Coastal interior style 2024

It’s that time of year when beachcombing for coastal interior style is in full swing on the blog. With winterโ€™s storms behind us, this year’s surf rolls in with a colour palette where thundery North Sea greys meet the balmier tones of Atlantic and Cornish coastal blues. A sea spray of sepia tones wash over 2024 coastal styling, highlighting the textures of antique and vintage treasures along with wavy scallop shapes and the magic of artisan-made shell decoration.

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Borders giving designers the edge

Borders are back. In paper form for walls, but also as textiles for upholstery and soft furnishings. They are increasingly becoming a focal point in schemes, giving interior designers the edge in more ways than one. Knowing how much to use and where is a matter of interpretation, but knowing where to source is key. Adored by interior designers worldwide, top British textile designer Pink House by Rebecca Cole has become the go-to name for bespoke and vintage textile borders.

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Interior design directions 2024

A very Happy New Year to you. I hope you had a peaceful and happy Christmas.โ€‚As is tradition, the blog is looking forward to some of the interior design directions that have been catching my eye for 2024. On the list are some sweet feel-good colourways, new designers, bespoke muralists and antiques. And just when we need it most, high street stores have arrived like the cavalry with some terrific design to layer up our homes.โ€‚

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Whimsical interior style

Whimsical interior design ideas as mooted on my Interior Design Directions 2023 post have now well and truly arrived. This quirky, interior design style that transcends the generations is what some might consider a much needed, mood-boosting tonic. With a playful sense of humour, design companies are putting us back in touch with our inner child, suggesting that decorating with cartoon and storybook designs isn’t just for the nursery.

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A New Age of Elegance

Not since the 1970s when Laura Ashley’s love affair with all things Victorian/Edwardian has there been quite so much interest in this decorative era. Ruth Eaton, Coco Conran, Anna Mason and Sarah Vanrenen are in the vanguard of fashion and interior designers creating a new age of elegance for the 21st Century. To find out what is so appealing about late 19th/early 20th Century design, the blog invites you to visit The National Trust’s Lanhydrock House in Cornwall.

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On the button

As is so often the case with fashion or interior design, it is the finishing touches that have the power to elevate a design into something truly special. Along with ruffles, piping and passementerie, bespoke covered buttons are once again being specified onto upholstery and smart soft furnishings too. With this in mind, the blog takes you behind the scenes of Button Covering Services, an inspiring artisan button covering business on The Roseland Peninsula in Cornwall.

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Ralfes’ Yard Antiques

A Somerset antiques dealer has not only been catching the eye of fellow antique dealers but is now feted by several A-list architectural and interior designers who cross the world to visit Rebecca Christie-Miller’s showroom near Bruton. What makes Rebecca’s style stand out is her intuitive eye for the antique designs decorators might be after but also because she seeks to source new to the market pieces that have been in the same family for generations. So it was high time the blog paid Ralfes’ Yard Antiques a visit…

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Pembrokeshire colour and light

With inspiring art as well as luxurious woollen textile designs and dark wood antiques, Pembrokeshire offers interior design a unique weave of Welsh style. The longish journey to this coastal region of West Wales makes the arrival (and lack of crowds) all the sweeter. You can be assured of incredible colour and light, from textural landscapes with medieval field patterns to pretty wildflower hedgerows and colourfully painted buildings. And that’s not to mention some of the best sandy beaches in the UK …

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RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023

It’s the start of the summer season and that can only mean one thing, it’s showtime for some of the UK’s top interior and garden design shows. Reporting from SW3 at the Press Day for The RHS Chelsea Flower Show, 23 to 27 May 2023 (sponsored by The Newt), the blog takes you deep into the borders of the world-class show gardens – with a little reminder of other not-to-be-missed design events this summer.

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British coastal style 2023

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again” is the hauntingly evocative first line of Daphne du Maurier’s novel Rebecca. So many authors, artists and designers have been captivated by the Cornish coast both for its magical coves and for its colour and light. Inspired by a recent trip to this part of the country, the blog pays its yearly homage to coastal decorating ideas with a tour of some of the fairy tale castles, country houses and follies that hug the British coastline.

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