If I had more than 1 house, I will decorate them quite differently, I will keep some elements the same, but I will try different pieces and styles. I treat my house as a playground for my interior ideas, testing and trying furniture, colours, etc...every time my friends come around, they spend a good few minutes wondering what I have changed since they last were here. I move furniture around, paint the walls, add new cushions or vintage pieces, etc... Las week, I was invited to a press event organsied by Houzz and hosted at sofa.com HQ in Chelsea. I always laugh (I rather laugh than cry) at the fact that depending on where you are in London, views on life, people's behaviours/manners, income, styles, etc...can vary so much from place to place, people who knows London well will know what I am talking about. Get the train form Peckham to Chelsea, (a 30m ride) and you will see what I mean, needless to say I am a Peckham girl!!

For me, there are a few essentials pieces in a house, a good big comfy bed, a decent good sofa, and a big steady dining table. The aim now is to achieve a decent budget to go on the hunt for these perfect pieces. One of my favourite shops to look for a sofa is sofa.com, I like their quality, style and variety of designs and fabrics to choose from, I particularly like their latest collaboration with independent brand Thornback and Peel, the end result is quirky and fun. I would choose a more classic style for my house in London, and a more modern modular one for the house in Gran Canaria, (remember this is me day dreaming! I am allow, yeah!) I leave you with plenty of inspiration, choose from a neutral grey in linen, or a more pattern based design, there are so many to choose from!

Thornback and Peel fabrics

In love with this cosy bedroom and bed

Photos by sofa.com

LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT DINING TABLE

Choices and more choices…I have started looking for a new dining table, as I am rearranging things at home, and I am going a bit crazy as I can't make a decision on which style to go for. The piece would be decided by budget, (quite reduced, almost none existing right now), and yes I know, all the ones I like are quite above my initial budget, but I rather wait, save and get what I really want. 

I am in two minds, I like the vintage look, I LOVE second hand pieces, wood that shows the past of time, etc…but as my mother alway says, "Marga, you got too many old things in your house"…I hope she is not referring to me!! and at the same time I would like to start getting more new contemporary pieces and mix them with my old ones. The search for that perfect table has started and I am even more confused, so many gorgeous pieces, by amazing brands, and makers. 

I don't spend much on clothes, but I do buy things for my home, I love furniture, specially chairs, lamps, and home-wares in general, so I never feel guilty when buying for the house. 

What is your favourite style? suggestions and ideas are welcome!

Muuto / Nest

ALDEN / Nest

Ercol / Nest

GALVIN BROTHERS

JENSON / MADE

Another Country

EBBE GEHL / John Lewis

Whitstable / HEAL'S

Links to all the vintage style photos and for more inspiration, see my pinterest board.  

RESCUING AND UP-CYCLING OLD FURNITURE

It is not a secret that when it comes to decorating and designing I like mixing old with new. I am always looking for old pieces of furniture that I can bring home and give a new life purpose. I like simple pieces with character, not very ornamented but elegant at the same time. London is full of shops and carboot sales where you can find treasures at a very reasonable price. If I had more space at home or a bigger studio outside the house and more time I will be restoring more pieces. 

I was looking for and old chest to display the NEW wooden knobs collection for the trade show and the photo shoot, and found this very old and almost destroyed piece near home, only costed £25.

I choose a dark grey colour paint as a neutral background for the NEW knobs, I think it works well.

(below) This is how it was looking before all the hard work and countless hours we put in. I started by cleaning it with some soap and water, to then start stripping the varnish and dirt with a special product (found in DYI shops). Once I got rid of most of the varnish I sanded it and Gassy started to fill holes and scratches with wood paste to leave the surface as even as possible. He then restored the inside and drawers, to later give it a few good layers of matt water based paint, we used eggshell paint as I don't like the glossy finish and it is hard wearing enough to protect the wood.

