Showing posts with label mood boards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mood boards. Show all posts

Monday, 24 March 2014

Faded Florals In Soft Neutrals: Get The Look

All that looking at Cabbages and Roses book review loveliness got me thinking about the enormous versatility of lovely fabrics, particularly neutral faded florals, which, it has to be said, Cabbages and Roses does to perfection.


Somehow, they manage to overcome the whole faux-vintage horror that many shops fall prey to. Cabbages and Roses neatly sidestep any pretence, or any pretension by skilfully combining their gorgeous faded florals in a range of soft neutrals with a variety of backdrops - the modern, the country and the divinely Modern Country.


{This curtain fabric is Cabbages and Roses Alderney Grey.}
Don't be put off by these sumptuously-styled rooms, look how simple it is to Get The Look...


Clockwise from top: A girl can never have too many bags, right?! Particularly ones as lovely as these (in Tulips and Roses, Paris Rose and Hatley), which remind me of this posts about making your own Cabbages and Roses bucket bag; faded florals and washed-till-soft grain-sacks are a match made in heaven - use, as here, by flinging one over a scrubbed pine table for a feast fit for a princess; big wall clocks bring a definite charm to any room, and, when combined with these plump feather cushions in soft reds and gently greyed linen, you can knowingly relax in Modern Country Nirvana; making your own faded-floral-lined bag is easy-peasy but, if you're rushed off your feet then there's a whole range available from boutiques on Etsy; bring in a pop of cheerfulness to your neutrals with Farrow and Ball Pale Powder, Fired Earth Garden Folly; Little Greene Grace; Farrow and Ball Blazer


Here's one I made earlier!

Cabbages & Roses French Toile Aqua Kitchen Blinds

A simple blind can be tucked in at any window (this one is in Cabbages and Roses French Toile)...concealing an unwanted view.


Clockwise from top: Painted brick and a huge chandelier, over an iron roll-top bath in battleship grey, creates a calm, warm but firmly Modern Country vibe; a neutral greige palette of Little Greene French Grey, Fired Earth anvas, Farrow and Ball Elephant's Breath and Fired Earth Alabaster; beautifully-made roman blinds and soft, curtains that drape elegantly takes the eye away from this low, cottage ceiling...and can frame a heavenly view such as this verdant garden. 

I love the sparse, neutral simplicity of these official Cabbages and Roses images....these curtains are in New Penny....and this blind is in Burleigh Grey.


Using Neutral Faded Floral fabrics gives a sophisticated, time-worn ambinence to even the newest of rooms. Now...I wonder if the same can be said for the reds...shall we find out? 

On Wednesday, you say? 
{It's a date!]


Images via: Cabbages and Roses; Cabbages and Roses; MCS Moodboard 1: Pinterest, Un Soire Automne, Cabbages and Roses, Ana Cuca; Modern Country Style; Cabbages and Roses; MCS Moodboard 2: We Heart It, Eye For Design LFD, Cabbages and Roses, Cabbages and Roses; Cabbages and Roses; Cabbages and Roses

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Monday, 17 March 2014

Get The Look: Barn Conversion Chic

Wasn't that Barn Conversion house tour utterly scrumptious? Now it's time to weave that Modern Country magic I promised you...let's break the interior right down, so that you can see how easy it is to Get The Barn Conversion Chic Look in any house.

Did you notice how certain themes ran all the way through from the exterior to the interior? 


The neutral paint choice on the front door and window frame resonates throughout the barn's beautiful interior. 


Clockwise from top: Even if you own a new-build, white walls and French grey cabinets is a scheme that suits any period of house...perfectly Modern Country; if you live in a more contemporary home, stick to simple, clean lines in your kitchenware; I love this palette of Little Greene Shirting, Benjamin Moore Doily, Little Greene French Grey, Earthborn Gregory's Den; Classic Country pieces in an unfussy, modern white bring this scheme to life.


Even the accent colours are inspired by outside. The lush green of the grass and trees, and the deep grey-blue of the ornamental path leading to the large front doors is repeated internally in muted sage greens, deep charcoal and muted blues. Yum!


Clockwise from top: The Barn Conversion Chic look suits country-style properties too. Paint a dresser in toning paint to that of your kitchen cabinets for a timeless, free-standing kitchen feel; try Farrow and Ball Railings, Farrow and French Gray, Zoffany Architect's White and Benjamin Moore Pewter for some contemporary chic paint colours to enhance the Modern Country glow.


