In the UK people are well known for being DIY enthusiasts. People love the feeling of self achievement when they can see projects that they have completed using their own hands. Unfortunately as you can see this is rarely the case and a lot of projects are simply too big a task. If you are unsure about your DIY skills, it will probably work out cheaper in the long run, to hire a professional tradesman. We hope you enjoy browsing the information below.
This weekend, the Duchess of Cambridge made her last public appearance at the Trooping of the Colour before her baby is born. This has inspired us to think about babies and decorating a nursery.
The Royal Baby is rumoured to be due on July 13th. William and Kate’s baby will be third in line to the throne. The order of succession will be: Queen Elizabeth II – Prince Charles – Prince William – Son/daughter of William and Katherine – Prince Harry – Prince Andrew.
A recent change to the law means a daughter born to the couple would become queen regardless of any younger male siblings she may have.
The royal baby is due in July. Other famous people born in July include Richard Branson, Nelson Mandela and Tom Cruise.
There is much speculation as to what the Royal baby will be called. According to William Hill, the most popular choices are:
Boy: Philip 20/1
James 25/1
Richard 25/1
Edward 33/1
Peter 33/1
Girl: Diana 4/1
Victoria 6/1
Mary 12/1
Frances 16/1
Grace 20/1
For first births the standardised average (mean) age of mothers was 27.8 years in 2010, so Kate will be slightly above this at 31. Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of fathers were aged 30 and over in 2010 (excluding births registered solely by the mother) – William will be 31 on 21st June. In 2010, nearly half (48 per cent) of all babies born were to mothers aged 30 and over.
The Royal Baby is likely to be born in July, meaning it will either be a Cancerian or a Leo.
Cancer – 22 June – 23 July
Cancerian babies can swing from happy to tearful and back in the space of seconds. They love feeling safe and cared for. As they grow older they’ll enjoy dolls and teddies – don’t be surprised if they end up with so many in bed there’s no room for them!
They’re very intuitive and can take strong likes and dislikes to people. They prefer familiar family and friends to new ones, though their curiosity will ensure they grow more outgoing over time.
Cancerian children love: Swimming or splashing about.
Cancerian children loathe: Change. Altering their routine slowly works far better than drastic changes.
What parents should know: Your Cancerian baby could go through very clingy phases, but patience and reassurance will help them feel more secure.
Leo – 24 July to 23 August
Leo babies are natural leaders, fearless and noble, but they have fierce tempers, too. They know what they want and how to get it – and, as they’re also alert and take everything in, they will keep you on your toes from the very start.
Your Leo baby will reach almost every milestone ahead of their peers but they will also need lots of attention and truly thrive when they have you all to themselves. However, with a bit of encouragement they will become happy in their own company.
Leo babies love: Being the centre of attention.
Leo babies loathe: Being restricted – especially once they become more mobile.
What parents should know: Leo babies use up lots of energy in their daily investigations of the world around them. Establish a good sleep routine to ensure they – and you! – get the rest they need.
The Royal Baby will be born in the Chinese year of the Snake.
The snake symbolizes the character traits of intelligence, gratefulness and materialism. Snakes are very effective in getting their own way. Snakes aren’t great communicators but they can be very affectionate with those they are close to. Snakes prefer calm and quiet over noise and need plenty of time for rest and relaxation. Snakes are hard working but get bored easily. A snake will be creative, diligent and thrive under pressure. With an appreciation of nice things, babies born in the year of the snake will enjoy books, music and fine foods – and have an excellent memory and lots of good luck.
The Royal Baby’s birthstone will be ruby.
The Royal Baby’s birth flower will be larkspur or water lily.
Here are some facts about babies!
•600,000 babies are born every year in the UK!
•A baby is born somewhere in the world every three seconds.
•Wilma Flintstone was the first animated character that was portrayed as pregnant.
•Fewer than 5% of babies arrive on their estimated delivery date.
•The longest animal pregnancy is the Alpine Salamander of Southern Europe, which is pregnant for 38 months. Possums have one of the shortest pregnancies at 16 days. Elephants are pregnant for 22 months.
•One in every 2000 babies is born with a tooth.
•In the UK about one in 80 babies is born a twin or triplet.
•There is no truth in the pregnancy myth that a hairy belly means you’re having a boy.
