This is very true for our newest addition to The Rounded House and I am so excited (eek!) to introduce you to the fabulous....
Best of all, they are made right here in Oundle!
Best of all, they are made right here in Oundle!
Sam
x
One of my favourite aspects of owning a shop is constantly searching for gorgeous new products and brands. It is such a great feeling when you know you have discovered something new, different and fun. This is very true for our newest addition to The Rounded House and I am so excited (eek!) to introduce you to the fabulous.... Creator Portia, of The Wishbone Collective, designs and makes a truly unique and fun collection which includes stationary, jewellery and homeware. We are so delighted with the items that have arrived in the shop (online very soon) and are sure you will be too. Best of all, they are made right here in Oundle! The range includes these delightful Woodland Animal Tea Party notecards, set of 4, £6. This illustrated owl brooch probably couldn't be any cuter... £5. Selection of fun earrings including teapot and cup, above from £6 My personal favourite is this Red Fox Necklace (I have a thing about foxes...) £10 Individual cards, £3 Best of all, they are made right here in Oundle! Sam x
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One of the things I love about Little Greene Paint (apart from its amazing quality and colour range!) is the fact they offer colour scales in some of their most popular shades. According to Little Greene themselves... "Colour Scales is a collection of 48 neutrals in 12 families. Each family is made up of four shades, with colours stepped in strength to achieve a more precise shade or a simple, harmonious colour combination when used together." This is so useful when you are trying to match shades within a room as you know that all colours within the scale will work beautifully together. For example, kitchen cupboards can be painted in a darker shade, walls slightly lighter and skirkings in the palest of shades. No awful moment of finishing the project to realise that actually, the colours really don't in fact work very well together. We have all been there! I thought I would share with you some of my favourite scales, starting with French Grey. I adore this fabulous grey and have used varing shades of it in my home. Depending on a rooms light, it can vary from a very true grey, to a slightly warmer putty. It rarely looks cold however which is tricky to find with grey paint. Picture - Little GreeneThe walls here are painted in French Grey Dark, 163, the panelling is French Grey, 113 with the fire surround in French Grey Pale 161. This beautifully light kitchen benefits from French Grey cupboards and French Grey Pale walls. Picture - PinterestThe classic panelling in this bathroom have been painted in French Grey Mid, with the walls in French Grey Pale. Picture - PinterestMoving on to another of my favourite scales, we have Slaked Lime. A warm and soft neutral this scale works well with so many contrasting shades. The above kitchen uses Slaked Lime Dark 151 on the cupboards with Slaked Lime Deep 150 on the walls. Picture - PinterestLastly, this stunning bathroom has been created using the Rolling Rog colour scales. A gorgeous putty colour this will add real warmth to any room and as you can see looks especially striking when paired with fresh white. Bath and walls painted in Rolling Fog 143, panelling in Rolling Fog Mid 159. Picture - Little GreeneEnjoy,
Sam x Still yet to jet off on your summer hols? Well don't zip up that case until you've seen the fabulous holiday accessories we've got in! This year it is all about bobbles, tassels and pompoms and we love it! Spotted on holiday ourselves in Halkidi, as soon as I set eyes on these to die for towels I knew I had to share them with you. Towling on one side and beautiful printed cotton on the other, you think they can't get much better and then you spot the contrasting bobble trim. Boring beach towels are a thing of the past. They also double up as a perfect sarong/cover up on the way to bar. You are welcome. £35 French baskets have long been a summer staple but these ones, adorned with multi colour pompoms are just to much fun to resist. Perfect for adding some colour to such a practical summer bag. From £35 Add the finishing touch to your holiday wardrobe with one of our gorgeous tassel necklaces and you are set to hit that beach (bar)!
From £15 Enjoy, Sam x At The Rounded House we pride ourselves on always offering you the very best prices, all the time. Therefore we don't tend to go in for any of these gimmicky "only today best price" deals. We are very proudly ignoring the so called Black Friday craze altogether. We would much rather offer you carefully chosen value for money products all year round. So many retailers now seem to hike their prices up high, only to constantly offer "special offer" deals for limited times. Surely it is better to always offer you the best possible price regardless of what day of the week you choose to shop with us? So, on that note, here is a selection of fabulous Christmas decorations and present ideas, all under £6, whether you choose to buy them now, tomorrow or in fact next week. Tea light holders from £1.99 Susie Watson decoration £4.50 Star decoration, £5.50 Angel Bauble, £5 Candle Holder, £2.50 Amsterdam tea light house, £5.95
Who doesn't love a wedding?! If you are fortunate enough to be planning your dream day this year we have a number of products that are perfect for adding that personalised touch to your special day. Here are just a few ideas... These gorgeous little bud vases add such a pretty element when dotted about randomly on dining tables As do these pretty tea light vases... Why not hang some miniature bird cages from the trees in the evening? We have a wide selection of hanging hearts, stargning from only £1 which look super cute hanging, well, just about anywhere really. Stop your guests from getting lost with these handy blackboard arrows Why spend a fortune on bottled water? These bottles have been selling fast for weddings - just fill with 'perfectly drinkable tap water' and hand them out as lovely gifts after the wedding. No self respecting country themed wedding is complete without bunting! The pale greys in this one is very "on trend'. Finally, remember to have fun choosing from all the fabulous wedding decorations out there!
