Country interior design by MJ

Staycations are better because they offer cost savings, zero travel stress & ultimate convenience . By staying local, you avoid airport chaos and enjoy a more relaxing break. So what has this got to do with interior design?? Whether your choosing a relaxing Spa break, boutique hotel or the more affordable option; caravan or glamping experience. They all have different interior styles to blend harmoniously with the setting.  As part of my new venture: Country Interior Design by MJ, I chose to makeover a Caravan as part of building my portfolio & creating a mobile showroom.  I chose to do it in an Art Deco/Nouveau style.  Moving completely aware from traditional caravan interiors and most recently I've started my 2nd Caravan makeover.  This time I'm blending Country Core, Georgian & Victoriana interior design styles.  More of this to come... Let's face it most people that choose Staycationing be it in a tent or Campervan have already given thoughts int...

With my Career in Social Housing as a Head of Service in Communities, Support and Care, I was always looking for ways to maximalise our budgets. The expenditure was coming out of tenants rent after all.  As well as having sheltered schemes under my remit.  I was also responsible for the Extracare Unit, this was for our more vulnerable tenants and early onset dementia care was one of the services, the team strived to deliver in sometimes challenging situations.  Spring forward to the present day and now I'm running my own interior design venture, I've chosen to offer what I believe is a unique ID service: Designing for Dementia.  What does this entail? Before I delve into this in more detail, I think it's worth establishing the enormity of the challenges around Dementia.  * An estimated 982,000 people are living with dementia in the UK *  Nearly one in five people in the UK are aged 65 or over , representing a major demographic shift. Dementia risk rises sha...

Shared ownership properties are a welcome and valuable addition to Housing Supply. My back ground is in Social Housing and let me just say that the Housing Crisis is real. I for one know that these properties are a massively valuable addition to the tenure mix. Housing providers are building with gusto, thanks to backing from the government to build 1.5 m homes over the next decade and shared ownership is just one of the many fantastic options to get people on to the Property ladder.  Okay, so after all of the above has been said, as an interior designer, why oh why do we decorate them with plain walls and magnolia??? People that know me, will understand that this uninspiring approach to shared ownership or any house's decor come to mention it. Is nothing more than a convenience & an easy lazy option. People say it's to enable the new owners to inject their personality into the home.  Poppycock!! The biggest purchase in your life is your home. People save for years in orde...

You may have a Shepherd's Hut, or a large 10 room Holiday Home that you are looking to let.  You get all excited about the impending books and the new guests your going to be welcoming into your new venture.  The important part, some Property portfolio holders make, is to assume that a fresh coat of paint and a few new ornaments will result in a full booking calendar.  Interior design is so much more than the aesthetic look of a space. In the first instance take a read of our Blog; Interior designer v Decorators.  They consider what type of business your going to be running, who are your likely guests going to be (Young adults, Corporate professionals or Retirees), who are you looking to attract and have them returning time and time again.  It is up to 20 times more expensive to acquire a new guest than to retain an existing one. As well as this, it's worth scoping out an Avatar of your idea guest. Considering: *What Careers they have  *Where do they shop ...

Wall papers come in different colours, designs and patterns. They can be sumptuous, plain or give an illusion of different textures and materials. They can also give the WOW factor.  It maybe that you want to have a feature wall, paper a ceiling or be more elaborate and paper a whole room.  Whatever your choice, in this blog we are going to share the different suppliers for you to explore further.  Top ten wallpaper Suppliers  1, Avalana Design  https://www.avalanadesign.co.uk/ 2, 1838 https://1838wallcoverings.com 3, Clarke & Clarke https://www.clarkeandclarke.design 4, Gimmersta Wallpaper  https://gimmersta.com/en/ 5, Minton & King https://www.miltonandking.co.uk 6, World of Wallpaper  https://www.worldofwallpaper.com 7, Wallpapers from the 70s https://www.wallpaperfromthe70s.com 8, Charlotte Gainsford  https://charlottegaisford.com 9, Sanderson 1860 https://www.sanderson.design 10, NIX by Nicola Harding  https://nicolaharding.com/c...

