In recent months there has been a real surge for raw, imaginative and free illustrations, and in my eyes, one of the leading designers in this category is James Ward of Jimbob Art. Ward honed his skills in illustration whilst studying at Westminster University, London, where he developed a love for working in pen and ink. After a recent vacation to Sweden, Ward came back to England truly inspired; inspired by their use of natural history design and the range of products or surfaces that features them. It’s from this point that Ward began using ceramics as a medium to display his range of animal characters.

‘I feel drawing anthropomorphic characters can describe so much about human emotions and personalities with the juxtaposition of the animal’s expression against his clothing, an item or text.’ – James Ward

I am enchanted with Jimbob Art’s selection of ceramics and the beautiful illustrations that cover them; they’re so playful and humorous. The bright pops of colour on the monochromatic designs bring the illustrations to life and add to their charming nature. Each individual illustration is hand-drawn with on-glaze ink on to dishwasher proof white porcelain. All of the ceramics will look not only brilliant as a table setting, but great on display; perhaps on a welsh dresser or kitchen shelving. My personal favourites have to be the El Guapo plate, The Dominator plate, the Owl in Pants teapot, and the Tea Defender Mug. It’s probably too early to be writing a ‘Christmas Wish List’, but these will definitely be going on it!

Bins, trash cans, garbage… it’s not glamourous, but bins provide a fundamental part of any household, yet they frequently get over looked & ignored.

Over the years I have been at war with my bin; or I should say, bins! I seem to go through them quicker than the garbage that fills them. I’ve tried almost every style of bin, from the ones hidden behind cupboard doors, to metal American trash cans, peddle operated & manual slide lids. All of them eventually ending up with broken lid mechanisms or worst of all, so poorly designed that bin bags are impossible to remove and often tare.

My main grievance I’ve had with bins is how unsightly they are; fed up with streaky chrome, I’ve been on the hunt for something different & felt compelled to share my findings with you…

Through Tesco’s Direct I’ve found the solution – my knight in black matt stainless steel armour! The Brabantia 30L Touch Bin is a sturdy construction of stainless steel, with a lid that gently & smoothly opens when touched. There’s also concealed handles that make it easy to remove trash from the inner bucket – making light work of a nasty job… plus this feature makes it easy to clean. It also comes with a fabulous 10 year guarantee for just £70.

The black matt steel finish is very sleek and I can see it fitting in perfectly with the grey Indian slate flooring, French green cupboards & black riven slate work-surfaces I have in my kitchen. I’m sold.

A selection of the best in sustainable design. Your one-stop shop for gorgeous eco homewares, the best eco friendly paints, special eco products, and lovely green and eco gifts for all occasions.

http://www.ecocentric.co.uk/index.html

Based in the Derbyshire Peak District, Eco Eco makes green living easier by providing sustainable, eco-friendly and non-toxic products. They stock beautiful things for the home and garden alongside organic and ethical clothes for men, women and children.

http://www.eco-eco.co.uk/

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After much deliberation we have finally decided to update our kitchen but rather than spending thousands on a new refit; we will simply make some small changes that will give the impression of a totally new design.

The blue cupboard doors are now white white gloss, the tatty vinyl floor has been exchanged for large stone tiles and the very chintzy wall tiles have been replaced with ‘old school’ white rectangular ones.  The image on the right shows them in a bathroom, and they are often seen in industrial kitchens, schools and cafés.  I chose this particular style as the design is timeless; I know that in five years time the they will still work within our scheme.

