Clerkenwell Design Week 2018

I always love coming to Clerkenwell, it's a vibrant little part of London which almost doesn't feel very London - if you know what I mean? 

The festival is set within really cool architecture such as a church, a former prison and nestled amongst some of the best cafes and bars which makes it a delight to visit! 

Here's some of my highlights from my whirlwind trip. I was also on a major Northern Ireland comedown at the time so some shots may be a bit skewed!! 

Earthly Tones Still Going Strong 

Corals, rusts, reds and pinks were still in abundance at Clerkenwell. The Pluck Kitchen was a real winner for me with the coral kitchen cabinets and bespoke Corian worktop. I first discovered Pluck at Clerkenwell a few years back and have been a big fan ever since. 

Pluck Kitchen at Clerkenwell 2018

Tony Gant Pottery displayed in Pluck Kitchen cabinet at Clerkenwell Design Week. 

Corals and pinks at Clerkenwell Design Week. Pluck Kitchens. 

I have a real love for this colour palette at the moment, it's surprisingly fresh after all the grey - and I LOVE grey! Maybe you'll see a rust coloured wall coming onto Instagram soon!!

Another Country & Søren Lund collaboration. 

For those not brave enough to paint a wall, why not introduce a pop of red via Very Good & Proper's new metal dowel shelving system. I love how eye catching it is, proving offices don't need to be boring. 

Another fabulous idea is to use copper plug sockets and light switches as seen at Dowsing & Reynolds stand. They are fabulous. 

Very Good and Proper - Metal Dowel Shelving System 

Dowsing & Reynolds copper plug sockets and light switches.

One Day I will Have A Devol Kitchen...

Sebastian Cox Kitchen for Devol.

We visited the Tyroe Street showroom to see the beautifully crafted Sebastian Cox kitchen in the basement. The styling here was impeccable and the space was really stunning. One day, one day....

Devol Kitchens Tyroe Street Showroom.

Instagram's Favourite Restuarant 

I first discovered bottomless brunches here a couple of years ago where it hadn't quite reached the Mancunian Streets and just had to come back for a couple of snaps and spot of lunch during Clerkenwell. 

Bourne & Hollingsworth Exterior.

Botanical details at Bourne & Hollingsworth.

Botanical's are still going strong at Bourne & Hollingsworth - it's such a light bright space, you immediately feel relaxed and a million miles away from London once you step inside. The food is fabulous too! 

Bourne & Hollingsworth, London

Dead Good really are Dead Good

Another great thing about Clerkenwell is the abundance of showrooms and during design week, they all open them up to the public, allowing you to wander in and out freely without being hassled for a sale. One of my highlights was the Deadgood showroom with all the pops of bold colour. Using one off statement pieces can really add personality to the home and bring a seemingly bland space alive. 

Deadgood Showroom, London

Cute heart detail at Deadgood Showroom, London.

Pops of yellow by DeadGood. 

And Last But Not Least...

The beautiful surrondings of Clerkenwell Design Week are well worth visiting for alone. 

The Zetter Townhouse Hotel

Clerkenwell Grind.

See you next year Clerkenwell! 

My Favourite Manchester Artists

A lot of people always ask where I get my prints from so I thought I'd share all my favourite Manchester artists, some I've admired for years, others newly discovered. If you're from Manchester or have moved away and want some memorabilia or just simply love the city (let's face it, who doesn't!?) then this is the post for you! 

Sl SCOTT

I have always admired Sue's work, having collected various cards and framing them from Green Walk's Open House weekend and the Makers Market where Sue is a regular. I love the graphic Manchester skylines and landmark buildings and of course, who can resist the Manchester bee prints she does?!

Sue very kindly messaged me to say she thought the Manchester Heart would sit perfectly in my living room and it one hundred percent does! It hasn't left my mantelpiece since!

Another print I adore is the "Manchester Landmarks 1" print which I put up in the hallway amongst all our favourite places we've visited. 

There's also more local prints such as Didsbury and Chorlton and Sue is always up for a commission. Go check her out here.

Northern Letters

Northern Letters are inspired by typography found in and around Manchester. Each letter comes with GPS coordinates and a map so you know exactly where the letter can be found. I'm a sucker for an initial as I've said many times before but our initials if put the wrong way...well I'll leave that to your imagination, hence why we swiftly bought the ampersand to go with! 

Paul Grogan

Paul Grogan is a man of many talents. Wedding photographer, commercial photography and Manchester photos and prints. I first discovered Paul when I bought a framed Manchester Bee prints for the OH. I obsessed over the Manchester Periodic Table print for months before finally taking the plunge. It's massive - A1 poster size but it's so eye catching and one of the many prints people always ask after on Instagram. It includes many of the important elements, inventions, people and societal changes that make Manchester the place it is now. 

The Bee cushion is one of the many other ways you can bring Manchester into your home and I've also got my eye on Paul's published book showcasing the best images of my home town. Go check him out!

