Sometimes you have a pinch me moment …
A few months ago, I was invited to Sophie Conran’s Christmas press day. Exciting. IN. HER. LONDON. APARTMENT. As someone who asks for an item from her now iconic Portmeirion porcelain collection every year for Christmas and birthdays and who regularly relies on her website for gifts (one for you, one for me) this whole feature could well be written in caps lock if it wasn’t for the fact that I need the room to gush. No, this is not an advert – I’m just a high quality homewares obsessive who dreams of having a hot pink kitchen and I do it for the love.
Here are about a 100th of the photographs I took with the expression of Paul Danan circa 2004 on my face (yes I am also obsessed with the fake @paul_danan_offical insta) and yes, I did eat all the cake and stay way too long. The Christmas table settings, the tree and all the details that Sophie Conran is so good at were just gorgeous and I loved the fact that Soph (she would love me if she met me) had left up the hand made YAY sign that had been hung to welcome her daughter home from travelling. I’m thinking of copying this for our Christmas decorations with an oversize ‘HO HO’ and maybe a ‘JOLLY’. The apartment is two floors of one of those stunning Mary Poppins victorian villas on a square in central London and what struck me most was that although there were amazing hits of juicy colour there were also more neutral, softer zones that contrasted well and provided a sense of calm and sophistication. I often worry that my split personality decorating tendencies need to be reigned in so this made me feel very happy. Colour and calm can coincide – YAY indeed! In the interest of good journalism and nosiness, I made sure I visited the downstairs toilet and took an inordinate amount of selfies in there too and then sat on the sofa grinning and snapping away for a good half hour. In short, the PR team thought I was quite deranged. Thanks for having me!
I love the contrast of the red latticework wallpaper in the hallway with the pink walls in the kitchen. The kitchen and living space are all open plan but cleverly zoned.
The jewel box hallway with all the Sophie Conran trimmings and Christmas elf
Can those yellow scissor handles be a coincidence? Also: Moomin mugs!
In my happy place. I really want rust and orange cushions now…
More Christmas trimmings and delicious cake.
Me in the loo. Loved the chocolate brown floral wallpaper.
My Favourite Sophie Conran Pieces…
1. Green Scalloped Bed Linen, from £20, 2. Serving Platters, from £25 3. Pressed glass Hurricanes, from £25 4. Why are my favourite cushions always the most expensive ones? Peony Pink Cushion £97 5. Apothecary Glass Vases from £20 6. Swirly Whirly Candelabra, £59
