Live Blogging at Meet The Blogger

It feels so good to just chill and relax however, I must admit after the past weeks shenanigans I do have the Meet The Blogger blues - don't you? And what weekend that was! March 9th saw London's first ever Meet The Blogger event. Filled with bloggers, writers and interior talent from across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, we all descended upon tinsel London at the ME Hotel. I had the pleasure of being hired as the LIVE Blogger & Social Media Expert for the third time after my stint in Stockholm & Amsterdam and it was so enthralling to keep all those at home engrossed during the day as the action unfolded. 

The aim of this edition was to make the event the biggest and best one yet! Stocked with intriguing workshops such as; Paul Craig's two-tiered photography sessions, Louisa Blackmore's revamp & restoration workshop and Ana Aguilar-Corney's Design Terminology class there was just so much to see, do and learn. Yvonne Eijkenduijn of Yestown, one of my favourite blogs [and bloggers] came accompanied with film crew too as our Keynote Speaker. All our speakers did such an amazing job!

We also got the chance to not only learn but embody the 2013 Dulux colour trends thanks to Dulux's Creative Director Marianne Shillingford. After creating some great canvases, bloggers got the chance to taste the colour trends as well as wear them at the purpose built nail bar. 

All this fun and games were encased within an oasis of interior delight - The ME Hotel located in the hub of London's theatre district. As you will see from the pictures below [taken by our amazing photographer Yeshen Venema and myself] the hotel was such a stunning setting for such a wonderful event.

The event wrapped-up on day two with an insightful Design Tour thanks to the bubbly Tina Bernstein. I discovered stores and interior hidden gems that I'd never heard of before but have now become fond favourites. Visiting stores such as Made.com and SCP Ltd made me realise just how lucky I am to have such great stores on my doorstep. What was your tour highlight? I must say, pedlars is top of my list!

After all that fun, I'm really looking forward to being part of Meet The Blogger Amsterdam 2013 in the fall with such a nice team.

Images Credited: Meet the Blogger London // Photographer:Yeshen Venema // HOP Interiors

My Time in Stockholm

Aggggggh! I've just recently got back from an inspiring trip to Stockholm. Stockholm is always one of those places on my must visit list but I'd never got round to it. So when I got the golden opportunity to head to Stockholm as the official live interior blogger as HOP Interiors for Meet The Blogger Stockholm I jumped at the chance - And boy was I not disappointed!
Stockholm is such a beautiful city, how could I have not known this?! Full of great, detailed architecture, bustling back streets full of trendy Scandinavians and chic, cosy coffee shops this place certainly stole my heart. The hotel of choice was the Scandic Grand Central, a sophisticated hotel full of bubbly character one of the first things I noticed was a 24hour party in the hotel lift. Playing an aray of old skool hip-hop (tunes I hadn't heard for years), house and alternative music it certainly set the mood for my stay. As you will see from the snaps above the Grand Central has an urban, street-chic feel with a mix of raw attitude and style.

Online Generation

Over Christmas I decided to treat myself to an iPad mini. Small, petite and right up my street, I've always wanted one as it's great for reading my favourite interior design blogs, tweets and keeping updated. Likewise, I love reading interior magazines like Heart Home and 91, being able to swipe through at my fingertips on-the-go was something I'd always wanted to do. So when I finally got mine I was so excited to be able to explore just how many intriguing and creative interior & lifestyle magazines there actually are out there.

With the first set of snow flurries merrily dancing across London's pretty skies, I thought I'd download and share some of my favourite discoveries with you. First up is Trendenser - I attended Meet The Blogger Amsterdam last year and it was so great to experience the launch of this wonderful magazine by author Frida. I love this magazine because not only is it so interactive but the topics are so engaging. I really like this feature {below} following what it's like to work as an Interior Stylist.

Gathered by Mollie Makes is another of my favourite discoveries. Not only can you click through from left to right but also up and down which takes the whole traditional magazine rule book and throws it out the window. There are some great video workshops & tips and you really feel like you come away learning so much from this magazine too. Together with The Simple Things there are so many great iPad, interactive magazines out there. What are your favourite magazines?

