Category : BLOG

8 ESSENTIAL TIPS TO PERFECTING YOUR COUNTRY HOME DECOR Country home decor is about blending the traditional, rustic charm of your countryside location with contemporary finesse to create a peaceful, welcoming environment in which you feel completely at home and utterly comforted. So how do you achieve the ultimate country home design? Here our designers share their favourite tips and tricks to help you get the look. 1. A Timeless Colour Combination Tip: The classic combination of crisp blue and [...]

INTERIOR DESIGN ART: 6 TIPS TO PICK THE PERFECT ARTWORK FOR YOUR INTERIORS Don’t make the mistake of treating interior design art as an ‘afterthought’ within your design process. Artwork plays a key role and should be considered during creative conceptualisation stage. Not only does artwork provide an instant colour palette, but it can also add a perception of texture, create a strong visual impact and bring a sense of completion to a design. So how do you pick the [...]

15 INSPIRING EXAMPLES OF CONTEMPORARY INTERIOR DESIGN Many believe that contemporary interior design is all about achieving the ultra-minimalist look, but that isn’t necessarily the case. Contemporary interior design is about creating an environment of comfort and simplicity; uncluttered, fresh and subtly sophisticated. It showcases the beauty of space, clean lines and uncomplicated clarity. In this stunning style, neutrals, grey, black and white colour schemes reign (often accented with bold colour), as does the use of clean, smooth lines and [...]

15 LIVING ROOM FURNITURE IDEAS TO COMPLETE YOUR STUNNING DESIGN Searching for inspiration to create your dream living room design? Pick the right furniture and you’re halfway there to achieving the perfect look! Here our designers share their top 15 living room furniture ideas to spark your creativity. 1. Striking Statement Chairs Use a statement chair to create a striking impact within your design. Place a single chair in a contrasting colour to the other lounge seating, powerfully punctuating with [...]

10 EXAMPLES OF LUXURY KITCHEN DESIGN TO INSPIRE YOU In today’s glorious modern world, life revolves around the kitchen. Whether you’re cooking a lazy Sunday brunch for the family, enjoying a romantic candlelit dinner, or putting your Masterchef skills to the test, a luxury kitchen design should be tailored to suit your particular lifestyle. At Alexander James Interiors, we model and plan luxury kitchen designs to match our client’s vision, enhancing their desired kitchen lifestyle experience and reinforcing the property’s [...]

10 VITAL TIPS FOR PET FRIENDLY INTERIOR DESIGN SUCCESS That little puppy or kitten took one look at you with their big, doey eyes and you just melted. Needless to say, your magnificent abode of pristine interiors will soon welcome a new bundle of sprightly life into its fold. So what are the secrets to pet friendly interior design? How do you transform your home into that perfect sanctuary for your four-legged friend whilst keeping those stylish interiors shimmeringly polished? [...]

20 SHOWSTOPPING EXAMPLES OF LUXURY INTERIOR DESIGN Climb aboard and let Alexander James Interiors whisk you away to interior design nirvana. We’re proud to have worked on a range of extraordinary projects which have truly taken luxury interior design to heady heights; from grand London chapel conversions, to striking Grade II listed stately home mansions, to prestigious Wentworth Estate family homes and more. Here we share a flavour of our favourite projects, heralding the beauty of unadulterated opulence - may [...]

STYLE YOUR BEDROOM: 10 EASY TIPS TO MASTER BEDROOM INTERIOR DESIGN Do you know the difference between a showstopping bedroom interior design and an average one? Detail. Every single element in your design must synthesise with the rest of the design concept and harmonise to create its own magnificent symphony. Here we share a few tricks to really elevate your bedroom interiors to new heights and help you style your bedroom to ‘wow’. Tick these 10 tips off your list [...]

TOP 5 INTERIOR DESIGN LONDON PROJECTS YOU'LL JUST LOVE At Alexander James Interiors, we love working on projects in the heart of the capital. London properties vary enormously in style, presenting an exciting challenge within all interior design London projects and a real opportunity to be adventurous in the design. The architecture and history of the London property plays such an important role in the design process. For example, our majestic London Chapel Conversion called for opulent, elegant interiors to augment [...]

8 GARDEN INTERIOR DESIGN TIPS - PERFECT YOUR GARDEN DESIGN THIS SUMMER A magnificent garden design makes a property come alive. Interior design is not just about creating a stunning interior for the house, rather it’s about creating a holistic picture and complete style for the entire property; the exterior areas of the property play an essential role in that. We’ve put together 8 top garden interior design tips to help you perfect your garden design this summer, so you can [...]

