One thing that I find pretty tricky about writing this blog, is sometimes I go to actually write it get half way through and realise 'Huh....I think I have already written about this'. Now I know for a fact I have kind of posted about Squint limited before, their collaboration with London Transport museum (See here) was a big hit with me. So it's pretty natural that I love all their other work too, but I felt they needed a bit more love! So I have picked out some of my absolute favourite bits and bobs from their various collections. Their work is just mental...that's it, it's the only way I can possible describe it. It's colourful, patterned, it clashes but it works soooo well. It kind of leaves you with a migrain. It must be said though, If your going to work this look in your house, please please pleaseee have white walls, these pieces need too pop and stand alone in a neutral background. Not surrounded by other colourful pieces. Big no no. Besides this, they make me happy and cheery, and are perfect for that spring fresh feel.
Sophie xo
One thing I love is when companies don't take themselves too seriously. They can mess around and have a bit of lighthearted fun. For example companies that tend to focus on children's products, are always fun and colourful, yet their products are beautiful and wouldn't look out of place in a home without kids. Beware the moon, is a company that specialise in wallpaper but also dabble in cushions. Their paper is covered in animals, nakey ladies and skulls and I am a massive fan of their light hearted approach to design. However, the use of this fun approach to design doesn't hinder the work, they print all of their paper by hand, and use various techniques and materials such as glitter, foil and iridescent ink that changes as you walk past. To top it all off, they are are a father/daughter partnership! Their work is amazing and I wonder is they are willing to adopt a cousin into the ranks maybe?
Sophie xo
It has to be said that bit of drama for any home, never goes a miss! Whether you choose to do this by getting some crazy art work, making a statement sofa choice or painting the walls bright pink, each to their own, a bit of drama is always key to make a room work. Sometimes the drama can be subtle and elegant, yet big and bold at the same time. In recent years one designer has been making her way up the ladder to be the queen of statement pieces, in particular chandeliers, that lady is Abigail Ahern. I have mentioned one of her chandeliers before, Neo-baroque, but this time I wanted to have a look at her pieces as a whole. She works a lot with controversial materials, like this adorable eartherware animal lamps or this porcelain chandelier. I love her varied methods and style, no two pieces have the same feel and they are always so unique. All of her pieces make such a statement and add complete drama to any room, Check out all her products here. Oooo and also she does a design masterclass for one day! Here are the details...I will most definitely be considering this bad boy!
Sophie xo
At the moment something that is completely covering the market is Ikat patterns, the mexican/indian/moroccan style of little a striped pattern. It is appearing on cushions, rugs, bedding all kinds of soft furnishings, personally I love it! I love a busy pattern and Ikat has most definitely got that going on, but because it is getting pretty popular I wanted to find something a bit more original. I completely fell in love with these pieces from Brandts indoor, a scandinavian design focused company that take inspiration from retro and unique pieces. Most of their products have an ethnic vibe to them and look vintage and a little worn, but this is the key to such pieces. Making them look loved and well used makes them a feature in any room, creating a cosy and inviting environment. I especially love this hand knotted rug (above) I love the deep red with the bright pops of orange and pink, plus it's hand made, so now I'm just completely crazy about it and am going to start saving! Have a browse here.
Sophie xo
I remember when I was about 5-6, still in primary school in year 2 or 3 and my sister did a whole project on Egyptians. I remember flicking through a book we had and being super excited to be in year 5 so I got to learn about them. When that day came....we no longer learnt about Egyptians, I was pretty heart broken and have always felt a little cheated that I missed out on them...not that I'm bitter or anything. So Ancient Egypt has always held a certain kind of magic for me, where I don't really know a lot about it, just that I know I love it!
We have all seen the wonderful Elizabeth Taylor bring Cleopatra to life in the 1963 film. Taking this as bit of inspiration I have based this weeks Inspired by around Cleopatra and Ancient Egypt. Really It is an excuse for me too hunt out lots of gold things, but I have tried to find a few bits that are a modern take on her luxe lifestyle of gold plated everythings and seductive dark walls. I especially love this bobble effect gold bowl from Dwell and the little trio of copper, brass and steal lights from Tom Dixon.
