Upholstered Loveliness

Moving flats has seen me take even more of an interest in treats for the home this month, although I've found myself far too busy to log the delights that I've stumbled across (I'd like to say because I've been decorating, painting and restoring finds from the junk shop, but the reality revolves more around the mundane practicalities of sorting utility bills & hammering in picture hooks.)

So, to spread some cheer on this foggy, mid November evening - I thought I'd share the patch-worked side table below, which I absolutely fell in love with on a trip to a string of random home stores yesterday... If only more inanimate objects could be upholstered - the world would be transformed into a much prettier place.

Stitched Up Home

Hello blog... it's been a while!

Greek getaway - tick. New flat - check. After being slightly preoccupied over the last month - it's finally time to get back to blogging, and I couldn't think of a better way to kick start my October highlights than with folkloric upholstery and soft furnishings - which are most certainly on their way back. Think Bokja, Designer's Guild and Rochebois and ouila! Our homes needn't hibernate in the dreary colours of Autumn. Instead, save the plums, olive greens and mustards for your wardrobe and let your abode do the talking!

Seeing this heavily embroidered, Turkish inspired chair in River Island, has to be the last place that I would've expected to find such a beautiful piece of furniture. Alas! Despite us being on the cusp of bitterly cold days - this chair actually fitted in well with the Aztec prints and Moroccan colours in and amongst the fashion collection. Although the garments weren't as vivid and bold in colour, this chair speaks for itself and is sure to beat those Winter blues.

Moving away from talk of the impending snow and dark days, we have been busy prepping for our SS12 press launch at Next HQ and we too, seem to be embracing heavily embroidered surface design. If the cushion pictured is anything to go by, then I'm hopeful that Next Home will be full of cultural inspired treats, in time for the New Year!

SS12 - Clashing Florals!

Another of my favourite trends from the SS12 catwalks has to be the clashing, mis-matched florals that were dominated by Ashish. From over-sized placement embroideries, to all-over prints - the exuberant colour palette screams Summer! In a stark contrast to the pretty pastel palettes, Ashish and Christopher Kane both embrace multicolour and prove that you needn't look further than the English Garden for inspiration!

SS12 catwalks - Long live muted pastels!

Softly does it - SS12 is upon us & to my relief, the girly pastel palette that dominated much of SS11 (& my final graduate collection) has been given a new lease of life by a fabulous array of designers. Powder puff tones are given a chalkier edge, offering a more subdued, sophisticated take on last Summer's overly pretty candy tones. Block colour is no longer just about audacious shades of cerise pink & orange as subtle combinations of lilac, mint & salmon pink are carefully combined by the House of Holland. Likewise, Preen have mastered the art of carefully constructed randomness by placing watery hues alongside unexpected pops of canary yellow & pillar box red.

Reminiscent of fifties silky night dresses and lingerie - I love the overall vintage feel of the minty turquoises & pale, washed out pinks & so, I'm glad to see that pastels are staying put, at least for the coming season!

A fantastical collaboration - Mulberry AW11 campaign

Autumn. A season of change - a season that is quite simply brought to life in this fantastical collaborative campaign by Mulberry, Shona Heath & my all time favourite photographer, Tim Walker.

Set in a beautiful English manor house, Oxfordshire's Shotover House is transformed into a whimsical masterpiece by the acclaimed set designer Shona Heath. From oversized owls, birds and foxes, to three-dimensional feathers & hatched eggs - scale is experimental, conjuring up a dream-like setting that showcases a colour palette so rich, it makes the viewer want to reach in & feel the sumptuous silks & herringbone tweeds, whilst sinking in to the velvet chairs and admiring the decadent walls.

Embracing all things traditionally British - Mulberry display their brand's heritage impeccably & imaginatively - I only wish I could've been a part of the making!

Tactile Typography

Fabric fonts are becoming a favourite trend of mine at the moment. Although this isn't a brand new phenomena, I've definitely noticed an increase in tactile typography in and around London. Prettifying words can never be a bad thing, especially when they are designed to promote a lovely boutique or craft workshop. In fact, if I had my way, the textile alphabet would replace all signage throughout the country!

Superiority Complex - Incidental Interiors by Tim Walker

Indulging in my daily dose of Twitter feeds yesterday morning, I was not expecting to see a tweet from Shannon Fitzgerald (@canadashanf) entitled - 'Your Daily Tim Walker Photo(s) - Interiors'. If only I'd discovered these months ago, every morning commute might have been as much of an inspiration as yesterday's was,

I forgot quite how much I missed trawling through Walker's fantastical, oversized books in the Art & Design university library, until I saw his latest interior shots...