Back to nature with Beautiful Wallpaper

When you are ready to enliven your living space with a new decorative plan, you might consider thumbing through wallpaper samples before you reach for that can of paint. Wallpaper has made a decided comeback in the world of interior design, and its patterns and styles are more varied than ever, allowing you to infuse both personality and artistry into your home.

Designers like Juliet Travers are featuring wallpaper lines inspired by nature, geography, and bold colour contrasts. With today’s eclectic wallpaper designs, you can change the look of your living room with a new-coordinating colour scheme that brims with eye-catching appeal complemented by a hint of outdoorsy charm.

Safari Style

While yesteryear’s wallpaper artists relied heavily on floral motifs, today’s designers like Juliet Travers and John Lewis are opting for nature-inspired wallpapers that teem animals. Travers has created an exciting Safari collection of wallpapers that are inspired by East African wildlife. In Nakuru, Travers celebrates the renowned lake and its resident flamingo population in a print that is flamboyant without being too overpowering. Its silver, pink, and dark tones underscore its sophisticated colour palette, which is sure to elevate your living room’s style while infusing nature-inspired beauty into your decorative plan. Travers also features fabrics that coordinate with her wallpapers to help home decorators easily rebrand their spaces. Price per Roll: £120 (ex VAT)

Tropical Interest

To create a bold look for your setting, consider opting for a heavily illustrated wallpaper print like the Cole & Son Savuti Wallpaper available from John Lewis. Named for one of Africa’s most revered national parks, the Savuti wallpaper features a medley of baboons and hoopoes set within a dramatic setting of flowering trees. With its shades of orange and brown, this pattern will bring a dramatic nuance to any room as it infuses its tropical aura into your space. As the pattern is a work of art in itself, you’ll need few other props for your walls to create visual interest, but you can easily complement this wallpaper with mirrors, sconces, or even a few contrasting prints that help tie your room’s colour scheme together. Price £80.00

British Isles Woodland Charm

If you’re hoping to blend your interior with your home’s native setting, consider Travers’ signature Albion Collection that takes its design cues from landscapes of the British Isles. The Nutcracker wallpaper is a delightfully versatile print that is easy to pair with both vintage-inspired and contemporary decorative plans. It features elegantly wrought tree branches traversed by Britain’s red squirrels set atop a backdrop of dark blue. Its metallic accents fairly shimmer, which almost lends movement to this design. Its understated beauty will not overpower your décor, but it’s sure to add a hint of grandeur to your walls. Price per Roll: £130 (ex VAT)

Pop of Colour

If you want to lighten up your living space with colour, opt for Secret Garden by Juliet Travers, a design nod to the English classic novel and a gorgeous depiction of British garden flowers like daffodils, daisies, and bluebells. Butterflies and bees dart between the blooms to create a meadow scene that’s ideal for transforming nearly any room of your home. This pattern features a soft white background and bright shades of yellow, blue, and red. If you live in an urban setting, this illustrated wallpaper is a terrific way to add outdoor style to your setting. Price per Roll: £150 (ex VAT)

If you’re looking for jewel tones to complement your meadow-inspired room, be sure to consider the John Lewis Hummingbird Tree wallpaper set atop a background of champagne. £25.00

Pond Life

Water is the perfect way to introduce the idea of movement as well as serenity into your living space. To create a tranquil living room makeover, be sure to consider the Regal wallpaper design by Juliet Travers. Also featured in the Albion Collection, Regal is inspired by the Serpentine in Hyde Park and showcases elegant swans swimming between vines and pale pink lotus blooms. Its fairytale sweetness is tempered by its refined colour scheme. This wallpaper is a lovely choice for living rooms, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Price per Roll: £150 (ex VAT)

Nature-inspired wallpapers help you create a setting that is unlike any other. Today’s designers feature bold patterns that depict wildlife and botanicals in new and exciting ways. Foxy faces, dancing elephants, scruffy cows, and silhouetted monkeys will bring a zest for life to your bare walls. Complemented by dazzling blooms, broad-leaf plants, and stately trees, these scenes will take your living room to a place it’s never been before—a place you’ll be thrilled to call your home.

You May Also Like

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All photos courtesy of respective brands.

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Those Summer Nights

 

Getting a good nightʼs sleep during the summer is often a real challenge. Daylight hours are extended, disrupting well established circadian rhythms. Windows are open and the sounds of summer activity (renovations, revelry) can linger late into the night. Heat can also disturb sleepers without universal climate control – if you live in a house, the heat may rise dramatically as you ascend to the upper levels, where bedrooms are often located.

