Distressed Leather Style

ec·lec·tic

adjective

Selecting or choosing from various sources. 

~ Noting or pertaining to works of architecture, decoration, landscaping, etc., produced by a certain person or during acertain period, that derive from a wide range of historicstyles, the style in each instance often being chosen for itsfancied appropriateness to local tradition, local geography, the purpose to be served, or the cultural background of the client.

Nothing screams eclectic design to me more than the placement of a beautifully distressed  leather chair or lounge to add masculine touches to otherwise softly decorated rooms.

Scroll down to see how a distressed leather piece can be used in various spaces to make eclectic impact.

via Luxury D3sign

Via Brown Dress with White Dots

Via French By Design

Via From Scandinavia With Love

Via 1st Option

via designspirationsk

Via my fotolog

Via Mood Board

Via Mood Board

via farm8

Happy eclectic styling everyone and Happy New Year!

Love, Lauren

Merry Christmas from Love, Thomas

Love, Thomas would like to extend our warm wishes to you for a very Merry Christmas! 

May your day be filled with love, family, inspiration and beauty.

Via Vosgesparis

The year has whizzed by fast and furiously, and not without at least one major happening. In June, we welcomed our very own little Love, Thomas baby, Lola Anne. Both the Love, Thomas ladies were there to witness the magic of Lola's arrival, and what would be one of the most magical events of our friendship.

This year we began our journey documenting some of our favourite interior inspiration. We hope that you have enjoyed reading what we have compiled for you (and for our own sheer pleasure, of course) and we hope that 2012 brings with it loads more inspiration for you to soak up.

Many thanks for reading! 

Merry Christmas.

Love,

Holly and Lauren

Beat the chill: Cosy up your home this chilly season

While my fellow blogger Lauren is feeling the heat over in Australia, it’s getting increasingly chilly here in the Netherlands. Autumn came and went in the blink of an eye and we are feeling winter’s chill. Getting cosy is on my mind…

Design Attractor

There's something magical about this little Scandinavian living room to me. I would love to be sitting in front of this little stove with a good book in my lap, a cup of tea on the little sidetable and my toes sunk into that deliciously warm sheepsking rug...

Via Dressed by Style

A lovely thick beadspread helps to keep the chill off on those cold wintry nights. A warm rug keeps those toes from freezing off. This bright and breezy bedroom looks ready for winter.

Country Living

This thick cable knit throw (Martha Stewart Collection) has cosy written all over it. I adore the antique cast iron bed frame too!

Paul Massey via Living Etc.

Another beautiful knitted throw is a great example of how to cosy up your bedroom for chilly nights in the simplest way possible.

Anthropologie

I love Anthropologie's knitted "Heirloom" throw! It has a fun quirkiness about it and a rainbow of pretty colours to brighten up gray, wintry days.

Anthropologie

Speaking of Anthropologie, how sweet is this "Oh to dream" quilt cover? With it's whimsical charm and soft pastelly colour pallete, it's lovely for big and little kids alike.

Via

Though minimalist and fuss free in its design, this living room is given the cosy factor through the addition of a faux fur on the leather couch. 

Sending you warm and fuzzy thoughts from chilly Holland!

Love, Holly

Mirror Mirror

“Life is like a mirror: If I smile, the mirror returns to me a smile.  The attitude I take toward life is the same that life will take toward me.” ~ Gandhi

With that in mind, what better reason to include mirrors in your home, if for no other reason than to keep an eye on what we are giving to the world.

Any of you that have been reading for a while, will remember my passion for artwork clusters. A similarly striking effect can be produced with clusters of mirrors, with the added benefits that mirrors can bring to your home, such as increased light, the illusion of more space and a handy place to apply your lipstick.

Via Growers and Nomads

Via homeimprovementcenterus.blogspot.com

Via interiorgallerydesign.com

Via Solid Frog

Via Martha Stewart

Via Interior Holic

If you like the clustered mirror look but lack the motivation to cluster them yourself, Anthropologie have this beautiful rustic mirror cluster available to buy online.

Via Anthropologie

Antique and ornate hand mirrors provide another beautiful option for mirror clusters with an old world feel.

Via Sian Evans

A lavish mirror can replace the need for a focal artwork in your rooms, while providing enhanced natural or even fire lighting.

Via marieclairemaison.com

Via luxuryd3sign.tumblr.com

Via Trendir.com

If you are lucky enough to have large walls to fill, then utilizing a very grand mirror can have a beautiful effect.

Via locationworks.com

Via Elle Decor

"Do you want to meet the love of your life? Look in the mirror." ~ 

Byron Katie 

Lauren x

Sweet dreaming: headboards to inspire

I’m dreaming of gorgeous headboards. There are so many beautiful and original ideas out there to create one of your own. Here are some ideas to suit any style.

Shelterness

This has got to be one of the most cost effective 'headboards' I have seen, but I love the simplicity and interchangeability of it. All you need is some chalkboard paint and a steady hand.

Graham & Co.

