Thursday 28 June 2012

What are your priorities when it comes to interiors?

Statistics. Something I hated at university but something quite fascinating when it's about something you're really quite interested in.

I've been chatting with a relatively new company to the UK this week, about their business and how they are different to their competitors and in conversation a piece of research they had commissioned was mentioned. Hmm, I thought, I hope this isn't a hard sell. Fortunately, it wasn't, in fact it was quite intriguing. Now, I would never advocate taking all stats at face value, always sprinkle with a pinch of salt, but whilst reading these, I thought "ah ha, I've always thought this to be true and now there's hard evidence to 'prove' it".  Anyway instead of me blathering on, why not have a read for yourself and see where you fit in to the picture?


what are your interior priorities?

what motivates you when it comes to decorating & DIY?


Interior Motives
Infographic by Wayfair

So what do you think?
* Do you buy furniture online?
* Do you prefer new or old (is a bit of up cycling your cup of tea?)?
* Who makes the decorating decisions in your house?
* Do you devise your own interior schemes and do DIY? Or do you leave it to your partner or maybe a professional?
* Which rooms are most important for you to design and decorate first?
There's always sooo much to think about when making interior design decisions isn't there! 
If you would like more information about the products featured in the images above please click here to visit Wayfair for a zillion things home across all homes and budgets.
So I'm off to sort out a few things ready for a little break I'm about to have...by the next time you hear from me I will have eaten a LOT of my most favourite food in the world: ice-cream *smile*
Bet I could ;)

Tuesday 26 June 2012

What makes a home & why does it matter?

Nina Holst's "old living room" Stylizimo.com
Life can certainly put us through the mill sometimes and our home is the one place to which we can retreat, hibernate in, be ourselves in and feel safe in. 

This past week has been a rather emotional one for me. From my own health concerns that have caused concern for close loved ones to friends being frighteningly diagnosed with cancer, it has made our frailty as human beings feel very real to me. Redundancy for other friends has made me think about how you can never be sure what is lurking around the corner. Added to this, the realisation that we really are all different beings and that people react in different ways to different things has demonstrated to me how in tough times your real friends are there for you, no matter what. They do things beyond their call of duty and their words make everything feel ok.

I took some time to have a little think. Think about who I am and what I do. Think about why I do things and don't do others. And it made me ponder my work choices. The choice I made to set up my own business. The choice I made to focus on 'the home'. For a while I thought what I do is irrelevant, fickle, unimportant, how is choosing the right piece of furniture or finding the perfect shade of paint going to make a difference or save our planet. But you know what, reflective thought and having an internal discussion with oneself can work wonders.

It made me realise that actually what I do IS important. It DOES matter. And it IS relevant. Why?      
Because home literally is where the heart is.

Our home is our haven, where we live, relax, play, create, enjoy, experience, rest, unwind... where we can be who we want to be and live how we want to live. So in fact, what better a 'job' for me, than to help people create spaces where they really can 'feel at home', where they can do all of the above and more.

It's not about being on-trend or having a house full of the latest must-haves. No no, it's about creating a space for you, about you and around you. One that you can breathe in and be happy in. A space that you look forward to spending time in because it makes you feel safe, creative, peaceful, excited, comfortable, loved...

fact: we spend approximately 1/3 of our lives sleeping
That's a lot of life spent with our eyes shut. Even though we can't see what is around us whilst we sleep, isn't it a good idea to create a bedroom that says 'mmm, cosy, come hither and let me lull into you into the wonderful land of nod' when you enter it at night. Tired after a long day, you want your bedroom to be as restful and soothing as possible. That's something I can help people achieve and how brilliant if they sleep all the better for it.


fact (sort of): we spend on average 3h 42 mins of the day sat on the sofa
Ok, so I question the truth in this especially as this research comes from the John Lewis soft furnishings department, but this is going to help me illustrate my point nicely! If we spend so much time of our time on the sofa - let's change sofa to in the living area of our home for the sake of this post - then surely we want it to suit our lifestyle, reflect our personality and feel welcoming not just to those who live in it but those who visit it. I have often walked into client's homes and instantly seen where the errors in layout and style mishaps are.

