Lisa Stickley London

Those lovely fellows at Lisa Stickley London are offering us 20% off as a Bank Holiday treat, thank you! Therefore I thought I'd show you some pretty bedlinen which may take your fancy, after all it's a bargain! Also free P+P for orders over £75, even more of a reason to splurge this Bank Holiday Monday.

Fig Daisy, in multi-blues

Paint Palette, in putty

Hankie Flower, in fuchsia

Champs Elysees, in multi-blues

Champs Elysees, in raspberry cake

Hankie Flower, in stone blue

What do you think? The Fig Daisy bedlinen looks beautiful on that tarnished wrought iron bed. But all are lovely for adding a quick burst of vibrant colour to your bedroom. Prices are around £68 for a double duvet cover and £24 for a set of two pillow cases. Take off the lovely discount and you've got yourself a blooming lovely deal!

Happy shopping and have a lovely day off.

{Images: Lisa Stickley London}

Sweet Pastels at Ikea

What a fine Friday morning it is here! The sun is streaming through the windows and I am up and about at a very reasonable hour (very unlike me). Just the perfect time to share with you some beautifully styled images from those lovely people at Livet Hemma, Ikea's sister site. I have blogged before about how inspired I am by Livet Hemma, so many ideas, tips, photos and all the latest product news. Their latest editions, below, just make me love them more.

Today's images are very 'me' indeed. A backdrop of white, brightened up by fresh colours in the bedlinen, flowers and vintage pieces. Note the lovely wooden stool and pale pink lace shirt.
These sets really remind me of the styling by Atlanta Bartlett and Dave Coote in their book Pale & Interesting, which I bought just a couple of weeks ago. So relaxed and calm, but with an overriding vintage feel. Lots of neutrals, whites, greys, pastels brought to life with a flash of colour in the soft furnishings. It's a great ideas book, get one if you don't have it already.

But back to today, key pieces from Livet Hemma's room set are the white SOCKERÄRT vase (also available in blue), the KAJSA BLAD bedlinen and the STYRSÖ simple white wire tables which come in a set of three.

{All images: Livet Hemma}

Etsy Find: Alice Potter

If you're looking for some original artwork to brighten up your walls, look no further than today's post. The illustrator and designer Alice Potter has some beautiful prints available through her Etsy shop and website. Alice is inspired by the natural world and has lots of pretty birds, animals and flowers in her colourful illustration and print-based work. This 'Secret Deer' print is my absolute fave...

*Swoon*

Next up are her popular animal illustrations; the wolves are the most popular, but I'm loving that little red fox down there! There is just so much detail in the prints, and the creative use of colour make the animals so endearing. Who wouldn't love a lilac wolf?

Alice also has a great collection of printed greeting cards which are just far too good to send. They really are like mini works of art. Below are snap-shots of the card with a detail of the print next to it. You really can appreciate how intricate the pattern is when you see them close up. The yellow buttercups in the first photo really get me thinking of summer, so happy and bright.

1. Buttercups greeting card, £2.00
2. Spring greeting card (green), £2.00

3. Spring greeting card (blue), £2.00
4. Murder of Crows greeting card, £2.00

Who would you send one to?
Now I've saved the best 'til last with this next picture. Available as a 8'x11' print , this cheeky blue bear can be yours for just eight British pounds! What a bargain for such an adorable illustration.  

Ah, I'm happy now, seeing that blue polar bears face has really brightened my day. If you take a look at Alice's Etsy shop keep an eye out for the badger print, he's a cutie too! Hope you have a lovely Thursday folks x

New Wallpaper at Anthropologie

Anthropologie, you've done it again! This time it's wallpaper and I am loving all the latest instalments.

I must say, I have never really been a fan of wallpaper. I'm definitely more of a minimalist type of girl. I'm all white walls, wooden floors (I'd have them white too if I was brave enough!) and clean lines. But then the wonderful Amy Butler went and designed a LOVELY series of wallpapers for Graham & Brown, and I was warming to the idea at an alarming rate. And now this! I'm now seriously considering a papered feature wall in my bedroom behind my bed. Trust me folks, this is a BIG step for me! My favourite from the Anthropologie collection is the Blazing Poppies paper, top left, but I don't think I'm ready for such strong colours yet. The lovely monochrome butterfly wallpaper, bottom right, might be the perfect stepping stone for me. I love the 'hidden' butterflies, and the purple accent colour is perfect. This paper is a little pricey though as it has temperature settings embedded in it- basically as the temperature rises, hidden motifs in the pattern emerge. Fun.

If you're a bit cautious of wallpaper, I had a great idea on how you can introduce it into your home without going whole hog and covering your whole room. Why not cut out sections of the paper, and frame them in pretty frames to hang on your wall? What I thought would be lovely for this is the super-pretty Painted Owl paper.

These would look lovely placed side by side, maybe two or three together, on a bedroom wall. What do you think?
If, however, you're not a scaredy cat (!), here are some more designs which would look great as either a feature wall or throughout the room.

What style are you? Do you love colour and pattern? Or do you prefer more pared down neutrals? Would love to know if you have any wallpapered feature walls, I'd love to feature them on here. And I could also do with a bit of inspiration for my own bedroom wall!

Wallpapers from top: Blazing Poppies, Coral Forest, Cranesbill Castle, Hide and Seek; Painted Owl; Colour Flight, Are You Being Served, Lady of the Manor, Barking Mad.


{Images: Anthropologie}

If you buy one thing this summer...

Finding suitable garden furniture is such a difficult task. Will it be waterproof, windproof, look pretty, fit in your garden? So many issues need addressing! Therefore I have given up, and am just buying one piece of garden furniture this summer: this deckchair from Burford Garden Company.  It's easily portable, in case it rains, stylish and comfortable. What more could you ask for?

