When we bought our house 25 years ago, it was two rental flats and in a sorry state. We had, what we thought at the time, a healthy budget, but that was soon swallowed up by the basics of putting two flats back into a family home.
We prioritised the rooms that we would use the most, such as the childrens bedrooms, the lounge and the kitchen and slowly over the years, the rest of the house was given our attention as funds became available. The seperate toilet upstairs, next to the bathroom was always just an after thought though. It was decorated and given a newly tiled floor, but it was just for hygiene and functionality. With two small children there seemed little point, doing much else to it. To add personality we covered the painted walls with framed prints and posters and at one time we added a glittery toilet seat!! I know don’t judge, it was the early noughties and we were young!
Anyway jumping a few decades ahead, the children were grown and one had fled the nest and suddenly this sad little room didn’t seem to match the rest of our home, which we’d gradually been filling with all the things we’d always wanted but couldn’t previously afford, and it was time to give it some love. Also my instagram feed had been showing me so many lovely decorated cloakrooms, that I was inspired. I also spend a lot of my time designing bathrooms and cloakrooms for a high end tap brand and yet our own toilet at home was letting our whole house down so it was time I put my design skills to use in our own home.
Some of my designs for the client
The first thing I knew I wanted was a chequerboard tiled floor. However, as I was seeing so many of them on instagram, I was concerned that this was the pattern du jour & would suddenly look dated and the last thing that anybody wants to do when they’ve tiled a floor, with a toilet plumbed in, sitting on top of said tiled floor, is change those tiles any time soon. I ruminated and pondered but kept coming back to this design and then in the summer my friend sent me a photograph of a beautiful classic hotel she was staying at in Remy in France and they had the exact same floor in the colours I wanted, in their hallway. Decision made. This was a classic design and my instincts were to go with it.
The hotel image my friend sent me in Remy
Once my mind was made up I started sourcing tiles in the colours of my choice, which were a rusty brick colour and an off white. There are many tile companies that offer this colour combination in encaustic tiles with their lovely soft chalky finish, but what I came to realise was that the standard size for these tiles is 20cm square and with a smallish room, this isn’t ideal as the chequerboard pattern becomes lost, as you obviously can’t fit that many tiles across the small width of the room. I needed around 10cm square for my floor and although some of my sourced tile companies offered a bespoke service for smaller tiles, this came at a huge cost and I’m talking £2,000 for one quote or a very long lead time of 3-4 months.
In the end I used quarry tiles, which are both suitable for floors, are anti slip as they aren’t glazed and came in the colours of my choice. They are as a side note, extremely cheap and the whole floor which was around 2.5 metres square cost £135.
I’ve since discovered a company called The Baked Tile Company, which I found whilst sourcing tiles for a client project. They have a lovely selection of matt unglazed tiles, suitable for walls or floors in 15cm square sizes, which would have been another option.
The other consideration whilst designing a cloakroom or seperate toilet area, is practicality and hygiene. It has to be easy to clean and maintain. So with this in mind I opted for MDF panelling in a wide Georgian style to replicate the architectural details of our Victorian house. The English Panelling Company make their panelling in a range of widths and also in green MDF, which is water resistant and suitable for rooms such as bathrooms, toilets and kitchens. The panels are routed to form the tongue and groove appearance and easily slot together and glue to the wall. They also provide a dado rail within their products, which is a suitable size for any of their panels. They were so easy to fit and went up in very little time.
I knew I wanted to use wallpaper and because we only needed half the amount to go above the panelling, it meant we could afford to use a more expensive design than if we were papering a whole room. I also knew I wanted to hang some of our artwork on the walls, so chose a small print design to enable us to showcase the art without the wallpaper fighting with it. The Cypress wallpaper design in Cocoa from Howe at 36 Bourne Street was the perfect colour to go with the tiles and the delicate paisley print wallpaper, printed in Leicestershire in the UK, was small enough for what I wanted, whilst still creating interest within the small room.
When it came to choosing a toilet, I knew I wanted a traditional design but with a close coupled cistern as the toilet is under the window, so this was the only design that would work. I don’t know if you’ve ever spent hours googling close coupled toilets but there is a staggering amount, almost all of them in fact, which have this awful (well to me awful) wide plastic slide that connects the cistern to the toilet. I can’t tell you how happy I was when I found the Victrion close coupled WC by BC Designs. It’s a small detail I know and I do realise as I’m typing this that I sound like a toilet snob and it’s probably not important to a lot of people, but to me it made all the difference. The toilet fits seamlessly close with the cistern, making it more visually attractive and easier to keep clean, it’s also pleasingly traditional in design with a choice of black or white seat and a choice of metal lever fittings. It doesn’t take much to make me happy, but the smallest details like this make me very happy. As we know the devil is in the detail.
