My First Guest Blog

Hi all! It's Mari from Design Shuffle a terrific social networking site for interior designers, professionals and design enthusiasts, to upload their work and receive lots of exposure. As a writer for Design Shuffle, I get to visit great interior design and decorating blogs like Mrs. Peabod to share some of my favorite spaces.

In today's guest post we focus on happy chic, the style brought to life by designer Jonathan Adler. Two quotes from the Jonathan Adler Manifesto (you'll find it on his website) seem to sum up happy chic. On color, "We believe colors can't clash." and this confident point of view, "We believe our designs are award winning even though they've never actually won any." Apply those two happy chic principles to your rooms and you can't go wrong. Enjoy!

No worries about color clashes here in one Jonathan Adler designed living room - just two pops of pink, one turquoise pillow, a small dash of yellow artwork and a little zebra on the side.

Here, happy chic is a perfect mix of furniture styles and color atop a black and white chevron rug in this bright dining room.

This living room makes us smile, so happy and so chic. It received supremely honorable mention in the Happy Chic Homes Contest.

What could say happy chic better than orange in a bathroom. This one is perfect, all white tile background and modern vibe.

Meet my absolute favorite happy chic room. Dressed in pure white, all this living space needs a few touches of turquoise and black and white pattern. And, of course, tall ceramic dogs to flank the fireplace.

Another honorable mention from the Happy Chic Home Contest, this room is created around an inherited mid-century modern chair.

Now for the first prize winner of the happy chic contest - filled with vibrant green and the homeowner's personality. You'll notice it also seems to have this feline's wholehearted approval. Your living room ideas can be inspired by nearly anything!

We leave you with a view of the outdoor living space designed by Jonathan Adler for his Barbie Malibu Dream House. Now that's one gorgeous backyard filled with happy chic decorating ideas!


Chic is what you make of it. Design Shuffle is filled with fantastic chic inspiration by the best interior designers and many others!

Nursery Decor

Tom and I are currently decorating what will be the nursery. Now for moment we are going to leave it as a blank canvas (we decided to find out the sex when baby arrives). So I have been searching for fun decor ideas for both boys and girls.

I came across a fantastic website Peanut & Pip while searching for wall stickers. Here's a small selection of the wonderful designs they sell.

Animal Alphabet Wall Stickers

Forest Friends Wall Sticker

Hot Air Balloon Wall Stickers

Miniz Boo Wall Sticker

I particularly like this bunting and owl design if it's a girl, it would go perfectly with the Harlequin 'What a Hoot' Fabric for the curtains.

Owly Wall Stickers

Images courtesy of Peanut & Pip

Images from Harlequin

Just had to post about...

I've decided to start a new feature on Mrs Peabod, well it's not really a feature but more of a quick note on something I find beautiful, absolute genius or instantly inspiring.

Today's post is about this fantastic scalloped edged cupboard in Victoria Smith of sfgirlybay's nook. Not only does the use of pale pink Eames chairs, chalkboard walls and warm wooden floors make me drool but the fitted dresser is to die for.

Image courtesy of sfgirlybay

Just thought I would quickly share something that got me thinking.

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

craftgawker

Apologies for not posting this last week, It's been very hectic at work what with the run up to Christmas and having to drive up to printers etc..

I just wanted to let you know about a new inspiring site i\ve discovered called craftgawker. It's a photo gallery that you can search for visuals of crafts and projects with links to the original websites for instructions and further details.

I found the image below submitted by Ellineé showing how to create these wonderful snowflakes. I've been making these for a couple of years since I found the instructions in a magazine. They are so simple to make, I just used ordinary printer paper. The site gives you free downloadable and printable instructions so get crafting!

Image from Ellineé

Interesting use of ceiling roses

Wow. what a busy weekend. We boarded the loft, sanded and primed the living room, got rid of a fireplace, cleared the guttering and replanted the front border. I'm exhausted and there is still lots more to do, but all enjoyable.

Anyway back to the post. I've been looking at ceiling roses for our living room and came across this image from the Salt Lake Designer Gal blog showing an interesting way of displaying roses and making them into a feature wall. I particularly like the zesty yellow colour.

Ceiling Roses

Pinterest Home Board

I have been a member of Pinterest for about a week now, and I'm still loving it. There is so much on there in terms of inspiration I've already collected quite a few pins. Check out my Home Board here.

This site is going to be so much help when I come to doing moodboards for the new house, can't wait.

Speaking of the new house, we have an update. The sitting tenant has now moved on, and we managed to get in yesterday to check it all out before we exchange. It's so weird seeing it all empty, we can actually start to imagine what it will look like with all our furniture in. Still lots of decorating to do, nut manageable. So hopefully we should be exchanged by the end of this week and completing on next Thursday, exciting time people.

