Kate Spade’s pop-up apartment in London

I paid a visit to New York fashion brand Kate Spade’s first UK venture last week – a pop-up apartment in a Covent Garden townhouse. The creative team have impressively revamped the space on Henrietta Street to resemble a dream pied-à-terre, crammed full of vintage furniture, accessories and eye-popping colour. There was so much home décor inspiration in there that I had to force myself to put the camera down… I particularly loved the ingenious ideas of painting alcoves matt black and wallpapering the inside of a walk-in cupboard (ideal if you can only afford one roll!)

Each room is decorated uniquely to showcase the Kate Spade product range – from gorgeous Elizabeth Taylor-style gems displayed in antique jewellery boxes to pretty journals and short story books, patent handbags and 50s-inspired clothing. Catch it before it closes on November 10^th. 

Vintage Treasures from Budapest

If you’re planning a cultural weekend in Budapest any time soon, then you may be disappointed to discover the city’s Museum of Fine Arts has temporarily donated its works to London’s Royal Academy for its Treasures from Budapest exhibition. But there’s still plenty to inspire in this atmospheric Hungarian city.

I was there last week for work, and one of my highlights was the Ecseri flea market (Nagykőrösi út 156) – well worth the 20 minute cab fare to a less salubrious part of town. It’s not the cheapest flea I’ve ever been to, but much of the goods felt unique to the country and the culture – traditional folk embroideries, old violins, city street signs and military paraphernalia.

Plenty of wedding décor inspiration too -  glass bottles covered in colourful basket weaving that would make folksy vases, and endless piles of lace tablecloths and embroideries.

Vintage dress hunting: The Cat’s Meow

I have long been a fan of Rebecca Denholm and her vintage studio The Cat’s Meow - having spotted her gorgeous wares at various vintage fashion fairs over the years.  She has a loyal following of designers and vintage collectors for her fantastic eye and reputation for quality antique clothing and hard-to-find pieces.

Up until recently, she was based in Glasgow spending much of her time on the road - but she recently relocated to a suitably evocative space in west London (close to her regular haunt Portobello). Here, she offers an appointment-only service, where you can rifle through her collection of elegant vintage gowns, marabou shrugs, 60s swimsuits, deco clutches and delicate 50s heels.