Style & Decor

MY LIFESTYLE BLOG

 

 

Style & Decor is my successful blog that achieves more than 18,000 monthly views. I offer a captivating glimpse into the realms of life and style, with an emphasis on interior aesthetics. Beyond interiors, you can delve into diverse categories from  beauty, health and fitness to fashion and food.

 

On my blog, I share my personal perspectives and I offer practical tips. These range from style advice to the latest trend forecasts and I hope to give my readers all the inspiration they need to create a more enriched home and enjoy a healthier, happier lifestyle.

 

Collaboration is a key element at Style & Decor and I actively seek partnerships with brands that align with my vision. I am open to diverse mutually beneficial opportunities, including blog posts featuring paid content, gifted items and more.

 

I exclusively collaborate with companies whose products I personally endorse or have bought from. Occasionally, I may showcase gifted items or products on my Instagram feed if they seamlessly integrate with my aesthetic. I do not accept guest posts, and all opinions expressed on my platform are entirely my own.

 

Additionally, I participate in affiliate advertising programmes. This means that when you click on certain links on Style & Decor or its related social media platforms and make a purchase, I may receive a commission. Your support through these links contributes to the continued growth and maintenance of my blog.

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AD: @wmat_official As a journalist, I’m a fan of word art and neon signs have always appealed to me since a visit to @godsownjunkyard a decade ago – have you been? It’s a brilliant place to go to if you’re looking for neon inspo! Anyway, it was with this in mind that I decided to combine the two to add more fun and personality to my living room. Neon signs come in all sorts of bright, bold colours so you can choose one to suit your colour scheme. You can also pick your own words or pictures now, so you can add your own personality to your design. Seriously, what’s not to like?! I really wanted to add more fun to my living room and I chose the words ‘Sweet Harmony’, which reminds me of my raving days 🪩 and this phrase embraces all of the happy vibes 😃 I want to create in this cosy space. It was super easy to install and comes with a handy remote with multiple modes, so you can choose one to suit different moods. Would you like a hefty 15% discount & a super-stylish neon sign for your home? If you’re looking to add flair to one of the key rooms in your home, what better way is there than to do it with a neon sign? What makes these signs extra special is that you can send WMAT any pic (literally any text or pattern) and they will produce a truly bespoke neon sign for you! Just follow the link in my bio and use the code SarahSarah for 15% off! #wmat #neonsigns #neonsignsonly #neonlights #neonvibes #livingroomideas #livingroominspiration #livingroomgoals #livingroomdetails #livingroomstyling #livingroominterior
My 5 top tips for July in the garden… 🪴 Happy July! Thank goodness the sun is back again and I’m looking forward to a lovely week ahead, enjoying the great outdoors if this gorgeous sunny weather continues🤞. Thought you’d also like to join me on a tour of my garden as I give you a list of jobs to do to keep your outdoor space in tip-top condition this month: 1. Don’t forget to deadhead your plants, roses and flowering perennials for continuous flowering! 2. Make the most of the natural water resources you have, such as your water butt, to keep things watered well in this warmer weather. Water hanging baskets and pots daily - at dusk to reduce evaporation 3. Weed your borders - I find this pretty boring so I tend to listen to a podcast while I’m doing it! 4. Plant your autumn bulbs now and sow biennial seeds, such as foxgloves, for next year 5. Cut back early summer perennials, such as delphiniums, to get a second flowering 🤞 How are you getting on with your garden so far? #gardenlove #mygarden #mygardenlife #gardeningideas #gardeningtips #gardeningisfun #ukgardens #ukgardening #ukgarden #gardenmaintenance #gardeningisfun #gardeninggoals #gardeningknowhow #gardeningmakesmehappy