And it has strawberries on! The chair is made by designers Thornback & Peel and features a solid hardwood frame and 100% cotton sling. If strawberries aren't your thing, there is a lovely Rabbit and Cabbage print chair too. Both are £130, much cheaper than forking out for a whole set of table and chairs don't you think? Anyone who wants to join me in the garden will just have to buy their own chair.

{Image: Burford Garden Co}

Hilda Grahnat's Swedish Home

Today I want to share with you some inspiring photographs of Hilda Grahnat's beautiful home in Malmö, Sweden. Hilda, who took these lovely photos herself, is a 24 year-old photographer, blogger, artisan and graphic design student based in Sweden. Her home is a mixture of thrift store finds, vintage pieces and handmade objects. Get ready to be inspired.

Beautiful, don't you think? Hilda has this amazing ability to display objects, she makes ordinary things seem beautiful and interesting. Ornaments, books, and her quirky collection of clocks are all displayed in such an artful, aesthetically pleasing way. I also love how she has used the natural light to enhance her rooms and things in them.

The same bright, colourful style is used continuously throughout her home, from the bold globe in the sitting room, to the brightly coloured bread bins in the kitchen. Very retro, but modern at the same time. Below are some close-ups showcasing her inventive and playful storage ideas. I absolutely LOVE her coat-hanger 'wardrobe' for her glasses. Such a fun idea!

So many beautiful photographs! If you want to see more of Hilda's home, please go to her Flickr page where there are hundreds of lovely photos!
Hilda also makes pretty clocks out of vintage books (you can see one of these displayed on her bookshelf above) which you can buy via her blog. Here is a selection of my favourites:

Very retro. As well as these vintage clocks, Hilda also sells one-off prints and tote bags, have a look at her shop here.


{All Images: Hilda Grahnat}

ON TREND: Fade-Out Furniture

Dip-dye furniture seems to be catching my eye everywhere I look this month. Take a look at Ercol's classic Love Seat which has been updated with a striking blue dip-dye effect. The timeless design is brought back to life in a really modern and beautiful way. I love how the timber, the signature Ercol material, seems to emerge from the blue dye. Very pretty.

As well as Ercol embracing the dip-dye trend, Berlin-based designer Judith Seng has a gorgeous collection of dip-dye furniture from her TRIFT range. These pieces are wooden logs which are lacqured in high gloss paint on only one side, making them look run- down and giving them an almost 'unfinished' feel. The result is an impossibly beautiful piece of furniture.

I love how the paint seeps into the grooves of the wood, creating a beautiful and natural pattern. The cracks and splinters in the wood also add to the 'unfinished' and decayed feel of these. My favourite is the bright yellow, high gloss small stool below.

These are mainly used as stools and tables, but Judith has also created some more abstract pieces which are purely for decorative purposes. Judith exhibits her collections worldwide, but you can also see her collections on her website, Judith Seng. 

{Images: judithseng.de}

9 of the Best... Cushions

Being spurred on from winning three Laura Ashley cushions today (I know, how exciting!), I have put together my picks of the best cushions around at the minute. Those of you who are regular readers of my blog will know that I love a good cushion so it has taken me a very long time to whittle it down to just nine, so I hope you like my selections! If not, I'm sure a cushion or two may feature in future posts!

1. Lemon cushion, Jonathan Adler
2. Sanderson 150th Anniversary Advert cushion, John Lewis
3. Vintage Floral cushion, Marks & Spencer
4. Owl cushion by Donna Wilson for John Lewis
5. Pink Seaweed cushion, Natural History
6. Poivre Noir cushion, H & M
7. Skull and Crossbones, John Lewis
8. Bad Egg cushion by Craig Fellows for Not on the High Street
9. Sunlight Through Leaves cushion, Ella Doran

Wow, that took a LOT of condensing; I could have easily featured about 50 cushions here! Though I must admit I had a lot of fun researching!
I do think cushions are a great tool for updating your space, at such a low cost and low effort too. They can completely alter the feel of a room. They can add humour, add femininity, add warmth or create a certain edgy-ness to your space. For example the skull and crossbones may look a bit severe on its own, but pared with a white sofa and maybe a pale pink throw it adds a much needed darker feel. And vise-versa, a floral cushion will look great in a minimalist room.

For those of you who are interested in which Laura Ashley cushions I won today, click here. I won them through the blog Style Made Simple, which is running another competition soon so keep checking for updates!

I do hope you like my top picks, would love to know if you have any favourites!

Wood and Wool Stool

Damn, I wish I could crochet! After discovering Netherlands-based Ingrid Jansen and her company Wood and Wool Stool, it has completely re-ignited my creative spirit. Ingrid started her company in 2008 after a crochet stool she made for her home became increasingly popular. She began making custom-made stools for other people, and this eventually grew into an international business. The product list has been steadily increasing and now includes pillows, blankets, clothes-hangers, garlands, wooden signs and wooden Christmas trees. All of the wood Ingrid uses is recycled, giving the stools a nice distressed, lived-in feel which contrasts beautifully with the crochet wool on the top, especially on the delicate white ones.

These white ones below are my favourites. The photos are so beautiful too!

If you're more of a colourful type there are so many for you to choose from. There is literally every colour you could hope for!

Don't you just love the fact that the wood is so worn? The peeling paint, holes, and mix-matched coloured planks really give the stool great character.
 
Below is a selection of Wood and Wool Stool's other products.

The wooden Christmas tree is really novel don't you think? Such a great idea if you are short of space in your living room. They come in all sizes too if you prefer a larger one.
Ingrid's website can be found here, and why not check out her blog too for all the latest news and pics!

Right, I'm off to ask my mum to teach me this lovely craft, I will let you know how I'm getting on!

{Images: Wood and Wool Stool}