SEPTEMBER'S COMPETITON

WIN! a Katie Mullally large silver wishbone necklace on a 32 inch silver chain...

Katie Mullally's hallmarked vintage KMM jewellery is not only enjoyable to wear; each piece is sent to the London Assay Office and tested for the level of silver, only then is it stamped with the London Assay Office marks and the KMM mark- Katie's stamp. It is a legal requirement in the UK and Ireland that any silver weighing over 7.78 grams has to be hallmarked. Katie's history working in her grandmother's antique business means she knows that a hallmark is a quality assurance for the customer and therefore all KMM pieces are hallmarked. 


Katie's inspiration for the design comes from her love of antique markets and also her Irish heritage. The designs are vintage inspired with a quirky modern twist and Katie believes they will be collectible heirlooms.

KMM pieces have featured in The New York Times, The Irish Times, Mail, Irish Mail, Vogue, Grazia, OK! and many more publications. The charms have been worn by many bloggers and celebrities including Laura Whitmore, Ellie Goulding, Vogue Williams and Calum Best. Currently the designs are charm based, most of the pieces have large bails and can therefore be stacked together creating your own charm necklace; Katie is soon to be adding a charm bracelet to her collection. They are worn by men and women and appeal to all ages. 

Katie is a local designer and her studio is based in Tunbridge Wells. Her charms are sold in many stockists including Fenwick Tunbridge Wells and Fenwick Bond Street. Katie is also very much looking forward to having a stand again at this November's Wealden Times Midwinter Fair at Bedgebury Pinetum. www.katiemullally.co.uk

For your chance to win a Katie Mullally large silver wishbone necklace on a 32 inch silver chain, just answer this question:

'Which fair at Bedgebury Pinetum will Katie Mullally be attending this November?' 

Enter your answer with your contact details* in the online form at www.wealdentimes.co.uk, post your answer on this blog post, or post to: The Katie Mullally Competition, Wealden Times, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF by18 September 2015. 

There is no cash alternative and the prize must be taken before the end of 2015. *All entrants' details will be passed on to Katie Mullally and Wealden Times Events. Please let us know if you do not wish your details to be passed on. 



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June's Interior Inspiration

  Champion Bathing  

We love a good bathroom here at WT. They're a place to relax, unwind, or prepare for the day ahead, and we have come across some real beauties in our time. Here are a few of our top picks...



Monochrome Home...

This stunning bath is set in the corner of a master bedroom, in a double aspect alcove, overlooking the garden. Subtle intimacy has been created by a delicate muslin curtain covering one wall. Read the full feature here...

Always in Style...

This bathroom sports a great black steel-riveted bateau bath, found on eBay and black and white mosaic tile flooring from Tile Design in St Leonards. The delicate driftwood table by the bath came from French Connection Home.  Read the full feature here...

All in Place...

The design philosophy in this house as far as bathrooms are concerned, is to go for a high quality centrepiece. All the baths, showers and taps are form C.P. Hart. The accessories and furnishings are bargain buys. The shower tiles are form Walls & Floors and the graphite marble floor tiles are from eBay.

The Christmas House...

Moving away from the contemporary, there is a totally different feel in this house. With a reinforced floor to support it, this original bath tub has a lead lining and is gently illuminated by candle light, tucked away in amongst the wood paneling around the room. 

An Elegant Escape...

We love this pair of Moorish mirrors hanging above the sinks. This bathroom also feature a beautiful deep bath and glass walled wet room shower. The French doors lead into a pretty patio area with stunning views of the gardens. 

Interiors Inspiration

  Shades of Indigo  

Embracing the imperfect is something Mark and Sally of award winning homeware store Baileys Home, have developed impeccably. Their use of vintage fabrics and time worn colours, create beautifully unusual and modern interiors. 

Naturally derived colours also sit well with the hues found in industrial materials: This downstairs cloakroom has an original Victorian basin and taps. The towel warmer hanging on the ultramarine polished plaster walls, is made from old copper plumbing pipes.

Natural dyes are often mistakenly associated with a dull, washed out appearance. But plant derived indigo is a rich opulent shade of blue, that can transform an interior into an inky haze. Old utility and work clothes that have been battered and patched up over the year, make distinguished objects to display in any home. Try tie dying some old throws, or even kitchen cloths.

Stacking throws, and vintage textiles is a beautiful way of displaying pieces collected over the years. Here they have been laid out on an old patisserie stand.

