High-End High Street

Champagne interior design on a sparkling wine budget; here are five homeware collections blurring the line between high street and high-end. Zara Home Zara Home AW/17 Zara has always had the ability to make high street clothing look high fashion. Now they’ve turned that talent to homewares with a large range of furniture and accessories…

The Best of: Smart Home Gadgets

Google Home If you want to make your home more organised, more eco-friendly or just a little lower maintenance, check out these incredible smart home gadgets. Nest Learning Thermostat The Nest Learning Thermostat is widely regarded as the very best smart thermostat money can buy. It self-controls hot water and heating based on your usage,…

Bert’s Boxes: Modular Living Spaces

I’ve long been a fan of Bert & May. The company started out in Spain selling beautiful reclaimed tiles. Now they’re known for their handmade artisan tiles, engineered wood, natural pigment paints, furniture, bathroom fittings, kitchens and… modular living spaces. From selling reclaimed tiles in the countryside of Spain to designing and building prefab homes…

Embracing Excess: Maximalism in 2017

Image: Clair Strong Interior Design Maximalism is a movement of excess. It’s a direct reaction against the simplicity and function-focused philosophy of minimalism. It’s a bold and daring design aesthetic that takes the motto ‘more is more’ and adds sequins to it. If you’re left a little cold and uninspired by minimalism, maximalism is the…

Design Inspiration from… Iceland

Image source: Guðný Hafsteinsdóttir Iceland has been a go-to destination for intrepid travellers for some time now; the thrilling landscapes and unpredictable elements drawing crowds at any time of year. But this mysterious Nordic nation is popular for other reasons too. A close neighbour of Scandinavia, Iceland has a design scene as exciting as Sweden…

Best Of: The Autumn Interior Trends

You know the drill; new season, new trends. Here are my picks for autumn 2017. Shades of Green Image: Clair Strong Interior Design Green is definitely having its moment. Pantone’s colour of 2017 is a bright, light and cheerful shade of green but the hues on trend for autumn are darker and warmer. Cosy and…

Living the Fantasy

Image: Clair Strong Interior Design You may have guessed by now that my personal interior design style is more minimalist than exuberant. I usually opt for classic colours, functional furniture and pared-backed ornamentation but that doesn’t mean I don’t really appreciate a bit of excessive luxury. Today, I’m indulging in the fantasy and sharing some…

2018 Colour Trends as Predicted by Pantone (Part II)

Image: Clair Strong Interior Design It’s time to look forward to the coming year’s interior design trends. At the International Home and Housewares Show back in March, Pantone’s executive director Leatrice Eiseman revealed the colour trends we may well be seeing in 2018. They announced eight colour groups Pantone at the show: Playful, Discretion, Verdure,…

2018 Colour Trends as Predicted by Pantone (Part I)

Image: Clair Strong Interior Design Autumn has well and truly arrived so I’m looking ahead to next year’s interior trends. Today I’d like to talk about colour. At the International Home and Housewares Show back in March, Pantone Colour Institute executive director Leatrice Eiseman revealed the colour trends we could be seeing next year. They…

H&M Group Launches New Company ARKET

ARKET is the latest retail offering from the monolithic H&M group (which also includes high street favourites &Other Stories and Cos). It opened its doors just a few days ago on August 25th and at the moment there’s just the one bricks and mortar shop on Regent Street in London. Fortunately, you can also shop…