Dave Draws

My Chorlton map print by Dave Draws is another treasured print. I lived in Chorlton with the girls for 5 years and let's just say it was the glory days! Living above a chicken shop had it's downfalls but they were way outshone by the perks and I'm not ashamed to admit there was a lot of fried chicken consumed back then!

The Thirteen Prints 

Thirteen Prints is run by Rachel who's a Manchester native but lives down south. We had a good old giggle about our childhoods and the areas we grew up in. Why is it Mums always tell everyone you're from the closest poshest neighbourhood instead of the actual truth?!? Rachel is currently producing prints whilst on maternity leave and covers anything from Manchester song lyrics to motivational quotes. I chose the Oasis print as these lyrics remind me of my youth spent in 42nd Street (if you know, you know). Rachel also very kindly sent me a commission of the not-so-cool Lionel Richie's "Dancing on the Ceiling" which as soon as I find a frame for it will be up on the wall immediately!

So that's my recommendations for Manchester themed prints - go check them out, let me know what you think! 

*Disclaimer* My monstera definitely does not look like this anymore. 

Hallway Revamp

It's taken two years of un-decisiveness, moaning and ignoring it to finally sort the hallway out! It was on my New Year Resolution list and I'm actually proud of myself that it's on resolution I've kept! We also set a goal of April which I think helped, wanting it finished for my birthday party was a real catalyst.

The hallway is a really big part of the house - it's the first impression people see when walking into your home but it's often the thing that gets forgotten about amongst the bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms. Ours was basically holes in the walls and random paint testers on the walls since we moved in which wasn't ideal. So here's the progress so far - there's probably a radiator cover needed and a couple of touch ups here and there but I'm really pleased with the results...

Before...

...After!

One of the reasons it's taken so long to do is because it's not something I could easily do myself. I've painted every other room in the house but balancing on ladders on the stairs was not on my wishlist! We found a really good decorator through a family member and he was ready to start ASAP. Cue mad dash to B&Q for paints! 

Originally I had my heart set on Farrow & Ball colours but after adding up how many litres we would need, the cost got ridiculous. There was the option of colour matching at a local paint shop but we had left it way too late. So I spent my Friday night in B&Q matching colour cards and hoping my eyes were up to scratch. 

First coat on! 

Dulux Polished Pebble & Valspar Moonlight Dance 

We went for Dulux Polished Pebble as the main wall colour which is a really soft neutral. The hallway doesn't get much daylight so as much as I would have loved to go bold and dark, it would have been like walking into a cave everyday. 

The banister and spindles are Valspar Moonlight Dance, which is my compromise for the dark side. It's actually quite a green-grey in some lights but it's lovely and rich. We left the handrail the dark wood stain which was there originally - I think it goes really well together. 

Figuring out the gallery wall - practise makes perfect. 

It was hard for a control freak like me to leave a stranger in the house for 3 days and paint colours I hadn't even tested but after 3 days, the decorator was finished and it was time to add the finishing touches. 

I have been lucky enough to collaborate with Desenio and was able to choose a number of prints for the house. I chose this world map as I wanted something quite big as a focal point to the gallery wall. It then meant I could plan the other prints and pictures around it. Most of these are my own photos from our travels which fit perfectly with the map theme. 

It's also the perfect place for my SL Scott Manchester print to hang which I have also been lucky enough to have been gifted. 

I planned the gallery wall on the floor first, it helps to see it first and make any changes before committing to the holes in the walls and realising you've made a mistake! 

Gallery wall up!

Next was choosing a carpet. We went local rather than a big carpet retailer and it worked out about £300 cheaper! Personally I hate carpets - living with a big fluffy cat means constantly hoovering up clumps which gather on it. The floorboards underneath the old carpet were just in too bad of a state so it was the much simplier option to stick with carpet. I went for a berber style, I didn't want fluffy or soft. Hardwearing and sturdy are more up my street! 

Carpet Choice 

We got the lights from Made, I love how the brass really pops against the grey. It's a classic combination and the cluster pendant style of the lights creates a bold statement. Note to self though : get an electrician or someone who knows what they're doing - it took us bloody hours to get two lights up! 

Made.com  Cluster Lights

We have had the mirror since we moved in - one of those gems found in the depths of Homesense one day at the Trafford Centre. The coat rack is West Elm from John Lewis. I love all things mid century modern but rarely get any pieces for the house so this caught my eye immediately. I have inherited Ben's coat obsession and between us we have way too many coats to count. It's embarrassing really! It means we need something really sturdy and big to hold everything, stopping us from piling them all up on the banister post. The dark wood is a perfect match with the handrail also. 

West Elm mid century multi hook

View up the stairs onto the landing.

So that's it - I love walking into this space everyday now and I can't wait to hear what you think! Bojangles gives his seal of approval too which is always a bonus! 

Beautiful cat and hallway combination!