Sophie xo
1. Chubi 909 Rug, £ Available on request. 2. Void mini lights, £235. 3. Lavish Chaise, John Jenkins, £2470. 4. Murano glass bowl, £49. 5. Attar of Rose, Murobond, $ approx 41. 6. Attimo white marble stool, £2,086. 7. Seletti Midas, 24 pieces gold Cutlary, £155. 8. Newgate Starburst clock, £85.
All this sun and heat has got me thinking I need to bring my house out of the drabness of winter. I need to shave my winter coat, get some bright new pieces to adorn my bed and floor. I'm especially thinking, I need some form of rug, I know a bit silly I should of been thinking of getting a rug when it was cold! But I get super insanely cold feet in the summer...It's really annoying! Everyone else is out in flip flops and I'm still in Uggs! But none the less when I saw these beautiful pieces from the Rug Company I forgot my cold feet troubles and just want to melt into these colourful, exotic pallets.
The pieces I have chosen are part of The Rug Company's Studio collection, a small group of colourful, bold Indian Dhuries. When you look at these you get a strong sense of exotic, warm summers and brilliant simple design. I am particularly a fan of the blue and white cable patterned rug, I love that popping blue and I'm thinking it would look amazing in a bathroom. They are made of a thick pile, meaning they with withstand a lot of heavy walking. Have a browse of the whole range here.
Sophie xo
A few weeks ago I was reading an artical about Tea and the proper way it should be bought, brewed and drunk. I found it facinating that there was such a exact science to how long tea should brew for or at what temperature it should be at when drunk. I of course have broken all the rules when it comes to tea, I brew it in a mug, have 1 sugar and milk-tut tut. One nuggest of brewing history that stuck in my mind though was a a piece of Japanese tea culture. They brew their tea in a cast-iron teapot called a Tetsubin, essentially this reduces chlroine levels and the tea soaks into the walls so after many years you can just add water and make a perfect cuppa!
So I went hunting for a Tetsubin, or just a cast iron teapot. I know there is place in Covent Garden along Neal Street that sell them, but apart from that I could really only find some on eBay, Amazon or Etsy. The particular example from Etsy is around £700....apparently it's a really good teapot, but I love that bobble effect so was determined to find one a wee bit cheaper. After a serious amount of hunting I found some in Macy's (not very near I know) but they look cute and would make a real statement in any Kitchen! I want to try this out just to see after 10 years I can stop buying tea bags...I think I would be a millionaire.
Sophie xo
One thing I love about writing this blog, is that occasionally I see a product or design that makes me feel all warm and fizzy inside. It makes me grin when I see something that is unique, well crafted and beautiful. When it makes me want to question how it was made and where. Today, that product comes from Grain, a Washington based design studio that produce jewellery, mirrors and shower curtains (a bit of a random mix). In particular I love their bound mirrors, they are made from a birch base with coloured hemp twine wound around the frame. You can customise each mirror's colours to suit your style and home, and I just love the craftsmanship that these radiate! They are so individual and although they are a little pricey at $750 for a small, they are such a statement yet are still functional. I just love them, so see more here.
Sophie xo
Spring is well and truly here! And although I personally love winter, I'm pretty happy about the thought of not having to wear 20 bagillion layers when I want to pop over to the shop. Spring is all about fresh colourful products, full of life and vitality that make you want too roll around in their freshness and awesome-ness. So keeping with that theme I want to share with you some completely insane fabric designs I found from Manuel Canovas.
This phenomenal design name 'Dara' depicts court life at the Mughal empire (History and fit fabric = awesome). The rich colours and detailed illustration add to this little gem of a design, it completely brings history to life. At £69 per m, I want something that is going to make a serious statement! After falling in love with 'Dara' I continued to browse the website and was stunned again and again by the beautiful designs on show. Another favourite is 'Le Cabinet de curisites' a brilliant almost photographic design of a selection of coral, butterflies and the like in jars and on shelves, this is taking fabric design to a whole new level. On a more subtle note I also loved Bohemia, a bright vivid pattern that reminds me of hippies for some reason...but I still love it!! Check out all of the amazing work here.