How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Nonetheless, it’s not likely that anyone is wishing for a quick return to the long, dark days of winter and cosy bedrooms equipped with duvets and blankets. All in good time. Yet a decent sleep is essential for well being and productivity, even on those hot summer nights. There are many things you can do to ensure a good nightʼs sleep – whatever the weather.

Fix the Bed

Probably one of the best ways to retrofit a bedroom for a sensitive sleeper is to purchase the best mattress possible for your budget and dress it with bedding that feels and looks great. Furniture Village carries a huge selection of premium and economically priced mattress sets in brands such as Hypnos, Tempur, Vispring and Slumberland. They guarantee the lowest prices in these brands, offering 25-30% off them in the sale.

Start with a sturdy bedstead like this Tempur® Holcot Ottoman Bed Frame. It has a striking upholstered and buttoned headboard, but no footboard to interrupt air flow in the hotter months. Built to order, alternate colours and storage features are optional £979 (30% off).

A well made mattress can actually help you maintain a comfortable body temperature for sleeping. The following brands, all available at Furniture Village, are known for their craftsmanship and quality. Hypnos is a high end brand that can be found in many luxury hotels. We love their Ortho Wool Pocket Spring Divan Set which is currently on sale for 25% off at £699 for the double size. You can really sleep like kings (and queens) in this one as Hypnos hold the Royal Warrant!

 

Slumberland also make beautiful mattresses with body cooling properties. Their Wave Divan Set features a mattress made from patented Affinity™ foam, and divan options for low or deep profile, storage or legs. £1599 at 30% off

The Vispring Elite Pocket Sprung Divan Set (30% off at £1769) is a real cut above. It’s a luxuriously comfortable handcrafted divan filled with British fleece wool and cotton, a solid timber frame and 600 hand-nested springs.

Choose Wisely

Furniture Village has an online mattress finder that may be useful as you search for the perfect mattress for your requirements. Remember that natural fabrics can aid your body’s natural temperature adjustments for sleep. And a great mattress should accommodate fluctuations in room temperature all year round.

Pillows

Finally, don’t neglect pillows. Where you rest your head is especially important when it’s hot out. The Dunlopillo Super Comfort Pillow is breathable, made from latex with a 100% cotton washable cover. £74

Cool and Light

If you or someone in your family is sleep sensitive, consider redesigning the sleep environment, not only to get a great-looking bed and associated accessories, but to take advantage of the latest technology informing sleep hygiene. Here are a few products we recently discovered that might just help:

Waking up suddenly to the sound of an abrasive alarm clock is not the best way to start the day. The Beuer SAD dawn simulator with alarm uses steadily increasing light to safely rouse you and help reset your sleep cycle. It also has music alarm and light changing features so you can find a personalized solution to sleep/wake issues. £90

A good fan can keep air circulating at night for relief from heat and stuffiness in the bedroom. We love Dyson products because they actually work. Exhaustive research has informed several types of standalone Dyson circulating fans for the market. Our fave is this vertical profile tower fan. It’s powerful, but has an elegant design that takes up less space. £349.99

Blacking out natural light is another good way to trick the body into longer periods of sleep. What are known as “blackout blinds” are made from coated materials that block external light completely. They generally come in white or black but we like this version for its stars in the night sky motif. Available at John Lewis, they can be cut to fit most windows. £114

It’s also important to get enough natural light and sunlight during the day (especially if you work indoors under artificial lights). Controlling the amount of light we are exposed to is key for a healthy and regular sleep/wake cycle.

Change Your Day

Here are a few more tips for establishing a good sleep hygiene that will leave you refreshed and rested come morning:

• Keep daytime naps brief. They can help to improve mood, alertness and performance, but discontinue the practice if you find naps disrupt your nighttime sleep quality.
• Exercise during the day. Even if you can only manage a few minutes of walking or cycling, do it because it can promote better quality sleep. However, most people should avoid strenuous workouts close to bedtime – they can rev you up rather than calm you down.
• Steer clear of heavy or rich foods, fatty or fried meals, spicy dishes, and stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine, and carbonated drinks near bedtime – these that can trigger sleep disrupting indigestion or heartburn for some people. While alcohol can knock you out quickly, but drinking too much can disrupt sleep later in the night as the body processes the alcohol.
• Establish a regular relaxing bedtime routine. This can include a cool bath, dimming lights, turning off electronic and digital devices. These are all signals to the body that it’s time for bed.

