General

Oh what a beautiful morning! Buoyed up by yesterday’s Trade Secrets demonstrations in West Sussex, I’ve been inspired by floral designer Katherine Stayt to bring the spring inside with some seasonal flower arrangements. They’re now dotted around the house, ready to greet our weekend visitors.

It was super to see so many people turning out at the Trade Secrets event at interior designer Juliet Pick’s striking home in Oving, West Sussex. Guests had the opportunity to discover Juliet’s insider tips about creating successful mood boards while Katherine, of Passionate 4 Flowers, revealed original ways of displaying flowers.

Here in the office it’s been a very varied and productive week – in fact, just the kind of week that reinforces how much I enjoy my job.

Many thanks and a warm welcome to new Facebook likers Lisa Looker of Looker and Bell, Louisa Crispin of Chalk Gallery, Giorgio Carera (can’t wait to see his house photographs!), Tom Davies of Helyer Davies Architects, Cathie Hubert of Cathie Hubert Art Work, The Ashdown Gallery, Delegate for Success, Theo & Bernice and Jim Lawrence.

Hope the sun shines on everyone this weekend. Have a great one!

More than impressed by my first ever visit to Lewes yesterday – what a delightful town.

It was super to cross paths with so many positive people, bursting with enthusiasm for art and interiors.

Thrilled to catch up with the lovely Sue at Capella in High Street. Sue and her daughter Catherine sell a fantastic range of stylish furniture, home accessories and all sorts of gorgeous bedding at their spacious store, including this beautiful Woodland comforter (pictured below) from Bianca Lorenne.

Have to say, I couldn’t resist a sneaky Capella purchase – it’s going to be the ideal present for a special person.

Nina, owner of The Laurels, also located in High Street, is doing a fabulous job of bringing the sunshine indoors with her bright and breezy selection of clothing, footwear, homewares and children’s gifts – another wonderful shop.

Across the road, IEKO not only boasts an eye-catching window display choc-a-bloc with vibrant lampshades, inside, the shop is crammed full of soft furnishings and furniture.

Lewesiana with its stunning floral displays, was the ideal spot for a whistle-stop cup of coffee before heading back to Chichester.

Thankfully, en route to the car, I made a last-minute gem of a discovery in the form of Chalk Gallery in North Street. This is a superb showcase for 20 devoted and talented local artists who collaborate to promote their work – just fantastic.

Plenty of inspiration on what turned out to be a fabulous spring day. Lewes – I’ll be back. 🙂

Morning all. Sun pouring through the office window and  just received some lovely feedback from homeowner Sally Gardiner.

Sally has renovated several properties over the years and, after spotting an ‘ugly duckling’ bungalow (see photograph below), she couldn’t wait to transform it into this fabulous five-bedroom home close to the beach at Rustington in West Sussex.

You can read more about this creative project in the May issue of the new-look Build It magazine which is packed full of information for those aiming to self-build, renovate, extend or convert a property.

Sally, whose interior designer and home styling business, can be found at www.lloydgardinerinteriors.co.uk, is now more than keen to track down her next project.

If you fancy snapping up this spacious and extremely versatile New England-style property, it’s currently on the market with Graham Butt Estate Agents. View the link here.

One of the perks of my job is meeting fabulous friendly folk like Sally, her husband Leighton and their architect Julie Shannon. And, when a homeowner takes the trouble to drop a line or call to let me know how much they appreciate their feature, it’s definitely the icing on the cake. Thanks for getting the week off to a flying start guys! 🙂

Fancy finding out more about creating a mood board for a makeover project? Would you love to discover how to display flowers beautifully in your home?

If so, interior designer Juliet Pick and floral designer Katherine Stayt will be sharing their trade secrets in West Sussex next week.

The ‘trade secrets’ event is taking place at Tithe Barn, Church Lane, Oving, Chichester, PO20 2DE, on Wednesday April 17, from 10am to 7pm (demonstrations at 11:30am and 3pm) and Thursday April 18, between 10am and 5pm (demonstrations at 11:30am). Admission is free.

Join Juliet and Katherine to glean inspiration for your home while enjoying a glass of elderflower or sparkling wine and canapés.

RSVP to either Juliet at jp@julietpickdesigns.com (07767) 664777 or Katherine at info@passionate4flowers.co.uk (07787) 587993 so that they will know which day to expect to see you.

Hope you all had a lovely Easter. Back to work with a vengeance here after a wonderful break in Northern Ireland, complete with a family wedding (superb!) and a trip to Titanic Belfast (a must-see!).

I’ve spent the morning catching up with emails and getting back into the swing of work. One particular email, flagging up ‘the house that changed my life’, looks intriguing. I can’t wait to find out more. Keep you posted!

Photograph courtesy of Titanic Belfast

Make Easter extra special (and I am deliberately avoiding any potential egg-related pun here!) with a chance to win a pretty pendant, worth £55, in this competition from delightful homeowner Penny Jackson.

For more details, check out Penny’s website by clicking here.

Wishing everyone good luck and hoping you all have a wonderful Easter.