The continuity of colour throughout the barn conversion means that your eye can travel smoothly from room to room - such an easy look to emulate; just continue your chosen scheme throughout your ground floor.


Clockwise from top: Often stone walls of the barns' exteriors are revealed in the living room but, if this isn't the case in your home, then you can purposefully echo the natural properties of your house in your choice of stone tiles and flag stones; This palette takes its inspiration from the outside: Farrow and Ball London Clay, Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back, Dulux Bleached Lichen, Zoffany Quarter Linen; if you live in a new- build, get the look by including lots of rustic materials...glass, metal, wood...; how can these gorgeous flagstones, laid in a contemporary herringbone pattern, fail to add character to any property?

You see? *sigh of relief* The Barn Conversion Chic look can be yours whether you have a derelict barn on waiting in the wings to be decorated or in the tiniest of cottages, or the grandest of modern homes.


Images via: Fine and Country, Modern Country Style moodboard 1 (Sims Hilditch, The New General Store, Le Creuset), Fine and Country, Modern Country Style moodboard 2 (Border Oak, Pinterest, Garden Trading), Fine and Country, Modern Country Style moodboard 3 (Country Homes and Interiors, unknown, Archiexpo)

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Wednesday, 12 March 2014

The Best Front Door Paint Colours: Dusky Purples

Let's talk house fronts again. Finding the perfect exterior paint colours is sometimes tricky but your home's exterior speaks volumes about you so it's worth taking the time getting your house and garden to say the right thing!

Who hasn't been seduced by images like this, full of promise and loveliness? Gorgeous, dusky shades, complemented by chalky grey paint and Modern Country planting: 

mcalpine tankersley large scale service door

It can be easy to leave this kind of picture feeling down-hearted at the widening gulf between what you love and your reality, but if you'd like this look for yourself then, fear, not! With a little time and a little love, this look can be yours!

Barn doors

From gently-greyed lavender through to rich damson and darkest, moodiest plum, there's a perfect purple paint for everyone.

Purple front door paint

Before we start, one of the most important things to consider is the material your home is made from. Is it brick? Stone? Weather-boarding? Painted render? This should be your first port of call as it will affect how you carry this look out.

Secondly, ask yourself honestly about the visual impact that your home has. You see, carrying out this look on a modern new-build requires a very different procedure than on a converted warehouse, for example.

Keeping in mind these two pertinent pieces of information, let's get on to the exciting bit....how to Make It Yours!

Farrow and Ball Dusky front door colour

Clockwise from top: this aged brick house is set off beautifully by dusky grey paint on the doors and frames, allowing the drainpipe and rendered base to fade into the overall scheme...white hydrangeas and lavender, contrasted against smart clipped box, keep this home looking firmly Modern Country; pick out architectural details on your house front with matching materials, such as this zinc planter; if you don't like the part of your house's exterior, simply hide it with climbing plants that keep their leaves for most, if not all of the year; try a toning palette of Farrow and Ball Cabbage White, Farrow and Ball Calluna, Farrow and Ball Brassica, Little Greene Lead Colour; small touches in nickel, such as these beautiful French handles, keep this scheme from veering into drab in dingy winter months. 

Nickel Heart Door Knocker and door in Farrow and Ball French Gray.

See how adding details with silver metals, like chrome or nickel, lifts this door to another level?


Clockwise from top: If you live in a building like this incredible converted Country Church, then, frankly, you're in business! Although some paints might look more pleasing than others, the building itself carries such visual weight that the front door paint colour matters less; Feast your eyes on this Modern Country garden: soft lavender surrounds an old stone fountain, and is set off by peonies in soft pink and magenta; on a somewhat smaller scale, topiary box balls will bring a little bit of Modern to your Country House exterior; consider a country-inspired feminine palette of Farrow and Ball Pelt, Dulux Linnet, Farrow and Ball Purbeck Stone, Farrow and Ball Cinder Rose.

smart London entry front door paint

Painted render can carry pretty much any front door paint colour but these home owners have chosen a divinely muted grey-mauve. 


Clockwise from top: add character to a new build with Modern Country planting - soft layers of white and purple flowers, juxtaposed with evergreen topiary; a muted palette of Little Greene French Gray; Farrow and Ball Brassica; Ralph Lauren Nairobi Dusk; Sanderson Grey Squirrel; warm grey rattan baskets next to a boxwood topiary ball; this house could just as easily be a cleverly thought-out new-build as an old French stately home - don't be intimidated by the seeming inflexibility of a new-build...choose pretty, chalky mauves and greys, and add extra decorative touches such as lanterns and seating in high end finishes...you'll be surprised what you can achieve.