You May Also Like

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This is a sponsored post which may contain affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions expressed however are those of the author for The Idealist and are not of the sponsoring company.

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Insider Shopping Guide: Birmingham

Historically coined the ‘city of a thousand trades’, Birmingham’s industrial past is well documented, and to a certain degree, it’s a look, a persona, that the city arguably still wears today. However, though the city’s heart is an ancient one, beloved Brum is evolving. With projects cropping around all over the city, Birmingham is in a state of flux, looking ever more, the twenty-first century metropolis role it plays in England’s cultural map. Given the city’s history and heritage, it might not shock you to know that Birmingham is a treasure trove of antiques and vintage finds.

If you feel Birmingham’s call from labyrinthine London, we’ve shortlisted a few local gems that you must visit

Shopping

Found on Moseley Road, right in the city’s heart, St. Paul’s Antiques & Reclamation are a family business that have been involved with dealing antiques since the forties. Specialising in thought-provoking and inspiring antiques, reclaimed and restored furniture and antique architectural building materials, St. Paul’s is a one-stop shop for all things vintage. The company have developed a reputation for the excellence of their service and quality of their wares, staying true to old-fashioned loyalty, trust and service.

Set across three floors of a gorgeous Victorian Villa in Moseley, the eponymously named, Moseley Emporium Antiques prides itself on sourcing the very best from auction houses, private homes and privates sales from all over the country. However, antiques are only part of what they do. Moseley Emporium antiques also offer continental originals and reproduction, whilst also offering a bespoke, made-to-measure service, made to your individual specifications.

Just outside of the city centre, in Oldbury, Birmingham is the showroom of Home by James. The shop is an Aladdin’s cave of all types of antiques to those wildcard curiosities that you simply cannot leave without. Against a striking Americana checkerboard tile, all manner of retro and vintage furniture can be found here, in traditional industrial, continental, Scandinavian and mid-century modern styles. From, mirrors, to furniture, to china, glass and jewellery, all is truly under one roof. The store’s inventory is hand selected, with items chosen for their quality and enduring style.

If there’s any place representative of Brum’s youthful, edgy and hipster edge, it’s the Apple Pie House Gallery. Famed for their extensive collection of vintage teddy bears and dolls, the gallery also stocks contemporary art form some of the area’s best and brightest. If you’re looking to administer your home with a hipster chic, that’s effortlessly cool and brimming with Brum energy, few places come better qualified.

Let’s Eat

Birmingham is a true metropolis and one of the true, great multicultural cities of the world. Naturally, contained within these cultures that meet here is outstanding food, and Brum’s bragging rights in this department is enough to make other cities green with envy.

Working under the motto of season, ingredient-led cooking and as proud owners of a Michelin Star, it’s fair to say Carters of Moseley know what they’re doing when it comes to food. Central to their cooking are fresh herbs, fruit, veg and wild food, sourced within the UK. What emerges are bold flavours that are both delicious and rejuvenating. Carter’s of Moseley are at the very cutting edge of contemporary British cuisine.

For a taste of Poland, few places come better recommended than The Karczma. Centred around modern reimagining of traditional polish cuisine, The Karczma’s menu is adorned with hearty and quintessentially Polish classics such Pierogi (stuffed dumplings), Berszcz (Beetroot soup), Pickled Herring, Zureck (Pickled Rye Flour Soup) and a whole host of grilled meats and fish.

Asha brings India’s North-West frontier to the heart of Birmingham. A fusion of classical and contemporary Indian dishes, Asha runs the gamut from Indian street food staples to haut cuisine that wouldn’t look out of place on  Maharaja’s banquet table of bygone times. Featuring branches dotted all over the country and Middle East, and having won the seal of approval of critics and loyal customers alike, you can rest assured that Asha is the real deal in the way of representing India’s gorgeously diverse food cultures.

Places to Stay & Getting Here

We’ve got a sweet deal, with us Londoners being Londoners and all. The city’s excellent connections mean that much of the country is within easy reach, with Birmingham being no exception. Just a mere hour and a half from either Euston or Marylebone Station, and you’re pretty much there. However, Brum indeed has much to offer, and to really get a feel for the city, a day trip won’t cut the mustard.

