A Ski Lodge bedroom at the Ideal Home Show at Christmas

Now doesn't this look a calming bedroom?  It's inspired by boutique-style wood cabins and while there's plenty of wood it's not overdone and has avoided that sauna look!  It looks the perfect place to snuggle and hibernate in. 

I'd never considered rustic wood, dusky pink and silver together, but I think it looks great. I'm also a fan of that headboard shelf as you've probably already noticed I am keen on having stuff around me. While I admire the minimalist approach, it's not really for me. 

It definitely has a feeling of luxury - I can't decide if that's the tea tray on the bed, the many luxurious throws or just the fact that it looks like a place I'd want to spend some time in.  Of course, like even the best hotel bedrooms, once we've arrived it never quite looks as pretty...

It also feels a bit decadent to have a Christmas tree in a bedroom. I know it was the Ideal Home Show at Christmas, and it is a pretty tree, but is that really a thing?

I am a fan of the stars, and of that drawer unit though - it's the simple, clean and unfussy lines that appeal. And stars? Well stars are just good aren't they?  I need some more in my life, or more accurately in my decor...

I'm wondering when I can move in?  Who's joining me?!

A precious metals Dining Room at the Ideal Home Show at Christmas

Wow. Just wow. 

This room certainly looks sophisticated and glam doesn't it?  And usually I'd say that blue isn't my colour, but it's the dark cobalt blue that really gives this room its impact, and I love it - it was the first room set that I looked at at the Ideal Home Show at Christmas, and I think it's the one with the most impact.  I'll share my photos from the other two room sets in the run up to Christmas. 

Usually there's more room sets at each show but as I said in my previous post about the show, it wasn't as large overall so I guess it made sense to have fewer rooms.  Plus also I expect there aren't many people that decorate their bathrooms for Christmas, our outside rooms are most likely to be a chill-to-frozen zone and no one needs to see a kitchen that's preparing Christmas lunch looking pristine, do they?

But back to the dining room - it does look like a very grown up room doesn't it?

And the jewel like colours are really set off against that blue.  I wonder now though if the colour is best described as sapphire, as that would fit alongside the precious metals theme nicely.

The other thing I noticed about this room is how well it mixes copper and brass - and how well they go together.  It's the simple things in this room that really brings it together - one of my favourite elements is the string of stars hung vertically in the corner of the room.

Simple and easy to replicate in a corner that could do with some extra sparkle.

And a drinks trolley, my first thought was no, never, but I'm starting to see the attraction. I also remember my parents setting out a drinks trolley at Christmas, out came the embroidered linen and the bottles and glasses were displayed, all ready for a good old snowball or a babycham!   And there's nothing wrong with either of those I can tell you.

So what do you think?  Would you like this for your home, or just somewhere to visit?

Baubles and bells, some new additions to my Christmas decorations

Recently I shared a look at some of the Homesense Christmas range, today I'm sharing some of my gloriously, pretty new baubles - all of which are from Homesense this year. It's a bit too early for me to have our tree up - I really am not that organised, and on a more practical level we still need to decide where it'll go, and clean that bit of the house!

But I am feeling more festive than I normally am - maybe it's the influx of mince pies, maybe it's our Advent calendar... But whatever it is, I dug out a metal card holder, which I rarely use as a card holder, and finally unboxed those new decorations.

Standing back and admiring my decorating ability, I realised it needed something more, so I dived back into my box of decorations and emerged with the bell and gingham bow garland from last year. Homesense have some ideas (10 in fact) on how you can impress your guests for less.

I'm liking how the stars and bells have curled themselves around these new highly decorative baubles, and how well the whole lot looks against the bamboo wallpaper in the background.

They really do have a feel of a Fabergé egg don't they?  Thankfully at nowhere near the price!

The decorations are creeping in - and up - but while it might feel festive here on my blog, I predict it won't be for a week or two before our tree goes up.  But no doubt, that will be here before we know it!

What do you think of my new baubles?