Photo frame wall

A really quick tip to add a feature wally I your home is to fill a wall with photos, make sure the frames are different colours and styles. This will make your home look eclectic and unique.

Laura xxx

Pre dinner/party snacks

I looove making these as a pre-dinner or party snack, they're great for using up little bits of puff pastry as well. So basically all you do is cut up some puff pastry, slap on any toppings you fancy ( Mine were: 1.mozzarella,tomato and basil 2.salami and Parmesan 3.mozzarella and olive) use anything you find in the fridge! Put them in the oven at 160c fan for 15-20 minutes and hey presto! There are your yummy snacks...

Here are mine-

Tell me how your snacks turn out and what you put on them (always hunting for new combinations!)

Laura xxx

Upcycling

Hello everyone,

I really love the trend of upcycling at the moment, if you don't know it's like recycling but you turn something old and unused into a piece of furniture. What I really like about this is that it creates the most unique pieces of furniture and you can do it for next to nothing. This trend is becoming big in the UK and there are websites like freecycle and gumtree where you can get old items for free or almost nothing. Also Kirsty Allsopp has a programme on channel 4 called "fill your house for free" which can give you a lot of inspiration for your own projects. Here is some upcycled furniture for some inspo~

Laura xxx

Banana muffins

These delicious muffins never fail to please, and help to use up any over ripe bananas you may have hanging around in the fruit bowl.

280g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 well ripened bananas

110g sugar ( I used a combination of brown sugar and caster)

1 egg, beaten

60ml milk

90ml vegetable oil

70g walnuts/pecans or chocolate chips.

1.Prepare the muffin tins, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda.(Add chocolate if using)

2.In another bowl mash the bananas until puréed, stir in the sugar, egg, milk and oil.

3.Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until combined but still lumpy, no dry flour should be visible.(Add nuts if using)

4.Spoon the mixture into the tins and bake for 20-25 mins until lightly brown.

Enjoy,

Laura xxx

Alpine home trend

Bonjour everyone,

A trend predicted for 2014 is the alpine home trend. This style conjures up memories of Swiss mountain chalets and ski holidays. The look is created with plenty of wood furniture and soft woollen/furry blankets and cushions, the main colours to use are soft neutrals which perfectly compliment the different shades of wood.

This trend may seem very wintery, however the neutral blankets and cushions can be replaced with pastel or floral ones to get your home ready for spring and summer.

Laura xxx

New home trend

Hi everyone,

The home trend that I'm posting about today is Brass, this style is classy,luxurious whilst adding a contemporary edge to your home. The brass look is created by simply pairing brass accessories such as candlesticks with dark walls and plush soft furnishings for a atmospheric room. Alternatively, the accessories can be paired with white walls for a more chic modern look.  The pictures below summarise the look perfectly:

The brass look may not seem summery however I think the style works all year round when seasonal accessories are added, such as seasonal plants etc.

Laura xxx

New summer trend

Hey everyone,

A trend that has recently come to my attention is the bohemian trend, we all knew about it in terms of fashion, but now it's expanded to interior design too. This trend is relaxed, unique and has no rules really. As long as exudes a chilled boho vibe, it's part of the look! The pictures below show two very different interpretations o the trend, one more modern and the other more natural...

This style really allows you to get creative, and remember it's not messy, it's bohemian...

Laura xxx

Homemade granola

Homemade granola warm from the oven is pure heaven, this recipe is really simple and you can add whatever nuts or dried fruit you want.This recipe makes a lot of granola however once made it can be kept for up to a month.

300g oats

4 tbsp apple sauce ( I used apple juice!)

4 tbsp runny honey

1 tbsp maple/golden syrup

3 tbsp oil

60g brown sugar

60g mixed nuts (I used pecans, almonds and chopped hazelnuts)

100g dried fruit (I used raisins and sultanas)

Preheat the oven to 170 c/ 160c fan.

Combine all the ingredients apart from the dried fruit, making sure all the oats are well coated in oil, syrup and honey. Spread the granola onto a lined baking tray shaking the tray gently to ensure there is a range of clumps and small bits.

Put the tray in the oven and bake for 20-25 mins stirring/jiggling the tray every 5 minutes to ensure the granola browns evenly.

Take out the granola an stir in any dried fruit you want to add.

Leave to cool completely and use on yoghurt, in cookies,muffins or with muesli.

Enjoy,

Laura xxx

Hot home trend

Good afternoon everyone, 

Today I have decided to post about an up and coming trend for the home, I call it "French country style" as it combines rustic furniture with chic French accessories. A company that sells some gorgeous furniture and accessories in this style is Dibor, a few of their items are too good to turn down! This trend is relaxed and homely, works all year round and functions  well in big busy households. The picture below summarises the style perfectly, however anyone can add their own twist to it!

This trend is one you can really picture in a country home set in acres and acres of land, however this style fits in just as well with a modest semi detached and can even help create the illusion of more space.Below are some of my favourite picks of Dibor products-

That's all on this trend for now, but if you can't get enough of it head over to Dibor to look at their range of products.

Laura xxx

Recipe: raspberry tray bake

Hi everyone,

Today I thought I'd share with you a lovely summery tray bake, freshly baked cakes can really bring friends and family together. This recipe is originally from Germany, it may seem complicated but it's not once you read through thoroughly.

