• Inside The Pink House
    • Home Tours
    • Living Rooms
    • Kitchens
    • Bedrooms
    • Kids Rooms
    • Bathrooms
    • Me & my roomwreckers
    • Shopping
    • Art
    • Opinion
  • Expert Advice
  • Travel
  • Press
    • About The Pink House
    • Work with me
    • Meet The Team
    • Contact
Menu

The Pink House

  • Inside The Pink House
  • Amazing Homes
    • Home Tours
    • Living Rooms
    • Kitchens
    • Bedrooms
    • Kids Rooms
    • Bathrooms
    • Me & my roomwreckers
  • Pink House Loves
    • Shopping
    • Art
    • Opinion
  • Expert Advice
  • Travel
  • Press
  • About
    • About The Pink House
    • Work with me
    • Meet The Team
    • Contact
 And this is just the hallway...come on in!/Photo: Susie Lowe

And this is just the hallway...come on in!/Photo: Susie Lowe

Exclusive: The Ultimate Country House

February 29, 2016

Fancy a tour of an Oxfordshire country house that's home to two unicorns, four children, and some of the UK's most fabulous rooms? Us too. So when we received an exclusive invitation to photograph this dream home, unicorns and all, we grabbed our tripod (Susie) and pink hair dye (Emily) and headed south, tout suite.

 The front door, painted in F&B Pigeon with a Moroccan knocker

The front door, painted in F&B Pigeon with a Moroccan knocker

Unsurprisingly, we were blown away. Not just by this stunning 19th century Oxfordshire home with its playfully glamorous interiors, 40 acres of land and a swimming pool. But also by how owners Kate* and James* (*names changed to protect the unicorns) juggle high-flying careers with doing up and looking after this huge weekend house, while maintaining their working-week apartment in West London (which has also featured in an interiors magazine). Oh, and there's the small matter of four children under nine...

 Great spot for a cuppa/Photo: Susie Lowe

Great spot for a cuppa/Photo: Susie Lowe

Perched on the scarlet fender in the kitchen, cup of tea in hand, kids happily Snapchatting away, there's one crucial question we have to ask: How the bloody hell do they do it? 

‘When we bought this house in 2014, I found other working mums with second homes and asked: “I want to spend the week in London and weekends in the country with loads of friends - what’s the secret to making it work?”’ says Kate.

The answer, it turns out, is a Friday afternoon Ocado delivery to the country home, and help with cleaning, tidying and washing. ‘The key is to find someone local who can make amazing one-pot dishes to feed all your guests,’ Kate confides. ‘Then we have a family friend who lives nearby and looks after the place while we’re in London. We’re actually building a house on the site of the old stable for him and his family.’

 

Kate is a woman for whom the prefix ‘super’ was invented. And nowhere is this more apparent than here, among the unicorns, 10 minutes drive from Soho Farmhouse (the family are members and visit frequently). After she and James bought the place, rather than faff about for years on Pinterest, interiors aficionado Kate knew exactly what she wanted, and wasted no time making these plans a reality.

Although every room in the house has its own distinctive look, what unites them is a complete and utter lack of beige. From the unicorns in the hallway, to the taxidermy in the emerald green bathroom and the giant spider light in the kitchen, behind every door is a new and wonderful surprise.

A tour round Kate's country house is a masterclass in creating a bold, beautiful, big-hearted home that's as enjoyable for the adults as the kids. Ready for some fun? Come on in...

 

The Hall

Unicorn taxidermy and WIlliam Morris upholstered egg chairs, and Grayson Perry's Map of Days

We've named this room The Hall, but many other monikers would suit: Piano Room; Grayson Perry Room (that's one of his famous etchings on the wall); Unicorn Parlour...Whatever you call it, it's clear this is no ordinary hallway. Apart from the unicorns, the first thing that strikes us is the gold velvet conversation piece by the window, which reminds us of a similar soft pink piece in Babington House's reception.

'I wanted a Victorian conversation piece, like the one in Babington, for the window area,' says Kate, 'but it's very hard to find vintage Victorian versions - after much searching we finally tracked this one down at auction and I had it re-covered in a fabric from Turnell & Gignon. I love the way it glows in the daylight.' 