Small Front Garden with buxus boxwood box hedges lavender railings

A gorgeous Modern Country front garden. Behind smart cast iron railings, four bay trees stand either side of a black and white encaustic tiled path, leading to a red brick double-fronted Victorian house. Behind them are small squares of lavender, bordered by buxus hedging.


Clockwise from top: you can add colour into predominantly brick houses but the hue of the bricks should determine the strength of colour you choose for your front door paint. Here, with creamy-brown bricks, the owners have gone with lilac paint for the door surround, with palest grey front door paint; consider introducing colour via planting, lavender is heavenly to brush against on a warm summer's day; for this look, try Little Greene Juniper Ash, Zoffany Sung Mauve, Fired Earth Sea Lavender, Fired Earth Gentian Violet; a beautiful Modern Country planting scheme with four clipped box hedges enclosing swathes of lavender, and boxwood balls nestled within each quadrant; red brick can often be too strong a colour to start competing with loud front door paints so consider a warm grey, and pick up the purple theme with rows of lavender leading to two half standard privets standing sentinel-like either side of your front door.

Lanterns and white/green planting

If the material that your house is built from feels unbearably over-bearing, then consider painting it white and choosing the front door colour of your dreams, here a washed-out dusky grey.

The best front door paint colours are more intense than you might expect, in order to take the strong daylight that they'll receive. These are my perfect exterior paint colours for front doors.

Best front door paint color colour

Choose one of these four perfect front door paint colours and, combined with the front garden schemes I've picked out that combine topiary and lavender, you'll be well on your way to your dream Modern Country Home!  


Images via: flickr, Vaucelleshof, Farrow and Ball, MCS Moodboard 1 (Via Revedeco, Pinterest, sbdigs, My Design Chic), Farrow and Ball, MCS Moodboard 2 (A Breath OF Fresh Air, Nicola Stocken, unknown), residential search, MCS Moodboard 3 (unknown, johner, unknown), Belderbos, MCS Moodboard 4((5thandstate, Greensandberries, Houzz, Fleaing France)), Tierlantijn, MCS Moodboard 5

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Monday, 10 March 2014

Get The Look: Softly White Interiors

Aren't white interiors calm and serene? Just my cup of tea.
{Though having our five kiddiewinks might have something to do with craving soothing schemes!}

However, white on white on white on white can look sterile and soulless. Too much white and you feel that doctors' surgery vibe yet use too little and you'll lose the effect.


I vote we have a little sideways-step post on How To Get The Look of the White Home Tour I shared on Friday. Are you with me? 

Let's break down three slightly different ways of doing the Modern Country White Look into easy-peasy steps...

Firstly, White interiors with a touch of Country....


{Clockwise from top: The key to this look, as you can see from this gorgeous Border Oak white living room by adding lots and lots of gentle texture. Beams and exposed brick in the inglenook fireplace add new layers of natural colour. And don't you love that huge sofa from Bailey's Home and Garden?; I love this soft paint palette: Little Greene Mid Lead, Farrow and Ball Mouse's Back, Farrow and Ball Pavilion Gray and Dulux Linnet, against a sisal rug from Zebra Home; Leather chairs just get better and better, and always pop against white walls (unknown source); Pile up knitted throws and blankets for instant snuggle factor (unknown source)... 

.

How's that image for showing how white can be snuggly? 
Cerrrr-yute!!

The second look is Light And White Interiors....


Clockwise from top: If your kitchen gets massive of natural light pouring in, then consider making the very most of the airy loveliness and going white. This kitchen was featured on Remodelista, using units from Ikea and adding new doors painted with Farrow and Ball Pigeon; bring depth to an all-white room with Annie Sloan Paris Grey, Benjamin Moore Black Knight, Farrow and Ball Blue Gray, Dulux White; the kitchen was also given marble worktops with grey-green veining; these divine oak bar stools from Cox & Cox will complete the look.


If you find all White living rooms a bit too much then this third look is for you...White with a Modern Country palette.


