23/12/2018
There's one baby-free zone in our home and it's our bedroom. As Gabe grows older our little sanctuary of calm becomes even more important as it's the only place that his toys have failed to invade! Every other room in our home is full of activity, from the kitchen to the living room there's always something happening but our bedroom is our escape, our comfort and (hopefully) the place where we can catch up on some much-needed sleep! I've wanted to add some artwork above the bed as it felt like there was something missing, the vast area of white walls looked a little too bare and uninviting so it was the perfect time to partner up with Desenio for this post.
There are a few things that I've found to be key when trying to create a relaxing ambiance in a room, the most important for me is to keep things relatively minimal and neutral so getting rid of any clutter is essential. Remove anything that you don't need or that doesn't add to the soothing environment you're trying to create. We don't have much extra storage now we have a baby so we've learned to declutter and utilize every inch (under bed storage has been a lifesaver!) Rattan and woven baskets are another functional but attractive way to put away any essentials. I want the focus to be on the bed and artwork not on tangled piles of earphones, face creams and old magazines!
I spent a long time going selecting the artwork for our room, I'm sure you've already heard of Desenio but if not they're an incredibly affordable Scandinavian company that acts as a one-stop shop for all your wall art needs. They have so many contemporary options from quotes to maps, nature to fashion (not to mention inspiration guides that I could happily scroll through for hours on end) but I finally narrowed down my choices to select a lovely balance of modern and delicate illustration posters. I love the two that I've hung above my bed, abstract nudes no2 and figuratone, both are serene and classic fitting in perfectly with the understated pieces around them.
We opted for narrow black frames but I think they would also have looked great framed in white. I did consider putting together a gallery wall but once the prints arrived I loved the simplicity of hanging a complementary pair.
If you're considering framing a group of images together I highly recommend looking at their gallery wall planner or gallery wall template they are GENIUS and take all the work out of planning the perfect wall feature!
One of my favourite interior tips is to add lots of reflective surfaces, we have a wall of vintage mirrors that reflect so much light and really help to open up the space. We've broken up the mirror arrangement with this back ink drawing and a bold minimal ink texture poster.
Adding greenery is essential for me, not only do plants oxygenate the air they just instantly give you that total zen feeling. I've used our bedside table to display a collection of plants as well as having more draped on our wall shelving. At this time of year I also add some chunky throws to the bed for extra texture and warmth... Having a more minimal room doesn't mean it has to feel empty or cold!
Darker evenings are the perfect time to embrace scented candles, yet another way to create a sense of calm. Lavender and sandalwood are two of my favourite scents to burn before I go to sleep... curling up with a book after we've put Gabe to bed is one of my favourite evening rituals.
So what do you think of my choices? Do you have any tips for relaxing at home? Desenio have a Christmas sale on at the moment so if you've been meaning in invest in some new wall art now is a good time to strike -you'll get 30% off when spending over £60 (except on frames and handpicked/collaboration posters)
back soon!
caroline x
19/12/2018
there are a million ways to style a shelf and it's easy to get a bit lost along the way and end up with shelves bursting with trinkets. i thought it would be useful to round up some go-to looks you can quickly style up in yourselves with minimal effort! i'd like to blame instagram and the rise of the shelfie for my organising obsessions but if i'm honest i get bored of how my rooms look and love to change up little details to scratch my decorating itch!
i'm using some solid marble shelves kindly gifted from cox and cox to demonstrate some of my favourite looks (it was playing around with styling them various ways in my bedroom that inspired me to write this post!) the shelves themselves are gorgeous, the natural variations in the marble are so pretty and the iron brackets can be used two ways- as i've shown here or placed inverted under the shelf for an alternative look. i'm so used to wooden shelving i'm going to enjoy not having to worry about water marks from my plants for once! i have the white marble option but they also come in grey and pink which are equally swish.
read on for some quick shelfie ideas:
look 1: minimal
it can be really easy to overload a shelf by trying to display all our favourite things at once, the trick is be selective and pick only 2-3 things so the shelf doesn't look cluttered. quickly round up all your favourite decorative objects and select the ones that work best together to use. (you can always rotate what's on your shelves that way everything has a turn.)
look 2: greenery
one of my all-time favourite styling tips is the plant shelf. you simply can't beat loading up a shelf with plants to create a simple and natural feature.