So finally to finish off this smallest room in the house, I made a roman blind with a small gingham black and white fabric, to harmonise with the black toilet seat and we kept our existing wicker pendant light, to add some texture to an otherwise untextural room. At some point an antique basket will be added to house the toilet rolls on the floor. I’ve got my eye on a Japanese antique basket next time I go sourcing for antiques for my online store.
The smallest thing which I think added the biggest design detail was using a scallop trim around the window frame. This was from Camilla Hampton who makes various MDF trim designs, in different widths. It’s a small detail but just makes the existing window frame, was was added in the 1970’s when the house was turned into flats, less austere and just quite pretty. A relatively cheap additon that made all the difference.
Existing art work was hung on the walls and some new prints from Ali Heath and Musee Home in frames from Glassette.
It’s exactly what I wanted and what I visualised. It feels warm and cosy, but clean and easy to maintain. The genius part of the whole reno which I claim was intentional but was actually just a happy accident, was moving the radiator from it’s original position by the door to the alcove next to the toilet. The toilet roll holder just above the radiator provides heated toilet paper, which is just the biggest luxury you can imagine. Forget leather heated seats in fancy expensive cars! This is the future of design! 🙂
If you want any of the details of the materials and products used in our toilet reno, I’ve attached my original mood board below with links to all the products.
I’d visited Paris a couple of times before last year but they have always been quite fleeting visits for a few days. However in 2022, my daughter secured an internship in Paris as part of her University studies. She was staying for 3 weeks assisting a very good fashion photographer and of course, it was only right as my duty as her mother, to go and settle her in to her apartment, this being her first trip to the city 🙂
We found her apartment through Air BNB, in a lovely suburb of Paris called Saint Mande, which made the 3 week booking slightly more economical than staying in the centre and it was well linked to the city, by the metro, to the studio where she would be working.
I’ve been asked a few times since my visit, for recommendations for places to eat, shop & stay in Paris and as I was there last year, for 9 days, I covered a lot of ground on my own, whilst Amber was busy working. So here are my 8 things that I think you might enjoy doing whilst in Paris. Obviously this isn’t an exhaustive list and it’s only what I enjoyed doing whilst I was there, but I guessed some of them might be useful? I was there last March 2022 so if any of the places I recommend are no longer there I apologise, but I’m sure many of them will be.
Amber going to work in her typically Parisian studio
1.Stay
As I’ve said, I booked an Air bnb for Amber in a less central location due to the cost of staying for 3 weeks. Paris is, as you all know, expensive, but staying slightly out of the centre reduced the costs slightly. Saint Mande, the area where Amber stayed is a middle class residential suburb of Paris. There are plenty of restaurants & bars, a weekly brocante market and a metro station with around a 20 minute commute into Republique in the centre where Amber’s studio was located. Another similar area, and the next stop from Saint Mande, from the centre of Paris, is Vincennes which is another lovely small old town, safe & clean & perfect for a longer stay in Paris. Both these options are worth looking at on air bnb and there are plenty of choices.
In previous years I’ve also used a company called One Fine Stay who offer more luxury self catering accomodation.
Our apartment in Le Marais that we booked through One Fine Stay a few years ago
If you are looking to stay in a hotel, there are of course hundreds, if not thousands, to choose from. Some of my favourites are:
The Hoxton
I’ve not stayed at the Hoxton in Paris, but I have eaten there and I have stayed at their hotels in London & Amsterdam, so I know the standard they provide and it’s exceptionally good, whilst also being very cool. The food at the Hoxton is very traditional French bistro fayre, such as Croque Monsiour and esgarcots but there is also the usual Hoxton offerings of burger and steak. The building itself is grand & imposing when you enter and it’s in the 2nd Arrondisoment which is very central.
The Hoxton Paris
Hotel Caron De Beaumarchais
For those of you that want to feel as though you have been transported back to the 18th Century and stay in the oldest part of Paris, Le Marias, then this is the hotel for you. It has the ambiance of a private house and and the rooms are decorated in the classical French style of the period with beautiful crystal chandeliers and antique furniture.
