All posts filed under: Styling

How to add personality to a new build

Published by Karen Knox

Hello everyone, it’s been photoshoot central of late so i’m back with my second post of the month. It’s another final reveal post, plus I’m sharing some tips on how to add personality to a new build property. The homeowners, a young couple were keen to put their stamp on their new four bedroom home so contacted me to help them with the ground floor. We worked together remotely during lockdown Mk1, me finally visiting for the first time in summer 2020 once the project was underway. Before I’ve written before about how new builds are some of the hardest properties to re-design as there can be very little to be inspired by. There are no fireplaces, chimney breasts, no alcoves or nooks and crannies to build shelving into, no high ceilings or period features such as cornice, dado and picture rails. The rooms in a new build are often purely functional, rectangular rooms which have been kitted out in low-mid range fixtures and fittings. One of the reasons people opt for new builds is …

H&M Home – doing more Home

Published by Karen Knox

Hello!! Yes, I know i’ve been away for a week and left you without so much as a word to read, but we’ve had friends stay with us this week. So i’ve taken some time out, away from the screen to bloody well enjoy myself. And as punishment for said fun, i’ve been struck down with a virus and been like this since Thursday… … just in time for the school holidays. Oh life, you’re a cruel beast! Anyway, less moaning and more writing. Today’s post is about H&M Home. I know most of you will already know about their homeware dept, i’ve written about them before and used their stuff in sooo many projects… .. but there are actually still some peeps that haven’t twigged yet. And for those that don’t pop on there weekly (like I do), then today’s post is just for you. We already know H&M sell cushions, accessories, ceramics and textiles… everything in this pic above (apart from the sofa, books and twig) is from H&M. Standard. But did you know H&M’s …

From left to right

Published by Karen Knox

You know every so often, I get an idea in my head, analyse and mull it over for weeks and then post it here as a long rambling blog? Well today is one of those days…. For a while i’ve been musing the concept of Left to Right and its use in Interior Design. What’s that then? Firstly, it’s the way that we write, as in we start at the left side of the page and scrawl across horizontally to the right. A lot of languages are written this way admittedly, but in this country we also drive on the left hand side. So it’s pretty hard wired into our lives to look left and keep left. Here’s my hypothesis: Because of our propensity towards the left, our eyes naturally scan from left to right (in this country anyway). Apparently, when us Brits go into a store, we subconsciously wander over to the left too… Weird! So what’s this got to do with anything? Well, i’ve noticed that when I layout a space or style …

The Red Room – Final Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

It’s final reveal time. At last! (previous post here). I’m super excited to be able to share the photos from the Red Room project. For those of you that have been following this one, apologies, but i’m about to recap. Here is the storyline for this one: Initial consultation – The brief was to make the room work in terms of function (family room with a TV and plenty of seating), keep the red walls (hence the project name) and pull it all together. Before My plan was to block off the doorway into what was originally a room intended to be a dining room in order to give them a long run of wall to turn allow sofa seating a view to the soon to be TV. I’d already moved the sofa at this point btw and asked them to live with it like this for a few weeks to get used to the new flow around the house. Always something worth doing when you’re about to adjust layout that requires building work. The vintage …

The Red Room – Pre-reveal – Pt 2

Published by Karen Knox

Because sometimes things take a little longer than planned… here’s Pt 2 of the pre-reveal. I wasn’t planning a Pt 2, but I also wasn’t planning for one of the light fittings to be broken, for the curtains to be such a pain (why are curtains always such a pain?) or for the electrician to be quite as elusive (why are electricians always elusive?) View this post on Instagram A post shared by Karen Knox – Making Spaces (@makingspacesnet) But we’re about a week away from being done. After a four hour picture framing, gallery wall hanging, plant moving, nik nak fiddling session yesterday, I couldn’t possibly wait to share some pics I snapped before I left. Mantel piece styling with pieces from Ikea, Wayfair, H&M Home and….. … this super cool, not freaky at all black and gold hand from the very talented Muck N Brass. The cinema style wall light from Rockett St George looking tip top above the home bar (still to be stocked). Still a bit more work to do here (small shelf… vinyl… more …

Upper Brook Street Project – Final Reveal of the Guest Bedroom

Published by Karen Knox

Typing typing as fast as I can…. It’s final reveal time everyone! Oh how I love a final reveal. Especially when it’s as awesomesauce as this one. Eeeee!! (If you’d like to catch up on this project, pop back a few posts to this one.) First, it’s time for before pics. A large master bedroom which was to become a guest bedroom. But not just any old guest bedroom, oh no siree. The weird recessed/built in wardrobes were going and an ensuite was coming. This is how the room looked when I started working with the homeowners: The entire house had been chopped up over time, converted into flats at some point, and then back again into a house. The walls and doors were in the strangest of places and it was time to breathe life back into this beautiful Edwardian home, and put those walls back where they were originally built over 100 years ago. This was back in January. Want to see what it looks like now? After Before It’s completely unrecognisable isn’t it? In …

The Upper Brook Street Bedroom – Pre-Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

I can’t actually speak right now. I drove over to my Upper Brook Street project this morning, first time i’ve seen it since it’s been wallpapered. I always knew it was going to be a special room, but I never quite expected it to look this good. After measuring up for some final pieces, I was given free reign to start styling the space and take some pics. I’ve just uploaded about 56 photos to my Mac and spent the last hour almost flipping crying (happy tears, don’t worry). I’m overwhelmed by how this room has turned out so far. So forgive me, i’m just going to post pictures and some details about what’s from where and then i’m going to go and buy a bottle of something cold and fizzy to celebrate this evening. Goa Four Poster Bed from Maisons Du Monde This picture makes me soooo happy. Upper Brook Street Minuit wallpaper from Little Greene This room really wouldn’t be the same without it. Hemnes Bedside Tables from Ikea updated with Brass Drawer Pulls Futurist …

The Drawing Room – Final Reveal

Published by Karen Knox

Am so excited to share the final reveal of this project with you. I’ve been working closely with the homeowners for the last five months and i’m kind of wow-ed with the final design. If you’d like to read all about the beginnings then, jump over here for a catch up. Today’s post is all about the final photos and a shopping list for any of you out there that fancy any of these pieces for yourself. Let’s go. Before Here is their large Edwardian front room at the beginning of July this year. These guys had just moved in and were wanting a formal, but statement front room fit for drinks, music and entertaining. After And here it is now. It’s just so cosy isn’t it? In fact, after doing my final hour of faffing and half way through me taking photos, I was desperate for a quick cat nap on the sofa in front of that roaring fire. So nice. Before Everything in the room was going. Apart from the two made.com Ritchie sofas and …