I’m always on the look out for clever storage ideas and one of my favourites is giving an older ladder a new use. Small ones make great bedside tables or plant displays, while larger ones are great for hanging from the kitchen ceiling for pot holders or leaning against a wall to stash towels, blankets, or even books and magazines.

They’re pretty easy to get your hands on too – eBay usually has plenty on offer, and Bubbledrum and Elemental tend to have one or two in stock. If you like the idea but not the beat-up dirty look (which I love!) then good old M&S has a ladder-style bookshelf in a few different colours which is cool for a sleeker look.

Images sources: One; two; three; four

I have long been a fan of Abigail Ahern, both her boutique of wonderful curiosities and eclectic interior design style. As I’m sure you have too, I’ve seen her fabulous London home in many an interior mag, but it was this latest glimpse from The Selby that seem to capture the real essence of Abigail’s quirky and creative style.

I adore a home that has heaps to look at and explore, and I’m definitely attracted to Abigail’s as she has made some rad design and styling moves that I probably wouldn’t be brave enough to do myself. Having said that though, I really think you need a grand property to pull this kind of look off – it just wouldn’t work in my teeny one-bed flat, but I also think it is the kind of style you have to just run with and not do half-hearted. There's a lot of fun in this space, Abigail clearly doens't take herself too seriously which I really like.

Interestingly, I spotted two things I’ve been considering when we hopefully move soon – upcycling an beat-up grand old round table for a desk, and investing in an industrial shelving unit to stash kitchenware (Bubbledrum has some amazing ones). And isn’t her pooch the cutest?

All images and more: The Selby

The Jigsaw A/W 2011 look book popped through the post yesterday and I’m quite taken with the photography and styling. The shoot appears to have taken place at a grand old fashioned English country house, with an eclectic somewhat boho interior style full of antiques, heirlooms and bags of character. Such a great location for such a quintessentially British brand.

I love the idea of afternoon tea or any excuse for cake really, and although I'm quite fond of the cutesy floral and 'granny chic' tea party theme, it's kind of been overdone. So here's my more contemporary take on a summer table setting with clashing brights and vintage style vessels, perfect for sipping Pimms and devouring cupcakes in the sun.

1. Museum coasters; 2. Lemon meringue cupcakes; 3. Radiance cutlery; 4. Silver plated beaker; 5. Geométrico paper napkins; 6. Helianthus goblet;  7. Raspberry tea towel; 8. Nigella cakestand / cheese dome.

Hi friends, hope you've had a great weekend. Ours has been pretty relaxing, which is just what we needed. So maybe kicking the week off with thoughts of booze isn't the best motivation for a Monday morning, but I really want to share my inspirations to create a mini bar after seeing some great ones around lately. There's something very glam and Mad Men about having a little bar area - just ready to mix a cocktail when friends drop by, or pour your favourite drink after a hard day at work. Here's my tips to create a stylish bar at home.

Copy Cat Chic

Slim Paley

1. Table, trolly or tray - Absolutely anything can be a mini bar - from a teeny area of your kitchen worktop or section of a sideboard, to a free-standing trolly or side table like our upcycled Ruby Rhino gal Polly. Having two levels is a great space saver and a tray is a good idea to keep things tidy.

2. Glam up your glassware - So traditional glasses are fine, but adding something a little different will funk up your mini bar and make it feel extra special. There's something quite rustic about using old jam or mason jars, as it looks like Lucy has done (bottom right), and vintage tea glasses like these lovelies from Notonthehighstreet.com are a cute addition too.

3. Serve with style - Cocktail shakers are a must to mix up your favourites - try these herbies for new ideas, and everything feels a little more fancy when poured from a decanter. Vintage ones can usually be picked up from charity shops for a couple of quid, then you can treat your guests to homemade liquers like raspberry vodka or sloe gin.

3. Accessorize - As ever, accessories ramp up the style stakes - so think fresh flowers or a leafy plant, and fun extras like striped paper straws and a bright ice bucket. I like the idea of putting a bar/booze related print or poster on the wall too, like my newbie which arrived over the weekend.

Do you have a little bar at home? How have you styled yours up?

Source unknown

Cupcakes and cashmere / The Glittter Guide

What a dreamy setting. There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now than sitting in a sunny woodland sipping tea and eating treats in the shade. Bliss.

You've probably figured out by now that I'm a tad obsessed with interior styling. At school when I was torn between studying journalism or interior design at university, I never even knew interior styling was an job option! Now I love to do it at home, for friends and of course, for Ruby Rhino, and some day hope to get full-time assisting work and eventually go it alone.

Styling for magazines and creative clients would be a dream, so I was thrilled when super talented and lovely stylist Victoria Fitchett agreed to answer some questions about her inspirations and how she broke into this tricky field. Read on to find out more about styling and coo over Victoria's stunning work. Thanks for sharing Victoria!

1. What drew you to styling and how did get started?

I've always been interested in objects, art and interiors and arranging it all together.  I started out as a runner in the art departments of TV production companies through dressing sets and buying props, before moving into the more photographic side later on.

I started off doing an internship at Elle Decoration magazine, which was great, and went on to assist stylists on a freelance basis, whilst doing lots of test shoots to get a portfolio together. I am now represented by an agent and pretty busy, so I feel very fortunate. Two of my brothers are photographers, along with my husband, so I guess it was meant to be.

2. What does the life of a stylist involve and how do you approach each brief?

Being adaptable is pretty important. Every brief is different, from a day or two in a studio, to a couple of weeks in a location house.  Generally the client has an idea of what they want and give you an outline of their ideas. They might send you a mood board to set the scene, or arrange a meeting to chat about it further.  

