Book Review: Casual Living by Judith Wilson

Casual Livingby Judith Wilson (and published by Ryland, Peters and Small) is an outstanding book. I feel it is a personal quest of mine to find the Holy Grail of Modern Country Interior Design books. It is not an easy task.... potential new Grails are continually vying for top position.....but I take my assigned task very seriously, with the gravitas such a mission deserves. 

This heart-warming, humdinger of a book, however, has already stood the test of time. It was published way back in 2010 and STILL gets my Modern Country sausages sizzling.

I loved Casual Livingthen, back in 2010 and I love it even more now....plus I'd bet my last Rolo that it'll still be looking up-to-date in another five years.

Judith Wilson opens by explaining what she means by the term 'Casual Living', via 'Country Casual Style' and 'City Casual Style'....surely a not-so-subtle reference to Modern Country Style, if ever there was one....

The book then delves deliciously into the different elements that make up the ultimate Casual Living home, looking at colour choice, storage options, fabrics, lighting and extras; all beautifully presented and all beautifully explained.

Each part of the home is examined room by room in the third section of Casual Living.....

The text is brought to life by Judith Wilson's gift, apparent in all her books, of feeling like a gentle older sister, guiding and nudging you reassuringly.

I think the trick of Casual Livingis to have pinned down a look that seems current but is actually timeless, making it perfect for a permanent place on my bookshelf. 

L:O:V:E

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Beautiful Country Home Tour

I don't know about you but sometimes it's lovely to have a full tour of a beautiful home. To see not just one room in all its glory, but the way that one room interplays with the rest of the house.

Look, for example, at this beautiful country kitchen. See the way that the colours are picked up and repeated throughout the whole Modern Country Style home..... 

The owners of this gorgeous Modern Country home have combined creams, taupes and slates in every room to create a deliciously cohesive whole.

Shall we move right in?

Images via Country Homes and Interiors

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Holiday Home: Modern Country Style!

Yesterday was a firm last hurrah from a pretty epic English summer. Soaring temperatures and a gentle breeze had me wondering if summer would ever end......until today! With a drizzly grey sky and a rather half-hearted attempt at daylight, autumn is firmly on its way. I can almost smell those damp leaves and crackling bonfires from here. Can you?

So let's call today an Official Goodbye to that glorious and long golden summer with a beautiful Modern Country Style holiday home house tour.....

And, with Summer 2013 done and dusted, we can all start getting snuggly with hot chocolate, snuggly blankets, cosy sweaters and warming suppers......aaaaaaaah!

Images : Jordi Canosa via The Style Files

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Modern Country Home Tour

While I get on with squirrelling away behind the scenes, I want to share with you this gorgeous home in all its Modern Country glory. If you were to look at these pictures in black and white, it would be easy to fooled into thinking of the home as a simple Country cottage.....but add in the warm putties, the gentle greys and the deep, velvety charcoals and you have a Modern Country girl's eyes a-pinging!

Aaaah! Do those those colours tug at your heart strings too?

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Your Guide To Choosing The Perfect Grout....

It's so easy to spend all your effort picking out the perfect tile but remember to give equal emphasis to which grout you're going to use. The grout colour is immediately noticeable and becomes a very definite part of the character of the end look. 

Although the tiles you choose will, of course, go a long way in creating the look you love, hex tiles are so small that the choice of grout is particularly important. Don't be overwhelmed by the dazzling array of options. Think of it as three basic choices....

The white grout route...yes, pale grouts initially look classic and light....

...but, even with the best of intentions, little bits of, ahem, dirt, will gradually darken the grout...especially in high traffic areas. Don't be fooled by pretty pictures!

The dark grout...

...which, on the plus side, should hide the build-up of inevitable dirt and grime, but may fade over time, particularly if you use strong bathroom cleaners.

The last choice, and my own favourite, is the mid-colour range, notably shades of grey, greige and brown.

These grouts are dark enough to hide dirt but light enough to resist fading. Try any of Mapei's Ultracolour Plus Grey shades.

*Due to limitations in the printing process and computer screen variations, colours should be taken as merely indicative of the of the shades of the actual product

Grouting is not a step to skimp on because cheap grout can considerably lessen the length of the floor's life. Regrouting is not a pleasant job, which is why we went with Mapei grout. 

However, grout should also have an aesthetic function: to frame and enhance your tile. If you prefer to highlight individual tiles then pick out a contrasting grout, just like this next image. 

If you want your eye to focus on the floor as a cohesive whole, choose a grout that matches the colour of your tiles. See how the tiles below have become the central feature?

We have a marble hex tile in our shower room, and used Mapei Ultracolour Plus Grout in Manhattan. (You can follow Mapei on twitter @mapeiukltd and Facebook. More product information can be found at www.mapei.co.uk.)

Manhattan is a subtle grey with hints of greige, it highlights the gentle veining of the marble, and draws the whole floor together.

Perfect!

Images: Mine, Sound Tile Installation, Old House Online, Houzz, Mapei, For The Love Of Brooklyn, Houzz, Mine

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