INTERIORS // the affordable alternative to THAT House of Hackney lamp (thanks Asda!)

Introducing the House of Hackney cheetah lamp of dreams. Something I have been fantasising about having in my home for a little longer than is normal. The caveat? The cost (isn't it always?)

The lamp base alone is an eye watering £645, whereas if you want one of their jazzy tasselled lampshades too, you'd be looking at £1,020.  I initially wanted two of them - one for each bedside table - but multiply the above by two and feel free to audibly wince like I did. I mean, WHAT

That idea quickly went out the window, but being the obsessive that I am, it never fully left my mind.
Imagine my joy when I discovered this George at Asda lookalike (granted, a bronze version).

At just £35, this is more of a price I can justify.

Sometimes gold / bronze can look a bit a naff if the quality's not right, so I'm waiting to see this in person in my local store (although saying that, reviews on the product page of the Asda website have all been promising so far!).

I'm also a huge fan of the Abigail Ahern flocked animal lamps (as seen here) which come in at £95 a pop. I haven't yet seen a cat lamp, but I'm holding out hope. Until then, how cute is this dog lamp? <3

Do you like a statement lamp as much as I do?

Dreamy interiors and Paris feels at Cote Brasserie

Whenever I'm not in Paris and I want that taste of a French bistro with a rather large glass of red wine (because when in Rome France), Cote Brasserie is my go to.

As delicious as the food is, every visit I'm equally taken by the interiors (I'm talking deep plum seating and marble table tops against the dreamiest of black and white patterned floor tiles - and don't get me started on the bathroom with its beautiful mint / pistachio metro tiles!)

At Cote you can order from the à la carte menu or there is a series of lunch / early evening menus (12-7pm on Mondays-Fridays only) which often allow you to get two dishes for less than the cost of one of the pricier options from the à la carte menu. For the standard lunch / early evening menu, you can expect the below price points:

£11.50 for 2 courses

£13.95 for 3 courses

However if you upgrade to their "prestige" menu, this comes up a few pounds extra:

£15.95 for 2 courses

£18.95 for 3 courses

The main difference? Little things like the cuts of meat. For instance if you go "prestige" the steak will be a sirloin or rib-eye, whereas on the cheaper menu, it will be a much thinner steak. So if like me, you appreciate a good medium rare steak, upgrading is definitely worth it.

This time around we opted for the calamari and the melon and ham to start. I'm not the biggest fan of cured meats (although I will make an exception for chorizo) however the melon was beautiful and one of the best I've ever had.

The calamari I have already been raving on my Instagram. Squid and octopus is so easy to get wrong if you under / over cook it as it becomes all tough and chewy. This was the softest, melt-in-the-mouth calamari I've ever had. And such a generous portion size too (I was only expecting about 5-6 rings if I'm honest with you!).

On this visit we opted for a Cote du Rhone which was beautifully smooth and full bodied. 

For the main event I couldn't resist a steak as the red wine was begging for one. Admittedly the steak was a little more on the rare side than I'd usually have (true likeness to Paris cooking right there!) but it was juicy and buttery soft, so this didn't bother me. As much as I love Cote Brasserie's stews like their autumn / winter boeuf bourguignon (highly recommended), their steaks are out of this world good (the searing is always spot on!)

There were some pretty enticing chocolate options on the dessert menu, but after a starter AND a main, I was done for.  But there's always next time, eh?

Cote Brasserie is located all over the UK

You can find your nearest branch and / or menu here

We paid for our meal ourselves but I just wanted to share the love! #NotAnAd

Currently loving // River Island homeware

"River Island do homeware?!"

These were the exact words I uttered when looking for homeware online and seeing River Island pop up in the list of results. Liking what I saw, I clicked through to the River Island site and fell in love with item after item. The current collection has a real 'worldly' feel with its geometric prints, Moroccan style lanterns, rugs*, and splashes of colour.

* close-ups of each beautiful design beneath each rug

River Island homeware collection

There is also a luxe collection with lashings of gold (isn't the above candle a beaut?). In my local store I found some Agate coasters which give the Anthropologie ones a run for their money (but at a fraction of the price!) *adds to basket*

And can we talk about River Island's bedding range? A mish-mash of geometric prints, stripes and velvet... I love it all (low key need the textured white duvet set in my life!)

River Island bedding collection

What do you love most from the collection?

River Island 40% off home sale now on! (I have already placed an order for the agate coasters!)