Living on Jersey means that I do a lot of internet shopping for friends and family back in the UK. I love looking for gifts that are a bit quirky or different. I love shopping. Now I have the perfect excuse for internet shopping as I have my own shop!
I have partnered up with ‘Showroom’ to create my own shop. I am extremely excited by this. A few of you might have received some random emails today and wondered what was going on. That was me putting my shop online - eeeeks! A few of you might have noticed that I have been rolling out my shop in my interior posts. Now when I write an interior post I can include products that I love. This means that if you want to shop the look you won’t have to spend hours trawling different websites. You will be able to shop them directly from my blog!
As well as my interior posts I have set up a permanent shop tab. Here you will find my interior shop posts. You will also find my main shop. My main shop has gifts, toys and clothes for children. I hope to expand this and include other departments, like a permanent section for “bits” for the home. You can find examples of what is in my shop at the bottom of this post.
The shop has been personally been curated by me and I have spent hours (and a lot of coffee) choosing what to put in the shop. You can shop just like a normal online shop. Click on any items that you like and add to your basket. You will then receive a confirmation email. The products will be dispatched to you from the original shop.
The Important Bits
Payment is secure
You are told how quickly the items will be dispatched. It is normally three days
Products are eligible for return within 14 days
I am so excited that Island Living 365 now has a shop!
August and the holidays shout summer entertaining. However, we have one small issue, we don’t have a lot of outside space. Therefore, we have to transform our indoor space. We fling those windows and doors open, and we transform our home into a great party venue. We have to make our home somewhere people want to visit! How do we make our house a summer party house?
Tableware
We are creating a fiesta mood so we need to think about bright and bold tableware. Plastic is even ok here, or how about enamel? Think kitsch but cool. You can get some great picnic plates with bold prints on them. Also think about your table. We want lots of fresh cut flowers (or faux), pretty lights and candles. This will help create the party mood. Finally, remember your cocktail glasses. Perhaps some plastic non-spill jars with bendy straws. Also we always need a little cocktail umbrella!
Seating
We need to make sure all of our guests are comfortable. We need lots of seating so that everyone has somewhere to sit. However, if you are limited for space then poufs are a great option. Chairs that can be folded and stored away once your guests go home are another alternative.
The views
If you are like us and you don’t have the best view, then create one. Bring the outdoors into the home with your choice of art. You don’t need to spend a lot of money. It can be photos from your travels, old postcards or prints you have found online. You just want to create a talking point for you and your friends. If you do have views then flaunt them. Uncover the windows and make sure that they are wide open.
The bar
A good party always has a well stocked bar. If you fancy yourself as Tom Cruise from Cocktail (meeeeeeeeee), then perhaps you want to invest in a proper mini bar. Go crazy and impress guests with your mixology skills.
To be the summer hostess with the mostess embrace the party spirit. Think of the Olympics. Not the athletes but the city - Rio! Embrace what Rio does best - carnivals. Recreate that carnival spirit at home. Think lots of bright colours and lots of fun!
If you are looking for further inspiration then you can check out my pinterest board below or shop the look in our shop.
We have had enamelware since the 1800s. However, like tupperware parties, the classic enamelware can cause a sneer of disdain. Perhaps it brings back memories of your grandma’s kitchen, it really shouldn’t though! Enamelware has had a bit of an overhaul, it is now very modern. You can find bright and bold patterns, making enamelware the perfect choice for today’s family home. We should all be considering adding a bit of enamel to our home. Enamelware is highly durable and smooth. Modern advances also means that the colour doesn’t fade with age. Some of today’s enamelware is even shatterproof.
I have been drooling over enamel. I prefer the bold and quirky prints that can add interest to the blandest of rooms. Although white enamel is also having a bit of a revival. You can’t go wrong with a bit of classic white. Don’t feel like you have to keep your enamel indoors! Enamel plates make the perfect eco-friendly alternative to disposable plates. Durable enamel plates are perfect for picnics outdoors.
I have curated my favourite enamelware for all of you. Will you be adding enamel to your home?
The other week I wrote a post about bringing the hotel to your house; today I am talking about bringing the coast into your bedroom. At the moment we are working on the girl’s bedroom. Their bunk beds are up and plans for their bedroom are in full swing. More will be revealed soon. However, for today, let’s focus on the plans for the adult’s bedroom. This Summer weather has got me thinking. As soon as the sun comes out everyone is happy, it’s like we all go into holiday mood. We spend long days on the beach, paddling in the sea and building sand castles. Everything feels more relaxed. Now what if we could recreate that holiday feeling at home? We can! The coastal look is the perfect look for our bedroom. It is really easy to add the coastal look into your bedroom and it doesn’t need to cost the earth. There is so much that you can do. Think distressed wood furniture, this gives the room a shabby chic beach feel. Wood panelling would also makes an excellent feature wall. The key should be to create a breezy laid-back room that has the holiday vibe. I have chosen 5 ways that you can do this in your bedroom.