At this time of year I alwasy seem to get obsessed with adding beautiful pastels into the home. They just seem to lift a scheme, even if the skies are a little greyer than I would like... Susie Watson Designs is always a great place to start. Her beautiful gentle colours are always perfect for spring summer, yet the shades are still so warm and add a real homely vibe. One or two pieces of the china add a feminine feel and one of her bobble trimmed cushions never fail to lift a sofa or armchair. Mini Pitcher £17 Teapot £46 Candle Pot £12 Hydrangea Bobble Cushion £36 Birds and Bees Cushion £38 If you just want to add a subtle hint of a lighter shade, these stunning hand painted candles add a lovely informal atmosphere to a dining room during the warmer months, as well as making the perfect gift for a hostess. Box of Six Hand Painted Candles £15
This seems a rather topical blog post with all the buzz about a certain film. Grey is also one of the most on trend colours for the home at the moment. It can provide a perfect backdrop whilst also adding an injection of colour and isn't as bland as some other neutrals. The wide variety of grey paints on the market currently can make it hard to choose the perfect one though. It is also so important to get the right shade when using grey in large areas such as walls and flooring as the wrong shade can appear cool and uninviting. Pick the right shade, and your accessories and furniture will have the perfect setting to take centre stage. So here is my little guide to help you work your way through those 50 shades (sorry, had to be done). When choosing your perfect grey paint for walls first of all you need to know which way your room faces, as this will make a massive difference to how the paint actually looks. Ever seen a gorgeous shade of paint in someone else’s home, tried to copy it at home and it looks completely different? I bet you its because your rooms faced different directions. The light in a room has an enormous effect on how the paint appears. North facing rooms are notoriously the hardest to decorate, especially if you are looking to create a light and airy space. Sometimes you are better to just go with the darkness of a room and embrace darker, stronger colours. If you are feeling bold Down Pipe is a fabulous darkest grey colour and will really make splashes of colour pop. Panelling - Down Pipe, Farrow and Ball Image, Farrow and Ball In North facing rooms it is a good idea to avoid blue and green based greys, as these will appear cool. Use greys with a yellow base, which will make for a warmer shade and help bounce the light around the room. Shaded White by Farrow and Ball is a warmer grey and works lovely as a blank canvas. Walls - Shaded White, Farrow and Ball Elephants Breath is one of my all time favorite shades. It is a taupe based grey, beautifully warm and works equally well in period properties as well as contemporary spaces. Elephants Breath, Farrow and Ball Egyptian Cotton by Dulux is another favorite as it works so well in most lights - sometimes appearing more taupe and at other times more grey, but always beautifully warm. I have used this on the woodwork in the shop and love it more and more every day. South facing rooms are generally a zilch to decorate because the light allows you to use both warmer and cooler shades to great effect. Nearly all grey shades will look great but if you want to maximise the light then go for paler shades to add an airy feel. South and East facing rooms can also take more blue-based shades well. Lamp Room grey is lovely and again great on furniture. If you love the Swedish/Gustavian look (which I adore!) try Pavilion Gray or Cornforth White both by Farrow and Ball. They are pale, cooler greys, which work really well in kitchens and hallways, even in a north facing room especially is you are happier with a cooler appearance. These colours also both look fabulous when used on furniture and Pavilion Gray in particular is a shade we use again and again at The Rounded House. Farrow and Ball - Cornforth White Image - Farrow and Ball Two fairly new Farrow and Ball grey paints are Ammoinet and Purbeck stone, both gorgeous pale greys perfect for increasing the light in a room. Walls - Purbeck Stone, Skirting Cornforth White, Floor Ammonite, Wardrobe, Purbeck Stone - All Farrow and Ball Image - Farrow and Ball Little Greene Paint Company's French Grey is a great all rounder grey paint. The fabulous thing about it is that it comes in three different tones - normal, light and deep so you can use variationsof the same sahde in one room. For example, darker on kitchen cupboards and lighter on the walls. It has warm undertones but remains light and airy. Little Green French Grey Deep, above panelling, Panelling French Grey, Fireplace French Grey Pale - All Little Green Paint Company
Image - Little Greene Paint Company This gorgeous book has been out for a little while now so some of you may well already be familiar with it. I thought I would do a little review on it as it is a really lovely read, especially if you follow interior blogs as you may well recognise some of the homes featured. Design Bloggers at Home is written by Ellie Tennant, who is a London based interiors journalist who also writes her own interior blog as well as writing features for magazines such as Living Etc and Ideal Home magazine. The book includes stunning photography by Rachel Whiting and features the homes of fifteen style and design bloggers including Bright Bazaar, Bodie and Fou and Dreamy Whites. I adore the way the book includes such a vast array of different interiors styles with utterly inspiring interiors, yet also includes many achievable ideas to use in your own home. The fifteen homes have been separated into five different style sections: Pared Back, Rustic, Retro Chic, Homespun and Colour so you can easily flit around, finding your favourite style. At the back there is fabulous chapter giving invaluable advice and information on how to set up your own interiors blog. Here’s a quick sneak at some of the gorgeous homes featured... Enjoy! Design Bloggers at Home - Buy Now