I like to mix lush trailing plants with smaller potted plants on shelves.. if you're not so green fingered succulents and cacti are very low maintenance and look equally cute.
look 3: neutral
call me crazy but i just love a classic bookshelf! i have a huge collection of old books i've read and one of my favourite ways to use them is on shelves. turn the spines inwards to create a clean and simple look that works beautifully in most rooms.
i adore how chic this is.. and it only takes minutes to create!
would you try any of these ideas at home?
back soon
caroline x
14/12/2018
the two things i love most about christmas are gift wrapping and laying the table (probably because i love procrastinating over alllll the little details!) last year i put together this modern table that was v. clean and white so this year i wanted to do something with a more earthy and romantic scandi vibe.
i think black taper candles are my new seasonal obsession, how cute are they? you can go see the whole tutorial with a bunch of tips for styling it over at hunker.
back soon
caroline x
06/12/2018
oh wow, how is it december already? i've been meaning to share this project for a while and since christmas is sneaking up on us I figured I shouldn't wait any longer! it will be gabe's first christmas and even though he won't remember it i'm still feeling really precious about creating memories with him and have soooooo many things i want to do! (cookie baking, cake decorating, novelty gift wrap... you name it i'm hoping to tick it off my festive wishlist.) i'm a sucker for festive traditions but i also love to make new ones too and having a wooden tree is such a cool alternative for modern homes.
21/11/2018
christmas is hands down my favourite time of year. the anticipation and excitement of the festive countdown gets me every time! this year is even more special as it's our first as parents and i'm aiming to get all my preparations done early in an attempt to make it as stress-free and organised as possible (christmas eve shopping will just not fly this year!)
09/11/2018
happy weekend! the weeks are flying by at the minute aren't they? feel like it'll be christmas in about 2 weeks at this rate, gah. it's been a very gabe-centric week over here as everything seems to be happening together! his first tooth swiftly became 3 and now 4 and he FINALLY started to crawl (which i'm half happy/half sad about.) teething trouble aside james and i are heading to the cinema tonight (whoop) and we're going to attempt to repaint the kitchen over the weekend.
...james doesn't know about the kitchen part yet, wish me luck!
here's some stuff i've been reading this week:
have a great few days!
back soon
caroline x
07/11/2018
pre gabe i assumed i'd be making cute baby diy's whilst my little one slept... post gabe i laugh about this A LOT! some days i barely get a chance to check my emails and the rest of the time i'd rather spend my time playing with him or catching up on other things.
occasionally though i get a serious itch to make something for him and this mobile project seemed like a great idea for his nursery.
occasionally though i get a serious itch to make something for him and this mobile project seemed like a great idea for his nursery.
04/11/2018
if there's one wardrobe essential for me every year it's a good blazer. as someone who lives in jeans i find a blazer the quickest way to smarten up an outfit without becoming super dressy. i love the a/w blazer offerings the most, from plaid to corduroy and velvet there's just so much choice!
i've been hunting for a new blazer and i found so many i loved online i decided to put together this little collection to share with you guys.. there's a mix of budgets included as i'm always looking for a bargain but if you're looking to spend a touch more i'd definitely recommend & other stories blazers (swoon.)
02/11/2018
oh boy this has been a loooong week and i'm so relieved it's almost over. our little pup has had his first 2 teeth come through and we've all been poorly with bad colds so there has been a lot of tears all round. i'll be spending the next few days with my family and i can't wait.. here's to the weekend and a large glass of wine this evening!
here's some nice stuff i've seen online lately:
have a good one guys.. back soon!
caroline x
31/10/2018
autumn is by far my favourite time of year, i adore the dark nights and cosy atmosphere in the run up to christmas. (it's pretty much the perfect setting for having friends and family over for candlelight suppers right?)
setting up our table is definitely my thing (cooking not so much!) i'm a big believer that a few finishing touches and attention to detail make a huge difference. this simple tablescape may look quite lavish but it's actually very quick to throw together.
