Hallway lighting

Greenwood was a perfect blank canvas when I bought it a year ago. The walls were all a milky white and with the exception of the downstairs all the lighting was plain and awaiting my personal touch.

A year later and I have finally got round to sorting the hallway and bedroom lighting. I mentioned previously that I had bought a light fixture for the bedroom but not yet had it put up, well after coming back from Austin I had more holiday money left over than anticipated and finally forced myself to buy the hallway lights I had been deliberating over for several months.

The difficulty is that I needed three lights for the main landing on the first floor and one for the top of the stairs on the second floor and ideally I wanted them to be a bit of a statement but also the same.

Since the landing is a slightly funny narrow Victorian shape I also wanted something relatively slim that would not over power the space and it did not feel right seeking something ultra-modern.

I once read that lighting is the jewelry of a room and I think that is particularly the case in a thoroughfare such as a hallway where there is no furniture and lighting and art become more important.

I spent a lot of time looking at period appropriate lighting and whilst I love these, the upturned glass fixture would have required regular dusting and cleaning to make sure that dust did not collect and I felt that was not realistic for me given my lifestyle.

I wanted a fixture that would allow enough light to be thrown but was not clear glass which would show dirt to easily. So I started looking at opaque glass fittings which would throw lots of light but not require lots of upkeep.

Colour wise the handles and light switches in the house are all brushed chrome but I am not a lover of chrome light fixtures, and found myself drawn to brass, burnished brass and black light fittings.

As the ceilings and floors are not completely even in my house the fittings needed to be adaptable so they could be made shorter depending upon the ceiling height. This meant looking at chain lights with links which can be removed to make them the perfect height.

In the end I settled on a schoolhouse design with a black fitting and white cloudy glass fitting. The school house lights have been around since the 1920’s and was a style adopted in libraries, schools and other public buildings. Given that electricity did not reach most homes until after World War One they are also of an era when Greenwood probably first had electricity which gave a good nod to the history of the house. The style is both classic, throws a soft clear light which was perfect for the hallway.

The ones I bought came from Homelava and were £61.25 each, as they came from China there was also postage costs of about £13. I would say that had I not paid for an electrician it would have been very difficult to put the lights up ourselves as they had to be put together and there were no instructions.

I have put together some other traditional style lights that were in the running for the hallway in case you are interested. 

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Wardrobe: Finishing Touches

At the start of the year I realised that I had a pretty workable wardrobe, yes there were things that would need replacing or a hem fixing, but as a whole it fitted my professional work and my weekends and evenings.

It did however feel a bit stale, I had not really invested in the foundations that take an outfit from functional to memorable. There were certain outfits that did have a bit much more wow such as anything paired with my olive green leather skirt. But I had a statement necklace at the end of its life, I was overly reliant on a few pairs of shoes and I had not invested in the classic items that you can wear no matter what your size is.

So I decide that I would make 2018, the year of investing in the extras or finishing touches which make or break an outfit.

I set myself a few rules;

1. This was an investment

By this I mean it had to be something that I would want to treat with care and be bothered about if I lost it or it broke. It had to be an item that I valued as an investment but that did not mean that it needed to be hundreds of pounds.

2. Pin it before buying

I created a private Pinterest board to pin everything that I was considering. Seeing items side by side enabled me to assess similar items against each other to determine which if any I wanted to invest in.

3. It had to fit my lifestyle

By this it needed to be something I could still see myself enjoying and using. For instance if I buy a small wallet I will never use it as it would not have sufficient compartments or sections for all my receipts etc. Likewise I know there’s no point getting small work bags as I have to carry a lot of stuff.

4. Avoid “fashion” colours

There seems to be an IT colour/s ever season which has the tendency to make something age quickly. For instance I’ve not worn lilac since a particular Miss Selfridge skirt when I was 14, it is not a colour I’m invested in and although it’s everywhere at the moment it’s not a colour I would select myself so why would I buy a scarf in lilac?

5. I had to be able to think of at least 5 outfits it would work with if not more

There’s no point buying something that doesn’t work with my existing wardrobe as I just will not end up using it. The finishing touches are there to bring together and enhance what you already own so buying something that required a whole new wardrobe would be a redundant purchase.

I’m going to share how I decided upon the finishing touches I select and the alternatives for those looking to invest. Starting next week with my first purchase.