As this is your bedroom, you want to keep the look, clean, simple and elegant. Therefore, choose one accent colour. I am keeping the base colour white and then adding in blue for the ocean. I am taking inspiration from our little Jersey island, and I will be creating a cheerful, laid-back vibe. Keeping the colours pared-back is essential for creating that effortless feel. I have curated and sourced the best items for the coastal look. Some of the eagle-eyed amongst you might have noticed that you can already shop directly from my blog. How exciting is that! I introduced the shop (a couple of weeks ago) to test it out, and it went down a storm. I have always enjoyed writing interior posts but became frustrated by the fact I was having to spend ages trawling through websites to find the pieces that I wanted. It then occurred to me that I should bring what I find, right here! Therefore, you lovely readers don’t have to spend ages trawling the internet to find the products. If you like the look then you can buy it right here! Just click on the product and add it to your basket. It will also inform you how long it will take you to deliver and what the returns policy is. Simples. I hope that you enjoy it! I have lots more exciting plans, so watch this space!
Vases and glass
This is the perfect way to introduce the coastal look into your room and it can be done on a budget. Scour those second-hand shops for little knickknacks. However, resist the urge to go crazy. We are going for a chic look here. Therefore less is more. Decide if you want glass or vases and stick to that, don’t mix the two as it will make your bedroom feel too busy. Always remember the ‘rule of three’. Apparently, items organised in odd numbers are more appealing to our brain and three is the magic number. Therefore, decide on a few well-chosen pieces. Glass and vases are a great way of creating interest in a room and adding florals to these vases will make your room smell lovely too.
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Artwork
Use nautical inspired artwork to create a focal point in the bedroom. This will break-up your white walls and bring some colour into the room. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on artwork, you could just frame those postcards from past holidays. This could be an opportunity to display some of your treasured holiday memories.
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Cushions
You could use a nautical stripe into the bedroom to create that Hamptons look. Keep your bed sheets simple and then smarten it up with some interesting cushions. Scatter cushions are a great way of adding interest and warmth to a room. Use your cushions as a chance to experiment with patterns. Look for cushions with blue stripes or a seaside motif. Cushions are an inexpensive way of updating a room and then when you next update your room, you can just change the cushion covers.
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Throws
Adding texture to a room is a must for creating that cosy feel and throws for the bed are a really inexpensive way of doing that. Adding textures to a bedroom is a great way of creating that luxury feel.
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Lighting
Good lighting is so important when finishing a room. Pendant style lighting in white can give the room a real beach-side feel. Enamel lights are also very fashionable and a great addition to a coastal room
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Creating a coastal look is one that is simple to do and one that is bound to help you feel relaxed. This room is all about attitude. It’s about embracing the Jersey life; easygoing and laid back. Long, lazy days spent at the beach. This bedroom will ensure that you always have a retreat to continue that laid-back, relaxed feel. So get into the holiday spirit today and introduce the coastal feel into your bedroom.
You can find more of my ideas on my pinterest board, so head over and take a look.
My recent stay at The Hoxton hotelwas a blissful escape. There was the stylish deco, the fluffy pillows, and the sumptuous cotton sheets. I love escaping to a hotel. If I had the budget then I would be jetting off this island and staying in hotels on a weekly basis. However, my surname isn’t ‘Hilton’, so I don’t have a have a hotel chain that I can call my own, or endless pots of money. I need to create the luxury hotel feel at home. What is it that makes a hotel stay so enjoyable?
Super stylish yet comfortable bedroom.
No clutter. The floor is not covered by a carpet of Lego.
The attention to detail.
A modern bathroom.
I would love to be able to create the luxury hotel look at home. I want to turn our haphazard house into a restful retreat. How can I do this?
The lighting
The Hoxton has some very cool lighting. Lighting that is flattering; lighting that is seductive. Every aspect of the lighting had been thought of: from the lovely and welcoming and pink lighting in the hallway; to the anglepoise lamps next to the bed. The lighting added to the very trendy feel of the hotel. At home we should carefully consider where we put our lighting. Lighting at floor level in the corridor can be really effective. This use of floor level lighting in a narrow and long space can really add interest. Below you can see how the lighting has been used effectively to create drama and interest. Without the lighting this would be a bland space. However, the lighting really gives the area personality.