•Morning sickness is experienced by as many as 85% of women.
•Pregnancy cravings affect 90% of women.
•Among the weird items pregnant women have been known to crave are sand, soil, soap, matches, sandpaper and rubber!
•The egg is the largest cell in the human body, while the sperm is the smallest. A single egg weighs the same as 175,000 sperm.
•Babies recognize their mother’s voice at birth but it takes 14 days for them to recognise their father’s.
•Around a quarter of women have an epidural during their first pregnancy.
•The eggs of rabbits, gorillas, dogs, pigs, whales, mice and humans are all the same size.
•The average length of a name is six letters.
•The average child shares their birthday with 9 million people.
•The most popular day of the week to give birth is Tuesday.
•An average labour for a first-time mum is said to be 12 hours.
•Giraffes are born with the mother standing up, on the lookout for predators. That means a long drop of 5 to 7 feet to the ground – long enough to break the baby’s umbilical cord!
•A baby is born with very sophisticated hearing and can work out where a sound is coming from just 10 minutes after being born. Psychologists have found that babies as young as just 2 days old can recognise their mothers from a tape recording of only one syllable.
•In the UK, most women leave their placentas at the hospital for them to dispose of it. In other cultures, it plays an important part. In some cultures, the placenta is eaten.
There is much speculation as to whether the Royal baby will be a boy or a girl. There are many old wives’ tales that are supposed to predict gender!
It’s a boy if…
• You didn’t experience morning sickness
• Your extra weight is round your front
• The bump is low
• Your areola (around around nipples) has gone very dark
• Your feet are cold a lot
• You crave protein
• The father is gaining weight too
• Add your age at the time of conception to the number of the month you conceived. If the amount is even, it’s a boy.
It’s a girl if…
• You experience morning sickness
• Your hair turns reddish
• Your bump is high up
• You crave sweets, fruit and orange juice
• You have mood swings
• Add your age at the time of conception to the number of the month you conceived. If the amount is odd, it’s a girl.
Finally, some strange celebrity cravings!
• Britney Spears – dirt
• Victoria Beckham – smoked salmon
• Jennifer Lopez – salsa, M&Ms and orange soda
• Katie Holmes – cupcakes
• Davina McCall – Coca-cola, sponges
• Amanda Holden – Guinness
• Catherine Zeta Jones – Branston Pickle
Decorating the Nursery
When deciding how to decorate a nursery, there are lots of decisions to make!
Here are some of our favourite options for nursery curtains.
We think that the Rosings curtains range would be lovely for a nursery. This is because these curtains are thermal foam backed curtains, which have various benefits. One of these benefits is that the majority of light will be blocked out, leading to a better quality of sleep. Also, outside noise will be reduced inside the nursery when the curtains are drawn. The Rosings curtains will keep the nursery warmer in the winter months and cooler during the summer months, which sounds perfect for a nursery to us! The design comes in a range of colours – pink, cream, latte, wedgewood and green.
The Lavenham Curtains range is also ideal for a nursery. These curtains have a lovely polka dot design and would work in a nursery for a boy or a girl. The design comes in a range of colours – powder blue, red, rose, sage and taupe. These are blackout curtains so will be perfect for a nursery.
Made to measure curtains are also perfect for a nursery as you can have the curtains made in a colour that works with the rest of the nursery decor – this option is brilliant if you have opted for a patterned wallpaper and simply want some curtains to complement this.
We particularly like these colours – the Milano Buttermilk Curtains, the Milano Candy Curtains, the Milano Sky Curtains and the Milano Apple Curtains.
Which are your favourite nursery curtains? If you have a nursery, how have you decorated it? Let us know on our facebook page, our google+ page or tweet us!
Can you add anything to our nursery pinboard?
Going for Greys
There are many, many shades of grey.
Grey can look striking in any room of the home but it is important to pick the right shade.
Whilst many people would like to use some grey in their home, they want to introduce other colours to work with and complement the grey.
One colour combination that works beautifully is to blend greys with brown, creating a lovely neutral decorating scheme. We would recommend mixing darker greys, such as charcoal, with naturals and browns. By choosing your shades of brown and grey carefully, you can create a range of looks from traditional to glamorous, from rustic to contemporary.
