YES to adventure: homeproud

Wednesday, 4 February 2015

Home Proud: Cosy scents

There is nothing I love more than the beach...but when the cold strikes in London town I try to make my home as cosy as possible, so I can wrap up warm and make it a little sanctuary for hibernation and chill time while I wait for the summer!

The perfect items for this are candles. You can virtually pick what sort of 'feeling' or mood you want to get into, scatter some of your related scents around the room and feel like you are drifting away wherever you want to be. It's funny how a little flame in a pit can transform your mood so quickly.

I've tried lots of candles including IKEA and Tesco brands which are a lot cheaper than most, and I hate to say it but you really do get what you pay for with your candle selection. The cheap candles burn out vert quickly, they only melt in the middle, and the scent is not as strong or natural...they just don't cut it.

I've never been one to want to spend a lot of money on a candle, until I tested some of the wonderful Boujies ones and was completely converted! This candle lasted for weeks, burnt all around the edges and had a very good quality strength of scent. I was really impressed and started a newfound candle appreciation and so wanted to recommend a few more lovely candles to help you relax after a hard day's work...

Are there any lovely candles you have also tried?

1. Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt Home Candle. £40

Jo Malone's most popular scent in a candle is like heaven...fresh sea salt tones and mineral scents of rugged cliffs unite in this woody earthiness that adds luxury to your home. The lid can also be engraved and personalised, beautiful!

2. Boujies Vintage Amber Candle. £42

Another great scent from one of my favourite brands. Their classic fragrance is hand-blended with natural waxes to create this luxurious scented candle.

3. Cowshed Lazy Cow Soothing Travel Candles. £22

I love this set of calm chamomile and sandalwood travel candles perfect to light in a hotel room to make it more homely. Cowshed candles are made from 100% natural soy wax which is a completely renewable environmentally friendly source.

4. Neom Jenny Packham Real Luxury 3 Wick Candle. £80

Luxury Neom fragrances are made with organic ingredients and pure essential oils, working with your senses to make you feel more relaxed and energised.

5. Boujies Silver Candle Snuffer. £12

A gorgeous snuffer perfect for extinguishing the flame on your new candles!

Don't forget to get a GOOD candle lighter, too! I recently bought some on eBay which were really cheap but broke after three uses which was rubbish! Pay a little more and invest in a classic, good quality candle lighter like this Zippo one which looks stylish too (bonus!). They are great for when the candles have burnt quite deep and you are unable to reach into the pot without burning your fingers.

Available in three shades. £13.75

Home Proud: Home Sense

I haven't posted about some home goodness for ages, so thought I would show you all one of my favourite homeware stores!

I love shopping at TKMAXX and especially the home department, but their sister store called Home Sense is amazing on a whole other level! Home Sense only sells furniture, accessories, decorations and kitchenware, across two to three floors and in several locations in the UK.

All their items are incredibly tasteful, and there is something there for everyone. Whether you are into minimalist style, or love a bit of boho chic blues and hippy browns, you will be able to find something in your price range as everything is discounted.

I basically wanted to buy everything...but have nowhere to put it all!

Love these Morrocan dishes and the blue decoration

How amazing would this candle chandelier look at a garden party?

There were loads of pretty bowls perfect for planting flowers or using as a trey for treats

Both strange items but they are for the garden I guess!

Absolutely in love with this chair, dreamy! Now to get a garden...

Lots of garden decorations...

So pretty. I really wanted these but had nowhere to place them :(

There was a selection of great inexpensive gifts, too

Lovely subtle detailing on these bowls

FInd a store in your area here and get shopping!

http://www.homesense.com/stores.php

Home Proud: Vintage / Macrame Plant Pot Hangers

So my grandparents have this beautiful long, white crochet plant pot holder which I remember really well from my childhood.

It was always there in the corner by the couch, in all my baby pictures and never really moved over the past 20 years!

I never, ever gave it any thought until recently when I started seeing something similar in a boho-chic home which I admired.

I think they look really beautiful inside or outside the home, or just in a conservatory. If you have lots of rooms, multiple pot hangers set up to hang on different heights would also look really pretty.

There are lots on eBay and Etsy to choose from, like the below...

Get this one here

The above is from this seller

Home Proud: Marble MacBook

I'd like to think my lovely thin MacBook Air is part of my home, and therefore part of my home decor. I was thinking of getting a decal sticker for a while but never really found ones I liked, until I stumbled upon a website called CaseApp...they have the most beautiful designs from crystals, to clouds and trees. I chose this really cool marble effect sticker to protect my MacBook from scratches and damage.

It's really easy to apply as it's quite thick, and it comes off easily, too without damaging the computer or leaving any sticky residue. The sticker is really thick and of great quality, and has so far stayed on really well.

Scroll to the bottom to see where you can buy your own...I would just advise that when applying, you start by aligning the sticker around the apple sign in the middle, and then slowly cover the rest area by area rather than all at once...use a credit card to make sure there are no bubbles. Do this carefully as you won't be able to reapply.

You can get it on these websites:

Case App (I bought mine pre-made but you can make your own with this company. They also do covers for all other gadgets!)

Etsy

Marble Macbook Decals (Via Shopify)

Uniq Find

Or make your own DIY skin from any print, with instructions from Monoxides

Home Proud: Urban Outfitters gems

Urban Outfitters have some of the best gifts on the British high street, and they have finally revamped their stock for the season. Everything was getting a little boring and repetitive in the homes and gifts isle so I was excited to spot some of these little inexpensive gems...Buy them for yourself or for a friend's birthday!

1. Parties With My Bitches photo album, £18

2. Skull Money Bank in Gold, £15

3. Unicorn Ring and Jewellery Dish, £12

4. Boudoir Wall Frame in Duck Egg, £14

Home Proud: Erin Wasson's new house

“I would describe my style as a woman channeling Jonny Cash mixed in with a little Rod Stewart pre-disco days and a little sweetheart of the rodeo hanging out at the beach.”

I love Erin. I love her hair, her style, her eyes, her talent, her persona, her boho chic cool, and most of all her homes! I posted about her NYC converted warehouse before, and it seems that she has only gone and bought herself a nice big house now!

Her cool boho vintage style has transported itself into this new home, with even more spaces and nooks and crannies for her beautiful collections to be displayed. It's not for everyone, but I love just how messy it looks! I particularly can't wait to buy myself one of those 70's fan wicker chairs one day.

Where can you buy stuff like this? It's one of those things that probably takes years as everything Erin has is a collector's piece...and that's exactly how you get it! The best places to look are:

Alfie's Antique Market

If you are ever in Italy, and in Rome, they have a great little antique market near the main market (Campo de Fiori) where everything is really cheap!

And here is a little peak at her Venice home (seriously how many houses does this chick have?)