Shop London!

On a whim, I picked up Canadian House & Home a couple months ago, and I'm quickly becoming a devout reader.  Ok, it's not technically a British publication, but Canada is considered part of the British Commonwealth, so that's good enough for me.  Anyways, the editor of Canadian House & Home, Suzanne Dimma, has an excellent eye and it shows on her fabulous blog.  She recently profiled her favorite London shops & one caught my attention: Ben Pentreath, Ltd.

On Rugby Street in the Bloomsbury neighborhood, an area of central London known for its fashionable square, famous historic literary residents & the British Museum, this little shop is a great find.  Founded by Ben Pentreath (obviously) the shop is a division of his architectural practice next door.  Housed in a gorgeous Victorian storefront, Ben Pentreath also has a to-die-for curiosities department.  Oh, so, British!

 Suzanne Dimma's post also included photos of Ben's personal apartment, where he's created the perfect British flat.  The layered mix of old & new creates a space that's classic but not boring -- exactly the look I aspire to create.  I love the combination of neutrals colors and textures and the use of scale (see the large maps above the sofa?).  Not only does his store feature covetable home goods, Ben's own flat is so distinctly British, I've decided to use it as inspiration for my own apartment!  Photos to follow.  Enjoy!

Moving Day!!

As some of you may know, I'm moving into my first adult apartment today!  Well, actually it's a loft.  A real loft with a brick wall, two levels, a concrete floor and great city views -- in short, the apartment of my dreams (I guess in my dreams, my loft was in London, but that's a minor detail).  I'm calling the look I envision for my new space: industrial rustic chic.  And it's going to combine my love of everything British with retro industrial elements and incorporate pieces that are a bit rustic and rough around the edges.  But I envision the overall vibe to be very chic.  Obviously, it'll take some time to decorate my apartment on a tight budget but I hope to share some of my inspiration, projects and, eventually, finished spaces over the coming months (and years?).  In the meantime, here are some spaces that have inspired my overall style.  Happy dreaming!

 

March Hotel of the Month: Covent Garden Hotel

I'll be the first to admit it: I love hotels.  A good hotel is fresh, clean, and well designed.  A home away from home (that is nicer and has many more amenities than my actual home!).  So I've decided to feature one fabulously designed British hotel per month.  I only wish I had the time and money to take weekends away and stay in these fabulous hotels.  Well a girl can dream . . .

March's hotel is, drumroll - please, Covent Garden Hotel in London.  Designed by Kit Kemp, a self-taught interior designer, this hotel is at the edge of London's West End in an area famous for it's theatre district.

Kemp founded London-based Firmdale Hotels with her husband, and her signature British style abounds at all of their properties.  At Covent Garden Hotel, she's created a pretty, cheery and modern space, a perfect refuge for a weary traveler.  She mixes patterns from the past in a new way to create a modern but comfortable space.  The bold, bright colors and shapes are completely unexpected in such a traditional British space.  The result is a fabulous hotel that exemplifies modern British design.  I certainly know which hotel is the top of my Brit list!