Friday Interiors-Butterflies

Prepare to be smitten by the wonderful

 butterflies 

introduced by 

Tricia Guild in the Autumn 2016 collections

They go by the names of

SIBYLLA 

A beautifully drawn evocation of a summer cottage garden with a plethora of flowers and the occasional butterfly. An elegant floral fabric printed on cool, crisp pure cotton, perfect for curtains, blinds, cushions and bedcovers and durable enough for loose covers and upholstery. It comes in two colourways and it is absolutely opulent and gorgeous.

CHARONDA

Exquisitely drawn butterfly specimens, delicately coloured and printed on crisp, cool cotton. A perfect fabric for curtains, blinds, cushions and bedcovers and durable enough for loose covers and upholstery, it is vailable in three colourways

ISSORIA

This is the Charonda butterfly design in reduced scale, printed on fabulous smooth cotton velvet, perfect for elegant curtains, blinds, cushions and bedcovers and durable enough for loose covers and upholstery.

Watch this lovely video where 

Tricia Guild 

describes her newest collection

I Love it!

xoxo

Rena

British Whimsy

There is something so cheerful about 

London

The colours seem brighter

and the whimsical views are everywhere.

I love all things Victorian.

 I love all things that are respected memories of a glorious past that live on and inspire the present.

A touch and more of Greek inspiration for glory.

Where I received my degree from the hands of Princess Royal

I love this room. Modern cozy.

Picture perfect.

Sweet delight!

The Ampersand Hotel

South Kensington

England

Betty Boyns Country & Vintage Designs

 

 

Betty Boyns have added to their gorgeous ‘Country Girl’ collection with a new design ‘Goosie Goosie’ and complimentary spotted fabric in Stone and Duck Egg Blue.
‘I’ve always adored Geese, they’re so bossy, bold and noisy. My aunt had a trio called Huey, Dewey and Louie, she would have to protect herself with a flat sheet of metal that she would shield them off whenever she put out the washing, ' says Betty Boyns designer Paula Nicholls.

The soft muted greys and blues work beautifully with the décor of country kitchens or French interiors. Printed in the UK on 100% cotton ‘Goosie Goosie’ is available in fabric, oilcloth, aprons, tea towels, tea cosies and oven gloves.‘The ‘Country Girl’ collection has been created to slip seamlessly into your home but bringing with it a twinkle of Cornish humour and charm with colours drawn from winter mornings to summer evenings.’Betty Boyns launched their design company in January of 2011 specialising in UK made and designed fabrics, kitchen Linens and soft furnishings. You can see the full range at www.bettyboyns.co.uk

The 2013 collection ‘Country Girl’ is inspired by designer, Paula Nicholls, experience of her family’s beautifully tended gardens and small holdings in the far west of Cornwall. Using a palette of 4 colours and 3 designs she has created a unique desirable range. The collection was launched this February and we now stock some of the most prestigious outlets in the west country and wider UK. A new design ‘Goosie Goosie’ and complimentary spots is launched at the end of April 2013.

Betty Boyns fabrics are printed in Manchester and are available as fabric and oilcloth by the metre, and also as charming readymade cushion covers, tea cosies, aprons, tablecloths, napkins and tea towels.

 

Based in the fishing village of Newlyn, in the far west of Cornwall, Betty Boyns produces beautiful, Country and vintage inspired fabrics, cushions, aprons, table linens, wrapping paper and greetings cards.

 

Everything they produce is sourced, printed and manufactured in the UK and Cornwall.

 

                               Betty Boyns designer, Paula Nicholls, studied art at Falmouth School of Art, then moved to Bristol to work first as a journalist, then an events organiser. Eventually, however, she could no longer resist returning to Cornwall and, ‘determined to do something arty’, she started a card company, Art Cards Cornwall, featuring paintings by local artists. It was an immediate success, and Paula branched first into prints and then, spotting a gap in the market for vintage-style wrapping paper and fabric, set up Betty Boyns – named after her mother.

 

In doing so she is following a family tradition in the fabric industry – her father, uncle and grandfather all worked for the renowned Crysede Textiles (later Cresta Silks) who supplied Libertys, in St Ives in the Thirties, Forties and Fifties. Betty Boyns launched in 2009 and the first shop, in St Ives opened in 2010.

Her home: India Knight

There are people, ladies, to be exact, that reign lovingly in my heart. 

Ines de la Fressange is one. 

India Knight is one. 

Edith Piaf is one. 

I have written about author India Knight's home before.

I absolutely love her style, her point of view, her writing. 

My Life on a Plate will remain forever on top of my list of feel-good reads, and I highly recommend it.
Neris and India's Idiot-Proof Diet: A Weight-Loss Plan for Real Women  is amazingly encouraging ang liberating from guilt and feelings of inadequacy.
Her latest work Comfort and Joy: A Novel sits on my "Dear Santa" list.

So you understand that I was thrilled to find that Red magazine features an interview and a home tour .

Pricelessly personal and very contemporary British. 

Very much what makes my heart sing.

What's more the article is on-line (thank you, Red!)

and I can indulge in my love of Ms. Knight's propos recueillis.

OKA' s new ethnic styles

In our home, we like simple lines. We also integrate more than a touch of ethnic.