This wall of vintage books stacked neatly in built-in shelving is so simple yet makes a huge statement, especially against crisp white linen. The wooden ceiling just completes the picture. I love this idea for a guest room. It just looks cosy and inviting, is busy and rich in detail but not cluttered in the slightest.

Bella Notte via Bodie and Fou

 I love this antique brass headboard against an otherwise minimalist and contemporary backdrop.

House Tweaking

This headboard was created by Dana from the gorgeous blog House Tweaking out of a few planks of salvaged wood, a lick of yellow paint and not much else. The uneven edges and rough texture of the wood give it a rustic feel, while the yellow painted 'Love' and matching ruffled cushion inject a splash of fun. Learn how to create one of your own here.

Letters of Vintage

This bedroom also has a distinct rustic feel to it, thanks to the gorgeous wooden headboard, It looks striking against the navy wall too. This romantic room would be fitting in a country cottage, with sprawling gardens overflowing with pretty blooms like the ones on the bedside table... 

Dreamy Whites

I have always loved this room for its creative use of old barn doors as a headboard and its distinct vintage aesthetic. The chandelier adds a touch of sparkle and glamour to the room, while the vintage sideboard and folding chair give it that country cottage feel.

Creative Inspiration via Sweet Home Style

Here is another example of using old wooden doors as a headboard. The one in this ecclectic bedroom is slightly lower than the previous one, but still creates a statement and looks very balanced. The hints of blue in the wood are picked up in the bed linen, and the fuschia roses complete this very pretty picture.

The Shabby Nest

If you are lucky enough to live in a home that sports an original mantel piece, then I just adore this idea of turning the mantel into a headboard. It is truly the central point of this feminine bedroom. I adore that side bench too!

Not my beautiful home

The detailing in this headboard is so rich that little else is needed in this room or it would be too intense. White linen works really well against the blush and charcoal pallette.

Lonny Magazine July/August 2011 issue

I saw this headboard in the July/August issue of Lonny Magazine. It is rather contemporary and would be quite easy to recreate. Some plywood and foam to create the board, covered with a heavy material and studded with brass studs in a pattern you like. Seems like a no brainer to me and it looks great, wiht just the right amount of detailing.

The Valentin bed from Sofa.com

Sofa.com have a lovely range of fabric headboards, this one being no exception. It's a classic quilted headboard which would work well with lots of different styles. I particularly like how it takes on an industrial edge in the image above when paired with a bare concrete wall, unvarnished wooden floorboards and low hanging pendant lights. 

Which headboard is your favourite? 

Holly x

Map of my heart

Travel will always be one of my first loves. I love the excitement of buying your plane ticket and knowing that the action you have just taken is about to change your life in an unpredictable way. I love imagining how it will feel to be where you are heading, and knowing that, even if you have been many times before, it will be so different and so much more than you expect. I love the rush of take off, smiling nervously at your neighbour, the mystery of what is under your foil wrapped plane food and pretending you feel completely at ease in a metal missile miles above the ocean. I love counting the hours backwards and forwards and trying to imagine what time it is at home, and what time it is where you are going, and how you don't belong in either place high above it all.

I love the first glimpse of a new place, and the excitement that bubbles over as you realize that soon, it will belong to you and your story.  I love the way new languages and accents flow over you and change the way you think about your own language. I love returning to a place you have loved, to people you never stopped loving. I love everything about travel. Even the difficult things. It is all beautiful. So for me, to leave a place I have come to love, is as difficult as leaving a loved one. 

Hi Fi Weddings

In order to keep some connection to the streets I have walked and loved, I try to find  beautiful maps of each place I go to have on display when I return to my home life.

Flickr

There are many options to displaying maps in your home, whether you are looking for a very big display or an understated glimpse of the places you have loved. Cutting special parts of your map into small shapes to frame is a lovely and subtle idea.

Adorable Life

Was there somewhere that meant a lot to you and your significant other in your travels? Why not use your map at matting for  a photograph of the two of you in that place? It will strengthen the memories you both hold about that special time.

The Wives Book

Large scale maps of entire countries or continents can fuel your desire to travel to a new place and allow you to plan your route while adding quirky charm to your house.

Come Spy With Me

Securing a map with colours in harmony with your home behind glass doors adds interest and extra privacy. 

AMR Design

I love the idea of using maps in your child's room. The colours are not only calming but they provide an opportunity for your child to become familiar with what their world looks like (plus it's never to early to inspire a love of travel).

Super Punch

Soft neutral toned maps can be utilized as beautiful wallpaper in many different rooms  to bring your travels home with you.

AMR Design

Honestly wtf

Flickr

For the more adventurous travelling souls, large bright maps can add major impact to a room. This one below may work for your teenager's room or a dorm room.

Flickr

For a calmer approach, choose your favourite map and use it as your accent artwork. Hanging your map over your bed may just help you dream of all of your many adventures and inspire you to get back into that travel agent and purchase your next love affair.

paonote_room 269

Happy travels lovely readers.

Love,

Lauren