My sister is about to be married and it got me thinking about perfect wedding venues.  If I were to do it all again, I would choose the Olde Bell in Hurley; this heavenly hotel is the height of understated elegance and old world charm.  If marriage is not on the agenda, visit here for the outdoor eating area, for hearty, healthy and abundant food and a wild, open country garden.  Only a 40 minute drive from London, this is the perfect place to relax, recover and discover what style and substance is really all about.   for further information see – www.theoldebell.co.uk

Just like much of the furniture I am drawn to, this table has a history and has evolved from being a grand door to a elegant dining table; now the stories of its past can be shared as people sit around it on simple modern chairs – a perfect mix of old and new and past and present.

We have just finished our laundry room and used a weathered console on which to rest our round sink and beside it sits an amour that houses our linens and other laundry bits.  It feels warm and inviting but like another room, rather than a purely functional space.  Since I don’t feel inspired to take a shot, here is a similar look I found in Living etc. I love the shiny happy bright yellow basin combined with the bold but muted walls – divine.

In almost every interview I do, I am asked how one can live stylishly with children and for me nothing could be simpler. Children allow us to express a little more personality and a little less restraint.  Perhaps your everyday dining table of choice would not look like the one below, but the child-size version pleases and teases and brings an element of fun in an otherwise grown-up interior.  And the wonderful thing about mini furniture is that it need not have any relevance to the rest of the house; the more out of context the better.  If you feel inspired to create this look, Ikea does a good range of mini furniture that can be painted brighter than bright and then covered a little padding and fabric on the seat – just add children.

I have just been given a copy of New London Style.  It’s interesting that not only does London have a unique eclectic style, but that each area/postcode has a distinctive design code of its own; a reflection of the people who live in it.  Anyway, it’s good for peeping into the homes of some of London’s well-known style guru’s such as Mathew Williamson and Erin O’Connor and many more.

For those that don’t have my book (familylifestyle HOME), I thought I would share this very simple, yet striking home decorating idea.  A area of the wall featured here, was decorated using letters of different shapes, sizes and materials and not only did this beautifully fill the space, but it personalised it too.  Style need not cost much – just a good imagination and a desire to inspire.

My delightful builder has just moved a giant frame from our hallway to the wall in our kitchen.  The colour is way too dark and drab.  Feel so inspired by this bright blue frame as featured in FamilyLifeStyle – time to get creative.

I love this time of year when we traditionally have a spring clean, but that need not mean throwing out the old and bringing in the new; it is more a case seeing things with new eyes and then occurs the transformation. Here are my tips for reusing and renewing. Happy Cleaning.

•It’s retail-not therapy, so do without the shopping buzz that last¹s little longer than the journey home  •Pack away and bring things out from time to time to experience a newness without having to buy them•Seek junk store finds and personalise with your own style. •Don’t rush, better to save for the one thing that moves you  •Recycle everything-magazines are ideal for wrapping presents and wine bottles in a cluster make stunning candle holders •Cosy up in blankets rather than subject your skin to dry heat •Don’t save it for special occasions, either give it away or make use of it – there is only now •Turn off lights and use low energy alternatives when possible •Buy local produce and not only do you save energy, but you build a sense of community around you •Grow your own vegetables, if only in the smallest patch or find a local allotment and do yourself good with fresh food and fresh air.

Thank you to Scotland on Sunday for this article on my home/work.  You can’t easily get the paper in London, which is a shame, since the style and content is superb and I don’t say that because I am in it!

The sun is shining and my thoughts are on the garden and to building a summer house as pretty as this.