The Edgbaston’s mission statement is refreshingly uncomplicated: ‘it’s simple… we care’. This is reflected in their distinctive brand of hospitality, which they liken to a welcome offered by a gracious friend at a fine private residence. The personal service is both meticulous and discreet, noting your preferences for future visits. The hotel’s six gorgeously orchestrated ensuite bedrooms are finished to the highest standards, brimming with a cool, old-world metropolitan nostalgia and swagger. Huge bed, an abundance of cushions and throws, and a strikingly modern fit and finish characterise The Edgbaston notably luxurious brand of hospitality.

At No. 15-20 St. Paul’s Square, you’ll find Saint Paul’s House. Having launched only last year, by husband and wife team Adrian and Sharon Harvey, Saint Paul’s House is a venue that encompasses a restaurant, bar and boutique hotel. Dressed down, cool and casual, it takes its design inspiration from close to home Shoreditch. With free Wi-Fi, luxury bedding, a waterfall shower ensuite and the finest finishes, St. Paul’s exudes both class and comfort, whilst also being just a stone’s throw away from the city’s central districts such as the famous Jewellery Quarter.

Perhaps you’re after that country escape, removed from the bustle of the city. For this, few places come better recommended than Hogarth’s. Situated in Solihull, Hogarth’s breath-taking gardens feature plants that bloom and arrest the senses with their colour. Inside, plush interiors and individually designed king size beds set the gold standard for both comfort and luxury. The private ensuites that pair with these rooms also feature luxury toiletries from L’Occitane. Hogarth’s brings the best of a countryside escape, whilst remaining at proximity to Birmingham’s beating heart.

Birmingham has a lot to offer, and if you’re after something that’s metropolitan and, kind of familiar, Birmingham is a great call. It has that ‘sameness’ of London, that city pace, but a character that is entirely its own. Perhaps that’s why, having upped sticks from the capital, more people seem to be moving here than any other city. However, if you’re after switching gears only for the while, Birmingham will surprise you. Leave space in your luggage though, as the city’s many antiques dealers will guarantee you won’t be leaving empty handed.

You May Also Like

• Idealist City Guide: Manchester
• Idealist City Guide: Liverpool
• Idealist City Guide: Cambridge

All photos courtesy of respective locations.

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Herringbone, living green walls and concrete in Amsterdam’s greenest neighbourhood

Sometimes it feels like all our current interiors obsessions come together in just one place. We love Amsterdam, we love herringbone parquet, we love Concrete (both the material and the design studio) and we’re crazy for the current biophilic trend for living walls, tropical planting and rich woods.

So, when we saw what Dutch design firm Concrete have done in Amsterdam’s Plantage district at the new Hyatt Regency, we couldn’t help but get excited.

Bringing green to the heart of the city

Like all right thinking cosmopolitans, we love to visit a nice boutique hotel when we’re on a city break and we’d be the first to admit that a 200+ bedroom hotel wouldn’t be our first thought, but how the Hyatt Regency is something else! One of our favourite places in A’dam is the botanical garden (Hortus Botanicus), which is just down the road and has the sweetest cafe and plant shop. The hotel takes a leaf (sorry!) from their book by decorating its rooms with botanical artworks, blooming florals and beautiful finishes (and walk-in rain showers for that tropical touch).

A taste of the East

The restaurant is likewise inspired by the spirit of natural adventures, featuring Indonesian food and exotic cocktails inspired by the plants, herbs and spices of the Far East.

Some Local Style

And we love the mix of exotic greens and golds, concrete-edge palm patterns and gold and marble finishes throughout. And we can’t get enough of those rhombille tiling floors — are they a subtle nod to Escher? He was Dutch after all!

Keeping things local, Dutch family firm Hakwood have contributed throughout to the beautiful finish with a mix of herringbone flooring in the bar and restaurant and chevron and plank flooring in the ballroom, gym and spa. Parquet and hardwood flooring are having a real renaissance at the moment. This place is about as far as you can get from those dreary maroon-carpeted corporate junior suite hotels that we used to have to stay in when on business in the US. This is boutique style on a grand scale. We love it.

How to Get the Look at Home

This design features so many of the latest hottest looks:

• Rhombille tiles – these are pretty hard to find, but we’ve found some available from a couple of designers on the high street. We love these ones at less than £30 per square metre.
• Parquet floors – check out our guide to parquet.
• Concrete – we’ve featured concrete in a lot of articles. Take a look here
• Living walls – these guys have some nice solutions for the home
• Botanical prints – John Lewis has some wonderful leaf and flower inspired wallpaper, including the Cole & Son jungle wallpaper featured in the hotel
• Marble – marble is really big right now. Take a look on the high street in Oliver Bonas, Dwell, West Elm and Heal’s.
• Cocktails – you don’t need us to tell you how to make a cocktail, right?

