Country Living, May 2011 - Scrapbook Picks!

Country Living

We've reached Thursday so we deserve a little break, right?! Let's dive into the May issue of Country Living as it's full of bargain ideas for the home. The issue, aptly titled 'The Bargain Issue', turned out to be quite a gem amongst the plentiful spring offerings from the major mags; packed full of easy to achieve ideas (they actually are easy, too!) and money saving tips from professionals, it more than covers the outlay of buying a copy. There's 134 fantastic finds for under $100, a room update for $48 and the home tour featured on the cover is a true delight - isn't that gallery wall of maps fantastic? Another favourite tear was the Pottery Barn Teen lamp, which has been teamed with old book pages in it's base to great effect. What catches your eye, friends?

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Livingetc, June 2011 - My Scrapbook Highlights

Livingetc

Given my penchant for colour, it's no surprise that the team's decorating with a soft palette was by far my favourite decorating story from the June issue of Livingetc. Claudia Bryant's seemingly effortless styling has been captured in an almost dream-like state through the lens of Emma Lee; the soft, airy feel to the photographs making the delicate hues all the more appealing. I also enjoyed the botanicals feature (those Apothecary jars are divine) and the Hollywood Hills Sixties home of Derek Mattison caught my eye with its striking mid century-meets-folksy living room (I kinda loved his simple yet ever-so stylish outfit, too). However, the standout tour is the home of Dee Koppany and her partner, Dermot O'Leary - check out that bathroom, folks! An inspiration gallery of outdoor spaces rounded off this lovely summer issue.

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Elle Decoration, June 2011 - Get set for summer!

Without doubt this is the best issue from the Elle Decoration team in quite some time. The 'get set for summer' issue does exactly that: It helps set up your home for summer by providing decorating ideas for the warmer months ahead. From new summer colour palettes to light and airy home tours, the pages are filled with inspirational ideas for updating your home and improving the way you live both indoors and outdoors. Yep, as well as their usual decorating news, the team have included an idea-packed feature on creating a beautiful garden space whether you wish to host alfresco dinners or just relax in the sunshine. Another favourite spread was June's 'At Home With', which features the colourful home of textile designer Fi Douglas. Whilst we're on the subject of top notch home tours, this issue also affords us with a nose around the beautiful and delicate home of Swedish-American artist and photographer Kristin Perers. So as you can see, this sure is an issue for keeps. What stands out from the issue for you?

Elle Decoration

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Martha Stewart Living: Blue & White Decorating Ideas

Over my Easter break I spent a lazy morning reading the April issue of Martha Stewart Living from cover to cover. Fresh coffee in hand, I devoured the inspirational pages noting down recipe and decorating ideas as I went. For the last few days I've kept returning to their 'Cool Blues' story; the refreshing palette of summary blue hues and creamy whites continually inspiring my creativity. So, there was nothing for it - I simply had to blog about it! As well as sharing the feature, I've pulled together some of my favourite blue and white shopping buys in the market right now. I just love that H&M Home cushion, and that Westelm plate has striking graphic elements to it. Who am I kidding: I love them all! What catches your eye?

Martha Stewart Living tears: Photography by Simon Watson; Text by Kathleen Hackett; Created by Rebecca Robertson, Scott Horne and Erin Jang | Market Picks by Bright.Bazaar: Orla Kiely; H&M Home; Habitat (Vase, Tumbler, Bottle); Benjamin Moore Paints (1, 2, 3); Westelm

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