Scrumptious Living Rooms....

 

I was blown away by the lovely response from you guys after my last post. It was actually very motivating to carry on. 

So today, as there is finally an Autumn chill in the air here in Bristol, I am bringing you some yummy cozy living rooms. perfect tea drinking and book reading spots!! Just what I need as today is my first day back at university and I have plenty of catching up to do!

Love the low level velvet seating in the city centre apartment 

Hannah and Johns chilled out Venice Home

Farmhouse living room

Unless links provided, all Images can be found over on my Pinterest account.... where I have repinned them from others accounts. Sadly this usually means no link was provided. As always if you know the location, photographer etc, please let me know and I will alter the post ASAP.

Cozy Autumn/ Fall Living Rooms

Warm Rust Velvet Sofa

Cozy looking day bed

Cozy Sofa : Lucia LaFerme

Comfy sofa, bay window and a deerhound... the dream

I have recently come to the conclusion that my sofa is just not comfy. It is simply not deep or soft enough and is not a good place to relax, however with a 'spirited' 5 year old in the house I am not about to splash out on my dream sofa as chances is blue tack will be mashed into it within minutes... so I am looking to update the sofa by removing the back cushions and replacing them with some oversized soft ones and maybe a throw, for some extra cold weather comfort!!

So here is some comfy sofa inspiration for y'all :)

Gabi

Comfy sofa dressed with Hmong Textiles

Velvet comfort

Learning to relax.....

Today is a Good day

When I first went back to work after having my son I had a little freak out and decided to stop working permanently in the Emergency Department and instead went to work in a more chilled out area of nursing. In my new role I was lucky enough to have a great team, set shifts 3 days a week, run my own clinics, work no night shifts and in a job in which, nothing really stressful (or life threatening) ever happened...... problem is... I realised a while ago (whilst doing a locum shift in ED) that I actually quite like the crazy stressful world of Emergency Nursing.... so a couple of weeks ago I returned.

It is just as stressful, fast paced, upsetting and wonderful as I remembered and I am so happy I made the right choice. One of the added bonus's of the job is my choice of only doing one 12 hour shift a week thus enabling me to spend more time chilling/baking/painting/playing with my son before goes to school.... which is magic!!! However, as he is still in nursery one day a week I also have an actual day off to myself for the first time in nearly 4 years!!!!

I have to admit, I spent so much time over the last 4 years dreaming about what I would do when I got 'me time', that now it is here I am finding myself a little giddy and overwhelmed with lists of jobs and plans I have been dreaming up.......

Needless to say it is all taking a little adjustment.......and one thing I have realised is I am not used to relaxing, this whole day seems like such a luxury and so alien........

So I am actually re-learning to release the gas (and mama guilt, that he is in nursery and I am at home.....he loves nursery)..... I have to keep telling myself it is okay to just chill, the house doesn't have to be spotless and this new time off can be spent finally reading some of the books that I have been longing to read since he was born., and blogging.... its all a work in progress!

Day Beds....

Beautiful hand crafted day bed, via Active Culture Family

Day Bed

Antique day bed

I have been eyeing up vintage and antique day beds recently. A beautiful thick throw (or vintage velvet curtain) some cushions /scatter pillows, a book and a cuppa and there you have it..... heaven!

I have no room what so ever in my tiny little house but one day I will have one....

Eclectic Sitting Rooms...

Sitting Room

Eclectic Sitting Room

Eclectic sitting room with Suzani throw

Eclectic sitting room

World Of Interiors..... The best of Living Rooms

The best Of World of Interiors Living Rooms: photo by ricardo labougle for the world of interiors

The best Of World of Interiors Living Rooms: Paris apartment of KK Auchincloss in World of Interiors, November 2012

Designer Lulu Lytle's London living room. World of Interiors, July 2011

World of Interiors, October 2011. Photography by Christopher Simon Sykes. Christopher Gibbs' house, Tangier.

Since 1990, the artist, Peter Armstrong, has lovingly covered the walls of his Brixton terrace house with his favorite pages from magazines.Source: World of Interiors.

Umberto Pasti's rainy season house in Tangiers. World of Interiors, photo: Christopher Simon Sykes.

Unknown Issue

World of Interiors is the only magazine I subscribe too. World of Interiors is a visual delight every month and for those of you who haven't brought a copy yet I urge you to give it a go. I have been subscribed for a few years and although not every month has properties to my taste I love looking at passionately decorated homes, not the usual over Interior designed celebrity pads or lifeless styled homes you get in other glossy mags.

This week I am highlighting some of the best living rooms from the magazine. Not all of them have the magazine issues attached, for which I apologize, but it is a good excuse for you to buy some copies and have a look for your self :)

Coffee tables... center piece or dumping ground?

I haven't actually got a coffee table. My parents never really had one either, probably due to a pack of crazy Deerhounds (aka, the best dogs in the world) with waggling tails at coffee table height.

I really love all these pictures and have been wondering if it is what my living room needs, a well worn vintage wooden table to 'tie the room together', in reality though are they useful or just another Interior design concept that is great in theory but in reality, is another place to dump papers, accumulate dirty mugs and only making a well assembled appearance when visitors arrive?

Do you have an immaculate well presented coffee table or is yours a dumping ground too?

Purely decorative coffee table, featuring Amethyst and glass orbs

Vintage box as a coffee table with little green succulent

Coffee table Inventory

Tree Sections as a coffee table

Pretty flowers in vases: Coffee table

Moroccan Inspired Seating...

Beautiful Bohemian seating area

Ultimate bohemian reading nook

Bohemian moroccan seating area

Kilim pillows, sheepskin throw and a corner seating area

Love the vinyl storage under the chairs

In the last post I featured conversation Pits, although beautiful they are rather large and probably not practical or financially possible in the normal home.

These Moroccan inspired seating areas above are a little more practical whilst a lot friendlier on the budget. A couple of Kilim pillows, a throw or two, maybe a small sheepskin, a worn teak or Jali table and you are on your way. Bohemian bliss!!

Conversation Pits...

Conversation Pit: Imagine a world with No TV or Ipads where people actually talk :) : Jasper Conrans house

Terence Conran's Conversation pit in 1974 book "The House Book"

Modern relaxing conversation Pit

Modern conversation Pit

1960's Conversation Pit

Conversation Pit. The Practical Encyclopedia of Good Decorating and Home Improvement

The TV and modern technology has taken over the home hasn't it? Where as at one time the sitting/living room was a room focused around a fire where families and friends could converse now we are all facing that big flat screen TV whilst tapping away on our Ipads. I am starting to get really bored with TV, and other than a few awesome series (Game of Thrones, The Wire, Breaking Bad etc...) really would not miss my TV anymore if it disapeared into the ether.

I am all for the idea of a conversation pit like the ones above, especially the one in the top image, then even if the conversation did get dry I would have the hills to look at :)

What do you guys reckon, should we blow up our TV's?


P.s ... Havin a night mare with adding links on my new computer so will add them when figured this thing out but for now all the images can be found on my PInterest... link top left of blog :)