With Wayfair
It was only last week, after about 53 minutes of finally moving back into our newly extended/renovated family home, that Mr Only Girl turned to me and whimpered, “I just wasn’t expecting it to be quite so black and white!”. I’m not sure quite what he expected, given that we’ve both been privy to our joint Pinterest “house renovation” board for well over a year, jointly selected a white kitchen, black flooring, white bathroom, black bathroom furniture and a charcoal sofa. Said Pinterest board provides endless scrolling fun of Scandi-inspired interiors, awash with white walls, black accents and the odd smattering of birch ply – so his insistence that this was all “a bit of surprise” was met by “I just don’t think you’ve been paying attention!”. That said, as I wandered from room to room I noticed there was an element missing – something that my Scandinavian muses hadn’t overlooked but was such an integral part to their home design, it was like a camouflaged, subliminal message from the super stylish sanctum: House plants.
Image credits: The Future Kept, H&M, Design Seeker, Kate La Vie, LuLu and Georgia, Juthamat By Jem and Baukje Snieder.
That glimmer of colour, just a breath of nature amongst the neutral, monochromatic tones – not only makes that Scandi-cool aesthetic complete, it makes it tactile, livable and friendly.
Real large Cactus, Ikea UK and Ball Basket by Bloomingville.
But this isn’t just about the finishing touches to my family friendly, zebra-delic home. Working in interiors I’ve been bombarded with emails, blog posts and press releases telling me how to incorporate Pantone’s colour of the year in my home. But I didn’t want to! Like a toddler refusing to budge until a Jammy Dodger transaction is completed, I had my poutty-face on, arms crossed, sour-puss demeanor from the moment “Greenery” had been announced as Pantone’s champion for 2017. I didn’t want “zesty yellow-green” shades “invigorating” my home. I have five rambunctious boys to inject snot-coloured fun on any given day regardless of Pantone’s decisions. Then it dawned on me… I don’t have to slap shade 15-0343 all over my walls to embrace this year’s colour – instead, I can go with the word itself – add some bloomin’ Greenery.
House plants might have a squillion benefits for my health, unfortunately, I offer zero health benefits in return to them – so I’ve started to opt for the ever-more realistic faux versions, which are now even more prolific than artisanal coffee shops in the middle-class ‘burbs of Britain.
So, thanks to my pals over at Wayfair, I managed to nab myself some “Only Girl Friendly” greenery (aka this faux palm tree plant) and some beyond cool monochromatic House Doctor baskets. I’m still undecided as to his final resting place – could be the bathroom for a lush, jungle vibe or the bedroom for a super boho, Byron Bay-esque feel. But for now I’ve paired him with two of my fave items since moving back into the home – my Eames Lounge Chair and my much longed for Andy Warhol Print.
I’ll admit, I love getting lost in Wayfair and finding all the treasures just a couple of clicks away. So, here’s some of the other gorgeous bits now on my wishlist to green up my new gaffe…
Faux Agave Plant, Black and Natural Handle Basket, Philo Tree, Wooden Ball Air Planter, Banana Leaf Cushion, Faux Aloe Vera, Set of 3 Baskets and Black Wall Planter.
I’m working with Wayfair throughout 2017 as one of their Home Experts, bringing you my top picks for a Scandi-inspired, family friendly home – so whilst they have kindly gifted me these items, all opinions and comments are my own.