Curtains that would work well to help achieve this look include the Brooklyn Chocolate Lined Eyelet Curtains, which feature complementing shades of grey and brown.
The Boston Latte Curtains and Boston Chocolate Curtains could both be used for this colour combination, depending on the shade of brown that you would like to focus on.
The Rosenthal Winchester Chocolate Lined Curtains have a beautiful combination of chocolate and grey – these shades could then be picked up and featured throughout the room.
Finally, the Richmond Mocha Lined UK Made Curtains feature several shades of brown that would work brilliantly with some shades of grey.
Mixing greys and pinks creates a perfect combination. We would recommend using pink as an accent colour – you can choose any shade, from fuchsia to rose, coral to magenta.
These curtains would work well if you’d like to use a grey and pink colour scheme in a room of your home.
The Orion Pink Lined Blackout Curtains will be perfect if you want to use a bright, strong and vibrant shade of pink.
If you would prefer to use a softer pink, the Odette Soft Pink Lined Curtains are a lovely way to do this.
The Rosings Pink Lined Curtains are in a very pretty shade of pink that would complement a variety of shades of grey.
Another way to use grey is to mix it with blue. This is a classic colour mix that will look fantastic in any home.
If you would like to use a combination of blue and grey in a room of your home, these are some curtains that would work well.
For some aqua blue, the Jazz Blue Aqua Lined Eyelet Curtains will add a bright splash of colour to your room.
For a darker shade of blue, the Boston Navy Lined Curtains will work wonderfully.
For a soft, romantic blue, the Farleigh Blue Blackout Lined Curtains will look beautiful and will complement a range of shades of grey.
If you would prefer a light blue, the Lavenham Powder Blue Blackout Curtains will work well with soft shades of grey. We think that these would be great for a child’s bedroom.
The Brooklyn Teal Lined Eyelet Curtains will be brilliant if you’d like to use a range of shades of blue in your room to work alongside the greys.
Would you choose to use grey in your home? Which is your favourite way to use grey? Which of these colour combinations would you choose? Let us know on our facebook page, our google+ page or tweet us!
Can you add anything to our grey combinations pinboard?
National Hedgehog Week
Each year, the British Hedgehog Preservation Society organise the Hedgehog Awareness Week. The aim of this awareness week is to highlight the problems that hedgehogs face and to show what people can do to help them.
For the 2013 Hedgehog Awareness Week, the society decided to focus on gardeners as there are so many things that gardeners can do to help hedgehogs.
So, here are some things that you can do to help the hedgehogs:
Make sure that hedgehogs can get into your garden – they only need a 12cm (5″) square gap.
So, what should you do if you do find a hedgehog that you are concerned about?
Remember, hedgehogs are nocturnal so any hedgehogs that you see out and about in the daytime are probably in trouble and need your help.
Make sure that you use gardening gloves to pick the hedgehog up. Bring the hedgehog indoors and put it in a high sided cardboard box with an old towel in the bottom for the hedgehog to hide under. Fill a hot water bottle with warm water so that when it is wrapped in a towel, there is a nice gentle heat coming through. Put that in the bottom of the box with the hedgehog. Make sure that the hedgehog does have room to move away from the hot water bottle if it wants to and make sure that the hot water bottle is kept warm – it could harm the hedgehog if it is allowed to go cold. Put the box somewhere quiet.
Offer tinned cat or dog food and fresh water.
Call the British Hedgehog Preservation Society as soon as possible on 01584 890 801 for further advice and the numbers of local contacts.
Some facts about hedgehogs:
Many people believe that hedgehogs can be given bread and milk – however, this is totally wrong and is actually dangerous to hedgehogs. If you do need to give a hedgehog something to eat and drink, you should only offer them meaty cat or dog food and water.
So, inspired by hedgehogs, we’ve been thinking about using brown curtains and blinds in the home.
According to the psychology of colour, brown provides a feeling of seriousness, warmth, nature, earthiness, reliability and support.
If you would like to use brown in your home, here are some curtain designs that we recommend!
The Boston Chocolate Lined Curtains will bring warmth to your home. These curtains are rich and sumptuous.
The Boston Latte Lined Curtains are in a much softer brown and will be brighter in your room. They are perhaps a more subtle way of using brown in your interior design scheme.