Rooms at the Hyatt Regency Amsterdam start from around £200.

You May Also Like

 

Idealist City Guide: Amsterdam

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Upscale boutique living in Williamsburg Brooklyn
Introducing a new concept in hotels for ‘tripsters’: Jo & Joe

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6 Easy Ways to Transform Your Coffee Table

For those looking to enhance their lounge spaces and living areas, we have news for you! The overlooked coffee table is no longer an item on which to place the television remote or your feet! It is one of the most budget-friendly ways to elevate your living room and it has the potential to set the tone of the complete interior. Styling it correctly can be challenging and here are 6 easy ways to ensure it is a success.

Less is More

The coffee table is a furnishing that has the ability to speak for itself with little to no assistance from accessories. The key to styling a coffee table correctly is to keep it simple: choosing 2-3 options which perfectly harmonise with each other will have a much more positive impact than displaying numerous objects.

Colour

Adding pops of colour will help bring structure to the room, but this need not be intense or overstated when concerning your coffee table. Being tactically subtle is a much easier and effective approach to help with its transformation. This blue glass vase is a great centrepiece and will help to lift the ambience within the room. Its elegant shape is pleasing to the eye which means it has the status to be styled just as it is.

Candles

Candles make great additions to a coffee table setting by adding a serene dimension and character to the space. If you are partial to the occasional scented candle, it should not only complement but enhance its surrounding environment; therefore choosing the right aroma is crucial as it will be the first sensory experience when walking into the room. These candles by Scandinavisk are beautifully designed and the Northern Lights scent contains elements of citrus and sea salt adding a refreshment to the home. Not only do they look stunning they also have a burning time of 50 hours. They can be purchased for £29.00 and the candle is contained in a delightfully painted glass jar.

Books

Coffee table books can an essential component to the table setting, but your personal selection should be considered carefully. Using books with beautifully eye-catching covers can add to the trend of your room. Also, larger books can be used as a base for a small glass vase or candle.  However, you ultimately want books that reflect your interests. Illustration books relating to travel and art collections are perfect for the living room, as they allow the reader to casually flick through the beautiful images with no commitment required to the book itself.

This book produced by Taschen is a wonderful creation showcasing European travel destinations chosen by the New York Times. It is a fun and playful colour and will bring an element of chic intellectualism into the home. You can get hold of it from John Lewis for £16.99.

To celebrate your love for design, keep an inspirational design book available on the coffee table. The Hinterland is a book created to explore the architecture and design of different cabins and hideaways all over the world. It’s an enchanting read and is perfect for lovers of nature! It can be bought online for £35.00 from Blackwells.

Plants

Plants are perfect for bringing life and greenery to any room and can assist with embodying a sense of calm. For those who want a low maintenance option, succulents are a perfect choice as they require little water and do not shed their leaves. We recommend this stunning diamond shaped terrarium from Not On The High Street. It can be bought with or without the succulent and is perfect for adding an organic element to the coffee table with minimal care.

Sculpture

What better way is there to complement a standalone furnishing than with a standalone centrepiece? Perfect for those who prefer a minimalist approach, a simple sculpture could satisfy every requirement for a truly beautiful coffee table. The depth and tone of this bowl’s self-acclaimed petrol hues will add a touch of understated luxury to the table. It is available from Habitat for £35.00.

You do not need to spend a fortune to transform your coffee table into the perfect showpiece. So long as you love the accompaniments, your eyes will be gladly drawn to the table upon every entrance into the room!

You May Also Like

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from The Idealist https://www.theidealist.com/6-easy-ways-transform-coffee-table/

Home Renovation Projects With The Best ROI

For anybody who owns a home, it may often feel like there is an endless list of home renovation projects to be done, some big, some small. One of the best ways to prioritise what gets done first, is to look at the potential return on investment (ROI) that a renovation project might bring in. Familiarising yourself with the projects that will give you the highest financial returns, may help you with the decision-making process.

Replacing The Entry Door

• Replacing the front door of your home can make a big impact on your home’s resale value.
• A steel door has the most ROI, followed by a fibreglass door.

 

Installing a New Fireplace

• Buyers rank fireplaces among the top 3 amenities they would like most in their homes.
• Get an insert professionally installed into the fireplace to counteract any air gaps, which can send up to 8% of valuable furnace-heated air out of the chimney.

