General

If love is in the air in your home then this could be the ideal gift for that special person in your life this Valentine’s Day.

The heart-smothered cushion has been made by Sharon Port – a lady who’s not just handy with the needle but one who can also turn her hand to making platters, bowls, pendants, vases, bowls and even the occasional sculpture!

I reckon this appliqued cushion, from Sharon Port Originals, is a much more thoughtful gift than the token box of chocs or bouquet of flowers. It costs £35 plus p+p.

For more details and other examples of Sharon’s work, visit www.sharonportoriginals.co.uk or visit her Facebook page.

PS Thanks for the Like, Sharon! 🙂

Finally on Twitter. Please follow me at @janetmcmeekin

Really pleased with the coverage given to my house finds in the current (Feb 2013) issue of 25 Beautiful Homes. I’ve never had three interiors features in one magazine before – definitely a first for the new year!

The trio of properties include a delightful family home created from a converted pub, a barn that’s been given a very stylish facelift and a four-storey Georgian terrace bursting with personality.

Although the houses are all very different they are good examples of why interiors features are such a terrific showcase for stylish homes. Over the next little while, I’ll be flagging up each of these wonderful homes on my blog and Facebook page.

However, if you’d like to read the full features, then the February issue is out now and, I have to say, I do like the rather cheery front cover.

Happy New Year everyone. Back to work and raring to go after a refreshing break spent savouring quality time with family and friends.

I love this time of year when everything starts springing back to life – like these stunning hellebores that I’ve just photographed in our back garden. The poor hellebores don’t get much TLC but every year, they magically reappear looking fresh and dazzling.

It’s shaping up to be a really exciting 2013 here with plenty stylish houses lining up as potential magazine features and several new opportunities on the horizon too.

Today’s jobs include finishing off a feature with an intriguing twist to the tale as well as interviewing another delightful homeowner about her stylish barn conversion.

On a more personal level, several projects are bubbling under at my own home. First on my hit list is revamping the master bedroom so, in that rare spare moment, I’ll be sourcing everything from bedding to lighting. Watch this space…

I’d love to hear how your own interiors projects are shaping up for 2013. If you’d like either a room makeover project or your whole house to star on the pages of a national magazine then just drop me a line. It’s mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk

Fab coverage of Jane Eaton’s pretty cottage-style home in the current (January 2013) issue of 25 Beautiful Homes.

The feature, with a stunning full-page image of Jane’s cosy breakfast area (on page 107) is a terrific showcase for this lovely friendly owner who runs a thriving interiors shop and vintage tearoom called Cachepot, in Breaston near Derby.

As you’d expect, Jane’s home is jam-packed full of Cachepot stock and many of the products pop up in the photographs throughout the four-page spread.

Interiors articles are all about teamwork and, when the owner is a dream to interview, the photographer’s shots are super and the designers make a wonderful job of the layout, then there’s a real feeling of satisfaction when you flick open the pages of the magazine and know that everyone has really pulled together.

Jane’s kind comment below made my day!

“The article in 25 Beautiful Homes is terrific, I’m thrilled with it. It was printed earlier than I expected so it was a great surprise.”

Thank you Jane. 🙂

You can find Cachepot on Facebook and on the Internet.

Stop Press! Just received an urgent request for stylish Christmas homes. If your house is looking suitably festive or, if you know of anyone with a passion for decking the halls beautifully, then drop me a line at mail@janetmcmeekin.co.uk.

Yippee…majestic 7ft Christmas tree tracked down and snapped up from Bill – a friendly chap who seemed to know exactly where I was coming from when it came choosing just the right one.

Bill at Richardson’s Nursery on the Birdham Straight at Birdham, West Sussex, is doing a roaring trade in real trees. At the moment, he’s still got an ample supply but I imagine they’re going to disappear pretty quickly.

So, next job…dressing the tree with a glass of something suitably festive in hand and making a few seasonal holly and ivy-typed decorations.

This jolly fella (pictured) is the latest addition to our burgeoning pile of bought and handmade decorations collected over the years. I didn’t really notice his rather strange arrangement of balls when we were buying him but…it’s a bit too late now. Looks like Santa, complete with rusty-looking balls, is here to stay!

With IKEA promoting sales of its Christmas trees this weekend, I guess it’s time to fess up to a little festive secret.

Now, some may argue that it’s wrong in so many ways but I just can’t help buying a real Christmas tree that’s guaranteed to bring that unmistakable scent of the season of goodwill straight into the home. What’s worse, I’m fiercely picky about choosing the right one…it has to be not too tall, not too small, fairly bushy and look…well, just perfect (at least in my eyes anyway!).

Last year I left it far too late and ended up forking out for a bedraggled excuse of a tree that wasn’t worth even half of its exorbitant price tag. I can assure you that I’ll not be making that mistake again. Christmas tree sellers in West Sussex beware…fussy customer heading your way this weekend.