Your Dream Outdoor Space | Pin to Win

Dael and I are so happy to be collaborating with Heart of your Home and Escea to bring you this awesome and super fun competition - design your "Dream Outdoor Space". With Summer just around the corner we're all starting to think about those long balmy nights and entertaining with family and friends. Enter this competition and you could WIN $500 CASH to kick start your very own dream outdoor space.

So, "how do I enter this amazing competition?" I hear you ask. It's so easy and fun... simply head over to the Heart of your Home website and complete the entry form, go to Pinterest and create your own Pinterest board called "Dream Outdoor Space", then start pinning to your heart's content. One requirement is that you must include an Escea gas or wood outdoor fire to your board.

We have created our own board which you can see here. We're all about relaxed living and creating different areas to hang out in. Just like inside your home, you can design zones outside - somewhere to dine, somewhere to play, a quiet place to just chill. Do you love gardening, swimming, entertaining, cooking alfresco, sitting around the fire, do you want a giant moat with swans in it (that one is my 13 year old daughter's) - this is your dream, so go for it!

The competition closes on 30th November 2016, so you have a month ahead of you to pin. Dael and I will be judging and we will be looking for creativity, an outdoor space that "wows" us, and a cohesive look and feel. Good luck, we can't wait to see what you pin. More details and terms & conditions are on the Heart of your Home website.

All images can be see on our Dream Outdoor Space Pinterest board and get more inspiration from our Alfresco board.

Dream Home

I loved this first image (below) the moment I spied it on Pinterest. The blue walls and door are gorgeous, and I love how it frames the view through to the rooms beyond. So you can imagine my excitement when I found the entire home on Elle Decoration and every room was equally as gorgeous!

It belongs to Swedish blogger and photographer, Kristin Lagerqvist. Like me, Kristin has always loved blue, finding it a soothing, comforting colour. Blue is the common thread throughout the home where it features on walls, in wallpaper, furniture and accessories. It's balanced by fresh white, warm, rich wood tones and mossy greens.

Kristin used North Sea Paints, and they helped her develop the special shade of sky blue naming it after her - Krickelin Haze Blue ("Krickelin" is the name of her blog).

I love the wallpaper in the office (FYI... we can get this wallpaper for you, in case you love it as much as I do - email me for the details). The vintage desk and dresser, along with the chandelier Kristin inherited from her grandmother, add warmth and give the room a sense of depth and history.

The large kitchen is spacious and functional with beautiful brass handles and a marble bench top. I was happy to see the gorgeous blue and white bowl on the bench, as I have exactly the same one in my kitchen - great minds!

Also sharing my love of pattern, Kristin has used all sorts of amazing wallpaper throughout her home. The Designers Guild paper in the entranceway is another wallpaper you can source through us here at Bibby + Brady.

Stepping away from the blue tones momentarily, the bedroom is wallpapered in a restful tone of soft sage green. It echoes the greenery found both outside and inside the window.

I'm finishing this post with another room that makes me really happy. It features a stunning William Morris wallpaper in a metallic bronze. Originally produced in the 1880's it looks incredible in this 21st century home.

Photos: Andrea Papini  | Retouching: Jenny Soderstrom

There isn't one thing that I don't love in Kristin's home. The combination of colours, patterns, furniture and art choices are all amazing. This might just be my dream home!

Wainscoting anyone?

Wainscoting - raised wooden panelling - is something I'm quite partial to. It adds personality and dimension to your walls, and although it dates back to colonial days, you can give it a contemporary spin by simplifying the design and/or having fun with the colour.

This original dark wood panelling is so beautiful and oozes old-world charm.

With the help of your joiner or builder you could bring your walls to life with any of these looks. Do you like these contemporary patterns below or are you more of a traditionalist?