours but we can paint the walls to suit. Below are the shades in the order they appear plus examples of room set-ups; Southbank, Race Yellow, Festival Orange, Skylon Grey, Garden City, Flamingo Pink. Notice all the names are inspired by the 1951 festival of Britain. I particularly love the Southbank shade but that might have something to do with the fab chairs and Ercol table in the image.

(Images from Fired Earth)

Illustrated Wallpapers

It's hard not to notice, as you flick through the interiors magazines a trend for illustrated Wallpapers. Harlequin's identity range includes two fantastic designs. The Acacia design is based on famous lighting designs, including the artichoke lamp by Poul Henningsen, in beautiful retro colourways.

The Brighton wallpaper is a wonderful collection of Victorian house fronts, naively illustrated but with the odd punch of colour in retro hues. As you can see both of these wallpapers fit perfectly with the Eames and Sarrinen furniture that I love!

(Images from Harlequin)

Little Greene also produce a wonderful monochrome version called Hampstead shown here in Ink, If you fancy a bit of colour, they also produce it in 4 other shades - Cloister, Cool Grey, James Blue and Yellow.

(Image from Little Greene)

If you're interested, the desk shown in this image happens to be an Ercol for John Lewis design called Treviso created by Matthew Hilton.

If you're interested in modernist architectural illustrations then take a look at Mini Modern's 'Festival' wallpaper shown here in the Concrete colourway, designed as a celebration of the enduring influence of the 1951 Festival of Britain. It features abstract drawings of the The Royal Festival Hall, the iconic Skylon, the Dome of Discovery and the Transport pavilion. It also comes in 'Bunting Blue and Red' and 'Stone' colourways. This wallpaper would add a lovely modernist look to any home.

(images from Mini Moderns)