House & Home : Pantry Storage

A pantry always seems to me to one of those features you would have if you were lucky enough to  build and/or design your own home....

it's an old-fashioned but wonderful space to have I think.

I'd love the one above....simple& clean with metro tiles. And shelves galore. 

I like to think of a pantry as it would have been some years ago, rows & rows of preserving jars filled with food for the winter.

It might not be filled just with jars these day but I like to think of it as my own little "self-storage" unit....full of treats & treasured objects.

....isn't this beautiful?

a "baking pantry"

House & Home : A Little Organisation

The weather might still be cold & dark but there's something about the start of a new year that always makes me want to declutter & re-organise.

Perhaps it's just a natural response to the Christmas season.

I like to have items on display but can appreciate that open shelving isn't for everyone - nor is it practical.

I like my favourite items where I can see them & enjoy them whereas my husband likes everything put away & out of sight.

I bought a large Le Creuset casserole a few weeks ago....yes, it's for cooking but to me it's also a thing of beauty. I leave it on the stove-top where I can admire it, he puts it back in the cupboard.

I move it....then he moves it back! 

We do find a middle ground of course, it's not like it has to be on show....

although on the other hand, it's no fun if everything is stuck in a cupboard.

There is however something about organised cupboards & labelled jars in uniform sizes that is just so pleasing to the eye. 

Who hasn't been to Ikea & looked longingly at the huge choice of containers & pondered buying the whole lot?!

I think it's the sense of order that it conveys.

I LOVE this....it would drive my husband crazy! 

just look at these drawers....this is perfect for me!

a pull-out pantry

I love baskets actually & use them wherever I can.

Spring cleaning....

Everyone loves springtime, but not many people love the thought of spring cleaning. It’s nice to welcome a warmer season with a tidy home, however, and it doesn’t have to be as dreadful a task as you’re imagining.

Spring cleaning can go a lot quicker if you take a strategic approach to it. Using mops, sponges and steam cleaners are an inevitable part of the process, but by eliminating all the unnecessary items you have laying around first, you can cut down on the amount of effort needed to clean. 

If you’re still wondering where to start, follow this checklist.

Get motivated. Yes, this is a step of its own. Being motivated to clean isn’t something that comes naturally to most people, but it’s absolutely necessary for spring cleaning, which tends to be more intense than other cleaning projects. To start, try searching for new scented candles for your home. Just imagining a vanilla- or lavender-scented house after cleaning is a great way to help yourself get started. You should also consider recruiting help, namely the other members of the household, or writing down a to-do list to help you visualise your tasks.

Clearing clutter. There’s no use in cleaning things that you don’t intend to keep anyway, so the next step should be to clear out all your clutter. Pack up clothing that doesn’t fit, books you’ve already read and anything else that can be donated. Then start a pile for items that can be recycled, such as newspapers, empty glass containers and used cans. 

Finally, designate a space for rubbish that isn’t recyclable.

Organising what’s left. A trip to a container store may be in order to complete this task. Creating a space for all of your belongings can help you stay organised in between cleanings and possibly make future cleaning sessions unnecessary. Search for drawer inserts for the kitchen and the home office, as well as clear plastic bins for the pantry and the kids’ rooms (this is a great way to store toys). Get a charging dock for cell phones so that you don’t have to use tangle-prone wall chargers. You may even want to invest in a digital scanner if you don’t have one already so that you can digitise documents and shred the paper versions. 

The key is to designate a space for everything so that you never have to search for it.

Deep cleaning. Now it’s time to get down to the dirty details. Save deep cleaning for last because this is the step that will require the most energy. It’s also easier to do with everything else out of the way. Now’s the time to steam clean the upholstery, polish the hardwood floors and wax the furniture. You may also want to wipe the walls using a soft cloth and a mixture of warm water and a gentle soap. And if you haven’t spring cleaned in a while, shampooing the carpets will leave them feeling plush and smelling fresher than before.