Every Friday on my Socials, we share insights into different Interior Design Styles. This week we are exploring my favourite ID style; VICTORIANA.💚💛 Go take a look: Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586550975789 Instagram  @CountryID26 This is an example of the type of  interior design content we share.  So if you're a home interior professional, a home interior enthusiast or someone that just loves DIY, then go follow our Socials.💚💛 Let's talk Victoriana Interior Design Yeah we have got here. It's almost 6 months since we began this journey of Country Interior Design by MJ and we are delighted to have finally got to writing about one of our most favourite   interior design Style: Victoriana. I've always enjoyed history and Period dramas are just my favourite genre of streaming to watch.  Maybe I'm an old Romantic at heart or maybe it's the fashions but there is something about the Victorian era that inspires my creativity.  ...

Are you about to move home? Whether it's through a lifestyle choice, new job or just wanting to move closer to loved ones? Whatever the reason, moving home is one of the most stressful things we do in our lifetime.  That doesn't have to be the case.  In this blog, we are going to be sharing our top tips to help things run smoothly through the transition.  Step 1 Whether you're purchasing a home or moving into a rental property the first step is to start with your vision for your new home.  You may be downsizing or buying a larger property and your existing home furnishings may not be suitable in terms of size, style or colour palette.  It's worth having a clear vision for your new life & home before you begin to start packing your first box.  It's worth speaking with an interior designer ahead of your move as this could save you time in the long run and potentially save you cash, especially if you're looking to appoint a professional removal company. Wh...

I've always enjoyed pursuing a home interior design Magazine purely because they have been the main source of inspiration across my life time when completing my own home interior projects.  I totted it up & I've completed over a 100 room makeovers since leaving home when I was 19. As well as a full House Renovation.  So, here's a quick look at the different publications that could help you when looking to start your home interior design project.  1, LivingEtc 2, 25 Home Designs  3, Cotswolds Life 4, NEW Design Masters  5, Homes and Gardens  6, Ideal Home  7, Your Home 8, Home Style  9, Vogue  10, Country Home There are many more, including Magazines aimed at specific industries, which are extremely useful if your an aspiring interior design or want to niche your ID studio.   Examples: Big Furniture Group The World of Hospitality  Archetech Furniture News  Interiors Monthly  Plus if you visit trade shows or follow ...

I discovered a book by Ellie Tennant, who is she I hear you ask? She is a leading interiors journalist.  She has wrote for numerous magazines with Ideal Homes being just one. Along with LivingEtc, Grand Designs and Country Homes & interiors.   She wrote : Design Bloggers at home book back in 2014, this is almost like a diary of all the 12 different influencers in blogging space for interior designers, at that given time.  Of course it goes with out saying that Contemporary design has moved on since this book was published, however it's certainly worth a read. Jumping to modern day and there are a number of designers publishing books and I usually visit Elske Home in Bewdley to see what they have in stock. Of course people know my happy place is in the Library but there are some really fabulous books that are worth investing in especially if you're a student or work in this industry.  Visit Tashchen.com to look at their array of Contemporary design books: A h...

You have chosen your paint hues and your decorative wallscapes or wallpaper and now it's time to go shopping to fit out your room with furniture, soft furnishings and decorative pieces. You have decided to style your home or room in a contemporary style.  This blog is here to help with our do's and don'ts when it comes to shopping.  Don't  *Expect to find all your items in one visit, if you try to do this, your likely to have mismatch of colour shades and the overall aesthetic look, will feel rushed and unthought out.  *Go shopping without measurements and a tape measure. Guess work can result in you having to return unusable purchases and spending cash that could end in wasted time and cash.  *Think that shopping purely online will help you be,  budget savvy and complete a design in a timely manner. This is particularly important for spatial awareness and the 3 colour room rules.  While dimensions are there to help you make the right purchase, how goo...