The Etsy blog: spotlight on 'granny chic'

I'm really loving the Etsy blog, which I've just discovered. They regularly feature Etsy members' homes – and follow each inspiring "I wanna live there!" shoot with a long and dangerously tempting shopping guide from around the site, to help you get the look yourself. 


This pretty home is in Connecticut and belongs to Amanda Wytas-Ackerman who lives there with husband, Rob, their three children and Buster the bull mastiff. 


It's a very simple detail but I just love the homely, tied kitchen curtains. And how cute does that candle look in the fruit bowl? Also most inspired by the use of a battered door leaning against the wall as a way of adding a different tone and texture to a wall. Enjoy.

Post Title

→

The Etsy blog: spotlight on 'granny chic'

Post URL

→

http://asfers.blogspot.com/2011/04/etsy-blog-spotlight-on-chic.html

Visit Creative Blogspot for Daily Updated Creative Blogspot Collection

Drink, shop & do

       






























I was very excited to interview the inspiring and stylish pair behind the most exciting shop to hit London's King's Cross in the last year. Drink, Shop & Do is an incredible vintage homewares store – but also much much more, besides.

There are snacks to be bought, cocktails to be shaken and silly games to be played (clay modelling in an 80s style, for starters).

Check out lots of luscious pictures and find out more about the shop and its super cool owners, Coralie and Kristie (they even have great names!) in today's New Review magazine.

Post Title

→

Drink, shop & do

Post URL

→

http://asfers.blogspot.com/2011/03/drink-shop-do.html

Visit Creative Blogspot for Daily Updated Creative Blogspot Collection

Christmas makeover coming soon

I've just had my house made-over by a department store for Christmas for a shoot. I'm writing about the experience for the Independent on Sunday (look out for it in the magazine next weekend). It was a weird experience but in a house that doesn't usually bother with festive festooning, but this year has a need to, it was actually rather inspiring. Above are a couple of shots you won't see in the feature - Reggie the dog posing with a Christmas tree shaped cushion, £20, on the sofa, and a sweet little wooden tabletop (or, as here, shelftop) tree, £13. Both are from John Lewis.


Now I'm feeling all festive, I've had my radar on for other nice decorating bits and pieces...

Love the glittery fawns at Paperchase, £2.50 – they come in white, pink, green and gold as well as the purple colour above. They also do fully-grown reindeer, families of penguins and lots more sweet stuff. Also love their funny knitted tree decorations shaped like teacups, £5 for four. 





Drift Living - which specialises in Scandi-tinged products - has a clean-looking angel choir mobile for £12.50. An unusual idea that could look good in a pale, minimalist home.





And what a brilliant idea from utilitarian design mecca, Labour and Wait - fir-scented incense, £5, "to give any home a wintry log cabin feel". And what gorgeous packaging. 


And with last posting at the weekend, you might just make it in time to get your hands on some of Kitty Nation's original vintage greetings cards (or you could always stock up for next year). this Santa and Rudolph one is from 1960 and costs £1.69.
This "Merry" sign (below) by Johnny Egg, £40 at Heal's is rather brilliant too. And this sleek red glass Christmas bird, left, £5 from Marks and Spencer (3 for 2 as you can see) is just like a non-festive blue bird I recently bought in Habitat for a little more cash... 

Post Title

→

Christmas makeover coming soon

Post URL

→

http://asfers.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-makeover-coming-soon.html

Visit Creative Blogspot for Daily Updated Creative Blogspot Collection

French vintage furniture and bits

Love this 1960s French magazine rack, which costs £20 from a website I've just discovered called Rue Du Chateau Interiors. They have lots of much pricier - and more substantial - things, but there are bargains nestled into the mix.

Here are some snaps of the shop itself, which is based in West Sussex. I'd quite like to live in it, wouldn't you?

Post Title

→

French vintage furniture and bits

Post URL

→

http://asfers.blogspot.com/2010/12/french-vintage-furniture-and-bits.html

Visit Creative Blogspot for Daily Updated Creative Blogspot Collection

Vintage Christmas decorations: a reindeer

How cute is this retro reindeer, currently on eBay at £1.99? I'd like a trio of them to line up on my windowsill. Buy now, and the post should be on your side - so you'll still have time to adorn your home with a touch of individuality.