A Fresh New Year

And just like that, the months click into place and 2013 comes bursting in with colour and fresh opportunities! How did you all spend the festive season? I spent mine with my family  & friends and caught up with some much needed tasks. I'm so excited yet intrigued by the wonderful year ahead and really cannot wait to get started. 2012 I must say was a year full of creative opportunities for me as a blogger, designer and writer. The year kicked off with some great interviews by my fellow bloggers CODG as well as Colourlovers. My blog turned 'one' and with that I landed a fabulous role with the Meet The Blogger team as their Official Social Media Journalist & Blogger (and it's been so much fun. You can check out my blog posts on the official Meet The Blogger London & Stockholm websites). I launched my freelance career and along the way, I have met some great people. Reflecting back on my 2012 new year blog post I achieved many of my goals that I set out for myself. I totally enjoyed Holly's Blogging Your Way 2.0 course and learnt so much from it too. From that I also wrote my first digital magazine article as a contributor for 91 Magazine.

So what does 2013 have in store at HOP. Well as my blog has grown I really want to strengthen it, not just by its content but by its design, look and feel. As a result I will be added some bright, colourful touches to my blog courtesy of my fabulous friend and illustrator Gemma Milly who I've enlisted to re-design my blog. I also have some monumental personal goals that I really can't wait to share with you all later on this year, which will herald a new chapter in my life! Eeeeeeeek!

Image credited

Guest Post: Three Australian Designers to Watch

Three Australian Designers to Watch

In anticipation of the 2013 Australian Interior Design Awards, we look back to three award-winners from 2012.

The 2012 Awards were held in Sydney on Friday 27 April. The Awards are organised and presented annually by the Design Institute of Australia. The organization of professional designers chooses award winners and commendations in thirteen categories through anonymous and confidential peer review. Submissions are accepted from retail, hospitality, residential, workplace, public, and installation (art gallery) designers.

The following designers won awards for their residential designs. Sleek and sophisticated across the board, these designs show that Australian designers can certainly hold their own against the best in the world.

Anthony Gill Architects

This Sydney-based architecture and design firm shared the 2012 Residential Design Award with Smart Design Studio, but Anthony Gill Architects distinguished themselves by winning the 2012 Emerging Interior Design Practice Awards. The judges were impressed with the firm’s ability to demonstrate that good design can be achieved on a modest budget.

The Potts Point Apartment won recognition for its “intelligent approach” to designing smaller urban spaces. A one-bedroom apartment was redesigned to create a larger living space and functional storage. (Photos by Peter Bennetts)

This area was separated to provide the child some privacy and present them with a space of
their own:

The master bed slides out, allowing one to make the most of limited space during the day:

Smart storage makes this kitchen perfectly functional:

Williams Burton Architecture + Interior Design

The Best of State awards are given to exceptional commercial and residential designers that distinguish themselves in a particular Australian state or territory. Williams Burton Architecture + Interior Design won the 2012 Best of State: South Australia award for their renovation of this North Adelaide residence. (Photos by James Grose)

Flow and sophistication were the primary motivators in this redesign:

But we certainly welcome a fun splash of color in the bathroom:

Atticus & Milo

Atticus & Milo, founded in 1998 by Australian designer Caecilia Potter, earned the 2012 Residential Decoration award for their work on a Victorian residence in Hawthorn. Atticus & Milo is committed to green & sustainable practices and the team is passionate about contemporary Australian art.

The name Atticus & Milo harkens back to the Golden Ages of Ancient Greece and Rome, where the two cultures excelled in culture, the arts, and architecture. The Atticus & Milo philosophy respects these historical roots while remaining firm-footed in the present day:

“The fusion of Greek form with Roman function laid the foundation of modern European design, and today our design team strive to achieve an aesthetic ideal whilst at the same time satisfying the many practical needs of our clients.”

(Photos by Derek Swalwell)

Comforting colors create serenity in the bedroom...

and work space...

While this bath makes quite the statement:

Submissions for the 2013 AID Awards will be accepted from Monday 12 November 2012 until Friday 1 March 2013. The Awards Announcement Dinner is to be held on Friday 31 May 2013. Australia’s Artichoke magazine will publish results in June.