Photo credit Hotel Caron De Beaumarchais
La Pigalle
For something completely different, modern, quirky and a little decadent, then locate yourself in South Pigalle or SoPi as the area has been renamed by the hipsters. A 5 minute walk from the Moulins Rouge and the red light area, this arrondissement of the city has been gentrified over the last few years and is now the place for great bars, food and live entertainment. The hotel has a restaurant open for breakfast until the early hours and a DJ set every Thursday, Friday & Saturday night from 10.00pm, as well as regular pop up events. Check their website for details. The area of SoPi is also home to a popular cocktail bar called Dirty Dick, it used to be a hostess bar and they kept the name. This gives you more of a description of the area as it was than any words I can say 🙂
Photo credit Hotel La Pigalle
2. Walk
Montmartre
My advice to anyone who only has a very short stay in Paris, maybe only one day, but wants to get a flavour for the city in a very traditional Parisian way, is go to Montmartre. Yes it’s touristy and yes it’s a bit of a pastiche of how Paris was, but to me it still feels authentically Parisian. Start at the bottom of the steps of the Sacre Couer, avoiding the tat tourist shops before you ascend the steps. Once you get to the top, there is a little park to the left where you can sit and gaze at the spectacular view of the city roof tops, without getting embroiled in the hoardes of tourists in front of the Sacre Coeur. As you walk around the back of the Sacre Couer you’ll eventually find yourself in the heart of Montmartre, the area made famous by the artists that flocked to the city. The main square is surrounded by typical French restaurants, but they are all mainly very good and some unchanged since the 35 years ago that I first visited. You can easily spend the best part of a day wandering up and down the steps, in and around the myriad of streets that surround the area, shopping for antiques, stopping for a galette or a coffee. It is still, to me, quite a magical place and there are surprisingly some very good antique shops there, that aren’t ridiculously expensive.
One of the typically Parisian restaurants in Montmartre
Le Marais
Le Marais is one of the oldest areas in Paris but fell into disrepair after the French Revolution. The area is now extremely fashionable and known for it’s designer shops, art galleries, such as The Picasso Museum and great restaurants and bars. It was once the cities Jewish Quarter and although Rue Des Rosiers is no longer lined with Jewish bakeries and Kosher butchers, you can still find some great Jewish food such as Miznon who serve delicious kebabs, chicken salads and dips from the Middle East. I ate there with my daughter for Just 35 euros for the two of us. Walking around Le Marias and the Place des Vosges, where the author Victor Hugo lived, who famously penned Les Miserables, you’ll get a real sense of history and the events that led to the French Revolution. If you’re lucky enough to be in Place des Vosges on a Sunday, you can wander the farmers and antique market stalls that surround the square and if the weather is good enough, buy some cheese and bread from one of the market stalls and sit on the grass and people watch, as the Parisians themselves do.
A boutique in Le Marais
One of the well known bars in Le Marais
Place Des Vosges on a Sunday photo Credit Tripsavvy.com
Canal Saint Martin
This area is Paris off the beaten track. The canal links to the Seine & is lovely to walk along with it’s series of bridges. It’s an area that’s attracted a lot of young Parisians to live there as the rents are cheaper, which has made it an emerging area for some cool shops, bars & restaurants and it feels much less touristy than other areas of the city. It’s another good area to stay as it’s safe and less expensive than the city centre.
3.See
Paris is full of green space and there are many beautiful gardens to explore or just sit and take in your surroundings. One of my favourites is Jardin Du Luxembourg which is known for it’s spectacular lawns and tree lined promenades. there is also a lake and glass house and it’s just a beautiful park, to take a macaron and coffee and watch the world go by. It’s also a short walk to Saint Germain Des Press where you can explore the many specialist antiquarian book shops and purchase that afore mentioned macaron, as it’s also, in this area where there is a branch of Laduree the famous French macarons.
Although Paris has some beautiful parks to explore, there is also a version of the New York Skyline which you can walk along. The Promenade Plantee is raised just 10 metres above street level & gives a lovely panoramic view of the city as you walk from Bastille where it starts, to Bois De Vincennes. There are various viewing points and seating areas, amongst the lush planting. It opened in 1993, so is well established and a perfect stroll through parts of the city on a different level.
As obvious and touristy as it sounds, I would definitely say if you haven’t seen the Eiffel Tower then go and see it. It’s quite imposing as you approach it and see it towering above the other buildings in the distance. If you view it after nightfall, so much the better, as it’s lit up and twinkles like a huge diamond. Some of the best areas to see it from are Rue de L’Universitie a residential Street that ends at Champs de Mars. Also you can visit the Museum of Architecture & Patrimoine and get a great view of the tower from inside the building. It’s open some evenings after sunset for that all important twinkling view and they have a restaurant with a viewing platform, which you can book called Giraffe, although it is 4 star and expensive. Also the view from Place Du Trocadero is good as it’s directly across the river from the tower.