The Hoxton Hotel Shoreditch
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You might not feel brave enough to use pink lighting. However, well-aimed reading lights, or a statement hanging light can still give you that luxury hotel feel.
The purpose
Hotel rooms are very cleverly zoned: they always have very defined spaces, a space for you to sleep and a space for you to work. There is no clutter yet the room will still feel personal and welcoming. The Hoxton has book shelves filled with books for us to read, a clever desk, and a comfortable chair to read in. Think about the nooks and crannies in your house that could be maximised for extra storage space. Get rid of clutter; everything should have a home. Invest in some clever storage that allows you to tidy the toys away.
Clever storage in the desk at The Hoxton Hotel
A house covered in clutter never looks like a luxurious retreat. Keep everything clean and orderly. It doesn’t have to be an expensive shelving unit, it could be some stylish baskets for collecting the clutter in. Do you work from home? Think about how you can you make your desk more organised. You want to ensure that your desk is organised and clutter free.
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The bedroom
A hotel room will always have the biggest bed. This is something to try to replicate at home. The bigger the bed, the better! In the bedroom make sure that your bed looks really inviting. Pay attention to how you dress the bed. Think about your pillows; bedding and curtains. Make sure you plump those pillows, create textures with throws; buy the highest thread sheets. You want that bed to look sumptuous and inviting.
Our huge guest bed that needs some TLC
The bedroom really is your sanctuary, so you want to take the time to make it look and feel perfect. This is your space: your retreat. Often the bedroom is overlooked because this is a space that isn’t seen by our guests. However, this is your most important space! You also need to think about your bedside tables. Make sure that you have bedside lamps too, you want to be able to recline in bed whilst reading those trashy magazines, *cough* I mean high literary tomes.
The Hoxton has the luxury headboard, matching side tables and then created texture with the throw and cushions. Perfect.
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Design wise the focal point of any bedroom is the bed. My bed currently looks like a Tracey Emin art installation. Yes, I have an unmade bed: the shame. I need to make my bed more of a feature. You can do this by introducing a headboard. The one above adds real impact to the bed and room. Think about adding pillows and cushions, but don’t go too crazy! You don’t want to have to spend half-an-hour removing all of the cushions at bedtime. Less is more. Think about investing in some bright cushions. The Hoxton hotel keeps their floors and walls neutral, they then add colours into their room with their choice of cushions.
A classic statement piece
The perfect statement chair.
You can’t go wrong with a classic statement piece. In my room at The Hoxton there was this beautiful leather chair. A chair that made me want to curl-up in it, However, it was also practical. This chair worked really well because it was the only big chair in the room. Don’t be tempted to fill your room with lots of big statement pieces as this will make the room feel noisy and crowded. Not very sanctuary like! Don’t worry about making your furniture match. The era of the three-piece suite is behind us, and there are no rules now! You don’t have to spend a fortune on furniture. There are many websites where you can pick furniture up at reasonable prices.
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In your bedroom create a seating area. A pair of seats or one armchair will give you somewhere extra to sit while enjoying a good book.
Flowers and greenery are an excellent way of updating a room on a budget. Most high-end hotels will always have some form of greenery or flowers in their hotel. You could add an Orchid which looks incredibly elegant. However, if you are like me and not very green fingered then think twigs! A big vase with twigs can add statement to a room. Or perhaps some pebbles from the beach. You can also buy faux plants that look really realistic. Perfect for me and my not so green-fingered fingers.
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The Bathroom
What do I love most about staying in a hotel? The bathroom! Bathrooms in the best hotels are serene and sleek. We might not be able to install a new bathroom but there are little things we can do.
Towels. Invest in some really good quality towels. Think about the ones in the hotel, the ones that are deep and fluffy. That is what we are looking for.
Fancy soaps. Treat yourself to some nice soaps and bubble baths.
Candles. In a hotel there will often be a dimmer and mood lighting. At home, light a candle. Perfect.
Shout down to the rest of the family that you don’t want to be disturbed and then wallow in those bubbles.
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Mimicking the hotel look at home can be done. We all deserve that relaxing retreat. Spend some money on creating the perfect escape in your own home, an escape that you can use everyday. You don’t need to spend loads of money, it’s the attention to detail that will help you create that luxury hotel feel.
Do you have any tips for creating the perfect hotel retreat at home? Now I need to go and find a home for the mountain of Lego. Wish me luck.