Sources:

http://australianinteriordesignawards.com

http://architectureau.com/articles/australian-interior-design-awards-2012/

http://www.williamsburton.com.au

http://www.atticusmilo.com.au/

http://www.gillarchitects.com.au/

By guest Blogger: David Ackley

Collective Passion: Dulux 2013

I love this time of year... not only for the Starbucks red cups and the feeling of Christmas quickly approaching but it's also the time of year when interior brands share their key trends and colour palettes for SS/13. This time it was the turn of Dulux and I took the opportunity to find out what the new 2013 trend has in store. Entitled Collective Passion this trend encompasses five key trend stories: Visual Solace, Switching Off, Collective Passion, The Art of Understanding and Home Factory.   

I'm really excited about these new trends, in particular Collective Passion which has been heavily influenced by the digital trend of society. The fact that we are more immersed in the world of social media, being remotely contactable as well as creating relationships online allows us to have fun with this colour palette. Think neon and pastels: energy, spontaneity, transient - collective - all these spring to mind with this collection.

There's a whistle-stop tour through the remaining trends:

Visual Solace:
This trend is all about finding comfort in art & nature. Think classical design, looking at how works by the old masters can really stir the soul. The key words here are: Joyful | Restorative | Uplifting | Soul Reviver | Wonder.

Switching Off:
And....relax! This trend is about disconnecting and switching off from the outside world. Sometimes we just have to shut down & reboot. The colours here are more tinted whites and blacks with dreamlike chalky pastel elements in between. The key words here are: Peaceful | Daydream | Solitude | Idle | Creativity | Stillness.

The Art of Understanding:
This is an oldie but a goody, mixing influences from the 50s catwalk/runway, film and TV and sprinkling it into the interiors trend. Think ice-cream shades with everything in its place. The key words here are: Curiosity | Clarify | Communication | Orderly | Understanding

Home Factory:
It's time to put your own stamp on your design, going back to basics. Being self-reliant this trend has drawn influences from the way we live; making or cooking our own products, building and creating a more authentic life for ourselves. The key words here are: Simplicity | Self-Reliance | Honest | Small Scale | Manufacture | Super Local 

As well as giving us a peek of SS/13, Dulux also announced the Let's Colour Awards. The aim is to award those who have been patrons of the innovative use of colour. In recognition of the influence that colour has in our day-to-day lives Dulux has selected the following categories: Best use of Colour in Homes & Interiors, Best use of Colour in Fashion & Beauty, Colour Innovation in Technology & Design and Best use of Colour in the Arts. There's also a Colour Moment of the Year which champions a particular person or movement that has been bold, original or extraordinary with the use of colour.

Creating The Perfect Bouquet

Hands up who doesn't like getting flowers?! Thought so, we all like getting a gorgeous bunch of flowers, especially me as I love to brighten up my creative space. In essence, flowers can not only inject a splash colour into an interior design scheme but can also add a heavenly scent to your home. I'd previous blogged about my first brush with flower arranging at The Academy of Flowers back in May and totally loved it. So when the Academy asked me to review another of their courses for the autumnal season I thought it would be a great opportunity to brush up on my floral skills {as well as create a sweet bouquet}.

Madeleine Mukherjee our floral guide for the evening showed us how professional hand-tied bouquets should be done. First you have to prep your flowers by clearing the leaves and thorns from the stems. Ensuring that you make a diagonal cut at the base of the stem, this will help to expose all of the capillaries, allowing maximum water consumption. My weapons of choice on this occasion were roses {of course} cabbage flowers and lilies as well as a range of lush foliage. What I like about this class was that it was a nice small group, no more than 10 people. Each of us had the same range of flowers yet each created a unique bouquet, each very different from the other. This course certainly allows you to explore creativity and moves at a steady pace for don't worry, you won't get left behind.By layering each flower or foliage in a diagonal motion you twist your bouquet to create a swirl. As you add to the bouquet it begins to take shape. As you go you can then add colour through your flower options and leaves. I learnt so many great techniques on the course and I must say, I feel confident enough to be ale to buy a bunch of flowers from my local flower market and put them together myself to suit my scheme. This course is certainly worth the price {£98} in terms of content and knowledge and with a wide range of other courses available at the academy there's something to suit everyone - from the novice to the expert. So what you guys think? Has it inspired you to create a lavish bouquet?