Ideal Home Show

Every year the Ideal Home Show rolls in and designers, home owners and buyers alike are all inspired by the amazing products and show homes on display; and this year was no exception. It was a cacophony of noise in the shopping area as sellers displayed their new kitchen tech, cleaning products and exotic foods (even I succumbed and ended up with two cheese mills). 

Six of Britain's horticulture colleges battled out for the Young Gardner of the year competition displaying some beautiful sustainably friendly new concepts that you can't help but love; such as recycled tire and rubber mixture floor, scaffolding board walls and a watering can waterfall. 

The show homes this year were targeted towards 'gap' houses and Eco friendly living with a house designed to fit between number 11 and number 10 downing street, and another house full of more green energy solutions than you could possibly think of.

A display of awesome new art was available in the home-wares and interiors section; showing works from budding new artists who use a variety of creative mediums to create their pieces such as Kevin Bandee, Dale Bowen and Kealey Farmer. Bandee and Farmer of whom both use mixed media to create abstract, three dimensional, glossy surfaces whilst Bowen focuses more on colourful animate artwork with 3D stuck on aspects. All three artists offering art work that I'd love to have decorating the walls of my house.

There were several company's that really stuck out to me with their fantastic products, Jam Jar Lights being the first with their upcycled jam jars fitted with electrical lights and fabric cable of your colour choice and in clusters of your demand. The hanging jam jar lights look gorgeous in clusters and would fit well in a rustic kitchen.

Another designing company that particularly sparked interest in me is The Fire pit Company, who specialize in handmade custom fire pits for your garden out of cast iron and intricately cut designs. You can either buy from their collection - which features designs such as that of the globe, a forest scene and a fairy ball - or you can go for a bespoke fire pit made in a choice of your design and materials.

And last but not least, the crazy amazing designer behind these upcycled oil drum creations; Think Outside who are responsible for the ee-i-ee-i-o collection of cute farmyard sculptures. They're cleverly crafted and made using the multicoloured oil drum metal in a mish-mash of bits and pieces; each sculpture different from the other. The ee-i-ee-i-o collection features a bull shaped ice bucket and a hot air balloon hanging, as well as my favourite The Three Blind mice who are sold in a trio of cute metal intended as garden creatures.

So all in all a good day out, packed with things to see and to draw inspiration from. Note to self: don't wear heels next time ;)