Turning my blank canvas home office into a cosy writing corner

Turning my blank canvas home office into a cosy writing corner

While the renovation to our Kitchen Diner has been happening I've been locking myself away in my teeny uninspiring office trying to stay sane. So, I thought I would use the #BlankCanvas opportunity to get some ideas for how I could temporarily spruce up my home office until I've got more time to sort it out properly, calling on the Julian Charles' in-house designers and my instagram friends for advice. Come see my updates!

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15 ways to affordably take your bedroom from summer to autumn

15 ways to affordably take your bedroom from summer to autumn

Whilst I'll miss all the sun, BBQs, prancing around the house in vest tops and shorts and all the al fresco G&Ts Summer brings, there's part of me that's looking forward to getting home and decorating our house ready for the Autumn. Here's 15 budget ways I'm turning my bedroom from crisp to cosy. 

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An interior brand I love: Artfinder

I'm on a mission to introduce you to some of the UK's cutest interior stockists. Whether you're an interior stylist, budding interior assistant or just love finding home decoration sites to spruce up your home, keep an eye on this feature.

I'm working hard to collect a little black book with a list of favourite shops, so that for ANY interior look you want to achieve, all that's needed is a glance through my little black book to know where you'll find the goods to create your dream rooms. 

Last time I shared with you a brand with a lovely "sharing is caring" ethos.

This week let me introduce a brand I'm turning to, to populate my home with (fairly) affordable art from independent artists - authentic art.

 Since moving into my own place, I've noticed that one of the trickiest parts of decoration, making  a house a home, is finding affordable art that speaks to you.  I despise art work that's mass-produced. Not in a poncey "art expert" kinda way. Not at all! It's  more the thought of canvases sold in Primark that seem to people, to be the only affordable option for them - and everyone has the same! I hate that. 

You'll see  in my "How to create a gallery wall" post that I try to source art work that has deeper meaning other than just suiting a room.  We have a very sweet quote I love, taken from Lord of the rings. Mine and Neil's fave film. 

Whatever you choose to hang on your walls should be sentimental  + meaningful to you. Whether it's a quote that inspires you, an illustration you love, or fond photographs and family memories. 

That's why I wanted to share Artfinder with you.

It's like an Etsy for art work. It's a place that champions the talents of  local artists from  97 different countries across the world, so you are sure to find something unique, affordable and meaningful to the places you've been to , lived in and love. 

My family are all from the Emerald Isle and I've been wanting to bring in concepts of my celtic heritage to my home. I've been spending a lot of time on the Artfinder website to discover new and emerging Irish artists, and scenes from Sligo + Mayo, where we spent many a family holiday, and have found some stunning paintings in different colour schemes available for me to get hold of. The above is a painting by Lesley Birch and I've pulled in colours and fabrics to fit how I'd scheme the room around it. I'd use Sligo Oatmeal fabric from Ulster Weavers (I love the herringbone, tartan, celtic feel) to complement the look. 

Artfinder also have  a whole array of Brighton artists (this city has a huge art scene I was surprised at a simple search flagging up over 10 pages, whereas Ireland had much fewer!) . Tania Rutland is one to watch for moody and atmospheric works, but there are lots of sketchy  illustrative styles for a more modern look too. 

I urge you to have a look around the Artfinder website for places that mean a lot to you. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the art work you'll find from even the most remote places. 

What sort of  art do you love inside  your home? Are you on the market for things to hang on your walls?

Fi xoxo

www.artfinder.com

How to explore and define your unique interior style (with my free worksheet)


Explore your unique interior style free class ››

Design skills or no design skills - you can create a home you (and your family) love

There, I said it. 

Whether you're a confident decorator or not, you have the ability to put together furniture, colours and home accessories that match, showing off your passions and personality, to create a space free from clutter that will make you happy. 

I've written a class to help you define the style that will make your home look like a show room - and feel like a home

You'll learn:

- Where to start if you're thinking about redecorating
- How you can inject soul into any room (with the lowest budget ever)
- Why your passions are so important to think about when decorating
- How to create a space that speaks volumes about you as a couple and/or family (and still makes visitors go "wow")

Say goodbye to ikea arguments, this class will help you come up with a clear vision for happier decoration projects.

And guess what? You don't need a hefty budget to do this either. 

Download the interior class for FREE here, and prepare to explore your inner interior goddess.



Image credit: Cranmore Home