Ad: @hillarysblinds Want to know how to style a garden home office for summer☀️? The great British weather may be ever-changing but when it really heats up this summer it’s good to be prepared to work comfortably in a super-stylish environment if you have a garden office. I love my studio but, once that sun comes out, it can get super-hot in there. This is also where I spend a lot of my time so I’ve kitted out my home office with a combination of function and style in mind. Follow my 5 top tips on how to style your garden office for summer: 1. Make blinds a priority – once the sun comes out, filtering sunlight will prevent glare on the computer screen and combat heat. I picked Hillarys’ Perfect Fit Venetian Blinds in Khaki; they offer a wide spectrum of colours, and I chose Khaki because it allows me to bring a sense of the outside in. These blinds fit within slim frames for a neater, compact window dressing solution too! 2. Pick super-stylish desk and floor-standing fans for effective cooling and air circulation to improve your working conditions. My aluminium desk fan in Rose is by Flow from @coes_stores, it comes with a stand, rechargeable battery, USB charging port and works for up to 7 hours between charging 3. Add easy-to-grow and faux greenery. I’m always forgetting to water my real Snake plants but they still survive! Cut flowers from your garden and place them in a mini vase for an additional summery garden vibe 4. Buy an insulated stainless-steel hydration bottle (mine is from @lecreusetuk, it features a double-walled vacuum and keeps liquid cold for up to 24 hours) so you can enjoy cold water throughout the day and choose a design which works with your office décor 5. Add plenty of colour with personal artwork choices – I love abstract art and bold colour so, here, I’ve carefully curated both with designs from @printclublondon Do you have a home office? #homeofficedecor #homeofficeideas #homeofficeideas #myhomeoffice #workingfromhomelife #summerstudio #workingfromhomeperks #gardenoffice #gardenoffices #gardenstudio #summeroffice
How absolutely gorgeous is this summer weather?! 😎 I’m loving this sunshine just as much as my veggies and other plants are. It’s good to be back on Insta again and I’m now fully recovered from my virus! Thought you’d like to step outside my studio with me to see how my veggie patch is progressing and follow my tips on what to use to keep slugs & snails away and let your plants thrive: Strulch - this may be putting them off somewhat but tbh I’m finding it’s better for retaining moisture in the soil, protecting roots from heat stress and suppressing weeds Slug Stop by Growing Success - so far brilliant as it’s deterring all the slugs & snails. These organic pellets are pet and child-friendly too! These may not look great but it’s far more important to have veggies you can eat isn’t it?! Snail hunting at night - Ask the husband to go out each night with a torch to pick slugs & snails off the plants! This really works 🤣 As you can see, my veggie patch of mangetout, peppers, tomatoes and courgettes is coming along slowly but surely. I’ve had a few veggie plant casualties but I plan to buy more Slug Stop pellets as these are now my top organic choice for pest prevention (this is not an ad)! As it’s so hot, you’ll need to water everything in your garden, especially veggie plants, pots and hanging baskets, more than usual - but I’m not complaining as it’s so lovely to be able to enjoy the sun for a change isn’t it? 😎 How is your veggie patch coming along? #vegetablegardening #vegetablegardens #vegetablegardener #mygarden #myvegetablegarden #vegetablepatch #growyourown #growyourownveggies
How do you stop a kitchen extension from getting too hot 🥵in summer? The weather keeps changing but this doesn’t mean that wall-to-wall sunshine ☀️ won’t be coming our way! So, I’ve been making sure I’m summer ready in my open-plan kitchen extension. This formed part of my home reno and I wanted plenty of windows to let the light in so we had roof glazing and bi-fold doors installed, which work brilliantly. However, on a cold day, it used to get chilly. Then, on a warm, sunny day, this room was so hot that it transformed into something like a sauna. Our roof glazing also became a flying bug fest! All the flies would come in through the open doors and eventually gather in the glazed area above our kitchen cabinets, which was pretty gross. So, when I booked an appointment with Marcus, my Hillarys advisor, I asked him to help me choose the right window treatments for my bi-fold doors and roof glazing for flexibility and style all-year-round. Thanks to his expert knowledge and advice, he helped me pick bi-fold door blinds with a thermal honeycomb design, which retains heat in winter, pretty voiles to let in the summer breeze and electric roof blinds operated