Sommer's playground

Tips to help you put your unique stamp on a rental property

sommer7 — Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:49:02 +0000

I believe we are most happy when an interior is harmonious and in tune with our lifestyle. Our home is an extension of who we are and should reflect our personalities and style. Ignore trends, they come and go. Design your pad on how you feel or how you want to feel when living in it. Be bold and creative and most importantly go with your gut instinct. Your gut never lies.

Whether it is your own home or you are renting there’s nothing stopping you from putting your unique stamp on it. A few of my friends are moving into rental properties and have been asking what they can do to make it feel like home with all the restrictions that come with a rental property. Here are a few of my tips but I know there are many more. So if you have any great tips please share your comments below:

1. Add character to your rental property with inexpensive vintage pieces that you can pick up from any car boot sale. Display things that are meaningful to you or that you are passionate about. For example I love vintage cameras, fresh flowers, old photos, large metal letters and paintings by J.H Lynch. Take your pieces and arrange with attitude by displaying your finds in layers and different heights. Don’t be too formulaic; just have fun and go with your gut.

2. Use old fruit and wine cases to show off your treasures. It’s inexpensive and adds loads of character. You can strip them down and paint them or leave them in their natural state. You can even add wheels and use them for storage. eBay have a good selection to choose from.

3. Bedroom desire. If you’re on a shoe-string budget buy big items like beds and wardrobes from Ikea. Create a bespoke look by adding layers and textures to your bed. Fur is great for adding texture and a bit of luxury (the fake kind of course). Flowers are always a nice touch especially if you put them in old jars or water jugs. Take down any mental blinds and add curtains to soften the room. Creating different focal points using art is a great way to distract the eye from any bland furniture. When I say art it could be anything from an expensive investment piece or a magazine cutting that you have framed.

4. Give a plain or old chair some va-va-voom by throwing over a sheepskin rug. Sheepskin also looks great on a bed or wooden floor and creates a more cosy look.

5. Cover up dull or unsightly carpet using rugs. Be bold and go for bright colours, patterns and textures. No one will even look twice at the drab carpet.

6. Plants and flowers are such a nice way to lift a room. I don’t know about you but I feel more grounded when I’m surrounded by plants. Again don’t waste money on expensive vases. Look for recycled glass, jars, milk bottles or use old tea tins for extra character.

7. Don’t conform. Group pieces of art and objects of different sizes, shape and colour to create an interesting wall feature. Asymmetrical arrangements can make a space feel more laid-back and fun. If your landlord doesn’t allow you to hang pictures then just lean your pictures against the wall. Create different heights using piles of magazines or use a side table to display your art.

8. I’ve always been a big fan of wallpaper but it’s unlikely that you will be able to wallpaper a wall in a rental apartment. So what’s the alternative? For a dramatic look frame wallpaper using a large ornate frame and lean it against a wall.

9. Add a bit of rock n roll. A tip from Abigail Ahern: Copy Kate Moss by scrawling over an oil painting. You can grab old oil paintings for a bargain at any car boot sale or flea market. I would use bright coloured paint for extra contrast.

10. Blackboard paint looks great on a wall but if you’re renting what is the alternative? Make your own blackboard and either hang it up or lean it against a wall. They are really easy to make. All you need to do is buy a frame and ask your local hardware store to cut an MDF board to size. If you’re in the UK B&Q will do this free of charge. Paint the MDF board with blackboard paint and then fasten to the back of the frame using a stable gun. Here is one that I made for our house many moons ago.

11. Soft furnishings are a great way to add personality. Choose a colour pallet of say three to four colours and layer pillows, throws and floor rugs. Try to make it look three-dimensional to help the room feel cosy and more homely.

Source: Pinterest via: Design Sponge : Still Inspiration : The Interior Revolution : Veanad : Sweet Home Style : Moon to Moon : Little Blue Deer : Crystalgentilello : Abigail Ahern : Lily : Apartment Therapy : Decor8 : Emmas Design Blogg

Merci

sommer7 — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 08:52:48 +0000

My friend Hayley was spending her last week with us before she headed back to Australia. Ever the adventurer, she wanted to do something special in her last week, so decided to go to Paris and asked me to go with her. It didn’t take much convincing and before I knew it I was packed and on a train to Paris waving goodbye to my hubby. God I love living in London!! I was also excited by the opportunity to visit a little gem of a lifestyle boutique that I’ve heard so much about, ‘Merci’.

