OUR LIVING ROOM REFRESH WITH WEST ELM

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After years of wanting to join the green sofa club, our day has finally come! Not only that, but we can now say we have a sofa that all three of us (four if you include the cat), can sit on together. .

I read in a newspaper recently that a modern day lounge now consists of a velvet sofa, a drinks trolley and a 70 inch TV. We might not have the huge Television, as I have this weird thing against huge TV’s, and am still contemplating how we can hide our 42inch, but we are guilty of the first two. So does that make me modern? Or am I just becoming an Insta cliche?

Our previous sofa was chunky, light grey and was slightly battered from the cat using the arm as a giant scratching post. To call it shabby was a understatement. It was also a sofa bed, which was purchased at the beginning of our interior journey when we only had two bedrooms and expected lots of guests.

In reality the sofa bed wasn’t made to be sat on daily, and had lost its springy-ness, and truth be told no one ever came to visit anyways. So I’m not sure what that says about us?

I longed for a much longer, luxurious sofa which bought an element of glamour and sophistication to our otherwise adult lounge. And yes our lounge can still be grown up, even with Otis around. Otherwise, why did they invent playpens? Plus I’m too stubborn to hide away our brass drinks trolley which I worked hard to own, even if it does mean I can’t leave Otis anywhere near it without supervision.

So here is our newly refreshed lounge, which I collaborated with the dreamy West Elm to create. It’s still adult, but the new sofa actually makes it more family friendly as we can all fit on it together now. I hope you like it as much as we do.

Our old chunky sofa-bed sofa has now been replaced with this longer, green velvet goddess named Drake from West Elm. He’s much bigger than our previous sofa, but actually makes the room feel bigger due to the sleeker frame which actually feels like it takes up less room. He’s super comfortable and even long enough to be stretched out completely if you want a little lie down. As you do.

I made the cushions a couple of years ago after visiting a House of Hackney sample sale. The printed velvet was a bargain in comparison to buying the actual cushions, so I went for the budget version and made my own.

A room can never have enough lights and I chose the West Elm staggered light as it’s sleek brass thin frame doesn’t take up too much room, and the white glass sphere pops against the dark walls. It’s a great reading light for this corner, and the large round base tucks neatly underneath the Drake velvet sofa.

My track record in keeping real plants alive isn’t good, so in this room I have mostly opted for faux greenery. Most of my faux plants are from Homesense and the little man vase is also from here.

Solid brass candle sticks are antique; Vases are from Homesense.

Solid brass candle sticks are antique; Vases are from Homesense.

The brass candlesticks were inherited from my husbands nan. They’re Jewish ancestry, not that we’re Jewish, but they were gifted by a jewish relative many years ago and have now been passed down the family. I love the family connection and their timeless design. I’d pick these out if they were in design store, so I’m pretty chuffed that they have a family connection too.

I made the fringed lampshade a couple of years ago. I had lusted after one for so long, but couldn’t afford it, so decided to make my own. I wrote a previous article about how easy it was to make your own and luckily he’s stood the test of time.

I opted for the West Elm Distressed Arabesque wool rug from West Elm for this room. The dark mottled traditional pattern makes it great for hiding dinner stains…. jokes. We never eat in here, honest guv. But in truth I really struggled to find a rug that went in here without courting too much attention. I really wanted a rug which didn’t dominate the space, but yet filled it, adding texture and pattern but wasn’t the main focal point and I think this rug fits all of the above.

The shelving unit in this room is old and a nod to the industrial trend which I fell for hook line and sinker when we first bought this house. It now houses all my knick knacks and collectables, not forgetting my Pablo Escobar pineapple ashtray which was gifted to me by the legend that is Barbara Hulanicki.

As I head towards my forties I’ve become a bit of a vase collector. It’s the new lightbox, letter board fad for me. I can’t get enough of them and can’t seem to leave a store without buying one. The brass one above is a previous season West Elm one.

The brass drinks trolley is a still a favourite piece, which i’m reluctant to move out of the lounge even though our soon to be baby will be toddling around here.

(Our drinks trolley is sold out but West Elm do similar style ones).

Solid brass candlesticks are antique; Vases are from Homesense; Faux flowers are from Homesense; Brass plant pot is from H&M. Black Mirror from Wayfair .

Solid brass candlesticks are antique; Vases are from Homesense; Faux flowers are from Homesense; Brass plant pot is from H&M. Black Mirror from Wayfair .

Plants and art; my two favourite things to pad out and accessorize a room. My tips when buying art is to really love it. Think about the longevity and don’t be afraid to move pieces around the house to give them a new lease of life. And regarding plants, choose ones which are easy to maintain and less hard to kill. Cheese plants aka Monstera deliciosa and Mothers tongue house plants need little watering and thrive in dark moody lounges like mine.