This sofa and antique chair have been reupholstered in 1970s denim and backed with a bold 19th century stripe.

Antiques dealer Katherine Pole specialises in French textiles, a fact that is very clear on a visit to her North London home, which is packed with her fabric finds. Katherine says she was sold on the place the moment she saw the peeling wallpaper upstairs, which was half stripped away to reveal the mottled plaster beneath. The abundance of textiles, many of them patched and frayed, makes a significant contribution to the feeling of a well-lived-in home, adding warmth, colour, pattern and texture all in one go.

'Imperfect Home' by Mark and Sally Bailey is published by Ryland Peters and Small

Photographs: Debi Treloar

Get started at www.wealdenfairs.com for some inspiration!

February's Interior Inspiration...

Colour Blush

Here at the Wealden Times, we love using colour as it can brighten moods and transform an interior. But it can be tricky to incorporate it into your own home if you're not sure where to start or how much to use! So here are a few hints to inform and inspire...

Start small...

Adding the tiniest touches can make all the difference to the overall look of a room. If you haven't used a lot of colour before, or feel tentative about which ones to go for then try displaying colourful mugs or aprons in your kitchen. This way you can use things you already have for a decorative purpose as well as functional. Prints of images you like and collections of little objects on shelves are also great ways of increasing vibrancy in the home. 

Softly, softly...

Feeling a little braver? Then try out some bold and bright soft furnishings, or a fun printed wallpaper. Adding in cushions, rugs, bed spreads and curtains is a great idea if you love colour, but rent your home, so are limited to magnolia walls! WT's Helen uses vividly printed throws on her sofa to bring some new life to her living room. 

The Bold and Beautiful...

Upclycling is a huge trend at the moment. So give it a go! Dig out that old bed side table that's been neglected in the garage, get some paint and go wild! Charity shops, boot fairs and house clearances are all full of bureaus and dressers just screaming for some love. One piece of audacious furniture can totally transform anything from a bathroom to a hallway, creating focus and interest...that's if you can stick to one project!

Go the Whole Hog...

 You love colour, you're feeling inspired and are totally ready to be let loose in the house with a paint brush... But just hold on one second! Before making any major decisions, grab some swatch cards and sample paint pots and try out a few ideas first. Is it just one wall you want to be painted, or the entire room? Are you going to use contrasting, complimenting or matching colours when choosing your soft furnishings? Do you like print or block colour? There are lots of ideas to consider before getting messy, so experiment on a small scale and then get your overalls on!

Get started...

Here are a few gorgeous items to get you started that you can buy from www.wealdenfairs.com !

January's Interior Inspiration...

  5 top organising tips to refresh any home  

After the numerous parties, get togethers and gatherings of Christmas and New Year, it can leave our homes looking tired, in need of a little love, and dare I say it, untidy?! So here are a few hints to getting your abode back in tip top shape for the coming year.

1. Kitchen

                                                                

Use every tiny little bit of space. By keeping surfaces clear, it will give the impression of an ever tidy kitchen. The inside of cupboard doors is often wasted space, so by popping up a couple of small shelving units, smaller items can be stored easily. Even if your kitchen is small or an odd shape, shelves and hooks are so simple to use which means you have more space to prepare food!

2. Your Bedroom

Neat and tidy doesn't have to mean dull; hat boxes, trunks, suitcases are all great alternatives to using plastic storage containers to keep your bits and bobs tucked away and tidy, but still looking nice! You could buy them from an auction, junk shop or antiques fair and keep them looking rustic and battered. Or maybe give them a lick of paint, a bit of decoupage or a reupholster!

3. Living Room

If you're a book lover like WF's James, then why not make a feature of them? Invisible book shelves are a more interesting way of displaying your prized possessions, leaves you with more floor space and they're still easily accessible next time you want to snuggle up with a page turner, or a copy of Wealden Times! Under seat storage is particularly useful for larger, bulky items that aren't used all year round, like jumpers, quilts and spare linen. 

4. The Kids' Bedroom

Bunk beds are the perfect option if you have more than one child to a room. They're good fun and leave more floor space to play on. Having a higher bed with drawer space underneath is also a a great choice, especially if room for other pieces of furniture is limited. 

5. Bathroom

The space under the sink is often wasted, but can be used for storing cleaning products, or lotions and potions, which keeps window sills clear,  making it easier to clean! Small sets of drawers are incredibly useful for keeping small items in as well, such as hair grips, combs and make up. By rolling up towels, they can be squeezed into smaller spaces, and still grabbed easily when needed. 