 Victorian conversation piece upholstered in Turnell & Gignon velvet/Photo: Susie Lowe

Victorian conversation piece upholstered in Turnell & Gignon velvet/Photo: Susie Lowe

 Grand piano with vintage double stool reupholstered in grey velvet/Photo: Susie Lowe

Grand piano with vintage double stool reupholstered in grey velvet/Photo: Susie Lowe

The egg-style chairs - there are two, one each side of the Grayson Perry - are also vintage finds, these upholstered in tapestry-inspired William Morris The Brook velvet. The fairytale feel continues in the curtain fabric, another William Morris archive print - Forest - teeming with peacocks, hares and foxes.

And then of course there are the unicorns. These particular creatures hail from Wales - from Welsh faux taxidermy creators Broken Hare, to be exact. Two brass Eichholtz pendant lights ensure they are bathed in a suitably celestial glow, while the Farrow & Ball Mole's Breath panelling grounds the space.

 Ever get that feeling you're being watched?/Photo: Susie Lowe 

Ever get that feeling you're being watched?/Photo: Susie Lowe 

Other wow-factor details include Merve Kahraman's Min Lilla Viking lamp , an illuminated viking helmet fashioned out of marble and brass, and the vintage double piano stool, perfect for two children playing harmoniously (or one grownup drunkenly thumping out Chopsticks while the other slumps on their shoulder), which has been upholstered in deep grey velvet.

Once you've finished gazing at the Grayson Perry (you can lose yourself in his etchings) we can head down the corridor to...

The Kitchen

 The Dear Ingo pendant lamp by Ron Gilad/Photo: Susie Lowe

The Dear Ingo pendant lamp by Ron Gilad/Photo: Susie Lowe

 Kate found the coat of arms in Portobello Road market/Photo: Susie Lowe

Kate found the coat of arms in Portobello Road market/Photo: Susie Lowe

 Extractor hood of dreams/Photo: Susie Lowe

Extractor hood of dreams/Photo: Susie Lowe

This kitchen is certainly sensational, with its gigantic 16-arm 'Dear Ingo' pendant lamp by Ron Gilad, and primary-hued crest above the fireplace (a second-hand Portobello Road find), but it's also a genuinely practical space for this family of six.

'This is a relatively dark, north-facing room, so I needed to find a way to get more light in - this pendant is super bright, plus it looks like a giant spider, which I like,' says Kate. And what about the extremely posh table and chairs? 'These were a big investment buy, but they'll last us for ages - the leather Staffan Tollgard chairs are wipe-clean, and this Hans Wegner walnut table has plenty of space for us all. Plus there are another two leaves which we add when friends and family come for Christmas.'

 The kitchen curtain fabric: Rabarbar by Jobs Handtryck 

The kitchen curtain fabric: Rabarbar by Jobs Handtryck 

The eminently perchable red fender was made by Acres Farm - Kate found their ad in the back of Country Life magazine . She had her joiner make the dresser, the design for which was taken from a similar piece in her favourite hotel, Ett Hem in Stockholm; Kate is a huge fan of the hotel's designer, Ilse Crawford.

More Scandi design is evident in the gorgeous floor-length curtains by Swedish fabric company Jobs Handtryck. Kate chose this particular design because it featured rhubarb, which grows in the garden just outside the window.

We've finished our cuppa, so it's time to head back past the unicorns to the posh sitting room (no kids please, unless they've washed their hands)...

The Sitting Room

 Edgy art by Jorma Puranen and Annie Leibovitz against F&B Calamine walls/Photo: Susie Lowe

Edgy art by Jorma Puranen and Annie Leibovitz against F&B Calamine walls/Photo: Susie Lowe

 Gotland sheep: they've got us by the short and curlies/Photo: Susie Lowe

Gotland sheep: they've got us by the short and curlies/Photo: Susie Lowe

The kids refer to this as the "posh room",' says Kate. But the trappings of conventional country poshness -  flocked wallpaper, an antique three-piece-suite, countless china ornaments - are nowhere to be seen. Instead, there is wall jewellery in the form of Michael Anastassiades brass Ball pendant wall lights, vintage chesterfields upholstered in the Dutch Masters-inspired House of Hackney Midnight Garden velvet, and a bespoke window seat, made from Swedish Gotland sheepskin.

