Lovely Idea

I recently had a newsletter emailed from the people at Papermash and noticed this brilliant idea.

We have just had our little boy's first birthday and wish I had thought to do it then. Use coloured masking tape (in this case gold glittery tape available at Papermash) to create personalised numbers on party cups. Love it!

11am sales on Made.com

If you are fan, like me, of designer furniture but not of the often ridiculous price tags, then check out made.com. There prices are usually very reasonable but over the next 2 weeks they are holding 11am sales with different products reduced everyday. 

I posted a few weeks ago about there Fonteyn Desk and I am crossing my fingers and toes that it appears in the sale, but knowing my luck it won't. Why is it the things you really like never get reduced in the sales?

My favourites so far are the Bergman Cabinet and the Bergman Coffee Table both in Chalk White.

All Images from made.com

Make a little bird house in your soul!

Don't worry I haven't gone crazy and started spouting early nineties song titles. As it's nearly the start of spring, well I thought it was until it started to get cold again, I thought I would do a post about bird houses.

When I sit at the computer in the the dining room I can here an array of lovely birdsong and thought it about time that I bought a home for one of our feathered friends to use. Also as my maternal instinct kicks in (3 months left until baba is here) I'd rather the chicks had somewhere nice to sleep.

1. First up is this pretty example from Cox & Cox. Although it's only for internal use I felt it warranted a mention just on it's design alone.

2. I realise this Duck egg blue bird table from Cox and Cox isn't actually a house but it would look wonderful in any garden and it still allows them some perching space and somewhere for you to leave food.

3. This handmade Caravan birdhouse from Linleywood is so kitsch it's adorable.

4. This Sylvester Bird Box from Suck UK just made me chuckle when I saw it in the recent issue of Living Etc. Such a clever idea!

5. For those of you who love the old Romany gypsy patterns, this tin Eva bird House from Nkuku on Notonthehighstreet is perfect. 

6. For the more modern of you readers this Canopy Series in Birch by StudioLicious on Etsy is very simple and understated. The Branch perch is a nice touch too.

7. Last but not least if you are not wanting something permanent or even fancy a project for the kids then this cardboard birdhouse by garden boutique on notonthehighstreet is great. You could decorate it exactly how you want and don't have to worry about adding to landfill once you're done with it.

Christmas at The Original Pop-Up Shop

I was reading about this wonderful online store The Original Pop Up Shop on HomeShoppingSpy and just had to share it with you.

Based in Newark and started by a mother and daughter team it only open for the 6 weeks running up to Christmas to make use of a usually closed ice-cream parlour. What a brilliant idea. The shop itself is open from the 26th November until the 23rd December and showcases a wonderful array of scandi inspired decorations.

I am particularly in love with this Cardboard Snowflake Wreath and this leaf wreath.

This handmade crochet Snowflake garland is also very pretty.

I wrote about these Hanging Paper snowflakes last year from RE but these mini ones are even sweeter, dot round your house for full festiveness.

This shop also happens to feature the products of one of my favourite greeting card companies Rifle Paper Co.

All images from The Original Pop Up Shop

Designer Window Film

If you're anything like me you will love all things decorative and what better way to spruce up your windows or add privacy through pretty window film. The best designs I've found are on Emma Jeff's website, I particularly liked the Otto design but unfortunately it's sold out. I really fancy something for the front bay window and the bathroom both os these designs would be perfect.

Pearl is also very pretty. They look particularly good on traditional sash windows

Images from Emma Jeffs

Another company that does great designs is Brume. They produce not only plain frosted vinyl cut to any measurement you want but lovely designs such as this Kiss the Cook one which would be great fun for the kitchen.

Image from Brume

Holkham Linseed Paints

I wanted to apologies for not posting much recently, but the house has taken priority.

Well after a long stint redecorating the living room we are finally at a stage of deciding what finish to put on our newly sanded pine floorboards. They look beautiful just as they are but we have found that any type of finish we put on them makes them turn orange. I realise this is because it's pine, but I really can't live with orange floorboards. So as a final option we have ordered some samples of Holkham Linseed Oil Wax from Paint & Paper in clear and grey to see the effects it will have. It is used as a surface protector on unpainted, varnished or painted wooden surfaces, it can apparently be easily applied with a sponge or cloth so sounds perfect but we'll have to wait and see. I'll post the results hopefully this weekend. Love the light limewash effect of the grey.

Images from Holkham Linseed Paints

Front Door Inspiration

Our front door on the new house, needs a bit of an upgrade. Now I obviously don't want to replace the door as this would be incredibly expensive so we are thinking of replacing the two glass panels on the door with a lovely traditional patterned etched glass. So I have been trawling the web for inspiration. Here are a few options that are my faves.

