Gorgeous outside and I couldn’t resist sharing this quick snap taken this morning in our garden.
I have to confess, when it comes to interiors, the purple and orange combo wouldn’t be top of my list but, somehow, when Mother Nature steps in, it’s a different matter.
Hope your day is going well and that you get the chance to nip out into the sunshine too…even if it’s just for a few minutes.
I’m juggling feature writing with interviewing and…with any luck, I might just squeeze in a lunchtime bike ride. Enjoy whatever you’re up to.
February 2014
Oh…what a treat. I’ve just signed up for a five-hour mood board workshop at Caroline Ivory’s gorgeous shop Ivory & Pitch and…I can’t wait.
Last year, I’d an absolute ball at Caroline’s Annie Sloan Introduction to Painting Furniture course, before launching into a bit of a painting frenzy around our home.
That course, held in the store, based in Westbourne, Hampshire, was not just great fun but also very informative. I’m certain that the mood board workshop, on Friday, March 21st, is going to be equally as inspiring and a rare chance to take proper time out to start planning the makeover of my own rather challenging living room.
The workshop, running from 10am to 3pm, aims to equip people with the skills they will need to confidently decorate any room. There’ll be an abundance of expert tips from experienced interior designer Caroline thrown in for good measure.
Caroline says: “Those attending will learn how colour and texture work together in any space. The emphasis is all about getting hands-on with colour and fabric swatches, inspirational images and objects. The pace will be lively yet informal.
“You will arrive with dimensions of the room/space to work on, along with a couple of photographs for reference, and leave with your own personalised mood board.”
The cost for the workshop is £85. A light lunch, plus tea/coffee will be provided. For further details, visit the Ivory & Pitch website by clicking on the link.
Photograph above: A mood board for one of Caroline’s clients
Anyone remember seeing a feature about the fabulous Vintage Scoops ice cream business in Coast magazine last year?
A keen Coast reader spotted the colourful article and, a couple of weeks ago, she dropped me a line to see if I’d be interested in writing her coastal-themed story too.
After a great chat with this lovely lady and receiving some of her super photos, I approached Coast to see whether they could find a spot for an article.
Well, the fantastic news is that the Coast editor loves the feature idea and wheels are now in motion to line up a shoot and a more in-depth interview.
Clearly, we’ve got to wait for the weather to brighten up (!) but, when it does, it will be all systems go.
I can’t reveal too many details just yet but, as soon as this hits the pages of Coast, I’ll keep you posted.
Thanks to all the new Facebook likes and Twitter follows. Have a lovely day. 🙂
Forget the rain and snow, and feast your eyes on these exotic images from Harlequin’s vibrant new collection, Jardin Bohème.
Comprising printed fabrics, embroideries and a mix of the two, as well as weaves and wallpapers, Jardin Bohème harnesses a riot of pattern, colour and printing techniques.
The designs were all originally drawn by the Harlequin Studio’s Becky Brown, who employed time-old techniques such as stamp-making, potato-prints and lino-cuts to achieve the desired boho effect.
Becky says: “I wanted to capture the free-spirited, folkloric, ageless elements and going back to basics, such as mark-making and painting freely with strong brushstrokes, enabled me to create these relaxed, hand-drawn motifs.
“I was particularly passionate about using surface-printing for many of the wallpapers too: this gives depth of colour, detail and texture as well as the deliciously hand-painted, not-quite-dry appearance which embodies the collection.”
I’m looking forward to visiting the new Harlequin and Scion showroom at the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour when I’m not snowed under with features. Thanks for the invitation.
For more information view www.harlequin.uk.com
How’s this for a fabulous kitchen? The justifiably proud owner is Rachel Fraser – half of the dynamic duo Fraser & Parsley who sell their own beautiful range of bespoke stationery that’s definitely worth checking out.
Rachel took time out of her busy schedule to be interviewed for the feature that is in the current (March 2014) issue of Beautiful Kitchens.
Creative storage solutions were paramount in this project that involved cleverly transforming a rather garish library into this wonderful space that’s been painted in a sophisticated palette of taupes and greys from Little Greene.
It’s great to see that the magazine has used one of photographer Richard Gadsby’s shots showing Rachel’s wooden wine rack, complete with a neat Fraser & Parsley tag.
Recently, I had the pleasure of chatting to Josie Parsley about her gorgeous house in Kent that’s since been featured in 25 Beautiful Homes.
Both go-ahead businesswomen have been a complete delight to work with – efficient and au fait with the correct stockist information – always a huge bonus for anyone writing about interiors, I can tell you!
The pair’s flair, energy and attention to detail are obvious not only throughout both fabulous homes but also their successful business.