Farrow and Ball at Seymour Interiors, Wirksworth

Last week I had the delight of attending a Farrow and Ball colour talk at Seymour Interiors in Wirksworth.

I took my Mum (rivals me in the trigger-happy with a paint brush stakes!) along as a guest and we had a really enjoyable and informative evening. Seymour Interiors were the perfect hosts, offering a nice cuppa and a delicious slice of cake on arrival!

Donations generated at the event were collected on behalf of a Neuroblastoma in infant and child charity.

The representative from Farrow and Ball talked to a full house covering the history of Farrow and Ball paints, the paint and paper producing process and then took us through some key looks as well as some handy tips. No matter what paint you choose to use in your home, I would urge you to go onto the F&B website where you will find plenty of inspiration and interior ideas and tips. Here are just a few.

• If using wallpaper with a pattern and colour, pick out a colour in the pattern and paint any woodwork in this colour rather than white.
• A common belief is that if you have a small room, painting it white will make it appear larger. In many cases (depending on light etc) what you will end up with is just a small white room! Be brave and choose a darker colour.
• In the same way that white doesn't necessarily make a room look larger, a paper with a small pattern is not necessarily the way to go in a smaller room. The eye is not so easily fooled. Go for a bold pattern. Don't be apologetic for your small room!
• Feature walls are still popular. Choose the smallest wall in the room as the feature wall so the overall effect is not too domineering.
• Low ceilings - pick out a complimentary white (a toned white) to the walls or something other than white. If you use brilliant/bright white your eye will immediately be drawn upwards and that may not be what you want. The same applies to high ceilings.
• Use an off cut of wallpaper to create a headboard as in the picture above.
• Line drawers, cupboards, wardrobes with pretty wallpaper.
• If you have wallpaper in your kitchen, apply a clear varnish to any areas of high traffic, where you keep your kitchen bin for example,  so that any stains,splashes etc can be easily wiped clean.

Seymour Interiors is a great little interiors find. For any Midland readers, it's well worth a visit. As well as soft furnishings and furniture they stock wallpapers and paints and are on hand to advise on all things interior decor wise, offering insightful tips and a wealth of experience. Take a look at the Facebook page and pay them a visit in Wirksworth.

Beautiful Barcelona!

Last week my hubby and I spent a glorious few days in Barcelona. It was a rare treat. The children had a great few days being spoilt rotten by Grandma and Granddad. Probably chocolate biscuits for breakfast, lunch and tea and not much in the way of teeth cleaning, such is the fun of being looked after by Grandparents!

For anyone who hasn't visited Barcelona, it is a great city. We took in all the tourist treats on offer....the numerous examples of the 'Modernista' architecture, Gaudi's weird yet wonderful creations - the Sagrada Familia being the most famous example, La Boqueria (indoor market - a feast for the eyes as well as the waistline!), the museums celebrating the works of Joan Miro (a particular favourite of my hubby..who yo-yo's between thinking Miro was a genius and thinking our 3 year old could paint better pictures than the man himself!) and my favourite, Picasso. We easily filled 4 days with things to do and see, yet it was very relaxing at the same time.

I didn't get the opportunity to suss out Barcelona interiors, but I loved many of the elegant apartments from the outside.

For those of you who may consider visiting, we stayed on the edge of the Bari Gotic (Gothic quarter) and the Ribera. The location was perfect, being right in the hustle and bustle of the city centre yet only a 5 or 10 minute stretch to the harbour and the nearest beaches. I would also recommend hopping on the open top tourist bus on day one. This gives you a great over view of where and what there is to see and gives you a good idea of walking distances etc.

Here are a few of my holiday snaps, including my purchases.....3 prints....a Miro, a Barcelona tourist board poster and a Picasso.

Barcelona skyline

Elegant Barca living

La Boqueria

The harbour



Beautiful quilts in an interiors shop



Lovely momentos of a wonderful few days