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10 Jan 19

The Great Indoors Podcast S2 Episode 1 show notes

Interior designer Sophie Robinson and kate Watson-Smyth give interiors advice on The Great Indoors Podcast

Hello and welcome to series 2 of The Great Indoors podcast! Thanks to our smashing sponsor Dfs we are able to bring you a professionally produced 40 minutes of interior design inspiration and information, straight into your earlobes. Kate and I are thrilled to be back and will continue to bring you the latest views on the interiors trends as well as great advice on how to improve your own home and make it awesome.

So here are my podcast notes for the first episode of series 2. If you haven’t subscribed by now, you can hop onto my podcast page here and follow one of the links to take you to your preferred podcast platform- we are on them all! While you are there, please make sure you give us a rate and review- we read each and everyone and it really helps to boost us in the podcast charts, reaching more lovely listeners!

 

Reveal of my hallway

Just before Christmas, we did a big push on the hallway and it was a great opportunity to give Kate the first look, as she came around mine to record the first podcast in our new series. You can follow more of my home renovations in real time over on my Instagram Stories.

Walls painted in Lazuli by Zoffany. Floor in Bauta Havanna cement tiles by Claybrook studio. Hadley stair runner in bright rose by Roger Oates. Front door painted in Rose Ash Lt by Sanderson.

 

Decluttering your home

Kate and I talked about the importance of decluttering your home. Not just for your own mental clarity but to help it look its best. After Christmas feels like a cathartic time of year to tackle it although Kate – who is always ahead of the curve, likes to do it before

key points:

  • Marie Kondo’s book is called  Life changing magic of tidying up. She also has a new series out on Netflix
  • If you have kitchen gadgets hidden in a cupboard, chances are you won’t use them. Kate is already committed to throwing out her juicer
  • If you have a hoarding issue or are moving house – think about employing a decluttering expert to help you move through the process. I have no personal experience of this organisation but the APDO Association of professional declutters and organisers might be a good place to start.
  • Create three piles – one to place things that you can get rid of straight away, a second pile for things that need more consideration and a third pile for things to keep. Work through everything quickly and then give the second pile more attention.
  • Store out of season clothes in suitcases to free room up in your wardrobe
  • Have a yard sale or host a clothes swap party. We mentioned fashion reboot clothes sales which can be found here on Instagram @fash_reboot
  • Contact your local council for charities who will come and collect unwanted furniture
  • After you have decluttered make sure you plan sufficient storage to host all the things you need to keep.
  • Be realistic about your space available and what you own.
  • Have systems in place – shelves for books and storage cupboards so everything has its place and eliminate those dumping grounds!
  • Consider giving to charity or worthwhile causes, knowing your once loved pieces will be of use to someone else can be rewarding.
  • Use websites like eBay, Preloved, Gumtree, Freecycle, to get rid of your unwanted stuff
  • Once you have decluttered you’ll find you’re living space will feel like it flows much better
  • Keep on top of it, don’t leave it another two years and start all over again!

Ektorp sofa in Lingbo multicolour £325, Ikea

Chintz is back!

I declare that chintz is back and has become a hot new trend in interiors. Kate has other views but is prepared to have a cushion!

  • Ikea’s campaign to ‘Chuck out your chintz’ was in 1996. This is when the Scandi mafia began to take hold of British interiors This is a great article for further reading at Dezeen
  • The new IKEA sofa in very chintzy, launched in October 2018 proves that chintz is being embraced again! Ektorp sofa in Lingbo multicolour £325.
  • Fashion house H&M have embraced the chintz range. Their sell-out collaboration with GP & J Baker saw many of the archive designs on the catwalk.
  • Chintz is a traditional fabric, emerging in the seventeenth century. It was massively cool in the 80’s complete with swags and pelmets. Today the key is to make chintz feel modern by being subversive with it.
  • Avoid the traditional glazed cotton and go for modern velvets instead
  • To make it modern go for a maximalist approach as in the style of House of Hackney or pick chintz print fabrics in modern colour ways like neon or petrol blues

House of Hackney

Planning a home office

The thrust of creating a successful home office is that it suits your needs as an office yet also works within your home as a whole

  • Go paperless. Scan your paperwork and only keep the bare necessities. I use Scanner Pro on my smartphone
  • Don’t automatically choose the smallest room in the house for your home office. If it’s something you use every day then you need the room to be fit for purpose
  • Consider covering the office chair to make it blend in with your domestic interior

  • Consider your home office being multi-purpose. For example, I’m designing my home office in such a way that it can switch back to being a dining room on the occasions we need one. (Most of the time it’s around the kitchen table)
  • The HP printer that Kate refers to can be seen here:

The very discreet Tango X printer by HP

  • Have a large drawer under your desk, so that the day’s paperwork can be easily swept away. This works well in spaces where the home office is in the kitchen or living room for example

Kate Watson-Smyth’s very organised and chic home office, complete with his and her chairs.