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Showstopper under £100: Evermore London candle

 As someone who enjoys the luxury of sitting reading in a room with a glass of wine and a scented candle flickering in the background, I have burnt through more than my fair share of candles.

Since I randomly discovered Evermore Candles whilst searching notonthehighstreet for a birthday present, I have become ever so slightly obsessed this brand and I am working my way through there catalog of candles. Needless to say the first candle I bought as gift had to be repurchased for the intended recipient! 

Who is the Company:

Evermore London is an Independent company was founded by Sarah Deane, in 2015 and it is based in East London. She had been working in London for several years when she decided to start the company. 

Best known for their candles using organic coconut oil, they also produce rooms sprays and potpourri in their signature Moon scent. 

In addition they have a candle making kit for those who want to try blending their own unique scent and make customized candle favors for weddings. 

Sarah has also spoken in the press of her intentions to expand the companies offerings to include soaps and homeward in the next year. 

Where have I seen them: 

On Instagram, and hidden in last weeks post about my bedroom.

Oh and they have won a tonne of recognition as an Independent company and for their products. For instance in December 2017 the North candle was featured in Vogue as one of the Top Christmas candles.

Which I can vouch for as we bought a North Candle after my other half declared that our Christmas tree did not smell "Christmassy" enough. The mix of Frankincense, Patchouli and Myrrh was the perfect mix for wintry nights near a fire. 

What makes them different:

Unlike larger brands, Evermore candles are all made in small batches and hand poured. The small batch production process enables them to offer a personalised candle service in their signature scent for customers.

The company aim to use the purest organic ingredients in their candles. There is a commitment to ensure that they provide the best possible product for instance they moved away from using soy wax in their candles as it was not possible to get a truly organic soy wax due to the product process. They now using a blend of coconut and plant based waxes to create their products.

They have a clean burn and each candle you order online comes with a personalised note from Sarah and clear care instructions to make sure that you get the most out of your candle.

The degree of attention to detail makes their candles stand out from competitors with the simple but stylish packing designed to fit in whatever your homes aesthetic is. The screw lid is designed to ensure that no dust can affect the burn quality.

Why are they a showstopper:

In a luxury candle market it’s very difficult to come up with a product that  stands out but the scent combinations of Evermore have the ability to feel nostalgic whilst remaining vibrant and unique.

They use the concept of a memory, albeit a season or time of year, and then create the scent to invoke that feeling.

Take their signature scent of Moon where the headiness of rose is balanced by balmy wordiness of clary sage and the warmth of amber to invoke the feeling of walking through a rose garden at midnight.

Indeed they treat their candles like a Fine fragrance with the top, mid and base notes, giving them a depth missing from some other candle brands.

For Valentines day this year they created the Blush Candle with an unusual blend of lilac flowers, juniper berry and ylang ylang for a pure floral scent which remains fresh. 

My pick: 

The 250ml Moon candle £25 

It reminds me of the delicate headiness of Turkish Delight

Where can I get them:

Evermore London 

Not on the High Street

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How my bedroom helps me sleep

Well following my post last week the new bed arrived and I thought I would share a few pictures of the current state of the bedroom.

We have not done a lot to the master bedroom yet but there are a few changes and steps we have taken to help us sleep. Whilst I generally find it easy to sleep my boyfriend often suffers from bouts of insomnia so I have always have in mind what will improve his quality of sleep. Consequently when we first moved into the house the focus was upon sleep hygiene with aesthetics being secondary.

Blackout Blinds

I know it is fairly obvious but blackout blinds for the bedroom were the first purchase for the house, to make sure that the bedroom is as dark as possible when trying to sleep. The house did not have any window dressings upstairs when we moved in and I am really glad that we visited the house between the offer being accepted and the purchase going through to measure the bedroom windows which meant that the blinds were read and able to be put in when we moved in. We had one night without them, as we could not find the electric drill, and I am eternally grateful that it was only one night. 

Given the interesting angles of the room I felt that blinds would work better than blackout curtains and the Roman Blinds were dressier and sophisticated that a roller blind.

I love the look of jute blinds but they do not block out enough light so I looked at alternative fabrics that were a similar colour and had a bit of texture. I ordered these ones from Blinds2go in Linen Chic which combines Pure linen and Eternity Linen in a sandy mushroom and a warm grey edge with Blackout backing. Although they are relatively simple the linen gives them interest and the colours work well with the grey carpet.  