With the weather turning even colder, this seems like a perfect time for this post. Although we keep being told that spring is just around the corner I am not totally convinced. I am very much a home comforts kind of girl. It is very important to me when coming in the door in the evenings that I am greeted by a warm and cosy space in winter. My home is very neutral; you would possibly call it a 'blank canvas'. This is on purpose. I have simple off white walls, grey and cream flooring and no garish bright colours or statement walls. This doesn't work for everyone, but for me it is perfect. Don't get me wrong, I am by no means a minimalist. Quite the opposite in fact. The thing is, I like to change my home with the seasons. Not big chances, just a few simple changes that make my home warm and cosy in the winter and light and fresh in the summer. The easiest way to do this is by keeping the bones of the house simple and light, and adding accessories to suit the season. Remember, It is much easier to warm up a light, fresh room in winter than it is to lighten up a dark room in summer. Have you ever walked into a room and felt cold? Then realised that you are not actually cold, it is just the room that is making you think you feel cold? You can equally use your decor to fool you into thinking that you are warm and cosy. I am not suggesting you get the paint pots out and starting painting walls! Far from it. But it is rather naive for us to think that a room will look just as good in summer as it would in winter if we don't make any chances to it at all. You wouldn't for example wear a floaty pale coloured dress and flip-flops in the winter would you? Of course not! So why do we not always follow this through to our decor? Not big changes just small subtle ones. A living room with a couple of linen cushions on the sofa and bare floors looks beautifully fresh and simple in summer, but bare and cold in the winter. You need to add the home equivalent of a jumper, scarfs and gloves for the cooler months! The most obvious way to warm a room up is to add layers and textures. Beautiful wool throws layered on plain sofas give the impression of snuggling down in the evening. Fold them on the arms and back of chairs... Layer over the base of a sofa to add a splash of colour... Sofas and chairs need to call you over to sink into them. Soften hard-backed furniture with a blanket and cushion. Add some cushions in velvet or wool to your existing ones - think texture and fabric that asked to be touched. Avoid silk, polyester and anything that looks shiny and feels cold. The most obvious way to add warmth is by adding warmer colours such as reds purples etc. This doesn't have to be the case though - I have seen many cosy warm and inviting rooms that use a light and simple palate. The key to making it work is ensuring you have texture and layers. If adding in colour go for warmer shades - soft pinks, taupe, reds etc and avoid cooler shades such as pale blues and greens. Grey is so popular at the moment and I am a personal lover of this perfect neutral. It can however look a little cool in winter if left to its own devices - add creams, pinks and other warmer shades to it however and it will see you throughout the year. These can easily be removed again in spring. I often change my cushions from summer to winter. In winter I feel the need for "more". In summer, I strip things back and have a lighter, simpler look. Wood adds instant warmth. Baskets filled with excess throws makes for a beautiful display. If you have an open fire why not add a basket of logs or a kindling bucket next to the fire? Furniture should be laid out in an informal and inviting manor, not angular and formal. Pull a chair or table at an angel to make things look more casual and less doctor’s waiting room. Draw attention to the fireplace if you are lucky enough to have one. Pull furniture in slightly from the edges of the room to make it feel cosier and more intimate. Why not pull a couple of chairs up near the fire to make this the centre of attention? Add ornaments and decorations to the mantelpiece to make the eye look at this part of the room. If you have wood or tile flooring try adding a rug to add softness under foot. This can be rolled up and stored under a sofa or beds in the summer if you like. Lighting is quite often something we give far too little thought to but it is oh so important, especially in cooler months, for creating the right atmosphere. Keep lighting soft and inviting - pearl bulbs over clear ones in a slightly lower watt with help with this. In the evening avoid overhead harsh lighting but instead add table lamps and floor lamps for a warm glow. Candlelight is also perfect for adding that gentle flicker of light in the evening. It is amazing how a few subtle changes can soon have your home feeling warm, inviting and cosy even if it is blowing a gale outside. Images via here January always seems a great time to get sorted and organised in the home. As soon as the Christmas decorations are down the house always seems slightly emptier and clearer, the perfect time to get things in order. I love going through all the cupboards and drawers in the house in January, just one a day, taking everything out, discarding anything we haven't used for a year, giving it a clean, lining the drawer with fresh wallpaper and putting everything back in an orderly fashion. It is such a lovely feeling next time you go to open it and you can actually see what is in there! The key to an orderly home really is the right storage. Decant mismatched packets into matching glass jars (£3.5 - £5) Shoe cleaning kit spread out under the sink? Our gorgeous enamel tin (£28.00) keeps everything in its place and easy to find Keep medical supplies safely tucked away in this fabulous storage tin with clasp. (£28) Endless chargers clogging up your drawers? Not any more! Who new phone chargers could look so stylish. (£18.50) You may still have a huge 'To Do' pile kicking about somewhere but at least this way it will look like you have it all under control! (£10.50)
Happy Organising! |