'We needed about £2000 of this sheepskin to make the seat cover,' whispers Kate. 'Don't tell James - he thinks these kind of things are ridiculous. But - feel it; sit on it - it's gorgeous. Plus, I used to run a company in Gotland, so it means something special to me.' We have a sit down and a stroke and she's right - these are some seriously sumptuous sheep.

 

 The chesterfield, covered in House of Hackney velvet, not sticky fingerprints/Photo: Susie Lowe

The chesterfield, covered in House of Hackney velvet, not sticky fingerprints/Photo: Susie Lowe

 Sleeping Beauty by Chan Hyo Bae: one man, three roles

Sleeping Beauty by Chan Hyo Bae: one man, three roles

What Kate has done brilliantly in this room is combine the luxurious - the sheepskin, the soft pink F&B Calamine walls, the beautiful curtains - with edgy, thought-provoking art that makes the space feel more rock 'n' roll than rocking chair. Above the fireplace is what appears to be an oddly faded oil painting, but is in fact a photograph from Finnish photographic artist Jorma Puranen's Shadows and Reflections series, in which he captured the reflections on the surfaces of 17th and 18th century aristocratic portraits in Helsinki's Sinebrychoff Art Museum. There's a dead bird by Annie Leibovitz above the sofa. And near the window is a photograph by Korean artist Chan Hyo Bae (right) in which he 'plays' the part of each character in the scene.

'James hates this picture,' Kate says, breezily. So how come he agreed to have it in his sitting room? 'Oh, he has no creative interest in the house's interiors. Occasionally he will have an opinion, and then we'll have a massive row. So generally it's just best if I make all the decisions myself.' 

On that note, let's go to the loo... 

The Cloakroom/Stairs

 Even the Queen would use this Catchpole & Rye throne loo/Photo: Susie Lowe

Even the Queen would use this Catchpole & Rye throne loo/Photo: Susie Lowe

Of course, this is no ordinary loo. Unless, for you, ordinary is sitting on a flushing throne by Catchpole & Rye, surrounded by emerald green marbled Harlequin Makrana wallpaper, while a squirrel, magpie and pheasant inspect your work. 

There's more green as we head up the stairs. Where did Kate find such a fabulous stair carpet? 'I didn't. It was literally impossible to find a carpet in this shade - I wanted it to look like grass - so I had to have one hand-dyed especially by PWC International.' 

 Hand-dyed grass green stair carpet/Photo: Susie Lowe

Hand-dyed grass green stair carpet/Photo: Susie Lowe

Achille Castiglioni pendant light
Achille Castiglioni pendant lightbulbs

Halfway up the stairs is the show-stopping multi-bulb Achille Castiglioni light. 'I spent far too much on lights,' admits Kate. And this one, she says, had many extra costs she hadn't considered: 'I reckon the bulbs alone cost £900. That was a bit of a shock.' 

We're at the top of the stairs now, and the first room we come to is...

The Master Bedroom

 Looking for a place to escape the kids? Found it/Photo: Susie Lowe

Looking for a place to escape the kids? Found it/Photo: Susie Lowe

'Hideous' is how Kate describes this bedroom when she first saw it as a prospective buyer. 'The room was all wrong, everything was in the wrong place, but I knew it had potential to be our master bedroom - from here you get the best views down to the lake.'

And so Kate set about redesigning it in her typical decisive, creative manner. The sleigh bed - from And So To Bed - was placed at one end, the Rockett St George table and vintage chairs in the middle, and the space opened up so the bathroom is open plan at the other end (apart from the loo, which is in a little closet). 'This is how our bedroom is laid out in London, and I like it.'