Swap the light bulbs

Talking of light, we swapped the existing cool white light bulb for a warm white LED light bulb to reduce our exposure to blue based light before trying to sleep. We have not yet swapped out the basic light fixing for Black and Brass ceiling fixture, as I want to get an electrician to come and replace it, as well as put in a dimmer switch to assist with winding down our exposure to light before going to bed.

We also use warm white light bulbs in the bedside lamps. The bedside lamps, are these ones by Globen lighting through Scandinavian Design website. As they plug in and come with European plug sockets, we bought these permanent plugconverters from amazon that you screw onto the light fitting.

We slightly knocked the bedside lights when we put the bed together so they ended up a little crooked in the photographs.

The Right Bedding

I previously mentioned that we reordered the same mattress as I had on the double bed since we found it comfortable and it worked for a back and a side sleeper. It is a memory foam bed which has been treated to prevent it reflecting too much heat back.

When we looked at buying new pillows, I keep a record for a week about the position we slept in before deciding that we both needed pillows for side sleepers. Whilst I would love to have Hungarian Goose Down pillows they are an extravagance whilst there are still other things to get for the house. Instead we have these White Company Duck Feather Pillows and Pillow covers since neither of us is allergic.

We also have a duvet which comes in two parts which clicks together meaning that we can tailor the warmth of the duvet depending on how cold it is outside. If you really struggle and need a different level of cover than your partner you could always try the Swedish tradition of separate single duvets in matching fabric.

Linen Bed sheets

When I accidently dyed a very expensive white Egyptian cotton duvet pink (thank you stray red sock!) I researched what fabrics were best to help regulate your body temperature and stumbled across various articles about the benefits of linen sheets. We bought these 100% linen ones from TKMaxx for £50 for a king size set which is incredible value compared to others I have seen.

I did not notice a huge impact when we initially switched to linen covers but come the summer months they were a god send and since they look best crumpled (trying to iron them is fruitless) they have the advantage of being pretty low maintenance compared to other bedding.

In case you are interested the second set of pillow covers is from the John Lewis Croftcollection and is off white and slate stripe. We also have a Moroccan Blanket which works like a weighted blanket as it is very heavy, which can help when feeling restless to reduce your movements.

Air cleaning plant

At the beginning of the year we went to Homebase to buy more plants for the Study and I picked up a peace Lily for the bedroom (there were a lot of Hot Fuzz references made for the week following that purchase) to help with air quality in the bedroom.

According to NASA research Peace Lilies are excellent at removing the following pollutants from the air; benzene, formaldehyde, ammonia, trichloroethylene, xylene and toluene. Which means that they will help improve the quality of the air you breathe in during your sleep.

They also increase air humidity by up to 5% which has the benefit of reducing the effects of low humidity which include; static energy, dry skin and hair and helps with respiratory conditions.

There are other plants which have similar effects but Peace Lilies are resilient to my notorious plant neglect since they only need watering once a week and can survive you forgetting to open the blinds. They are however toxic so you need them out of the reach of pets and children.

Texture over pattern

One thing you may have noticed from my pictures is that we have not gone for lots of pattern in the room and other than the vintage rugs; we have used white, warm neutrals, shades of grey with brass and black fittings.

We intentionally chose texture for interest over patterns to make the room feel as cosy and calming as possible without distracting us whilst we try to get to sleep. Any shapes and patterns used in the room are geometric or circular rather than floral or abstract to ensure consistency.

I am not sure if it will completely stay that way, we need to get a fire place for the other end of the room which I did not take a photo of, but anything we add will need to be carefully considered to ensure that it does not create undue distractions when going to sleep.

Scent

Pretty much everything I have ever read about aromatherapy and sleep recommends that you use lavender. I personally find lavender overwhelming and it tends to give me a headache so I band it from the house and give it a wide berth.

I do however use a jasmine as a substitute fragrance to assist in relaxing. A Study undertaken in Germany in 2010 found that the scent of Jasmine had a similar effect on people’s mood to valium consequently it helps relieve anxiety and improve the quality of sleep.

You could always buy a Jasmine plant for your bedroom or you can try room sprays and air diffusers with jasmine. You could also try Calm pulse point balm from Kiss the Moon to help you wind down which is Jasmine rather than Lavender based.

