Through the Keyhole: Cosima’s tribute to the 1950s domestic goddess 20 November, 2009
Posted by Bethany Wrede Peterson in Through the Keyhole.Tags: 1950s, ceramic, Cosima Sempill, domestic goddess, kitsch, Kitty & Dude, optimism, postwar
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Image credit: Ian Monk
When we think about design in the 1950s, we often think of austere architecture, pared-down Bauhaus-inspired furniture, and an industrial flourish of homewares mass produced. But the 1950s also brought us the poster-woman of the domestic goddess: the bright and cheerful lady in our lives who prided herself on making that form-follows-function house a home. In turn, our interiors exploded with bright colour, cheeky pulp imagery, and the one-of-a-kind fruits of many a homemade handicraft.
In celebration of this time, this week we’ve found no one better to bring back that beachy peachy feeling than our very own design boutique retailer Cosima Sempill. The Kitty & Dude ceramist draws inspiration from her Edinburgh home to create her super-cute collection of dainty ceramics. And with an abode as retro-cool as this, we can tell there’s no lack of imagination in her household!
Image credit: Ian Monk
”It’s the confident, new and shiny, post-war optimism in 1950s design that really thrills me’ muses Cosima. ‘It’s very important to me to be surrounded by beautiful things, fabulous colour, and interesting patterns. It keeps my creativity flowing.’
With an unabashed mix of kitsch, vintage and homemade accessories surrounded by dainty dresses and shoes of the same bygone era, Cosima creates an ultrafeminine living space that oozes her vivid personality. Her space is so inviting that we Ladies Who Lunch would love to stop by for a knitting party!
Image credit: Ian Monk
While some may call this look cluttered – an organised chaos – we stress that ordered is the magic word here. Attempting such an eclectic magpie feat can easily backfire, but by providing a great sense of order to each space, Cosima proves that this look can not only really work, but give a space a completely individual vibe free from the current high street trends.
The trick? By keeping the overall theme of her home uniform (1950s optimism), Cosima ensures that every cushion, curtain, picture frame – anything – added relates to the other pieces in each room. And she makes careful and clever use of her shelving and storage units to follow the everything in its place mantra of the domestic goddess.
Image credit: Ian Monk
Cosima’s delicate ceramics are really something to be proud of. In her home, they’re the sugary icing on the layer cake of accessories, bits and bobs. We’re craving those cup cakes for our countertop! And who says you need to keep your shoes in the closet? We’ll be taking a hint from Cosima and displaying our finest heels centre stage.
Image credit: Ian Monk
The artist-cum-stylist’s choice of white and pastel pink and green in the kitchen gives this room a cleaner, but still lighthearted, feeling. The framed portraits and heirlooms which line the space lend a sense of tradition and history – the perfect space to host guests for high tea. Even the natural beams get a bit of Cosima’s personal design with vintage-inspired stenciling.
Image credits: Ian Monk
While one bedroom remains sugary sweet, making the most of the pool of natural light that floods the space, another gets the cosy, chocolate touch. Velvet cushions and muted nutmeg toile prints in the wallpaper and curtains make this room a rich, warm space to snuggle into on those wintry Edinburgh nights.
Image credit: Ian Monk
If, for the domestic goddess, the home is where the heart is, we’d all love our home to be as original as Cosima’s. While the 1950s theme may not appeal to everyone, we love the ceramist’s reflection of optimism in her space and in her craft. And that, we think you’ll agree, is something we can all get inspired by.
Love Cosima’s look? We’ve found key pieces from her style for you to steal. Click on the moodboard to view selected products.
Moodboard: Bethany Wrede Peterson
View our 3D room of Cosima’s living area by clicking on the room below. You can even copy it, redecorate, or add new furniture!
3D room: Jennifer Cooper
Read more about Cosima’s wonderland in Home Plus Scotland magazine’s article here.
