Category Archives: christmas

Updating Your Living Room With Floately

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We are now in mid July and Christmas might seem like an age away, but  Autumn will be upon us soon enough, and particularly as September rolls by (where, exactly has this year gone?) we start to think more about getting our homes ready for Christmas. Now, by that, I don’t mean we start sticking the decorations up any time soon, but we do think about the final home improvements of the year, and those little touches that will have the house looking its best.

The most popular room to redecorate and modernise is the living room, which is why you see all those furniture shops who have those never ending sales promising sofas that can be delivered for Christmas. But a living room update doesn’t have to involve lots of new furniture, it can be as simple as adding some new lighting, accessories, plants and candles to give your room a new feel.

Floately is a brand that specialises in contemporary home decor, modern interior design pieces that give any room a luxe, contemporary look. Their floating products including floating Bluetooth speakers, floating lightbulbs and flying lamps are all popular, especially with those who use the #instastyle hashtag. Floately homestyle products will help you update and add style to any room, and you can read on to find some of my key picks from the brand.

Change your lighting

The lights you use in your living room affect the whole ambience of the setting. The Volta levitating light bulb is an absolute talking point to any room that has a modern, or even industrial style setting. It would work on a side table, or even as a pair on a modern mantlepiece.

This is an absolutely stunning piece of design. It casts a warm light that will create a cosy atmosphere in any room, but the fact that it also spins will keep you mesmerised, and will have all visitors to your home enthralled and asking ‘where did you get it?’

Named for Alessandra Volta, this lamp works through a combination of magnets and wireless technology, but it is also strong and built to last with shatterproof glass and contact wires 10 times stronger than an average build. This levitating light bulb is the piece of interior design you didn’t know you needed, but you definitely do, it is just a fantastic item.

Plants

I love plants in the home, but have to admit I’m not that good at keeping them healthy and growing. Floating plants were not something that I had been familiar with, but I must admit I absolutely love the idea of them.

Floately have the Airsai floating plant pot which allows you to add a mystical floating plant to your room. The beauty of the floating plant pot is that it also spins 360 degrees continuously, allowing all your plant access to sunlight, which will help it grow straighter and taller, and will certainly make it a much healthier plant than if it was just stuck in a window in one direction.

There are 4 styles of plant pot, so you can choose one that suits both your plant and decor. But as well as looking super attractive, and proving a talking point, the Airsai offers so much more, as Floately explains:-

Our AIRSAI levitating plant looks very calming and helps create a light atmosphere inside your home or any space. It is designed to help ease anxiety, stabilize emotions, and make people feel more comfortable.

Are you planning to revamp a room this Autumn? If so, and you’re looking for something new and unusual, I would definitely recommend a bit of time looking at all that Floately has to offer. Visit www.floately.com

 

 

A Cosy Home For Christmas

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I am a real sucker for the Channel 5 Christmas B movies, the sort that star people like Hayley Duff and Nicolette Sheridan and are set in places where they have crisp, deep snow, acres of Christmas lights and the biggest trees you ever did see.

I’ve always loved these films and I think part of the reason for this is to do with the places where the characters live. They always exude cosy ‘Christmasness’, with roaring fires, huge sofa, windows with shutters, cosy rugs and festive/alpine touches.

If this is your idea of decor heaven, read on to find how you can add your own cosy touches to your home this winter.

Adding a Made to Measure Rug

One of the home decor trends of recent years has been the rise in laminate and real wood floors. They look beautiful, age well and are easier to clean, but it has to be said that they lack that warm and cosy feel that Winter needs. One easy way to add the ‘warm and cosy’ is to add a beautiful made to measure rug.

Designer-carpet.co.uk are experts when it comes to your luxury carpets and designer carpet needs. They deal in both made to measure rugs and in heavily discounted carpet remnants that can give you the designer look at up to 90% off RRP.

A beautiful handmade, made to measure rug will add a touch of luxury to your home as well as making it look super cosy. The beauty of made to measure is that it can be designed to fit your room size, so it doesn’t overwhelm your space. You can choose colours and patterns that fit with your existing decor and can even opt for the brand that takes your eye. The fabric and texture is also your choice, from something hardwearing like jute or seagrass, to something soft like velvet or loop. The choice is yours.