The Atlantis Chocolate Lined Curtains are perfect if you would like to add a little bit of brown into your home as the curtain is predominantly white. You could then pick of the different shades of brown on the curtains to use for accessories in your home, such as cushions, table cloths.
Another option for introducing a little amount of brown into your home but with a more traditional curtain, is the Austen Tapestry Lined Curtains.
The Buckingham Coffee Lined UK Made Curtains are great if you’d rather have a brown pattern on your curtains than solid colour. These curtains are of the highest quality and are made in the UK.
Finally, the Winchester Green Lined Eyelet Curtains have a lovely stripe that adds some interest and detail.
So, will you be doing anything for Hedgehog Awareness Week? Do you see hedgehogs regularly where you live? What do you think of our hedgehog inspired curtains? Let us know on our facebook page, our google+ page or tweet us!
Can you add anything to our hedgehog pinterest board?
How to make a Garden Mobile
By Jennifer Jain
Jennifer’s Little World Google+
This simple garden mobile is a great craft for kids, and will bring some cheerful colour to the garden. The mobile uses simple materials from around the house, and is very easy to make. You can let younger children choose their own design and help them to put it together, whereas older children will be able to string the pieces together themselves. It won’t last forever, but it should last for the summer, and you can always make another one next year!
You will need – a plastic flower pot saucer or similar container, coloured wool, a skewer to make holes, a needle and a selection of things to string. We used old milk bottle caps, fluffy pom poms, large coloured beads and buttons.
Use the skewer to make six holes around the edges of the saucer. Cut six lengths of string, each approximately 70cm in length. Tie a large knot in each length of string about 20cm from one end. The shorter end will extend above the top of the saucer and will be used for hanging the mobile.
Take each piece of string in turn, and thread on your objects. Use the skewer to make a hole through the milk bottle tops and a needle to thread the other items. I used seven or eight different things on each strand. You might find that you need to tie a knot in the string underneath each object as you go along, to hold them firmly in place. When you have completed all six strands, use a needle to thread the shorter end of the string through the hole in the saucer so that the knot catches underneath. Gather the loose ends of string above the saucer and tie firmly. I also used a glue gun to make sure that the wool was held securely at the point at which it passes through the saucer.
If you like, you could then decorate the saucer with patterned tape or stickers, especially if you will be hanging it lower down and more of the saucer will be visible.
Then you just need to find somewhere to hang your garden mobile! We are lucky enough to have a small summer house in the garden, and so I hung ours from the porch. Perhaps you have a tree with an overhanging branch or a piece of trellis. If it will be positioned in a particularly windy spot, make sure to attach it securely!
There are so many different variations that you could try. You could make a mobile using natural materials – for example sticks, shells, stones, feathers or pieces of bark. Or you could find items that will make a noise when they are shaken by the wind – perhaps small bells, pieces of old metal cutlery, metal bottle tops or paperclips.
What do you think? Have you made anything for your garden? Let us know on our Facebook page, our google+ page or tweet us!
Can you add anything to our pinboard? We’d love to see garden mobiles that you have made!
Romantic Rose Curtains
With the beautiful sunny weather that we have been having in Norfolk this week, we have been inspired to think about using beautiful florals in the home and particularly, using roses.
Roses are a symbol of love and beauty and have been since ancient times.
The rose is the national flower of England – this dates back from the reign of Henry VII, who introduced the Tudor rose as symbol of unity after the English Civil Wars.
There are over 100 species of rose and flowers vary in size and colour.
Roses have many uses, as well as looking beautiful in gardens and in the home. Rose perfumes can be made from rose oil. Rose water can also be created from roses, which is used for cooking, cosmetics, medicine and in some religious practices. Rose hips are made into jams, jelly and marmalade and brewed into tea, mainly for their high vitamin C content. Rose flowers are used as food, usually as a flavouring or to add their scent for food. Rose petals are sometimes candied. Rose creams (rose flavoured fondant covered in chocolate) are a traditional English confectionary.
Using roses in the home can look fantastic – you can use roses on curtains, net curtains, wallpaper, sofas…there is a lot of choice. You can also create a modern look or a traditional look using roses. Roses can be used to create or complement lots of colour schemes.