via my handy remote control, mobile phone or Alexa. This holistic approach has solved all my issues and his fitting technique made the installation part look super easy! In warm weather, I swing open my bi-folds and my neat in-frame blinds won’t get in the way and opening and closing these blinds to shade my open-plan living space is so easy. My flexible voiles with a luxury linen look make the perfect finishing touch as they frame the view onto my garden when they’re open. Or I can close them with my bi-fold doors open to let in fresh air and act as a barrier against flying bugs. I honestly couldn’t believe it when I discovered this actually works! And, when the sun is shining and I keep my roof blinds closed, this keeps the heat out so, this year, summer living in my kitchen is already feeling extra-special. What would you change in your kitchen? Products: Duette® roof glazing blinds in Dolphin (colour) INTU® Micro Pleated bi-fold door blinds in Hive Cream Serenity Chalk Voile curtains
How are you? How has the weather been where you live? It’s absolutely awful here again today ☔️ but the sun came out at the weekend and I actually managed to work on my veggie patch! It’s only been five weeks after I first planned to do it… 🤣 But I’m so pleased it’s now practically complete. All I’ve got to do is plant one more pepper in a pot and that feels like real progress. If you watch to the end of my reel, you’ll see what my veggie patch looked like before I started: It’s not too late to create a veggie patch at home so here are some tips if you’re planning to grow your own: * Pick veggie plants 🪴 which are going to be easy to grow – watch my reel to find out what I’ve chosen for mine… * Build your own support for peas with canes and garden wire - I used three canes in each section then balanced one cane across them which I then tied together * Pick an appropriate compost such as @westland.horticulture Planting Soil for Vegetables - I tend to mix mine in with my existing top soil so it goes further * Buy young plants (not seeds) to make life easier * Tease out the roots before planting the veggies in holes twice the pot width and depth * Add strulch on top to keep them hydrated and deter slugs and snails - I’ve also tried wildlife-friendly Slug Stop barrier pellets from OF&G on two courgettes this year with copper rings as an experiment to see which plants will fare better – the pellets are organic and should inhibit feeding * Add anti-animal plastic spikes if you want to deter foxes, badgers and pets – these cause discomfort not injuries * Don’t forget to water your plants generously as soon as you’ve planted them then keep them watered regularly What are you growing in your patch this year? 🧑‍🌾
How’s your week going? Have you had better weather yet? I was hoping for wall-to-wall sunshine this week and so far today it’s looking like the sun may be back thank goodness! The pollen count is high at the moment too so I’ve been struggling to get out of bed 🛌 in the mornings. Do you get hay fever? So, as I’m enjoying a few extra lie-ins here this week 🤣, I thought I’d share some still shots of my master bedroom with you… If you scroll through to the end you can see what the room looked like when we bought the house! What do you think of this transformation? Please note: This bedroom contains items from previous paid partnerships and gifts from a variety of brands including @hillarysblinds @pandalondon @thefinecottoncompany
I can’t believe we’ve reached June and I haven’t had a chance to complete some of my garden goals for May because of all this rain we’ve been having 😬! Have you? I need at least a few days between showers 🌧️ if I plan to paint and I’ve been struggling to find sugar snap peas, which I’d planned to include to create my veggie patch. So, here are my garden tips for June: 1. Complete all the jobs you haven’t been able to do in May! I plan to fill my veggie patch soon so watch this space… 2. Continue painting brickwork, railings, sheds, garden furniture etc. as the weather should be better (famous last words I know🤞) – I’m planning to paint some garden furniture on my terrace in a couple of weeks, so watch this space… 3. Plant summer bedding in borders, pots and hanging baskets and give your baskets a liquid feed every couple of weeks (to produce more flowers) 4. Encourage the husband to go on regular slug and snail hunts in the evenings, while you cosy up on the sofa and watch a riveting TV series! (This is one of my favourite tips 🤣) 5. Sweep up fallen blossoms from hedges, shrubs and trees 6. Don’t forget to keep watering new plants regularly till they’re well established 7. Check hedges for nesting birds – if there aren’t any, trim them back 8. Keep on top of weeding and dead-head roses to encourage more flowers Did you find the weather in May held you back in your garden?