Tell us what you think. We’d love to hear your thoughts on Cosima’s style and our new Through the Keyhole feature. Just add your comments below.
Think your home has the panache to be spotted through the keyhole? Send us the dish on your digs along with your best home snaps to editors@mydeco.com and your pride-and-joy may be spied next!
Through the Keyhole: Jo’s Midcentury-Contemporary Digs 11 November, 2009
Posted by Bethany Wrede Peterson in Through the Keyhole.Tags: cool, retro, White, colour, modern, contemporary, contrast, bright, mid-century, Bertoia chair, rental flat, duck egg, complement, Moooi rabbit lamp
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Image Credit: Eliot Lovell
We know what you’ve been thinking: Working at mydeco clearly means everyone there has a super-cool place to call home. Well, loyal mydeco community, you thought right! Editor Annie just finished renovating her Barons Court home, Development Manager Annabel is busy taking photos of her abode for a future installment of TtK, and Editorial intern Bethany is about to move into a blank canvas in Clapham. What else would you expect from the people who eat, sleep, and breathe interiors?
This week we’re pleased to give you a sneak peek inside Marketing Manager Jo’s Angel flat. Jo, aka, mopsylouise, has taken a cleverly kitschy approach to her interiors scheme, and with fun accessories like that quirky Moooi rabbit lamp, the result is anything but boring, thanks to a little help from stylist and mydeco Picture Editor Vicky.
‘I’m renting the flat, so I can’t paint the walls,’ Jo explains. ‘To incorporate lots of colour back into the scheme, I chose a mix of richly saturated accessories to brighten the place up. And I love my Moooi lamp – it was a Christmas gift that I treasure.’
Image Credit: Eliot Lovell
Jo’s is an age-old interior styling trick that never gets loses its luster. When painting simply isn’t an option, choosing funky patterns and bold colours will add movement and texture, and have you forgetting all about your renting woes. We love this pair of Bertoia armchairs – the 1950s icon looks twice as nice perched near the windows, and the funky geo prints of the cushion and area rug mimic the retro feel of the fluid seating.
Image Credit: Eliot Lovell
While blank white walls can be refreshing, many of us feeling will artistically stifled by this scheme. Jo keeps the room from feeling too minimalist by mixing it up and adding her own personal touches. The feminine duckegg sugar bowls placed near a more masculine silver stag’s antler introduce an unexpected juxtaposition between synthetic and organic. And we’re loving that bold red painting – not only does it complement the dusty blues and citron greens, it marries the orange and pink theme from the sofa cushions and lampshade (top image) to the rest of the space.
Image Credit: Eliot Lovell
While an eclectic scheme can be hard to wrangle, Jo’s contiguously employs the popular mid-century duck egg colour in her bedroom, streamlining the ’50s theme throughout her flat. A minimalist bedspread keeps this small room from appearing claustrophobic.
Like any good design guru, Jo knows when to call it quits. Making full use of the simplicity of those white walls, her gutsy design choices hit the right balance between retro and quirky, never cheesy or parodied.
And now that the word is out on Jo’s cosy-cool flat, three guesses who’s hosting the mydeco Christmas party this year? Thanks in advance, Jo!
Love Jo’s look? We’ve found key pieces from her style for you to steal. Click on the moodboard to view selected products.
Moodboard: Bethany Wrede Peterson
And check out Jo’s floorplan for a more 3D view:
3D model: Daniele Bubusci
Tell us what you think. We’d love to hear your thoughts on Jo Casley’s style and our new Through the Keyhole feature. Just add your comments below.
Think your home has the panache to be spotted through the keyhole? Send us the dish on your digs along with your best home snaps to editors@mydeco.com and your pride-and-joy may be spied next!