Find more fantastically kitsch or surprisingly stylish vintage decorations on eBay.

Post Title

→

Vintage Christmas decorations: a reindeer

Post URL

→

http://asfers.blogspot.com/2010/12/vintage-christmas-decorations-reindeer.html

Visit Creative Blogspot for Daily Updated Creative Blogspot Collection

Budget-friendly Christmas gift guide

Some generally quite affordable nice interiors-ish things that I think would make great gifts... would love to hear what you think, if you got any of them, who you bought them for. Will no doubt be adding more shortly.






Who for Busy parents who'd appreciate an excuse not to display Auntie Dot's cat calendar this year; architecture students; style conscious entrepreneurs; organised eco bods
Where from The Peanut Vendor 
How much £12
What This no-nonsense wall planner measures 70cm x 100cm and is by Crispin Finn design studio – who apparently only design in red, white and blue. It's 100% recycled and comes beautifully packaged. A great stocking filler or chic Secret Santa.





Who for The chap – or chapess – who appreciates the finer things in life; the friend who throws slightly intimidating dinner parties in her/his uncluttered home; the cognac connoisseur; the friend who has everything
Where from  Boudie and Fou
How much £35
What These deliciously touchable brandy glasses by Normann Copenhagen are specifically designed to "enhance bouquet, temperature and volume" of the cognac, apparently.  If you're buying for someone with lady-sized hands – they also do a smaller version.






*ONE-OFF*
Who for Craft nuts; vintage sewing fans
Where from The OK Corral 
How much £5
What Totally loving this online shop right now. And this book would be a lovely, unique gift for crafty friends or relatives. Not only does it have a marvellously retro cover (it was first printed in 1978) but it is also wildly practical – with tips for knitting, sewing, crocheting and more (it even includes patterns). It's a one-off so no guarantee it'll still be there – but do browse the site's other vintage books,  or try eBay or if you have the patience to rummage, Oxfam Books online has some gems too.






Who for  Children saving for a rainy day; grown-ups who'd like to look at a nice owl sitting on their mantlepiece
Where from  Habitat
How much £10
What It's from the kids' department – he's a moneybox – but this super cute retro styled owl would make just as lovely a present for a full sized people, in the ornament department. Thanks to cunning shopping friend, Holly, for this genius idea.






* ONE-OFF *
Who for Anyone who's just moved house; a chap who doesn't mind getting his hands dirty; the guy with a new home and no clue what to do with it; a single gal (or co-habitee of the former) needing some DIY tips; a young man about to be unleashed into responsible life
Where from The OK Corral 
How much £5
What A thoughtful secondhand book – particularly of the non-fiction variety – can solve the trickiest gift conundrums. This 1913-20 bible of manly skills covers everything from polishing shoes to mixing your own paints. And it's a piece of history! A total bargain to boot. See above for links to some other places to shop around for more of the same.






Who for A man with a home office; a stylish bachelor; aspiring gentlemen; fans of spy novels; probably not someone working in a call centre or the armed forces, the police or at sea
Where from  The V & A shop
How much £15 unframed (try Eframe for affordable non-standard sized frames to order)
What This cool, manly poster features the nautical flag and Nato alphabets. It'd be perfect hung near a popular telephoning spot – for translating call centre interpretations of the spelling of one's name without hesitation. It measures 297cm x 420cm.






Who for Clean, serene design freaks; loveable hypochondriacs; a couple with a newborn and an sleekly designed nursery; chic eco warriors; the stylish in-laws; nature nuts; subscribers to Inhabitat 
Where from  Super-Collider store 
How much £129
What This is Andrea. She looks nice, doesn't she? As well as that, she also purifies your air – in the most natural way known to nature, by filtering toxins through her planty fronds and roots. Only she's a super pimped plant, with NASA research behind her creation – and French designer, Mattieu Lehanneur behind her sleek style. Super-Collider is a sexy science-y organisation that has lots more than gifts going on. Check it out.






Who for The sort of friend who might own a cake stand and drink tea out of proper cups; a no-nonsense kitchen whizz; parents who sit down to breakfast with their toast in a rack; owners of a country-style kitchen
Where from Labour & Wait (click on "all products")
How much £14
What This glass butter dish, made from an original 1950s mould, is a classic bit of design. It's lovely and almost transcends taste; a bit of a no-risk gift for any of the above and many more.