4. Visit
Musee D’Orsay
There are many wonderful art galleries & Museums in Paris & I will mention some of my favourites here, but if you love impressionist style paintings by the great French masters such as Monet, Renoir, Pissaro & Cezanne, there is only one gallery you need to visit & it’s Musee D’orsay. The grand entrance confirms that this was once a train station built in the Beaux arts period between 1898-1900 and the displays of French art are vast. You’ll find yourself here for a few hours at least, so if you have time, try and dedicate a morning or afternoon to it.
One of the oldest English book shops in Paris, opened in 1951 and quickly becoming a centre for ex pat life in the city. Some literary greats such as Ginsberg and Anais Nin were frequent visitors to the shop and in recent years a cafe has been added serving their own blend of coffee and anglo inspired vegan and vegetarian food. Located just opposite Notre dame and on the edge of the Latin Quarter, it’s a perfect place to start or end your walk around this lovely quarter of Paris.
If you are a lover of fashion, then I would highly recommend a visit to the Musee Yves Saint Laurent. Housed in the former designers Atelier, the museum exhibits include original toiles of the designs from over the decades, sketches and polaroids of the models, a selection of the finished garments and accessories & finally Monsieur Laurents studio in which you can see his desk and work space where he created all the magic.
This large & beautiful historic building, located in Le Marais pays homage to the great artist and his many years spent living in Paris. At the time of my visit, there was also an exhibition dedicated to the collection by designer Yves Saint Laurent which was inspired by Picasso’s work. The views of the city from this beautiful museum are also pretty special. Also worth noting, if you are in Paris on the first Sunday of the month, all museums, such as The Picasso, Musee D’Orsay and The Louvre are free to enter.
One of the most well known European concept stores for a reason. This beautiful store with it’s collections of,hard to find, and often exclusive brands, is one of the most impressively visually merchandised srtores I’ve visited anywhere. As well as clothes, homewares, books and cosmetics, there is also a lovely cafe for lunch or just a drink, which has been designed like a library in which you’re free to read any of the books on the shelves during your stay. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you spot the iconic red Fiat 500 parked in the courtyard outside.
There are many flea & brocante markets dotted all over Paris but the biggest & the best, probably in the whole of Europe, is at Saint Ouen. It’s a permanent fixture with many expensive shops as well as smaller, cheaper stalls and is open Saturday, Sunday & Monday.You will literally find anything & everything here and there are plenty of bars, cafes & restaurants within the antiques village for regular pit stops & people watching. A word of warning, the area isn’t the best in Paris so when you walk from the metro to the market, be vigilant and don’t take too much cash, valuables, such as expensive cameras or your passport. Look confident and you’ll be ok, just be aware.
There are some fantastic vintage clothes stores In Paris, many in Le Marais where you have to ring a door bell and wait to enter. One of the best that we shopped at was Kiloshop.com. As it says on the tin, your clothes are paid for by weight and are also often priced according to quality and condition, but they are still very cheap and this store had an area at the back of the shop, which had been curated in the seasons colours and trending styles, to make your selection even easier.
https://www.kilo-shop.com/en/
Samaritaine
Paris, like any major European city, has many department stores. From Galerie Lafayette, Printemps to Le Bon Marche, I’ve visited them all but, by far the best, for me, is the newly restored Samaritaine. It’s got all the more unusual, harder to find, never heard of before, brands of clothes, make up & perfume. It’s reasonably compact compared to the others and is therefore less over whelming if you’re short on time.
There are so many great places to eat in Paris and of course often the best way to find somewhere cool is just by walking past and stumbling across it, but post Covid, it’s always often worth booking somewhere you particularly want to eat, as walk in’s are sometimes more problematic than pre Covid times? My last visit to Paris was also over a year ago & places that were then the place du jour change all the time in cities so there may be better options. I always look at Time Out guide before a trip to check where they are suggesting. At the time of my visit these are places I ate or would suggest.
Les Enfants Du Marche
This food market is located in Le Marais & as I’ve said one of the most historic areas in Paris. I’ve eaten here twice before and it’s always great. It’s a typical food market, with a selection of different cultural cuisines, but many are North African,as this area is where many of the early immigrants to Paris settled. There are many other fantastic North African restaurants in Le Marais. A lot of the food vendors don’t provide seating, so you will see people standing to eat or drink, but there are communal tables around the perimeter of the market. It’s open every day, except Monday and most days until 10.30pm.
