6 things to do on vacation in Hamburg

The city of Hamburg is located in the northern part of Germany just on the Elbe River. It's easily the country's largest port and commercial centre, and one of the busiest and largest in Europe and the ninth largest in the world. Hamburg is the next highest populated city after Berlin. The people of Hamburg […]

6 things to do on vacation in Hamburg is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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6 things to do on vacation in Hamburg

The city of Hamburg is located in the northern part of Germany just on the Elbe River. It’s easily the country’s largest port and commercial centre, and one of the busiest and largest in Europe and the ninth largest in the world. Hamburg is the next highest populated city after Berlin. The people of Hamburg […]

6 things to do on vacation in Hamburg is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

The post 6 things to do on vacation in Hamburg appeared first on A Luxury Travel Blog.

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The Pink Collection by Little Greene

confetti by little greene with lamp black

I know I know, we were supposed to be on a break, and then these pictures came in and it seemed a shame not to show them to you. And, if you are spending the summer pondering a refurb then it's always good to have a few new ideas wafting about while you lie on the sunlounger and then you can feel ready to get started as soon as school starts again in September and you get your house back.

Unless you have teenagers, in which case suddenly the house appears to be more empty in the holidays than it does in the term time. Funny how that changes. I have reached a stage where I can do more work in the holiday than in the term time as they are out and about with mates and sorting out their own food on the run. Anyway, for the parents of toddlers – COURAGE (said in strong French accent – vis couRAHGE not RAGE, although I'm sure there's plenty of that too) your time will come. You just can't see that far ahead yet.

little greene dorchester pink was first used in The Dorchester Hotel in the 1960s

Anyway, pink. That's where we are today. And talking of children, did you know that pink was originally for the boys and blue for the girls? I have started a monthly column in an online travel magazine looking at the psychology behind colour  (you can read it here ) and discovered this during my research.

An article in 1918 said: "The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger colour, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl".

little greene cape red

So stick that in your reverse sexism pipe! More to the point when men up and down the land start shouting that they don't want their houses painted pink you have two options. One, as one of my friends did with great success, is to fix  said man with a withering glare and say in an exasperated tone: "Oh for God's sake, it's beige can't you tell?".

The other is to quote this article at him and tell him that it's all about him being decided and stronger and totes more masculine.

Right, so now we've cleared that up. This is the new collection by Little Greene, which will be available in stockists mid-September. Following on from their gorgeous blue collection and not forgetting (never forgetting) the grey card, the paint company have turned their attention to pink.

little greene confetti and lamp black

There are eight shades and the collection has been launched in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month with which Little Greene has a long standing association, with 15 from every can of paint and roll of wallpaper during October going to a breast cancer charity. This year it is the Breast Cancer Haven.

The limited edition colour card will be available until next January after which many of the shades will be incorporated into an updated colour card launching the following spring.

dorchester pink by little greene

David Motterhead, the managing director of Little Greene, said pink is massively on trend in both fashion and interiors and the new card would help dispel the myth that it is a difficult colour: "These versatile shades contradict the idea that pink is sugary or overly feminine."

So what do you think? Are we in the pink?

And I'm really going now. Enjoy catching up with posts that you missed during August….

little greene hortense paint is pink with a hint of grey and limited edition Paradise wallpaper

The post The Pink Collection by Little Greene appeared first on Mad About The House.

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The Pink Collection by Little Greene

confetti by little greene with lamp black

I know I know, we were supposed to be on a break, and then these pictures came in and it seemed a shame not to show them to you. And, if you are spending the summer pondering a refurb then it’s always good to have a few new ideas wafting about while you lie on the sunlounger and then you can feel ready to get started as soon as school starts again in September and you get your house back.

Unless you have teenagers, in which case suddenly the house appears to be more empty in the holidays than it does in the term time. Funny how that changes. I have reached a stage where I can do more work in the holiday than in the term time as they are out and about with mates and sorting out their own food on the run. Anyway, for the parents of toddlers – COURAGE (said in strong French accent – vis couRAHGE not RAGE, although I’m sure there’s plenty of that too) your time will come. You just can’t see that far ahead yet.

little greene dorchester pink was first used in The Dorchester Hotel in the 1960s

Anyway, pink. That’s where we are today. And talking of children, did you know that pink was originally for the boys and blue for the girls? I have started a monthly column in an online travel magazine looking at the psychology behind colour  (you can read it here ) and discovered this during my research.

