Bargin Bomb: Household Linens

Oh lovely day.  Household linens have a good sale on with two of my favourite patterns...

Remember this from last year featured on Apartment Therapy blog?

Image by Maddie from Colourmethere

Well it's our old bedroom, starring the Franklin duvet!  Many of you asked where I got it from so now is your chance to purchase for yourself!  I love these as the quality is sooo good.

They also have the Tartan too.  

ALSO - they are doing a wee comp where if you like them on Facie then they could give you a $500 voucher.  In to win peeps.

*This is NOT paid advertising.  Just needed to share some good bargs.

Shop it up: Shop 35

Now that's I'm based in Marlborough I'm 'hitting the road' a little more often to source and see suppliers.  It's a great chance to crank the tunes and have some me-time while I'm at it.

I find it a nice change in pace as I can't check blogs, tweet updates and repin images.  It's time just to think and process - oh and of course drive!

Last week I was scooting  back from Christchurch when I needed a coffee break and stopped of in the small (but well formed) town of Cheviot.  

Shop 35 is run by Phils Morris.  She's a vivacous, bright and designy.  So is her shop.

Her eye for colour is evident and definately caught my attention when I spotted a cute little blue stool out-front.  At $55 it was snapped up and stored for one of my daughters christmas presents.

The shop is set-up in a cute old house that immediately sets an inviting tone.  Inside does not disapoint either.  Phils stocks some yummy local and international designers and they all compliment each other beautifully.

All the while I was there she had a constant stream of locals and just-travelling-throughers but she treated them all as if they were long lost buds.  It's so re-freshing to get that retail detail that is so often lost and lacking in many shops I pop into (and that's many my design bunnies).  

Fact:  Phils loves finding kooky/odd/funny fairies for the xmas tree, and this year she has high heeled ones.  Be quick though as word is out and you have to be in quick.

Fact:  Phils quickly got a large crush on my navy sparkly lace-up shoes.  But as luck had it she didn't let that get in the way of a new accaintance and a new design-bond was made!

Thanks Shop 35 and see you next trip.

Also in Cheviot

The White Cat Emporium - Italian and French Antiques

Two Rivers Gallery and Cafe - good coffee with art/sculpture

Looking at: Spring/Summer 2012 from Fabrice Le Nezet

Glory days my friends.  

Art and the 80's have collided in an photo print from London based Artist and Designer Fabrice Le Nezet.

Le Nezet has taken mini wooden blocks, and stretched, pulled and posed them into classic Olivia Newtron-Bomb type shapes, complete with lycra and fluffy legwarmers!

A little sexy and a little silly, they are fastinating, funny and glam.  The perfect combination.  I can't stop staring!

Spotted over at Design Folio.

Good Prods: Rekindle

Good prod, good ethos and a good person behind the prod.  

All born from the simple thought that wood should not be wasted, Juliet Arnott Rekindle Founder, Development Director  & Occupational Therapist, advocates that wood shall be transformed into beautiful furniture.

And so it is.

Rekindle is a social enterprise (look it up) that uses waste wood to create amazing furniture.  It's aim is to not only transform wood but to change communities by "actively promoting craftsmanship, skill sharing and appreciation of the reuse of timber"

Such a good story, with such a positive ending (that we hope will never end).

Love this stuff.

Images by Laura Forest 

Question Time: Rugs

Confession time.  I'm a naughty Interior Design.  Naughty and slack.  

Long story short - I asked for questions from my super-rad readers and they came back with some beauties.  Great story so far.  That was back in May.  Not so good now.

Here is no.1

Question:  

"Where do you go for the coolest greatest contemporary floor rugs?"  Charlotte

and

"Same thing! I am looking for a bright rug for a family living area, would love some stripes like we had for 'the mat' at school in the 70's! Any suggestions on where to find....?"  Fiona

Great questions girls and I hear your rug pain.  There is nothing worst than flicking through your favourite overseas mag and spotting some floor gem, then scanning the details and finding it's some horrendous price and on the other side of the world.  

Or worse still it's cheap as chippies (and still in another hemisphere).  Such is the luck of being here in wee New Zealand.  

Sources such as Pinterest and design blogs can be as equally mean.  We know they just want to help but it's just a design carrot we can't reach.

Paul Smith Rug for The Rug Company 

I have good news and bad.  

Bad news first.  Rugs, like carpet and furniture, are only as good as what they are made of and how they are constructed.  Sorry, but you get what you pay for.

Good news is that I have found you some options

Low end:

Briscoes, Ezibuy,Warehouse and Spotlight - all cheap and cheerful but a positive plus about big players are that they usually rip off designs from the high end stores.  Therefore you get  an "inspired by" look at 1/4 the price.  Remember that you pay for what you get so don't expect these puppies to be family heirlooms but great for a couple of years.

