A bit on the side

• Interiors

Since I've started my blog I have neglected to feature one of my real passions – interior design. I moved into my home two years ago this summer and have been gradually decorating and renovating since then. I thought I'd share a favourite piece of mine that is a great way to refresh your décor add some personal touches to your home with little cost.

The console table

When I decorated the main living room it felt quite bare, so needed filling with pieces that added both a practical and stylish element. I bought this console table (I love this name, sounds so formal!) from
Ikea here as a place to store current magazines and display items. I like that it has a glass top so you can see through to interesting books or whatever you want to display, like this typeface book and a pretty gift box.

It has two levels to store things on, so on the bottom shelf I have boxes with bits and pieces in and a favourite magazine stack that I tied with a ribbon (some net-a-porter ribbon I already had, so chic) that keeps them together and is a nice touch.

I love these decanters and got the idea to display them this way from Sex and The City 2 film, Carrie has some in her apartment with Big, very old school glam. I resurrected a crystal decanter wedding gift (the tall one) and fruit bowl that had been packed away in a kitchen cupboard and paired with a decanter (left) that came from an antique shop on my travels (from a lovely village called Letchlade, Gloucestershire that has loads of these shops) and cost £1.20! I love the way the glass catches the light together. The lamp is from a local lighting shop and sets off the glass theme nicely. I think Wilkinson had a similar one at about a third of the price I paid!
You can also place this table behind a sofa, which was my original plan, but thought it too nice to hide away!

What do you think?

So there you have my first interiors feature. I hope to share more of my cheap and chic decor ideas in coming posts!