Les Enfants Du Marche Image credit Wikipedia
Pink mamma
It’s just pizza and there are lots of restaurants by the Big Mamma group in Paris, but this is the one that is the most instagram worthy and therefore the one that unless you book ahead, you probably won’t get into. Guess what I didn’t book ahead and we couldn’t get a reservation on the evening we were in South Pigalle, but in all honesty, there are some fantastic restaurants in the area since it’s been gentrified and we had one of our best there, 3 courses, for 2 of us, €80.
If you want an experience like no other ,then I would recommend Derriere, in Le Marais. The food is pretty good, but it’s the decor, ambience & atmosphere that draws people here. I ate here in 2014, when I went to celebrate my 50th birthday & if you want to know more about what makes this venue so different, you can read my blog from that time here. The restaurant is located in a run down small chateau style house with a courtyard garden and was created by the guys behind London’s Sketch restaurant and Momo. Even if your meal doesn’t blow you away, the atmosphere and sense of decadence & bohemia will.
Part of the thrill of self catering in Paris, is queing for your freshly baked bread, baguette or croissants in the morning. However even if you’re staying in a hotel, a trip to any bakers in Paris, for a slice of quiche or a cake is a must. From macaron, to chocolat eclairs, everything is delicious and a feast for the eyes as much as the stomach.
7.Ride
When you arrive in Paris, you might be tempted to take a taxi to your apartment or hotel, but I wouldn’t. They are both slow & expensive and many of the roads in Paris have the same names but in different arrondissements, as we found out to our surprise after being dropped off at the wrong apartment. We then had to walk another 25 minutes in the dark, through a red light area, truly a terrible experience, without going into too much detail, before we found our actual apartment.
Instead buy a ticket for the metro from the airport, for the amount of days you will be staying in the city and you’ll find the public transport, clean, fast & efficient. When you arrive at CDG airport the RER B train will take you into Paris Gare Du Nord station where you can then trasfer to the metro to your destination.
Taking a river cruise along the seine in the evening, is the best way to see the cities landmarks such as The eiffel tower lit up. It’s quite a magical experience. There are many options for cruises, some including dinner and they get busy at weekends, so booking in advance of your trip is recommended.
8. Watch
For a small traditional cabaret club, try Lapin Agile in Montmartre. This historic venue is largely unchanged since the 1800’s when it was frequented by the Demi-monde of Parisian society. Later struggling artists such as Picasso were the clientele, where they gathered to discuss art. Book in advance to hear classic French songs sung by the chanteuse of the day.
There are many cabaret and burlesque clubs in Paris, most famous, The Moulin Rouge and Crazy Horse. However they are expensive. For something just as traditional to Paris but much cheaper, there is Madame Arthurs. First opened in 1946, it is the oldest transformist cabaret in Paris.It closed in 2010 but reopened it’s doors in 2015 and has become popular with the LBGTQ+ community. Expect a fun and fabulous show and a DJ set. Open from Thursday – Sunday. The show finishes at 11.00pm but the dancing continues until 6.00am.
The universal pastime of many of us and no where better to do it. Watching the super stylish Parisians is one of my favourite things to do and it’s totally free!
I could tell you so much more but the real excitement of being in a city is finding your own thing, getting lost, being open to anything.The Joie de vivre of it 🙂
So here we are again. It’s September and as well as the month that it’s back to school and the transition into Autumn, it’s also now known as second hand September amongst those of us that cherish second hand objects. That’ll be you and me right?
For most of us September isn’t the only month dedicated to second hand shopping, it’s a lifetime love affair, but’s it’s a great idea to dedicate a month to encourage others who have maybe shied away from charity shops, boot sales and antique fairs in the past, to give it a go.
I’ve been married for 33 years now and a home owner for 34 years and I’ve always bought second hand. It was partly a budget thing, I was 25 when I bought my first property, but it’s also always been a love thing. I’ve always been drawn to antiques and vintage and an item with a history. I find it romantic that an item I’ve acquired, found under a table at a car boot sale or spent maybe more money on at a brocante fair, has been in other homes, loved, painted or made by someone else from another era. What stories that item could tell?
As an interior designer and stylist, I’ve often been told by people that they love antique items but as their home isn’t a period property they wouldn’t know how to add something preloved into their space. They’re often not sure how an old item would work with their new products and I understand that apprehension, but by adding just a few small preloved items into the mix, that don’t necessarily grab attention in the way a larger item, such as an armchair or cupboard would, you can gradually start to build up that mix of old and new.