Love the idea of blue green colour with traditional victorian glass panels and the number above the door.

All Images from London Door Company

If you are interested in new glass panels, I found a website artglass where you can buy a number of lovely victorian etched glass panels in made to order sizes.

Images from artglass

Also if you are after numbers for above the door, go to Brume where you can get made to measure window film with your choice of words or numbers which you can apply to the inside of your glass panels. It's a fairly inexpensive way of giving your front door a facelift.

Brita Sweden Rugs

I am in love.....with rugs. Since spotting this image on Pinterest I have been trying to track down a UK stockist of these wonderful reversible soft plastic rugs by Brita Sweden. The only place I have found close is the Scandinavian Design Centre based in Sweden who will ship to the UK. They would make a great runner for the hallway, and because they are plastic are really hard wearing.

All Images from Brita Sweden

Wall Mounted Clipboards

I'm absolutely loving this whole idea for a home office from the Decor8 blog. I think it's the combination of the monochrome palette with hints of hot pink and lime green with the use of a classic Eames chair and trestle table, the whole scheme just works perfectly. These clipboards can be picked up fairly easily from most stationery shops or even online at Amazon.

The white Alex drawer storage units on castors are available from Ikea, you can also find similar trestle bases from Ikea. The Vitra Eames DSW Plastic Chair is available in Basic Dark from Utility Design. 

DSW Chair from Utility Design

Alex Drawer unit from Ikea

I'm now going to have to find a corner in the new house to do this. love it, love it, love it!

New products at Papermash

I had an email newsletter from Papermash showing come of their new products so I thought I would share some of my favourites with you.

1. These brilliant banners would add a chicness to any party.

Party Banners

2. I love these Japanese Masking Tapes you can literally decorate anything with them or even make bunting with them as seen below.

Blue Graph Tape

Green Checked Masking Tape

3. I love these designs by Rifle Paper Co especially the use of vintage colours. I've previously posted about a print I bought from Papermash for my husband for Valentine's day, I'm also very tempted by the Ladybug Print below

Bonjour Notecards

Ladybug Print

Merci Cards

 4. These Paper Cups ares so fun and colourful, I probably wouldn't even use them for parties, looking this good they need to be displayed somewhere!

Numbers Cups

Moo Business Cards

I was talking to an illustrator friend recently and she showed me these fantastic mini business cards she had had printed through Moo. They are half the size of a traditional business card and all the more cute for it! They have a wonderful array of ready made cards or you can submit your own design for them to print at very reasonable prices. You can even have a mix of as many designs as you like so each card is unique. That would make a nice personal touch or you could even do as Nicole of Red Berry Hill has done and use them as product labels.

Images from Red Berry Hill

I particularly like the Fabulous Florals ready made pack, I am quite tempted to get some for myself. They also print regular sized business cards, postcards, greetings cards, stickers and labels. 

Mini Moderns for Magpie

Mini Moderns, the creators of fantastic wallpaper inspired by the 1951 Festival of Britain, have teamed up with homeware brand Magpie to create a selection of mugs, plates, and cups and saucers under the same theme. Using lovely mid-century colours the geometric patterns illustrate London landmarks such as the Royal Festival Hall. Mix and match the colours for an fab eclectic look!

Image from Homes and Gardens

The Lollipop Shoppe

Just wanted to let you all know that The Lollipop Shoppe has an offer available on Eames chairs, If you by 6 Eames plastic chairs you get 2 of them free. I'm not really in a position to take advantage of this offer but some of you may have been waiting for them to come into the sale, so snap up the offer while it's available because it's a huge saving.

Real or Fake?

I freely admit I have an obsession with designer furniture, in particular chairs. However, they are often way out of my meagre budget and I spend forever saving various cheques from generous family members ready for the time when they are on sale.

I'm a true believer in investing in originals, even when my husband can't understand what the difference is between the real one and the copy. But as you start to decorate a house you realise how much even a couple of chairs can add up and how many other things you have to pay for like broken boilers or a leaking roof. I'm not saying I will definitely go out and buy copies, even if they are every good, but I just wanted to point out they are out there.

Bluesuntree apparently make very good reproductions of design classics at a fraction of the price. From the Eames DSW chairs to the Hang it all coat rack they stock pretty much of the classics and many other designs. I am particularly tempted by the marble topped tulip side table, at £150 it's a snip compared to the original, well they do say imitation is the best form of flattery!

Images from Bluesuntree