Sophie xo
As I kid I remember spending hours...literally HOURS in homebase. Never heard of it? It's essentially a big showroom of kitchens, bathrooms, paint all kinds of DIY and as a kid this wasn't my favourite way to spend a whole weekend. However, I like to think I have grown up a little, and can know brave the endless choice of which paintbrush should I buy. I knew that the V&A did a whole range of products from books to wallpapers, but I found out this week they also do tiles! So I was pretty eager to check them out...enter homebase (even though it was just the website to be fair). I have picked out a few of my favourite tiles from the collection, and I have to say I am loving them! They are old fashioned, but in the right setting could look really brilliant, bringing a retro classic look to a kitchen or bathroom. I especially love these teal/blue ones just below, my obessesion with that colour will never end! Check out more just here!
Sophie xo
I am always talking on here about how much I love something, want it or really excited about it. But rarely do I see something and just thing "Eh?" I hate it when you see something and you know it should be good, but somehow just can't seem to work your mind around it. Today this comes in the form of Emmemobili, I saw one of their side boards in a magazine and was just a bit confused. It is a hybrid of classic rococo design and modern minimalism, (above) but I'm not sure. I love both half's...maybe just not together. I was fully prepared when I went on their website to be confronted with other odd hybrid furniture, but I actually really love the rest! They do blend modernity and classical pieces, and I love that...but maybe not quite so literally next time! I am especially drawn to the piece just below, named Rosa, I love the idea of this being a bookcase, full of wonky books....good thing I don't have any form of OCD. Check out their collection here.
Sophie xo
I am a big fan of totes. I have way too many, and to be honest they just kind of adorn my floor most of the time looking beautiful, so I'm always on the look out for more. I completely love these little recipe totes from One and the Same. It's such a simple idea and the cute illustration style makes them look so adorable and individual. They are $26 so a little pricey for a cotton bag, but I want one so bad I really don't mind paying that wee bit extra! I think for me the best one is the pasta bolognaise I love the bright red, but I wonder if the recipe is actually good?! Only one way to find out...get my nom on!
Sophie xo
A few days ago I was saying how much I love it when you find a designer or studio in your area, that brilliant feeling of knowing they are just around the corner and you may or may not have bumped into them at some point. Today is a slightly further away example of this, fresh from Hoxton which is about half hours walk away from me, comes East London Furniture, a brilliant little studio dedicated to using only reclaimed materials. All of their furniture focuses on form and shape, they work with strong woods and pops of colour to bring rustic looking pieces. All of their material used is either from landfills or unwanted pieces of furniture, for me this just adds to the whole look and feel of each piece. You can really sense the pride and passion that has gone into each piece, I have picked a few bits I love most, their examples on their website are limited so if your around that way pop into their store on Hoxton Street to check it out.
Sophie xo
I'm not always crazy about ceramics, most of the time it's a pretty standard boring scene so when I see something a bit different I just want to embrace it completely. On top of this I'm a fan of a little bit of gold, not too much mind. I found these adorable little bowls and cups with the perfect blend of gold and pastel shades, made of ceramic. I love how they are a odd mix of rustic ceramic and modernist gold, and the imperfections on the rim just add to these quirky little numbers. Gretel have a massive range of different products, at the heart of cosy modern design. I can just see one of these adorable bowls being used as a fruit bowl or as a centre piece on a table. Check out all of Gretels range of products here and check out more of Studiomake's work here.
Sophie xo
Apologies for the lack of postage yesterday, I was if i'm honest enjoying the weather far too much! Today once again promises to be a beautiful day here in London, with temperatures reaching 20°....sadly I have a lot of work to do, so decided to grab my chance at some weather frolicking (and shopping) yesterday. This morning I went to meet the rents for a massive fry up - now feeling a little bit like a slug - and as I was walking I found a shop, literally round the corner from me I didn't know was there. This is always exciting, no matter what the shop is, but all I could see was Eames chairs...I think I might have dribbled a little.
Interior Addicts is an amazing 'collective' shop that sells all things design and interior. Their London shop is full to the brim with George Nelson, Joseph Hoffman and Le Corbusier inspired furniture, just to name a few. If your looking for a place that know their stuff on designer furniture, but for a wee bit cheaper look no further. Their website is easy to maneuver around and has an impressive catalogue. I have picked out a few of my favourites, but my pick of the day has to be Xavier Pauchard style pieces. Firstly because his name is really epic and also because his chair designs are classic, simple and remind me of the 50's! Have a browse.
Sophie xo