Through the Keyhole: Living off the Land: Tess’ Organic Ochre Retreat 3 November, 2009
Posted by Bethany Wrede Peterson in Through the Keyhole.Tags: airy, cosy, natural wood, neutral palette, ochre, Organic, unpretentious
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This week, we feature mydeco community member Tess Heslop’s Stratford-upon-Avon home. The Ochre and Ochre online homewares boutique owner is obsessed with all things made from the soft clay found in iron ore, and her boutique isn’t the only the space getting the rich ochre treatment.
Tess reminds us that while often thought of as earthen yellows and terra cotta reds, ochre can also take on soft, natural grey hues, like the wall colour featured in her airy living room. To get the natural effect, Tess used Farrow & Ball and Fired Earth paints throughout her home.
She and her husband, Paul, bought the auction plot in 2006, and self-built this beautiful five-bedroom detached house, moving in two years later in 2008. ”Using natural materials was very important to us,’ she says. ‘I love the living room with its big fireplace. The huge beam fits in well with the stone and wood flooring we used throughout.’ We love how the unfussy decor of the living room lets the eye wander up to explore the architecture of the vaulted ceilings. The chunky wood coffee table and mirror used in this room are in keeping with the sturdy oak beams which fly above, balancing the distinction between high and low.
Like so many of us, Tess wanted a kitchen that people could feel welcome in. ‘I like being able to cook and have people around me, so the open plan kitchen is just perfect.’ The crisp white cabinetry and light-reflecting dark worktop give the kitchen a much-desired clean feel, while the rich nutty brown stain of the island and fridge paneling keep the space from appearing too sterile and unwelcoming.
Like the kitchen, Tess keeps the bathrooms looking fresh and warm by using an creamy white palette and and natural rattan storage baskets to add texture, or a more classically ochre coloured tiling paired with solid warm wood.
We love this antique sewing table Tess uses as a console – like any great antique, it brings a sense of history to this nascent home, telling a story with its presence.
Tess’ interior draws equal inspiration from nature with her placement of varietal houseplants. Using real botanicals instead of plastic or dried imitations and strategically placing them near the windows not only keeps the plants healthy but brings a vibrant pop of colour into the otherwise calm spaces. While colour trends come and go, Tess’ home shows us that getting back to nature with muted tones can be immutably chic.
Love Tess’ home? We’ve found key pieces from this designer’s style for you to steal. Click on the moodboard to view selected products.
Moodboard: Bethany Wrede Peterson
Want to know more about Tess’ natural abode? Read House Beautiful’s article here.
Tell us what you think. We’d love to hear your thoughts on Tess Heslop’s style and our new Through the Keyhole feature. Just add your comments below.
Think your home has the panache to be spotted through the keyhole? Send us the dish on your digs along with your best home snaps to editors@mydeco.com and your pride-and-joy may be spied next!
Through the Keyhole: Anu’s Sedately Sophisticated Home 26 October, 2009
Posted by Bethany Wrede Peterson in Through the Keyhole.Tags: Organic, Anu Green, sophisticated, eco-chic, restrained, neutral palette, Scandinavian, clean lines, open plan
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As design addicts, we’d all love to live in an interior designer’s home. Or, at very least, get a sneaky-peek at the space in which they live! Our second Through the Keyhole features interior designer and avid mydeco community member Anu Green’s organically poised Cotswolds home. We love her restrained-chic space comprised of an elegantly neutral palette, softly geometric shapes, and well-curated accessories. Finding inspiration in all things Scandinavian, it’s easy to see that the clean lines, and cosy, uncluttered interiors of this converted 18th century stable are reminiscent of a wintry Nordic chalet.
‘The main room of our house – the open plan kitchen, dining, and living area, is my definite favourite,’ remarks Anu. ‘The light we get in those rooms is absolutely breathtaking. And in the evening time when you light candles and dim the lights, the feel of it changes completely. It’s always a a room with a very warm and welcoming feel to it.’
Though Anu’s open plan living and dining area could have easily become dull with a such a staid choice of colour, her subdued look works because of the organic textures and careful lighting choices she has implemented throughout. The collection of firelogs piled under the stairs, silvery lamps, and hurricane lanterns strategically featured about the space not only serve as key visual interest points but also lend an ambiance of warmth to the space – the perfect haven in inclement weather.
