Superfront

Dress up your IKEA units with an awesome choice of door fronts, handles, legs, tops and sides from brand new Swedish design company Superfront. The pieces are made to fit Pax, Besta and Faktum units adding a little extra something to make them look a little less 'IKEA'. The prices aren't really reflective of an IKEA budget but still...I'm loving the brass 'circus' handles and the 'tribute' door fronts.

via @moregeous

Lyon & Turnbull Interiors Auction

Tomorrow (Saturday 6th April 2013), Edinburgh auctioneers, Lyon & Turnbull are holding their second of a new regular sale entitled 'Interiors'. As the name suggests, the sale will include a variety of different high quality objects, including art and furniture, from all different eras, at 'affordable prices'.
It's definitely worth a visit, if only to experience the excitement of an auction but especially if you're looking for a statement piece. There are some real gems.
I've picked out my favourites from the catalogue which, I've just realised, appear to be solely representative of my mid century attraction at present. Don't be misled...there are objects for all tastes!

The full catalogue is available to view online here.

Dare Studios

I'm guilty of defaulting to Scandinavian or US sources for inspiration and key interior features or unusual furniture pieces and accessories, all too often. As a keen supporter of local and UK designers, I'm vowing to discover and share lots of home grown talent this year.
Take a look at this beautiful hand made furniture from Dare Studios based in Brighton. With a nod to mid century modern design and a firm grasp on current trends, Dare have produced some beautifully crafted, statement pieces. The wire based tables are also available in brass and copper and I've fallen for this marble topped, steel framed, 'strand' side table.

If you are, or know of any great UK designers/makers whose work you think I'd like, please get in touch via the 'about me' page, facebook or twitter. I'd love to hear from you...and if I love your work I'll share it here...

Artist Nina Pohl's home, Berlin

This colour combination isn't the most obvious but isn't it pretty? These photographs were taken in November  2012, by Tod Selby, but even with the flat light of that time of year it still looks fresh and bright. I don't even know what that wall colour is but I love that it's continued through the entire space. Too much of it on its own and the space could look a little like a hospital but the pink sofa (awesome!!) and pops of dark blue are a perfect contrast. Some serious inspiration can be drawn from this place. The Selby does it again!

via The Selby

Three's A Crowd Pleaser /// Leather

Following on from my first post of 2013, here's another trend prediction for this year: Leather. It's a fairly timeless texture but little hints of it, faux and real, will be rife this year. This chiffon blouse with faux black leather collar and pocket details is so pretty but I'd love to get my hands on that mirror (check out this DIY clock version). That day bed's tubular steel base adds an industrial element covering another trend for this year...bonus! I've mostly seen black PVC and leather popping up everywhere but I'm a sucker for this more natural tan hue.

mirror / blouse / day bed

My Stylin'

Last week I set up a couple of little corners in two very different spaces for a feature I've been asked to do about the trends for the new year for Edinburgh's property paper. One little corner was in my flat and the other was in The Last Word Saloon. I had lots of fun styling the shots with photographer, Rachel Hein, and the results are better than I'd expected so I'm pretty excited about seeing them, in print, in January.

I borrowed the cushions, the red 'birdie' lamp and that beautiful, white metal framed side table from Catalog in Stockbridge; my new favourite shop. It was very difficult to give that table back...my living room is a lesser place without it. I have notified Santa...

The little art deco table with blue painted top was borrowed from Cherubim, a great little gallery on St Stephen Street with an ever changing stock of interesting upcycled furniture for sale. It's always worth a visit for an unusual statement piece.

The antlers were visiting my flat from The Last Word and the rest of the stuff is mine...received as gifts, bought, found or inherited over the years. 

I promise to share the final shots and pictures of the feature when it's been printed but in the meantime here's a sneaky peak of how the day went from behind the scenes.

If you reeeeaaaaally can't wait you can see some of the shots here. 

Main photograph by Rachel Hein, the rest were taken by me.

Simple, Beautiful Shelving

Simple, beautiful shelving by Muller Van Severen. The site is definitely worth a look...their work only gets better. 

via I Love Belgium

OBJECT

Visit this shop. Just don't look at the prices. (unless you can afford to...and if so, enjoy!)

OBJECT via Amanda Rodriguez

Kathryn Tyler

I know this has done the rounds on the internet and on repeats of Grand Designs for quite some time but I had to get it out of my head and into a post. 

