A guide to choosing the right wine glasses

Today we have a guest post, on behalf of Gurasu, about wine glasses... because it's all about the little pleasures in life!

Having the right wine glasses in your home is key to enjoying drinks at the very best and impressing your guests when you’re hosting dinner parties or weekend get-togethers. But with so many other things to think about, how can you make sure that you pick the appropriate ones for your selection of drinks?

Here, we give some tips to help you make your decision.

Use fluted glasses for sparkling wines and champagnes

A fluted glass can make the bubbles in sparkling wines and champagnes last longer, thus making your drinks more enjoyable. It also ensures that the aroma and flavour doesn’t disappear too quickly. They look dainty too, adding a feel of style and sophistication to your event!

Buy small glasses for white wines and large glasses for reds

Serve white wines in smaller glasses, and reds in larger glasses. This will help to keep your drinks at the intended temperature. If you regularly host wine tasting evenings in your home, it may be wise to have a good selection at hand to avoid having to wash up at regular intervals.

Keep your eyes open for rolled edges and clear glasses

Glasses with rolled edges feel nicer on the lips, and can provide a more pleasurable tasting experience. Wherever possible, go for this style rather than harshly cut finishes. Similarly, a clear glass is also most desirable. Patterns and colours may look pretty, but they can ruin your tasting experience as they obscure your view.

Choose larger glasses for wine that will be served with food

At dinner parties, it is best to choose wine glasses with a slightly larger and rounder bowl. These will allow a generous amount of wine to be served, and will leave enough room so you can still enjoy the aroma of the drink in question. It’ll also mean fewer trips into the kitchen!

Choose small, cheaper glasses for wine tasting events

At wine tasting events, go for smaller wine glasses. You’ll be serving small amounts anyway, and they’re easier to clean. Don’t worry too much about using cheaper glasses. It’ll avoid your best glassware from being smashed!

Buy the best that you can afford

The right glasses are an important part of the tasting experience, and if you’re investing in good wines, it makes sense to have the full package. Good glassware can last a lifetime, so spend as much as you can reasonably afford.

Do you look out for the best glasses when serving drinks at home? Do you have any tips to share with other readers and wine lovers?

(This article was brought to you by Ruth Richards on behalf of Gurasu. Gurasu specialises in fine crystal products for the more discerning customer, with ranges that include crystal vases, glass tumblers and much more.)
 

Curtains, Cushions and Throws

Today we have a guest post, by Bianca from Linens Direct, about how a home can be brightened with new textiles. 

Bringing a breath of fresh air to a living space is something that many home owners dream of. If you have a limited budget though and no previous interior design experience, it can be a lot easier said than done. Thankfully though, there are always shortcuts, and curtains, cushions and throws provide a multitude of options.

Here, we take a look at how to brighten and revive a home using these items.

Choose the latest on-trend designs

Even if you’re a dedicated follower of fashion, it can be tempting to shun the latest interior design trends, simply because they seem like too much of a commitment. Spending a fortune on something that will no longer be on-trend in a few months can seem just too extravagant. The great thing about curtains, cushions and throws though is that they aren’t extortionately priced. You can bring your home bang up to date without too much commitment or financial investment.

Go for bold colours and styles

Do you often wonder about creating a feature wall or giving your home a colourful makeover? It’s a surefire way to make everything feel fresh and new, but it can be quite difficult to achieve if you don’t have an eye for design. If this is the problem you’re facing, consider new curtains, cushions or throws. It’s almost impossible to get it wrong with these items, as the hard part is already done for you.

Introduce pieces into different areas of the home

Think outside of the box. If you have a kitchen table, use cushions on the chairs to create a shabby chic feel. Try a throw over your bed instead of just in the sitting room. Add some colour to your spare room with some funky curtains. You don’t need to be tied down to the usual traditions, and the only limit is your imagination.

Following these tips, you’ll find that you can quite easily achieve a new look for your home. You needn’t spend too much of your hard earned cash, and it doesn’t require a total overhaul of your existing décor and furnishings.

How do you brighten up your home? We’d love to hear your tips!

Pale Hues - Pastels

Today I welcome Mari with a great post about the use of pastel colours in our homes!