To use roses subtly in your home, you could opt for the Rose White Floral Net Curtains. These will let lots of light into your home but still provide you with plenty of privacy. These net curtains have a delicate and soft rose pattern that adds some interest and detail. The roses could then be used elsewhere in the room, for example on cushions or a table cloth.
If you would like a little bit more colour and a less subtle rose design, you could go for the Austin Rose Macrame Cafe Net Curtain. The Austin rose cafe net is perfect if you do not want to cover your entire window. The design is available in natural, yellow and red. The yellow and red design will add a splash of colour to your windows and will also emphasise the beautiful roses in the design.
Would you choose to use roses in your home? Which is your favourite rose design? Let us know on our facebook page, our google+ page or tweet us!
Can you add anything to our roses pinboard?
BBC Radio 4′s Women’s Hour – The Power List 2013
Earlier this week, Radio 4′s Women’s Hour announced their Power List for 2013. The list was determined by a panel who had to decide which women have the greatest impact on our society, politics, culture and economy. The panel also attempted to determine which women have the power to inspire change. Listeners of Women’s Hour were asked to suggest the women that they believed have the greatest influence and ability to chance the way in which we live our lives in the UK today. The panel of judges then compiled the Power List from these suggestions.
The judges were:
Eve Pollard OBE – a journalist, author and former Fleet Street editor
Jill Burridge – editor of Women’s Hour 2002-2011
Oona King – a Labour peer in the House of Lords
Val McDermid – an award winning crime writer – she has sold more than 10 million books worldwide
Dawn O’Porter – a journalist, author and television presenter
Priti Patel – the Conservative MP for Witham
And here is the Power List for 2013.
1. Her Majesty The Queen
2. Rt Hon Theresa May MP – the Home Secretary and the most senior woman in the Cabinet
3. Ana Botin – CEO of Santander UK, one of Britain’s largest banks
4. Baroness Hale of Richmond – the first woman to sit on Britain’s Supreme Court
5. Elisabeth Murdoch – Chairman of award winning production company Shine, with a £507 million revenues in 2012
6. Professor Dame Sally Davies – Chief Medical Officer for England and the first woman to be appointed to this role
7. Carrie Longton and Justine Roberts – founders of parenting discussion website Mumsnet
8. Rt Hon Lady Justice Hallett – Judge in the Court of Appeal and chosen to act as coroner in the inquest into the deaths of 52 people in the London bombings of 7 July 2005
9. Angela Ahrendts – CEO of Burberry
10. Dame Gail Rebuck – Chief Executive of Random House
11. Frances O’Grady – General Secretary of the TUC
12. Moya Greene – CEO of Royal Mail
13. J. K. Rowling OBE – Novelist and author of Harry Potter
14. Rt Hon Harriet Harman – Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport
15. Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell – Professor of Physiology, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester
16. Rosemary Squire OBE – Joint Chief-Executive of the Ambassador Theatre Group
17. Rt Hon Maria Miller MP – Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport; Minister for Women and Equalities
18. Sara Thornton CBE QPM – Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police and Vice President of the Association of Chief Police Officers
19. Dr Anne Glover CBE – Chief Scientific Advisor to the European Commission
20. Nicola Sturgeon MSP – Deputy First Minister of Scotland; Deputy Leader of the SNP
We were surprised that the Duchess of Cambridge and the award winning author Hilary Mantel did not make the list.
So, what do you think of the 2013 Power List? Is there anyone that you would add…or remove? Let us know on our facebook page, our google+ page or tweet us!
Can you add anything to our Women’s Hour Power List Pinboard?
Pancake Day 2013
At Woodyatt Curtains, we are very excited about today being Pancake Day because we love Pancakes! Traditionally known as Shrove Tuesday, the word ‘shrove’ comes from the word ‘shrive’, which means to confess. Pancakes are associated with the day before Lent begins because they were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of the 40 days of Lent. During Lent, people often give something up for these 40 days.
We will be making pancakes tonight! Here is a basic recipe for making pancakes.
Ingredients
- 200g/7oz plain flour
- 350-400ml/12-14fl oz milk
- 2 large eggs, lightly whisked
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- pinch of salt
- vegetable oil for frying
Method
1. Put the flour into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk and lightly whisked eggs. Make sure that you give the liquid mixture (the milk and eggs) a quick whisk before incorporating the flour. Continue to whisk until you have a smooth batter.
2. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil and whisk thoroughly.
3. Take a large frying pan, dip some kitchen roll in the oil and carefully wipe the inside of the pan.
4. Heat the pan over a medium heat for a minute.
5. Add just under a ladleful of batter to the pan and immediately start swirling it round the pan to get a nice even layer.
5. Cook the pancake for about 30-40 seconds. Check the underside of the pancake carefully to make sure that it is golden-brown before flipping it over. Cook the other side for approximately 30-40 seconds.
6. Your pancake is now ready to eat!
Now you just need to decide on your choice of toppings! Here are a few of our favourites:
Chocolate spread
Chocolate sauce and bananas
Lemon and sugar
Sweet chestnut puree
Pears and syrup
Strawberries and vanilla ice cream
Melted Cadbury’s creme eggs!
Orange and Grand Marnier
As you can see, we like our pancakes with sweet fillings but you can also have them with savoury fillings.
So, which is your favourite pancake filling? Let us know on our facebook page, our google+ page or tweet us!
Can you add anything to our pancake pinboard? We would love to see some pictures of your pancakes!
Baftas Fashion 2013
We eagerly watched the arrival of the stars at this year’s Bafta Awards in London on Sunday afternoon. There were some looks that really stood out. Here is a selection of our favourites!
We loved the splash of colour on the red carpet with both Andrea Riseborough and Marion Cotillard opting for yellow.
Andrea Risborough wore a striking Vivienne Westwood gown and Marion Cotillard wore a Dior Couture canary yellow dress.
If you like yellow, you could choose the Crathorne Gold Lined Curtains. Yellow is a popular choice for curtains as according to the psychology of colour, yellow stimulates the intellect and can make people feel energetic. It is recommended that you avoid using yellow in a bedroom as it is not very restful as it is thought to enhance feelings of emotional distress.
Blue provided another splash of colour on the red carpet with Jessica Chastain selecting a stunning cobalt asymmetric Roland Mouret gown.
Helen McCrory opted for an ice blue Givenchy dress.
Blue works well in many rooms of the home. Blue has many positive properties according to psychology – it can be calming and soothing and it promotes intellectual thought. Psychologists believe that it keeps hunger at bay and can even help to prevent nightmares! Blue is associated with loyalty, serenity, authority and protection. If you are opting for a blue colour scheme in your home, it is important to choose a blue shade with warm undertones as blue can create a cold feel if the wrong shade is chosen. There are so many shades of blue to choose from! We love the baby blue of the Lavenham Powder Blue Blackout Curtains and the Rosings Wedgewood Lined Curtains.
Laura Bailey wore a beautiful coral Roksanda Illnic dress – we love this shade and the pop of colour that her jade drop earrings provided! Colour mixing can create stunning results.
Coral is a beautiful shade on the orange spectrum. According to the psychology of colour, orange creates feelings of stability, reassurance, warmth and it is even thought to aid digestion! However, it’s best avoid using orange in bedrooms as it might keep the occupant awake! Orange can also make a room look smaller because it’s an advancing colour so if thinking about using orange in a room, make sure that the room gets plenty of light. We particularly like the Chatsworth Autumn Lined Curtains with the subtle orange flowers – a perfect and understated way to bring orange into your room.
Perhaps surprisingly, there were no pink gowns on the red carpet. However, Helen Mirren debuted her newly-dyed pink hair! She complemented this with a dove grey Nicholas Oakwell Couture dress.
The psychology of colour believes that pink is perfect for bedrooms as it can be peaceful and restful. Opting for a hot fuchsia shade can introduce passion. In order to prevent pink from being too girlie to sickly sweet, simply introduce hints of dark charcoal or black.
For a vibrant fuchsia, we love the Norfolk Pink Lined Curtains.
For a more softer shade of pink, we think that the Farleigh Pink Blackout Lined Curtains are perfect – these will be brilliant for a countryside chic or vintage look.
Only a few stars opted for white gowns. Juno Temple wore a beautiful white, belted Stella McCartney gown and Hayley Atwell selected a black and white Antonio Beradi full length dress.
The Atlantis Black Lined Curtains have a striking combination of black and white, perfect for creating a monochrome look.