 

Remodelling The Kitchen

• Kitchen projects that are budgeted at 6% to 10% of the total home value will see the highest ROI. The kitchen is the room that generally makes or breaks a sale.
• Almost 7 out of 10 homeowners remodel the kitchen because it is out of date.

 

Converting The Attic into a Bedroom

• The average cost for the key elements of an attic conversion e.g. strengthening the floor, insulation & the finish, is $5k/€4.5k approximately.
• Creating an attic bedroom could increase your home value by as much as $40k/€36k approximately.

 

Replacing The Exterior Siding / Wall Cladding

• The side or cladding on the exterior of your home should not be undervalued.
• Options for replacement include vinyl, fibre cement, foam-backed vinyl & more.

Note: Statistics based on Remodelling’s 2015 COST VS VALUE REPORT.

Simple & Inexpensive Renovation Tips

Fix All Windows & Doors

• Creaking windows & doors that do no open or close easily give potential buyers the impression that other items (that are harder to spot) may not be in top shape either.
• Basic repair work will pay off.

 

Wash Down & Paint Walls

• Bright neon or gloomy dark coloured walls do not have mass appeal.
• Give them a coat or two of light neutral coloured paint which will give the added benefit of making the room seem larger, cleaner & more appealing.

 

Update Lighting Fixtures

• Lighting is something that is very trend led with specific items coming in & going out of fashion.
• Purchase inexpensive versions of what is on trend & these can really bring a house that looks dated back to life.

 

Ditch Old Carpets

• Not everyone can afford to lay down hard wood, however pulling up dirty old carpets is an absolute must when trying to attract a buyer.
• What is underneath may be more presentable with some cleaning & refurbishment.

 

 

This article has been prepared with the good advice and help of Senator Windows, who are the market-leading Window, Door and Conservatory manufacturer in Ireland available in PVC, Timber, Aluclad and Aluminium.

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Amazing Designer Fabrics from Monsoon and Boeme on Handmade Sofas!

Article Sponsored by

For the longest time, sofas were universally upholstered in neutral greys, creams and beiges, placid colours designed to fade into the background, no matter how rich the materials or workmanship that had gone into making the piece. Lately, thanks to some amazing collaborations between fashion houses and interior design brands, we’re seeing an explosion of colour in the living room. It’s about time!

The idea of the sofa as a statement piece is fully supported by our friends at Multiyork, manufacturers of tailor-made sofas and armchairs in Britain for the past three decades. They’ve led the way in educating consumers about how to choose fabrics and styles for a customised sofa experience.

Dream Team For Handmade Sofa Designs

Now they’ve teamed up with two innovative design companies that specialise in creating eye-popping textiles. With a 1/2 price summer sale now on, it’s the perfect time to order a Multiyork bespoke handmade sofa featuring fabrics from the textile geniuses at Monsoon and Boeme.

Boeme

Boeme is a British design studio founded by painter Jo Bound in 2011. Many of the stunning textiles in the company’s catalogue are based on Bound’s fine art paintings. Her explorations of the natural world on canvas are translated into printed fabrics that are then manufactured into statement pieces that could easily anchor any room.

Mesmerising Designs

We love the painterly qualities of Boeme’s Ranmore Oxide on Multiyork’s Olivia chaise longue. Pick out any of the pattern’s dreamy colours – navy, smokey grey – to establish a palette for decorating a bedroom or lounge. This startling combination blends an old world shape with a subdued impressionistic aesthetic.

Boeme’s exclusive range for Multiyork also includes the mesmerising Panorama Rose fabric – a bold print that can turn any sofa into a piece of art. It’s shown here on the Gosfield sofa.

Read more about Multiyork’s collaboration with Boeme here.

Monsoon

For more stately (or occasionally even more riotous) colour and pattern combinations, look to Multiyork’s partnership with the high street fashion brand Monsoon. Following up two previous collections, their 2017 collaboration features six new designs.

Graceful Patterns

Our favourite has to be Calista in rosewater, a contemporary fabric blend covered in birds and blooming flowers. It would look so great on the squishy Verona armchair, perhaps with a contrasting foot stool covered with Calista in denim blue. Once you start mixing patterns, prints and beautiful colours, you may find it difficult to stop.

