Election day dawns, and My Friend’s House wanted to mark it with a style assessment of Number 10.

Please don’t take the photo above – of the White Drawing Room in 1988 – to indicate either political or design alligiance. Nothing good came of this revamp*. 10 Downing St today is all weird corporate carpets, clashing orange damask curtains, and end-of-auction antiques. This elegant old building needs some serious design attention. We know Gordon’s been busy, but whoever takes over the reigns come tomorrow wants, frankly, to get someone in. Any nominations? Nicky Haslam? Too bling for the new Age of Austerity. Kelly Hoppen’s probably out having had her candles favoured by the Browns.

Abigail Ahern might be good – she knows how to highlight an amazing ceiling with dark, moody wall colours. Maybe go easy on the shaggy cushions, though.

Images Abigail Ahern; shootfactory.co.uk

Or what about a vote for Suzy Hoodless – her trademark mix of atmosphere, historic-modern and humour surely has cross-party appeal.

* If you really want a reveal on this room, go check it out on the Downing Street virtual tour. But don’t say you weren’t warned.

Sweet mother of…

Fix your eyes please, on this giant cupcake and its pastry friends on a bed in the Sweet Room of the new Moschino hotel in Milan. Craft community, if you are listening, please do NOT jump on this idea. Oh to be a fly on the wall when a new guest is weighing up what […]

Plates, stacks and words

Yup, I have three lonely plates hanging on the wall by my stairs. So this spectacle shames and delights me in equal measures. It’s the staircase over at wallpaper designer Tracy Kendall’s house. She found the paper plates (Indian, she thinks) for £4 each in a Designers Guild sale, ‘last century,’ she says. Amazing, aren’t […]

Take flight

Some new wallpaper has come across our desk here at My Friend’s House, which regular readers will know, is the only excuse we need for a bird wallpaper compilation. Above, new from Elli Pop at Hidden Art, Monsoon Moon wallpaper. Next, graphic, and slightly threatening looking swallows on wallpaper by Paris based Minakani design studio. High […]

Madness in Milan

Neither My Friend or myself made it to Milan this year – and thank the Lord for that, as the diligent journos who did go all ended up stranded and mass-hiring charabancs to get home. Like Channel 4’s Coach Trip but with sharper hair cuts and more ill feeling, I imagine. So the selection of […]