Illuminated trees at Crossrail Place Roof Garden

I knew it had been a while since I’d been to the Crossrail Place Roof Garden but I was surprised to learn it was 2016. I thought we’d visited the last time we went to the Winter Lights which was in 2017, but maybe we didn’t. Either way the last time I shared photos of it here, it wasn’t illuminated and it looked quite different - pop over and take a look.

I think I quite like it illuminated though. The lights give it a magical feel, and accentuates the shape and form of the trees and bushes, don’t you think?

The whole roof garden was full of greens, reds and pinks and it’s own atmospheric “smoke” - well I hope it was atmospheric, although it was rather cold.

As we approached the end of the garden and the Big Easy (which we avoided visiting on this visit) we saw the Vena Lumen - or pulsing light - bench. There was quite a queue to try this one out, and so I’m rather pleased with my grabbed shot during the changeover when people who had rather Britishly queued to wait their turn. The dark plate that you can see on the arm is for your hand, and that contact made the lights dance, to much amusement and oohs and ahhs.

I had to smile though as behind the bench were the slightly less patient, with people crouched behind it taking their photos and no doubt a few of these have appeared on social media too. I didn’t even have the patience for that, and was more than happy to return to taking pictures of illuminated trees, while MOH patiently waited.

Perhaps that’s when he hatched his plan for a glass of wine in Waitrose, who knows. But as plans go it was a pretty good one and one that hurried me along. Well, it would wouldn’t it?

Love This #82: Splashing about in the birdbath

Like you do.

Or rather, like these playful frogs do, even though they’re frozen in time. The sculpture or birdbath just screams movement and fun to me, and it’s the last of the sculptures I’m sharing from the 2018 Chelsea Flower Show. This birdbath, and the others around it, are by Willie Wildlife Sculptures, who on their site have many more great birdbath designs which include birds, dragonflies and even trout.

They’re beautiful and I think I’d have a hard time choosing a favourite, especially now I’ve looked on the site. But as you’d expect for something so lovely, they’re not cheap - the price tag on this one at Chelsea was £2995 - gulp. But it is something that would look good year round and bring structural interest when the rest of the garden was bare, but then again, as MOH has just pointed out so would many things with a lower price tag - he’s ever the practical one. Or perhaps he’s just staking a claim so I don’t flex our credit card, who knows.

Just a final thought, wouldn’t the frogs look super cute with jumpers on!  I could probably crochet them some, well if I had the birdbath... 

The Loo Series meets the Lavatory Project

I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when I stumbled across this exhibit of smallest room room sets at Grand Designs Live at the Excel last May. I mean it was made for me to share with you but somehow I didn’t get around to editing the photos, until now, and I’m excited about them all over again.

There was a whole block of individual room sets, each different and each put together by different designers. I have a varying number of photos for each design, which all this time later gives more of an insight into my favourites, but you’ll discover that as I share the posts.

This first one is all about the glamour and it’s by Grace and Grey, who have plenty of quirky home accessories and furniture on their site, which is well worth a look. And who can resist a flamingo wallpaper?

The thing that struck me most about this room set was the large free standing-looking mirror - if you look carefully it’s secured, but designed to be at this angle - but it’s quite something isn’t? Despite the theme of glamour, it has a bold design that mixes pastels and geometrics, and does it well.

But there was one final surprise, and that was on the wall opposite the mirror. This beautiful oversized chevron tiled splashback, whose colours complement the pinks of the wallpaper. Splashback is probably doing it a complete injustice, tiled wall art is probably more accurate.

Isn’t it unusual, but effective?

I’m also a fan of the simple clean lines of the sink unit, and I’m a firm believer of having somewhere to put essential junk in a bathroom so I’m hoping that the left-hand side provides that. Overall this lavatory works for me, and demonstrates how chevrons and patterns, darks and pastels can work together well. I think often in our own homes we err on the side of caution in our decor, and need these reminders that it’s ok to be a bit braver.

What do you think?