This image that I came across makes me want to make a beeline for a junkyard and find some old doors to use as a headboard. I’m not sure what it is about this picture (my money is on either the gorgeous chandelier, the patterned ceiling or the crisp white sheets), but it has Sunday-morning-lounging-in-bed-with-papers-and-toast written all over it:

{image via the style files}

Home products that feature architecture are currently hot property. From skylines and intricate maps, to generic house silhouettes, these designs are an effortless way of adding either a sophisticated edge or a country cottage feel. Whatever your taste, there’s bound to be something right up your street (pun intended):

1. Barbed zinc house tealight holder – £12.95
2. BDL by Ben de Lisi skyline bed linen – from £32
3. Letterfest personalised house portrait – £35
4. Rose & Grey wire house letter rack – £28
5. Wingate pub crawl cushion – £35
6. Retreat Home house hook – £14
7. Bodie and Fou city map print – £55
8. Appletree Gifts chalkboard – £6.99
9. People Will Always Need Plates plates range – £25
10. Dunelm Mill house shaped doorstep – £5.99

Isn’t it funny how you can never notice something, and then when you do, it’s suddenly everywhere. This has happened with the label, Toast, and I. Until Christmas I’d never heard its name uttered, and now it’s flying out from every magazine I open (which is a lot… although I love how I can now call my magazine habit, “research”). So, also in the name of research, I investigated its website and the fact that it resembles Anthropologie’s wintery cousin means that it’s going to be a firm favourite with me from now on. Unless you’re one of the lucky few who are flaunting your tropical paradise holiday snaps on Facebook whilst you’re there (which is neither big nor clever), we’re still very much in the depths of the Dark Months and have a desire to be all wrapped up in knits and fleecy warmth in front of the fire. Or radiator. Whichever one comes to hand. Here is an array of Toast’s stylish cosiness, with some home goods thrown in (because I can’t help myself):

1. Cosima jacket – £146
2. Roper boot – £199
3. Paisley tie waist dress – £66
4. Manitu striped pullover – £36
5. Short fair isle wool socks – £17
6. Aran hand knitted socks – £44
7. Velvet lined slippers – £38
8. Manitu long cardigan – £50
9. Easy jean – £67
10. Plaid flannel pyjamas – £41
11. Fair isle scarf – £25
12. Double buckle belt – £44
13. Hero bag – £131
14. Macausland’s blanket – £124
15. Rectangular log basket – £29
16. Scented candle – £22
17. Chai glasses – £29
18. Hand knit tea cosy – £16

If you’re a regular on the style blog “circuit” then you’ll no doubt be familiar with ‘Made By Girl’… and if you’re not, allow me to introduce you. Created by Jen Ramos to compliment her online shop MadeByGirl (which sells a range of typography cards and prints – take a look), her blog has built up an impressive and loyal community, eager to infuse some of her distinctive style into their lives. Jen covers such topics as, “interior design, art, food, fashion and pieces of my own life”, complimented by vivid imagery, and with her friendliness and enthusiasm always shining through in her writing.
Since there’s nothing I like better than peaking into other people’s houses (as demonstrated here, here and here), I was thrilled to find that Jen has considerately posted pictures of her tasteful home, which displays a number of her own works of art. I admire how the decor is minimalist (no clutter, my dream!) without looking bleak. Even though it has a primarily monocrome palette, the splash of colour is just enough to inject a vibrancy. Enjoy… and take notes:

{images by Jen Ramos via Made By Girl}

{1. love candy lemon print / 2. love languages print / 3. green apple wedding print / 4. skull pattern print / 5. flags pattern card / 6. blogs and coffee print}

As well as coveting every single thing she designs, hearing the name Kate Spade always makes me smile. Many years ago, during a summer that my friends and I worked at a country club in Connecticut, we were in NYC one weekend looking for *cough* fake designer bags to take to a wedding. There was a beautiful stripy no-named clutch, which my friend picked up and sighed, “I wish this was Kate Spade”. Quick as a flash the street vendor swooped in with, “You want it Kate Spade? I make it Kate Spade”, and slapped on a material label which declared it was the Real Thing (Kate – “earmuffs”). I can’t say that the label stayed on for very long, but I don’t think we were fooling anyone anyway.

{Kate Spade’s flagship store on 5th Avenue}
Kate Spade may be synonymous with incredible bags (especially for us Brits), however a visit to her gorgeous website throws open a can of very stylish worms. As I mentioned here, I recently purchased a KS iphone cover to brighten up these dark months, and it’s so tempting to order many many more items:

See what I mean?!
{1. 2011 wall calendar / 2. crystal trellis bracelet / 3. belle boulevard cylinder vase / 4. ticker tape tidbit plate / 5. twirl larabee dot fete mini saucers / 6. go to town idiom bangle / 7. blackberry pouch / 8. twirl eau de parfum / 9. hopper dot rose bowl / 10. putting on the ritz ring / 11. cherry blossom thank you notes / 12. tarrytown laptop janine / 13. daycation large flat pouch}