And a lounge can never have enough side tables. Especially now our baby needs the maximum floor space to crawl around. I chose the gorgeous brass martini table by West Elm for its timeless look, plus I love the huge dose of metallic in this room. (Its also light enough to move around depending on who needs a table.

And that’s it for our lounge refresh. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the pieces I chose and how I’ve styled them in our home. Please feel free to leave me a comment below. I’m off to go plan the next room thats in need of a little refresh!

West Elm Source list - Drake Green velvet sofa £999, West Elm ; Staggered glass floor lamp £199, West Elm; Martini side table in brass £159, West Elm; Distressed Arabesque Wool Rug - Steel £449, From West Elm.

This room refresh was generously gifted by West Elm. I was extremely lucky to choose the pieces that I love and I will cherish these for years to come. All words and opinions are 100% my own.

MY GUIDE TO DECORATING AND STYLING A DARK LOUNGE

MY GUEST BEDROOM REFRESH WITH WEST ELM

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Well hello there 2019. I hope you all had a lovely break and are all feeling rested. Now let’s get back to business.

I’m kicking off the new year off with a new bedroom revamp in the form of our guest bedroom. This is also my third collaboration with the wonderful West Elm who have become my go to favourite furniture brand.

This room was my ‘monica cupboard’ for years. A dumping ground for tools and old clothes. But 8 months ago with the impending arrival of baby Otis and spurred on by crazy wild hormones, I decided to paint our spare room in 30 degree heat, while also 40 weeks pregnant. The result was a haven of green painted walls with accents of metallic brass pops. The only problem was it lacked a little bit of love in the soft accessory department and I had never given it the time or attention to treat it to new bedding, luscious lamps and cosy cushions. Until now. Well, with a little help from West Elm that is.

I’ve started by re using my gorgeous West Elm penelope bedside tables in here (you might have seen them in my master bedroom update), as we can finally use two bedside tables instead of the single one that would only fit on one side of the bed previously. This room isn’t that big. Its big enough for a double bed, small bedside tables, chest of drawers and a desk. But that’s kind of it at a squeeze.

So here’s how I gave it a fresh update for our forthcoming guests in 2019….

The bedding is the main talking point of this room, and is what I think now gives this room a wow factor. Previously it has plain white cotton bedding which was lack luster and dull. I chose the West Elm washed cotton duvet cover and matching pillow cases in Regal Blue. That old saying about not seeing Blue and green together is so old fashioned and goes against everything I stand for. These colours should very much be seen together, and by using colourful bedding that matches with your walls, adds drama and more depth to any bedroom.

I also used a crinkle velvet duvet cover in Golden oaks from West Elm to layer between the cover, to break up the bold regal blue. I also used a waffle throw in horseradish from West Elm to add more layers and to style the bedroom.

I was inspired by a lounge image I saw which had reverse colours. Teal walls with a green sofa, and I knew immediately that this was the look I wanted to achieve in here.

No bedroom styling is complete without an array of plump cushions. I’m into the eclectic look, so I deliberately chose different cushions which would compliment each other, but weren’t too matchy matchy. I chose a Mongolian lamb cushion to mix up with a round velvet cushion in Green gables.

I wanted to inject a new highlight colour into the room and decided on this gorgeous bright horseradish tone. i used it in the extra crinkle bedding in the golden oak tone, and also in the brighter waffle throw, and also in the West Elm alloy distressed rug which has hints of the golden tone with a neutral base.

I managed to even pick up a fake hydrangea in Homesense in a golden tone which also compliments these golden pops. You’ll spot him in one of the vases on the fireplace mantle.

Now let’s talk about lighting. I have a penchant for a good lamp, and when the evenings draw in I much prefer lamp lighting than main ceiling lights so it was important that this room also had bedside lights to cosy up the room for our guests.

I chose the the West Elm Green Metalized Glass table lamp which also has the handy feature of having a USB port in the back for those phone chargers, making the amount of leads less messy on their night stand. Gosh, I’m so considerate.

It also has a metallic brass base which is my metal colour of choice across my home.

My second lamp comes in the form of a Tala lamp. This little Obla oak touch lamp is a little piece of magic which has three different dimming settings. Now this isn’t from West Elm, but it was gifted to me by Tala who actually sell their beautiful bulbs on the West Elm UK site. I was lucky enough to visit the Tala head office this christmas with the West Elm team to see their efficial, super efficient workspace and learn about their recycled glass and how they’re doing everything they can to re plant trees each year for global conservation. Not only are they doing their bit for sustainability, but they’re also creating beautiful lamps.