GET TO KNOW OUR CREATIVE DIRECTOR: AN INTERVIEW WITH STACEY SIBLEY We sat down with our Creative Director and dog lover, Stacey Sibley, to find out more about the lady behind the designs. 1. What inspired you to pursue a career in interior design? I’ve always been very creative. From a very early age I dreamed of being a fashion designer but as I grew up I realised that working in fashion wouldn’t be the right career for me. During my [...]

ULTIMATE GUIDE TO HOME STAGING: 12 TIPS TO SELL YOUR HOME FAST “Wow. Where do I sign?”. Those are the words you want to hear as potential buyers walk into your home. And there’s no reason that they shouldn’t. If you follow every one of our 12 tips to sell your home then you’ll be home staging your way to a rapid sale. 1. Be impartial This is the hardest step. You must step back from the home that you’ve lived [...]

6 WAYS TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT GUEST BEDROOM Make your guests feel pampered, warmly welcome and completely at home by creating an exquisite guest bedroom. Whilst guest bedrooms are not often used, they should not be forgotten, neglected or left unloved in the design process; at Alexander James we believe in making every room in the house a room to be proud of. This is your chance to create your own boutique-hotel type bedroom, focussing on the utmost comfort of [...]

3 ESSENTIAL SPRING SCENTS TO TRANSFORM YOUR HOUSE INTO A HOME Nature is bursting back into life, bringing with it a multitude of exquisite spring delights and, of course, those glorious spring scents! The birds are singing their merry songs, the vivid yellow daffodils and blossoming bluebells are brightening our paths at every turn and the sun is beginning to tingle warmly on our skin - winter is long gone. With the arrival of spring comes the sweet scent of [...]

OUR DESIGNER RECOMMENDS... THE SCARLET HOTEL, CORNWALL We spoke to one of our designers, Natalie about her favourite luxury eco hotel - The Scarlet, in Mawgan Porth, Cornwall. The Scarlet is Cornwall’s finest eco, adults-only hotel. The hotel embraces its stunning situation overlooking the North Cornish Coastline, having been built to the highest eco standards. It offers delicious, locally sourced food and a unique Ayurvedic inspired Spa experience, focusing on holistic wellbeing and the nourishment of the mind, body and [...]

FLORAL INTERIOR DESIGN: MEET OUR FLORIST, LISA AT AJI Like painting a masterpiece, every colour, texture and shape must be considered; each stunning in their own right and yet working harmoniously with every other element to create something magnificent. Floral displays play an integral role in completing the perfect interior design picture, and that’s why we at Alexander James Interiors picked the best florist we know; Lisa. We sat down with Lisa to chat about her impressive floral interior design [...]

VALENTINE'S DAY DECOR - 5 WAYS TO ADD ROMANCE TO YOUR ROOMS Give your home a touch of love this Valentine’s Day! This is the perfect time to introduce a glimmer of Valentine’s Day decor and bring romance into your home. You don’t need to spend the earth on this romantic decor, nor does this call for a major property makeover - rather it is an opportunity to spice up your interiors and add a little evocative sparkle! As our Creative [...]

5 DRESSING ROOM TIPS TO GET THE ULTIMATE GLAM ROOM DESIGN Every lady has dreamt of having her own luxurious dressing room. That special sanctuary where she can retreat and transform herself into the glamorous goddess that she is. But dressing room design is not as simple as one would think. There are many design details that need to be carefully considered in order to optimise a lady’s unadulterated enjoyment and hassle-free experience of her glorious glam room. Overlook these [...]

6 REASONS WE LOVE SOHO FARMHOUSE & ITS STUNNING INTERIORS Named ‘Peter Pan’ by Condé Nast Traveller for his ability to conjure Neverlands on earth, Nick Jones is the man responsible for Soho Farmhouse - part of the collection of 16 private member's clubs (or ‘Houses’) spread across the globe.  Renowned for his original, creative vision, each one of Jones’ masterpieces are unique and designed to transport its members to another world in which their creativity and entrepreneurial spirits shine. And [...]

10 FANTASTIC GIFTS FOR KIDS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT With so many options out there, it’s hard to know what to get the little darlings in your life on those special birthdays and Christmases. Let us inspire you with a few of our favourite gifts for kids that we just know will bring sparkle to their eyes and a Cheshire-cat grin to their face! 1. Brussel Sprouts – the Sort They'd Love! Can you imagine their little face as they [...]