Autumn at Rifle Paper Co

One of my favourite stationery companies Rifle Paper Co based in Florida, have come up with some lovely greetings cards, invites and place name cards for Autumn. Many are for the American market with Thanksgiving being a big theme, but the Halloween and autumn foliage designs  are great.

Fall Foliage Card

Halloween Lineup Card

Trick or Treat Invitations

Halloween Monster Card

Thankful forest place cards

Love the little squirrel on the Place cards above.

Pinterest

I realise I'm probably slightly behind the times, but I wanted to post about the fantastic online pinboard that is Pinterest. It lets you share and organise all the images you find on the web that you find interesting, you can have nay number of pin boards for planning your wedding, decorating your home, favourite recipes or even just colour combinations that make you smile. Even better is that you can view pinboards created by other people to gain even more inspiration. This wonderful online resource was founded in California by Ben Silbermann and Evan Sharp. So take a look at my pins so far

Tent London

When I first started this blog it was as a response to visiting Tent London (here's the link to my first post), a fantastic multi-faceted design event where companies big and small display their new products for the home. It is a truly inspirational show and even better it's held in the Old Truman Brewery on Brick Lane which in itself is a great place to pick up ideas. This show and many others around London are all part of the London Design Festival. So get down there between the 22nd and 25th September for your chance to see the movers and shakers in the interiors world.

Images from Tent London

Another exhibit you might be interested in is 100% Design the UK's leading Contemporary design event held in Earls Court between the 22nd and 25th September.


Living Etc are currently promoting an offer where you can get tickets for free to Tent London and a 2-4-1 offer for 100% design. I will be heading there on the Sunday for my fill of fantastic products.

Design Sponge at Home

If your not familiar with Design Sponge it's a design blog run by Brooklyn-based writer, Grace Bonney launched in 2004. It has been so influential and loved around the globe that Grace has produced a fantastic book Design Sponge at Home containing real-life interiors, where the decor has been collected from flea markets along with hints and tips on how to make your home beautiful and interesting. So if you are looking for interior inspiration take a look.

Images from Design Sponge

New products at Papermash

I had an email newsletter from Papermash showing come of their new products so I thought I would share some of my favourites with you.

1. These brilliant banners would add a chicness to any party.

Party Banners

2. I love these Japanese Masking Tapes you can literally decorate anything with them or even make bunting with them as seen below.

Blue Graph Tape

Green Checked Masking Tape

3. I love these designs by Rifle Paper Co especially the use of vintage colours. I've previously posted about a print I bought from Papermash for my husband for Valentine's day, I'm also very tempted by the Ladybug Print below

Bonjour Notecards

Ladybug Print

Merci Cards

 4. These Paper Cups ares so fun and colourful, I probably wouldn't even use them for parties, looking this good they need to be displayed somewhere!

Numbers Cups

Herringbone Chair

I was looking on the How about Orange blog this morning and noticed the post about re-inventing chairs. There was a fantastic idea from the people at Martha Stewart on how to create a herringbone pattern on an Eames Chair. There is a really simple and easy to follow video to show you the technique and materials needed.

Image from Martha Stewart

Personally I'm not sure I would re-decorate such an iconic chair, but this technique could be used on a less expensive chair. For instance this Ikea Nordmyra chair could do with jazzing up a bit. 

Image from Ikea

You could even use a similar technique to make your own fabric with fabric paint. Now there's an idea waiting to be used in the new house!

Decorate, it's here!

Images from Decor8 and Amazon

I have previously blogged about a fantastic book Decorate created by Holly Becker of Decor8 fame. It's an inspirational book crammed full of ideas for the home, and thankfully unlike other books it makes sense of a world that often scares people, by looking at your home creatively.

Well I have finally got my own copy and it is a truly beautiful book, with hundreds of interior images. I think I would like to use every idea somewhere in my new house. That's probably not possible but I might give it a damn good try!

The book explains about planning your space, use of colour and decorative pieces and even how to make statements of your favourite pieces of furniture or architectural features you have in your home. I can't wait to get started on using it.

So if you fancy an interiors book with a difference check it out.

Rifle Paper Co

I have previously posted about the joyful products from Rifle Paper Co here. I was recently reading Paper Crave and noticed that Rifle have come up with some more glorious card designs including this Birthday Candles Card.

I am also in awe of these Girlie Dog Cards set, they are so adorable that I wouldn't want to send them to anyone else and just keep them for myself.

There Assorted Hello Cards are also great, the monochrome and gold work exceptionally well. These are the kind of designs that inspire me and I wish I just had more time to create more myself.

The Gold Floral Thank You Card is a tropical treat, it makes you think of far flung exotic places, instead I'm sitting watching the rain pelt down in England. Oh Well, I can dream!

All Images from Rifle Paper Co