If you have been following me for a while you will know that I've spent the last two years renovating and decorating my home. I decked my house out with furniture and accessories but no matter what I did something didn't feel right and I couldn't quite put my finger on it. It wasn't until last week when I took some time out and I started experimenting with some of the lighting from our new collection that the penny dropped. I missed the most important thing; lighting! Get it wrong and it's an instant mood killer. I was too preoccupied with colours of the walls, accessories and making sure it all looked perfect that I forgot that one simple thing. Mood lighting. Here are a few tips I've picked up along the way to get the right balance:

Multiple lighting sources

It's a common mistake to think about lighting the whole room. Instead try using multiple light sources lighting up corners, accentuating architectural features, using tables lamps and floor lamps. This style of lighting is much more subtle, warm and inviting. It's not just about using standard lights, think about candles, low wattage eddison bulbs and experiment with different lampshades. Placing lights at different heights also helps create interest and adds a subtle drama to a room.

Buster and Punch light switch

Dimmers

It seems like a no brainer to me to use dimmers in every room, even the WC. It just gives you so much flexibility and you can create different moods depending on how you wish to use the room. I'm told that this is a great way to save energy and your bulbs last longer. 

Function of the room

Think about the room and how you wish to use it. Do you want to create a warm cosy feel or is it a place where you're going to work, in which case you may want to consider functional lighting. This kind of lighting is more practical, think desk lamps, bathroom mirror lights, kitchen lights for prepping food etc. Each room has a different function so you should treat each room separately. A good place to start is to write down what you will be doing in each room and what you want to highlight and importantly the mood you want people to feel when walking into the room. If you are renovating it really is worth spending the extra money on a lighting designer or if you are using a good interior designer they should be able to help you with the lighting plan.

If you're in London and you get a chance visit the Edition hotel, it's not only beautiful but it's a perfect example of good lighting design. I absolutely love it and it's the kind of place you don't want to leave. I could happily spend the afternoon sipping cocktails and admiring the view.

Here's a selection of the House Curious lighting collection to get you thinking about the possibilities.

Now that the clocks have gone back and it’s a wee bit chilly it’s a great time to think about making your home snug and cosy. Being an antipodean I dread the colder months but I do enjoy hibernating. For me it’s about slowing down, turning the fire on, reading or playing board games, fluffy socks and red wine. Just talking about it makes me want to snuggle up under a blanket.

To make a room feel cosy I like to use soft tactile pieces like velvet sofas or cushions, sheepskin rugs and a great big wooly blanket. Candles are a great way to set the ambience and they create a beautiful warm glow, the more candles the better. Warm accents of shiny brass beautifully reflect flickering candles. Lighting is also key. Turn the main lights off and use lots of different light sources at varying heights; think floor lamps and table lamps of different shapes and sizes. Baskets are also a great way to soften a room and look good with blankets spilling out of them. Get the board games out, place books on tables and turn the TV off. Who else is ready for a cosy night in?

Get the cosy look

Smoked Glass Brass Lamp £175

Tibetan Sheepskin Dip Dyed Rug

Natural White Baskets

Theo Brass Vase

Smoke and Musk EOEL

The White Company

How To Hygge

Designers Guild Sofa

Velvet Cushion, Nude

Guest blogger - Victoria Hockley, Life Coach

A little over a year ago I was meeting with Anna Barnett, author of Eat the Week cookery book and she was raving about her life coach and insisted that I meet with her. Now it's my turn to introduce you to Victoria Hockley. Vic is one of those ladies who oozes joy and positivity and alway puts a smile on your face. I'm so grateful to have met her and now to be working along side her on our Shine Bright workshop on 20th August. With only a week to go be quick and snap up the last couple of tickets here.

I've asked Vic to take over my blog to tell you a little more about what she does and how life coaching can help you. Make sure you read to the bottom of the page because she is also offering a free 1 to 1 coaching session for people who have bought tickets to our Shine Bright workshop. Over to you Vic.

Thanks for the intro Sommer and hello lovely people it's so nice to be here on the House Curious blog and to chat with you all. Hopefully I can give you a little insight into what I do and how I help my clients plus share useful exercises that I use with some of my clients.