Merci has everything from designer brands to eco-friendly locally made products. You can buy furniture, clothing, homeware, jewellery, perfume or just hang out in their cafe watching the day go by. Or munch on some healthy offerings in their basement restaurant. The store was conceived by Bernard and Marie-France Cohen, founders of Bonpoint clothing (a gorgeous children’s brand.) The best thing about this concept store is that 100% of the profits go to charities helping woman and children in Madagascar. I love this concept!! Zero-guilt shopping safe in the knowledge that my shopping is doing some good.

As you walk though the entrance you are greeted by an intimate courtyard with a racing red vintage Fiat 500. To the right is a very cool cafe with floor-to-ceiling glass windows filled with beautiful Parisians eating and drinking. Oh, and little old me soaking up the sunshine and getting stuck into one of their books. All books are donated by customers which are then sold to people like you and me.

The shop is housed in an old wallpaper factory spread out over three levels. I walked in and my heart jumped with excitement as I explored the space. I love the open space and industrial feel juxtaposed with a large palm tree. The openness draws you in and the sunlight beams through the skylight, reflecting off the brilliant selection of products. The cash register is encased by authentic iron tiles that are common in factories and warehouses in North America which I just love. The good news is that Merci has partnered up with NLXL, creating wallpaper to mimic the look of vintage painted tiles. I’m pretty sure you can purchase the wallpaper from the online shop Rockett St George.

We couldn’t resist getting our hands on some Annick Goutal perfume. Instead of the usual fancy packaging it’s sold in simple glass bottles, although customers are encouraged to bring their own containers which can be filled with their favourite perfume with 40% off the store price.

Upstairs is where the furniture is housed and more homeware and lighting. They have great lighting from industrial style pendant lights to unusual chandeliers like the one above. This chandelier reminds me of jelly fish.

I absolutely fell in love with the Merci bed linen. The colours are a mixture of dark greys and muted pastels with a crumpled effect. I never iron so that suits me to a tee.

Stationary geeks be warned… you could spend a small fortune here. These floating book shelfs would look great in a study or lounge area.

We finished off our shopping trip with a spot of lunch downstairs. I was sitting right next to the garden where they grow vegetables and herbs, which are used in all the dishes. Can’t get fresher than that!

All in all it was a great shopping experience. There’s clearly a trend for brands moving towards a more ethical way of doing business, and Merci is a fantastic example of one doing it in style!

Au revoir x

Something for the weekend: London style guide

sommer7 — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 15:54:11 +0000

If you’re anything like me you love to explore and find one-off quirky boutiques, bars, restaurants and other hidden gems. My friend Zoe bought me the London style guide for my birthday that just happens to be a mini bible on all of the above. Its written by Saska Graville and she promises to get under the skin of London and introduce you to off the radar places that only locals know. What makes this book stand out for me is the fact that she features in-the-know locals, like Abigail Ahern and their favourite haunts. The design of the book is pretty cool too with loads of photos to help bring it to life. In London it can be so easy to stick with what you know so I’ve made it my mission to discover new places each weekend using this book.

Hope you’ve got a fun weekend planned. xx

Happiness is marriage bliss

sommer7 — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 19:54:49 +0000

Hello it’s been such a long time since my last post and I’ve missed you. I’ve kinda been busy though. Doing some stuff. Nothing special, just planning a wedding, getting married etc. So, I haven’t had a chance to blog for a while but I’m back and I’m sporting a new name. That’s right folks, I’m no longer Sommer Kiely. You are now looking at, wait for it…. Sommer Pyne. It has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? With a name like this there are a whole world of opportunities. I was joking with my friends that I could launch my own brand of toilet fresheners. Sommer Pyne Freshness maybe??? Ha ha maybe not. It does feel incredible though to be married to my beautiful husband. I still giggle when I refer to Will as my husband as it feels so grown up and I’m such a kid at heart. I wonder if I’ll ever get used to that. Or just grow up for that matter!