AD: @hillarysblinds Would you like four ways to guarantee guests get a good night’s sleep 🛌? In my guest bedroom, I worked towards achieving this with a super-comfy sofa bed and top-quality 100% cotton bed linen. But I still felt something was missing… then it dawned on me. Wouldn’t it be great to add blackout options at the window? The sun rises and shines right into this room first thing, which makes it super-hot and way too bright in summer. So, I layered my window dressings in my guest bedroom with a gorgeously tactile new Darcia Emerald Roman blackout blind in sumptuous velvet from Hillarys, the curtain and blind specialist, which I can simply operate via my new remote control, on an app through my iPhone or with Alexa. I added Hillarys’ Maud Shell blackout curtains in a pretty pink colour with beautifully embroidered detailing to complete the look. I’ve been looking for the right window treatments with maximum blackout in my guest bedroom for years and at last I’ve found them! Do you find you or your overnight guests get too hot or are woken up too early by bright sunlight? I’ve got great news for you, as you too can pick up the Maud Shell curtains and get a fantastic 20% discount in Hillarys’ Summer Ready sale - just visit the web link in my bio and check it out on my stories!
Looking to add warmth & happiness to your living space? The weather keeps changing so much at the moment, it’s good to have a fail-safe plan in place to brighten up your home and lift your mood while this sunshine is so sporadic. We’ve got sun here at the moment thank goodness and long may that continue 🤞. However, I’ve found one of the best ways to keep sunshine vibes in your home is with the colour yellow 💛. You can see here that this has transformed my living room so here are some ideas to effortlessly infuse sunshine vibes into your living room: • Window treatments: Feature mustard yellow for an instant mood booster! • Cushions: Add pops of yellow on cushions - they’re so easy to switch up and make a big impact • Artwork & decor: Consider adding yellow-themed art or incorporate yellow decorative pieces like vases, candles, or photo frames • Furniture: Go bold with a yellow sofa or armchair for a striking centrepiece Remember, a little yellow goes a long way. Mix and match with neutrals or dark shades, such as blue, or complement with other bright colours for a balanced look. Why not let the sunshine in and watch your living room glow? Do you have yellow in your home? 🏡 Please note: The curtains, blinds and cushions are from a partnership with @hillarysblinds and have been mentioned on previous posts
AD: @hillarysblinds Have you been to Chelsea Flower Show 🌺 ? It’s an incredible place to visit if you’re looking for some serious outdoor inspo for your garden. I visited the show with the husband on Press Day for the first time this week and it really was amazing! I’m now thinking of ways in which I can add more design elements and plants 🪴 to my garden. If you already follow me, you may know that the husband and I absolutely love gardening – it’s not only good for your soul but, in time, you get to see all the fruits of your labour. So, when it came to considering which form of window dressing would best suit my bi-folds in my open-plan kitchen, I knew I wanted something which would look super-stylish and wouldn’t spoil my garden views. My Hillarys’ advisor, Marcus, was absolutely brilliant! He talked me through all my options, so I could make an informed decision on the best way to dress my large bi-folds. It was great to speak to an expert and, when it came to the installation, he made this look super-easy. These blinds simply clip into place (no drilling required!), and I picked INTU Micro Hive, which are designed specifically for bi-folds, in Dolphin (the colour) to complement my feathered lightshade in the room. Each blind fits neatly within the frame of the glass, so I can easily open and close my doors. And they are already proving their worth in hot weather… Thanks to their hive design, if I pull these blinds down, they keep the heat out on a sunny day so I no longer feel like I’m sitting in a sauna when the sun’s shining. So that’s a win-win! Do you have bi-folds?
