Hello Monday, hello new week, and hello new beginnings. I am not going to go into details about how I feel about the latest development in the UK. As a Spanish living in London for the past 19 years, I feel sad, concern, and confused, it is not easy to see and feel how divided this country is, and what an uncertain future lies ahead of us. To top up the misery, Spain just had the second general elections within 6 months, to come to almost the same conclusion as the first time around. Right now, I find very difficult to seat in my studio, stay focus and talk about interiors/design and sell beautiful things, as this seems so irrelevant right now. 

But as I continue to be the same person I was last week, I can only do what I do best, my job!! Browsing some - new to me blogs - I found the gorgeous and happy This is Glamorous. I was captivated by its dreamy and glamorous aesthetics straight away, just what I needed today, flowers and more flowers, gorgeous buildings, landscapes and accessories.

I am painting some furniture at home in black, and organising the house for a photo-shoot. It helps me to put together some visuals mood-boards with ideas, pinterest, magazines and blogs are my main source of inspiration, although I have a very clear vision of what I like anyway. I have always wanted a chesterfield sofa upholstered in linen, very feminine but still simple and timeless.

Lampshade and cushion at chocolate creative | sofa and dresser at Anthropologie

The above photo is of my living room, I love peonies, and having a mixed eclectic collection of things in the house. The photo below represents my style very well, I like interiors with personality, art, flowers, dark painted furniture, wooden flloors, etc...I hope my ideas come together nicely, all I have to do now is stop day dreaming and get on with the DIY job!!

BACK TO BASICS – LA CASA EN RUINAS

Lanzarote is the land of wind, sun and volcanos, rough, simple, peaceful and incredibly beautiful. Yesterday I was browsing AD online, and I came across this house "Esta casa es una ruina" (this is house is in ruins), and I immediately thought it was in Lanzarote, but no, its in the Azores islands, not far from us (Canary islands) though. I was so taken by its simplicity and beauty, what an amazing restoration job the architects and owners have done to this ruined forgotten house. It has always been a dream of mine to retire to my islands and get involved in a similar project. New buildings do not interest me as much as these old houses build to last and using local materials, still standing proudly after so many years…

Images above from Revista AD online, project renovations by SAMI Arquitectos

Casas cushion, lampshade, botanic print and wall hooks by chocolate creative 

Terrarium by London Terrariums

Photos of Cesar Manrique House and Foundation in Lanzarote

DECORATING A BEACH HUT

SUN is out, and all I can think of is spending some time by the beach, either here in England or back home in Gran Canaria. I fancy the idea of having a beach hut, somewhere not far from London, with an easy commute, of course this is not going to happen any time soon, but since I am free to dream, I have put together some mood boards for my future beach hut.

Paper napkins from papermash | Chopping board from John Lewis | towels by Lindsey Lang for John Lewis | wooden colourful knobs by chocolate creative available at my shop online. 

I find the colourful beach huts of the English coastline very charming, (we don't have them in Canary islands), they are like a miniature house, with very little space, so you have to be very creative to create a cosy and comfortable mini home. I like the idea of translating the outside colours into the indoors theme, using the faded pastels or sometimes bright reds, blues and yellows as the colour palette to decorate the inside space. In my beach hut, I would part away from the most obvious coastal look, and I will try some bold, pretty and colourful homewares, I will find practical solutions, like modern plastic chairs for the outdoor, plenty of wall hooks for hanging towels, kitchen-ware, clothes, etc…cosy blankets, cushions, and small and functional furniture, with plenty of storage. Do you own a beach hut? if so, where about?

Picture frame from Decorator's notebook | Wall wooden hooks from my shop online  

yellow and blue cushion from Kate Clarke London, 

Rocky beach cushion and wall hooks by chocolate creative | Pink dyed table cloth by Hazel Stark  Black and white throw from The Future Kept | 4 leggs Pink Vase from Room39
Outdoors white chair from Atlantic Shopping | Wood tray by Roddy & Ginger 

Hand dyed linens by Hazel Stark 

Photos by me 

NATURE | ROMANCE | INSPIRATION

Despite being sunny in London, (well it can rain anytime, I can spot the grey dense clouds from my window), I am in the mood for some mysterious English romance stories, Jane Eyre is one of my favourites novelists. I love the Victorian aesthetic, the drama and passion, the English landscapes and nature. I have been doing lots of walks through woodlands and forests in London and near by, these places have an energy difficult to resists, and are a great source of inspiration, it is in this themes that I have based my English romantic collection, (new designs coming soon). 

You can create some of this romanticism in your interiors, by adding some vintage paintings, old linens, plenty of wild flowers, pieces of furniture with character and some accessories such as cushions, hooks, knobs, bed panels, with interesting patterns and colours, don't be afraid of mixing colours, patterns and styles, create your very personal style, it is your home after all!

Photos by Piero Pierini | me | John Cullen | Melanie Molesworth | rest I can't find the credits

MOOD BOARD OF THE WEEK

COOPER | LIGHT GREEN | METALLIC | PASTELS  

VINTAGE | ECLECTIC STYLE | CONTEMPORARY DESIGN | UNIQUENESS  

Blue lake cushion | Vintage cooper candelabro | Elle decoration NL  

Wooden wall hooks | Hay tray and designer ceramic