Adding Tier on Tier Window Shutters

Beautiful tier on tier window blinds not only add extra warmth to a room, but they look cosy and festive too. Wooden shutter blinds give your house a Nordic touch, and if you look at the range from Thomas Sanderson you get a design that is handcrafted and traditional looking.

Cushions, Lots of Cushions

Have you ever noticed just how many plump cushions festoon the sofas and chairs in Christmas movies?  Every sofa just looks like you would sink into it and not want to ever get up again.

Whether you decide to opt for plain and simple cushions that you can use all year around, or whether you go for a few seasonal options, it has to be said that cushions totally equal cosiness.

A wreath for the mantlepiece

All good Christmas films have a festive wreath on the fireplace that is a real statement piece. Home Alone had a wreath and stockings hanging above the fire, whilst even the minimalist style of the LA home in The Holiday had a festive wreath – it’s one thing a cosy festive home just has to have. Real greenery works best and can add a beautiful festive scent to your home too, but there are some really stunning artificial mantle wreaths, and many have twinkly lights that add to the magical Christmas aura.

A cosy throw

Your can transform your usual sofa into a festive version of your sofa with the addition of a cosy Christmas throw. These look and feel soft and comfy and cost very little, you can usually pick them up for less than £10 from stores like Matalan, Asda and Tesco. The throw can be worn over the top of the sofa, or thrown over the arm of a chair, and can simply be folded away once Christmas has gone.

Are you adding any seasonal touches to your home this Christmas?

Visit London this Spring

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It’s our capital city, and no-one would argue that it is also one of the most magnificent cities in the world. Of course I’m talking about London. Spring is a fabulous time to visit, the parks are in full bloom and everything looks better with a bit of sunshine. I have put together a short guide of places to visit this Spring if you are heading for a day out, a quick City break, or a longer trip. Don’t forget to look into getting a London Pass which could help you save money on a range of unmissable attractions, including historic buildings, sporting venues and beautiful gardens.

Harrods

Harrods is a must visit at any time of year.  As well as being an absolute icon of shopping and retail history, it is also a wonderfully stunning store, with incredible architecture that you can enjoy even without making a purchase and getting one of those little green bags.

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A River Thames Cruise

A river Thames cruise is just the best way to see the great city of London. They operate a hop on/hop off ticket so you can choose the parts of London to see in more detail, and you can also get more glamorous packages which include a gourmet meal or a dinner dance. There truly is no better way to enjoy the city, and all its incredible bridges, including the iconic Tower Bridge.

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Wembley Stadium

For lovers of football, a trip to Wembley Stadium is a must do. The stadium runs tours regularly and there is also a pretty brilliant stadium megastore where serious football fans can make a huge dent in their spending money. Make sure you get lots of photographs of that famous Arch.

Carnaby Street

It’s no longer the centre of cool London like it was in the 1960s, but Carnaby Street and the surrounding area is still a great place to find independent boutiques, vintage shops, and branches of more unusual High Street stores – Monki and Irregular Choice amongst my faves. Carnaby Street is still a place to find an unusual gift, independent food vendors and some pretty good street entertainment.

 

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The Shard

If you want to get a view across London, then the viewing platform from The Shard is certainly the best place to get it. You can see almost 40 miles across the city from the platform, and your ticket is weather guaranteed, meaning that if the day turns out to be foggy or drizzly, you can come back for free.  If the view doesn’t take your fancy you can always check out the  growing retail arcade situated on the pedestrian route between London Bridge underground station and the main entrances to The Shard.

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Architecture, Architecture

If, like me, you are interested in beautiful buildings and interesting architecture, then London is the city to visit. It has everything to savour, from the Art Deco beauty of the Hoover Building and the Daily Express building, to the Regency buildings of John Nash, and the artistry of Sir Christopher Wren. The newer architecture is also interesting and awe inspiring. Take a bus tour and just enjoy the sites.