Mimosa and cassis: DING DONG

Ok, so it’s just yellow and purple. But remember: this is the world of magazines. More is more. Across the road from Ideal Home‘s HQ is Kirkaldy’s Testing and Experimenting Works – an austere Victorian building with: ‘FACTS, NOT OPINIONS’ engraved above the door. Whenever I see it, I automatically think: ‘OPINIONS, NOT FACTS’. Much more fun. Art over science. So, mimosa and cassis it is!

I love this huge wallpaper map mural (showing our local area!) – it’s from Printed Space. You can get 40% off the full price at the moment using the special discount code: VintageJAN. And that cassis satchel is from Pedlars. I think it’s definitely got my name on it…

Oh, I do love a good Niki Jones folk-style cushion cover!

This deep purple ‘aubergine’ Princess Alice armchair from John Lewis is electric – and it looks stunning with the white high gloss Pop stool from M&S.

Now, you know how I feel about bell jars. This beautiful ‘Beauties Hedgerow’ dome is from Helen Musselwhite. It’s £450, but you could get a similar look with a glass cloche from Wiggly Wigglers filled with a £20 Tord Boontje garland from Habitat. This magical paper scene reminds me of Su Blackwell’s work.

Harlequin is rocking this colour combo this season, too – check out the new Tamika collection above. Yellow doesn’t have to be mellow! Mix it with smoke grey,  cassis, fuchsia pink and black – as our stylist Sophie Robinson did – for a dramatic, glamorous look. That’s how we roll. – Ellie

Going green (with envy)

If I had a home office (which I don’t – unless you count a lap top on the dining table…) it could (in an alternative universe or a parallel dimension) look a little bit like THIS:

This is the new ‘Forest Falls’ green paint colour from Dulux‘s spring/summer 2011 palette, and it’s GORGEOUS! Especially with a bit of fuchsia pink in front of it. Mmmm.

The desk is painted in ‘Kiwi Burst’. Two greens should never be seen…except here. Delicious!

I love this idea of painting a ‘shelf’ and a ‘lamp’ on the wall – great if you’re short of space! The owl cushion in this shot is from Donna Wilson, and the Thomas Paul plates can be found at Supernice.

Here, ‘Spring Breeze’ yellow and ‘Forest Falls’ green create a colourful dining room.

The case of the chameleon cabinet. What a great trick to make colourful accessories and bright flowers really pop. Love it. – Ellie

In the red

I hear there’s a chilli winter ahead. Boom boom…

If you were sensible enough to get your mitts on a copy of our October issue a few weeks back, you’ll have already seen these lovely images. If not – here’s a little taster of the kind of fabulous decorating schemes you’re missing out on every month! The wallpaper in this retro-tastic dining room is Dandelion Mobile, £55 per roll from MissPrint. The table and bench are from John Lewis.

RED ROOM RED ROOM RED ROOM… (I recently watched The Shining. It hasn’t disturbed me at all.) I love this scheme. Dark grey and red. Yum, yum yum. The grey paint here is Clouded Slate by Dulux, the curtain fabric is Connections in Chilli, from John Lewis. The EDIBLE ‘Revival’ coffee table is also John Lewis.

I love this Lego paintable wallpaper, just £6.98 per roll from B&Q‘s Superfresco range. The bulldog lamp is from Ben De Lisi at Debenhams (who else?!). The rug and bedside table are both M&S and the bed linen is Bed By Conran’s Domino range at House of Fraser.

Swing back to the Seventies with Harlequin‘s Lagoon wallpaper, a Retro Blocks rug from Next and a hanging chair from The Cow Shed. The wall storage boxes are just £25 for three from Tesco Direct. What a bargain! – Ellie

Yellow + grey = happy days

Mmmmmm, check out these sexy saffron and charcoal schemes from Ideal Home‘s stylish new July issue (out now!):

I love this gorgeous sunny colour – cheering on a miserable day like today!

Have a sneaky peek at our July issue here – it’s packed full of fabulous ideas as usual! – Ellie

THREE kids’ rooms that ROCK

Our stylists at Ideal Home have been busy coming up with gorgeous ideas for children’s bedrooms – and here are three of the best schemes…

A day bed, fairy lights, pretty paper in the alcoves, a blackboard and dolls’ house wall storage – this is a dream scheme for a little girl.

One for the boys – I love the London bus wallpaper on the chimney breast here and the coordinating red alcoves – smart but fun!

And here’s a colourful art/homework station for an older child. I like the little Restik robot wall stickers – you can them at Renegade Kids. Have a lovely weekend everybody – I’ll be back on Monday with some pretty vintage styling ideas and some brilliant high street bargains. – Ellie

Welsh dresser UPDATE

Every week, readers write to Ideal Home wanting tips on how to make dated but well-loved (often inherited) pieces of furniture work in their modern, re-decorated homes. Well, here’s a fantastic idea from House to Home for giving an old Welsh dresser a new lease of life…

No sanding down, no painting – the original character of the dresser remains intact, but some funky geometric wallpaper (from Brunschwug & Fils) behind the shelves instantly updates this piece for 2010. It looks positively fabulous here in a funky home office. And HOW much do I want a FLAP analogue clock…? A LOT! – Ellie

Spring colour scheme

The crocuses are up, the sun is shining, and I’m just admiring the new Dulux Ecosense paint palette. I love this gorgeous, sunny combination of Crushed Aloe green and Fresh Stem yellow – stunning in a living room:

I also like the wooden cuckoo clock, (did you know Argos sells one just like this now for £36.99?!) the black crow, the Muji London building bricks…the spindle floor lamp…in fact, pretty much everything here! I’m inspired… – Ellie

Penguin wallpaper from Isak

I love this cute penguin wallpaper, £30 per roll, from Isak. It would look lovely in a nursery of course, but I think it’s quirky enough to use as a feature wall in any room of the house!

Check out the Isak collection for beautiful fabrics, blankets and a fab range of retro tea trays for serving in style. – Ellie