An article in 1918 said: “The generally accepted rule is pink for the boys and blue for the girls. The reason is that pink, being a more decided and stronger colour, is more suitable for the boy, while blue, which is more delicate and dainty, is prettier for the girl”.

little greene cape red

So stick that in your reverse sexism pipe! More to the point when men up and down the land start shouting that they don’t want their houses painted pink you have two options. One, as one of my friends did with great success, is to fix  said man with a withering glare and say in an exasperated tone: “Oh for God’s sake, it’s beige can’t you tell?”.

The other is to quote this article at him and tell him that it’s all about him being decided and stronger and totes more masculine.

Right, so now we’ve cleared that up. This is the new collection by Little Greene, which will be available in stockists mid-September. Following on from their gorgeous blue collection and not forgetting (never forgetting) the grey card, the paint company have turned their attention to pink.

little greene confetti and lamp black

There are eight shades and the collection has been launched in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month with which Little Greene has a long standing association, with 15 from every can of paint and roll of wallpaper during October going to a breast cancer charity. This year it is the Breast Cancer Haven.

The limited edition colour card will be available until next January after which many of the shades will be incorporated into an updated colour card launching the following spring.

dorchester pink by little greene

David Motterhead, the managing director of Little Greene, said pink is massively on trend in both fashion and interiors and the new card would help dispel the myth that it is a difficult colour: “These versatile shades contradict the idea that pink is sugary or overly feminine.”

So what do you think? Are we in the pink?

And I’m really going now. Enjoy catching up with posts that you missed during August….

little greene hortense paint is pink with a hint of grey and limited edition Paradise wallpaper

The post The Pink Collection by Little Greene appeared first on Mad About The House.

from Mad About The House http://ift.tt/2aO5NVo

10 Beautiful Rooms

And so to August when the Mad House takes a little break but, as ever, it’s not disappearing completely, merely a chance for you to catch up on things we have looked at this year, remind ourselves of some of the objects of design and generally take a little breather from the Madness while being surrounded by some loveliness.

But, before that starts I wanted to show you these pictures. As many of you know, I also run an interiors styling business called madaboutyourhouse.com.  It began a couple of years ago when readers kept asking me to source things for them. Eventually one asked me to help with her house and the business was born.

Since then it has been growing and I have had lots of lovely clients, most of whom find me through the blog and continue to drop into The Mad House long after we have met and they have finished their houses (hi everyone, I hope you are all well. Solveig – have you done those alcove cupboards for the toys? Helen, did you get that quote for putting that wall back? Christina, I know you have finished that loft, well done. By the way, Davina, we need to get come proper pictures done and Paula, we need to talk about grey paint).

I have loved meeting you (and everyone who I haven’t namechecked too) and helping you make the most of the four walls that the builder and the bank manager gave you. I hope to meet many more of you in time as you move and improve and in doing so it probably won’t surprise you to learn that one of the styles I am most often asked to help source is Soho House.

Many of you will never have been as it’s a members only club but regular readers will know that, just like Down Pipe has become a synonym for dark grey paint, so Soho House has become shorthand for the style that I like to call Urban Glamour. It’s a bit rustic but with an edge. There’s plenty of vintage but lots of luxe. It’s supremely comfortable but not slobbish.

In short, it’s pretty much the ideal style of The Mad House. And, guess what? I’m excited to tell you that, as of next month, you will be able to buy many of the pieces for your own homes. Which may just put me out of a job. I hope it won’t, I think it might just make it a little easier.

Those of you who follow me on Instagram (come on over it’s quite different to the blog) may remember a few weeks ago, I spent the night at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire to see the new collection. I was the only blogger there among all the glossy magazines and newspapers (stick with me guys, I’ll bring you the good stuff) and we did have a great time. I wish I was a member… Anyway, Nick Jones, the founder of the houses, said it had been in the pipeline for a while and admitted it was his own disorganisation which meant it had taken so long to bring it all together.

I think it was worth the wait. There are some 450 pieces in the collection from glasses to sofas and pretty much anything you see on a visit is available to buy (you don’t have to be a member to stay in the rooms by the way). There is also a collection of vintage pieces which, as we all know, are often the ones that bring the wow factor to the room, and certainly the ones that give a room its personality and individuality.

Because, and this is key, it doesn’t matter if you all rush off and buy the same pieces as none of you will be putting them in the same room or styling them in the same way. Many (many) years ago when I was at journalism college, one of the tutors told us that if you sent 10 reporters off to the same event they would all come back with different stories. It’s largely true and it’s the same with houses. You might all buy the same chair but it would look different in each place.

