IDEAL HOME SHOW 2017

The Ideal Home Show 2017 opened on Friday at the Olympia, London. I was lucky enough to go today and believe me, it is worth a visit!

The best bits:

1. Good Homes Magazine Roomsets

   This year the pages of Good Homes will be brought to life at the Ideal Home Show in six inspiring roomsets. An elegant modern kitchen, a green and blue family dining room, a sophisticated blue and blush living room, a neutral Danish bedroom, a bold monochrome bathroom and a playful indoor-outdoor room. Using gorgeous blues and blushed hues, geometric tiling and copper accents, each room focuses on the latest trends in interior design. This years roomsets certainly push boundaries!

   The living room: 

   The team have created a beautiful room scheme featuring  mid-century furniture and sculptural statement lighting. The room is bursting with blue tones (including a touch of on-trend denim) in the upholstery as well as the walls. The retro theme is reinforced in 50s prints on the accessories. Striking creative displays are the wow-factor in this room; the recessed shelving with backlit LED ledges creates a bold statement. I might have to steal this idea!

   The Bathroom:

   The bathroom features a bold black and white colour scheme which is softened by delicate foliage. The wow-factor within this room lies in the walls and floor. A geometric collage of differently shaped tiles creates an eclectic mix of pattern. The freestanding bath is a strong focal point too as it sits directly in the middle of the space. The small wall nest to the bath creates a handy shelf for storing products. An oversized statement mirror hangs over twin white basements, and traditional washing accessories in wood and tin, alongside neat piles of linens, are the perfect finishing touch in this bold bathroom.

   

   Outdoor Living:

   The outdoor space has a distinctly Moroccan feel sue to the use of wood, plants and bright botanical colours. Wooden-style, practical-plank floorboards with a grey tint lead from the kitchen through the bi-fold doors to the outdoor dining area. An organic green wall, featuring copper, terracotta and grey planters, gives the area a stunning focal point. Retro-inspired dining furniture with comfy weatherproof cushions and throws adds a relaxed feel to this social space. the use of botanical prints also ensures that the garden is on trend! I love the canopy of hanging light bulbs as it would create a soft glow in a summers night.

   

   The Bedroom:

   The bedroom takes inspiration from the Danish art of Hygge – which roughly translates to taking pleasure in your surroundings, while channelling a feeling of cosy contentment. The stylists have carefully decorated the room with a neutral palette of whimsical whites, pretty corals and refined creams which contrast with the bold yellow on the back wall. Behind the partition wall, there is a quirky scandinavian desk featuring colourful stationary and accessories. Finishing touches include tasselled fined creams, all finished with tactile bedding, heavy-cableknit throws, fringed accessories and layered rugs brings an indulgent feel to this relaxed and informal space. The clever pendant lighting helps to frame the bed while being a statement in itself.

   The Dining Room:

   This room features a bold colour palette of purple, grey and pale green with a lot of natural wood. There is also a contemporary fireplace with recessed filled with roughly sawn logs. The low-hanging pendant lights are very on trend and help to illuminate the glassware on the table. I love the tiles under the table as it mimics a rug. I’m not completely sold on the colour palette here though!

   The Kitchen:

   All-white kitchens are so last season, the latest trend for the busiest room in your home is a subtle mix of colours from the same palette – such as dove grey, concrete and silver – used on both wall and base units. Symphony’s elegant Laura Ashley kitchen collection combines gorgeous light-grey wall units with anthracite base units for a modern, fresh look. Accessorise with a mixture of black and natural details, interspersed with hints of gorgeous copper and marble to create a scheme that will stand the test of time for years to come. Personally, I love the shelving at the side of the kitchen island as it is a clever way of storing recipe books.

   2. George Clarke’s Rotating Home

   Some of you might have seen this amazing creation on the Channel 4 show Amazing Spaces. If not, its a 3.5 tonne, 4.3 metre tall structure which offers the opportunity to think of space in terms of volume, rather than square footage. The home features the 5 most important aspects of a house; the kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom and dining room, while still managing to have space for a (very small) garden! As the building rotates floors become ceilings and furniture changes roles, allowing the space to become multi functional. the building also features LED lighting and light boxes which can change colour at the touch of a button. It was amazing to watch the room transforming. This is something not to miss! 

   3.The Ideal Show Gardens

   Designed by college students as part of the Ideal Young Gardeners Of The Year competition, these diverse gardens feature a contemporary designs and clever ways to maximise space. This year, the students have the challenge of designing a small front garden and must incorporate a wheelie bin into their scheme. As you can imagine, there were some very creative storage solutions.

   Writtle University College (Essex):

   

   Shuttleworth College (Bedfordshire):

   

   Askham Bryan College

   

   Pershore College, Edible Avenue:

   

   Chichester College, The Urban Transition Zone Garden:

   

   Capel Manor (Middlesex), Garden Without a Boundary

   This last design by Capel Manor is my favourite. I love the sweeping copper as it helps to guide the eye up towards the house. The copper bird bath and porch are quirky touches that really help this garden to stand out.

   4.The 21st Century Cottage:

   From the outside, the cottage is quintessentially countryside. A traditional thatched roof with layered thatch reveals a peacock on the ridge. However, the interior showcases the latest in interior design trends proving you can blend the old with the new. Below are a few photos that I took:

 

The Exhibitors:

As you can imagine, hundreds of companies have stalls at the Ideal Home Show. It’s quite overwhelming! On the ground floor, there are furniture, lighting and garden brands. The first floor features fashion, makeup, technology and food brands.

Here are a few of my highlights:

Pangea sculptures:

Feather and Black:

The Cast Iron Bath Company:

My top tips:

1. Get there early! There is so much to see that you need to maximise time at the venue. we got there at 11 and left at 5!
2. Grab Food samples!Make sure you head up to the food section on the first floor as most stalls offer free samples of their products. I ate so much cheese this year! You can sample food from cheese, chorizo and curry sauces to fudge chocolate and biscuits. They are even giving samples of toffee flavoured vodka!
3. Plan Ahead:I’d definitely recommend that you look online at the timetables so you can plan your time around anything you want to see. Talks have specific times and locations so make sure you know where you are going. It’s a good idea to look at the map when you get there too so you can get your bearings.

 

I really enjoyed my visit to the ideal home show and would strongly encourage you to go. Has anyone been or got tickets for this year?

If you want more information, check out the official Ideal Home Show page here.

Eve x