You can find out where to listen to the Great Indoors here. Thanks so much to Dfs for sponsoring the series and to Kate Taylor our producer. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out.

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Catch Sophie In All Her Colourful Glory On Instagram

Who is looking forward to the weekend! 🙌 Welc Who is looking forward to the weekend! 🙌 

Welcome to a rare tour of my home! Since every room looked tidy, I grabbed my phone to show you around. 

You can see how I have lots of colour and pattern in every room but still the house has flow. I use the same palette of colours through which helps make it all hang together. But it takes more than that to make a maximalist home sing. Repeating the same materials, design motifs, styles and shapes helps to create a feeling of cohesion.

For the ultimate insight into how to decorate in a way that supports you emotionally, flexes your creativity and leaves you loving your home, check out my interior design school where I teach you  everything you need to know. 

- how to harmonise colours
- How to plan and budget
- How to source all the materials
- How to save time and money
- How to burst open your creativity

And this weekend you can enjoy 25% of ALL COURSES across my entire design school by using the code BLACKFRIDAY25 at check out. Click on the link in my bio or visit courses.sophierobinson.Co.uk ☝️

#housetour #banthebeige #bbbinteriors #colourlover #colourfulhome #maximalistinteriors #eclecticdecor #onlinedesign #designschool
It’s podcast day on The Great Indoors and we hav It’s podcast day on The Great Indoors and we have a very special guest! @banjo.beale is a BAFTA award winning TV star, winner of series 3 @interiordesignmasters_tv , interior designer and recently adding author to his rosta of talents. While reality TV launched Banjo’s stellar interiors career we managed to bag him for a chat while he took a short beak from sourcing vintage for his second series of Design The Hebrides. 

This is an opportunity to listen to this whirlwind of a design mind, with insights into what it takes to win a TV completion, how living on a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides has made him ultimately resourceful and his unique design process. 

Listen to The Great Indoors, whoever you get your podcast. Hit that subscribe button and come back here to let us know what you thought! 

#thegreatindoors #banjobeale #designingthehebrides #interiordesignmasters
This is the perfect time of year to up level your This is the perfect time of year to up level your bedding. With the autumn chill on its way I’d rather hike up the tog count than whack up the central heating. 

Beautiful bedding and linen is the ultimate luxury and at this time in my life 👵🏻 my bed is up there as my absolute favourite place to be and my sleep is honestly my favourite pastime! So making it the most comforting, soothing, replenishing experience possible is my priority. 😴

I recently up-levelled my duvet and pillows  to @naturalmatuk goose down products and here is my unbiased review. The pillows are the like sleeping on an actual cloud! Along with the 9 tog duvet I’ll stay cosy all winter, and leave the thermostat turned down.  @naturalmatuk only use natural, sustainable materials, organic cotton and responsibly sourced feathers, which all support a good nights sleep. With a hectic lifestyle, my bed is my ultimate sanctuary 🥱

What’s your self care routine and secret to the perfect pampered night sleep? 

#ad PR product 
#naturalmat #bedroom #bedlinen #bedroombliss #bedlinen #pillows #bedding #bedroomdecor #bedroom #pamperyourself #pampernight
What a dress! When @benjaminfoxdressmaker spotted What a dress! When @benjaminfoxdressmaker spotted my new collection with @harlequinfw they wanted to make a dress in it! Now I actually match my decor! 

This dress shape is so perfect. I love the big sleeves, that goes so well with a fine knit underneath and the long gathered skirt looks perfect with boots, both of which I bought recently at @cosstores . Team with my signature big earrings ( these are old ones from @anthropologieeu ) and I feel a million dollars! Happy Monday folks! We can do this 👊

#ad - pr product. 
#dresslikeyourhome
I hosted an event this week to show off all the ha I hosted an event this week to show off all the hard work we’ve done in the house and showcase the new collection with @harlequinfw . It was a wonderful opportunity to fill the house with laughter, great conversation and celebrate our mutual love of colour! Since the pandemic I work more and more from home and it felt good to open the door and let people in. 

The guest list was a mix of writers, artists, gardeners, cooks, designers and fashion stylists but one thing we have in common is embracing the joy of colour and celebrating how our homes are the foundation for a happy and fulfilling life. 

