Pink...

In honour of Breast Cancer awareness month and Pink Friday. I've collated some very varied interior inspiration images. Where a splash of hot pink makes a bold statement, I'm more a fan of a touch of blush; be it a sofa, a lamp or a feature wall. The all-pink bedroom below is a little creepy but I'm loving the painted table supports. So feminine and pretty...

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The Zoo

I thought I'd had my fill of all things safari after visiting Edinburgh Zoo (for the first time) a couple of weeks ago, but by the looks of theses photographs, it appears I'm still drawn to interiors with skins, patterns and textures inspired by the kingdom of animals. I went with quite a few members of my family, some of which were over from Australia, to see the famous pandas. As exciting as the pandas were, my highlight were those of another monochromatic nature.........As the heavy rain of the Scottish summer drenched us, my mum and I, separated from the group and pushed a sleeping Sebastian, in his plastic covered pushchair, to the top of a ridiculously steep incline, to see the zebras. There were five of them, all sheltering from the rain, standing under the viewing platform. They were beautiful...perfect. And so close. It was the end of the day and the zoo keepers started calling them up to their shed. The zebras ignored them for a while but after a couple of whistles, they flicked their stripey, funnel-like ears and trotted up the field like obedient dogs. Magnificent.
The point of my rambling? Inspiration from nature in design is, as always, excellent. I love the giraffe inspired rug in this beautiful, masculine interior. 

Much to my disappointment, there are no giraffes at Edinburgh Zoo (Sebastian had a toy giraffe with him on the day to compensate), if there were, they may have stolen the show but for now, the zebras reign...in the rain. 
P.S. The shiny, wet hippos (mum, dad and baby) grazing, came in at a close second place.

Interior photographs by the super talented Phillip K. Erickson. Zebra photograph by me on my iPhone 4, then edited with Instagram.

Bathroom Envy II

...As promised, here's my favourite room from the London designers' house I posted here, yesterday. Awesome.

photography by James Balston 

A Coloured-in Council House

This unrecognisable council house, in Hackney, is owned by artist Francis Upritchard and her furniture designer husband Martino Gamper. The colourful home is full of inspiring and sculptural bits and pieces, with little stories. That parquet floor (not generally native in council housing), for example, was given to the couple as a wedding gift. The friends, who gifted it, inscribed their names in some of the pieces, and helped them lay it.
It just goes to show that with lots of creative imagination and some hard work, anything is possible...

If you've got 5 minutes to spare, the story of the impressive transformation is detailed here.

Calligraphy Tattoos

One of the most viewed posts on Yeah...Ok...Bye is this one, showing the awesome work of Betsy Dunlap commissioned as tattoos. I recently came across these gorgeous calligraphy tattoos by Mara Zepeda of Neither Snow. I doubt I'd ever be brave enough to get one but if I did I'd hope it would look as beautiful as these.

 images from Neither Snow

Mixing it up

This home is very close to mine...geographically. If only it was close to looking like mine...
A veritable feast of styles and influences placed side by side resulting in a very stylish and comfortable family home. The contemporary, spine-like staircase and extension with circular glazed door leading to the garden has a grown up, art deco feel. It contrasts, beautifully, with the original Georgian building which, again, contrasts with the eclectic mix of mid century classics, far east artefacts and an abundance of art, photography and sculpture inside. The perfect example of letting your home evolve with you as you collect the things you love. Perfect.

 Images from Location Scotland

Bedroom Envy III...

White, with cosy textures, retro details...and a view...

via

Retrouvius

Retrouvius are a London based architectural salvage and design company. Their work is clever, inspiring and beautiful not to mention, sustainable. The other night I spent so long looking at the design projects and salvage items for sale, on their website, that my tea went cold.
Using reclaimed flooring as wall panelling is evidently a favourite and recurring method for them, and features in many of their projects. Here are a few awesome examples. Rustic versus polished; different finishes can give very different (but equally beautiful) effects.

Tomorrow's post is one of my favourite interiors from their recent projects.
images

Naked Nursery

When I was pregnant I wanted the baby's nursery to look something like this. 

 I still LOVE this look but now that Sebastian is 4 months old, his response to bright colours is incredible (and exciting considering his daddy is colourblind!). So far his nursery is still a work in progress...not that he even notices...and we are slowly collecting colourful bits and pieces, including these, and this to add to the pale gray walls we finished just days before he arrived (we're fly-by-the-seat-our-pants types). I'm so looking forward to the day it's done...if it ever is...
P.S. Still want the white rocking sheep!
Images from Smallable Christmas catalogue

Home to Roost

I was introduced to this incredible food blog last week via A Cup of Jo. Coco from Roost takes the most beautiful photographs of the specially adapted food she creates for her and her husband, who suffers from Crohn's disease. As I got closer and closer to licking my monitor whilst browsing through the images, I came across these photos of the couple's gorgeous new home in Alabama and had to share them with you...

I recommend you make yourself a cuppa and have a browse through the photos and recipes...you may be some time.
All images from Roost

Wary Mears Wares

I've blogged about this creative couple before. Wary Mears are an upcycling phenomenon! Their projects are pretty awesome...
If you happen to find an old canoe or an Eames chair in a skip, why not give it a wee spruce up with a pattern, hand painted on, inspired by British textile designer, Celia Birtwell?
'Naturally', I hear you say...

...whatever you do to them you probably wouldn't expect them to look as cool as this...and you'd probably never think to hang them from the ceiling in you Portland apartment...well, I wouldn't anyway.
Found on Wary Mears' blog

Bold, Busy and Beautiful

This space may have light, colour, furniture, and pattern in abundance, but the architecture makes it...I'm a sucker for symmetry.

by Edward Duarte

Babbington House

The Soho House Group have a pretty impressive portfolio of hotels around the world, including the latest addition in Berlin but I still like to refer to their sumptuous first venture, Babbington House in Sommerset, for design inspiration. It opened in 1998 and, although i presume it has undergone some updating along the way, still looks elegant and relevant in the design stakes. There are 23 rooms in the main house and coach house, 5 family holiday rooms in the Stable block (...of course), a lodge with 3 bedrooms and 3 more next to the very funky Cowshed Relax Spa overlooking the walled garden, dahling...
Surely, having that beautiful old chapel in the gardens propels it into the most perfect setting for an English country wedding, no? ...only if daddy has enough on the credit card...