At first glance the walls look to be the same shade as the Sitting Room, but are in fact Farrow & Ball Pink Ground - a slightly more orangey pink than the Calamine used downstairs. In fact, Kate chose each paint colour for every room in the seven-bedroom house in a single day. A Farrow & Ball fan (as you've probably guessed), she hired them to come over with large swatches of their entire range, and advise which colours would work best. 'It saved loads of time,' she says.

Farrow & Ball Pink Ground master bedroom with grey vintage chairs
 The Cast Iron Bath Company claw-footed bath with brass taps and hexagonal tiles/Photo: Susie Lowe

The Cast Iron Bath Company claw-footed bath with brass taps and hexagonal tiles/Photo: Susie Lowe

 Bathroom heaven/Photo: Susie Lowe

Bathroom heaven/Photo: Susie Lowe

In the bathroom we come over a bit funny - it's just so beautiful. The black Polperro claw-footed bath from The Cast Iron Bath Company looks out over the countryside, and contrasts perfectly with the brass taps and marble shower. The chandelier from The Vintage Chandelier Company matches the one over the bed, and the sink was made bespoke - the brass legs in the US, and the marble top separately in the UK. As usual, Kate was in no doubt about how she wanted it to look: 'I'd seen something similar at Ett Hem.'

Reluctantly, we leave the master bedroom behind, and follow Kate down the corridor. We catch glimpses of gorgeous guest bedrooms: 'in the twin rooms, each bed is a double, so more people can be accommodated,' says Kate. It's clear this family likes a weekend house party. But where are the kids' rooms? 'Come upstairs - I've made a special bunk room for them on the second floor,' says Kate. 

The Kids' Bunk Room/Bathroom

 If Carlsberg did sleepovers/Photo: Susie Lowe

If Carlsberg did sleepovers/Photo: Susie Lowe

 Get clean AND learn your shapes - bonus/Photo: Susie Lowe

Get clean AND learn your shapes - bonus/Photo: Susie Lowe

So far in this home tour we haven't seen much evidence of children. That's partly because Kate refuses to compromise on her tastes just because she has kids (amen to that, we say), and partly because we simply didn't have enough hours of winter daylight to photograph the playroom and other spaces where the children spend most of their time. But this bunk room has been especially designed for the house's younger residents.

There are in fact six beds in all (the two on the other side of the room are out of shot here), and each bottom bunk is a double. So in theory, the room can sleep nine small people in comfort.

'This room is my pride and joy,' says Kate. ''The kids love sleeping up here, and there's space for their friends, too. I had the bunks made especially to fit the space.' She found the carved sections online - they're repro pieces meant as fretwork for stairs - then had them attached to the main structure and painted; this, Kate says, was a much cheaper option than having everything hand-carved. 

Next door to the bunk room is the children's bathroom, complete with double shower (handy for speed-cleaning four kids). The blue hexagonal tiles are from Reed Harris, and on the wall are crackle glaze cream metro tiles, from Tons of Tiles.

For the last bit of the tour, we head downstairs back to the first floor...

Guest Bedrooms

 Designers Guild Varese Zinnia chairs, with Liberty's Patricia Spice curtains/Photo: Susie Lowe

Designers Guild Varese Zinnia chairs, with Liberty's Patricia Spice curtains/Photo: Susie Lowe

 Dussk animal print curtains and blue Angelpoise lamps in the bedroom/Photo: Susie Lowe

Dussk animal print curtains and blue Angelpoise lamps in the bedroom/Photo: Susie Lowe

Although the most glamorous, bright pink-and-gold guest bedroom was occupied by Kate's brother, and therefore unavailable for photographing while we were there, we were able to take some final shots of a couple of guest bedrooms before we ran out of daylight.

It's a lucky guest who gets to stay in a room with plump, orange Designers Guild Varese Zinnia velvet armchairs, Farrow & Ball Pitch Blue walls and floor-length curtains fashioned from Liberty's Patricia Spice velvet. And whose day wouldn't get off to a great start after waking up under yellow candy-striped bed-linen, switching on the electric blue Angelpoise bedside light, and drawing back the Dussk animal curtains? 

