During my daily travels through the blogosphere, I have come across many home offices that make me want to miraculously create an extra room in my flat so I can have one of my own. At the moment, the only option is the cellar – but the fact that it’s basically a dumping ground and has no natural daylight (and quite frankly gives me the creeps à la Kevin in Home Alone), doesn’t equate to a dream workspace. I often daydream about having an incredibly light and bright room, filled with a ton of personal items that makes it manifestly mine. I’m thinking along the lines of my bright yellow Roberts radio, an inspiration board filled with magazine cuttings and all manner of objects that I’ve felt drawn to or that have inspired me, framed photographs of loved ones, a giant flat screen desk top to fill with beautiful images, vintage pieces of furniture (definitely a buttoned armchair), an incredibly organised yet chic storage system, and vases of fresh tulips. Can I have French doors leading to a patio or balcony as well? Yep, then that too please.
Here are some offices that would not only inspire me, but also make me jump out of bed every morning eager to get going:

{images via Pinterest, House Beautiful & LivingEtc}

Welcome to the weekend! Somehow I crawled to the finishing line, and now have two days to relax and spend time with the birthday boy. My boyfriend had his actual birthday on Wednesday, but he’s adopted my fondness for having a ‘birthday week’ (one day is never enough, right?), so the celebrations continue! Do you have any exciting plans for the next couple of days?
Here is a round-up of the most stylish things that have taken my fancy this week:
The glitz, the glamour, the French Riviera, it’s all so très chic! A-listers, their entourages and mini dogs have migrated to the Côte d’Azur to the annual Film Festival, shaken out their Chanel towels on the sun loungers at the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc, and embarked on 11 gruelling days of publicity, schmoozing and, well, posing. Day one, and the posing portion of proceedings was magnifique. Salma Hayek sparkled in Gucci Première, Rachel McAdams was a siren in Marchesa, Karolina Kurkova sizzled in Armani Privé and Uma Thurman was effortless in Versace. 10 more days of this? Parfait!

{images via prphotos}
Since I posted about my new favourite online boutique, Rose & Grey, I have been gazing at the images of the crates in particular, and wondering where I could find a place for them in my living room. It would be a tight squeeze, but where there’s a will there’s a way. After perusing Pinterest to see if there was anyone else who shared my crate obsession (of course there was), I realised there was a solution to the space issue: crates as table. Now all I need to do is find a new place for my current coffee table…

{images via Pinterest}
It seems that since Stella McCartney paraded fruit prints on the S/S11 catwalk, she’s opened a whole can of, er, peaches? Fruity prints are everywhere on the high street from pretty cherry dresses to zesty vest tops. It’s a veritable fruit salad!

{ 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 }
I know that Louise Body’s beautiful tile wallpaper has done the rounds in the blogosphere, but I couldn’t let my Friday round-up pass without showing my favourite designs. They’re so Mediterranean, conjuring up images of outdoor kitchens, azure skies and terracotta back-drops. It’s such a simple concept, but like most things, it’s those kind of ideas that work out the best:

{available via Louise Body}
Now, if I said leather hot pants and stilettos, you’d say street walker, correct? Well, imagine those shorts are Chanel, the heels are Loubs and the girl is Rachel Bilson. The result is so glam it just shouldn’t be allowed. Bilson is a worthy winner of my ‘Look of the Week’ award, after her appearance at the Chanel Resort Collection, held at the aforementioned Hotel du Cap. She even out-glammed Blake Lively, also clad in Chanel shorts… no mean feat! As for my favourite room of the week, I saw this sofa and looked no further. The colours are sheer perfection:

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

If you remember a while back (seen here), I gave you a tour of the home of Jen Ramos, from one of my daily ‘go to’ blogs, Made By Girl. Her home has a very distinctive style with its white walls and monochrome furnishings, and pops of colour to complete the look. Not only does self-professed “driven entrepreneur” Jen produce striking prints in her etsy store, she has now branched into the world of abstract art. Her inaugural collection has a website of its own, Cocoa & Hearts, and the pieces are selling like hot cakes already! Talented lady. Here is a selection of her work:

{images via Cocoa & Hearts}
I have to say, I really like her bold use of colour without form… each one is completely open to interpretation. If I were to display one of her pieces in my home, I’d make sure it was a largely white room with the subtle but effective use of colour that appears in Jen’s home – this would ensure that the artwork would stand out as a real focal point. Here are some examples of rooms that I think would provide the perfect backdrop for a Cocoa & Hearts painting:

{images via House Beautiful & Pinterest}
What do you think of Jen’s artwork?

