I find imperfection so much more pleasing than flawless perfection.* While often it is created on purpose (think distressing furniture or bleaching fabric), more often it is just a case of embracing what is already battered, faded or tarnished and loving it all the more for its timeworn state. So it is little surprise that I'm all over the increasingly popular trend for 'rough luxe,' which I first blogged about here. The idea is that we should treasure little luxuries and take pleasure in items that have stood the test of time. It's about an emotional feeling rather than material consumption.

Of course, in reality the idea of crumbling walls, rusty metalwork and peeling wallpaper might not be so appealing to live in. I also get it that not everyone is like me and fond of rummaging at flea markets and getting up the crack of dawn to go to auctions each weekend. So in my latest feature for Fabulous magazine I trawled the highstreet and online for off-the-shelf pieces you can buy to create this great look in your own home. Mix and match with some genuine old pieces and you've got a home full of character that won't break the bank. I hope you like it.

*I have to admit that I haven't always been a fan of the mis-matched, undone and beat-up look. Growing up I hated that our furniture wasn't a three-piece suite like my friends had and that the strange artifacts from my parents' travels freaked them all out at sleepovers. We had scary old wooden masks and a dried seahorse on the mantlepiece for goodness sake. That was not cool to my thirteen-year-old self and I longed for a perfect Laura Ashley style home.

Thankfully over the years I have learned to love all that is imperfect and embrace the old as well as the new. I am now drawn to things with a history for their timeworn character and mysterious stories. Oh and I no longer fight my messy hair and bitten nails. It makes life much more interesting.

Other posts you might like:

• John Derian's Cape Cod home
• Rough Luxe
• Utility chic with Bloomingville