Category: bathrooms

Hitting the tiles x

I remember one autumn writing about unconformity and the pull of the unexpected when symmetry is taken away. Maybe that explains the appeal of zellige tiles? – the subtle variations of each tile, the changes of light playing across the glaze, the feeling of something artisan and handmade. Their origin is Moroccan, crafted from the clay found in the city of Fez. First formed in a mould, craftsmen use a shaping block and hammer to smooth and shape the tiles; an imperfect, perfect art. The second appeal is their infinite variety of colours and shapes, from pale, misty sea-kissed aquas to freshly just churned creams and barely there pinks to dark stormy greys and forrest greens, from skinny rectangles to chunky squares, hexagons or stars. The variations are endless.

(All pics Pinterest)

Versatile, beautiful yet subtle, these tiles quietly scream their presence.

And I love ’em.

Laters,

Kate x

Pressies 2

I spoke to my gut the other day and asked it what the theme for Christmas would be this year, it said cottagecore all the way: home made, simple, unfussy, thoughtful. I said thank you very much and felt our bond. The above is from a great little independent shop called Midgley Green – what could be more hands on and satisfying than artisan soap and a thrown soap dish? Maybe the price point – £5 for the soap, £15 for the dish. £20 all in? Bargain.

Midgley Green also have these beautiful tea towels – which are fab just as that – but….wouldn’t they make the most beautiful pair of cushions stitched onto an enveloped piece of linen? Guaranteed washable.

(All pics Midgley Green and Pinterest)

On my personal Wishlist this year is this Welsh throw. I’m thinking sofa, candles, fire. And a large glass of egg snog. Sigh.

Laters,

Kate x

Going Glam x

 

 

I’ve been watching The Block on Amazon – an interior design competition set in Australia.  The idea is 5 teams of two renovate a high end apartment each before flogging them at auction, any profit they make is their’s to keep, plus there’s additional prize money for the biggest winner.  The programme originally started in the UK where it was a flop, then the Aussies grabbed it, injected some real money, upped the style criteria and produced a winner – I started at the 2015 series and was mightily impressed – considering it was five years old, all the decisions still stood the test of time.  What makes it superior to other interior competitions is the authenticity and attention to detail – the contestants are given some serious wonga and are working on a genuine building site where their rooms have to pass code, overseen by structural engineers, foremen and architects; there are no glue guns allowed here. The addition of strict deadlines makes for a tense work environment between couples, between builders, between teams – it’s a rich soup of happenings and creativity that makes for compulsive viewing.  I’m now on the 2016 series, where based on the building’s age the rooms are calling for art deco and Hollywood glamour, these were some of playing-along-fantasy-sofa-surfing-inspiration-picks…

 

 

Be still my beating heart….

Laters, Kate x

Tasty Pampers x

Even I think I’m a conundrum – I love seeing boundaries pushed, to the extent I hate boundaries. But if something works, I’m loyal – it takes a great deal to convince me the grass is greener on the other side.  Hence this post – the pampers that make the cut every time, because not only do they smell like heaven, they also work. Stuck for a Crimbo present? Look no further than Le Labo’s Jasmine 17 shower gel...even Bella has discovered it..I was hoping the plain packaging would put her off…it is pure joy in a bottle and I covet every drop.

 

 

This baby – OI all in one milk –  works on fly away hair..and anything else. Rub into arms and legs just because it’s gorgeous – the type of scent that turns heads when you walk into a room.

 

 

An every day must –  Ren Moroccan Rose body oil – for use on face – buy the body oil, ignore the body bit – 100ml versus 30.  Bargain.  (The only difference is in your mind, put there so you don’t do it.  A wall that needs to come down)

 

 

This little wonder  – Herbivore Orchid – packs a punch – small and powerful – as an extra layer and to extend the bottle, I mix 3 drops in my palm with my Ren rose oil for a mood boosting face cocktail. I’ve used face oils for years and won’t use anything else.

