Interiors – Page 28 – Apartment Apothecary

katy 27th October 2015

Blogger tour of Leipzig

I was invited to Leipzig last weekend, a city in the east of Germany, to join a small group of bloggers to explore the city and the Designers’ Open. The region of Saxony has been undergoing a process of renewal over the last twenty five years, since the fall of the Berlin Wall, and I was honoured to be asked to come and experience it for myself. Having been a history teacher for many years and knowing so much about the German Democratic Republic it was fascinating to not only see this part of Germany but to find out more about its movement and progress. It’s almost unthinkable that twenty five years ago I wouldn’t have been able to enter the city, let alone leave. However, Leipzig has always been a centre of culture, a city of books and fairs with a mix of striking architecture seeped in history – so much to see and do!

I joined Carole, a fellow blogger from London, and Mia, who lives in Leipzig and is the editor of a very successful blogzine, Alabaster Maedchen. We spent our time meeting designers, seeing their work and discovering what lies at the heart of this vibrant cultural hub.

My highlight of the trip was the tour of the Spinnerei: an old cotton factory dating back to 1884 that is now filled with exhibition space and makers’ workshops. The buildings themselves were perfect examples of industrial architecture and as the door opened on studios, workshops and pieces of art I could feel the exciting energy of this special place. The workshop of Saxony Ducks was my dream workspace and their creations in the softest wool were stunning and I couldn’t resist an advent calendar based on the tales of the Brothers Grimm from graphic designer Katja Zwirnmann. The buildings have been beautifully restored to maintain all of the character of the original cotton factory, yet allow the artists to exhibit, make, develop and inspire: such an important project and reflective of the progress and creativity of the city.

Discovering Leipzig | Simply Saxony | Designers' Open 2015 | Spinnerei

Leipzig’s Spinnerei

The space that captured my imagination most was Claudia Biehne’s porcelain studio. Paper-thin porcelain bowls, vases and sculptures whose beauty lay in their fragility and each so unique in its shape and form. Claudia explained the design process, which just added to how precious each creation was. I absolutely love seeing the workspace of creatives so this was such a treat.

Discovering Leipzig | Simply Saxony | Designers' Open 2015 | Handmade ceramics

Porcelain pieces by Claudi Biehne

We spent all of Friday at the Designers’ Open, a great chance to explore and talk to designers to find out more about the concepts behind their designs. The exhibition space was filled with hand made ceramics, furniture, lighting, fashion and graphic design: a stage for new trends and a market place for new designs. I found a few products, including a kitchen unit that I’m still dreaming about, that I would have snapped up there and then if I didn’t have a teeny weeny baggage allowance.

Discovering Leipzig | Simply Saxony | Designers' Open 2015 | Concrete furniture

Concrete furniture and homewares by Betoniu

I loved these lamps made of concrete and coloured twine, handmade over several days by Oliver Schilf in his living room. I’d want three of these hanging in my kitchen!

I immediately fell for these stacking bowls painted with a traditional Japanese blue. Aren’t they beautiful in their simplicity?

The clever and sleek design of these milk jugs with a small sugar bowl stacked on top is brilliant.

We saw more designers around the city at a number of design ‘spots’. The Grassimuseum in the centre of the city hosted several projects by university students and more inspiration.

We were incredibly lucky to be shown the city by the lovely Mia, Alex and Anja – there’s nothing better than a bit of insider knowledge when discovering a new place and great to get an insight into daily life in the city. They took us to see the lakes, just a ten minute bike ride from the city centre, that is a popular spot in the summer but incredibly beautiful at this time of the year with the Autumnal colours of the woods that surround the water.

It was so wonderful to spend the weekend with such great people. Mia is one of the most interesting and generous people I have met in a long time and she and her partner, Alex, looked after us so well, taking us to good restaurants (we ate so well), to must-see spots and introduced us to some other local bloggers. Mia and Alex, you must come to London soon! Claudius and Anja were both so warm and went to great lengths to make sure we had the best possible experience. It was also really great to spend time with Carole and we had so much fun together – I can’t wait to come round for dinner, Carole! We also stayed in a hotel that I would highly recommend called Arcona Living Bach 14.

This is a place on the move, an ever-changing scene rich in culture and ready to change people’s perception of this part of the world. I loved meeting such generous people, discovering new designers and absorbing as much of the city as possible; I’m pretty sure it won’t stay the same for long and I look forward to seeing what its future holds.

