Happy Easter!

Wishing you all a Happy Easter, hope you have a 'cracking' time this weekend x

Creating Modern Country Kitchens

A true country kitchen is what many of us wish for in our own homes, whether or not our homes are surrounded by fields and farms it’s possible to evoke that classic country kitchen feel even if you live in the most urban of settings. For many people choosing to adopt a less formal, more relaxed style of home the country style kitchen is an ideal way to achieve this.

The kitchen and dining area of a home are one place where the modern country look can be easily achieved. In today's country kitchen old and new are cleverly combined - traditional furniture sits alongside sleek modern appliances while warm natural finishes are offset by stainless steel accessories.

Adding Modern Country Style to Your Kitchen

In terms of style 'modern' and 'country' may seem like polar opposites, however these two styles can be effectively combined to create a kitchen that is both warm and welcoming and yet completely up to date. 

The key to creating a modern country kitchen is getting the correct balance between the more traditional elements such as the cabinetry whilst accommodating the modern essentials such as the lighting and appliances. 

• Materials - Think of the materials used in the kitchen - slate, granite, stone and natural wood, they wear well and are compatible in both modern and country interiors.

• Colour - Keep the main colours soft and neutral and add accents of deeper colours such as cherry red, sage green or shaker blue. By using paler neutral colours on the walls it will keep the room light and airy and will make it look more spacious. 

• Accessories - Its important to consider the small details in order to create a truly individual kitchen. Mix authentic vintage kitchenware with country kitchen accessories such as enamel jugs, peg rails and chalk boards.

• Appliances - Key appliances are often integrated behind doors to keep in with the traditional style. Range cookers are the perfect centerpiece for the modern country kitchen and look great nestled into the chimney breast of the kitchen.

• Cabinetry - Cabinets should be simple - shaker style or tongue and grooved in solid wood, either painted in a subtle colour or left natural.

By adding modern country style to your kitchen you will enjoy a room that has the warmth and comfort associated with country living combined with the essentials required for modern day life.

Photos from www.housetohome.co.uk

The First Day Of Spring

Happy first day of Spring......From now on days are slightly longer, the nights a little shorter and hopefully the weather will be a bit warmer! 

The Year of the Garden

It was inevitable that this year would be the year of the garden here at Homes & Dreams. When we bought our house 7 years ago the 1/2 acre plot that it stood in had been neglected for many, many years.

As the house was completed  at the end of last Summer our attention is now occupied by the garden. Over the past few years we have managed to eradicate most the of the brambles that had taken possession over the majority of the garden but other than keeping it relatively tidy the garden has not yet been utilised.

So this week has seen the start of our plans. 50 metres of mixed native hedgerow has been planted which will form the boundary between our new orchard (in which we are planning to grow a selection of Yorkshire heritage varieties) and the adjacent fields.

Sophie Conran Garden Trowel £14.95

So it follows that we would expand our gardening range over on the Homes & Dreams website. I'm really thrilled with our new line of gardening hand tools which are designed by Sophie Conran. The tools which include trowels, forks, dibbers and weeders are a joy to use - not only are they stylish but they are also manufactured by the UK's longest standing garden tool manufacturer and if that isn't enough they are beautifully presented in their own presentation box making them a perfect gardening gift!

Signs of Spring



Image via Pinterest

The arrival of March is always welcome here, as for me March heralds the start of things to come and the first signs of Spring make their appearance. Already the snowdrops and crocuses have begun to flower and it won't belong before they are closely followed by other signs of life in the garden.

If you have a garden that attracts birds then you may find that as this month's lighter mornings creep in you may have a tuneful start to the day with the dawn chorus.

The earliest to start the melody are the song thrushes, blackbirds and robins, these sing out to attract a mate and warn off other males. They are soon followed by the wrens, chaffinches and tits and after two or three hours when the sun is fully risen the birds get down to the business of feeding. 



Bird & Insect boxes from £14.95

  With this in mind we have just introduced a beautiful range of bird boxes and feeders. Designed by Sophie Conran they not only look good in the garden but are practical too with removable nest boxes and trays to make them easy to clean.

So if like me you love to awake to the sound of the dawn chorus then why not encourage a larger choir into your garden this Spring.

The Start of Things to Come....

Have you noticed anything different about the website and blog lately?

Yep, we have a new logo! Actually there's a lot more going on behind the scenes here at the moment (and I can't wait to share it with you) but for now the new logo marks the start of new phase here at Homes & Dreams.

Over the last few weeks I have been taking part in a fantastic, thought provoking course run by Fiona Humberstone at Flourish Studios. The course, entitiled 'Branding Masterclass' will I'm sure mark the start of many exciting changes and already light bulbs are pinging and great ideas stacking up.......so, as they say - be sure to watch this space!

Count Your Chickens!

Yesterday I was having a conversation about keeping chickens as it's something I've been longing to do for some time now. We grow our own and have a small orchard and so hen keeping just seemed like a natural progression. I was lost in the thought of freshly laid eggs for breakfast and baking and having the girls to keep me company while gardening......

Photo: Little Emma English Home

However, just as I was locking up for the night a movement in the moonlight caught my eye - and there they were, a shadowy pair of foxes trotting silently along the field side of my garden.

A timely reminder of the reality of keeping chickens don't you think?