We wanted to give you the top trends for 2011, but after looking at a great deal of design sites and blogs that all seem to say completely different things, we thought we would tell you this. Mainstreamimages is going through some big under the skin changes, I wont bore you to tears, but it is all to do with metadata and controlled vocabularies. This means that you will be able to find things easer and faster. We have also been looking for photographers that fill some of the areas where we have had gaps in out categories and we are very happy to have 4 new photographers which we think have a feminine and family aspect to their work. Pin It Now!

Are you looking for images of family, children or toys?

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Retro Fun - Homemade In The Old Town

On their way home from a long day of ‘doing the local flea markets’, Dag and Gjertrud decided to stop at a public viewing of an apartment which was up for sale in the ‘Old-town’ of Oslo’s east side. It was love at first sight for them both in this bright and airy apartment. Despite lowered ceilings, and a recent and fairly unbecoming modernization of the place, they instantly felt the urge to move in restore the apartment to its former glory. Their charming reworking of the interior has provided them both with a sunlit-flooded arena in which to work and live. There is no doubt that the proportions of the rooms in the apartment now back to their to their former stature. The generous space for two, large windows, original cornice detail and even the wood panelling have now been given a new lease of life. Not to mention the patchwork of an old kitchen they have created together... view feature Pin It Now!

The Artists Palate

Designer Tricia Guild brings her keen eye for colour to the table, where she serves an inspiring Italian feast. It may be winter outside, but inside Tricia Guild and Richard Polo’s kitchen/living room it is springtime: lime-green walls, a green glass table, orange and purple flowers, the splash of signature pinks and turquoise… It all seems to fuse through the glass and into the terraced garden beyond; creating the impression of one big space that says summer is coming... view feature Pin It Now!

Period Piece

Part 18th-century cottage park Georgian pile, the Oxfordshire home of Mark and Sushilla is rich in history and reflects their artistic endeavours. "The Georgian architecture was what attracted me here,” says decorative artist Mark Dome of the Oxfordshire house he shares with wife jewellery designer Sushilla, their 18-year old son Jasper , and Amber the Labrador. “I’ve had a thing about this period since I renovated a Georgian house in London many years ago”, he says. Part of the stone cottage dates back to the 1790s, with a grander Georgian front section later. Sushilla runs her jewellery business from her informal sitting room in the old cottage part of the rear of the property... view feature Pin It Now!

Dental Renovation

When Fiona and her husband Barry first set eyes on the run-down detached house, near the East Sussex coast, they knew that if they bought it, it would mean taking on a huge renovation project. ‘The ground floor had been a dentist’s surgery, complete with waiting room,’ says Barry, ‘but no-one had been upstairs for more than 20 years. ‘It was virtually derelict. There were no radiators and for electrics it had surface-mounted wiring. We were impressed by the sheer size of the building, but its condition left us cold... view feature Pin It Now!

Suspensions of Disbelief

Daniel Chadwick started out working for the architect Zaha Hadid as an engineer in the 1980s, but he soon realised he was more passionate about creating art instead. His father was the sculptor Lynn Chadwick, who won the International Prize for sculpture in 1956. Lynn bought this house in Gloucestershire with the winnings, and Daniel moved in after his father died in 2003. ‘We can’t afford to buy the sort of furniture we’d like from places such as B&B Italia, so we just fill the rooms with work by me and my friends,’ he says. Handily, his friends include Damien Hurst... view feature Pin It Now!

A Glass Solution

With clever design ideas, attention to detail and bold use of colour throughout, Margot and John have succeeded in creating their perfect family home. The 1980s terraced house, has four comparatively spacious bedrooms on the first floor, but the layout downstairs proved far from ideal. The uPVC conservatory on the rear of the house was dismantled and replaced by a frameless glass extension. ‘The extension makes the house feel so much bigger – and we can enjoy views through the roof up to the sky'... view feature Pin It Now!

Blackberry?

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