First because we have a collection of items inherited by assorted relatives, passed down to us. Living outside Greece makes you crave Greek folklore, from the mundane to the kitch to the elaborate.

Second, both my husband and myself are keen on Greek folk culture, music and dance, and that gives us an extra reason to appreciate area rugs, woodcarvings and religious icons that we have taken with us from place to place.

Now how can this kind of object integrate with simplicity and modern spaces?
Let me give you the perfect example in my book.

OKA is a British company that does just that. 

I appreciate the simplicity and balance, the richness and originality of their collections, which result in an unmistakably trademark style.

Mainly planes, lots of creams, a lot of rattan and natural fibres, and many green, red and blue accents in the form of pillows and lovely ethnic throws, lamps and decorative items.

This season, OKA have taken a step towards more colourful interiors, with more daring colour combinations, such as orange and turquoise, très à la mode.

I love the chinese laquer chairs and the striped stool.

Check also some more girly and cosmopolitan styles introduced this year.

They are more light hearted and pastel coloured, but still very OKA!

I quite like this home office. It is feminin and exotic.

All in all a very charming collection.

See more styles on line at 

OKA

Cabbages & Roses Interview and Giveaway

I have loved Cabbages and Roses forever. I like their paired down take on the romantic, and the wonderful eclectic feel of their landscapes, interiors, people and gardens.

I just read the interview that Christina Strutt, the founder of Cabbages and Roses gave to Shellagh of Ticking and Toile and I wanted to share it with you. Part I is here, Part II is here. Great advice and tips. Lovely read, so don't miss it!

There is also a giveaway you may enter for the Cabbages and Roses new book.

Click on either interview links above to join!

Decorating with maps

I have wanted to put together a post about maps in decoration for ages. In our shop we stock some wonderful antique school maps that I also meant to put here, too, and I shall, at some point! I promise to post some more pictures from my files next week. For the week end I am posting this picture that I scanned from the lo-ve-ly March issue of Country Living.

Bon Weekend!

Anglomania-the flag pillow

 

 

 

{Credit: Vintage Pleasure ~ Marmalade Rose ~ Posy }

Polka dot Aga

I love-love-love this limited edition Aga customised by Emma Bridgewater. It is part of Aga's celebrations to mark its 300 year. Perfect!

Like it? Test drive it!

Have you ever gotten stuck on a nice home, someone else's home from an interiors magazine or another blog?
I bet you have, because I have, too. Yet you are not quite sure the style is for you. Well, if you are willing to drive to London you can test-drive the style. Spend a week in the house of your choice (see and shop, too) and then you'll know.

Yes, these properties exist and can be rented at reasonable prices through Ivy Lettings. Do let me know if there are similar schemes you know of in your country!

Home style tips from Kelly Hoppen

South Africa born Kelly Hoppen is one of the best-known British interior designers, whose clients include Gwyneth Paltrow, Anthony Hopkins, Jude Law and the Beckhams.


(Picture from Maison et Objet Paris)
Ms. Hoppen was recently awarded an MBE for services to interior design. She is the author of Kelly Hoppen Style: The Golden Rules of Design, East Meets West: Global Design for Contemporary Interiors, Table Chic: Ideas and Themes for Creative Tables.

Her latest book is Kelly Hoppen Home, where she explores the entire process of creating a home that meets the clients needs.

My personal favorite though is In Touch: Texture in Design where she explains the introduction of a textual dimension in the home. The book also features a directory profiling the key characteristics of different textures along with care advice.

Now to the high chic thrift tips:





(picture source: unknown)
"Her ensembles are known for their fabulous floral displays, but Hoppen’s favourite cheap-chic trick is to buy fake flowers. She produces some faux hydrangeas. The stems are snipped off, leaving the soft flower heads, which, piled into a square glass vase, look elegant and oriental. Then she places single flowers into tiny globe vases".

Indeed, talk of hydrangeas, fake or real, allows Hoppen to blossom and open up. They take her back to her grandmother’s flower garden — Stone House, just outside Cape Town — which she says is her inspiration. She describes it as “a safe haven”, a home layered over years, put together “with patience and love” — an effect she strives for. In particular, she treasures memories of her grandmother’s gorgeous fabric combinations: suedes, chenilles, velvets, leathers.

(Pillows: Kelly Hoppen)
These textures are a staple of Hoppen’s style, and, she says, adding a contrasting fabric can be part of a cost-effective makeover. “There are lots of things you can do to revamp a home inexpensively,” she says. “You can uplift cushions with bands of fabric.”

Heaving out a roll of French espadrille canvas and a silver-grey velvet cushion, she suggests alternating between canvas in summer and velvet bands in winter.

(Picture credit:cox and cox)
For maximum effect on a shoestring, she suggests a mix of freestanding lights, table lamps and candles. “The more lighting you have, the more choice you have about creating a mood.”

(Picture credit: Paula Prass)
Another top tip is to use vegetables as decoration. We sit at a table loaded with artichokes, aubergines and limes from nearby Portobello market, placing them in glass cylinders and globes to produce instant, opulent textures and colour.

Finally, Hoppen lays eight polished red apples on a square black plate, with a gap, bottom right, where a ninth would complete the square. “Any reason you’re not using nine apples?” I ask. “Yes. Because they brought me eight,” Hoppen says.

Read full article here. Visit Kelly Hoppen here.