We are also thinking about a glass splashback (image on the left) but can’t decide on the colour? I am tempted to go for a clear glass as I am not a big fan of colour in kitchens.  The tiles and Splashback are both from The Tile Depot (one of the UK’s largest tile and wooden floor companies).   If you are thinking about a new kitchen or bathroom take a look at their website as they are surprisingly affordable.  My tiles were just 59 pence each!  I will post you more updates as we go along, including a before and after pic…

Jura Lodge – originally The Old Distiller’s house – has been transformed by Paris based, American interior specialist; Bambi Sloan, into a shabby chic, vintage inspired luxurious getaway. Sloan’s quirky display of colour, décor and stylistic touches runs throughout the house; from the curios filled glass cabinets, to the white suit of armour & relics from the past. The White Room {the biggest bedroom} has fresh white walls, antique French linens & lace, ornate mirrors & a central Victorian roll top bath with panoramic sea views. Each room is decorated in it’s own unique style; but ultimately following in Sloan’s creative, eccentric manner.

From the pictures you can see that the decadent interior offers a playful & humerous touch with the collection of trinkets and vast collection of deer antlers. The attention to details is exquisite & appropriate to the rich history on the Isle of Jura, which Sloan took great inspiration from. Unique features include a writers chair made entirely from deer antlers, the kitchen fridge that originated from a Brazilian cafe in the 1950s, and a large bass drum coffee table in the sitting room.

Activities such as shooting, hunting, fishing, fell walking, lobster eating, sailing and whiskey drinking can all be organised upon request.

You can hire on a room-by-room basis but availability is limited – costs start at £625 per room per night for a minimum of three nights. “Trust us, it’s worth every penny” – Jura Lodge Diurachs. For further booking information please visit the Jura Lodge Website.

The lovely people at Brazen Pr sent me the new Breville 3 in 1 blender last week and it really is very  good!

I used to have a hand blender and naming no names, it’s not a touch on this.  If like me you have very limited kitchen storage space, the last thing you want is a large mixer as well as hand blender and this is where the product wins hands down – it’s so compact.  The actual hand held unit is quite heavy but totally manageable as it has a soft grip area and all the attachments click on and off really easily.

The blade attachment is perfect for blending soups, dressings or even fruit smoothies (all tried and tested!) and I have also used the enclosed 500ml chopper for cutting up salads, I know this sounds a bit strange but it recommends this as an option in the enclosed leaflet and it worked really well.  I have such a limited time in the kitchen (2 young children!) so anything to save time is a bonus.

I am yet to test the whisk but I am sure it will live up to the other attachments.  Finally, it all comes apart and can go into the dishwasher.  Well done Breville – you get my vote.

THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED – WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

YOUR CHANCE TO WIN TICKETS TO THIS YEAR’S IDEAL HOME SHOW 2011 * WITH PIPPA JAMESON INTERIORS

Create your Ideal Home with the Nation’s Most Loved home event; The Ideal Home Show, returning to London’s Earls Court, from 11-27th MARCH 2011

BRITAIN’S favourite consumer event, The Ideal Home Show, famous for making home-making a national passion, is returning for its 103rd year, for 17 days from the 11th – 27th March 2011, and Pippa Jameson Interiors have 10 pairs of tickets for our lucky readers to win, to this year’s show.

This year’s Ideal Home Show will take visitors through an exciting and spectacular showcase of inspirational living that combines EIGHT different sections into one exciting event that includes; the stunning Ideal Show Homes, a series of three exciting, full scale properties that demonstrate different concepts in homes from refurbishments to new build homes each offering an alternative to your current home.

In addition the fantastic Ideal Home Improvements section has everything you need to help with those DIY home improvement projects, as well as the hugely popular Idea Interiors and Ideal Gadgets section helping you bring your home up to date with the latest looks and must have gadgets and gizmos.

Our Ideal Gardens section offers a wide range of advice and designs, for those green fingered visitors among us, and the Ideal Food section will offer some tasty treat that will tickle your taste buds.

And if all of that’s not enough this year will see the return of the fabulous Ideal Woman section where visitors can relax and be pampered in luxury for the afternoon, and more Ideal Shopping than ever before!

There’s everything from DIY to fine dining, gadgets and pampering, as well as a host of celebrity guests across the 17 day event; creating the UK’s biggest Home Show and a great day out with something for the whole family, all rolled into one.