Our wedding ~~day~~ weekend extravaganza was the most beautiful and incredible experience of my life and I’m still buzzing. It’s hard to explain the emotions I felt on the day but it was like that feeling you get when you’re a child the night before Christmas. Only 10 times better because you’re there to celebrate the love you have for a very special person and the most important people in your life are there with you for the same reason. Then throw into the mix the beautiful countryside of Ibiza, sunshine, sangria, great food and dancing all night. The result? Me being more deliriously happy than I’ve ever been. It felt like a very good dream that you don’t want to wake up from but you know you have to at some point. I can’t believe how quickly it went after months and months of planning but I can’t complain because I now have some incredible memories that I will hold onto forever.

My our friends have been so lovely and have been posting photos and messages on Facebook which was so nice to come back to. It’s helped keep the dream alive and every time I need a pick me up I just scroll through all the photos of our friends and family having fun. I can’t wait to share our whole wedding day with you and everything we did to make it so special. As soon as I get the professional photos all will unfold.

After saying goodbye to our friends and family, which by the way was so hard after having such an amazing time with them, we took some much needed time out in Ibiza. There were definitely some tears especially when I had to say goodbye to my brother and sister who were heading back to OZ. So to get over our post wedding blues and the stress of the last nine months we did what we do best: Ate, drank and laid around like lizards in the sun, rolling in and out of the pool. We stayed at Es Cucons which is a lovely boutique hotel in the top north of the Island and is also very special because our friends got married there last year. A five minute bike ride from the hotel takes you to the cliff top views you can see below. Another favourite haunt of ours is El Chringuito beach restaurant for the ambience and food. Imagine a white-washed interior with day beds that look out to sweeping ocean views of Formentera and Dalt Vila with Baleric tunes playing in the background, whilst sipping on ice-cold rose. Its pure bliss and you won’t want to leave. To get there you need to drive past the salt plains and you can often see pink flamingos. And of course no trip to Ibiza would be complete without having cocktails or dinner at KM5. There are so many amazing places to mooch around in Ibiza and the best place to get the lowdown is White Ibiza.

It was good to reflect and refocus my energy and think about the future and all the possibilities that it holds for us. I’m a big believer in dreams and this year and next is about making those dreams a reality. Dream big x

A class act: Abigail Ahern’s Master Class

sommer7 — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:33:14 +0000

Last week I participated in Abigail Ahern’s master class on how to decorate her way, which is all about being bold, breaking the rules and creating new ones. The design school is in her jaw-droppingly beautiful house in trendy East London, which has a sublime interior. As I ~~walked~~ ran through her door (I was running late and in a bit of a panic after getting lost) I was enveloped by the rich inky coloured walls and eclectic spirit of the room. This is the kind of house that moves and inspires you. The aesthetics of the house are dramatic and bold with a bit of humour thrown in. Abigail plays with proportions of scale by using oversized chandeliers and mirrors to create that Alice in Wonderland feel, mixed with unexpected decorative items at different heights plus layers of texture using pops of colour through textiles and flowers, all played against dark walls.

The workshop was informal yet fun and full of great tips and advice. Abigail spent the morning taking us through her design mantra using real life visuals to illustrate her points. She also shared her sources for art, furniture and decorative items, which I thought was a nice touch. On a practical note she also gave advice on where it’s important to spend and where you can save when decorating.

One of the highlights of the day was when we were let loose to explore her home with no room off-limits. I took advantage of this and took as many photos I could of her beautiful space for inspiration. We were asked not to share any photos online as she is about to release another book, so you’ll just have to go out and buy her book to see her latest decorative tips. The images I have used today are courtesy of The Selby. To be in her home and to see her design principles put into practice made this day so unique. Sometimes you have to see it first-hand to really understand how something will look as so much can get lost in two dimensional photos.

I came away from the day feeling really inspired with loads of new ideas and a bundle of new sources to explore. I would highly recommend the design school for anyone interested in interior design, working in interior design or just wanting to get inspiration for your home. If you go to Agbigail’s website you’ll find all the information you need to enrol in the NY or London classes. For all my Aussie peeps you’ll be happy to know that the Master Class is coming your way in October but you better get in quick as I imagine it will get booked up pretty quickly.

I would love to hear from other people who have done a class with Abigail and what they thought of the day.

