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Now that the clocks have gone forward and we've all recovered from that missing hour (how can that be so hard?) the longer days and burgeoning blossom is making me desperate to bring a little of the outside in. Especially as it's not quite warm enough (at the time of writing) to go from inside

Now we better get one thing clear before we start on this room. Christmas is about buying things for people that they might want or like but wouldn't necessarily buy for themselves. And that doesn't mean hoovers, or mops or, even, oven gloves - and you know who you are and you know you are

Right it's that time of year. The heating is on - albeit sporadically - but the fire is lit and the socks are definitely out of the cupboard. So today I thought I would create a fictional cosy corner where you can imagine snuggling up with a book and a packet of biscuits. pink velvet

It took a long time before we got the right garden furniture. It's partly a money thing - when you're doing up a house you need to spend money on the indoor furniture first -  but it was also about finding the right thing. I have always liked the idea of creating an outdoor sitting

So there we were moaning about how long January was taking - especially those on the no booze, no meat, no spending, no fun, end of the spectrum when poof it was over. I'm assuming you'll all be rolling in the aisles tonight drinking wine, eating chicken and, just in case you have freed up

Ready then? It's reached that stage of the proceedings where every other sentence seems to be punctuated by: "Oh well I don't mind if I do. It's Christmas after all...." So with that in mind, Christmas gift guides done (I can't help it if you haven't read them) decluttering and storage discussed, all that's left

Following on from yesterday's post on the secrets to an organised home and the need - all right my need - to declutter before the end of the year, I thought we would focus on good storage today.  Also - good to have a break from the relentless tinsel-tinted coverage everywhere else no? you can

clockwise from bottom left - dessert plates by alijoe designs, noah plates from made.com, zen bowls from kelly hoppen, remodelista book, storage jars by weck, paper napkins from vitra Now I don't know you about but I often end up getting irritated with Christmas Gift Guides. I don't want to be classed as the "foodie"

stemless martini glass from rowen and wren  Right we've made it to the end of the month, pour yourself a drink because it's about to be Christmas everywhere you look. I try to keep it to a minimum but even I have succumbed this year and will be publishing some gift guides next week so

Sounds like a contradiction in terms doesn't it. How can a trend, which is surely allied to a fashion, be future-proof? Surely the point is that it will change. Usually quite fast. After all, isn't trend just another word for fashion? Or is it? We often talk about a fad that leads to an underlying

I'm not sure quite why it has taken my so long to get round to this one. All anyone seems to be talking about is bringing plants into our interiors - either real or fake - and for that to work well we need to focus on the pots we are putting them in. To

biscuit plate from rowen and wren £10 Yes I'm totally aware the headline of this post could get one of two reactions: For the love of God do we need to buy a dedicated plate for biscuits now? Or: Excellent these are gorgeous and when I am surrounded by beautiful things I am just that little

zinc advent calendar from rowen and wren It is unlike The Mad House to dive headlong into Christmas, but I couldn't resist this zinc advent calendar which is like a whole village of tiny mad houses - and actually that wasn't why I chose it but now that I come to mention it... Advent calendars

So it's September. The summer holidays may still be rolling on, but for the rest of us, it's all about shiny new pencil cases and starting afresh. We started this series with a look at the 10 best dining chairs, moved on to floor lamps and now it's back to food (a subject always close

Family life is made up of a series of habits that become cemented into our brains and mean that certain smells, tastes and dishes will always take us right back to our childhood. For me, as a child living with my Grandmother, lunch was always a boiled egg at lunch with toast, followed by cheese.