26/10/2018
happy weekend guys. feel like i'm finally shaking off that new mum fog and i've missed sharing these little rounds ups! i'm pretty excited for the next few days, plans include hanging out with my boys, hopefully tackling a giant load of baby related laundry (yup, this makes me happy) and seeing my family. tonight we're going out with james' family to our favourite restaurant to eat all the food and catch up with his cousin who's back from stockholm for a few days.. yaaas!
i also really want to start watching a good mini series..? any recs? there seems to be a whole lot of good stuff on iPlayer lately and i'm soooo behind on tv shows!
have a great weekend!
caroline x
24/10/2018
so halloween came around quickly this year didn't it? i'll admit that i don't always put in a whole lot of effort beyond pumpkin decorating, i find a lot of halloween decor pretty cheesy and i always leave everything until the last minute! however, these projects are some of the nicest i've spotted on pinterest. fun, modern and super quick to make... hurrah.
from pumpkins to party decor go take a peek at these spooktacular tutorials for lots of DIY inspo:
back soon
caroline x
09/10/2018
ok so nobody warned me that having a baby makes you super ambitious.. all of a sudden i have ALL the ideas and zero time to accomplish them! i've realised that having a giant to do list and a baby don't mix, instead, i'm just aiming to find a good mum/work/life balance so setting goals is way more achievable. I thought i'd share a few simple things i'm hoping to get done this month..
go on more walks.
i love this time of year, there's something about the turning of the leaves that i find just utterly magical. gabe loves being outside too (he is super curious about pretty much anything) we tend to go for a long walk in the afternoons but this week we've been going on morning walks too and i've loved it. we stopped going out in the mornings when i was trying to get him used to sleeping in his nursery rather than napping in the pushchair or sling but a day of solid rain this weekend made me realise i want to make the most of every nice day we have left before the weather goes downhill!
set up a regular self care night.
i mean we all need this right? one night a week offline doing something that will make me feel cute the next day- like painting my nails or putting on some fake tan!
organise my photo albums.
from the minute gabe arrived i've tried to catch candid shots of his life on instant film. my favourite pictures from my childhood are the old polaroids and i want gabe to have the same! i already find myself getting super emotional when i look back at those first months so i'm glad i did. of course i also have THOUSANDS of digital pics on my camera roll and memory cards too, it's impossible not too tbh babies are addictive. i'm usually rubbish at getting pictures printed but i've been using the free prints app each month to get a bunch of my faves printed and i'm v. happy about it. i want to put some time aside this month to organise them into photo albums before it becomes too big a job!
wardrobe reshuffle.
nothing too ambitious here, as much as i'd like to overhaul my wardrobe i don't have time to try everything on and sort through it. realistically i'll be happy to retrive my knitwear and winter coats from their storage bags and stash away my summer clothes (although i'll still be keeping back some of my midi dresses to layer up with my beloved chunky jumpers as i'm not 100% ready for full a/w attire yet.)
plan a night away (baby free...!)
earlier this month we had out first night away from gabe in 8 months and it was fine.. in fact it was fun! we put him to bed and then his grandparents took over until we got back the next morning. it proved to me that i can have a night away without the dreaded mum guilt so we might try and fit in another night away this month if poss.
get back into yoga.
ok this is soooo not going to happen but i really want it too! i've been meaning to get back into some form of exercise but between meals, naps, milk feeds and freelance work there's not much wiggle room and quite honestly i'm tired so i've been putting it off! i think i need to make it more of a priority as it will be good for me in the long run so i'm adding it to this months goals anyway...
have you got anything you're hoping to achieve this month?