Three common mistakes;

1. addicted to the box- focusing the living room all around the TV - is that really the most important item in the room?
2. stuff, stuff & more stuff - overfilling the room with 'stuff', cluttering up surfaces and floor area, which encroaches on vital space. either following an entirely 2D neutral palette (too dull and lacklustre) or mis-matching items without a central co-ordinating 'theme'.
3. bored & confused - either following an entirely 2D neutral palette (too dull and lacklustre) or mismatching items and colours without a central co-ordinating 'theme'.
Oh, how I relish getting my hands on rooms like these and morphing them into spaces that area full of life, light and space, where clients can kick back and love the part of the house that gets used for so many different activities and occasions.



So after all the pontification, self-doubt and wondering if what I do actually matters, I have come to the conclusion that yes it does. Life is life. Each days presents us with challenges as well as celebrations and whatever it is that we do, it matters. Deep, I know but hey I feel better for sharing...how are you feeling today? Do you think that home is where the heart is?



www.homerestyler.co.uk





Wednesday 20 June 2012

My first ever press interview & latest coastal inspired article

Woah, what a roller coaster week my lovelies! First I get admitted into hospital thanks to some nasty pains...from my hospital bed I accepted an offer on our house (hooray - finally!)...today I found an incredible property available to rent in the new village we want to move to (so good, can it  be true?!) AND on shelf today is the July issue of Devon Life with my latest feature all about coastal interiors PLUS an interview with me! Exhausted.com. Delighted.com.



If you would like to read my latest article titled 'Into the Blue' and read 'What Katey does - 5 minutes with Katey Korzenietz' then please click here.




Devon Life July issue is now available on-shelf to buy, with a shot of the stunning beach down at Bigbury, which is where I got involved in Home Restyler's first ever job with Devon Life two years ago for 'that' camper van cover shot!



I hope you like the ideas and inspiration for creating interiors with a coastal feel that I have shared in my latest article. I'd love to hear any feedback you might have!

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Thursday 14 June 2012

Glamourously hot summer nights

Gosh, normally I'm dashing about like a looney working on various projects, but I'm under the weather at the moment, so having had to postpone client meetings, I have time to blog-tastic instead!

As ever, I'm always on the look-out for new and exciting things for the home that are also affordable (yay!). Today is no exception. Zara's new collections are always worth waiting for and their latest bedroom offerings do not disappoint. 

Glamourous. Indulgent. Luxurious. 
Source: zarahome.com via Home on Pinterest

Shiny metallics. Sumptuous mohair wools. Rich cottons & lace.
Source: zarahome.com via Home on Pinterest


Animalistic. Earthy. Textured. 
Source: zarahome.com via Home on Pinterest

You'd be forgiven for thinking that these bedding collections are expensive but true to Home Restyler's ethos, they are very fairly priced. So rather than forking out on a set of bedding that you feel you would have to sleep in for 100 years to justify the outlay, why not go for Zara's mid-range collections instead.
Starting from £19.99 for a cushion case and £79.99 for a cotton and lace bedspread you'd be a fool not too. It's not like the British balmy summer nights are going to keep us warm is it?!

Wednesday 13 June 2012

On my wish list: modern pendant

Looking for coastal style pendant lamps...found some fab affordable ones I thought you might like....

Plymouth pendant in Harbour, John Lewis £95
Plymouth pendant in Harbour & Shale, John Lewis £95

Perfect for a modern kitchen, dining room or hallway, whether your style is country, coastal or retro, these pendants tick so many boxes and the fresh blue shades will complement various colour schemes.

Bargain. I want one, but actually three in a row have even more impact ... *smile*

Tuesday 12 June 2012

Today's star find

Ugh, I'm feeling all sorry for myself as I sit here writing this blog. My husband and I are both working from home with streaming colds, surrounded by drunken mugs of lemsip and boxes of tissues - violins please! I thought it was supposed to be summer!!!

Enough of that and onto much more exciting things. Today I would like to share with you my star find. Many of you will already know the tile importer and manufacturer Johnson Tiles, but maybe you won't have visited their website. I am often so frustrated when searching for products online, simply due to poor website functionality and usability. Not today though, no siree!


What a brilliant website, it actually made me want to stay and play around with their online tools. They have a wide selection of room sets to view, the search function is so easy to use and you can drag & drop tiles you love into your favourites folder for later. Each room set gives you detailed information about the tiles featured within it and simply by clicking on a tile you'll get all the techy info you need plus suggestions for use with other tiles.

Artile art ceramics

This is a great example of how to engage with the customer, creating interest through interaction and must certainly lead to sales, simply due to the effort put into the design of the website. Hats off, I will certainly be heading to Johnson's as one of my first ports of call when looking for tiles for client projects.

