So this is pretty special for me so I hope you will allow me to indulge myself to celebrate a little bit! As you may know, the Amara Interior Blog Awards is an annual event to honour and celebrate bloggers who write about interior design. It’s a tight knit community here in the UK and so having an organisation honour what we do is pretty cool. The yearly awards always mean a big run up and just being nominated is aΒ thrill. For the last 3 years, with your help (because we have to ask for votes!), I’ve managed to make it to the shortlist in the DIY/Crafts category and have attended the ceremony at the Ham Yard Hotel in London. And while I absolutely love getting the chance to be there, IΒ have sadly never won my category!
Russell and Jordan from 2 Lovely Gays, Sarah Akwisombe and me! Photo byΒ JohnΒ Nassari
If you watched the ceremony on the live stream, you’ll see that for the third year running now, I STILL didn’t win my category! Am I surprised? No, not really. I’ve said in the past that I don’t think Swoon Worthy is a particularly good fit for the DIY/Crafts category because despite the fact we do a lot of DIY around here and I do the odd crafty post, it’s not really the main focus. Based on the criteria the judges use to choose a winner, those blogs who do make crafty projects their focus seem to nearly always win. So yeah, I wasn’t really all that surprised when my name wasn’t called out! Instead, it went to Melanie Lissack who was a worthy winner!
Obligatory flattering mirror selfie when getting ready for the ceremony!
However, what took me by complete surprise is when they got to the end of the awards and they announced the biggest honour of the night, The Blogger’s Choice Award. This one is not voted by a judging panel but instead, it’s voted by all the shortlisters who choose their favourite blog to win. And well when they called out my name as the winner, I was absolutely floored!!
My thought process at this point, “DON’T FALL, OH GOD DON’T FALL.” Photo by John Nassari
This to me was far more touching than a win in my category. It was my fellow bloggers – the ones who understand the commitment and the hard work it really is to run a blog – who voted for the sites they love and wanted to see win. With absolute no disrespect at all to the judges, being honoured by my friends and fellow bloggers was such a tremendous accolade and I can’t even begin to put into words how genuinely grateful I am. After the awards, I had so many lovely people coming up to tell me they voted for me and I can’t tell you how amazed I was at that. It was just such an incredible moment and one I will not soon forget!
Sophie Robinson, Me with my award and Sponsor, Firmdale Hotels / Photo by John Nassari
The Ham Yard in London is an utterly fabulous venue and it was so nice getting to hang out with my fellow blogging besties! Sarah Akwisombe and I got ourselves ready for the night at the amazing Curious Apartment which I’ll be telling you all about very soon and then it was just a whirlwind of cocktails and canapes with Bianca from French for Pineapple, Emily and Susie from The Pink House, Anna from Don’t Cramp My Style and getting to chat with Sophie Robinson, the truly loveable host that she is. I also had the chance to meet a few of the bloggers I just love – Olivia from Lust Living, Jessica Zoob, Jenny from Seasons in Colour, Maxine from We Love Home, Jordan and Russell from 2 Lovely Gays, David and Mark from Forward Features – oh my goodness, I could go on and on! It was like the Glitterati of the Interior Design World! So much fun!
IBA 2016 Winners! Photo by John Nassari
So please let me take a moment to thank YOU, my dear sweet wonderful readers who voted for me to get to the award ceremony because I wouldn’t even have been there without your fabulous support. And at the risk of sounding like this is some kind of ridiculous Oscar acceptance speech, I really do need to thank my fellow bloggers who have always been so encouraging to me, so inspiring themselves and who have supported me for so many years. And a big thanks to Amara and the Ham Yard HotelΒ as well as the sponsors who consistently throw such a gorgeous glam event!
Not the most flattering picture I’ve ever taken but hell yeah I’m sharing it! Photo by John Nassari
Thank you as well for all the lovely messages I received on social media on the night – my Twitter just went mental and I did my best to thank everyone individually but if I somehow missed it, please know how thankful I am for all the support!
Anna from Don’t Cramp My Style, Maxine from We Love Home and I enjoying some celebratory bubbles! Photo by Anna Lysik
So, after 3 years, I finally have my Amara! Now I just need to find a suitable place to display it! Ha!
A little shout out as well to some of my fellow award winners who are all lovely people- Congrats! Go check out Jenny from Seasons in Colour (Best Colour Inspiration Blog), Forward Features (Best Design Inspiration Blog), Melanie Lissack Interiors (Best DIY/Craft Blog), 2 Lovely Gays (Best Stylist and Interior Designer Blog), Stella + The Stars (Best International Blog), The Pink House (Best Newcomer Blog) and Sweet Pea & Willow (Best Organisation Blog). All the winners here!
Huge congratulations and well deserved…and can I just say how fabulous you looked in that frock!
