Sweet dreams

One of the great pleasures in life, I believe, is really good bed linen and fresh sheets each and every day (not orchestrated by me) would certainly be near the top of my list following a spectacular lottery win. Slipping between very beautiful sheets not only helps towards a good night’s kip, it also makes you feel like a princess (or prince of course) and that in my book is pretty important.

I love this bedding from The Linen Works as you get the great feel of linen without the need to iron – the whole look is relaxed and feels better the more it is used. I also think it looks great when you mix the colours up – here is Parisian Blue and Cassis Rose – divine!

Silk bedlinen is not to be confused with nasty nylon. Silk is not only good for regulating body temperature, it is also regarded as a youth preserver as it does not absorb moisture from the skin and so helps to prevent aging. This beautiful 100% silk bedlinen from Ginger Lily is also fabulously glamorous.

What’s not to love about a bed strewn with flowers and ferns and this delightful bedlinen from Designers Guild adds colourful femininity to a bedroom in a fresh sophisticated way.

Flannelette has had a very bad press in the past as somewhat of a passion killer but let me tell you, that is not true. Flannelette is soft and inviting and perfect for snuggling up in, especially when it is chilly. This wonderful Chamonix bedlinen is from Cologne and Cotton and is shown here is single but more importantly is available in double.

Contemporary interiors can also take a little pattern and colour, if applied in a considered way, and this teasel design from the Secret Linen Store hits the mark creating a smart and luxurious feel.

Marimekko’s wonderful unmistakable designs translate perfectly into bedlinen and I love the mixture of patterns and restrained colours here that look oh so inviting.

Finally who can resist the mixture of pure linen and fair trade organic cotton that make up this bedlinen from Luma, ensuring that you not only sleep in style, you also sleep with an easy conscience.

Nighty night and sleep well

Read Full Post »

Going beyond the canvas

I am always looking for creative ways to add expression and character to my home, and more often than not I rely on artistic work to do this. On my current search for art in unusual places, I have come across a number of inspiring products that have their own painterly quality. Going beyond the canvas, I have selected a variety of furnishings that can offer unusual artistic expression to your home.

Artist Marlene Mocquet has put together these fabulous plate designs to mark the 150th anniversary of Bernardaud, French porcelain manufacturer. As one of 11 artists involved, her work is my absolute favourite. At first glance they look like an artist’s palette, but upon second glance the quirky characters start to reveal themselves.

Skandium have a beautiful range of Oiva Saapaivakirja plates by Marimekko, with a fluid paint design.

With their watery, striking colour, these Tincture glasses from Anthropologie would be a great match for the Oiva Saapaivakirja plates.

You can find this charming Colour Test glassware from Anthropologie. The carafe and glasses serve as both a pretty, but also quirky table piece.

  

French designer, Elodie Gobin uses an ecological dyeing process to create her attractive Botanic Colour cutlery.

Tiles can be a really interesting way to add personality to a space. Designer, Hilda Hellstrom, has started to produce some unique and visually stunning items using resin Jesmonite, such as these Sedimentation tiles. So keep a look out for this emerging talent.

This Upcycled Painted Highchair from The Old Cinema is a characterful example of how, with the help of sand paper and a few pots of paint, you can really personalise an old piece of furniture.

Here is another, slightly more extravagant, example of a personalised piece of painted furniture. You can get this 19th Century Window Mirror with hand painted glass panels from The Old Cinema.

I was recently overjoyed to find out that my favourite Parisian shop, Merci, has now got an online store! They stock a range of great design, from clothes to furniture. Merci recently held an exhibition of plastician artist, Aurélie Mathigot’s work called Timeless Linen. She created a limited edition of 111 exquisite coloured and embroidered linen bags. The collection is a fantastic composition of colour.

Merci do a brilliant range of coloured linen for sheets, bed covers and cushions, which gives you the chance to get creative with composition and colour combinations.

With the help of a little artistic license and a brave choice of colour, there are countless ways to get a touch of artistic expression into your home design, so stay on the lookout for ways to keep your home creative.

This blog first appeared on the Cambridge Evening News website

Read Full Post »