Amy Butler for Graham & Brown

America's answer to Cath Kidston, Amy Butler has been creating a buzz in interior design circles for quite some time now. First there was her bathroom range for John Lewis, involving her signature botanical print on towels and shower curtains, and now there's an exclusive wallpaper collection for Graham & Brown. If you haven't heard of her before, here's what you need to know: Amy is an American print artist based in Ohio. Her work is heavily inspired by the natural world and is characterised by big, bold, colourful prints. Her product range includes fabric, bedding, wallpaper, sewing patterns and more recently, bags and accessories. Her recently launched wallpaper collection for Graham & Brown features six colour palettes (Sunset, Field, Stone, Moss, Midnight and Ocean) and looks a little bit like this.

Temple Tulips from Ocean colour palette

Fountain from Midnight colour palette

Memento from Sunset colour palette

Passion Lily from Field colour palette

Look how good her Lacework wallpaper (from her Moss colour palette) looks in her living room! So pretty!

Image credit: amybutlerdesign.com

If you want to find out more about Amy and what she's up to at the minute check out her website here. Or if you just want to see her wallpaper collection in detail head to Graham & Brown here.

Is it just me or does anyone else think wallpaper is about to have a comeback? Watch this space...

{Images: Graham & Brown, except where stated}

Vintage Homeware on the High Street

If, like me, you find it difficult to get to antique markets, but love vintage homeware then

look no further than today's post! I've scoured the best high street and on-line stores for vintage and vintage-inspired products and can conclude that nobody does it better that Pedlars. Pedlars are a Scottish company who specialise in cool, quirky products. As well as having great modern products they also source real vintage ware from all over the globe, with France, North America and England being the most popular. Although some of these do come with the inevitable hefty price tag, they are most certainly worth it. Take a look at what's currently on offer.

Pedlars are the largest stockists I know of vintage London bus blinds and have such a huge selection. Due to the nature of these vintage products they only have a limited number so if you see something you like, act fast.

Other products they source in bulk are antique globes, lighting (from French street lamps to fishermen's pendants), vintage telephones, tea towels and limited edition posters. Their website is pretty cool too so why not take a look.

As well as Pedlars, other stores to try if you're looking for vintage-inspired pieces would be Graham & Green, Anthropologie, Laura Ashley and Garden Trading. These stores don't have reclaimed and restored originals like Pedlars, but they do have cool modern pieces with a distinctive antique feel. Try Garden Trading for kitchenware, Laura Ashley for bedding and fabric, and Graham & Green and Anthropologie for accessories.

{Images: Pedlars}

Spineless Classics: Alice in Wonderland

Hi guys, just a quick post today as I want to show you a piece of artwork that I've recently discovered.

It's by a company called Spineless Classics who condense a whole book into one gorgeous poster which, with the artfully placed spaces, creates an image relating to the novel. They have a great range including Romeo and Juliet, Gulliver's Travels and Pride and Prejudice, just click on the link to view them. I've also just heard that Spineless Classics will be at the Ideal Home Show this year. I cannot wait to see what new products they have!

{Image: Spineless Classics}

Cox & Cox Spring 2011 Collection

As if I needed an excuse to blog about Cox & Cox, but their Spring 2011 collection is now here so I can show pretty pictures of pretty things to my hearts content! Here's a peek at some of their new products, plus some of their current collection for good measure.

Just look at all those glass bell jars, which, by the way, are really on-trend this season, so pretty! Also in their collection are light garlands, glass votives, barn stars and photo frames.

There's also plenty to keep kids happy with colourful bunting, craft kits, finger puppets, sleeping bags  and apple bookends-there's just something for everyone! To see the full range for yourself click here.

{Images: Cox & Cox}

Emily Peacock Cushions

Hands up who loved Kirstie's Homemade Home? I know I did! A real highpoint of the series for me was discovering textile designer Emily Peacock and her beautifully ornate cushion range. Emily sells her ware as needlework kits which you stitch yourself at home. The kits cost £54.99 for the small size and come with everything you need to guide you through the process, with the end result being a beautiful cushion you made all by yourself (well, sort of). Be warned though the kits only contain the materials needed for the front design-you'll need to buy the cushion padding, backing fabric and pom pom trim yourself.

If cross stitch isn't your cup of tea, I've just discovered these similar cushions launched in Marks and Spencer's Vintage Floral range. No needles required! These cushions are great pick-me-ups for a tired sofa or bed, and are less than £30 each.

Home Cushion £25 from Marks and Spencer

Love Cushion £29.50 from Marks and Spencer

Whilst browsing Emily's website I also uncovered these lovely circus-inspired lettered cushions which I just had to show you as they are just so COOL. What do you reckon?

Check out Emily Peacock's full textile range here which will take you to her website. On here you'll also see work from her recent collaboration with artist Rob Ryan.

ON TREND: Upcycling

All you green-goers out there, rejoice! The latest trend in interior decoration is upcycling and it's going down a treat. The term refers to re-inventing and updating tired objects or pieces of furniture and using it all over again. Companies such as The Old Cinema and Ghost Furniture update and re-sell vintage, retro or even scrap furniture and turn it turn it into something beautiful. Not only is it eco-friendly it also looks rather good. Here's a sample of what's on offer.

Upcycled chair and desk at Ghost Interiors

Peacock Sideboard upcycled at The Old Cinema

Shelving Unit made from US carriage seats at The Old Cinema

Also what's great about this trend is that you can have a go yourself. You can make cushion covers out of old rice sacks, create quirky shelving units out of fruit crates or upcycle old letterpress printer trays as display units. Here are a few pictures for inspiration.

Image credit: redonline.co.uk

Image credit: redonline.co.uk

Image credit: redonline.co.uk

If you fancy upcycling on a larger scale try D&A Binder for ex-medical and ex-museum cabinets that look amazing as wardrobes or sideboards. That's all for today guys, get creative and see you soon.

Oh, I do like to be beside the sea!

Imagine the scene: there's a log fire crackling away, you can hear the crashing of waves outside and the blustery wind is blowing through the beach hut; John Lewis have gone all nautical and I approve! The new collection for Spring showcases the best in rustic seaside charm and includes hurricane lanterns, glassware, anchor cushions, driftwood photo frames and lots of wicker accessories. My favourite pieces are the Bastille lamp, numbered glass jars and wooden utility draws, all of which give a nod to the trend without being gimmicky.

Head over to your nearest John Lewis store or check out their website for some sea-themed inspiration.

{Image: John Lewis}

ON LOCATION: Barcelona

With it being Valentines Day and my birthday last weekend I got to go to Barcelona for a good old city break. It must be said, the boyfriend is good to me! Whilst I was there I found Vinçon, a beautiful interiors shop specialising in quirky homewares with an industrial edge. The store is situated in Eixample, an area famed for its beautiful architecture, and this can certainly be seen from the outside.

Though on the more pricey side, especially on larger pieces of furniture, Vinçon has a great range of products from kitchenware, homeware, lighting, bedding, accessories and children's furniture as well as some novelty items. Here are some of the displays that caught my eye whilst wandering around.

Vinçon has only two stores, one in Barcelona and the other in Madrid.  Though the good news is that they ship to the UK. To see their full range head over to their website. Happy shopping!

{Images: Laura Blanksby, except image 1 from Vinçon}