Aww you are too sweet Kate! Thank you lovely! xxx
SO well deserved! Well done Kim!
Claudia xx
http://www.claudiawright.com
Thank you so much Claudia! Mwah! xxx
Great post – so well deserved your award! Huge congrats!
Thank you lovely!! Congrats to you as well, so pleased for you! xxx
Congratulations-so well-deserved!! You looked beautiful!
Aww Michelle, you are too kind! Thank you! xxx
Huge congrats, what a great honor. You are so gracious in your mention of all the other winners on the night. Well done Kimberly.
Thanks so much Trish! The other winners were pretty awesome, I have to say – definitely worth checking out :) xxx
Congrats! XOXOX
Thank you lovely!! xxx
Congratulations Kimberley!! What a wonderful and well-deserved recognition for you. Best wishes!
Aww you are too sweet Debbie! Many many thanks! xxx
First off… You looked fabulous!!! Maybe do a makeup tutorial!? Kidding (not) . You so deserved to win .,. So, so happy for you. You are spot on in your design plans, one of the reasons I love your blog is you go into details of WHY you choose this over THAT. Another reason is when your plan does not work, you are quick “on your feet” with another design, might be your second or third choice but you pull it off!! Sincere congratulations on the award. I hope you are still smiling large and proud .. you deserved your peers voting for you. ???
Oh you sweet thing! Haha on the makeup tutorial!! You are too sweet Toni and your words mean a lot to me. Thank you thank you thank you! I’ve been on a high for the last few days, I admit! Ha! xxx
A very big congratulations to you. Well deserved!
You look so beautiful in all the photos.
xx
Awww Sueli, you are too lovely. Thank you hun!! xx
Kimberly… Congrats!! A well-deserved win! And you looked so beautiful in your dress! Can I ask who the dress is by? Have a lovely day!
Thank you so much Amanda! The dress is from ASOS! :D You too hun! xxxx
Congrats! You truly deserve it! You’re on the rise and there’s no stopping you…keep inspiring others and we’ll keep cheering you
Oh Jamala, what a lovely comment! I couldn’t do it without my readers and I’m so grateful for all the support – it really does mean the world to me xxx
Congratulations! So exciting and so happy for you! Yes, you truly deserve it!
Oh thank you Carrie! You are too sweet! Mwah! xx
Congratulations Kimberly! Well deserved and I love that dress, you look amazing!
Thank you lovely! :D xxx
Well done!
Thanks so much Sharon! xxx
Hi Kimberly,
I’m thrilled for you. Of course, your blog is wonderful and never fails to inspire, but your warmhearted advice and generosity of spirit is what makes me return all the time. You recently sent me some advice about starting a blog ( which I am working on)and I was so touched by your comments and help.
Keep up the wonderful work.
Alison xx
PS, I have been showing my OH the wonderful pictures of your recently updated kitchen. Think I have him on side…………..!
Aww Alison!! You are so lovely and yes I remember your email! Thank you so much and YES for the kitchen – good luck! xxx
Congratulations! So very well deserved.
Thanks so much hun! xxx
So happy for you and so deserved
Aww thank you my lovely friend! Mwah xxx
All I have to say is, y’all got killer style. Love it and congrats!
Hahaha!! Thank you so much Jessica! xxx
Yaaaay! Congrats Kimberley, and so well deserved! If Roost Blog had made it past nominations to the shortlist and we’d been at the ceremony (maybe next year!) I would totally have voted for you too.
And how amazing is that dress? You look absolutely incredible! xx
Oh thank you sweetheart! You are too sweet! Will keep everything crossed for Roost next year ;) xxx
Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!! You deserved it and you are my favourite blog also!!!!!!!!
Thank you thank you Christina! Aww!! xxx
WELL DONE YOU XXX
I’ve just got home from work and read your post, (I can now uncross everything.) I’m dead chuffed you’ve won flower you really do deserve it. To get recognition from the blogging community is amazing. XXX
Oh thank you sweetheart! It really was so touching, I’m still not over it!! xxx
I’m so happy for you! Well deserved! You looked stunning in that dress. Just beautiful!
Oh Sandy, you sweet thing! Thank you lovely! xxx
HOLY CRAMP! i just watched the little video to check out the award winners and recognized you immediately before it showed you accepting an award!!!! that is the coolest, and i am so so proud of you. do we still call you red? that is so 2010, yes?
Woot!you won! and your little waist too. so happy! xox
Aww thank you darling!! You can ALWAYS call me ‘Red’ my love ;) Mwah! xxx
Still feeling so happy for you!!! So well deserved, hun ? And wow, you look blooming gorgeous in that dress! ? ?
Thank you so much sweetheart!! Awww you are too kind!! xxx
Congrats!!!!! This is so well deserved! I get excited when I see a new post from you. Keep up the great work!!