World’s Most Expensive…Ming Vase

The next chapter in our most expensive items for the home series focuses on the world’s priciest Ming Vase. The item in question was sold at auction in 2010 for a whopping £53 million – more than 20 times its pre-auction estimate.

The vase was made for the Chinese Emperor in the 19th Century and made its way to London before residing in the flat of an elderly man. It was discovered upon his death and put up for sale where the bids skyrocketed. It had previously been insured at just £800 – what a find!

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Harris Tweed in the Home & the Races

To coincide with the start of this year’s Cheltenham Festival, we decided to blog about the iconic fashion item often associated with horse racing – Harris Tweed. This company produces clothing with a distinctive weave and a classic design that has seen an upsurge in sales over recent years as it moves back into the mainstream. The timeless look is also beautiful in the home, offering a rustic feel and a traditional style. At Tuiss we have a range of linen romans and curtains on the way with just that rural look. Watch this space and enjoy the races.

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World’s Most Expensive…TV

Tuiss is, of course, the home of affordable luxury. Over the next few weeks we thought it would be fun to explore the world of unaffordable luxury by taking a look at some of the world’s most expensive items for the home. It’s a bit like Through The Keyhole for the insanely rich.

First up is the world’s most expensive TV. The PrestigeHD Supreme Rose Edition retails at a cool $2,260,000. This 55” screen doesn’t do anything particularly special. What sets it apart is the fact that it is encrusted in 28 kilos of 18ct rose gold and inlaid with 72 flawless 1ct diamonds.

Better cover that one up when you’re decorating.

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Trending now : : Neon lights

We blogged last week about pastel shades making a splash on runways and interiors this season. Well, if muted colours leave you cold, why not add some real pop to your interior with bright neons.

Taking a leaf out of Ralph Lauren’s 2014 style book, luminous shades are a great way of bringing your home to life. Accents and accessories are probably the way to go, unless you want to end up with a permanent headache.

Adding flashes of colour in the form of light shades, crockery, photo frames and, wait for it…. a blind will showcase your personality and are perfect for contrasting with more subtle shades to bring variety and life to your home. Way to glow.

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Create the Look for Less : : Burlesque Bathroom

At the beginning of the month we blogged about how you could recreate the look of one of our rustic kitchen room sets for under £100. This time we’re back with suggestions that will help you create this beautiful burlesque bathroom for less.

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Subtle and a little salacious, this exotic looking sal de bains is incredibly quirky and fashionable and so easy to do.

Let’s start with the lace. You can get lots of lovely lacy fabrics from just £13.25 from textile website sewessential. Just choose your colour and style and your away.JK_TOC_1282_BLA_2L

The simple black chair in the background sets off the room nicely and is a convenient place to put your feather boa. Find a similar design for only £25.00 from Atlantic Shopping.62186

Which brings us nicely to the boa itself. We think a feather boa is worth pushing the boat out for so these 3 litecraft boas complete with string lights are a whopping £23.40 from Debenhams.

Feather Boa

Every bathroom needs a mirror and you can pick up a similar mosaic style design for just £13.49 from Argos.

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Finally we have the blind. Options Striptease Red is available from only £30.25 from Tuiss and you can even choose blackout or energy saving linings for extra privacy and warmth.Options Striptease Red

So there we have it, another beautifully designed bathroom for a little over £100. What a bargain!

Trending now :: Pastel shades

As the seasons change so do the fashions and this week saw the London Fashion Show and catwalks awash with the latest designs for Spring Summer 2014. One of the recurring trends that jumped out at us most was an infusion of pastel colours adorning many of the models there.

Moving away from the warm metallic tones of winter and into a fresh new season, pastel shades are just perfect for lightening up your look.

What’s showcased on the runways is soon transferred to the home and pastel colours are set to be big in interior design this year too. Pastels are a great way to add colour to your home without compromising on space.

Mixing them with whites and creams or harmonising different tones will create a delicate look with tonnes of personality.  At Tuiss we have a wonderful range of Infusion roman blinds that are just the trick for adding pastel shades to your window.

From heather to duck egg, ultramarine to cameo pink you can use these blinds to soften your room’s look and keep it looking right on trend.The-Top-5-Trends-Hitting-The-Spring-Summer-2014-Catwalks-At-London-Fashion-Week-1_zps6d4531c5 

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Introducing, ‘Select’ by tuiss

If you thought you had incredible choice already at Tuiss with our Options range, you’ll be over the moon with our new Select collection.

‘Select’ in more ways than one, these new roller blinds give you the choice of standard, energy saving or blackout backings for all your practical needs. They also offer a phenomenal selection of choice soft fabrics (on a roller blind!) for the ultimate designer look.

There are fabulously rustic textures, gorgeous linens, embroidered patterns and faux silks to choose from in stylish and elegant colourways that go from light neutrals to rich teals to suit your home.

So mosey on over to Tuiss now and you’ll be blown away by the fabulous array of fabrics and designs on offer.

Shantung Mulberry Padma Lakeside Blue LaVigna Oyster Beige Denver Stripe

 

 

 

 

 

Get the ripple effect

What’s the first thing you think of when redecorating your room? You probably went with colour and you’re not wrong. Sometimes though, painfully experimenting with lots of shades of beige isn’t the best way of getting the depth you’re looking for from your room. Textures on the other hand can really add a little je ne sais quoi to your design scheme. Corrugated surfaces, ruffled fabrics and ripple effects bring an extra dimension to your decor. The same can be said of pleated blinds. Not only do they offer thermal protection that will keep the room cosy and cut your energy bills, they also offer plenty of visual stimulation to your surroundings. Matching these blinds with corrugated table tops, ruffled cushion covers and rippled lamp shades is sure to have the desired effect of making your home come to life.

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tuiss Loves : : Design Seeds

Looking for some colour inspiration for your home? Sometimes choosing your palette can be a tricky thing. Wracking the annals of your brain for long forgotten colour combinations is a tiresome and frustrating business.

Luckily, we’ve found a brilliant website that can really help get your creative juices flowing. Design Seeds creates glorious colour palettes from images of everyday things. Carrots on a chopping board, a dog in a blanket, a big bag of pistachios; Jessica, the creator of the site, takes ordinary items and photographs them in magnificent Technicolor.

She then extracts the colours from each image and creates a palette, which you can use yourself or click through to see even more palettes that feature those particular shades. There’s also a search function for different themes including Autumn, Edible and Global as well as the ability to pick a single colour and see all the combinations it can be found in. It really is a great resource for finding the spark you need.

So next time you’re stuck for ideas when redecorating your home, head on over to Design Seeds for a gentle nudge in the right direction.

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Putin’s Pride

With all the furore over Russia’s outdated and antiquated gay rights laws (that only came in last year, by the way), we feel like we missed a trick in not making this Putin’s Pride blind.

Still, it’s definitely something worth sharing to show our support for the LGBT community. Come on Vladimir, enough of the silly shenanigans; show the world some of that heart-warming community spirit you’re so famous for.

That’s a lovely shade of lippy by the way.

Putin's Pride