Briscoes 'Habitat' Printed Cow Rug $29.99 (NZD)

Ezibuy 'Gabbi' Floor Rug $99.00 (NZD)

Spotlight 'Carved' Rugs $199.00

The Warehouse'Tabriz" Zebra Rug $149.99

The Warehouse Maison D'Or Pinacle Circle Rug in Pink

Mid end:

First port-o-call is IKEA.  Yes, we can get them here.  No there is no big blue shed in South Auckland but online there are a few suppliers (via Trademe) they will bring in what you want and also have a small supply of stock rugs (and other IKEA favourites)

Nood - another mid-ranger with a good selection of contemporary and mod rugs.

Decor Rugs - A NZ website I found that has a varied range with a few hidden gems amongst them.

Decor Rugs "Mysterio"

IKEA "Lusy Blom"

IKEA PS 2012

IKEA "Stockholm Figur"

High end:

CRONZ - I love these guys and use them frequently to custom-make for my clients (and for me!).  Remember my stripy stair-case?  They can customise patterns, colours, shape, size, pile, cut, and everything else you want in a rug.  They also tell me they are expanding and bringing a new range.  Exciting stuff.

Designer Rugs - Now we are talking.  These are some of my favy-favs.  They have a super range of in-house designs and also a range where they have collaborated with tip-top designers such as Greg Natale, Akira Isogawa, Catherine Martin and Dinosaur Designs.

Dilana - Christchurch (NZ) based rug company have been producing high quality rugs for many a year.  They also collaborate with NZ artist and showcase some absolute ripper designs.  There are limited editions from Martin Popperwell, Richard Killeen, Andrew McLeod, John Lyall and Phillip Trusttum.  Great grand.

Designers Guild - Again they have a varied range from children's to contemporary designs.  Floral , stripe patterns and plains - these numbers don't shy away from colour and impact.

Designers Guild "Owl"

Dilana Rug - Fold Up Doll by Philip Trustum

Dilana Rug - Homage to Meccano by John Lyall

Dilana Rug - Study for Grid Floor Work by Martin Popplewell

DIY options:

If you are a weeny crafty there is also many tuts out there to DIY.  Rag rugs, braided rugs and burlap rugs just to name a few.  Have a lookee at the this link from Apartment Therapy.

I have also seen DIY's for customising plain rugs to patterned - see here.

From Family Fun Blog

From A Beautiful Mess Blog

From Apartment Therapy Blog

Rug tips:

* Use your rug to take colour clues for your room.  It's the easiest way to tie in colours.  It's still OK to clash patterns but doing it with a similar colour palette makes more sense and easier on the eye.

* Rug don't just have to stay on the floor - they make excellent wall hangings!  Good for sound reduction and absorption too.

* Invest in a good quality rug if you want it to last. 

* Take a rug home on approval and test it in the space.  What looks good in the shop or online may completely change when you get it home and in the space.

* Rug is art for your floor so take the time to look around and fall in love with a rug.

* Use you favourite Interior Designer (me) to help you choose a rug.  They also should be able to pass on a discounted price being in the trade.

* Don't forget to look in unexpected places - like flax rugs from Samoan trader shops, plastic woven mats from thrifty shops and Trademe for second hand rugs.  You will be amazed what you can find when you look!

I'm back!

I'm so back.  Full of ideas and good memories and ready to get cracking with designing-up-a-storm.

We have moved to Marlborough (wine country in the top of the south Island).  New house, new ideas, and new opps.

Hold on I say.

In cracking fashion I have returned to a photo-shoot at mine tomorrow for a christmas edition of a NZ based shelter mag.  Loving it, but having to improvise 'big-time' as lost my insane red 6ft xmas tree in transit.  I used what I had and I will keep you posted with my second option...

Here's a sneak-p.

There's lots on so keep checking on me... Ciao (and thanks for keeping reading me).  

Talk soon.

Bright lights: Baxter, Abat-jour collection

Bonjour. The sun, swimming and sightseeing has taken all of my time most of the trip to France but I did see these wee Italian beauties and thought they were too good not to share. My list of "stuff" is growing while I break from blogging and I'm excited to share them when I return home in October.

We are only half way through our adventure and the time is flying. Anywho...check these.

Abat-jour is the name of the project thet SERVOMUTO has taken on with designer Paola Navone for Baxter for the occasion of MAISON & OBJET 2011 in Paris.

A collection of thirteen appliqué shades, four mini and two large suspended shades plus a floor lamp completely covered in chunky curtain cord in two different colours variations.

I particularly love the old school feel with new school design. They would work well in so many spaces.

 

All the models are from the SERVOMUTO archive.

 

 

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