When I look for items for my home, I tend to shy away from things that look new. Even if I buy them new, I prefer them to have a weathered, vintage look, for the simple reason that it gives a home a more lived-in and quirky feel than it would filled only with pieces that scream brand new and soulless. Kirstie’s Homemade Home, eat your heart out. One online boutique that I’ve recently discovered, embodies this sentiment: Rose & Grey. From rustic crates to retro storage trunks that could double as a decorative coffee table, all the items for sale are a little bit special. Grab a cup of tea and get ready for some serious browsing… to give you a preview of their gorgeous range, here are some of their homeware and furniture that I’d love to find a home for:

{1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14}

Happy Friday everyone! Even though it’s only been four days, this week seems to have gone on forever. But we got there and now it’s time to wind down and look forward to the weekend. Tonight I am seeing my old work crew for dinner at one of my favourite restaurants in central London (see here – worth a trip for the colourful interior alone)… then the following couple of days will be spent with a fresh batch of magazines, maybe a gym visit or two, relaxing in my spring-cleaned formally jungle-esque garden and just enjoying time at home before my trip to the States in a couple of weeks to run an event. I’d like to catch the new Kate Hudson movie, Something Borrowed, as well. Surely there’ll be a wedding involved with a title like that (otherwise that’s false advertising and I’ll demand my money back), and some kind of romantic mix-up. Sounds like a winner (haha, anyone else have the same high-brow taste in films as me?). Do you have any exciting plans?
As is now customary for a Friday, here is my weekly round-up of the trends and looks that have caught my eye:
This Chloé bag may just be the most beautiful thing that I’ve ever seen. I may not have a spare £1,325 to throw at it, but it’s not going to stop me staring. Net-a-Porter then helpfully suggested other things that I might like, and before I knew it I had a list of pink items that I would give my right arm for. Thanks N-a-P, very helpful:

{1. Chloé Marcie perforated leather tote / 2. Christian Louboutin ballerina flats / 3. Marie-Hélène de Taillac gold sapphire ring / 4. Marc by Marc Jacobs rose gold watch / 5. Emilio de la Morena silk-organza dress / 6. Valentino lace and wool-blend cardigan}
For the Royal Wedding (did I mention I watched it?!) I decorated my living room with some bunting and a commemorative tea towel acting as a flag (to add some class). The tea towel has since been removed, but the bunting is still adorning my fireplace and I’ve got no intention of removing it. It’s not even the pretty vintage variety, it’s Union Jack bunting from Clinton Cards (for non-Brits who may not know this store, it’s where you buy greeting cards for people you don’t particularly like) for Pete’s sake… but it’s still staying put. I adore bunting in whatever guise it comes in, but next time there’s an occasion for it I’d be tempted to make some myself for that home-made look:

{images via Pinterest}
My office is smack-bang in the middle of some of the best shopping in London. I have spent many a happy lunch hour in Mulberry, letting my Bayswater visit her relatives and stroking the bags, before being told politely to either buy something or leave. Dune is another shop that I pass daily on the way to grabbing some food, and I don’t know if this has always been the case (or I’m just behind the times), but Dune… got… good. Really good. These items are top of my ‘most wanted’ list… e.g. the wedge sandals have scalloped-edge bows. I rest my case:

{all products available at Dune}
Look, I’m weaning myself off the Royal Wedding slowly, ok? I can’t just go cold turkey. So here’s a picture of that scamp Prince Harry, with a puppy. Both neck and neck on the cuteness scale. (Next week: Pippa Middleton with a lion cub):

As for my stand-out fashion moment of the week, obviously there were many amazing gowns at the Met Costume Institute Gala, but aside from that, this look from one of my constant style crushes, Diane Kruger, at the Istanbul Edition Hotel Launch, just completely works for me. She doesn’t even look like she really tries – she just throws on a Roberto Cavalli number and looks incredible. It helps that Joshua Jackson is the perfect accessory. Not that I think men are accessories… oh, you know what I mean. And for my room of the week, I just really loved the colour combination in this bedroom – the mint walls are so calming, but the orange accents really packs a punch:

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