1. Line a rectangular tray roughly 30cm x 30cm (make sure the tray has an edge) Preheat the oven to 180c or 160c in a fan oven.

2. Mix 300g plain flour with 1 tsp of baking powder, 100g of sugar and 1/2 tap of vanilla extract/essence. Using your finger tips rub in 175g of margarine until the mixture resembles a crumble topping.

3. Spread the crumble mixture onto the baking tray and push down until your baking tray has a layer of what looks like pastry on it (be careful not to push down so hard that it loses the crumbliness)

4. Spread 750g of raspberries/blackberries/red currants etc. over the base, being careful not to mash them.

5. Beat 4 egg yolks with 75g until frothy, add 150g crème fraîche and 100g ground almonds and mix thoroughly, being careful to not beat out all the bubbles.

6. Whisk 4 egg whites with 75g of sugar until stiff, fold into the egg yolk mixture and spread evenly over the raspberries/black berries etc.

7.Bake the cake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven and serve sprinkled with icing sugar once it has cooled down.

Enjoy,

Laura xxx

Nautical

The nautical trend is perfect for summer as it injects a cool calm atmosphere into your living space, the trend consists of white washed walls and sanded floorboards livened up with accessories such as shells,stripy cushions and driftwood. I personal believe that this style is perfect for summer as it make spaces appear bigger, perfect for when the weather starts to get overly hot (I'm not complaining!) As you can see below the main colour scheme for this trend is sand, red,white and navy.

These two pictures really epitomise the style for me and hopefully you can gain inspiration from them for your own home.

Laura xxx

Vintage floral

The vintage floral trend is a style that combines chic French furniture with homely English floral prints. This style works well in any season and creates a stylish yet still unique atmosphere, the main colours in this look are white, pink, green and other pastel shades. Furniture and accessories in this style can be found almost anywhere or old furniture can be distressed with white paint and sand paper (more on this later!) The following pictures sum up the look perfectly, and I love the way the style can be personalised with quirky touches.

Laura xxx

DIY: Make your own antique style sign

Bonjour everybody,

This is the first in what I hope to be a long series of DIY projects for the home. Making your own sign is really easy and you can change the colour/writing to suit your own style. Enjoy...

First, get an old plank of wood which is the right size (it doesn't matter if it is dirty)

Next get a tin of any colour paint- I chose white

Then use sand paper or tape to gently remove some of the paint, when dry.
After this you can sponge some more of your colour round the edges, in a slightly darker shade (just add a bit of black to your original paint)

Use this paint to roughly paint the plank of wood

Use a stencil or free hand to draw the letters of your choice onto
 your plank once dry.  After that paint your letters on in a colour of your choice.

Voila your antique sign is complete,

Laura xxx

Botanical

Hi everyone, 

As I was sitting in the garden, surrounded by butterflies and flowers I remembered about that post I'd said I'd do on the botanical trend for S/S13. This trend consists mainly of vintage furniture, green  blue and yellow undertones and of course flora and fauna fabrics and images. I found this mood board and I think it pretty much sums up the style (minus the blue and yellow tones)

I really really love this style as it creates a lovely vibe, is light and airy whilst not being too minimalist...

Laura xxx

New discovery!

Good morning everyone,
So yesterday I was at a friends pig roast in this gorgeous weather (30 degrees C!) when I discovered these beauties- Aqua beads
For those of you who don't know, they come as a packet of seed beads and when you soak them in water for 24 hours they expand and become gel like, this product is originally designed for vases however they look really nice in a simple glass bowl with the sunlight streaming through.
The hostess had various bowls of aqua beads placed around her garden and I thought to myself they would work really well in the theme of summer brights.
You can find them on eBay, however just to warn you, they look a lot better in real life...
Laura xxx

S/S13 trends

Just a quick post to list the hot trends this season in home design-

-Botanical, this classical trend involves subtle Victorian style prints of flora and fauna.
-Summer Brights, this cheerful style brings an instant pop of colour to any home with just a few key items.
-Vintage/floral, yes this trend is still going and is predicted to stay around for a while. One of my favourite     styles at the moment floral/vintage incorporates subtle fabrics with shabby chic furniture.
-Nautical, I personally love this style which uses a basic palette of cream,sand, navy and pastels to inject a     seaside vibe into your home,even if you live miles away from the sea!
I will be doing an in detail post on each of these trends, shortly but until then....

Keep happy,
Laura xxx

Summer Brights

Hi everyone,
This summer I'm loving homes filled with colourful, eye-catching pieces. Summer brights can be found almost everywhere, but I know that over here in the UK it is big.

This cushion from John Lewis is the perfect addition to a wooden bench or wicker chair, and can easily be paired with other accessories such as colourful glasses and plates for a fun table setting in the garden.
My colour picks for summer brights would have to be-

Lime green

Hot pink

And bright orange

I really love this look paired with plain white walls, for a simple yet summery look.I will keep you updated with more S/S13 trends, but for now enjoy your summer...

Laura xxx

Welcome to One Owl's nest

One Owl's nest is a home design blog dedicated to bringing you the latest trends in interior design. I hope you enjoy looking through the posts and gaining inspiration for your home.Don't forget to share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites!

Laura xxx