Wedding dress inspiration

sommer7 — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 09:19:40 +0000

Silver sequin backless dress by Clinton Lotter at Blackburn Bridal Couture

Your wedding dress is probably one of the most extravagant purchases you will make but for good reason. Your wedding day is likely to be the most romantic and memorable day of your life and the wedding dress will impact the way you feel. I don’t know about you but I want to feel my most confident and glamorous self ready to rock that aisle. There’s every chance I will fall flat on my face as I’m sure my legs will be trembling with fear as I negotiate the aisle.

My advice when choosing your wedding dress is to have an idea of what you are looking for but also be open-minded because often what looks good in an editorial spread may not suit your body type. I wanted my dress to be elegant, sophisticated but also a little bit sexy, with a nod to old Hollywood glamour. A lot of the dresses that I loved on the rack had gorgeous layered material and detailed embellishments but they just didn’t complement my body shape. The dress that I fell for was a lot simpler in design but really complemented my body shape, which I think is important. I also knew it was the right one because my best friend Hayley cried, which can’t be a bad sign. Here are some beautiful dresses that I love which will hopefully give you inspiration in finding your perfect wedding dress.

Jenny Packham Bridal

Temperley London

Elie Saab Couture

The last six images are from a designer in Israel called Inbal Dror who I just stumbled upon via. The dresses and website are absolutely gorgeous I only wish I heard about this designer six months earlier.

Living walls

sommer7 — Sun, 01 Jul 2012 18:09:15 +0000

I love the idea of bringing the outside in and an easy way to do this is through the use of plants. It’s usually about this time of the year when I do my flower boxes and plant herbs but sadly the weather has been pathetic here in the UK and there ain’t much sun about. So I love the idea of indoor vertical gardening, also great if you don’t have much floor space to work with. One day when I build my dream house I plan to have a whole wall covered in tropical plants. In the meantime I have found a great and affordable solution called woolly pockets, which you can find here.

A light bulb moment

sommer7 — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 12:01:48 +0000

I absolutely love these crystal light bulbs by Lee Broom. The combination of industrial influences and the delicate hand-blown crystal is very clever and the end result is oh so cool. Broom has collaborated with experts at Cumbria Crystal, the sole remaining producer of handmade English full lead crystal in the UK. I’ll have three please! x

Step into a beautiful era

sommer7 — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 08:26:07 +0000

When I walk through the doors of Les Trois Garcons I feel like I’m being transported to a beautiful era just like in the movie Midnight in Paris. Behind the unassuming facade of a converted East End pub, is a decadent fantasy world that will stir the childlike curiosity in you. Picture high ceilings with large crystal chandeliers, taxidermied animals in costume jewellery, dark wood panelling with olive velvet green drapes and an eclectic mix of vintage ornaments and art. The interior is unconventionally beautiful and if you’re into interiors it will take your breath away. The modern french cuisine is good but the incredible surroundings are definitely a pleasant distraction.

They have also opened a lifestyle boutique called Maison Trois Garcons in Shoreditch London, which I visited last week. It’s just near the restaurant and their bar, Loungelover. The shop contains a mixture of antique, vintage and contemporary pieces sourced from England, France and Sweden. Maison Trois Garcons also provides a search-and-find and interior design service. Unfortunately I didn’t have my camera with me but I managed to find some images via Heart Home magazine.

Happy Friday hope you have a fun-filled weekend xxx

Great expectations

sommer7 — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 15:36:58 +0000

It’s something every girl dreams of doing some day. The idea of getting married, and having the wedding of your dreams holds such huge romantic appeal. It’s a day you hope will be cherished forever. It’s the celebration of two people in love on a journey, and one that you’ll share with all the special people in your life. But with the romanticism comes a big dose of pressure. Expectations can be all-consuming, and with the explosion of wedding blogs and magazines you don’t have to look hard to see fairy tale weddings taking place left, right and centre! You crave that picture perfect wedding and will stop at nothing to achieve it. Easier said than done of course; with your brain teaming with ideas and preconceptions about how you want your big day to unfold, at first it can be pretty daunting! The first hurdle is choosing your theme, and from this everything should flow.

I love the glamour and elegance of the 1920s so I used this as a starting point for the overall look and feel of our wedding. I wanted our wedding to be modern with touches of vintage. My hubby to be was adamant that he didn’t want it to be shabby chic or garden party vintage. So we agreed that our overall style would be reminiscent of Old Hollywood Glamour with a modern twist. Having a theme really helped channel my ideas when thinking about my dress, decorations and entertainment for the wedding.