A dreamy cottage (to rent!) in South East England

Do you have any plans for Easter? We've just booked to go to London for the weekend to visit my parents and sister, so excited! This time last year we were in t-shirts (yes, I know this is perfectly normal for some of you (lucky people!), but for us that was kind of a big deal!). But when the sun shines there's no place I'd rather be. If you're tempted to try your luck with the British weather, how about staying at The White Cabin in the ancient village of Winchelsea in East Sussex, South East England? I'm loving the bright, open A-frame ceiling and rustic / industrial touches. Such a perfect base for long walks, pub lunches and paddles at Winchelsea beach? And if the rain comes down, you've the perfect excuse to stay indoors too!

The White Cabin, Big Cottage Company. Found via Style Files with thanks.

Lovely! I think my favourite touch is the reclaimed kitchen cabinet doors. The look reminds me of one of the Hudson Farmhouse in my book. The interior decorator had bought a disused barn and used some of the wood to create cladding and handmade furniture for the house. So fab!

How about you?

Get the look: source industrial pendant lights here, Black scissor wall light. Try your local flee market for a decorator's ladder. Buy linen by the yard.

I've featured several homes like this in the past. If this is your kind of style you might just want to take a tour of a white home packed with antiques and a beautiful cottage by the sea (also available for rent). Or to make a morning of it - how about my 'summer cottage' and 'swedish cottage' archives?!

I've got a bit of a busy day ahead, but before I rush off  I wanted to leave you with this short video clip - *smile*.

Have a lovely day! 

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A Parisien apartment with beautiful bones

Hello Monday! I usually try to think inspiring, positive thoughts at the start of the week but today all I really want to be doing is sitting here drinking coffee all morning or back in this bed (it looks a lot like Sri Lanka).  But most of all I'd like to be padding around this Zen like space high above the rooftops of the hip Marais District of Paris. If a morning coffee in the sunshine isn't enough then the beautiful herringbone floors, period features and marble fireplace will have you swooning!

Birgitta Wolfgang Drejer / Sisters Agency

Oh the things I'd do to this apartment if it were mine. What a beautiful space?!

Could you see yourself living in an apartment like this?

Get the look: Bubble lamps - Modernica, Beni ourain rug, mid-century modern chairs, Isamu Noguchi coffee table, white bed linen.

Other lovely apartments Paris include this truly unique and eclectic home, and a perfect Parisen home. I also love this home just outside France's capital in Fontainebleau.

More Monday links:

Have you ever thought about escaping the city altogether and moving to the countryside? This lifestyle blogger did, and she shares her lessons learned here.  Tempted?

Does this lovely idea solve your 'back of the sofa' dilemma?

Etsy find of the day - a vintage industrial lamp shipping from Germany. Oh yes.

A guide to the best indoor plants (love the windowsill display).

And finally.....thank you so much to everyone who entered the weekend give-away to win a poster from Posterlounge - the three winners have now been announced here (oh the suspense!). Oh and Posterlounge are offering all readers 10% discount (more info here).

Have a great start to the week!

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Winners of a fab poster from Posterlounge

Thank you so much to everyone who entered the competition to win a poster from Posterlounge. I'm excited to announce the three lucky winners as......drum roll......

Miruska Milanovic
Judith Kaplowitz
Judith Nissani

Congratulations!

If your name's not here, not all is lost as Posterlounge is offering all readers a 10% discount! Simply use voucher code MSH10 at checkout. Valid until 28th March, 2016.

A quick reminder of my choices:

1. Starting to Flow / Anai Greog  2. Palm fronds / Larry Dale Gordon 3. Happy Cactus / Elisabeth Fredriksson


We'd love to see a pic of your chosen poster in your home on instagram!

This post is brought to you in collaboration with Posterlounge. 

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A former factory becomes a fabulous family home

It's Friday - and have I got a home tour to celebrate! I received these images from the homeowner, photographer Petra Reger and her husband Eddie earlier on in the week and it's taken all the restraint I have to reserve if for today! Located in Bavaria, Germany, the converted factory has been beautifully restored over the space of a year to become the stunning family home it is today (you may recognise the style from their former home).  The family were keen to leave as much intact as possible, adding fabulous black framed windows to divide the open plan space and a polished concrete floor in the lightest shade to allow light to flood through the space. The original wood floorboards (which needed to be removed for safety reasons) have been used to create tables and shelves which sit alongside a fabulous blend of vintage rustic and industrial finds as well as classic design pieces. Let's take a tour...

 

Photography: Petra Reger / Wertvoll Fotografie with kind permission. Also seen on Vosges Paris.

Wow, what a home?! Just amazing!

I spy: a pair of DCW chairs, vintage black scissor wall lamp, source a vintage globe here. Zettel z 6 pendant light, Icelandic sheepskin throw, knoll diamond chair, all these vintage typewriters are fabulous. Gervasoni sofa (this is Petra's favourite piece as it fits the entire family for movie nights).

You can find out more about Wertvoll Fotografie's projects over on their homepage, Facebook and Instagram.

It would be rude not to use this as an opportunity to drool over some of the other home conversions I've featured in the passed including converted schools, warehouses, barns and vicarages. And of course there was that Dutch home in an old tannery we all fought over earlier on in the week until Nina wisely suggested there was plenty of room for all of us (now, just to convince the owners)?!

A few other fabulous links for the weekend:

Fluffy pancakes is the only breakfast to be enjoyed on a Saturday and this recipe looks perfect!

25 unexpected ways to decorate with plants. 

Love these black kitchen cabinets and the green bedroom wall.

MSH's most pinned picture of the week goes to this outdoor space and the most popular instagram - this lovely kitchen (that blue...).

I absolutely love a make-over, and this one nearly reduced me to tears! 

Ten of the best ways to enjoy Copenhagen on a budget.

Thank you to Leander and Palm for featuring my book!

I'll be back tomorrow with a very exciting give-away so don't forget to stop by and take part! Have a lovely day!

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