If you love your garden as much as I do mine, then you’ll know that this week marks the world’s greatest flower and gardening show 👨‍🌾 ! Yes it’s the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which is bursting with blooms and tonnes of inspo for amateur and pro gardeners. So, check out some of my highlights from Press Day! It was incredible to meet a whole host of celebs from TV presenters @kmhumble and @annekariceart to @baronessfloellabenjamin and @damejoannalumley! I also saw Olympic champion @jessicaennishill and TV Chef @marcuswareing. It was amazing to get the chance to speak to some of the hugely talented designers too, to find out more about the inspiration behind the incredible gardens on show. I can only imagine the sheer hard work, which goes into each meticulously planned and executed design. You can watch my reel and look for extra stories this week to get a snapshot of my highlights, so enjoy! x Are you going to the Chelsea Flower Show this year? This reel also features handpicked designers & brands who stood out for me at the show: @shegrowsveg - Heirloom seed company @mikemcmahonstudio - architecture, interiors, furniture and landscapes @plantsbythere - Award-winning botanical designer @macmasterdesign - bespoke wooden lighting @norfolkgardenfurniture - 18th & 19thC classic benches in modern finishes @acaciacreativestudio - floral design studio I also feature some of my favourite gardens including: The Bridgestone Garden designed by @hollyjohnstondesign
Is your garden summer ready? I’m slowly working through my May to-do list outside although all the rain☔️ here isn’t helping! 😬 I have managed to start working on painting my terrace area and, if you watch to the end of my reel, you can see the results! My plan was to replace all of the grey on the railings with a gorgeous dark green colour and I’m pleased to report these are now complete! Here are the details of my process if you’d like to do similar: First, I rubbed down the hand rail with sand paper and painted it with one coat of protective treatment waiting 24 hours between two coats! The wood here will never look as good as new, as water has already penetrated it in the past, but it looks far better. I was looking for a colour for the railings, which would contrast with colourful plants & blend in with the surrounding greenery. So, I sanded the railings down, added one coat of primer (this one only takes 30 mins to dry btw), then painted two coats of the gorgeous green you see here the next day giving them a couple of hours between coats! I’m so pleased with it 😊. This area is a work in progress, as I’ve got more painting 🎨 plans I look forward to sharing with you soon. So watch this space and I’ll be keeping a close eye on the weather, which is going to dictate how much I can do and when! What do you think of the new colour? 💚 What you need: Sand paper Oil: Barrettine Wood Protective Treatment Paint: Hammerite Special Metals Primer (one coat) @valsparpaintuk Galapagos colour remixed at @bandq_uk for Exterior Wood & Metal Paint in a Satin finish (two coats)
What fabulous weather we’re having! I can’t quite believe it’s been so lovely and sunny 😎 here…I hope you had a lovely sunny weekend too. Sunlight is so beneficial to your health as it can give you more energy and keep you calm, positive and focussed. However, it’s also important to have a healthy gut, as this plays a pivotal role in your overall wellbeing. So, it was with this in mind that I chose my latest blog topic, which is called ‘Probiotic power: how to maximise health with beneficial bacteria’. In short, I look at probiotics, finding out simple ways to incorporate them into your diet and I even try making some from scratch to maximise my gut health too. You can find out all about this on my blog via the web link in my bio. In the meantime, my reel gives you a snippet on what to expect. Enjoy! Have you tried anything for gut health? Thanks so much to @boo.cha.cha and @biokult_uk for these brand collaborations, which included gifted products