Restoring old furniture is a process of love, you must enjoy it otherwise you will give up as soon as a few days and some sore arms and hands hadn't been enough to bring it to life, but it is very rewarding to see the final result. I wish I had a bigger space where to work, maybe in the future...

The inside was the worse, the chest has seen a lot of rain, dust and lived a long life, 

possibly over 100 years old??

NEW Nightwood shop opening

I am a big fan of Nightwood furniture and products, this people never stop surprising me with their work, which I find very creative and down to earth, I love this side table so much!! They have big news, they have just opened a shop in Brooklyn, where their studio is based, so if you are around visit their site for events and collaborations, or pop around, I wish I could, I guess I have to wait until I do my ever first trip to the States!!

Congratulations Myriah and nadia and all the best for the shop!

Design your perfect parlour with mydeco.com

When Chocolate Creative got invited to go along to the launch of mydeco.com's pop up store we couldn't resist. The tiny shop promised to house hundreds of products from high end, to boutique fabrics and furnishings. The launch of pop up store located in Notting hill coincides with the reinvention of mydeco's 3d design application. The design tool allows you to become your own interior designer; creating virtual rooms with which to fill furnishings fit to measure perfectly into your interior scheme.

Creating a mood board of desired items allows you to play around with ideas, from colours, to furnishings, fabrics and wallpaper before you create the perfect room.

Creating your ideal house is sometimes a luxury we can only dream of, so we think mydeco's 3d design is a perfect way to get a little step nearer to becoming your own entrepreneurial style guru!

Roses to seat on by Nika Zupanc

I keep finding new designs with an old/vintage twist, such as this chair with motifs of roses, traditionally found on tea sets and ceramics, is this a trend to stay?? What do you think of this chair by Slovenian designer Nika Zupanc? I Love it!!

Sigo encontrando diseños con un twist vintage, como es el caso de esta silla de la diseñadora Eslovaca Nika Zupanc, en la que incorpora un estampado de rosas, tradicionalmente visto en juegos de té y cerámicas tradicionales, que te parece esta tendecia? A mi me gusta mucho...

Via dezeen

More clever design

Another clever idea based on traditional Swedish embroidery designs by Johan Lindsten, with a contemporary twist. Incorporating and bringing back old values and craft to new designs is becoming a big trend that I am proud to share in my own designs.

Adoro estas sillas, diseno contemporaneo con valores artesanos, todo una tendencia, de la que me siento participe.

Cozy furniture

I LOVE this new take on traditional German living furniture by Hannes Grebin Studio, the new redesign is so clever, I saw it last year at TENT London, and was love at first sight!!

Me parece genial y llena de humor esta nueva version de los muebles tradicionales de salon alemanes, disenos de Hannes Grebin Studio.

I WANT it all!!

I have just fallen in love with this Japanese furniture shop, called Truck-furniture, the pieces they have on sale are so simple and beautiful, some of them with this old retro/vintage look that I like so much!! But not only the furniture is great, the styling is eye candy too!! I like the wood pieces against the simplicity of the white walls and cement/wood flooring.

WORKSTEAD reclaimed 'maravillas'

Yesterday, browsing one of my favorites blogs Design*sponge, (This blog was one of the first ones I came across about a year ago, and since them has became a fan of it, for its diversity, constant source of information/inspiration), learned about WORKSTEAD, a company that makes from furniture, textiles to lighting, using reclaimed materials such as old wood and steel. Their range of lighting is quite impressive, with an industrial look that I like very much!!

A give a 10!! to this design duo, Stefanie Brechbuehler and Robert Andrew Highsmith, not only for taking into account the only way forward ‘sustinability’ by recycling materials and giving them a new life, ‘Upcycle’, but for creating such a nice mix of products and styling them in this gorgeous simple way!!

I hope we all become more aware of the need to be responsible for what we consume and how we treat our planet and ourselves!!

Workstead Table - Composed of 100% reclaimed materials, the table is built from two steel stands formerly used to support the structure of a ship’s hull.

Images via Workstead