Who for A person in whose kitchen yellow won't clash; a mid-century modern loving friend/sister-in-law/mother; someone who happens to live in a town full of Northern European style townhouses like the ones on the tea towel, or is moving from the country to the town – that would be sweet
Where from Lisa Jones Studio
How much £10
What Love this "Town" tea towel and the way it looks like a chocolate box Swiss village, just waiting for snow to fall. It's 100% fairtrade organic cotton, too.






Who for Storage nerds; those with allotments; that person you know who has a whole cupboard full of bags for life they keep forgetting to take out
Where from Habitat 
How much £15
What Technically it's a bag. But I love the idea of it as the place you dump all that unsightly guff you walk through the door with (keys, bicycle lights, dog lead etc.) – and make it look beautiful. It'd work well by the front door or on a suitable kitchen or hall shelf, or on the stairs if they're wide enough. It'd also work as a magazine rack. And, of course a shopping bag...




Who for That person you know who's just done a first aid course; a parent with small children and a suitable bathroom; the gentleman cyclist who often needs his wheel wounds dressing
Where from Amazon
How much £21.98
What This tin first aid box (21cm x 15.5cm x 16cm) makes a sweet and unusual gift... however, if the colour-scheme of your intended recipient is all about beiges and creams, this might not be ideal – it'd work well in a house which embraces splashes of bold colour.




Who for Someone with a nice desk; anyone who likes Orla Kiely-ish/Scando/mid-century modern stylings; retro kitchen owners
Where from North Rock Gallery
How much £13.20
What Designed by Lotta Odelius for Sagaform, this Swedish tinged ceramic container is probably intended for the kitchen but would look great on a design-y desk – perfect for paperclips, odd coins, Post-it notes of import etc. A row of three would look great.






Who for The Proud-to-be-British; ex-pats missing home; a chap who needs some wall filling but needs to keep it masculine; font nerds
Where from Bold & Noble
How much £38 unframed (it's a standard size, so no need for framers' shops: try Eframes or Ikea's Ribba range for affordability and niceness)
What They do maps in the same range of Australia, New Zealand, the USA and London too, so good gifts for anyone moving or travelling to any of those places soon or, indeed, living there. They measure 50cm x 70cm and also come in a duck-egg blue.




Who for Doggie types
Where from Quietly Eccentric 
How much £30
What These cute cushions come in lots of different breeds – including non-breeds. The designs are printed onto new wool, fully machine washable covers and feature illustrations by the artist Lindsey Gardiner. They're kinda cute.






Who for Wildlife-loving children with bare bedroom floors; stylish vegetarians; pampered pussy cats (or their owners); the nephew you've also sponsored a tiger for

Where from The V& A Shop
How much £20
What This cute-faced fairtrade Tibetan rug is made from felt wool and measures 38cm x 94cm. He's very handsome.



  















Who for The Hipster tween/teen in your life; fashion-forward photography fan
Where from The V & A Shop
How much £12.99
What The Street Style Memory Game features 25 pictures taken by the Flemish photographer, Barbara Iweins of hip young things on the streets of Amsterdam. The game requires players to match their faces with their outfits – or it can be played as a traditional memory game.





Who for Design-conscious in-laws; arty Grandpa or Grandma; husband; wife; colour-loving lover; glasses-wearing pals

Where from Supernice
How much £30
What A rather special glasses case designed by Jonathan Adler, who also makes rather glorious ceramics in the shape of birds and lions and angular faces  (and rugs and exciting books and all sorts) that are currently flying out of the gifts section of Heal's...




Who for Him indoors; the family; anyone with a silly sense of humour who likes a nice big mug of tea; fancy dress fans; the guy who loved Movember more than anyone expected
Where from Pedlars
How much £16.95 each
What Handsome half-pint sized mugs , designed by Peter Ibruegger, with your choice of moustache on the front. They're kind of silly but beautifully made (and so a pleasure to drink from) and would cheer up any kitchen. One or two would make nice stocking fillers, or splash out on a whole set for someone really silly who you really love.