I then generally trawl through books and other images to get inspiration and then start the task of sourcing props, be it furniture, accessories, wallpaper or fabrics.  The fun bit is on set, when you see it all come together and of course when you see it in the magazine or book.  

3. Where do you find inspiration for your projects, and are they any fellow stylists whose work you admire?

Inspiration comes from everywhere. It really is amazing how the smallest thing from nowhere can set your mind racing. Books and magazines are obvious places to inspire, but also traveling, the countryside, shops and everyday sights around the streets of London are a constant source of ideas.  

I was fortunate enough to assist the stylist Faye Toogood full time after my placement at Elle Decoration. She is one of the most amazing stylists I know and hugely inspiring - she constantly manages to raise the bar.

4. Talk us through your favourite job to date, and what would be your dream styling commission?

Oh, that's a hard one! I've just completed styling a book with the most brilliant team of people. It was quite a long project and just every day was full of laughs, as well as working very hard of course! I am a huge fan of the shops Anthropologie and Toast, so it would be an absolute dream to be involved with any of their projects.    

5. Your own home must be beautiful with your eye for detail and the lovely interior ideas you come across, what is your house like and how would you describe your personal style?

It's hard not to get a lot of house envy in this job. You are constantly surrounded by beautiful homes and interiors, and see so much tha you can sometimes start to question your own style. My husband and I are still living in a flat, and because both of our jobs involving so much kit, space is often a bit of an issue.

I'd definitely describe my style as eclectic. I love old things, but love livening it up with modern pieces, as well as fun blocks of colour, but all in quite muted subtle tones, with little bits of pattern. I'm definitely a 'blue' girl, so there is a lot of that around the flat.

There's been a huge amount of online chatter about digital magazines on blogs and twitter this week, fueled by that NY Times article, the reaction at Design*Sponge, and reponses from Lonny and Matchbook. I've found it fascinating to follow, particularly with the UK addition to the market, Heart Home magazine, due to launch in September.

My view is that providing the quality is high, content varied and ideas fresh, there will always be room for more online inspiration. There's nothing like flipping through the printed pages of a glossy magazine, but I still get excited about the launch of each new issue of each online magazine - especially Sweet Paul, which went live with its gorgeous summer issue today.

If you've not come across Sweet Paul before, I think you'll really love it - if you adore all things foodie, crafty and style-y like me that is! The magazine is run by Paul Lowe, a 43-year old food and prop stylist who moved from Oslo to NY to pursue creative ventures. You can feel Paul's passion for his subject in every digital page, and I think this issue is my favourite yet. The photography and styling is fresh, vibrant and incredibly inspiring.

We are treated to lovely recipes - lemon and feta dip, mouthwatering fresh salads, delicious seafoods and apple crumble are just some that caught my eye; interviews with creative folk like Michele behind Elephant Ceramics; as well as DIY crafts like fruit dying fabric and upcycling tin cans. Just brilliant. I've just lost an hour flipping through and will be revisiting over the weekend for some more inspiration. Enjoy.

I hope the sun was shining over the weekend for you. We were lucky to get good weather for our visit to friends in Oxford, and as is often the case when we get together, events revolved around lots of eating and drinking - a perfect weekend! We were excited to give them a belated wedding / house warming gift of an upcycled round dining table, we took a bit of risk on the paint colour which they thankfully loved!

Dining tables are definitely one of my favourite pieces of furniture, and since the Decorate styling event at Liberty, I’ve been thinking how I would like to tackle table styling when I next host little a dinner or gathering.

One idea that caught my eye recently is this collaboration between Remodelista and Gwyneth Paltrow. It feels fresh and rustic – a perfect combination.

 

Lessons I’ll take from this include forgoing placemats and coasters for a casual feel, and just using a simple table runner to protect the tabletop from hot serving dishes.

Fresh flowers are always key to add life and colour and varying the height of the tablescape with tall candles is a also a good tip to add visual interest. I love how these traditional Japanese style plates feel completely different and refreshed in this rustic setting, which shows you don’t have to splash out on posh newbies to update your own table top – in fact I spotted some very similar in my local Oxfam last week!

Do you always make an effort to dress your table for guests? I think I really need to do it more.

Photography by Simon Bevan, see more pics at Remodelista.

Morning friends, how are you? Hope you've got some fun things planned for the weekend. Please accept my apologies for being AWOL the past couple of days - things have been pretty hectic at Ruby Rhino HQ and this week has passed in a complete blur. The shoot went really, really well - lots of fun and pretty stress-free, which was great. In fact the most stressful part was the obligatory team shot at the end - we're all pretty reluctant in front of the camera as you can probably tell! We were hoping for a more casual shot outside, but typically the weather wasn't playing ball so inside it was. We really are at the very final stages now - writing the furniture descriptions, moving the blog and fine tuning the site. We so appreciate your patience and support while we pull it all together - we're full of nervous excitement! I thought you might like to see a couple of out-takes from the day - mirrors proved the trickiest pieces to style and photograph, while dining tables were the most fun (we tucked into the bread and cheese shortly after this shot for lunch, but just managed to resist the wine until the end of the day!). Fingers crossed we should be going live next week - you'll be the first to know and I dying to find out your thoughts on everything, so please don't be shy!  I won't be blogging at this address anymore - so please remember to update your bookmark with http://www.rubyrhino.co.uk. There isn't a subscribe option on the new blog initially, but you can keep up to date on Twitter and Facebook (where there's a peek of one of our fave pieces!). So lovelies, have a great weekend whatever you're up to, and I look forward to catching up with you next week.