I’ve added a few images, taken in and around my home, of items that are old but have been been pimped up to make them blend in with other newer items we have and give them a new lease of life. I also believe artwork from any era, always looks great, adding colour, texture and interest to a blank wall in any space.
I always have a selection of original antique and vintage artwork for sale on my website & other dealers who have beautiful collections of art include:
If you don’t want a large statement piece of art, then vintage prints from art books or bought from gallery exhibitions and framed look lovely hung in a vertical row. I often sell vintage prints on my website or another source of beautiful art prints is The Musee Home.
So have a look at a few of my vintage finds and how I’ve used them and let me know by dm on my instagram which you can find here, if you too mix old and new to create an eclectic interior or if second hand September may have encouraged you to give it a go next time you’re at a boot sale or antique fair.
An old metal factory window has been repurposed into a mirror by adding some off cuts of mirror glass.
A large picture frame found at an antique fair has also been glazed to make an over mantle mirror.
A shelving unit found at kempton racecourse antique market is useful storage for magazines and objects and the original white paintwork would work in any room in the house.
If the original paintwork is past it’s best or doesn’t suit your interior decor, a few coats of paint will remedy that. This small Georgian table was quite battered when we found it but after a repaint with Summer Pudding by Atelier Ellis it’s got a new lease of life.
If you’re more of a minimalist and don’t want colourful artwork in your home, vintage large format photography works really well in a neutral scheme.
The small Victorian bobbin lamp was rewired and topped with a new shade from Pooky, another way to mix old and new.
This year I turned 59 and so with my next big birthday milestone within sight I started to realise, without sounding morbid, just realistic, that time is not finite and that there were a lot of places that I wanted to see and so I’d better start making a plan.
I’ve never had a bucket list and that maybe is where lies the problem. I’ve always been quite flexible when making holiday plans, partly maybe because for the last 21 years, since having my youngest child, I’ve either been unemployed, although working really frickin hard as a full time mum, or freelance, since changing careers and becoming a stylist. So making plans a year or so in advance, as many people I know do, has never been a luxury we have afforded.
It’s always been let’s see how much money we’ve jointly earned and how much my tax bill is in April before booking anything and so plans have always been a bit more fly by the seat of our pants, kind of plans.
Well now that big birthday is looming, I’ve decided to get my act together and be more thoughtful about where I actually want to travel to and why. My why has been boiled down to architecture I want to see. Buildings that I’ve always longed to walk around and within and so this year I’ve made plans to tick two of these much revered buildings, in my mind, off my list.
1.Building number one is Eileen Grays E1027 modernist villa in Roquebrune- Cap-Martin, built in 1929. Agreed she’s not a household name, known mainly perhaps for her furniture designs, but Eileen Gray was the first designer I wrote an essay about in my first semester at uni and I learned that she had not only designed this building with her partner, as their holiday retreat, but had also designed every piece of furniture and textile within it and she had also mightily pissed Les Corbusier off in the process. His cabana was situated opposite and when she split from her partner and left the property for good, Les Corbusier famously went into it and defaced it with his own paintings on the white walls, whilst getting a companion to photograph him in the process, in the nude, doing so. The ultimate two fingered salute? Jealousy? (Le Corbusier was obsessed with the building) perhaps a distaste for women architects and designers that might just have rivalled his talents? They were different times then as we know. In more recent years the house has been completely renovated by French Government agency Conservatoire du Littoral, along with Le Corbusier’s cabana and I can’t wait to see what this Irish woman, so ahead of her time, created.
Eileen Gray E1027 House-Dezeen
2.Building number two, that I’m also visiting later this year, is more familiar to everyone and although I’ve often been staying near enough to visit, I’ve never quite made it there. It’s the formidable Moorish palace the Alhambra in Granada. The first time I wanted to visit was when we were staying in Nerja on the Costa del Sol. I tried all week to drag our son, who was then 5, out of the pool at the villa, that we were staying in, but he’d made so many friends, that I was wasting my time and over the years we’ve never been quite so close to that area again. So this year we’ve booked a week in Malaga and we’re going to get the train to Granada, visit the Alhambra and then stay over night to explore the winding streets of the old city.
The Alhambra Palace – BBC image
3.building number three on my new bucket list is Mies Van De Rohe pavilion in Barcelona. Again I’ve been to Barcelona 3 times but never made it this pavilion, as I’ve always visited Barcelona for other reasons, such as exhibitions, birthdays etc. The glass pavilion is a 1986 reconstruction of the original designed in 1929, for the Barcelona International Exhibition to showcase the talents of German design and architecture. Again this building was first introduced to me whilst I was studying at Uni and we were asked for one of our modules to design our own exhibition pavilion and build a model of it. Don’t be fooled into thinking an interior design degree is all about colour and decoration. As an interior designer it’s vital that students understand space and form and this is a masterclass in just that.