Complimenting Combinations

Monsoon specialises is updating vintage and traditional prints in fresh and exciting ways. Whether abstract, dotted or geometric in form, designs such as Lennox Ocean (shown here on the Long Island Snuggler) and combinations such as the Greenwich sofa in Alivia Coral paired with a large rectangular footstool in Colby Raspberry, are pretty much state of the art.

 

 

Be Adventurous

Explore more of these brilliant Monsoon options here, and read more about their collaboration with Multiyork here.

Patterns and colour run riot in these supremely fun upholstered pieces from Multiyork. Play around with their online mix and match platform to discover a combo that suits your personality and needs. Want the best of both worlds? You can also order slipcovers in a more subdued style for when the parents come to visit, or seasonal change demands a refresh. This is the lovely thing about bespoke – it’s all about getting what suits your life, rather than adjusting your life to accommodate a new possession.

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This is a sponsored post which may contain affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions expressed however are those of the author for The Idealist and are not of the sponsoring company.

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from The Idealist https://www.theidealist.com/multiyork-monsoon-boeme-handmade-sofas/

Insider City Guide: Shopping in Brighton

Over the years, Brighton’s romance with the silver screen has made it something, well, bigger than the touristic coastal town that your generic tour guide would figure it as being. Think of the legendary Quadrophenia, or The Young Victoria, The Boat that Rocked, The End of the Affair, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging or the iconic Brighton Rock. Each film paints the town with slightly different strokes, but nevertheless shows Brighton’s capacity to reinvent and stay current as cultural hub from one generation to the next. And frankly, the Brighton of real-life certainly does not lack any of the character seen in its depictions by both Hollywood and indie British studios. Whether you find yourself nestled in the labyrinthine flea markets of the Bohemian North Laine district, lost in the boutiques of designers and taste makers, or even simply walking through the town’s historic seafront, Brighton truly does pack it all.

An artist’s city, boutiques embedded throughout Brighton’s artsy lanes offer quirky and inspiring options for your home just as much as they do your wardrobe. We’ve shortlisted a couple of our favourites along with some of the city’s most renowned restaurants and hotels so that you’re well and truly set- whenever you feel the need to be beside the seaside.

The Papillon Shop

Since opening its doors in 2009, The Papillon Shop has become a must for lovers of intriguing and stylish interiors. Situated at the heart of Brighton’s Lanes, the shop stocks everything from furniture to home décor to lighting and perfumery. The brand was the brainchild of co-founders Stephen and Andrew, who have sourced their thought-provoking and unique pieces from all over the world. The Papillon Shop have got the giddy alchemy of fragrance building down to an art-form, which can be experienced in full splendour at their emporium, right in Brighton’s beating heart.

Three Angels

Just off the seafront, at No. 5 Hove Street, you’ll find Three Angels. This popular boutique stocks original French furniture, chandeliers, beds, mirrors, and quite possibly anything else you could need to inject a rustic, old-world sense of sophistication to your home. Many of the shop’s pieces are gorgeously antiqued and would make for a gorgeous addition to a country-styled home or a counterpoint to the clean lines of a metropolitan London apartment. Packing all sorts of curiosities, it’s highly likely you won’t be leaving empty handed.

Mister Smith

In their own words, Mister Smith are ‘here to make your home sing’ – and with the eclectic range of wallpaper, fabric and flooring options available, we’re confident your home will be hitting all the right notes. Situated at No. 23 New Road, Mister Smith is only a short walk away from the famous Pavilion. Mister Smith offers an encyclopaedic array of prints ranging from trendy florals, luxurious plain tones to angular geometric designs; you’re bound to find something that fits your home perfectly, giving it that lift and new life you’ve long been craving for it.

IO Gallery

The IO Gallery has been a feature of the Brighton art scene for the past twenty years. In their own words, they’re ‘a gallery run by artists for artists’. In that sense, they makes a point of putting Brighton’s best and most promising on full display, having helped hundreds of local artists sell their work in a way that is both fair to, and rewards the work of artists.

Two Kats and a Cow

Whether it’s a traditional fish and chips or an ice cream you’ve enjoyed on the Pier, it’s imperative that, if you’re an art lover, Two Kats and a Cow is your next destination. Situated in one of Brighton Beach’s Victorian sea-front arches, it’s only a stone’s throw away. The brainchild of painters Katy McMurray, Kathryn Matthews and John Marshall, the gallery takes its name from the two ‘Kats’ in the trio and a ‘Cow’, a reference to one of John’s works. Today, the gallery is home to the work of a whole roster of artists, jewellers, ceramicists and sculptors and have become a key attraction on Brighton’s seafront. Regarded by the Independent as a ‘must see’, we simply cannot help but agree. If intriguing and original works are what you’re after, this is the place.