As always, black was a popular choice on the red carpet with many actresses choosing to play it safe with a black outfit. Anne Hathaway wore a Burberry dress with a studded bodice to add some interest; Amy Adams wore a rather controversial Elie Saab full length gown with lace detail (this dress did make it on to many worst-dressed lists but we love it!) and Sarah Jessica Parker wore a Carrie-esque outfit of an Elie Saab jumpsuit.
Black curtains are growing in popularity. Black is a colour that is associated with drama and eccentricity. If you are looking for a little extra drama in your wardrobe, John Lewis have a fantastic range from Fenn Wright Manson. It can be used to create a dramatic look in a room but it is important to use it in moderation to prevent creating a rather depressing atmosphere! The Boston Black Lined Curtains are fantastic if you would like to use black in your room and the Hawaii Plain Black Voile Eyelet Panels allow you to use black in a softer way.
Thandie Newton stuck to black but selected a Louis Vuitton black lace gown, making her dress stand out. Fashion commentators have been divided as to whether this is a good look or not!
The Retro Black Voile Panels are perfect if you like the black lace look.
Although Emilia Fox also chose a 1958 Givenchy Couture black gown, she accessorised with a staggering £3 million worth of emerald jewellery, with the black dress really making the green of the emeralds pop!
Green is a fantastic colour in homes as it is associated with nature and energy. Green can be used to create calming and restful atmosphere and bring a sense of balance (as it is halfway between red and blue), security and stability into a home. Green is perfect for bedrooms and living rooms. However, psychologists believe that too much green can make people too complacent or laid back; you can use some red or orange to counteract these feelings. Some of our favourite shades of green are the Orion Green Lined Blackout Curtains, the Cassia Green Lined Eyelet Curtains and the Boston Green Lined Curtains.
Rising star Jennifer Lawrence couldn’t resist some sparkle, wearing a sequin embellished Dior dress.
If you also love some sparkle, we recommend the Glamour range – unlined faux silk curtains with sequins. This design is available in black, red, natural and silver.
So, which is your favourite Bafta outfit? Let us know on our facebook page, our google+ page or tweet us!
Can you add anything to our Bafta Fashion pinboard?
Checked & Striped Curtains
Checks and stripes are popular again this season. We love checked and striped designs as they never seem to lose their appeal. Both checks and stripes can work with any style scheme, from something traditional to something modern, something smart to something relaxed.
Checks and stripes can be used anywhere in the home. Gingham checks can look fantastic in kitchens whereas a bold stripe can look stunning in a living or dining room. Softer stripes look great in bedrooms.
To use checks and stripes in your home, you simply need to chose a check or stripe design for your wall or curtains and then pick a colour from it to use as a plain colour in other areas of the room.
You can also mix checks and stripes to create a stunning contemporary look. Just make sure that you keep them to a similar scale and use colours that complement each other and work together! You can often select both stripes and checks from the same fabric collections.
These are some of our favourite striped and checked curtains to help you achieve this look.
The Bamboo Mocha Lined Curtains have a soft stripe that would help to create a calming look in a bedroom.
The Byron Cerise Lined Voile Curtains have a satin stripe that will add a hint of glamour and sophistication. We think that these would work well in living or dining rooms.
The Karok Duck Egg Lined Curtains have a vertical stripe in soft, calming colours.
The Winchester Green Lined Eyelet Curtains and the Vancouver Claret Lined Eyelet Curtains both have a stunning stripe design that only runs across the top of the curtains – perfect if you are looking for a more subtle stripe design for your home. Matching accessories featuring the stripe design can also be used.
The Whitworth Heather Lined Eyelet Curtains and the Holkham Red Lined Eyelet Curtains have a bold vertical stripe that would make a statement in a living room.
The Orkney Red Lined Eyelet Curtains have a bold check design that will work well in living rooms and dining rooms. Matching cushions featuring the checked design can also be purchased.
The Yarm Blue Lined Eyelet Curtains feature a rather unusual striped design. We think that the Yarm Curtains would work in both living rooms and bedrooms.
Would you choose to use checks and stripes in your home? Which is your favourite checked or striped design? Let us know on our facebook page, our google+ page or tweet us!
Can you add anything to our checks and stripes pinboard?