Mies van de Rohe Pavilion Barcelona-Iconic Interiors
4. Building number four is Frieda Khalos Blue House. Since I watched my first documentary about this incredible artist in which the viewer was taken on a tour of her home which she shared with her husband artist, Diego Rivera, I’ve been obsessed with visiting her beloved Mexico City and her home, which also houses a collection of clothes, shoes and head pieces from her wardrobe. I’ve heard conflicting reports about the danger of visiting Mexico City though and so that is slightly putting the brakes on me booking a visit there. If any of you have been and had a great experience or have any tips for travelling there safely, I’d love to hear from you. There is also the amazing Casa Barragan to visit if I make it to Mexico City. The house and studio of architect Luis Barragan built in 1948, which is a tour de force in the use of colour with light.
5. Closer to home now and a house co designed and lived in by one of our most revered designers, William Morris. Red House in Bexley London, is the family home of Morris and the place where his friends, such as pre raphaelite artists Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti often visited. It’s also the house in which Morris lived when he launched his design company, Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co, decorating the building with his various wallpaper and furniture designs. It’s now owned by The National Trust and has undergone a project of maintenance and preservation so that you really get a sense of how it looked when Morris lived there.
Red House the home of William Morris-RIBA
6. Finally in my top six is Hill House, just outside Glasgow, designed by architect and designer Charles Rennie Mackintosh, for his client, publisher Walter Blackie. The house, the furniture and even the every day objects such as the cutlery, were all designed by Mackintosh in his now inimitable style. However, Mackintosh’s designs became a bit of a cliche in the 1990’s when they became so popular and over used, on everything to stationary and note cards, that the house fell out of fashion and into disrepair. But in 2017 The National Trust of Scotland ran an architects competition to build a visitor centre for Hill House and the new addition and the updated facilities has been so successful that visitor numbers are now much increased. I listen to the Podcast The Modern House and Matt Gibberd, the presenter and director of The Modern House estate agents, said it’s a must visit building for any architect or designer. Right enough said Matt, I’m booking my tickets!
Hill House-Wall Street Journal
Ok that’s my top six, what are yours? Where is the most incredible building that you’ve visited or where you want to visit? Or if not buildings or places, then what’s on your bucket list? Let me know in the comments or via dm on my instagram here. I’d love to know.
I’ve always loved exploring our little island and have had a vintage VW camper van for 20 years, but since our children starting getting older, we replaced those camping trips with all inclusive hotels abroad, to satisfy their needs over ours. As the saying goes, if your kids are happy, then you’re happy and it’s very true.
However over the last few years, during the pandemic, when we were allowed to travel around the UK, we did. Getting those holidays in when ever we could before our wings were clipped again. The amount of paper work and latterly flight delays and cancellations, meant to have a staycation was much less stressful and it gave us the opportunity to explore and revisit places we haven’t been to for years.
Obviously travel overseas, has now returned, more or less, to what it was pre pandemic, but if like us you are eager to explore the UK more, then these are the 6 best places that we’ve visited recently. Some of them have appeared in previous blog posts here, but I thought this would be a handy post to keep all my recommendations and experiences together to share with you.
1.Southwold
The first trip we took back in June 2020, when lock down measures were being slightly reduced, was to stay at my friend Sally Dennings cottage in Southwold. Sally is a very well known stylist and author of 2 interior books “Relaxed Coastal Style” and “Calm” and so we knew before arriving just how beautiful and thoughtfully designed this cottage would be and we weren’t wrong. Sally has since sold the cottage but it can still be rented through Durrants under the name Millies Cottage. It’s perfectly situated in Southwold, just behind the High Street and within a 5 minute walk of all the restaurants, opubs and the beach.
2.Deal
Later that year in September, we had a week in Deal Kent, which we absolutely loved. It’s a genteel seaside town but with a great selection of shops, bars & restaurants and a lovely coastal walk to Walmer where you can stop for a beachside coffee at Hut55. From Deal you can easily explore the Kent coast. We visited Margate, Folkestone and Dungeness during our weeks stay. If you want to read more about what we did, you can here. We stayed in an Air BNB owned by Emma who runs a lovely shop in the town called Barkened. The cottage was siutuated in the conservation area and a stones throw from the beach. Another fantastic place to stay, if you prefer a hotel, is the recently renovated The Rose which also has a fantastic restaurant and bar which we ate at. Delicious and stylish.