We currently have White Company's Cashmere diffuser which has notes of Jasmine as well as tuberose and cashmere woods which to my mind is the smell of comforting luxury. I have put a few suggestions below if you like me suffer from lavender induced headaches.

I hope I have given you some ideas to help you sleep, let me know if you have any of your own sleep tips. 

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What I realised searching for a new Bed...

When I first moved into the Greenwood I knew that I was going to upgrade my existing double bed, which had been bought for my smaller previous house, for a slightly larger king sized bed. However, I was bed-sitting my friends queen bed (in my spare bedroom) there was no immediate need to start looking.

Fast forward to December 2017, and my friend moved into her new house just as my family where coming to stay for the holidays meaning that my double bed needed to relocated to the spare room and I need to look seriously at a replacement bed.

Picking a mattress was simple; I just repurchased my existing mattress in the larger size. However deciding upon a bed base was painful and it took two months of constantly refreshing websites in the desperate hope that I would be inspired. My boyfriend had given me carte blanche over selecting the bed which added to the pressure.

The only things I knew with any certainty were that I did not want a foot board, I did not like divan bases and it needed to be king sized. As my other half goes through periods were sleeping is difficult I value sleep hygiene and a pared back bedroom that has few distractions and this needed to be taken into account when picking a bed.

But as I started to look at beds, that the bed frames that I was considering as possibilities did not feel right or did not fit with my concept of my taste and style. So what had changed?

I still loved my original bed but did not want to order the same again. My previous bed base was the Fredd by Habitat in Charcoal Grey which had a mid-century influence with the reassuring comfort of the thick head board perfect for reading in bed. I love it and had lusted over it for months before I bought it in 2014, but I did not want to have two beds exactly the same.

There was also a little voice that made me question if I would pick it again? I was also thinking about tweaks I could make to the guest room and it dawned on me that I would never have considered the colour scheme for the guest room at my previous house, so what had changed?

The Greenwood is Victorian end of terrace property that comes with all the eccentricities of Victorian walls and high ceilings, whilst it has been completely modernised the space feels completely different compared to my previous house. The roominess allows for more drama and less restraint is needed. There are more rooms which gives me more freedom and opportunity to experiment. Pattern adds rather than overwhelms and clean modern lines without softness do not have the same impact with the character of the house.

It was then that I realised that I was still looking at beds that would work in my old bedroom but not really thinking about how the new house needed something a bit different.

As soon as I started thinking about what would suit the room and kept the pared back feel that we like in a bedroom, picking a new bed was far simpler. Considering the space opened up possibilities that I might previously have rejected that still fit the aesthetic I had in mind.

In the end we kept with a similar colour palette, choosing the Ariana graphite grey upholstered bed, which is a slightly more traditional design with a winged dimpled headboard without the added fuss of buttons and traditional curved legs which contrast nicely against the campaign style bedside tables.

The Bed arrives tomorrow so next week I will give you a seek peak of how the bedroom looks and the steps we take to make it easier to sleep. 

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My go to workplace makeup when you have no time

I have a rather ambivalent relationship with make up. I am perfectly happy going on nights out and to work without wearing any, however, if I know I have to attend a hearing or go to a conference I try to make sure that I look more polished. Then there are the occassions where last minute I have to go to a meeting or see a client in which case I have a few products that I always reach for that I thought I would share.

Under eye concealer

I personally do not wear foundation day to day as my skin has always been pretty clear and that slightly awkward pale shade where foundation looks orangey or obviously fake. I do however have slightly dark circles (pale skin problems) that need a lift and I tend to reach for Bobbi Brown's under eye brightener to help me look like I have slept properly. Unfortunately this product was discontinued and has been replaced with Instant Full Coverage Concealer which I recently tested and will be purchasing once the existing product runs out.

Mascara 

If there was one product that makes you instantly look more done it is mascara. I tend to buy miniatures as they do not go off, or dry before I need to replace them. When I bought full sized mascaras I found that I had to throw them out whilst there was still a lot of product. Plus they are convenient to carry in a handbag. Currently I am using Benefit Roller Lash which you can buy as a miniature in larger Boots.

Eyeliner

You can get away without wearing eye shadow and still look "done" with a slick of gel or liquid eyeliner. I prefer the Bobbi Brown long wear gel eyeliners as they really grip and last all day and dries without looking flaky or harsh. I tend to use either Steel ink (a rich navy that looks like a soft blue black with a hint of shimmer) or Espresso ink (a matte true brown). I use the Real Techniques silicone eyeliner brush with gel eyeliner as it gives a real good fine line and the silicone is incredibly easy to clean after use.