This year’s show will also unveil a series of industry firsts and UK product launches, more interactive features than ever before, as well as a series of workshops and seminars to help visitors achieve their very own Ideal Home.

With over 500 exhibitors offering an unrivalled range of products, visitors to this year’s show will find top tips and tricks to help give your home a brand new look, and expert advice to help with extensions, and complete renovations, and new build projects.

Tickets can be either booked online or by calling the Ticket Hotline on 0844 415 4144. Group bookings can be made by calling the Groups Hotline on 0871 2305 581, or for further information about the show and to purchase tickets online visit the website www.idealhomeshow.co.uk

Follow the Ideal Home Show on Twitter http://twitter.com/ideal_home_show

Ticket Information:

Weekday Adult- On door: £16 In advance: £11

Weekend Adult- On door: £18 In advance: £13

Weekday Concession (Over 60′s)- On door: £12 In advance: £10

Weekend Concession (Over 60′s)- On door: £14 In advance:£12

Children Under 15 Free*

Late Night Thursday Open until 9pm- £5 after 5pm

*Children under 16 do require a ticket which should be requested at the time of booking. Must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Please note that Free of Charge tickets do not qualify for a free showguide.

Opening times:

Opening Day – 11th March 10am – 6pm

Weekdays & Weekends 10am – 6pm

Thursday – late night 10am – 9pm

COMPETITION
The Ideal Home Show has teamed up with Pippa Jameson Interiors, to give you the chance to WIN one of 10 pairs of tickets.

To be in with a chance to WIN, simply answer the question below.

Funonthefloor.com is a fantastic resource for anyone planning home improvements, with interior design ideas and practical advice on everything from planning and fitting, plus a wealth of style inspiration for using carpet. Fun on The Floor has teamed up with Pippa Jameson Interiors to offer a book giveaway that will not disappoint!

The book is by George Clarke, Channel 4 presenter and architect who has recently joined Fun on the Floor’s panel of experts to help people make the most of carpet. George, who presents Channel 4’s The Restoration Man and The Home Show, guides you through your house, room by room, looking at everything from loft conversions and side-return extensions to en-suite bathrooms and utility rooms so you can realise the full potential, and value, of your home.

What did I think of the book….I have to say, I have read a lot of home improvement books but none of them are quite like this or go in to as much detail, it’s fantastic.  In the first chapter; ‘My Home Story’, George talks about his step by step experience on his own home renovation.  Having never published images of his beautiful home before, he gives us a complete insight into the project including before and after pictures as well as the ups and downs of the process and difficult design decisions that he had to make.  Best of all, he talks about how style the rooms once the building work was complete. The finished result is absolutely stunning.

There are 5 further chapters; Your Home Profile, which looks at all types of houses including terraced, semi-detached, detached, apartments, bungalows and the orientation of your home.  It addresses standard and problematic layouts and then offers solutions with visual diagrams – very handy if you are planning a renovation or house move.

The final 4 chapters; How to draw, Space and where to find it, Room by room and Resources are jam packed with advice on everything including extensions, designing rooms, costing and planning renovations and finding the tradesman to make it all happen!

We have two signed copies of this book to giveaway to one lucky winner. All you have to do to enter is visit www.funonthefloor.com and answer the following question:

I’ve had a good look through the collection and it’s really varied and fairly priced as well.  I think my favourite has to be the cookware (I have a 2yr old who is obsessed with cooking!)

Designed around three main themes; robots, cupcakes and nautical, there will more than 400 products including bedding, kitchenware, lighting and accessories to choose from.  Below are just a few images from the new collections…

Robot cupcake moulds for £12

Little Home basting brushes, £3 and rolling pin, £2

Robot lamp, £35

Life Saver cushion, £15

Pop in to your store on the 16th January 2011 to see the full collection or visit John Lewis online

Image credits: karma kitten at my Deco, Living etc, Country Living, Habitat, John Lewis.

Image credits: Baileys Home, Habitat, Jo Malone, Textures, Laura Ashley