LIFETSYLE: HOW TO INCLUDE LUXURY & FUNCTIONALITY WHILST RENOVATING

Expressing your sophistication through the interior design of your house whilst also creating a functional space at the same time can be a whirlwind of confusion. Many features look absolutely wonderful yet serve no purpose other than their aesthetic value, essentially rendering them useless. However, there are ways of creating a design that you love inside your home, whilst still ensuring it contains all of the necessary pieces you need to live comfortably. If you want to find out how to renovate your home to the best standard in all respects, read on for some top tips to guide you through the process room by room.


The Kitchen 

When it comes to renovating your kitchen, there’s so much scope to create a modern, classy room whilst still retaining all the essential fixtures and fittings. Try to keep all of your white goods from the same brand to ensure continuity, and invest in the entire range with regards to toasters and kettles as mismatched items can deduct from the overall look of your kitchen. For your sink area, opt for a stainless steel tap with a hose arm attachment to upgrade your technology and add a more modern feel. A range cooker will push those positives even further, and also give you more space to serve a greater number of guests when entertaining. The surfaces in your kitchen can make or break the design. Choosing granite or marble will be luxurious for sure, and their sturdy nature means that they’re sure to last a lifetime and look amazing throughout. It’s also a good idea to install some spotlight LED’s, as not only do they look sleek but they can be bright enough for you to be able to get your chef on and present every dish perfectly. 

Living Room

Your living room doesn’t need to provide that much other than seating and some kind of entertainment system, so you can let the design side of things take a stronger hold. Leather sofas can be an amazing option to include comfort as well as luxury, and can make a great statement centrepiece. Partner these with some fur throws and oversized cushions to increase relaxation and stop the sofas from becoming dull and plain. For your entertainment system, bigger is not always better. You may be attracted towards the latest and largest sound system with it’s huge speakers, but if you won’t actually be using it on a regular basis there isn’t much point in wasting the space or money. Many TV’s are now smart, meaning they basically contain a whole host of different features such as film subscription services, internet access, as well as recording programmes both whilst you are watching and when the device is switched on. Combining all of these together is convenient and efficient, and they even come with 3D capabilities if you want to take it a step further. The lights you choose in your living room should reflect your lavish tastes whilst still serving their purpose, so go for a new age voice activated option to reach a whole new level of opulence.

Bedrooms 

The bedrooms in your home are some of the easiest spaces to renovate. Focus on main pieces of furniture, such as your bed and vanity unity. A queen sized bed may seem the height of luxury, but the room it will take up may not warrant the investment. If you’re a little more classic or vintage in your tastes, why not consider a 4 poster bed to feel like a royal every night. A vanity unit is an essential feature, and there are so many different ones available to suit your own tastes. Opt for one that includes its own drawers and compartments to store makeup and other accessories, so you can keep everything that you need within reach and speed up your morning routine. Take a lot of care when you renovate each bedroom, as they should have a certain atmosphere and feel dependent on whoever resides inside. The main goal should be to achieve a space that helps you to relax and unwind each night to drift into a restful sleep, but still contain what you need to wake up and prepare yourself properly the next day.

Bathroom & En-Suite 

Most people’s inspiration for en-suite or bathroom renovation comes from various hotels they have visited or scrolled past online. These are great ideas to base your own designs on, as they are usually very luxurious and quite easy to imitate at home. One of the best items to invest in to create the ultimate feeling of splendour is a free standing bath. They are amazing additions to any bathroom that can warrant the space, and the different tub and feet types can match in with other aspects of your bathroom to increase the aesthetic value too. If you choose gold coloured feet, continue this through the entire theme with other fittings such as taps and small accessories like soap dishes and various handles. To continue on with a perfect theme throughout, try and keep the same shape for both your bathtub and your sink(s). Although it may take some time to find the right pairing, this will wow any guests that happen upon your bathroom, and the effort you have gone to will reflect upon the style so positively that it will be so worth your while. Stick to one block colour such as a delicate peach or duck egg blue for walls and floors, and use different tones if you want to switch it up a little.

Renovating your home to a luxurious standard doesn’t have to mean that you have to substitute function for style. You can include many rich features in your house that also serve their purpose sufficiently, you just have to put a little more thought and effort into researching and planning your design. These useful tips should help you get set in the right direction and help you to achieve the home of your dreams. 