I often have clients that say that they would really like to work on their ‘time management’. You may or may not be surprised to know that interestingly there’s often much more that lies behind their want or need for this ‘time’, and so I find that more often than not that I am looking for the things that are ‘not’ said, rather than the things that are!

I also find that some clients want to get straight into goal setting. And whilst I also almost can’t wait to get to this point (for them too), if we miss the fundamental basics, then these new goals they commit to won’t last long at all.

So where is our starting point?

More than ever it is important to begin to understand YOU, to understand what isn’t making you happy, what is making you happy, and what are your secret desires?

A few questions to help with understanding you:

1.     When am I at my happiest? Be really honest with yourself. Remember this is only for you. Write down the things that make you happy. What are you doing? What are you saying? Who are you spending time with?

2.     How much of my time do I actually spend doing things that make me happy? What are the reasons? What is your reality? Are your choices made for you? Where are you in the queue for happiness?

3.     What would be the benefits of spending more time doing the things that make me happy?

Really think about the positive effects on your life and those you love

4.     In the long term what will it cost me if I don’t work towards understanding what holds me back? Really think about what you could be missing out on. Do the fears outweigh the benefits? Or do the benefits outweigh the fears?

In a way it is all about Self-Awareness. Some have greater self-awareness than others. There is no right or wrong, but the clearer we are in understanding what may hold us back and the reasons behind our actions, the quicker we can start working on that time management!!

A really good way to start to become more aware of your own actions is by studying the reactions of others.

I have a little explanation around different personalities that has helped my clients and friends, in differentiating between the red and green lighters in their life. “What are they?” I hear you say.

Often we have friends or loved ones that when we tell them about an exciting idea, or a big change we intend to make in our lives they throw out some negativity. A “what do you want to do that for?”, and a “That’s ridiculous”. These I call the ‘red lighters’.

Then you have what I call the ‘green lighters’, the friends and loved ones that are supportive and encouraging and say “That’s fantastic”, and “Good for you, tell me more”.

Personally I am more selective with what I share with the red lighters in my life, but trust me this has taken years of practice, and it does not mean I do not love them. I just know that their personal responses may affect my decisions, and I want to be influenced by positivity rather than negativity.

The point is that the red lighters are not bad people, they still often love and care about you as we do them, it’s just that they are putting their own fears onto your choices! They may feel they would never have the courage or that it is too risky, whereas the green lighters in your life would generally take the more optimistic approach to life, and usually see the benefits and excitement from your point of view.

The idea is NOT to make you dislike the red lighters, but to just be more aware. If you recognise the people who impact you more positively, are less likely to hold you back and are more likely to support you, then it will help you to consider with whom to share your next BIG idea.

A really good exercise to help recognise this in others is this:

Think about 3 or 4 people that you spend time with. Notice the beliefs that they have about themselves and others. Listen to what they have to say and how they provide the ‘evidence’ to support their beliefs. Look for those that have limiting, negative beliefs and those that have positive, optimistic beliefs.

It will I’m sure make you start to think about the advice you offer and the things you say to your friends. Remember, if you are reading this and thinking “oh no, I think I’m a red lighter”, it isn’t a bad thing, we all have reasons for carrying different traits. In fact, if anything it shows that you have some great self-awareness as you are able to recognise that perhaps at times you do push your own fears onto others, and maybe just that thought alone could help you to understand yourself that little bit better.

Here’s a little quote to finish:

 “Your past has given you the strength and wisdom you have today, so celebrate it, don’t let it haunt you”

Shine Bright Wellness Workshop

To each person that buys a ticket to our Shine Bright Wellness Workshop, I am offering my 1 to 1 expertise to help you on route to setting your goals.

This includes:

1.     You’ll dig deep and complete a questionnaire to maximise the programme

2.     I will go through and personally give you feedback on each area

3.     I will send you an email breakdown giving you some focused ideas of PRIORITY areas for you to work on

4.     You will receive 10% off when you sign up for any coaching packages

If you buy your tickets early enough I will be able to complete this before the workshop, which will genuinely benefit you with our work together on the day!

Thanks for having me today and I hope you all have a fantastic and productive week.

xx