interior design – findingtimetowrite

Friday Fun: How to Furnish a Manor House

Now that we’ve acquired the perfect manor house, how do we furnish it? The preference seems to be for traditional 16-19th century furnishings (matching the exterior of the building), but occasionally you get the more adventurous owner (or designer).

Empire style at the Vezelay chateau, from Belles Demeures.

Baroque fresco at this rather un-English country house in Cambridge, available as a filming location, from locationhq.co.uk

A mix of faux old and new at this hotel in the Cotswolds, from The Manor House.

More traditional decor for this Spanish mansion, from Quinta Casa da Branca.

The rather surprising interior of the chateau in Lisieux from last week, from Belles Demeures.

If in doubt, books always form the best decor! From Belles Demeures.

Friday Fun: Work is Fun

I think I am trying to convince myself with this title, as I would much rather be on holiday in Yorkshire still. But it certainly would feel a lot more fun if you had one of these home offices – not all of them are ideal and fanciful, but they seem to solve a problem.

Tiny space, no room for a proper desk? Try this creative wavy one on a sort of closed balcony. With the radiator right by your legs, you won’t be as freezing as I get in my study! From Home Adore.

No space and no windows? This is typical of Japanese apartments, but author (and manga/anime artist) Tsukasa Kobayashi has found a great nook to aid his productivity.

Your study has to double as a guestroom/spare bedroom? No problem with this stylish sofa bed, which also makes for really comfy reading. From tuacasa.com.br

Under the eaves? This attic office is more of a hobby room, and could benefit from a few more bookshelves, but it’s a start. From unskinnyboppy.com

Under the eaves and you have to share with others? This long, narrow office sitting on top of an entire house might the solution, from archdaily.com

Under the eaves and you’ve got some historical beams to contend with? This pretty combination of old and new could be the solution, from Anna Wilson Interior Design.

More money than need for a home library or study? Then this dual-aspect corner office might tempt you. From 1stdibs.com

Friday Fun: The Historical Bedroom Edition

I have recently acquired a new mattress – after my back started telling me in no uncertain terms that the old one was knackered. I am somewhat sceptical still about the benefits of the much-lauded (and expensive) ‘mattress in a box’ Emma, but just think how much more expensive it might be to have one of the bedrooms below!

The Lincoln Bedroom in the White House – I really think the White House decor would not be to my taste, it is too opulent and faux-historical. From Galerie Magazine.

If you want a real historical bedroom, what about Hever Castle? From their website.

Hmmm, Josephine’s bedroom at Malmaison resembles a campaign tent – so that Napoleon would feel right at home? From Palaces-of-Europe.com

Bedroom in Faringdon House, described by Nancy Mitford in one of her novels. From House and Garden.

Edith Wharton’s bedroom at The Mount is very feminine – apparently, she wrote most of her work while lying in bed, although she had a perfectly stunning library/study downstairs. From Lit Hub.

I rather like the style of Syrie Maugham, interior designer to the stars (and yes, wife of Somerset Maugham). From Decorpad.

I have a weakness for Art Deco, so I couldn’t resist including this, although it’s a film set rather than a real bedroom: Gatsby’s bedrooom in the latest film incarnation by Baz Lurhmann.

Friday Fun: Time to Move Indoors

It’s the end of the summer (for some of us) and so I leave the beautiful gardens and landscapes, and take you indoors. Please make yourselves comfortable on these sofas – although some of them look more comfortable than others. I love modern design, but I almost fear sitting down on some of these sofas for fear of messing up! (Incidentally, I am getting a new sofa soon, which may be why I am so receptive to these images, although it’s safe to say mine will be nothing like as grand as any of those below.)

This one in a house in Brisbane looks like something I might actually be able to afford, from ArchitectureNow.co.nz, photo credit: Tom Ross.

While this one looks more… aspirational. From Natuzzi.it

I had a white sofa once upon a time, before I had children or pets… From Interior Design Gallery.

This one has practical elements I can certainly get on board with! From OfDesign.com

This Belgrave town house has such airy rooms that more than one sofa might be required, from Helen Green Design.

Well, no one can accuse this room in Utah of being too white and bland. From thehearnes.com

If all of the above is too minimalist for you, English country house style is still alive and well. From Country and Town House, photo credit: Simon Upton

But this lived-in look appeals to me infinitely more, from Countrylife.co.uk, credit: Christopher Horwood.

Friday Fun: This Is How the Light Gets In

At certain times of year, we just can’t wait for the light to show up and flood our homes and rooms. Time to come out of the cave!

A conservatory-kitchen leading out into the garden – who could resist – especially if there’s some kind of shade to prevent it getting too hot. From MBPeyer Design.

Double height ceilings and an ocean view certainly make for a a beautiful light-filled room, from houseofturquoise.com

Another conservatory kitchen, with a window seating area for all your friends, from Elle Decor.

This looks real but is apparently a ‘concept home’: Casa Antibaia in Sao Paolo, Brazil. From The Spaces.

While this one looks like a concept home but is apparently real, a modernistic hobbit house half-buried in the ground, from imgur.com

Friday Fun: Minimalist Desks

Can you just imagine what masterpieces I might write at these super-tidy desks if I didn’t have random pieces of paper, piles of books, ten leaky pens, heart and car crafty pieces by my sons and a million other things competing for space on them? How did that saying go about a clear desk leading to a clear mind – or an empty one, possibly?

This is the picture that kicked off the dream – a desk set in a landscape of calming green, what more could you want. From dwell.com

Of course, if you have a corner, you might want to make the most of your desk space and go all the way round. Get more comfy chairs, though! From dwell.com

This house in the Blue Ridge Mountains, known as the Piedmont Residence, demonstrates that you can have a desk in your bedroom without a problem. As well as a view, of course. From trendir.com

Another modest corner desk – this one at least hints at writing and reading getting done here. Designed by Bloxas from architectureau.com

The Italians do everything so stylishly – this desk ‘hidden’ in the corner of the room, facing out into landscape, perfect for deep thinking. From living.corriere.it

This Napa Valley house also features a desk in the bedroom. Perfect if you have no partner, I believe. Or separate bedrooms. From StevenHarrisArchitects.com

This is a Swiss holiday home, so I don’t think the desk is designed for daily use. Just as well, since I don’t think I’d get much writing done with that view to contemplate. Photo credit: James Silverman, interiordesign.net

Friday Fun: All the Bookshelf Joy in the World

What’s the point of having a house without bookshelves filled with books? Here are some of my recent favourites (by the way, I have to keep on deleting old pictures, to make sure that I have enough space on my WordPress site, so you may find some posts are missing pictures, although I am trying to delete those rogue empty posts).