And that’s it for my guest bedroom refresh. I’d love to know your thoughts on the pieces that I chose from West Elm. Do feel free to leave a comment below. Our guest room is now all ready for our first guests of 2019.

Product list - Crinkle Velvet Duvet Cover + Pillowcases - Golden Oaks £149 from West Elm; Washed Cotton Lustre Velvet Duvet Cover + Pillowcases - Regal Blue £149 from West Elm; Metalized Glass Table Lamp + USB - Small (Green) £99 from West Elm; Mongolian Lamb Cushion Covers in teal £69 from West Elm, Round Lush Velvet Cushions in Green gables £39 from West Elm; Penelope Bedside Table £349 from West Elm; Agate Bookends in green £24 (each) from West Elm; Alloy Distressed Rug £499 from West Elm; Bed (Old); Waffle Weave Throw in horseradish £39 from West Elm; Obla Oak touch lamp £155 from Tala; White chest of drawers from John lewis (Old).


This room makeover was generously gifted by West Elm. I was extremely lucky to choose the pieces that I love and I will cherish these for years to come. All words and opinions are 100% my own

MY DINING TABLE UPDATE WITH WEST ELM

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I thought it was about time our lovely concrete top dining table finally saw some dinner party action since we had Otis, so last weekend we threw a diner party for some of our friends and American family in celebration of thanksgiving, aka our friends giving feast. And not only that, for the occasion I worked up with my favourite American brand West Elm for our second collaboration, to decorate our already owned West Elm Tower dining table in their lovely dinnerware plates, glasses and accessories.

It certainly gave me all the hostess with the mostess vibes.

Tower concrete top dining table £899, West Elm; Orion Blue rug £499, West Elm. Blue frame wire dining chair £199, West Elm. Round velvet cushion £39 on the chair from West Elm.

Tower concrete top dining table £899, West Elm; Orion Blue rug £499, West Elm. Blue frame wire dining chair £199, West Elm. Round velvet cushion £39 on the chair from West Elm.

Orion rug £499 from West Elm.

Orion rug £499 from West Elm.

I rarely snap this room. Mostly because I hate the ugly UPVC doors which are in the back of the room, but I suppose they’re not so bad, and I bet you didn’t even notice them from looking at all the shiny bits on the table. So let’s talk about those items, and how West Elm helped me make this our most memorable dinner party to date.

I chose the organic washed cotton runner and napkins in Graphite to set the tone and then layered the West Elm 5 pc brass cutlery set for each person.

I personally think the brass pops lovely against the dark grey and they also contrast great with the grey concrete table top, while still picking up the hints of brass on the table legs. Oh yea, this dining table even has brass legs.

Being an all white dining table, it means I can really have fun with the highlight colours switching between blues and greys, and the Orion rug from West Elm, really helped pull all the colours of the dining room chairs and linen all together.

Organic washed cotton runner £19 from West Elm, Organic washed cotton napkins £4 each from West Elm. Half circle metal vase £49, West Elm

Organic washed cotton runner £19 from West Elm, Organic washed cotton napkins £4 each from West Elm. Half circle metal vase £49, West Elm

I then chose the West Elm Metallic charger plates as the base for the plate layering. I love a charger plate. They’re so much more sophisticated than any placemat, and not only are they decorative but they’re also great at stopping the heat mark your dining table. I then chose the reactive glaze dinner plates and pasta bowls and the gorgeous West Elm constellation salad plate as a middle layer plate for the 3 courses. This little plate was a real hit due to its striking design as its a work of art in itself.

We chose to to do a self serve menu using the reactive glaze large platters to hold the different courses. And it was all about the glassware for this table setting and the stunning agate blue/ gold coasters bought a touch of luxury, so I chose the stemless water and shorter wine glasses. These glasses are beautifully edged with metallic gold around the rims so these pull on the pops of brass from the metallic chargers and cutlery.

Reactive Glaze dinner plate £12 each from West Elm. Reactive glaze pasta bowl £12 from West Elm.

Reactive Glaze dinner plate £12 each from West Elm. Reactive glaze pasta bowl £12 from West Elm.

Our brass drinks trolley was purchased years ago and this was great to hold all our alcohol and to be a little self serve drinks station, I chose the West Elm brass wine cooler and icebucket to compliment the drinks trolley, and I already owned the West Elm Deco brass barware collection for mixing up cocktails and shorts. It’s these details that add glamour and sophistication to any dinner party/ christmas table and we’ll certainly be using them over the coming months as we entertain guests for Christmas drinks.

Reactive glaze dinner plate £12, West Elm; Metallic charger plate £29 each, West Elm.

Reactive glaze dinner plate £12, West Elm; Metallic charger plate £29 each, West Elm.