And then you’re done!
Even if you pace yourself, you can still finish in less time than you imagined.

Room Makeover : A Children's Bedroom

via Pinterest

As if this time of year isn't busy enough, I decided last week to do a very quick makeover of both my children's bedrooms. I seem to remember doing the very same thing last year, I am not sure quite sure what possesses me every December!

Anyway, both rooms needed freshening up - as economically & quickly as possible.

I re-painted both bedrooms - quick & easy.

I took a quick trip to Ikea for....

a few single chunky shelves, a desk, new light-shades, some picture frames & new bedding.

I set myself a very strict budget & stuck to it.

I de-cluttered - something I always try to do pre-Christmas.

I donated two large boxes to charity, gave away some unwanted items on Freecycle & some I passed on to friends with younger children....everything found a good home.

I added some wall decals to my son's room which he loved.

The finishing touch for each room was letting both children choose a rug....

some great choices here....

They both have chairs in their rooms but like most children, seem to spend a lot of time on the floor.

When they were younger, their rooms were very slightly themed....but as they get slightly older, what I like in their rooms is a basic structure which they can add to themselves. My daughter loves to draw so she puts up her own work all over her walls & my son's walls are covered with football posters & his drawings.

I guess I like a fairly neutral palette since they both add colour by themselves.

Plenty of storage, you can never have enough with children....clean, fresh & bright. Job done!!

They are thrilled - and so am I!  

House & Home : Philips LivingColours Lighting

I don't know whether it's the "Pinterest" effect or the fact that since I've been blogging, I've taken  much more notice of design & decor....probably both these things. 

My taste & style have evolved....slowly but surely, in small but subtle ways.

For the last few months I've been making small changes at home....

simplifying & creating a slightly "calmer & cleaner" environment. 

I've painted a couple of rooms white & in other rooms added more neutrals. 

I would never have chosen white before, I found it too harsh & a little cold....

but thanks in part to the gorgeous all-white apartment that we stay in every summer in France....

the calm & clarity that white can bring is suddenly really appealing to me.

Another thing I have worked on is lighting.

I've always loved lamps but I could never quite get it right.

I can see though that the right lighting can totally transform a room & these days there are such great choices out there.

Philips has launched the new ‘Light Gallery' a London based store that offers a host of different bulbs and luminaries and provides advice and expertise on the endless possibilities with lighting so you can light up your home with style.

According to Rowena Preiss, Creative Lighting Director, “The right light has the power to accentuate and highlight specific areas or objects in a room, to enhance the ambiance further. With the new collection available from the new Philips store, you can alter the colour and intensity of the different lights, so you can enjoy a range of environments to suit any feeling”.

The new Philips LivingColors Iris is part of the LivingColors range that lets you project an array of colours into your home at the touch of a button.
By colouring your home with light you get a whole new dimension of ambience, from intense vibrant colours to pastel white shades that light up your home any way you want.

LivingColors are long lasting products that allow you to change the look and ambience of your home time and time again.

The LivingColors Iris is the largest member of the LivingColors family making it ideal for colouring walls in light, providing the perfect backlight for the ambiance and mood you want to create.
The iconic & timeless design pays homage to the original LivingColors bringing it up to date, in style.

Philips has designed a new range of luminaires as part of the Lirio by Philips range.
From a simple, single form, Nick-Knack floor lamp offers surprising & versatile possibilities for lighting and styling your space.
The product has been enabled by Philips’ expertise in LEDs, and the design inspired by the Italian animation ‘La Linea’ philosophy, which draws characters using one single line.

Perfect for children is the new Philips myBuddy table lamp which offers 3 functionalities to follow your child’s sleeping rituals & teach him/her to be aware of the difference between night & day in a fun way.
The friendly design, available in assorted colours, assures them from the moment they fall asleep to the moment they wake up.

Philips Light Gallery is open from 25th September and is located at
45 Westbourne Grove, London W2 4UA.