Browsing through the July/Aug edition of Lonny magazine, I noticed that a lot of the rooms they showcased were dominated by black walls or black features. And I must say, I was definitely won over. I think you have to be very careful using black, especially in rooms without an abundance of natural light, but it can look so dramatic and downright fabulous. This office in particular caught my eye, as the dark walls make the chandelier, antlers and bus blind (I need to get me one of those – obsessed) stand out all the more:

{image via Lonny}
Now, call me a wuss, but I don’t think I’d be brave enough to go ALL out with the black, so I feel that a heavy dose of white to compliment the black would be in order. Striking black floorboards, white walls and black details would be the look I’d go for – although I’ve suddenly got a huge crush on thick black and white stripes, be they on walls, rugs or armchairs (erm, how much are you in love with that chair with the stack of books?!):

{images via Elle Decor & Pinterest}
If you want the gently, gently approach to introducing a monochrome theme to a room, here are a few chic pieces to get you started:

{1. John Lewis Boston bedstead – £299 / 2. Graham & Green star door knob – £3.95 / 3. Graham & Green bone relief mirror – £289 / 4. John Lewis café chair – £99 / 5. Sweetpea & Willow Cross Me Armchair – £845}

I remember first seeing an assortment of chairs around a kitchen table in Monica’s Friends apartment. I’m a massive fan of mismatched decor with a bit of quirkiness, and this trend really embraces that – for want of a better word – higgledy-piggledyness. Eloquent, right?! Whether you go all out and go for different styles, textures and colours, or just change one element (e.g. same chairs, different colour), it can turn your kitchen or dining room table into a real feature of the room. And there’ll always be the fight for the comfiest chair…

{images via pinterest}
What do you think of this interior trend?

We made it to Friday! Hope you’ve had a good week. It’s been a busy one for me, one way or another – on Wednesday night I went to see Take That in concert, which was pretty damn uh-may-zing. The boys (or men… it’s not the Smash Hit Poll Winners Party any more!) showed what incredible performers they all are, and the atmosphere in Wembley stadium was beyond electric, especially when they played ‘Never Forget’ – it gave me goosebumps. After all these years, they’ve still got it! This weekend there’s no rest for the wicked, as I’m off to Nottingham for my friend Lucy’s hen do. I love spending time with my school friends… it may be 12 years since we left senior school, but we’re still as close as we ever were. Sensing what will surely go on this weekend, I have taken Monday off work. Not just a hat rack, my friend.
Now, did your jaw drop just a little bit when you saw Elie Saab’s Fall 2011 Couture Collection? Along with Marchesa and Chanel, I know for certain that Elie is going to produce something very special. These gowns were grouped in colour, graduating from light to dark, which gave an almost “ombre” effect as they were paraded up and down the catwalk. I can already imagine Hollywood’s A-list looking radiant in these ready-to-wear dresses – the question is, who will be the first? (My money’s on Rosie H-W in one of the gowns featuring a sizeable slit… just a hunch).

{images via fashionologie}
Onto ‘Look of the Week’, and I’ve gone for our own Emma Watson, because I’m partial to a ruffle and it’s the end of an era (so I hear – I can’t say I’m a Potter enthusiast). The dress is beautiful and as esquisite as her last Lopez number, the pumps are Chanel, and, well, the hair is a little Julia Roberts circa Hook, but we’ll let that go. At least she had the guts to crop her hair, which is more than can be said for me and my 1995 haircut. And my favourite room of the week has every element that makes me go weak at the knees – a pink/grey combo, a chandelier, window shutters, subways and an ornate floor. Done and done.

{images via prphotos & pinterest}
I hope you have a lovely weekend whatever you’re doing and wherever you may be…

I have been noticing a lot of artwork and prints featuring maps lately, and I think they make a great focal point in a room… especially when they’re as decorative as the British Isles composed of buttons, or as lively as the illustration of the South Bank. Although I have to say that the map of South Devon is the one I’d go for, since it’s my absolute favourite place in the world. Are you a fan of maps as wall art, and if so, what kind of map would you display?

{1. Famille Summerbelle Paris map – £35 / 2. Hello Geronimo button artwork – £270 / 3. Ursula Hitz New York map – £129 / 4. Distinctly Living South Devon print – £45 / 5. Alice Tait shop South Bank print – £21.50 / 6. The Literary Gift Company British map – £10 / 7. Bold & Noble USA map – £43}

Friday is here and I’m looking forward to another wedding tomorrow! It seems like it’s quite the weekend for weddings… three years ago it was my brother’s wedding (happy anniversary Tim and Alex!), then this weekend sees the nuptials of Kate Moss and Prince Albert of Monaco. Separately, of course. Yesterday we saw the wedding of Abbey Clancy and the man-giant Peter Crouch – I thought she looked beautiful, albeit a little WAG-y with the red nails. So I’m Essex-bound today and praying that we keep this beautiful weather for Lucie and Jamie’s big day.
Now, I didn’t win the big money prize on Tuesday’s EuroMillions, but neither did anyone else it seems, since tonight’s jackpot is an unbelievable £136 mill. I mean, where would you even start with that kind of dough?? After my ‘objects of desire’ earlier on this week, I’ve been thinking on a slightly grander scale. Real estate. As well as interiors, I’m slightly obsessed with houses in general (Escape to the Country, Location Location Location, Fantasy Homes by the Sea – you name it, I watch it), so here are a few examples of the types of property I’d invest in if when my numbers come up. My choices include beach houses, New England style, colonial, French country estate… and there simply must be jaw-droppingly beautiful pool:

{images via Architectural Digest, Elle Decor & Pinterest}
Tell me, dear readers… what would you spend your winnings on if you scooped the jackpot?
I settled on ex-MTV presenter Donna Air as my look of the week, wearing neon yellow Roksanda Ilincic Resort 2011 at the Serpentine Gallery’s Summer Party. Paired with the green peep-toe sandals, it’s such a fresh and summery look perfect for the event she’s attending, and is it just me or does this girl never seem to age?! For my room of the week, I picked this gorgeous kitchen since I’m a sucker for white subway tiles and white cupboards, and the antique rug works so well on the herringbone floor.

{images via Pinterest & prphotos}
I hope you have a beautiful weekend whatever you’re doing and wherever you may be…