The light is fading; it's time for us to leave. We drive away in a daze, discussing the various wonderful rooms, arguing over which is the most fabulous.

What we do agree on, though, is that every home should have at least one unicorn.

You might like
Night Fever: Hangover-free clubbing at Vitra Design Museum
Art, Travel
Night Fever: Hangover-free clubbing at Vitra Design Museum
Art, Travel
Art, Travel
Artist Residence Oxfordshire: the ultimate New Year escape
Travel, Art
Artist Residence Oxfordshire: the ultimate New Year escape
Travel, Art
Travel, Art
The Pink House goes pop!
Inside The Pink House, Art
The Pink House goes pop!
Inside The Pink House, Art
Inside The Pink House, Art
7 reasons you should stay at Artist Residence London
Travel, Art
7 reasons you should stay at Artist Residence London
Travel, Art
Travel, Art
The Pink House Husband Chooses Art
Inside The Pink House, Art
The Pink House Husband Chooses Art
Inside The Pink House, Art
Inside The Pink House, Art
NEW! Bag & Bones' kid-proof neon
Shopping, Art
NEW! Bag & Bones' kid-proof neon
Shopping, Art
Shopping, Art
The Birds and the Bees
Shopping, Art
The Birds and the Bees
Shopping, Art
Shopping, Art
Meet the Alexander McQueen of Urban Art
Art
Meet the Alexander McQueen of Urban Art
Art
Art
Start Your Art Collection Today
Art
Start Your Art Collection Today
Art
Art
Introducing the UK’s hottest new contemporary artist
Art
Introducing the UK’s hottest new contemporary artist
Art
Art
In Home Tours Tags Home tour, Country house, Oxfordshire, Designer home, Luxury home, Exclusive
← Match your Mother's Day bouquet to her homeThe Pink House Tour: Living Room →
WaR_logo.png
Amara Interior Blog Awards IBA16 Best Newcomer winner The Pink House
Winner Pinterest UK 17 Best Wow factor interior The Pink House bathroom
Best of Pinterest awards best use of colour 2017

"Fabulous family living!"

Emily Murray, founder of The Pink House

"Hello! I’m Emily Murray, founder and editor of The Pink House. I’m a lifestyle journalist who has written and edited for loads of different publications, including Glamour, Stylist, The Guardian, Grazia, Cosmopolitan, Condé Nast Traveller, Brides and Mother & Baby. Here I am in the bricks-and-mortar Pink House, where I live with the Pink House Husband and our two small, semi-feral boys. Our green sofa is covered in marker pen and chocolate and the Eames rocker has a few suspicious stains. Come in and make yourself at home. No need to take your shoes off."   

