Bert & May

Now I love a good tile and Bert & May is an absolute treasure trove of loveliness, if antique reclaimed artisan tiles are your thing.  If you are looking for something unique and authentic then there are literally thousands of reclaimed tiles to chose from in this warehouse shop in a quiet road in Hackney. They do salvaged flooring too so this really is the place to track down something unique - and if you can't find what you are looking for they can create faithful reproductions on a made to order basis.

Raciones - mixed antique tile

Reclaimed floorboards, min order 5m2

Random mirror

I can't resist a bit of contemporary mixed with period detailing, so have a look at this wonderful mirror from Julian Chichester. Called the Random Mirror it mixes square and rectangular antique effect panels with eglomise for some period drama.  It comes in two sizes 700x1000cm or 800x1600cm.  Starting at £1,397 it's not on the cheap side though...

Picture frame desk

I liked these space saving ideas on www.apartmenttherapy.com particularly this picture frame desk below. How ingenious is that?! Will put you back a bit price-wise though...

$2199 at Ivy Design

Magnetic wallpaper

Oh I love a bit of wallpaper and this magnetic range available at Sisters Guild is great looking and multifunctional too. Another fabulous find from www.madaboutthehouse.com. This would be a wonderful option for a child's bedroom and you can choose from owl, giraffe, rabbit, zebra, cockatiel and bear (wise old owl is my favourite).  These clever people also do a magnetic chalkboard version. Starts from £41.50 per roll.

Vintage lettering

I'm not quite sure where I stand on letters.  I think names and random words spelt are a bit of an easy option and fairly over done.  And then I see some gorgeous vintage lettering and I waver slightly - could be quite fun for a teenager room?  But on balance it's not for me. But if this is your thing here's the best range I've come across at The Vintage Wall.  Prices seem to start from £5 but they do vary per letter.  They do numbers too.  

More beautiful tiles

I can't resist beautiful tiles.  So thank you decorenvy.co.uk (another favourite blog of mine) for bringing these to my attention. Take a look at the link above for all the pictures and links, but these are my favourites.  Particularly Hally's cafe in Parson's Green. These ones work beautifully against the aged wooden table and mirror.

Hally’s Café in Parsons Green via Inspirationist

Marrakech Design via Remodelista

Walker Zanger

Designer walls at affordable prices

Now I've always had a soft spot for some gorgeous designer wallpaper so I was delighted to read on www.madaboutthehouse.com of the New Wave collection from one of my favourites Graham & Brown. Check out the links for the full scoop, but topline they are a super affordable line of high end wallpapers available at £26 a roll.  Amazing. Take a look for yourself.

New Wave collection for Graham & Brown

New Wave Collective Paradisi I by Emma J Shipley

New Wave Collective Urban Tree by Louise Tiler

Embossed wallpaper - it's back!

If you've had your fill with the trompe l'oeil wallpaper trend, then here's the next big thing. Textured wallpaper. Yes, it's official, because the fabulously cool Rockett St George interiors site is stocking them.  Check out these beauties from Anaglypta - at only £21 per roll, the key here is to paint your embossed walls in beautiful bold shades of Farrow & Ball (navy is the new black don't you know?)

Anaglypta wallpaper Alfred - white

Anaglypta wallpaper Charles - white

Anaglypta wallpaper Deco Paradise - white

How to lean art

Call me lazy, but I'm a great fan of leaning your artwork.  So I liked this article I stumbled across on Apartment Therapy which has top tips on how to do it (without it looking like you forgot to hang it). No nails, no stress, instant satisfaction.  Brilliant.

Weather-worn walls, indoors

If you are into the current trompe l'oeil wallpaper trend, Rocket St George have a fantastic range.  I particularly like these weather-worn textured wood wallpapers from Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek. There are eight in the range and although a little pricey (at £199 per roll) they can create a lovely feature if used sparingly.  Less is definitely more in my opinion.

Moroccan monochrome

I like these morocco inspired tiles from Tons of Tiles.  Called Marrakesh Black Decor they offer an affordable option for an aged eclectic look - at £29.56 per square metre.  They are clever too - they are 33x33cm in size suitable for walls or floors but they are scored to create a traditional 10 x 10 tile, so save the hassle of laying individual small tiles.   Your tiler will thank you.

Marrakesh Black Decor from Tons of Tiles

Children's wallpaper they will love

Another one to add to the list of great Scandi sites is Isak Design.  

Not only do they have a whole array of fabulous 'design for the modern home' they do some beautiful wallpapers, ideal for children's rooms. Take the following for example...

You can order the feature wall styles like this Oak Tree above to fit the space you are designing for.

Penquin rose

Nova mist

Nova dawn

More gorgeous encaustic tiles

I love these ceramic tiles from WorkHouse. With more than 200 patterned and unicolour designs to chose from you can mix and match for a totally eclectic style and/or select a mix with a dominant colour to blend with your colour scheme.  Either way, and despite the price tag (£90 per square metre) are gorgeous. 

New colours from Farrow & Ball

From Stiffkey Blue to Nancy's Blush, the new colours for 2013 are out. There are nine to choose from, each rich and velvety with typically eccentric names (e.g. Wevet and Dimpse, Yellowcake and St Giles Blue...) Check them all out for yourself on the F&B website. It's a great site too that gives loads of inspiration and also provides moodboards for each colour and a selection of other Farrow & Ball colours that work well alongside. Take Mole's Breath for example...

Mole's breath No.276

Above is the colour in its full glory, and below is a helpful mood board selecting other complimentary colours, complete with references alongside...

Mole's breath mood board

 Enjoy.

Hang it all

For design junkies out there, the classic Hang it all coat hook by Charles and Ray Eames has had a face lift.  Vitra have re-envisioned it for the modern day in 3 fresh colour waves.  Great for kids - the colourful wooden balls are specifically designed to encourage kids to hang up their things.  Certainly worth a try. 

Oversized magnetic chalkboards

Set up by another Chiswick mum, Chalky Moon offer a range of black, white and vintage framed chalkboards - ideal for kitchen/dining space for the family.  Wish I'd thought of it.  The simple ideas are the best.

Fabrics and wallpapers designed to lift your spirits

This collection of fabrics and wallpapers from British fabric brand Scion are guaranteed to lift your mood.  Their Wabi Sabi Collection uses a colourful palette of blues, oranges, tourquoise and greens and the designs are inspired by traditional printing methods such as block printing shibori, batik and ikat.  With 13 fabric options and 10 wallpaper designs, they 'celebrate the beauty of imperfection'.  Hallelujah!

Scandi Living

If you love the skandi style but are looking for something a little more exclusive than Ikea, then why not try one of these three sites...

Nordic Elements - 'The home of contemporary Scandinavian designed and inspired products for the design conscious family'.

Rasmus Design - 'Welcome to our world of contemporary Scandinavian-inspired design.  Balancing form and function, everything you see will bring a combination of practicality and aesthetic beauty to your life'.

Or Scandi Living - 'an online boutique that gives customers the opportunity to purchase high quality, stylish but at the same time homely, Scandinavian design'.  

I particularly love their Borastapeter wallpaper range.  See some top picks below.

Scandinavian design - Ypsilon 2735

Scandinavian design - Tallyho 2753

For kids you can never go wrong with spots - Lilleby 2660

Wall decals - the simple way to update a room

There is no easier way to give a room whole new look than by indulging in a wall decal or two.  Cost effective, easy to apply, no mess and simple to update when you fancy a change, I'm a great fan.   And this is one of the best sites around for a comprehensive range - Ambiance Live.  Particularly good for kids rooms I think.