Katy x

*This post was written in collaboration with Simply Saxony.

katy 20th October 2015

Styling neutrals in your home

Ok, we need to talk about neutrals today. I’ve been thinking about colour a lot recently because I feel that my flat has become a home of two halves after recent room makeovers: the bedroom and office are neutral with pastel accents whilst the living room is filled with quite deep, intense colours. I don’t like the divide so I want to try to make the kitchen and living room more in line with the bedroom and office.

Firstly, I have decided to make my kitchen completely neutral with a few blue accents as I have loads of blue and white china. The inspiration behind my neutral colour scheme started with my new collection of Cotton white Le Creuset from Houseology. I am head over heels in love with Le Creuset but I have always held back from starting a collection because the bright colours didn’t do it for me and once you start collecting one colour what happens if you change your mind?!! The white is perfect for those people who love neutrals and those people who want it to fit in with a colourful kitchen, too.

Cotton white Le Creuset | Styling neutrals in your home | Styling String Shelving | Apartment Apothecary

Cotton Le Cresuet casserole dish (top shelf, left), utensil holder (top shelf, right) and baking dishes (bottom shelf, left) from Houseology.

It’s funny, I’ve always thought neutral colours weren’t for me – you know, beige and boring and all that? However, I’ve recently noticed that one of my very favourite Instagram accounts (that you can see here) is based on a beautiful home filled to the brim with neutrals. Turns out, I love them. It also turns out that they don’t have to be boring or blah.

Here are my tips to help you style neutrals in your home to make them look as interesting as possible and, in my opinion, as interesting as bright colours:

1. Texture and a mix of materials

Texture when integrating lots of neutrals in to your home is key. You want to add raw woods, glassware, ceramics, stoneware, baskets, enamelware and linens. The more texture the better as this draws the eye around the styling and adds interest and a variety of colour.

2. Points of contrast

Intersperse your styling with a few darker items (grey is always a good option) or even another colour. This will add enough contrast to ensure your neutrals don’t all merge into one another.

3. Combine vintage and new pieces

Combine new and old in your styling as the age and interest of the vintage pieces will attract attention and create more contrast amongst the neutrals.

I’ve been playing around with some of my kitchen pieces that I want to go on my open shelving (yup, I am definitely going for open shelving after my umming and ahhing, thank you to everyone who commented and helped me with the decision). You might think I am ever so slightly bonkers but I spent Friday night – yes, Friday night – removing stuff from my home office string shelving and then pretending they were my new kitchen open shelves and experimenting with styling neutrals trying to follow my own advice above. What do you think?

I am now really looking forward to ripping down the wall cupboards in the kitchen and getting some shelves up!

Cinnamon bun recipe

The first thing I decided to cook in my Le Creuset baking dish were these cinnamon buns to take to brunch at the weekend. Would you think I was even more bonkers if I told you I chose this recipe especially so I could play around with styling neutrals?! Bonkers, I tell you.

Cotton white Le Creuset from Houseology | Stoneware | Cinnamon buns | Food styling

Cinnamon buns in Le Creuset baking dish.

Pop over here for the bun recipe.

Here is my recipe for the icing – I think it’s better than Nigella’s 😉

2 oz softened cream cheese

7 tbsp softened butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

Good pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups sugar

Beat the cream cheese and butter together. Mix in the vanilla and milk and then gradually add the sugar and salt until smooth. I pour it on whilst the buns are still warm so it kind of melts into them and will therefore keep them moist. However, you can wait until they are completely cold.

They didn’t last long!

Do you love Le Creuset as much as I do? What colour would you go for?

Katy x

*This post was written in collaboration with Houseology.

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katy 16th October 2015

The perfect interior?

I came across this house the other day (it is a locations house which is why it is so pared down and there’s no ‘stuff’) and it stopped me in my tracks. I daydream on a regular basis about what my dream home would look like but I never ever see my idea of ‘perfect’ in real life. However, I can quite safely say that the kitchen diner in this house is my idea of complete perfection. The combination of styles, mix of materials, the kitchen island, the space, light, a few characterful pieces, the lighting, dining table and doors open directly to the garden – I want all of it! Every single bit of it – I would not change a thing.

I do like the sitting room a lot but it’s not quite ideal for me although it has given me inspiration for some potential changes to my own room – I love the colour on the walls and the sophisticated, simple styling.

I hope this has given you a bit of inspiration for the weekend. What does your dream home look like?