Brass wine cooler £49 from West Elm

Brass wine cooler £49 from West Elm

The centre of the dining table was decorated using the West Elm Half circle metal vase in brass. The flowers are artificial sprayed gold from John Lewis’ christmas decoration range and I also chose the West elm large and medium Modern Brass candle holders and the Large glass hurricane which is also in brass, so it all tied together nicely. I love layering candles and using different height candle sticks and hurricanes. It definitely gives the table decor more dimension and makes things more interesting.

Mongolian lamb cushion 41cm x 41cm £69 from West Elm. Orion

Mongolian lamb cushion 41cm x 41cm £69 from West Elm. Orion

The red wine was decanted into the West Elm glass wine holder with wooden stopper, which prettied up the table, and the great thing about this holder is it can hold two bottles of wine, which is always a win win with me.

Brass ice bucket £69, from West Elm.

Brass ice bucket £69, from West Elm.

Orion Rug £499, from West Elm, Tower dining table £899 from West Elm. Grey Lenox dining chair £249 from west Elm

Orion Rug £499, from West Elm, Tower dining table £899 from West Elm. Grey Lenox dining chair £249 from west Elm

We bought our West Elm Tower dining table and dining chairs last year as an investment purchase, and they were worth every penny. At first I was scared about how to treat the concrete top, but after it arrived we soon realised that the concrete had already been pre treated, so it was ready to go and nothing (so far) has ever penetrated through into the concrete. Basically what I’m trying to say in a not so fancy way is, you can just wipe any mark or spot of grease/ dirt off and it never marks it, so it’s still really practical and looks really nice too.

Blue Reactive glaze vase £79 from West Elm; Brass ice bucket £69, from West Elm; Brass wine cooler £49 from West Elm

Blue Reactive glaze vase £79 from West Elm; Brass ice bucket £69, from West Elm; Brass wine cooler £49 from West Elm

Blue Reactive glaze vase £79 from West Elm. Drinks Trolley old Marks and spencer. West Elm do similar; Deco barware set £79, West Elm

Blue Reactive glaze vase £79 from West Elm. Drinks Trolley old Marks and spencer. West Elm do similar; Deco barware set £79, West Elm

And lastly the menu, because no dinner party is complete without talking about the food. We did camembert rigatoni pasta to start, a Italian salad with panettone croutons and a beef wellington for our main. Desert was my signature chocolate mousse and coffees to finish. All accompanied by all the drinks! My favourite Chablis for the white wine drinkers, a Rioja for the red and of course, plenty of prosecco. Chin Chin.

Constellation salad plate £12 each from West Elm. Agate blue/ gold coasters £64 for a set of 4 from West Elm.

Constellation salad plate £12 each from West Elm. Agate blue/ gold coasters £64 for a set of 4 from West Elm.

This dinner party has got me all excited for Christmas now. What did you think of my table setting, I’d love to hear your thoughts and ideas on how to revise this for Christmas.

Source list - Constellation salad plate £12 each , West Elm; Gold Cutlery set 5 pcs £34, West Elm, Large Oval platter £39, West Elm; Reactive Glaze pasta bowl £12 each, West Elm; Reactive glaze dinner plate £12, West Elm; Organic washed cotton table runner £19, West Elm; Organic washed cotton napkins £4 each, West Elm; Modern Brass candle holders from £32, West Elm; Tower dining table £899, West Elm; Lenox grey dining chair £249, West Elm; Wire frame dining chair £199, West Elm; Orion blue Rug £499, West Elm, Stemless glassware - Water glass £7 each, West Elm; Stemless wine glass £7, West Elm; Glass wine bottle with wooden stopper £34, West Elm; Gables large round velvet cushion £39 from West Elm; Large glass hurricane £59, West Elm; Hipped Glassware £6 each, West Elm; Agate Coasters £64 for a set of 4, West Elm; Chelsea brass Ice bucket £69, West Elm; Chelsea brass wine cooler £49, West Elm; Deco barware set £79, West Elm; Reactive Glaze large vase £79, West Elm; Half circle metal vase £49, West Elm; Metallic charger plate £29 each, West Elm; Mongolian lamb cushion 41cm x 41cm £69 from West Elm; Blue Reactive glaze vase £79 from West Elm; Hayle large round mirror in champagne £199, Select mirrors; Brass drinks trolley, Old Marks and Spencer; 3 Industrial pendant lights £69 each, Industville; Paper honey comb decorations from Christmas Time UK.


This room makeover was generously gifted by West Elm. I was extremely lucky to choose the pieces that I love and I will cherish these for years to come. All words and opinions are 100% my own. Thank you West Elm for making for making my dinner party of dreams come true.