One of the reasons I love design is that it is so subjective. I previously worked in a hideously floral, pink, girly princess office which I absolutely loved. That office may have made others cringe, though. And that’s okay! Interiors are supposed to enhance your lifestyle / mood, so what makes me feel happy and at home is probably very different to what makes you feel happy and at home.

Obviously, there are interior design trends and widely-acknowledged product designs which seem to be universally accepted. I can’t stand some of them.

White plastic rocking chairs

I really can’t stand these. I can’t even be bothered to look up the name of them and the designer. I think they’re hideous! I guess this piece has been recognized as great product design, but I just don’t see it. To me, it looks like one of those plastic catch-all baby bibs merged with a telescope tripod and a set of skis. Ick.

High back dining chairs

When I see high-back dining chairs, I think cliché staged model home. I think they are a design cop-out! Punch me if I buy these.

Exposed shelves in the kitchen

I know it’s all the rage right now, but I just can’t bring myself to accept that people have shelves or exposed cupboards in their kitchen that look anything like the dream homes I’ve seen on Pinterest. Just where are you putting your Pyrex measuring cup? Who has stuff that matches this nicely?!?! And the dusting, don’t get me started on the dusting!

Random empty vase trio

Urghghgh these drive me nuts! Nothing screams “I drove to Bed, Bath & Beyond and didn’t know what to buy so I got these” more than 3 metallic, empty vases. First of all, they don’t serve a functional purpose beyond being a space-filling matching pair of three somethings (I love matchin pairs of 3, just not bloody vases). I guess I didn’t come up with a second point. JUST DON’T DO IT, OKAY.

Keep Calm and… parodies

Two years ago, new to Britain and full of enthusiasm, I was all about these posters. Vintage, typographic, bright and INYOFACE, the Keep Calm and Carry On posters were right up my alley. Now I just feel a little resentful towards my little kitchen poster. It’s a shame that all of those ‘funny’ posters killed it. I especially hate when they choose a typeface that doesn’t even resemble the original.

I’ve always envisioned a silver tray with several decanters and pretty glasses in our lounge. I’m not sure where I got the idea – Mad Men, maybe? We’ve got the perfect spot for it, too; the chest of drawers along our teal wall in the lounge was begging for some adornment.

And so, after finding ourselves in both Stow-on-the-Wold and the most amazing antique shop ever, I bought a sailor’s wine decanter. Usually I’m not comfortable in antique stores because I don’t really know what’s a good deal and generally wander around telling Chris to stop touching things. Nevertheless, I made my first antique store purchase today!

The rose-tinted decanter on the left was a car boot sale purchase from a few weeks ago: a steal for a mere £5! Sarah, my neighbour / friend, spotted it and actually passed on buying it herself because she knew I was looking for one – how nice is that?!

Today’s decanter was quite a bit more expensive. It was listed at £45 but I hummed and hawed it down to £40. It’s in much better condition than the rose one, though, so that’s how I validated it. Don’t they look nice together?

I’m now on the lookout for a set of four crystal whiskey glasses and a long, silver tray to put everything on. I think one more decanter in a different style to both of these ones will complete the collection nicely. And maybe an ice bucket with a lid, too. Yes, I can picture it now…

In other house-related news, we’ve decided to change a few of the rooms, so I will likely have lots to blog about this summer!

I’ve always been extremely proud of where I come from, by which I mean my hometown of London, Ontario in Canada. I actually spent most of my childhood in nearby Dorchester, but I was born in London and always think of it as home.

A trend of bashing London has emerged following many conversations with fellow Londoners (and Dorchesterians, for that matter) and it’s got me all riled up!

I’ve been living in England for nearly four years now, but my heart still belongs to London, Ontario. Living in the downtown core for two years was one of the big highlights of my life! I cherish my memories of Victoria Park, walks along the river, roller-blading in Springbank Park, summer concerts with friends, Funk Night at Call the Office and countless others.

What’s not to love? London is small enough to provide a close community feeling and is packed full of local arts & culture. It’s a 30-40 min drive from two of the Great Lakes for when you’re craving a beach day. There are a ton of delicious restaurants and watering holes, filled with friendly locals. Many beautiful, old Victorian homes are seen throughout the city. I really could go on forever; I love London!

Sure, London has its share of imperfections, too, but every city has them. Paris smells like pee in many places and Rome has a lot of crappy graffiti, but they don’t tell you that! Even seagull-infested Bath isn’t without flaw… There are good and bad things about every city, so why dwell on it?

Leaving the city was bittersweet for me, but I happily babble on about my London at every opportunity. I miss it every day. Today I’m craving Sammy’s Souvlaki and a roll-up-the-rim-to-win french vanilla (just so that I can Facebook about how many times I’ve lost!).

It’s a big world and I’ve clearly got nothing against wanting to leave the comfort of one’s bubble to discover it, but don’t bash your hometown, yo! Seeing the world and being proud of where you came from are not mutually exclusive.

So, to all you lucky Londoners, I envy you. Don’t take my London for granted; fly its flag proudly! *tear*