back soon
caroline x
02/10/2018
my love of plywood is still going strong, it's such a beautiful basic to work with and sooooo affordable. if i had the time i'd definitely be looking to replace our kitchen with a ply version but i doubt that'll be happening any time soon so my pinterest board of swoon-worthy plywood projects will have to suffice for now!
this headboard project is one i've been wanting to try for a long time and i love how it turned out! to see how simple it is to make pop over to hunker where i'm sharing the full tutorial.
are you into plywood as much as me?
back soon
caroline x
28/09/2018
hello my name's caroline and i've become a serial online browsing addict. yes it's true since having gabe i'm forever checking out the new in section on h&m home when i have a few minutes. they have SO many cute things in for a/w it's making me want to redecorate our home with all of their linens, rugs and kitchenwares.
i've rounded up some of my faves and although i'd like to buy them all i think i'll limit myself to the rug, baskets (perfect toy storage) and the bamboo light for gabes nursery!
2. basket
3. linen robe
5. leather tray
7. bamboo light
9. candlestick
10. round mirror
11. blanket
12. rug
13. waffle blanket
back soon!
caroline x
01/07/2018
i'm not entirely sure what happened but i blinked and discovered i had a 5 month old that's chewing everything he can get his paws on! thankfully one of my friends had bought me the cutest little kit for making teething toys so i whipped up a few of these wood and silicone teething rings in no time.
you can source silicone beads and wooden teething rings really easily or you could just use a DIY teether kit with all the pieces you need to make multiple toys! (i can vouch for this being a great gift idea as i've loved making them for gabe!)
simply string the silicone beads onto some thick string and thread the wooden teether through before you tie tight knots to create the ring. obviously, make sure everything is very secure, i double looped my string and glued my knots for extra strength (i supervise gabe when he plays with any type of chew toys as i'm a super cautious new mum!)
gabe is obsessed with chewing on these wooden teethers and i love the muted colours- modern but still baby friendly hurrah!
back soon
caroline x
12/04/2018
i had a long list of 'things i wanted to finish before the baby arrives' and one of the items on it was our bedroom. i knew we wouldn't have the time (or inclination) to do it later and i just wanted to freshen it up. sometimes i get bored of how a room looks and i just have to change something to make me happier! we decided to remove the gallery wall, declutter the cupboards, take away our old bed and repaint the walls.
there was one thing on my bedroom wish list that i've been lusting after some time now- linen bedding. the only downside? the cost. as a serial bedding buyer i couldn't really justify spending £100-200 on a full set when there was so much we still needed to get for the nursery.
the most affordable linen i could track down was from h&m at a more reasonable cost of £80. but before i could purchase them i found a better deal.. yeah you guessed it, ikea. they've recently introduced the puderviva range in four colours. dark grey, white, green and the natural colour that i opted for.
at £55 it's the most affordable linen bedding set i've found.. hurrah!
i also changed my bed frame, settling on the kopardal bed which seemed a good compromise for me and james. it was much less fussy in design than our former one and i decided to leave off the headboard to keep the look more simple. (eventually i will probably invest in one or two large framed prints to hang above the bed? what do you think?)
the other scandi purchase was our shelving unit. we already own some of the super cute scandinavian string shelves but this large wall unit from sostrene grene was half the price and more than double the size.
i tried a few ways of styling these shelves, eventually deciding on a less is more approach with just a few trinkets and books.
if you're looking for scandi style shelving i've also found some other affordable styles at hema which are worth a peek.
back soon!
caroline x
03/04/2018
you may have noticed things have been a little quiet over here, and here's the reason why.
meet gabriel lucky wollerton!
he took us by surprise arriving almost a month early on jan 22nd, weighing 6lb 4oz. we've been taking some time out to get to know our little boy and he's pretty damn neat.
thanks for all your lovely messages, you guys are the best. even though he's been keeping us busy i'm hoping to be sharing stuff on here again soon!
caroline x
11/01/2018
sometimes all it takes is a few simple changes to have a really positive impact on your productivity. decluttering has always been key to me feeling happy and focused on achieving any goals i've set for the upcoming months. why not purge some of these things and see if it helps you along the way too..
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