Tile of the day: White Shark
glazed ceramic &

www.homerestyler.co.uk

Thursday 7 June 2012

The joy of twitter. And some lovely lamps.

Another day, another fab find, and a random one at that. Some may question the purpose and benefits of twitter but without it, well I wouldn't have met some brilliant, inspiring and talented individuals, nor would I have come across some fantastic products..in fact I may not have had the opportunity to work on some of the brilliant projects I have been involved in since I began tweeting.

Today, Home Restyler had a few new 'followers' (I'm not keen on that word personally, but I can't think any other word that isn't entirely naff either - friends maybe eek??), one of which was The Wooden Lamp Company.



I was so pleased when I clicked through to their website, because the world of lighting is a big one and though I work with various suppliers and makers already, I love the concept of this product range and what it stands for. I also love the variety of shapes, some curvaceous, some boxy, some plain straight.

The Wooden lamp Company was launched by Claire Pendarves in 2010. As an interior and lighting designer who had owned a lighting and lifestyle shop, she decided to fill a gap in the market and make "individual, flexible table lamps that literally do not 'Cost the Earth'".


Love My Dog table lamp £125

The lamp bases are;

  • currently available in ten simple shapes
  • made from sustainable woods - rubber wood & mango wood (harvested after the tree's productive life)
  • painted in a wide range of VOC free paint colours & can be painted with bespoke colours
  • matched with co-ordinating lampshades
  • available 'naked' so you can paint them yourself (see 3 of the 10 naked shapes below)



What I also think is brilliant for those of you who like crafting and do-it-yourself, the Wooden Lamp Company also sells lampshade kits so you can make your own shades to fit any of the bases or to use as pendant shades. The kits come in various sizes and come with easy to follow instructions, plus there is a fun YouTube demo video  so you can actually see one being made (by a group of teenage girls, who make it look very easy!).



These kits range from £14.50 to £22.50 so if you have some fabric you want to use to make a statement in a room at home, why not find an old lamp base (check you local chart shops and car boot sales), paint it up and make your own co-ordinating shade. Simple to do and will be like no other around *smile*.






The Wooden Lampshade Company is a local company based near Truro, Cornwall and also sells via notonthehightstreet.com.

www.homerestyler.co.uk



Wednesday 6 June 2012

Looks like wood to me

So after a few days of having fun with friends and generally relaxing over the long weekend, the time is nigh to crack back on with work. As generally happens, whilst I'm looking for items for clients, I get inspired to post a blog... and today I find myself thinking all things wood-effect.

The initial image that inspired me to create my latest kitchen design for a coastal-feel cottage, was this.



This kitchen belongs to a lady called Mariell, who is an online friend at stylizimo. She created this stunning, simple, modern kitchen and mounted stained weatherboards across the wall behind the counter. I was so excited when I saw this as it's a look that I think would work brilliantly in the kitchen I'm currently working on. However, as my client isn't keen on hanging wooden boards on the wall, I have been looking for alternatives, which I share with you below.



This is the fabulous Timber wallpaper from the Andrew Martin Engineer range. Available in limed and white and feeling delightfully textured, it can't get much more life-like than this.  £69.90 per roll from Rockett St George



In the Foundation collection, Cole & Son have some ten designs of wallpaper influenced by architectural building materials and textured surfaces. The one above recreates the texture of wood grain and is available in scene different colour ways. I love this dark grey blue colour and imagine it on all four walls of a cosy living room, with open fireplace, battered old brown leather sofas and plenty of reading material to while away the hours.


A few weeks ago I shared a photo of some unique statement flooring which I saw in a fab shop in Truro called Uneeka and today I found this striking wallpaper by scrapwoodwallpaper, which is based on Holland. Unfortunately it is only available to buy in USA, however if you love the look get in touch with the store Uneeka here as the planks of salvaged Indian boat scrap wood is available to purchase by sqm. 

Another more cost effective option, would be to go for the wallpaper below.


Made by eco wallpaper the eco wood wallpaper collection features a wooden plank design with a textured finish that conveys the feel of real wood. Available in four colour ways it is only £36 a roll, which is by far the cheapest wood effect wallpaper that I have found, that still looks and feels like a good quality product. Click here to buy from Tangletree Interiors.

Oh so many choices! Right, time to get back to some client work...until I get distracted again *smile*.

www.homerestyler.co.uk