IMG_2340.png

Follow The Pink House on Instagram

As the words across my face say, I’d love it if you would join me on Saturday 28th April at Esquire Self-Made, a one-day summit on starting a successful business 🤓. As well as me spraffing on about how The Pink House was built, the day will bring together inspiring leaders from a range of high-profile start-ups, businesses and professions for a day of empowering talks, panel discussions and networking opportunities. If you’re planning a career change this could be the best trip to SE1 you ever made...💪🏻See the link in my bio (which is the URL in this pic) for more info, including details on which business owners who are speaking, and to buy tickets. Hope to see you there! 
#selfmade #esquireselfmade
Any hotel that chooses to paint its reception room walls this stunning shade of blue, style up marble tables with mismatched velvet chairs and chuck in a few House of Hackney Artemis cushions is winning in my book. Thanks so much for having me @theprincipalhotel on Edinburgh’s Charlotte Square; I’ve loved every minute and those elderflower spritzes are the BUSINESS 🍸🙌🏻. I know I’m supposed to leave today 😭but how about I do a ‘2657 hours in Edinburgh’ Insta project instead? I’m sure the Pink House Husband won’t mind looking after the kids in London for another week or two while I drink matcha lattes at @pumpkinbrowncafe, visit the @nationalmuseumsscotland and wander past the William Street boutiques. It’s not like he has a marathon to run at the weekend or anything 🏃🏽‍♂️😅. #ad #likealocal #throughlocaleyes #24hourswithprincipal
Edinburgh is where I was born and went to school, and where I brought up my two boys until they were old enough to go to school themselves 🎓. As a result, Edinburgh Castle (seen on the skyline here) has provided a backdrop to many special moments in my life. How lucky am I?! 🍀But although I don’t live in this prettiest of cities any more, I’m still lucky enough to come back loads to visit family and friends. Edinburgh is uniquely beautiful, from its extinct urban volcano (Arthur’s Seat 🌋) and breathtaking sea views to the tiniest of ancient back alleys (known as ‘closes’, down which many an excellent bar is to be found - ref: @thedaoldtown ) and its quirky, colourful boutiques 🛍. Ok, so the weather might not always be as wonderfully sunny as it was this afternoon but actually, that’s a bonus too - if this place had Caribbean-style sunshine all the time it would be so mobbed you couldn’t move. And anyway, as we all know there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes 👠👙❌. Edinburgh is best explored on foot, so when you come here, pack some comfy shoes, a jumper and a waterproof and stay in a sexy, city-centre hotel - on this visit I’m very lucky to be a guest of @theprincipalhotel in Charlotte Square and it has everything you need for a stylish stay: beautiful interiors, delicious food and super-helpful staff. It’s also right next to George Street, one of the best shopping streets in Edinburgh (yes there’s an @anthropologieeu ✅). See my Stories for more on my 24 hour Edinburgh tour - and see if you can spot my shy and retiring mum...🙈 #ad #likealocal #throughlocaleyes #24hourswithprincipal
Check out the superb ceiling in my swanky @theprincipalhotel room in Edinburgh’s Charlotte Square 😍. I’m here in Scotland’s capital for 24 hours, sharing my favourite bits of the city I grew up in, and getting to stay in this fabulous hotel into the bargain. See my Stories for updates, including my quintessentially Scottish recipe for Caramel Wafer with Tea (the healthy eating starts again shortly...). #ad #24hourswithprincipal #likealocal #throughlocaleyes
This is my perfectly pink 40th birthday cake, made for me by the super-talented @misstrixiedrinkstea. Inside it was almond and orange (dairy free) and it tasted bloody amazing. I might have another birthday next week so I can have another of these cakes 🎂🎂. I’d also like to say a big hello 👋🏻and welcome to The Pink House to all my new followers joining from @mother_of_daughters - I promise I don’t bang on about my birthday ALL the time 🙈. Instead I CAN promise there are more kitchen reveal pics on their way, plus some new and exciting projects I’ve been working on will be announced over the next few weeks. But for now it’s time to see off the last of the party hangover with herbal tea (and Homeland, once the Pink House Husband has returned from picking up the kids at the airport; they flew from Edinburgh as unaccompanied minors for the first time with FlyBe - fingers crossed it was a success 😅🤞🏻...) #birthdaycake #pinkcake #misstrixiedrinkstea