Clockwise from top: white walls come alive with little touches of near-black, found via Elisabeth Heier's beautiful blog; these throws from Ottamania introduce soft colour, while still keeping on the white theme; look how much colour this seemingly white living room has.....the rattan basket, the oak flooring, the accent walls and the seating shade; Start with a base of Farrow and Ball All White, and then introduce chalky putty shades on the accent walls, try Farrow and Ball Bone, or Zoffany Half Pebble, introduce a couple of pops of Annie Sloan Graphite, against this beautiful Limed Oak floor by The Solid Wood Flooring Company.

Retro Steel Mini Jug in Gooseberry at Garden Trading

See how easy it is to put together Modern Country Softly White Interiors? I hope that gives you lots of lovely ideas for your home.

And now? Back to our quest to find perfect front door colours!


Images via: Ivory Cashmere, Modern Country Style, huamao, Modern Country Style, fabritiusinterieur, Modern Country Style, Garden Trading

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Wednesday, 11 December 2013

Get The Look: Neutral Christmas

Welcome to Neutral Christmas Wonderland!
Let's take a closer look at how easy it can be to get this look in YOUR home....

Marks and Spencer

I think overly-designed Christmasses are the antithesis of what a Christmas home is to me: warm, cosy, and welcoming...the very last thing I want to be doing is needing to stop children running around laughing excitedly for fear that they might ruin it all....

Table Fete

....so with that in mind, here's how to create a stunningly neutral Modern Country Christmas that brings your home ALIVE...


These images all show how simple this look can be to achieve. Lots of white, with touches of warm metallics, and accents of greige. Your palette here is key. Try (from top) Dulux White, Farrow and Ball Bone, Little Green Slaked Lime, Autentico Nearly Black for a gorgeously low-key neutral Christmas. 
{t-b: Atlanta Homes, All Things Bright and Beyootiful, The Stir}


A neutral Christmas doesn't mean bland and dull. accents of green with mercury glass keep the scheme fresh and vibrant. If you need a hint of colour then this palette will be up your street: Dulux White, Dulux Heritage Stone Green, Farrow and Ball Down Pipe, Little Green French Grey
{The White Company, The White Company, Pottery Barn}

Homes and Gardens

Don't be afraid to introduce lots of pattern, these soft, Country designs in gentle tones of charcoal and putty, above, look beautiful.


Clockwise from top: A little Christmas tree is a zinc planter on a raw timber console sets the scene as soon as you enter this hall. Little clusters of warm natural materials such as earthenware, wood and deer ethically-sourced antlers create a warm Christmassy atmosphere. Natural accessories are the way to go for consistent and harmonious home; adding focal points, such as this grey-green urn, can add character to bland spaces. Try a gentle palette of greys: Farrow and Ball Charleston Gray, Dulux Heritage Quartz, Farrow and Ball Pavilion Gray, Little Greene Lead.
{Welke, Gerry Williams, I Gigi}

Merry Christmas!

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Wednesday, 23 October 2013

Make It Yours: Romantic Getaway

Who doesn't fancy a romantic getaway? A secret bolthole to find rest and serenity. Next question...how many of us have one?
Mmmmmm, not so many, eh?!

The secret is to create your very own space in the home you already have. Particularly with littlies around, a special place for Mr MC and me to escape to, has been, not just a luxury, but a real necessity.


Simple, uncluttered and calm are the keywords....
and here's how I suggest you do it...


Clockwise from top: take time to pick out small luxuries, you want to be able to feel like a princess in an instant; choose a palette of soft, washed-out putty shades, such as the new greys from Little Greene: try Limestone, Fescue, Cool Arbour, and Serpentine, which are designed to work together as a palette; be ruthlessly sparing with clutter...accessories YES but clutter NO!; I love the ambiance that choosing natural materials gives: here, linens, then rattan baskets and wooden floors help to impart softness to the scheme.


These mood boards take inspiration from Unique Home Stays' Turtledove Cottage (see here and here for more information).


This time I've focused on slightly more masculine greys. Clockwise from top: as there's only two of you to buy necessities for, you might want to splash out a bit so that even the everyday feels special; warm and snuggly are romantic essentials.....I shall say no more!; throws and cushions always in natural materials....utterly inviting; nothing should feel so perfect that it isn't practical; try Farrow and Ball Great White, Farrow and Ball Cornforth White and Farrow and Ball Lamp Room Gray for grays with depth.

Enjoy your own Romantic Getaway!


 (via unknown, Liesbet Goetschalckx, unknown, Finders Keepers Market Inc)

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