Hi, all! It's Mari here from Arcadian Home blog, a lovely place to find lots of interior design inspirations. I'm so excited to be visiting with you at Life as a Moodboard to share a guest post about the possibilities of decorating with pale color palettes with rooms that show off appealing pastels in paint, furniture, lighting, table decor and much more. For your pastel decorating dreams, I've pulled together some of my favorite pale spaces. We hope they will inspire your own interior projects. Please enjoy!

This photo shoot brings together a charming mix of pastels. It's a dreamy representation of the softer side of color.

Here, neutral background colors make even pastels pop. It's a subtle use of pale hues. A velvety pink Swan chair and a caramel Egg chair and ottoman are stunning.

Pinks, grays and soft grapey hues give this chic bedroom a calm soothing feel. The ragged edge where paint meets unfinished white creates a lovely cloudy look. This delicate glass pendant light is perfect. (I'm imagining one on the other side of the bed.)

A little sitting area shows how well pale icy tangerine sorbet plays with other colors. This is a lively palette with pops of bright yellow on the verge neon.

Pink is a lovely color choice for the walls of this classic space with white fireplace and painted white wood flooring. It's quite stunning with the lemony yellow clawfoot tub.

Chairs in pink, yellow and blue are lovely around this pale wood table. It's a quirky little design touch to add a single black chair to the pastel mix. I love the look of the white pendant lighting above the table.

This cozy eclectic living room is quite appealing with lilac carpet and soft buttery yellow sofa. Bits of homey pattern can be seen here and there.

A white on white kitchen and adjoining dining space get pops of pale blue from lovely (and iconic) Panton chairs. I have always considered white to be the most beautiful color for this iconic chair, but these pastel ones have me reconsidering that idea.

Images 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6| 7 | 8 

What are your thoughts on these pastel rooms? Leave us your comments below, and be sure to visit our website for more home decor, lighting, and interior spaces!

Divine Dining Rooms: My guest post on SummerHouse's blog: Always Summer

I got the great honor of guest posting over at Always Summer, SummerHouse's blog.  You can see it some of it below, but go to Always Summer to see the whole post.

I'd say that the dining room is probably the room I talk about the least. I major part of that is probably because I've never had a proper dining room, and because even after spending hours in the kitchen preparing a beautiful meal, you're likely to find me enjoying it curled up on the couch.

However, I'm coming to realize that now that we are looking for a home, I might actually have a real grown up dining room, and once I have kids we will not be dining on the sofa. Also, the up coming holidays are probably when dining rooms see the most action, so I've gathered up some dining rooms to inspire me and other dining room neglecters like myself to give it a little more attention. Your sofa will thank you!!

I wish I was genius enough to put together spaces like this... those benches with that wallpaper? Sublime.  I also think that's the closest to sofa-like one can get proper dining room seating! Oh, and did I mention those windows!?!

Okay.  Can we talk about that amazing gold chandelier?!?!  There is very little I wouldn't do for that chandelier....very. little.

See more...


1. via BHG, 2. via FLOR Blog, 3.  House of Fifty

The Height of Chic: Spaces that make you say "Oh, la la!"

I had the honor this week of writing a guest post for the fabulous Julie of Belle Maison and Modern Chic Home.  Below is the post:

Every girl needs a little glam right?  Even though I work from home, I still try to put on a little make up or some gorgeous shoes from time to time. The same goes for your abode – neglect it long enough and it shows.  Even if the glam you give your home is small, it can go a long way – and you and your space will look and feel fabulous for it

A little (or big) pop of bright color in an otherwise “sensible” room screams style and class.

There are two handy tricks for making a space look luxe in this room.  The large gallery canvas adds edge and sophistication, as do the matching sconces.

A wallpaper or paint job that combines matte and gloss finishes adds instant elegance.  Even a room with basic furnishings will look stunning.

You can’t go wrong with a little touch of metallic either, like these gold dipped goblets and the table base…  

{IMAGE SOURCES: ; IVY & PIPER MAG; DECOR PAD; HOUSE OF FIFTY, Lombok, ADORE HOME MAG}

See the original post on Belle Maision