*collaborative post

EVENT: JOHN LEWIS SOLIHULL WEDDING SHOWCASE


I was kindly invited along to the John Lewis store in Solihull for their first wedding showcase event. We are not planning a wedding just yet, still waiting for someone to pop the question but I've got a lot of friends and followers who are getting married soon and I wanted to show what John Lewis have to offer. I also think it's a good way to start planning a wedding as you can get loads of ideas and inspiration. So whether your planning a wedding or just want to get some ideas i'd say head on down to your local John Lewis to find out more, or head on over to their website. 

There was lots going on in store which was open to all shoppers but you could also book a place at the wedding showcase, you get a glass of bubbly and a very generous goodie bag! The showcase took place all day and things such as the fashion show and beauty demonstrations were repeated throughout the day so it didn't matter what time you arrived. There was lots going on throughout the day! As I walked into the store I could hear live music, they had the Boogaloo Babes performing, they were fab! They have a very unique sound and were just lovely! Would be perfect as a wedding band, they had alot of energy! 

First up I headed to the beauty department as Chanel were doing a natural wedding make up demonstration.The Chanel consultant took us step by step though what she was doing and why and what products she was using. It looked really simple but effective and the model was actually part of the fashion show later on and looked lovely! If your interested in hearing more about Chanel skincare and make up products for your wedding then head to the counter on the first floor. They actually have one of their regional make up artists on the counter next week so contact the counter to find out more.

Whilst in the beauty department I popped over to Bobbi Brown as they were also doing beauty demonstrations on the day. They offer a Bridal Make-Up Lesson, this is £50 but fully redeemable against products. They teach you how to apply the make-up. This is perfect for someone who wants to do their own make up but learn more... Maybe your on a budget so don't want to book a MUA, this way you can learn some tips and tricks on how to apply it yourself. There's some how to's over on the Bobbi Brown website. 

After the Chanel demonstration I headed over to fashion for the Wedding fashion talk! This was like a fashion show, the lovely ladies from the personal shopping team had picked out a great selection of wedding outfits. There was something for everyone. I really liked that they picked from a selection of different brands and even mix and matched across brands! The fashion show was really informative. I liked that they shared the brand, price and colours that each item comes in. I saw a few lovely dresses that I want to check out for an upcoming wedding. They also covered outfits for Mother and Father of the bride/ groom as well as guests and flower girls! They also introduced Rainbow Club who do Complementary colour customisation, which is something i've never heard of. Rainbow Club actually hand dye accessories such as shoes so you get the perfect colour for your special day! All of the models were actually Partners so all work within John Lewis which was lovely!

I didn't even know that John Lewis did personal styling! It's free you just have to book, which you can do online. They have a few different options so whether you are just after some bits for an upcoming holiday, maybe for your honeymoon? Or whether you need to revamp your whole wardrobe!  They call you ahead of your appointment and get some information about you so that they can have some outfits ready for your arrival! They are then on hand to get more clothes, sizes and offer advice etc and there's no obligation to buy or minimum spend but they hope that you will love their styling and get loads of inspiration!! 

After the fashion show I headed down to the basement floor where they had a selfie wall and then a home designs talk. The lovely home designs team talked about some lovely table setting ideas. It was really on trend and not your typical wedding table set up! It looked incredible! I loved the China and the glasses were gorgeous! The team talked about using products like hessian and sprigs of lavender and Ivy to add a little something to the table! I loved the name tags too, such an affordable idea but so effective!! 

The home designs team also mentioned the John Lewis experience cards. They are like a gift card but a little more personal. You still load on the amount you want to gift but it's for a specific area, for example as a wedding gift you could give a Home Experience card, there is a 90 minute in store Home Design appointment. You will sit down with the home design team and they will help you spend your gift voucher. They also offer a Style Experience, Beauty experience and Nursery experience. 


I had such a lovely time at the event and didn't realise how much John Lewis offer for weddings! From flowers, rings, and cakes to wedding fashion, gifts and much more. The website has loads of great products and ideas, you can also head down to your local store where the staff will be on hand to help! This was the first Wedding Showcase at the Solihull store and it was fab, I doubt it will be their last! 





* I went along to the event to feature the event on my blog. I haven't been paid to feature the event, I was kindly gifted a goodie bag as was everyone else that booked onto the event.