3.Norfolk
We were lucky enough to visit Norfolk twice in 2022. The first visit was in January when we stayed at Spinks Nest Cottage near Holt. I wrote a blog post for 91 Magazine about our stay which you can read here. The second trip was for my birthday weekend in May and we stayed at Settle Norfolk in a converted railway carriage. It was absolutely stunning and so beautifully restored and styled by the owners Jo and John. The site houses 3 carriages and a luxury cabin and a recent addition this year includes a group space for workshops and retreats. The idyllic space includes 3 lakes for outdoor swimming and an honesty shop for all your weekend essentials, plus a beautiful shop stocking all the interior objects that Jo has used to style the cabins, which you can buy and take home for your own space.
4.North Wales
Last year we decided to take our camper van out of her early retirement and spend some money on getting her back to her former glory. We’ve owned her for 20 years and are only the second owners from new, so the interior is immaculate but the body work needed some attention, as we all do in our later years! So back from the garage we decided we needed to book a few trips away in her, nothing too adventurous, just to North Wales which is literally an hour away from Manchester. I still don’t know how I found The Hawarden estate but I’m so glad we did. It’s probably the most magical campsite we’ve ever stayed on and we’ve stayed on many throughout the UK and France. It’s owned by the Gladstone family, Charlie being the great great grandson to the prime minister William Gladstone and general all round amazing entrepenuer. Founder of Pedlars Vintage, anyone remember that? The Good Life Society and The Hawarden estate Farm shop. As of last year, the estate now has it’s own campsite. There are a few pitches for camper vans, but no electric hook up, this site is aimed at getting back to basics but in a really stylish way. You can pitch your own tent in the meadow area or hire a canvas bell tent with a bbq and fire pit on a decking area. There is an outdoor lake which is available several times a week for guided swims with a life guard and once a week you can take a tour of the castle ruins which stand on the estate, walking past the grand pile where the Gladstones reside. This year there is also a bee keepers hut for rent and a cottage. All your amenities are catered for in the farm shop, which has it’s own bakery and butcher and is open until 10.00pm as a licensed restaurant. The estate also own The Glynne Arms gastro pub which is a short walk away in the village of Hawarden. I would tell you more but I’m afraid I’ve already given too much away and it will become too popular. Oh they also have live bands playing for free on a Friday night, whilst you sit around camp fires and let the little ones toast marshmallow, also available at the farm shop. See I told you they’ve thought of everything!
5.St Leonards
St Leonards near Hastings Sussex, was a place that I visited years ago and remembered nothing much about. However, after following Nicola @Oldtownhaus for years on instagram and seeing a beautiful flat she was renovating which would be available short stays, my curiosity and the beautiful design of her flat, got the better of me and we booked to stay for 4 nights in September last year. To say it’s now become one our our favourite places for a short break and that we are hoping to go again this autumn, says it all and if you want to know why then you can read more about our stay here. The flat is at the top of a grand mansion on Warrior Square, directly opposite the sea front, with commanding views from the huge curved window in the lounge. The interior design has been beautifully executed and styled, with every amenity and luxury you could want for a staycation. I’ll let the photos below do the talking for me. Available to book through Old Town Haus.
6.Bath
It’s around 30 years since I last visited Bath and when my friend, who was celebrating her 50th birthday in October last year, asked me to book a place for 4 of us to stay, somewhere within a few hours drive away, as she’s cabin crew and didn’t want to do any more unnecessary travel, it seemed like the perfect time to revisit. I haven’t written a blog post about our stay as it was four women who just spent 2 days and nights, shopping, eating drinking and laughing our way through the weekend. We did go to the costume museum and we did hop on the open top bus tour but that was the total sum of the culture partaken during the weekend. Nothing more to say about our trip really, but I was absolutely blown away by the architecture, which feels just like walking through a film set and there were so many wonderful places to eat and drink and shop and visit, that I know it won’t be another 30 years until I return. We stayed at a lovely Air BNB which I can highly recommend. Lots of amenities if you want to stay in and cook but close to everything if you want to eat out every night you’re there. Again beautifully styled and furnished and really comfortable for 4 adults or a family of 4. Since staying there I’ve also discovered a lovely small boutique hotel in bath, on Pulteney Bridge, Guest House No.15 which is a wonderful area of the city, should that be your preference, and if I go back with Mr B, i’ll most defintely stay here.
I hope these places have given you some ideas about where you might like stay for your next short break in the UK and I’d love to hear back from you with your recommendations.