Let’s Eat

Whilst tucking into a well-seasoned portion of chips or nice piece of toffee rock is all fair and good in rounding off your seaside experience, it would be a sin to not experience the restaurants Brighton also has to offer. With some of the freshest seafood and charmingly original cafes right at your fingertips, Brighton’s culinary map is just as colourful as its hip, Bohemian quarters

English’s of Brighton

English’s of Brighton is a restaurant and oyster bar that has become synonymous with Brighton’s food culture, having been around since 1945. A firm favourite amongst both locals and tourists, the restaurant prides itself on serving the freshest and finest seafood. Whether it is an indulgent meal you’re after in one of the restaurant’s dining rooms, or perhaps something lighter in the restaurant’s marble-topped oyster bar, you’ll be sure to sample the best of Brighton’s seafood delights here.

The Regency

The Regency is something of a restaurant and cultural landmark. Its 131 King’s Road address is historic, having formerly been the palatial seafront home of Harriet Mellon, once the richest woman in Europe. The site became the Regency, as we know it today, in the 1930’s, offering some of the best locally caught, fresh fish in the area. With rave reviews foodies and journalists alike, it’s fair to say The Regency’s reputation for excellence is known far and wide. The restaurant also boasts a gorgeous view of the seaside, whilst also being just a stone’s throw away from the i360 tower, which offers a breathtaking bird’s eye view of Brighton.

Sunbirds Deli

Perhaps you’re after something a little lighter, in which case few places come better recommended than Sunbirds Deli. The café prides itself on dishing up Mediterranean and Middle Eastern delights, whilst also offering vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options. Found on London Road, Sunbirds Deli delivers homemade, fresh and hearty food that has won the hearts of locals. When there, give their meatball meze and baklava a shot – they both come highly recommended.

Getting Here & Places to Stay

We Londoners are spoiled by the fact that Brighton is only an hour away. Whether it’s a weekend trip, or just something on a whim, trains can easily be caught from Victoria, London Bridge or Blackfriars stations. There are several departures per hour, so it’s just a simple case of: show up, grab your ticket, and you’re there! However, to really get a feel for the place, look beyond the day trip. Spending time in the city really helps you etch out a Brighton of your own, and make your time spent here that bit more meaningful.

Drakes

If it’s opulence you’re after, few hotels come better than Drakes of Brighton. The bespoke rooms come furnished with handcrafted beds, designer fabrics, free standing baths and sea views of Brighton’s gorgeous coast are featured in many of their rooms. With private dining options at their exclusive restaurant, in addition to private, couple’s suites, such as the hotel’s breathtaking Super King Feature Room, Drakes’ keen eye for detail means that your stay will be nothing short of luxurious.

Blanch House

As Brighton’s original boutique hotel, Blanch House delivers chic, old world charm by the bucketload. The hotel is housed in a Grade II listed town house, situated in cool, Bohemian Kemp Town. The rooms are individually designed and are equipped to meet the needs of all its guests. Featuring a flat-screen TV, all your connectivity needs, a selection of teas and biscuits paired with aromatherapy, toiletries and bathrobes, it’s fair to say that Blanch House have all your needs and requirements covered.

Fab Guest

Hip, spunky and bursting with personality, Fab Guest’s bold and unapologetically cool design has made it a favourite amongst the young and artsy. Behind the grey of its skinny five storey Georgian townhouse exterior lie the hotel’s 14 rooms. Whilst cosier in size, they are phenomenally well designed and highly comfortable. With wacky and curious accent pieces dotted all over the hotel, Fab Guest is the place if you’re after something off the beaten track. It brings the energy and hipster charm and appeal of your favourite London districts right up to the Brighton coast.

Brighton has arguably become one of the country’s main epicentres of hip, Bohemian culture, and whilst its proximity to London has given the town a slight metropolitan edge in recent times, it nonetheless exudes a character all of its own. This is conveyed in what you can find here. The old cliché of ‘expecting the unexpected’ has never held truer anywhere but with Brighton- and there’s a good chance of you being pleasantly surprised by what you find here.

You May Also Like

• Insider City Guide: Shoreditch
• Insider City Shopping Guide: NEWCASTLE
• Insider City Guide: Walton Street, South Kensington

All photos courtesy of respective locations.

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from The Idealist https://www.theidealist.com/insider-brighton/