Nesting

Wine..one of the most helpful aids in moving house.

Now we have finished wrestling with IKEA flatpack and done grown up things like bought a new tv and Le Creuset and a sofa etc etc, I can get down to the serious business of nesting.  Nesting can be a full time occupation, it should involve cashmere, hot chocolate/ mulled wine and The Killing box set.  Annoyingly, our internet is not up and running yet so I'm pulling a bit of a sneaky by blogging in my lunch hour at work. Naughty, naughty.

Things I love about the flat so far - mounds of storage, especially wardrobe storage; MY (our) things everywhere, be that Venetian mirrors, the Boy's contemporary art, a store cupboard full of ingredients, having a garden, lots of book shelves...although we still need more!

Things I don't love - ummmm..not having a bath! But I was aware of this and must not whinge. Showers are more energy saving and my best friend lives literally around the corner so I have a tub on demand.

Pre and post move I have certainly been paying more attention to interior design blogs. Aside from the obvious like The Selby and Closet Visit, I've also discovered The Style Files, Ikea Hackers, Apartment Therapy.. especially good if, like me, you like a good nose around people's houses.  Money is a bit tight at the moment as the flat was completely unfurnished. This was wonderful in a way as we can make it completely 'ours' but also a bit 'aaargh..we have to buy everything!!'. It was things like a TV, hoover, organising the Internet etc that came at us a bit out of the blue aside from the obvious sofa, kitchen table and chairs etc.

Having a garden is a real bonus, especially in London.  Ours is paved and a decent size and the previous tenants left us all their garden furniture which was marvellous! I envisage buying lots of herbs and potting them beautifully (as above) but I think it might be more prudent to wait until it gets a bit warmer!

What makes you happy about where you live? I'll get back to fashion soon..today is pay day after all and a small splurge might be in order!

Who'd live in a house like this?

 Regular readers will remember the post I did on closets, the dream walk in wardrobe that we all aspire to..in a way, this is an extension from that. I must apologise for my lax posting of late, there are several reasons largely work being hectic and possibly the bigger stress..finding a house/ flat. The Boy and I thought we had found our dream one, only to get gazumped at the last minute. I'm not quite over it yet but the quest must go on..it just takes up SO much time! It also got me thinking about some of the most stylish houses around. I love feeding my nosiness by checking out great interior design blogs like The Coveted, Into The Gloss, The Selby & Closet Visit which all offer a behind-the-scenes insight into the lives of the fashion crowd, whether the focus be on the inner workings of their wardrobes, make-up bags or apartments or simply what inspires them in day to day life. 

I suppose in a way, it is dressing up voyeurism, but this is so intrinsic to the concept of blogging that it's nothing we fashion followers haven't seen before. Indeed, in the days long before blogs existed, I always found myself drawn to features such as the Closet Confidential in Elle UK and settling down to enjoy MTV Cribs...a show I still love! Also the 'What's in your bag' feature that used to be in Harpers Bazaar and a similar feature that they used to have in Tatler which was a double page spread and collage of a celebrity/ model/ socialite's favourite things. I loved seeing what my style icons (ok..not much on MTV cribs..) wore and were inspired by. Although I'm sure these features are artificially constructed, I still can't get over the thrill, or intimacy if you will, of going behind the person to see what makes them tick.  Few things can reveal this as much as looking round a person's house or wardrobe.

For me, despite the blog’s ability to provide instant gratification, it will never come close to the pleasure of pouring over an interior design book, handing over my last fiver to check out the feature on Sofia Coppola's flat in Vogue or even pottering round a friend's house that I haven't visited before...now I just need a place of my own...

Edit: All pictures courtesy of The Selby, maybe he'll come round when I've found the dream flat.