Are you planning or are you in the midst of a kitchen 🧑‍🍳 reno in your home? If so, it can be rather tricky to get everything right. When I designed my kitchen, I knew this would be the room we would spend most of our time in with and without friends and family. So, I felt it was vital to balance practicalities with style. Now that our kitchen extension has been lived in and loved for some years, I thought I’d share what I wish I’d done differently: 1. I should have asked the architect to design opening windows in our roof glazing as this is where flies gather in hot weather 2. I regret not having chosen tiles for our splashback – I like the marble look but I think tiles with a pop of colour would brighten up the work space between our wall and base units 3. I wish I’d picked brushed brass handles for the cabinets as the pewter ones look dull 4. I should have bought a combi steam oven rather than our pyrolytic model – instead, I regularly use a microwave steamer to retain all the nutrients in my veggies Now, some of these things are easily fixable and won’t break the bank if I decide to change them! I also love the space we have, as we practically live in this room with views onto our garden. What would you do differently in your kitchen living space? Please note: some products have been part of brand collabs which have been mentioned on previous posts
With one blink of an eye, April’s faded away and we’re already in May! And how has your bank holiday been? The weather here has been pretty amazing 😎. Hope you’ve had a good one so far! I’ve spent some time with the husband in the garden this weekend, which has given me a chance to pot some Dahlia plug plants 🌱. I will plant these in the garden once they are big enough. I also cut back some of our overgrown shrubs to let more light in. Last, but not least, I’ve started my garden to-do list this month, so here it is if you’re looking for some inspo: 1. Get painting 🎨! Now’s the month to paint in the great outdoors (weather permitting of course!) from brick walls to sheds 2. It’s time to prep the veggie patch! Get rid of the weeds, rake and remove any stones, and top with a good layer of peat-free compost 3. Buy veggie plants to stock your patch - you can plant any extras in pots. Here’s a tip: courgettes, tomatoes and sugar snap peas🫛are easy to grow! 4. Divide any hostas, cover their soil with broken egg shells to deter slugs & snails 🐌 and invest in a husband who will go outdoors with a torch at night to remove any 🤣 5. Clip hedges after you’ve checked for any nesting birds - if there are any birds, leave this till they’ve left 6. Lift & divide spring flowering bulbs and add liquid fertiliser to the clumps ready for next year 7. Harden off recently potted plants. Here’s a tip: Bring them outside in the day before returning them to a cold frame/greenhouse overnight for 8 days or so before planting them 8. Tie back climbing plants, such as roses, to train them in the right direction What are your plans for your garden this month?
AD: @hillarysblinds Have you just moved home 🏡? There is nothing more exciting than moving to a new location because this provides the perfect chance to get creative with your interior. You can start adding your personality and style in so many ways, to transform your new living quarters into a home you’ll love for years to come. When Hillarys recently invited me to offer some tips for their new ‘Homemover Styleguide’, I jumped at the chance! This guide, which you can access via the web link in my bio, is packed full with tips, checklists and a bunch of style advice ✅. So, everything you need is at your fingertips, if you’re planning to add character and style to your new home. In the meantime, watch my reel for some ideas and here’s a sneak peek at some of my tips: 1 Let the sunshine in! Open all your curtains & blinds to maximise natural light in your new home; the hallmark of spring and summer 2 If you work from home, invite nature into your office with plenty of greenery. Complete the look with Khaki Venetian blinds and simply adjust them to filter the light throughout the day 3 Embrace the season’s palette and let the sunshine flood in with mellow yellow patterned curtains and cushions 4 Extend your living space by sprucing up your outside space with a chic bistro dining set for two, a collection of planters and add string lights to your balcony for cosy summer evenings. Throw open your bi-folds to create a seamless flow between outside and in 5 Don’t forget the finishing touches! Update your home fragrance with calming, fresh scents such as lavender (I love my @olverum Restful Sleep Pillow Spray which I use throughout my home) and add seasonal artwork to spruce up your walls Don’t forget to download Hillary’s ‘Homemover Styleguide’ now to find out how you can transform your new house into a cosy home! Hillarys’ products featured: Bi-folds and voiles – kitchen Mori Ochre curtains, Lyon Sulphur Electric Roman Blinds – living room Natural Bamboo Blind in Glacier – utility room Perfect Fit Khaki Metal Venetian Blinds – my studio