 Photos David Merewether - Styling Lucy Fleming

WIN An Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Workshop Package Worth £250 Compliments Of Lilypie Cafe

Lilypie Café is an Annie Sloan Paint Stockist and Vintage Café in Chart Sutton, near Maidstone. Join the upcycling revolution by taking part in one of their Annie Sloan Workshops – an ideal opportunity to get creative and learn new skills. Four di erent workshops are on o er, either full or half days, hosted by trained Annie Sloan experts and including all materials required, plus a delicious lunch in the quirky café. You can also buy readymade upcycled, antiques and French-style furniture in the fabulous furniture showroom upstairs. From rich reds to soft greys, there’s a piece to suit every palette, along with a selection of Annie Sloan fabrics. Set within a beautiful Georgian house, Lilypie is bursting with style, and it’s not only furniture and paints that are on o er, you can also

browse a vast collection of pre-loved clothing and accessories. Make a day of your visit by booking a treatment at e Annexe hair, nail and beauty salon where the therapists use the latest products and

techniques to leave you looking and feeling a million dollars. Serving a wide selection of homemade sandwiches, salads and soups as well as daily specials board, Lilypie Café is well renowned for their divine Vintage Teas (booking essential) with beautifully presented cake stands brimming with finger sandwiches, scones, homemade cakes and clotted cream! Fizz is optional as they are fully licensed. 

Find out more at www.lilypiecafe.com or call 01622 844590.

For your chance to win 1 Full Day ‘Paint A Chair’ Workshop (including all materials plus chair), 1 Annie Sloan Starter Pack (1 paint, 1 clear wax, 1 tester, 1 small bristle brush) and 5 tins of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, valued at £250, from Lilypie Café in Chart Sutton, just answer this question:

‘What architectural style of house is Lilypie Café set within?’ Enter your answer with your contact details in the online form at www.wealdentimes. co.uk/competition, post to: Lilypie Café Competition, Wealden Times, 21 Stone Street, Cranbrook, Kent TN17 3HF by 16 January 2015, or comment on this blog post and use the link below!

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November's Interior Inspiration...

   Grayscale   

Master monochrome with a duo of our favourite Wealden Times interiors and gorgeous shopping picks... 

1. Seagulls and Stripes...

Sara and Jon chose a crisp and clean palette of colours that would flow through the public rooms and guestrooms of their boutique B&B, The Laindons in Hastings. Sticking to sky and seascape blues, whites and greys, and peppering their rooms with a carefully chosen selection of coastal-inspired objects, they have created a calming and tranquil space that reflects their surroundings. 

Recreate their look at home by opting for simple patterning, like their stripy theme, and varying the size and texture or wallpapers, carpets and soft furnishing, whilst keeping paint de. 

"We set out to find a balance between the property being warm and welcoming but, at the same time, bright and uncluttered," says Sara. And that is exactly the result they have achieved. See the full feature here.

Outside In...

Because everything in Heather and Peter's design-led glass house is on show, from the kitchen through to the dining area,  sitting room and on to the trees on the far side of the garden, they have chosen to keep fixtures and fittings to a minimum, opting for a simple black and white colour scheme to allow the beautiful landscape that surrounds them take centre stage.

The kitchen is two white islands with Wilsonart work surfaces beneath which are secreted all the traditional kitchen appliances. All that is on show is a ceramic hob and a brushed steel tubular extractor hood. The American white oak dining table is Parallel by De La Espada and sharing its space are the classic Rohe-designed Brno cantilevered white leather and steel dining chairs.

The main relaxing area features a white B&B Italia sofa by Antonio Cittero and two white leather and tubular steel Walter Knoll armchairs. Between them is a delicate nest of tables by Poul Kjærholm and, waiting on the sofa, two circular tubular chrome and glass tables by Eileen Gray. A final touch of sweeping elegance comes in the form of a limited edition Arco lamp with a black marble base signed by Castiglioni. See more of the Cernis's home here.

Get The Look...

Garden Labels and Ceramic Marker Pencils ● LibertyBee ● £9.99

Black Lab Door Stop ● Olio of Oxney ● £24

Vespa Mug ● Lily & Mae ● £12.50

1950s Armchair ● The Kula ● £750

Garden Birds Mini Canvas Set ● Juju Art ● £25

Moss Stitch Cotton Throw ● Greige ● £73.95

  All of the above can be purchased from www.wealdenfairs.com  

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