This was taken yesterday evening at the start of my big 40th Pink House Party WHICH WAS SO BLOODY AMAZING I CAN HARDLY DESCRIBE IT! 🍾🍾🍾🍣🍤🥑🍠🍔🍓🐖🥂💖🎂🦏🦓🎸👩🏻‍🎤💃🕺🏼👯‍♀️💅🎉I managed to lose my phone for most of the evening due to excessive pink champagne consumption so all the pics I have were captured during the party set up - I’ll share a few over on Stories. I’m too hungover to be eloquent right now, 🤢🤕but I just wanted to say a HUGE thank you to a few people who helped make the party such a success: incredible private chef @laurahaworth (seriously if you live in London and need a party catered this lady not only makes THE most delicious food she also hires the loveliest staff for whom nothing - including late night cups of tea - is too much trouble 🥂☕️; my super-lovely hairdresser and friend @katcutsme who gave me this rock chick ‘do’ for the night 👩🏻‍🎤; @hayfordandrhodesflowers who made the exquisite flower crowns for my zebra and rhino heads, plus flower decorations for my pink neon ‘play’ sign 🌸🦓🦏💖. Speaking of pink neon, massive thanks also to @bagandbones for lending me the epic ‘Why the fuck can’t I have fun all the time’ Kate Moss quote sign which set the tone for the night just perfectly. Then there’s @misstrixiedrinkstea who made me such a stunning pink cake which tasted as good as it looked (I’ll share a pic of it on my feed later today). Big thanks to @herringbonekitchens for getting my kitchen party-ready to a tight deadline. And of course to all my pink-as-fuck guests, with special shout out to @susielowephoto and @leilappetit who came all the way from Edinburgh. Finally, to the ever-tolerant Pink House Husband, without whom none of this would have happened (and who bought me these beautiful @chloe boots that I’ve been lusting after for 10 years). Right, better start planning my 50th... 📷: @laurieleeleather #gwynethspeech #40thbirthdayparty #birthdaygirl #hashtagblessed #pinkasfuck
This is why I wanted a marble kitchen worktop: so I could do flatlays of the flower arrangements created especially by @hayfordandrhodesflowers to adorn my pink neon ‘play’ sign for my 40th birthday party (theme: Pink as Fuck). Bucket list item no. 362: ✔️ Once the flowers are wired to the sign I’ll share a shot of that too. And check out my Stories to see the flower crowns that have been designed to decorate my zebra and rhino trophy heads. Next. Level. Fabulousness. 🦏🦓🌸👑🌸 #flowerflatlay #pinkhouseparty #40thbirthdayparty
Introducing the newest addition(s) to The Pink House: these gorgeous green-and-white @bertandmay Alalpardo encaustic tiles, expertly fitted to my kitchen wall by the excellent @herringbonekitchens 💚. Today is the second day of my fifth decade and apart from feeling a little shaky from last night’s boozefestival birthday dinner I’m raring to go! Allegations that my current burst of energy originated in the Cadbury’s Heroes box are unconfirmed 🙊. Now I have 2 days to get the dust-covered house (and myself) back in shape for the big Pink House Party at the weekend. Right after I’ve finished off that bottle of champagne - can’t have it going flat now can I?! 🍾 Finally can I just say a HUGE thank you for all the wonderful birthday messages I’ve been sent. I haven’t had much time to reply but I’ve read them all and you’re all bloody brilliant. Big pink love 💖 #healthkickstartsagainonsunday #pinkhouserenovations #pinkhousedesigns #ihavethisthingwithtiles
Ain’t nobody got time for BEING IN MY THIRTIES ANY MORE! Yup - I’m 40 today and I feel bloody great! 🤸🏼‍♀️ I also feel/look nothing like what my 7-year-old self thought being 40 involved. I’ve got pink hair for a start 👩🏻‍🎤 (the 7yo me would be so proud); I can still do a backflip🤸🏼‍♀️; I’m the same dress size as I was in my twenties👗; I don’t wear shapeless, sludge-coloured clothes🚫; I write about colourful interiors for a living🖌🛋; I own about 15 pairs of trainers, including these silver ones with stars on them ✨and a colourful leopard print pair with pink laces🐆🎨 (hats off to you @dlam_by_zdp x @airandgrace 🎩); I can still do plenty of proper press-ups, sit-ups and burpees💪🏻; I have all my own teeth 😬; I listen to Radio 1 🎼 (though Absolute Radio 90s is my current fave); I own a pink neon sign, a pink-and-gold skateboard (Kateboard) with a picture of our future queen on it 👑and a cross-stitch cushion bearing a down-with-the-kids slogan🤘🏻. If this is 40, I say BRING IT THE FUCK ON! 🎉Pink champagne for everyone 🍾: here’s to the fabulous Forties and doing a decade your own way! Right, I’m off rock climbing with the family, followed by lunch at the Shard...getting high on life! 🧗‍♀️Photo: @janelookerphotography #onlywayisup #baby #40thbirthday #🍾
THEY’RE HERE! 🙌🏻 The final piece of the kitchen puzzle, my gorgeous @bertandmay encaustic Alalpardo tiles, arrived at The Pink House this afternoon 💚. These will be fitted on the back wall of my kitchen (on the right hand side of this pic) by the excellent @herringbonekitchens this week, just in time for my big 40th birthday Pink House Party this weekend. Woooooop! 🎉🎂🍾
Right, I’m off out to a film screening - wishing you all a lovely evening 😘 #pinkhouserenovations #pinkhousedesigns #colourmyhome