Katy x

*All images from Light Locations

katy 14th October 2015

Autumnal interiors

Since starting Styling the Seasons I have become so much more aware of changes I make at home with the change of each season; subtle tweaks and additions that make my home feel cosier, warmer and more comforting. I like to add more layers, textures, textiles and light around my home to make longer evenings and colder days more bearable (I have to admit that I love the cold weather, especially cosied up in my triple glazed flat!).

I have carefully picked out some perfect Autumnal items from the mid-season Houseology sale; the perfect excuse to add a touch of seasonal love to your home and make the transition to the colder months that lie ahead. Lots of these gorgeous homewares are reduced by 50%!

Houseology mid-season sale picks | Autumn interiors | Seasonal interiors

Click on these links to find out how much these items have been reduced by: 1. Garden Trading Battersea Light 2. Garden Trading oak console table 3. LSA dip bowl and oak platter 4. Sophie Conran linen apron 5. Bluebellgray cushion 6. Designers Guild linen throw 7. Hubsch woven baskets 8. Bloomingville knitted blanket 9. Tonfisk gift set 10. Falcon 6 piece prep set 11. The Fine Bedding Company duck feather and down mattress topper.

I’m not really into traditional Autumnal colours so I have chosen lots of soft neutrals, raw wood, wicker and some blue highlights (I’m thinking about making changes to my sitting room and adding more blue, so a bit of a selfish choice!). How gorgeous is that raw oak console table? Ideal for an Autumnal hallway to store muddy wellies – a daily problem for us due to muddy dog walks – and display some lovely nature finds. Layering and textures are so important to make a home feel cosy and so heaps of throws, blankets and cushions are a great choice. A set of baskets to store extra blankets is also a must in my house – I always have a blanket when I watch TV or read in bed. Cooking and entertaining is a big feature at this time of year, I suppose we invite friends round a lot more because we can’t spend as much time outside. That’s why I have picked a beautiful linen apron, enamel mixing bowls and a serving platter, perfect for a bit of Autumnal cooking and entertaining. I also love the Tonfisk tea and coffee set, designed to keep your hot drinks warm and the wooden covers enable you to wrap your hands around the cups and warm your hands: perfect for working from home to have on your desk. Another really great thing to buy when they are on sale are quality mattress toppers that will make your bed feel so much more snuggly and warm. I want it all and it’s so tempting at such low prices!

What changes do you make at this time of year? Explore the full Houseology mid season sale if you fancy making some new additions to your home to welcome in Autumn.

Katy x

*This post was written in collaboration with Houseology.

katy 12th October 2015

Kitchen tiles

It was my birthday last week and I decided to treat myself to a new kitchen worktop (err, those things are expensive!!). I have a love/hate relationship with Ikea but I can’t help but admit that I see a day trip there with my mum as quite a joyful task (is it just me?) so off we went to order the new worktop. Now that that is sorted – I ordered the solid beech one – I can get on with thinking about other details for my kitchen makeover. I know I want to try a little DIY on the kitchen doors to make new handles and we will make the open shelving out of MDF, painted white. So, the only other thing to consider is replacing the splash back, which is currently just an extension of the horrible laminate worktop. Bearing in mind that the cupboard doors are white, the floor is painted grey and the worktop is going to be wooden (you can see more of my kitchen as it is now here), I can’t quite make up my mind about the splash back: should it be completely neutral or more of a statement?

Top 5 kitchen tile picks | Kitchen makeover | Splash back | Wall tiles

Play it safe with metro brick tiles? Image via Pure Style.

I’ve been tossing up a couple of options for the splash back and can’t quite decide between tiles or tongue and groove. I’m erring towards tiles because tongue and groove is a bit too ‘country’ for my modern flat but then I can’t make up my mind between something with a bit of colour and pattern like these gorgeous handmade Mexican tiles or something a bit more neutral and sleek. Help!

1. Metro brick tile, Tiles Direct 2. Fenlands tiles in Heron, Fired Earth 3. Carrara white marble, Tiles Direct 4. Large square mosaic, Tiles Direct. 5. Toulouse St. Etienne, Fired Earth.

Any ideas? I’m going to order some samples to see the different options in situ before I make any decisions. I really like the idea of having these large marble tiles – a bit more like panels than tiles – as they would work so well with the white kitchen and wood work top but I have loads of blue and white Cornishware crockery and can’t help but think the two won’t work together particularly well; the one being quite sophisticated and other being more country kitchen style. Well, the worktop won’t arrive for eight weeks so I’ve got some thinking time ahead of me.

Katy x

*This post was written in collaboration with Tiles Direct.