Karma chairs in vintage style

I know summer is coming to an end, but I would love a few of these chairs around my camp fire. From Karma Living these chairs are available in a variety of vintage fabrics and you can find them at gilt.com. 

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.

A rocking horse with a difference

Love this beautifully designed new take on the classic childrens' rocking horse.  Let your kids have some fun on the 'Googy' - from Slovenian designer Nina Mihovec for Novak.  From £269 from googy.eu.

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.

More stylish storage, in a rustic vibe

These gorgeous hand woven baskets from Danish brand Tine K are perfect for all those bits and bobs that are forever getting in the way.  Magazines, books, toys, letters, linens, laundry... you name it, tucked away in these stylish containers, you need never trip over anything again.  At £52 for a set of three they are great value and come in a number of different options - crafted from palm leaves they feature a leather strip at the top, or funky sequin stripes.

Safety conscious and good looking

I love these roller blind cord captures for kids - from newhousetextiles.co.uk.  Great fun, but also really practical - they fix the cord loop to the wall to keep it safe from playful toddlers. In 8 different colourful styles, here are my favourites. 

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

Top tips for nurseries...

Following on from my recent run on nurseries, here are some top tips I have learnt along the way...

Don't forget bins.  Easy to overlook but you'll need a wet bin, a dry bin and a nappy bin. Ideally with lids too - stops prying hands and also helps to conceal all variety of horrors! 

Whilst it's tempting, don't just choose a chair for aesthetic reasons - if breastfeeding you'll be spending a lot of time in it, so factor this into your equation when making your choice. 

Keep fabulously tactile fabrics to a minimum.   Babies spew over everything (from both ends) so make less work for yourself by going for the practical option (on this occasion).

Window dressings - don't worry if you haven't got that blackout blind sorted.  You never know how your baby will sleep until they've arrived and sometimes a bit of light can help create a more adaptable baby.  No need to rush to blackout unless absolutely necessary.

Ensure your changing mat/table is at standing height.  Trust me, your back will thank you.