As the company opens more houses, so the interiors collection will grow. They have also promised to add each house to the site so you will soon be able to shop Istanbul style or Shoreditch House (that’s the one I’m waiting for). In the meantime there are five styles available: New York, Chicago, Babington, Farm and High Road (a small one in Chiswick).

The collection will be available to everyone in September and, in the meantime, you can register at Soho Home and receive free delivery on your first order. I can also tell you that everything comes wrapped in beautiful burgundy and cream dustbags which are brilliant for taking on holiday as shoe bags and laundry bags.

 

The post 10 Beautiful Rooms appeared first on Mad About The House.

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10 Beautiful Rooms

And so to August when the Mad House takes a little break but, as ever, it's not disappearing completely, merely a chance for you to catch up on things we have looked at this year, remind ourselves of some of the objects of design and generally take a little breather from the Madness while being surrounded by some loveliness.

But, before that starts I wanted to show you these pictures. As many of you know, I also run an interiors styling business called madaboutyourhouse.com.  It began a couple of years ago when readers kept asking me to source things for them. Eventually one asked me to help with her house and the business was born.

Since then it has been growing and I have had lots of lovely clients, most of whom find me through the blog and continue to drop into The Mad House long after we have met and they have finished their houses (hi everyone, I hope you are all well. Solveig – have you done those alcove cupboards for the toys? Helen, did you get that quote for putting that wall back? Christina, I know you have finished that loft, well done. By the way, Davina, we need to get come proper pictures done and Paula, we need to talk about grey paint).

I have loved meeting you (and everyone who I haven't namechecked too) and helping you make the most of the four walls that the builder and the bank manager gave you. I hope to meet many more of you in time as you move and improve and in doing so it probably won't surprise you to learn that one of the styles I am most often asked to help source is Soho House.

Many of you will never have been as it's a members only club but regular readers will know that, just like Down Pipe has become a synonym for dark grey paint, so Soho House has become shorthand for the style that I like to call Urban Glamour. It's a bit rustic but with an edge. There's plenty of vintage but lots of luxe. It's supremely comfortable but not slobbish.

In short, it's pretty much the ideal style of The Mad House. And, guess what? I'm excited to tell you that, as of next month, you will be able to buy many of the pieces for your own homes. Which may just put me out of a job. I hope it won't, I think it might just make it a little easier.

Those of you who follow me on Instagram (come on over it's quite different to the blog) may remember a few weeks ago, I spent the night at Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire to see the new collection. I was the only blogger there among all the glossy magazines and newspapers (stick with me guys, I'll bring you the good stuff) and we did have a great time. I wish I was a member… Anyway, Nick Jones, the founder of the houses, said it had been in the pipeline for a while and admitted it was his own disorganisation which meant it had taken so long to bring it all together.

I think it was worth the wait. There are some 450 pieces in the collection from glasses to sofas and pretty much anything you see on a visit is available to buy (you don't have to be a member to stay in the rooms by the way). There is also a collection of vintage pieces which, as we all know, are often the ones that bring the wow factor to the room, and certainly the ones that give a room its personality and individuality.

Because, and this is key, it doesn't matter if you all rush off and buy the same pieces as none of you will be putting them in the same room or styling them in the same way. Many (many) years ago when I was at journalism college, one of the tutors told us that if you sent 10 reporters off to the same event they would all come back with different stories. It's largely true and it's the same with houses. You might all buy the same chair but it would look different in each place.

As the company opens more houses, so the interiors collection will grow. They have also promised to add each house to the site so you will soon be able to shop Istanbul style or Shoreditch House (that's the one I'm waiting for). In the meantime there are five styles available: New York, Chicago, Babington, Farm and High Road (a small one in Chiswick).

The collection will be available to everyone in September and, in the meantime, you can register at Soho Home and receive free delivery on your first order. I can also tell you that everything comes wrapped in beautiful burgundy and cream dustbags which are brilliant for taking on holiday as shoe bags and laundry bags.

 

The post 10 Beautiful Rooms appeared first on Mad About The House.

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10 things to learn while you travel

Experiential travel is the best kind – and what better way to get under a destination's skin than by learning a new skill under the guidance of local experts? From cooking and dancing to surfing and diving, via a multitude of handicrafts, here are some suggestions for educational, practical activities to try out on your […]

10 things to learn while you travel is a post from A Luxury Travel Blog

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