House envy, inspiration and new ideas: where I’m looking for it all

The former being an unavoidable hazard of the job

Just as you might be here to find out about my home, my life and the little bits of interiors inspo in between, I too love a good nosy into other people’s lives and what inspires them, or what they’re getting up to.

So this week, I’m recommending some of my favourite places to get interiors (and some other) ideas, podcasts I like to listen to, things I like to read (including other Substacks) and some of the latest images I’ve saved to moodboards, which you might like too.

If you missed it, last week, asked you about YOU and YOUR home (that’s the nosy part of me coming out), so join the conversation and tell me a bit about you. It’s great finding out more about those making up this little The Home I Made community.

For now, enjoy this simple scroll through some of my faves…

1. You probably know Reena Simon as @hygge_for_home and her amazing home transformation(s). She’s now joined the Substack crew with her newsletter, Edits by Reena Simon. It’s her curation of style picks and I’m looking forward to seeing what she has in store.
   

2. Need inspo for your family spaces? Nest magazine is another Substack publication on my weekly read list and I was kindly asked to contribute a little while back. I shared my 10 must-haves for a family-friendly kitchen which you can read here alongside some extremely cool real house projects which are fun through and through. How amazing is this kid’s bedroom? I love the mini market stall!
   

3. I read this fascinating feature about AI in interior design in Livingetc recently and it really got me thinking. With about 12 years as a magazine journalist under my belt, there’s no denying how quickly the publishing industry moves. And I’ve got an eye on how AI might be used there too. This feature talks about it being utilised to create some of the spaces in which we live, as well as pieces like ceramics and artwork. Very interesting indeed.
   

4. My screenshots folder is bursting at the seams. I’m apparently obsessed with green bathroom tiles (of the vertical finger variety) and the algorithm is serving me lots of bedrooms of the (stylish) beige variety as I hunt for ideas for the next room to get the makeover treatment. Some of my favourites (old and new)…

This Mandarin Stone image has been pinned to my corkboard for about three years and I still absolutely love it.

laraclarke_interiors

A post shared by @laraclarke_interiors

5. I love a podcast and recently hoarded some episodes to listen to on a flight to Italy. My current regular listens are Table Manners (the Stacey Dooley ep remains my absolute fave for pure hilarity, even if it is an old one), The Great Indoors with Kate Watson-Smyth and Sophie Robinson, and Dirty Mother Pukka for laughs in between some really insightful and important conversations. See also Diary of a CEO (the Davina McCall ep is brill), Freelancing For Journalists and The Tip Off (for fascinating back stories behind investigative journalism story breaks). I’m also going back to 2022 to listen to The Times’ Secrets of the Side Hustle podcast. The episode with Alexandra Stedman aka The Frugality is a good one. Tell me your favourite pods - I’m always looking for new ones to add to my list.
   

6. One more Substack rec as I’m really loving finding new writers/publications on this platform. A Tiny Apt writes about ‘home and small spaces, personal style, and, generally, lots of vintage AND thrifting’, the latter being my fave. Plus, a recent article about cleaning a rug after eight years really made me giggle. I don’t think she’s alone in going so long before a carpet clean. I actually received a press release a couple of weeks ago which said 33% of Brits only clean their towels FOUR times a YEAR. Like what?!

I’ll leave it there for this week. I’m getting back into the swing after that return flight from Italy, more soon. Let me know your latest finds in the comments. I’d love to hear your recommendations too.

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