Anu has made the most of the natural light streaming through her narrow entrance hall by painting the space a brighter shade of white than the creamy shades found in the rest of her home. A large mirror not only adds an illusion of width but also bounces light around the hallway. Her continued theme of natural textures keeps this corridor from feeling too cold.
Anu is also concerned about the impact of her design carbon footprint. ‘I try to use environmentally friendly materials as much as I can: wood furniture from sustainable forests, re-use of old furniture if possible, even the use of locally produced materials.’
This feminine button-backed chair, given to Anu secondhand, is one of the few departures from the harder lines which dominate the designer’s home. Anu upsized the retro wreck by sanding and staining the frame and reupholstering the cushion in a satiny off-white fabric. The contrast between the dark frame and the light upholstery breathes new life into the piece, giving it a strikingly sophisticated look.
Love Anu’s home? We’ve found key pieces from this designer’s style for you to steal – all for under £1800. View the moodboard and selected products.
Moodboard: Bethany Wrede Peterson
View our 3D room of Anu’s living area here. You can even copy it, redecorate, or add new furniture!
3D room by the fab Claire Goodwin
Tell us what you think. We’d love to hear your thoughts on Anu Green’s style and our new Through the Keyhole feature. Just add your comments below.
Think your home has the panache to be spotted through the keyhole? Send your best home snaps to editors@mydeco.com and your pride-and-joy may be spied next!
Introducing: Through the Keyhole 19 October, 2009
Posted by katykimbell in Through the Keyhole.Tags: 3d room, book shelf, contemporary, living room, modern, moodboard, orange, photos, sofa, Through the Keyhole
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mydeco is proud to launch our latest feature, ‘Through the Keyhole’, where we’ll showcase an inspiring real home each week. Not only will you be able to pick up some design ideas, but we’ll be adding commentary and top tips from mydeco editors, and showing you how to re-create the look in your own home.
Excited? You’d better be, because we most certainly are!
If you’re proud of your home and would like to be featured on the UK’s biggest online design community, please email your photos to us at editors@mydeco.com or upload them to your mydeco profile and email us the link.
To kick things off, we picked the Victorian conversion of Emma Rooke from South London. We were bowled over by Emma’s confident splash of orange in her living room, creating an energetic modern look in a Victorian flat.
Emma says: “It’s a small living room so we wanted to keep it uncluttered, while making it feel warm and cosy. I love bright colours and although the orange looked a bit bright in the pot, it makes the most of the sunlight coming in through the large front windows, and I think we’ve tamed it a bit with the grey sofa. If I ever get bored of it, we can quickly update the look with a new colour scheme as the furniture is all relatively neutral.”
We say: We love that orange! The bold colour really makes Emma’s gorgeous fireplace stand out, and we love how she has cleverly made the alcoves her feature walls instead of the main chimney breast; the orange could have drowned out the beautiful white mantelpiece.
The minimal lines of the sofa are a brilliant contrast with the period fireplace and the sunblushed rug works well against the wooden parquet floor. The bookshelf is a great innovative feature – who says a bookshelf has to hold books?!
Yellow orchids are in keeping with the vibrant citrus colour scheme.
A pair of these modern table lamps makes the bookcase into a feature.
Get Emma’s look: We’ve found the pieces from Emma’s flat to help you recreate her look for a total of £1,400. View the moodboard.
Moodboard: Katy Kimbell
Emma’s floorplan: Click on the floorplan below to view her room in 3D. You can even copy it, re-decorate, or add new furniture.
3D model: Daniele Babusci
Tell us what you think. We’d love to hear your comments about Emma’s home, and our new ‘Through the Keyhole’ feature.
If you’d like your home to be featured please email your pictures to editors@mydeco.com.
