Hello friends! I am sitting here enjoying the glow from our Christmas tree in the corner of our living room, twinkle lights and branches on the mantle, and new gifts spread all around. : ) I’ve been having a lovely break, how about you? Ben is back to work now, but we still have family visiting so it feels like the holidays aren’t quite over yet. Today I am feeling inspired by Heart Home Magazine, a new e-magazine that launched this Fall, and it has a wonderfully welcoming and cozy feel. I wrote about their first issue here, and now their second issue is complete and looking gorgeous.
One of my favorite homes in this issue belongs to stylist Claire Morgan – that is her bedroom above. This image really grabbed me because I would love, love, love my bedroom to feel this comfortable and cozy. In fact, her entire home makes my heart go pitter-pat! Isn’t that stripped wood dresser amazing? Add in the white floors, faded floral duvet, vintage paintings and a fireplace and – sigh – I am in heaven.
Another bedroom in Claire’s home is just as charming with a lovely quilt, another fireplace (!), vintage mirror propped casually on the mantle, and a great wooden cupboard for clothes.
I love this look, it feels so British to me in the best possible way – comfy and inviting and completely unfussy, but still luxurious in its own way. In the States we are not so used to grand, sprawling homes with fireplaces in each room, and where they do exist they tend to be maintained and decorated within an inch of their lives. In Britain (and I realize this is a wide generalization) people seem to be more used to living with old things, from antique furniture to old homes, and they don’t feel bad about letting things get mussed up. For instance, imagine a great hall in a fancy home with a muddy pair of Wellies and a dog leash tossed by the door – I find that so charming!
Interior Consultant Sarah Ellison’s home, seen above, was another favorite. I love the contrast of the dark floor boards with slightly dirtied green walls and a gilt-framed mirror. Again, this is something that, to me anyway, would feel more adventurous here in the States. But I find that these muddy colors and dark (or light) floors are much more commonly seen in the UK.
Also in Sarah’s home was this neat little office arrangement. Much of it is simple, and full of great ideas for any home office, like using a matching set of simple kraft paper brown storage files and shelving in white to create an orderly backdrop. But then she threw in one fancy element in the hanging lamp – plain white from a distance, but lined with gorgeous copper. So pretty!
The last image I want to leave you with is this one from Claire Morgan’s home. Isn’t that chair incredible? It reminds me that it’s always good to keep a sharp eye out when shopping at flea markets and vintage shops – there are so many wonderful old chairs I’ve passed by because of a less-than-perfect back or seat, but why? You can always simply wrap the seat cushion with a pretty textile or drape a blanket over the back. : )
Well, that is all for now my dears, I hope you enjoyed this little peek into Heart Home as much as I did! Enjoy your holidays, and I plan on popping in once more before the New Year, so I will see you then. xo Laura
(images: Andrew Boyd and Oliver Gordon for Heart Home Magazine)
There are two PDF files available to download. The first is a Birthday Calendar (top), which I created because I am terrible at remembering birthdays and I am hoping to improve my record this year! The second is a New Year Intentions Journal which includes two pages – a blank “Letter to future me”, inspired by this annual tradition, and a fun journaling page (shown below) to get your ideas flowing.