 

 

And finally, an old favourite – Elemis Frangipani monoi body oil – because now it smells of holidays, sunshine and smiles. Perfect for the summer. Perfect for the winter.

 

Laters, Kate x

 

 

 

 

Smile Plastics!

Hats in the air to Waitrose starting a ‘bring your own containers’ trial to Oxford.  Plastic packaging for a range of products like pasta, cereals, rice, coffee, wine and frozen fruit will be removed and replaced with a refill your own station.  About bloody time one of the big supermarkets did this.  When they roll it out across all stores (fingers crossed) maybe they’ll use Smile Plastics in their design..

Smile Plastics is a material, design and manufacturing house making desirable hand crafted panels from waste material.  Their vision is to change people’s perceptions around waste via innovation – to use art and technology to unlock the hidden potential in recycling and open peoples eyes to the unexpected beauty of scrap.  In doing so they hope to inspire more people about sustainability and recycling.

(All pics Pinterest)

Transformative.

Laters, Kate x

Controlled Chaos x

I wrote a post two years ago suggesting a future trend would be a move away from co-ordination and conformity.  The essence of that idea is still seeping into everyday with more and more products either openly embracing individuality or encouraging flexibility of use and imagination.  Granby Workshop, in many ways represents the essence of this movement, as demonstrated by their vitrified ceramic tiles.

Each one is unique and marbled together by hand then sliced and flattened in a 60 tonne hydraulic press.

(All pics Pinterest and Granby Workshop)

 

They stand alone. Or live and breathe together in a wonderful, moving, homogenous whole.

I love.

Laters, Kate x

Mother Dirt x

A little post on a big subject..cleanliness and how much of our identity is tied up with how we smell. Or not.

We’ve long believed that bacteria on the skin are harmful. Except as we’ve got cleaner, we’ve had more problems with our skin.  The idea behind Mother Dirt is to embrace the skin for the living eco system it is and help it to reconnect with the balanced state it once had: Yes, this is cleaning with bacteria…it takes a bit to get one’s head around it, but there are people who’ve found these products so effective, one has not showered for 12 years…

(All pics Mother Dirt)

I have deeply held issues with our materialistic societies cavalier attitude in exploiting fears to bring in the money with the multibillion pound cosmetic industry smilingly leading the charge.  The pervasive message is we can always be improved, which implies we’re not meant to be happy with ourselves in the first place.  Something that women have been conditioned to think for far too long.  So is this another beautifully engineered bottle of snake oil designed to further separate us from reality and our hard earned cash?

 

Or does it actually fly in the face of conventional thinking with the offer of a level playing field and genuine control..Maybe it’s even telling us it’s OK to be us..that we need to be us..

 

This could be revolution in a bottle..

Laters, Kate x

Apricots x

The barmy temperatures of 29 degrees from last week have been swallowed whole by dark, rain sodden clouds and whipping winds. Todays predicted temp for London is a glove grabbing six degrees – it’s no wonder we crave straight forward, simple, understandable normalities that we can always rely on like apricot is an interior design colour to avoid.

(All pics Pinterest)

Damn.

Laters, Kate x

Soap.Co x

Just when you think capitalism and the need for profit at any cost has snaked it’s way into every aspect of our lives a company comes along that blows your handcrafted socks off: Soap Co. is one such beauty.

 

It goes without saying they only use natural botanicals, nourishing vitamins and pure-essential oils.

It’s also interesting that their eco credentials impressively stack up: Their bottles are made from old milk bottles, their plastic film is made from reusable wood pulp, their sticky labels can be composted, their paper is both recycled and recyclable and their glue is non-toxic and biodegradable.

But taking the social responsible crown by a storming majority: Their products are handcrafted in the UK by people who are blind (hence the braille), disabled or otherwise disadvantaged.

This is a social enterprise that proves there doesn’t need to be a trade-off between award winning design, product, eco awareness and social purpose – this really is the best of the best.

(All pics Soap Co.)

 

And I for one won’t be buying my rose oil from anywhere else.

Laters, Kate x