Subscribe

Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates from The Pink House.

We respect your privacy.

Thank you!

Featured
Night Fever: Hangover-free clubbing at Vitra Design Museum
Mar 29, 2018
Night Fever: Hangover-free clubbing at Vitra Design Museum
Mar 29, 2018

The Vitra Design Museum exhibition 'Night Fever: Designing Club Culture 1960 - Today' is part voyeurism, part clinical analysis of someone’s leisure time. Which actually turns out to be an excellent way to spend an afternoon.

Read More →
Mar 29, 2018
The Pink House dining room’s Spring revamp
Mar 24, 2018
The Pink House dining room’s Spring revamp
Mar 24, 2018

So long Peter Rabbit plastic bowls, melamine mugs and ugly cracked crockery – my dinner service (and drinks tray) has had a ditch-the-kiddie-crap upgrade, and even the Pink House Husband’s delighted!

Read More →
Mar 24, 2018
Pink House Husband Overheard
Mar 18, 2018
Pink House Husband Overheard
Mar 18, 2018

This post pays homage to more! magazine's 'Men Overheard' page, while providing the perfect platform for some of PHH's recent opinions on a variety of subjects he is ill equipped to have opinions about... 

Read More →
Mar 18, 2018
A stationery addict goes shopping
Mar 12, 2018
A stationery addict goes shopping
Mar 12, 2018

When Paperchase contacted me a few weeks ago, their timing had all the precision of a freshly sharpened pencil: did I want to go on a supermarket sweep at Paperchase, with a view to completely refreshing my new study? Show me the trolley!

Read More →
Mar 12, 2018
A room of my own: my study renovation revealed!
Mar 9, 2018
A room of my own: my study renovation revealed!
Mar 9, 2018

I was delighted when the Pink House Husband agreed I could claim this room for my own (although I think that had more to do with the fact that I promised to use the space to store all extraneous cushions and scented candles than any altruistic motive)...

Read More →
Mar 9, 2018
How I designed my dream bed
Mar 4, 2018
How I designed my dream bed
Mar 4, 2018

A few months ago Hypnos, bed-maker to The Queen (as in they construct her beds and make her mattresses; they don’t actually pop round Buck Pal to change her pillowcases) asked if I fancied designing a bespoke bed for The Pink House bedroom...

 

Read More →
Mar 4, 2018
Do you dress like you decorate?
Feb 25, 2018
Do you dress like you decorate?
Feb 25, 2018

Here’s fashion editor/blogger/stylist Alex Stedman from The Frugality (who is also renovating a house - swoon!), pink-haired fashion blogger Amanda Davies from Honey Pop Kisses, and Sophie Robinson off the telly, all showing us their decor and their dress sense, and pondering how one relates to the other…

Read More →
Feb 25, 2018
The Fab 5: Bedside Lamps
Feb 23, 2018
The Fab 5: Bedside Lamps
Feb 23, 2018

Here are five of my favourite non-wall-mounted lamps that I think would look rather beautiful illuminating a bedtime book...

Read More →
Feb 23, 2018
6 reasons shopping in store is the shizzle
Feb 20, 2018
6 reasons shopping in store is the shizzle
Feb 20, 2018

When Marks & Spencer asked if I'd go into their Westfield Stratford store to choose my faves from their new SS18 Home collection, I was all like, er…can’t I just go on your website?

Read More →
Feb 20, 2018
The Pink House London kitchen BEFORE/AFTER: Part 1
Feb 4, 2018
The Pink House London kitchen BEFORE/AFTER: Part 1
Feb 4, 2018

When we bought The Pink House London it was a vision in shades of beige, which at least makes for some striking reveals as I colour it in, room by room. The kitchen is no exception. So here you go – before/after shots of the first stage of my renovation of this room…

Read More →
Feb 4, 2018