Kathryn Tyler is a talented, young British interior designer who had the opportunity to build Corkellis House, her dream home, on the land at the bottom of her parents' garden in Falmouth. If you missed it on Grand Designs, I recommend you watch it or wait for it to be repeated. It's a pretty inspiring episode. The layout is simple and functional. Kathryn's office has an extensive design library and vintage mustard boardroom chairs, sourced on ebay, around a large table. Next to the office is the open plan kitchen and dining space with the sunken living room separated by a built in shelving unit. Obviously influenced by Scandinavian design and mid century architecture, the house is beautiful inside and out. 

image source

Rattattaaaaan!

Ok, so I know that our summer so far hasn't got anyone in the mood for garden furniture but I've seen some pretty funky rattan about recently...none so funky as the Marni collection, however. Trademark colour blocking in this summer's super hot hues mixed up with mid-century shapes...Marni have nailed it! It's a rattan revival! Seriously though, these chairs are part of a project; they're made by Colombian prisoners as part of a rehabilitation programme. Find out more here.

image from Anticamera (issue *2), Marni's online magazine

Project Upcycle...

I have a couple of little furniture refurb projects awaiting my attention, cluttering up the flat. I know what I want to do with them but finding the space and the time with the baby around is proving a little challenging. Whenever I need a little motivation boost I take a look at Trash; Edinburgh based designer Caroline Key's site packed full of brilliantly renovated furniture projects. Her pieces are a little bit different, from the run of the mill before and after projects you see. Caroline works with bold colours and geometric patterns, often letting the original wood finish shine through, producing a pretty spectacular result...

I might just give in and send my furniture her way....

Neon Shapes...

Combining 2 current trends and bringing you brighter than bright triangles...

Farmhouse Chair | Riley shoulder bag | Lileth Enamel Bangle | Playnation Cushion | Spear Vase | Trio Print | Tutti Frutti Mug

A Coloured-in Council House

This unrecognisable council house, in Hackney, is owned by artist Francis Upritchard and her furniture designer husband Martino Gamper. The colourful home is full of inspiring and sculptural bits and pieces, with little stories. That parquet floor (not generally native in council housing), for example, was given to the couple as a wedding gift. The friends, who gifted it, inscribed their names in some of the pieces, and helped them lay it.
It just goes to show that with lots of creative imagination and some hard work, anything is possible...

If you've got 5 minutes to spare, the story of the impressive transformation is detailed here.

Sofa Seduction

The super-talented Ditte Isager does it again with these photographs of this Jaime Hayon for Fritz Hansen sofa; Favn. The colours are gorgeous, the photography is stunning but that sofa steals the show.
Did you just hear that?! That blue one just asked to come home with me...!

photography by Ditte Isager

Door to Desk

This here is championship level recycling. Beautiful.

available here

Mixing it up

This home is very close to mine...geographically. If only it was close to looking like mine...
A veritable feast of styles and influences placed side by side resulting in a very stylish and comfortable family home. The contemporary, spine-like staircase and extension with circular glazed door leading to the garden has a grown up, art deco feel. It contrasts, beautifully, with the original Georgian building which, again, contrasts with the eclectic mix of mid century classics, far east artefacts and an abundance of art, photography and sculpture inside. The perfect example of letting your home evolve with you as you collect the things you love. Perfect.

 Images from Location Scotland

Love from Lebanon

Beirut design company, Bokja is made up of Hoda Baroudi and Maria Hibri. A passion for classic furniture and textiles from countries along The Silk Road results in these beauties! Although the company has existed since 2000,  I first came across them in Merci, on our trip to Paris last year. I'm a sucker for a modern classic but in these patterned woven fabrics?...yes please!

images are from here and here

Ochre Lovliness

I don't think there's anything I don't like from Ochre...and in September they brought new nuggets of pretty to the market.

Yes, please. That's all.
Images from Ochre

Wary Mears Wares

I've blogged about this creative couple before. Wary Mears are an upcycling phenomenon! Their projects are pretty awesome...
If you happen to find an old canoe or an Eames chair in a skip, why not give it a wee spruce up with a pattern, hand painted on, inspired by British textile designer, Celia Birtwell?
'Naturally', I hear you say...

...whatever you do to them you probably wouldn't expect them to look as cool as this...and you'd probably never think to hang them from the ceiling in you Portland apartment...well, I wouldn't anyway.
Found on Wary Mears' blog

Brutalist Seating

This sofa is described as 'brutalist'. I can't decide if I like it...the garish red velvetine, the floating gap base, the gaudy metal detail...I don't think it would deal with dog hair and baby puke very well, but it's pretty awesome...and brutal.

available from Talisman London