35 The Strand, Deal

I rather fell in love with the wonderful seaside town of Deal when I visited at Christmas time and I am already looking forward to planning a return trip. This was made all the more imminent when I got a copy of Keepers Cottages newsletter welcoming a new property to their books – 35 The Strand. It is just along the road in Walmer, overlooking the sea and sporting some rather gorgeous interior decor. I love the mixture of clean neutral walls with big hits of colour and the relaxed homely feel that has been created. It is lovely to see a holiday home that has had some real love and attention lavished on it. I think it is time for a little holiday by the sea – don’t you?

              

Read Full Post »

Gorgeous Suffolk

As a true East Anglia fan, I am ashamed to say that until last week, I had only fleetingly visited the Suffolk coast and I am delighted to report that I not only had a wonderful week in this beautiful county but I also uncovered some new treasures on the interiors front, and visited some old favourites.

My first find was Smoke and Fire in Darsham who make the most beautiful and creative tiles. Their decorative tiles are real works of art and I love the delicate colours of their plain tiles. I would highly recommend a visit to their showroom where the tiles are also made.

Two of my favourite lighting companies are based in Suffolk and I took the opportunity to visit both. The first is Bella Figura who have a head office and small showroom in Melton (their main showroom is in Chelsea Harbour) where they make their lighting, using glass brought over from Italy. The products are gorgeous and it was amazing to see the workshop and a selection of some of the new chandeliers that will not disappoint.

The other lighting company that I love and we have worked with for a long time is Jim Lawrence who have a fantastic showroom in Hadleigh that displays almost every product they have. They have more recently expanded into other homeware including fabrics, furniture and accessories and although it is generally their lighting that catches my eye, I couldn’t resist their new scented candle (pink pepper and green mandarin) which is delicate and delicious.

Woodbridge is a town that is really worth a visit and I made two brilliant discoveries there – the first was 10 Church Street which is a wonderful interiors shop selling a carefully selected mix of tasteful and stylish furniture, soft furnishings and accessories. Some of their products are on their website so it is worth keeping an eye on what they have in stock www.10churchstreet.co.uk

The second is a delightful business run by three sisters called Sant Studio which sells jewellery, textiles and home accessories. Everything in this delicious shop was tempting but the jewellery really caught my eye and they have just a few items on their website, although you really need to visit to see how lovely the stock is.

Last but not least is the fantastic Thorpeness Emporium – we were based in Thorpeness (which is lovely) so we visited almost everyday for a browse at the antiques and a cup of delicious coffee in the cafe. They also had an exhibition of gorgeous prints by a local artist called Liz Clark and if you are modernist or retro style inclined, these might appeal. I thought they were lovely.

I am now back and hard at work – customers of Angel and Blume will be pleased to hear – but I will be going back to the Suffolk coast as soon as I can, I am a convert!

Read Full Post »

A touch of splendour

Besides the dinner table, the Christmas tree is the centrepiece to the Christmas holiday, and for me the act of decorating it marks the point when the festive celebrations truly begin. This old tradition is an activity to be enjoyed and most importantly a chance to go all out on splendiferous décor.  There are many gorgeous treats and trinkets on the high street to decorate your tree with, but sorting through the good from the bad can be a bit of a trial. So, for anyone on the look out for some new tree accessories, here are a few cherry-picked examples to offer some inspiration.

Christmas Berry Bauble Decoration and Gold Geometric Christmas Bauble

Large Drop Christmas Bauble – Silver and Feather Christmas Decoration – Natural.

Crackled Heavy Glass Bauble – Smoke Lustre and Set of 2 Pink Card Decorations.

Rockett St George’s bauble collection is gorgeous, and they have anything you could wish from beautiful paper honeycomb balls to elegant glass pinecone drops.

I am a huge fan of Klaus Haapaniemi’s superbly illustrated textiles and prints, so was delighted to see they have released some designs especially for the Christmas season. When opened these quirky creatures have paper honeycomb bodies.

Bat Card Decoration and Spider Card Decoration from Klaus Haapaniemi.

Heal’s have an extensive range of Christmas decorations, including these bright pink and gold leaf apple and pear baubles. They might not be to everyone’s taste, but they are certainly fun and original.

Berry Apple with Gold Leaf from Heal’s.

Cute and amusing, these fantastic laser cut greetings cards from Hus and Hem, can be popped out and bent into shape, forming adorable Christmas decorations that would look great on a tree.

Folding Star Cedar Wood Motif and Reindeer Cedar Wood Motif Postcards from Hus and Hem.

 

Coral and Tusk have transformed some of their lovable designs into Christmas decorations.

Badger with Mistletoe Ornament and Reindeer with Bells Ornament form Coral and Tusk.

If you are going for the simple, elegant look, Toast does a great range of tasteful glass and ceramic coloured baubles.

Large & Small Damascene Baubles and Teardrop Damascene Baubles from Toast.

Etoile velvet Ribbon from Anthropologie.

Icicles vintage tinsel from Heal’s.

Some lovely red ribbon, sparkly tinsel and an Angel are all that’s needed to finish it off. Happy tree decorating everyone!

This blog first appeared on the Cambridge Evening News website. 

Read Full Post »

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from everyone at Angel + Blume!

Hope you have a lovely relaxing break. We will be back in the office Tuesday 26th April.

Image Credit: John Lewis

Read Full Post »

A beautiful coastal retreat – book your escape now

Booking a holiday in the UK? We can highly recommend this beautiful property literally on the beach and with Angel and Blume interiors to boot! Located in Rhosneigr in Anglesey, it is the perfect escape for a family or group of friends.

We designed the interior of this property three years ago when it was built on the plot of an old family property and it has all the mod cons you could possibly need. If you love UK beach holidays, you won’t find a better location or a more luxurious house than this one. See more at Rhosneigrbeach.

Read Full Post »