DIY Kitchen

How to style a colourful kitchen in the Happy Life trend with botanicals.

Painted-pastel-egg-cups-DIY-by-Little-Big-BellThis weekend has been both colourful and busy.

A few weeks ago, I was asked by both the The Joy of plants, part of the Flower Council of Holland and Red Magazine to style a kitchen in an event to showcase the Happy Life Trend.

The event was designed to show consumers how inspirational and versatile houseplants can look in the home.

The Happy Life trend is all about taking a lighter approach to life and let go of the old world with all its rules and expectations.

I spent the weekend before the event painting egg cups in the Happy Life palette, to use for the kitchen table that I was due to style.

Colourful-table-styling-the-happy-life-trend-Little-Big-BellHere is the table. The Happy Life is a room that is cheery and colourful, where everyone is welcome, and where the sun always seem to shine.

Pastel-table-styling-Little-Big-BellShapes are unexpected, childlike in their simplicity, reminiscent of a box of building blocks. Soft pastels are combined with bright accent colours, preventing sharp geometric shapes from appearing cool and impassive.

Colourful-table-styling-Little-Big-BellThe room is decorated such that a party could spontaneously break out at any moment. Smooth ceramics and glass are intertwined with playful patterns. Polka dots and confetti like cake or candy.

Sugary pastels are mixed with burnt caramel browns, like cookies and chocolate.

Those mint green linen placemats are from Designer’s Guild.

Pastel-chairs-Little-Big-BellMismatched wooden chairs were upcycled with a coat of chalk paint.

These were created by my friend Louisa Blackmore of West Egg interiors.

Westegg-painted-pink-chair-for-Little-Big-BellAbsolutely adore this candy pink chair against that caramel brown rose – the Happy Life palette.

Colourful-dining-table-Little-Big-Bell

What do you think? Does this table with its wave of colour, patterns and shapes reflect the joy and optimism of the brief?

Painted-wooden-kitchen-utensils-DIY-by-Little-Big-Bell As well as painting egg cups in the required palette, I decided to decorate some wooden utensils and pots for the bright botanicals that are due to be displayed.

Colour-dipped-wooden-spoons-DIY-Little-Big-BellThese were easy to create, just use washi or masking tape to section off and paint with acrylics, peel off tape, then seal with decopatch glue.

The-Happy-Life-trend-joy-of-plants-red-magazine-Little-Big-Bell Here is the Happy Life kitchen cabinet that I styled. Forget rules and expectations, why should cabinet doors be closed when hiding behind them are colourful rays of sunshine?

Why limit kitchen cabinets and surfaces to plates and mugs, decorate with books and accessories. If you have a cabinet that gets the sun, place your potted brights in there too.

Here I have decorated with Narcissus, Gerberas, Sunflowers and Kalanchoe.

Other beautiful Happy Life flowers you can use are Hibiscus and Guzmanias.

Colourful-pots-flowers-by-Little-Big-Bell

Happy-Life-trend-colourful-kitchen-Little-Big-BellThe painted egg cups were filled with Asparagus plant shoots and peppered throughout the table that I styled. That orange striped Prism cushion is by Kangan Arora and can be bought from Future and Found.

Ikea-hack-the-happy-life-trend-by-So-Klara-for-Little-Big-BellAs part of my mood board, I decided to have Ikea step stools upcycled in the trend’s colour palette. The stools were created for me by my talented friend Klara of So Klara.

Ikea-hack-step-stool-the-happy-life-trend-Little-Big-BellThe perfect stepping stools for the kitchen with their individual decorative styles, with the added bonus of being able to be used as plant display stands.

Plant-display-DIY-by-So-Klara-for-Little-Big-BellKlara spray painted the stools in white, three coats I was told. She then painted them in acrylics. I am so loving the hints of chocolate mixed with pastels and brights.

Colourful-pot-DIY-Little-Big-BellAs well as styling the kitchen, I ran DIY workshops for 2 days at the event. I decided to upcycle pots with decorative effects. Here were some that I have created.

You can start by spray painting old terracotta pots in bright hues.

Colourful-flower-pots-DIY-Little-Big-BellI then painted the pots in contrasting bands of colour, using acrylics followed by sealant.

Colourful-kitchen-plants-Little-Big-BellI also demonstrated the technique of gold foiling at the workshop. Making simple geometric shapes on pots that instantly lifted the look. The gold foil shapes look great contrasted with the colour banded pots.

The Gold leaf technique is simple. Use washi tape to make your triangle, apply gilding paste, making sure you overlap paste over part of the tape edges and base of the pot. Leave to set for 15 mins, then apply the gold leaf sheet. Smooth over creases using a soft but broad brush and then tear out the tape. To protect, you can apply a thin layer of the gilding paste on top.

The purple houseplant above is Campanula, also part of the Happy Life trend.

Upcycle-pots-Littlle-Big-BellHere are more images of what others have created. There was also a spray painting workshop on bottles at the event.

Geometric-shapes-on-pots-Little-Big-BellAs well as using sheets of gold foil leaf to decorate, gold foil paint can also be used to create your own desired patterns.

Hope you’ve enjoyed viewing how I have pulled together the Happy Life trend for the kitchen, playing with colours, shapes and happy botanicals.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead.

10 Comments

  1. geraldine! First of all: Happy Birthday! Secondly: This is gorgeous!! Love all the candycoloured hues! I first heart of a Happy Life Trend last week and i love that There is no rules! Gorgeous Styling !! X

  2. SO happy – making! I’m such a fan of pretty pastel colours, and I love what you say about adding a brighter tone to really pop the colour palette! Some lovely ideas here Geraldine, I’ve got my patio courtyard in mind! x

    • littlebigbell

      Thanks Jess! Can’t wait to see to see that patio. Let me know when it’s done. Have a great week lovely x

  3. This is lovely, it sounds like a really fun event! where are your plates and bowls from?

    • littlebigbell

      Thank you Hannah. It was a really fun day, I really loved the styling and workshops. The plates were actually from a prop shop. I’m not sure of its make but you could get similar from Designer’s Guild. x

  4. Krisztina Németh

    Hi,
    these pots are fantastic!! coukd you olease let me know what kind of brush you did use? thank you

  5. This is so pretty!! I love all the colour, especailly the little pink pots! Hollie xx

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