Post Title

→

Budget-friendly Christmas gift guide

Post URL

→

http://asfers.blogspot.com/2010/11/budget-friendly-christmas-gift-guide.html

Visit Creative Blogspot for Daily Updated Creative Blogspot Collection

Bjorn Wiinblad wall plaques

While browsing Pip's Trip yesterday (to post about those nice 50s ceramic dishes), I discovered the site also has a selection of 1970s Danish Bjorn Wiinblad wall plaques.


One just like this featured in the gallery of my hall/office recently (second image down in case you're interested) – and it's just £18. (Mine, lucky me, was a present from my cool friend, Camilla.) There is a whole array of other lovelies of a similar ilk for sale on the site too. You have been warned...

Post Title

→

Bjorn Wiinblad wall plaques

Post URL

→

http://asfers.blogspot.com/2010/10/bjorn-wiinblad-wall-plaques.html

Visit Creative Blogspot for Daily Updated Creative Blogspot Collection

1950s Villeroy & Boch dish from Pip's Trip

Love the simple graphic design on this original 1950s Villeroy & Boch dish from Pip's Trip, which is one of those websites I can easily spend hours on - it's like a posh carboot sale, with only the good bits - but heaps of them. 


Not that easy to navigate if you don't know what you're looking for, which is perhaps why I seem to spend so long window shopping there...


This dish, which measures 13.5cm across, is quite a funny shape - there are side-on images on the website: it looks a bit like a candleholder, without the bit to hold candles... it could be a nice shallow soup dish, or something to throw the Hula Hoops in at parties (there are three more of them on the site, in different mid-century shades - so you could get a whole set). Check them out at the ceramics section of Pip's Trip.

Post Title

→

1950s Villeroy & Boch dish from Pip's Trip

Post URL

→

http://asfers.blogspot.com/2010/10/1950s-villeroy-boch-dish-from-pip-trip.html

Visit Creative Blogspot for Daily Updated Creative Blogspot Collection

Midcentury Show in London and Bristol

The Midcentury Show in Dulwich, southeast London (Sunday 14 November, 10am-4pm) and Bristol (Sunday 28 November, same times), attracts dealers from all over the country, once a year. 


The event is now in its eighth year, and bigger than ever - with more stalls and lovely vintage goodies packed in than ever. Exhibitors selling both vintage and vintage inspired wares, include Mark Parrish, whose online shop I love; Lucy Bates, who collects original 1960s and 70s fabric from Heals and other lovely places; and Ruth Green, whose old-school style graphics adorn ceramics, wall stickers and prints. Find out more at the Midcentury Show's website.

Post Title

→

Midcentury Show in London and Bristol

Post URL

→

http://asfers.blogspot.com/2010/09/midcentury-show-in-london-and-bristol.html

Visit Creative Blogspot for Daily Updated Creative Blogspot Collection

Fantastic vintage fabric

Who knew this stylish fabric store existed? Fancymoon.co.uk may have a rather odd name, but its selection of fabrics, both vintage and new, is lovely. I stumbled across this vintage 'Carribbean Vignette' design while looking for cushions/covers for my kitchen bench. It's totally not right, but I love it... and will now try to find somewhere else it might fit. I also don't need the 'Cowboy Vignette' fabric (£10.99 per metre), which is in the same vein as the Wild West-themed Cath Kidston print... but I'm working hard to find a reason to.

Post Title

→

Fantastic vintage fabric

Post URL

→

http://asfers.blogspot.com/2010/08/fantastic-vintage-fabric.html

Visit Creative Blogspot for Daily Updated Creative Blogspot Collection

Vintage grain sacks

Before I head off to painting classes this morning, I thought I'd pop in to tell you about the vintage grain sacks I found on Friday. Now I realise these sacks have been all over blogland for ages, but these ones are quite unique - along with the usual blue and red stripes, I've tracked down some in greens and even lilacs.They're just gorgeous, and my only dilemma now is deciding what to do with them. I'll post some photos of mine as I get a chance, but for now here are a few ideas:







the above are all dan marty designs, via willow decor





source





source





source





source






By the way, now that the painters are finished, I'm also hoping to take some pics of Suzi's beach house makeover. Now we can concentrate on the fun part - shopping for furniture and accessories. Poor me, this is one tough job!


Have a great day everyone,

Post Title

→

Vintage grain sacks

Post URL

→

http://asfers.blogspot.com/2010/08/vintage-grain-sacks.html

Visit Creative Blogspot for Daily Updated Creative Blogspot Collection