However getting the house ready for such a group of discerning eyes was rather exhausting! I had to hide under the duvet yesterday! But I’m so grateful to everyone who came, their positivity and inspiration. Most of whom I met here on instagram. This is a special place to make like minded connections, yet it was great to actually have an excuse to get together in real life! 

And this weekend Tom and are are celebrating not doing any house DIY for the first time in ages! 

Special Thanks to @mad_about_the_house @erica_davies @hillhousevintage @andrea_childs_journo @theottohouse @clairevallis @michelleogundehin @mollymahonblockprinting @sophieabbottartist @gemswholesomekitchen @edwardrobinsonid @dahliabeach for making it such a wonderful day 

 Thanks to @gemswholesomekitchen fir feeding us! 

thanks to @benjaminfoxdressmaker fir the custom made dress!

#harlequinxsophierobinson #athome #colourlover #banthebeige
#AD Admit it! I can’t be the only one beginning #AD Admit it! I can’t be the only one beginning to plan for Christmas. Conversations about the menu for the big day has started with gusto in my family. But my focus is always around creating a magical table setting. This year I’ll be incorporating these classic Christmas tree plates from @by_spode  that set the festive scene without the need to add loads of other fiddly decorations. I’m all about maximum impact, minimum effort this time of year, and I love how this traditional design (85 years old this year) is the perfect touch of nostalgia to accompany my bright Paper straw stripe tablecloth and colourful gloss candle sticks. I then just add simple flowers by snipping some hydrangea heads and popping them in tumblers dotted along the table. Finally bring it all to life with plenty of candlelight. And voila, it’s the perfect table setting for a fantastical festive celebration. Oh, how I wish the Christmas lunch was this easy to prepare! 

#byspode #spode #christmasdecor #christmastable #christmastablesetting #layingthetable #tablescape #christmastablescape #christmastree #christmasdecor #christmasinspiration #banthebeige #colourfulchristmas
I’m so excited to present my new ready made cush I’m so excited to present my new ready made cushion collection, in collaboration with @harlequinfw sold exclusively at @johnlewis 
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Cushions have long been an obsession of mine and I’m so thrilled with this capsule collection for @johnlewis because it combines all the pattern and colour so you can get an instant hit of maximalist spirit by creating any combination that works for you. There is the iconic Sherbert stripe, sitting amongst luxurious embroidered designs and heavily patterned velvets. My personal favourite is the deeply colourful jewel bug design🪲 Which ones yours?!

#cushion #cushioncover #maximalist #maximalistinteriors #bbbinteriors #colourmyhome #colourfulinteriors #colourfuldecor #sofaupholstery #sofaupgrade #livingroomdecor #interiorstyling #interiordesign #harlequinxsophierobinson
TVsnug reveal! We are absolutely loving this roo TVsnug reveal! 

We are absolutely loving this room! What was a tiny north facing kitchen has been transformed into a cosy family room for curling up and watching TV. As the nights draw in and we are hunkering down, this room has all the comfort . Just curling up with a hot chocolate. Heaven.

How we did it…

Firstly I maximised all the space in this 4x3m room by having a corner sofa made to measure. The Grace corner sofa by @loveyourhomeuk is super  comfy but better still upholstered in the glorious Wonderland floral velvet from my collection with @harlequinfw . 

Then for extra comfort and pattern I’ve added plenty of cushions. These are from my new ready made collection available to buy now from @johnlewis . Very excited to se how great they all look together. 
 
The round Dylan footstool, also @loveyourhomeuk , is covered in the striking Sherbert Stripe, and is perfect for a small room, doubling up as a coffee table. This fabrics is so eye catching I love it!

All of this glorious pattern is set off against the deep dark and cocooning  wall colour called Cordoba by @littlegreenepaintcompany . It’s a deep brown, plum colour and feels so rich and enticing. I’m very pleased I took the leap of faith and did the ceiling too. It makes the room feel so cosy. 

All the colours are finally bought together in this glorious painting by @sophieabbottartist . Inspired by the sunsets on our recent holiday to Marrakesh it fills me with fond memories. That and the vintage Moroccan rug from @tateanddarby completes the sultry Marrakech vibes. 

The family absolutely love this room. Could you go this dark. I promise you won’t regret it if you do! Let me know what you think in the comments below 👇 

#Ad contains PR products
#harlequinxsophierobinson
#tvsnug  #banthebeige #colourlover #maximalist #maximalistinteriors #cosyupyourworld #cosyinterior #livingroom #livingroomdecor #colourinspiration #hygge #hyggehome #bbbinteriors
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