For days where I am in more of a rush or I suddenly find myself being called into a meeting I use Rimmel's Wonder Wing eyeliner which is a felt tip style eyeliner. At first the tip looks like its a funny shape but is designed to be used as a stamp to create a precise and symmetrical wing of eyeliner at the edge of the eye and then the tip can draw a line across the eyelid. It only comes in true black and I wish that there was either a very dark grey version or a black/brown version which would be more flattering on days where I look a little tired.

Cream Blusher/Multiples

I always think that I look fresher if I have a little blusher on and with dry skin cream blusher are particularly flattering and can often be dabbed on lips as well for a little extra colour.
Bobbi Brown again comes up trumps with Pot Rouge for lips and cheeks. I currently have Fresh Melon which works well with my freckles and cool toned skin but there is a whole range of different colours to flatter.

I also used Charlotte Tilbury's Beach stick in Moon Beach which is a shimmery peach shade and is a slightly dryer formula which is better for days where you feel like you need a little glow.

Tinted Lip balm 

Whilst the Blushes I use can also be applied to lips I like to use Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy lips for a hint of colour which will not dry out my lips in air conditioning

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Showstopper under £100: Lumitrix Lumiprint Range

Once a month I will identify a "Showstopper" range or item that I personally rate and enjoy that is under £100. They will all be items that I personally have paid for and want to share.

So what makes something a showstopper? One definition of a show stopper is  "Something that is striking or has great popular appeal." Well I guess these are the items that I consider to be striking. 

This month I want to introduce you to the Lumiprint range by Lumitrix with a standard price point of £60 for a A1 photography print. 

Who is the Company : 

Lumitrix is a online retailer of limited edition Fine Art photography similar the the concept of the American Tappan collective, but is instead based in the UK so there are no import taxes. 

They started off by selling the Lumiprint range (more of that below) but expanded into the Fine Art Range which offers limited edition prints in A3 to A0 ranging from editions of 100 for a A3 print to 25 for the A0 print. 

They have an eclectic mix of photographers from arround the world and they can be searched by their bio, which gives some details of their inspiration, preferred style and preferred camera. 

Where have I seen them: 

Lots of places! They are gaining a significant reputation and have appeared in magazines such as Grazia, Decor, Country and Town House, in newspapers such as the Daily Mail, The Independant, Bloggers such as Lucy Williams of Fashion me now and the Frugality. 

The Artist residence in Brighton, one of the most instagramable hotels has some of their prints including Beats by Lisa Cervone. 

What makes it different: 

The Lumiprint Range, which is how Lumitrix started out, offers large lithographic A1 prints for an affordable £60 in editions of 500. There are a few images priced a little lower at £50. 

At the time of writing this there were 39 potential prints in the Lumiprint range with a mix of abstract, landscape, still life, classical and more experimental photography. Some such as African Boy by Matilda Temperley may be familiar to you from magazines whilst Banoo Batliboo's overlayed sculpture photographs offer a new discovery. 

Many of the Lumpitrint photos are also offered in the Fine Art Range but some are exclusive to the Lumprint range alone. 

The size of the prints means that you get a big statement for a relatively affordable price. Lumitrix offer a framing service for between £45-£50 or you can buy them frameless. They even include framing recomendations as to how to make the imagine pop the most and offer a framing sample service. 

I personally took my print to a framer because I wanted to have the same frame as another print I already owned, which was much more expensive. However the A1 size does give you the option of buying a cheap frame. 

Why it's a showstopper:

High impact photography at reasonable price point that creates a talking point. 

To quote the woman in the framers "I can't believe that was a photograph." 

My personal pick: 

I used some birthday money to buy Salt Flats by Steve Beck which is an aerial photograph of the Hutt Lagoons salt flats in Australia. 

I love the fact that the landscape looks like an abstract painting. 

Highly rated:  

For lovers of Gray Malin's work- Bondi Beach by Louisa Seaton

For boho lovers: American Saddle by Astrid Harrison

For minimalists: Aqua Bubble by Steven Glass 

Where can I get it:

Lumitrix Website 

all images taken from Lumitrix website

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