13 SERIOUSLY STYLISH GIFT WRAPPING IDEAS FOR CHRISTMAS You’ve done it! You’ve bought all of your Christmas presents and they lay before you now in the room, piled high, waiting to be wrapped. This mountain of yet-to-be-wrapped, glorious gifts presents a daunting task, but you bear a secret smile; you’re going to make this the ultimate craft session. This is your chance to get seriously creative and celebrate these beautiful gifts with style! So we’re here to inspire you with [...]

SKI LODGE DECOR - 5 WAYS TO ACHIEVE THE LOOK IN YOUR HOME You don’t need to be in the Alps to introduce the charm of ski lodge decor into your home. As we move further into winter now and we see those little ice crystals spread across our windows, it’s time to snuggle up inside with a roaring fire. Nothing embodies the ambience of cosiness, warmth and rustic appeal better than ski lodge decor. So let us share with [...]

14 ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR HER 2016 Let’s face it - when it comes to buying gifts for women, it can be a little challenging. They are just so particular (in an adorable way of course) and with so many choices out there, you don’t know where to start (God bless commercialism). That’s why we’ve collated our fool-proof collection of 14 Christmas gifts for her that’ll definitely make her face alight on Christmas day. Pick any of these from our [...]

16 ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR HIM 2016 With another merry Christmas on the horizon, many of us are gripped with a twang of terror as we realise that we have less than 1 month to purchase presents for the men in our lives! Fear not - we have collated the ultimate 2016 list of Christmas gifts for him that simply cannot fail. We’ve researched a huge range of gift ideas and these selected 16 all offer the perfect balance between [...]

5 TIPS TO GET THE ULTIMATE RUSTIC INTERIOR DESIGN In this fast-paced age of modernity with sleek technology and mass-produced materials, we sometimes find ourselves nostalgic for a bygone era; one in which our homes were filled with the honesty of natural materials, we were at peace with the glory of imperfection and free-form shapes, and we celebrated the simplicity of our less-complicated lives. Rustic interior design takes us straight back there. Back to the comfort and warmth that one [...]

5 BEST WAYS TO GET THE PERFECT DINING ROOM DECOR Some refer to the dining room as an ‘obsolete’ room in the modern home, stating that it is a waste of valuable floor-space; a room hardly used by the family with their varying, busy schedules. However we hold a different view! We believe that, where space allows, the dining room is a significant area in the home that should be celebrated and showcased with stylish dining room decor. It is [...]

BEDROOM MAKEOVER - 5 WAYS TO TRANSFORM YOUR HAVEN Much-underestimated is the importance of a beautiful bedroom in one’s home. With the hectic, fast-paced nature of our modern lives, the bedroom is our sanctuary. And every now and then, our special sanctuary deserves a refresh; a deluxe bedroom makeover! Imagine now that your bedroom is what it should be; a place where you can retreat, let go and feel completely nurtured and at peace. How do you envisage that space? [...]

HYGGE INTERIOR DESIGN - 8 TOP TIPS FOR A HAPPY HOME Are you ready to hygge your home? Known as Scandinavia’s latest gift to the world, ‘Hygge’ is the hip lifestyle trend that has flooded the world of interior design and fashion - and we for one couldn’t be more grateful for it. Pronounced ‘hoo-ga’, the Danish word ‘hygge’ is roughly translated as 'cosiness' or ‘togetherness’; its concept first said to have been developed during the 18th century in Denmark. [...]

AUBERGINE & GOLD INTERIOR DESIGN - 6 TOP TIPS By now you will have heard of the 2016 gold interior design craze that has every en-vogue home shimmering with dazzlement. Refined, grand and luxurious: we are happy to say that this trend is showing no signs of going out of fashion anytime soon. So how can you get the look? Utilising gold accents in your decor certainly adds a touch of glitz and glamour to your interiors, however it’s important [...]

6 HALLOWEEN DECORATIONS FOR A STYLISH HALLOWEEN PARTY Halloween is the perfect time to get creative with your interiors and use your imagination to craft some spooky, yet stunning, Halloween decorations. With a few simple touches, you can transform your home into the ultimate home of horrors - the real trick is to do so in a beautiful way! Think less of gimmicky design pieces, slap-dash art and spiderweb chaos; think more or style, elegance and refined decor that will [...]