Swoon Editions Moodboard Competition
Now here's a company that really does live up to its name. Swoon Editions. I first had my head turned by this furniture brand when one of their postcards fell out of a magazine I was flicking through. There, looking seductively up at me from the kitchen floor was this beautiful chair. Her name was 'Karla', also incidentally my step-sister's name. Surely it was a sign? I stuck it up on the fridge door and over the coming months would find the odd second or two to gaze longingly at her. Goals.With a beautiful collection of considered designs, there's a lot of different styles to suit most tastes - and you know I'm pernickety. Not surprisingly, I've been drawn to the mid-century modern inspired pieces and the clean lines of some of the more industrial designs, a confident mix of handcrafted mango wood and metal. But, beyond those tricky style related decisions, it can be difficult when you're sourcing furniture for your home to know exactly where what you're buying is made and who produced it. It's not possible to do it with everything but we try hard to make that one of our top priorities, which is what I love about Swoon. As well as the UK, their furniture is manufactured out in Indian, Vietnam and China so the team make it their top priority to monitor workshop conditions and support their craftsmen regularly. Design with a conscience.
If I've piqued your interest and you'd love a piece of Swoon for your own home, then keep reading, coz today kicks off with a creative competition to get your teeth into which will require your imagination...
How To Enter
Together with Swoon Editions, I'm challenging you to build a look for a room of your choice on Pinterest using one or two of your favourite pieces from the collection. Your board can be in any style or room that you like and you can go to town playing with colour-ways, fabrics, soft furnishings as well as the smaller details - here's mine as an example (I'm never far away from an urban jungle, am I?!)Your board must contain a minimum of 20 images and needs to include the word 'Swoon' in the title, otherwise what you do is entirely up to you! When your board is complete, tweet your board to me @curatedisplay and @swooneditions with #curateandswoon.The winner with the most inspiring board will choose a coveted piece from my round-up of the collection below. Take your pick...
|1| Charcoal Jefferson armchair |2| Emmett ladder bookshelf |3| Niklas dining table |4| Ginsberg mango wood desk |5| Oatmeal Carnaby chair
The Nitty Gritty: • This competition is only open to residents of the UK • Competition closes at Midnight on 11.11.15 • The winner will be chosen on 16.11.15 and notified by email • If the chosen winner does not claim their prize within 24 hours then another will be chosen • The winner must choose from a selection provided by Curate & Display • The prize carries no cash value, is non-transferable and may not be substituted • The prize will be sent directly from Swoon Editions and is subject to delivery times • Swoon Editions cannot be held responsible for any damages or delays as a result of accepting the prize • This post is in no way sponsored, endorsed or in association with Pinterest •
*This post is in collaboration with Swoon Editions.
Photography & Styling © Tiffany Grant-Riley
Function+Form / A New Collaboration
I have nervous butterflies writing this, as I'm releasing a new and wonderful collaboration into the world with my partner in all things style, Annie Kruse. Over the past few months, we've been working flat out around our hectic work/family lives to lay the foundations for a new offline community - Function+Form.It came about after I wrote this post back in summer, when I was struggling with a lot of things which had a knock-on effect with my ability to feel inspired enough to create - my self-esteem was at an all time low. The feedback and support I had from that post was immense, and I suddenly realised that, aside from there being so many of us out there feeling the same way, the one thing missing from all of that was community. I'm not talking about Instagram (even though it's wonderful to connect with virtual friends) but the real life, offline world. Being a blogger/freelancer can be quite isolating, more so when you're living just outside the city and with two small children to take care of. Finding the time to take yourself out of that environment is rare. And then I thought, what if I tried to create my own? The best ideas are born from a need, right? So then I started imagining what I would do if I were hosting a gathering, and I thought about throwing something for friends and like-minded others in a beautiful location, with a meal of sorts and the table styled. A place to inspire collaboration. But I wanted to make it more of an event than just a meal, I wanted to combine an element of design and independent makers, to create a platform to showcase their work. So I emailed Annie straight away, because I wanted to share this with someone and she was the only person I knew that had a similar aesthetic and sensibility. We both love simple, contemporary style and share a desire for slow-living, so we let this direct us on our journey so far.
Over the course of several weeks and chatting late into the night over Skype, we felt we really had something..."Function+Form is a new collaborative gathering combining relaxed, informal dining with handcrafted design. As so much of our lives today are spent online, we seek to bring the enjoyment of interior and lifestyle design into a tangible being whilst enjoying the company of like-minded friends. A chance to make new connections, a chance for real conversation. Each gathering focuses on the work of a designer who we admire for their ethos, their aesthetic, sharing with us their inspiration and inviting us to delve deeper into their process. Beautiful food in a venue equally so, we invite you to join us."Next month, we host our inaugral Function+Form 01 (now fully booked!) at the new Forge & Co space inside Heal's with thanks to the support of our sponsors, AtMine - remember I told you about them before? We'll be exploring the topic of hibernation and how we adjust and adapt our home lives during the colder months over a relaxed brunch in the company of British potter Jono Smart and linen apron designer Sarah Quinn of Enrich and Endure.More on our partners and speakers in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, if you're interested in joining or collaborating with future events, drop us a line as we'd love to hear from you: hello@wearefunctionandform.com.
Urban Jungle Bloggers / Plants, Art & Flowers
Given that I've barely been able to tell my arse from my elbow lately due to work and various commitments, you'll notice it's been a little quiet here. I know, I know, I'm sorry-but all will become clear. Promise. With this in mind, today's post is combining the last two months of Urban Jungle Bloggers topics, 'Plants & Art' with 'Plants & Flowers'...
Recently I accidentally gave my phone a bath having whipped it and flipped it out of my back pocket to check the time whilst the kids were soaking off the dirt of the day. Seconds later, I'd fished it out and was burying it in a tub of (brown) rice in the hopes of drawing out the moisture, as Google suggests. As I stood watching it (you know, in case it exploded or whatever) I could see that full camera roll recording our entire summer disappearing forever...and kicked myself for A: having not backed it up and B: printed at least some of them for framing. And I realised that I don't do that with any of my photographs. Terrible isn't it? In fact, the impact of that only really hit me when Reuben said "wow mummy, I've never seen a photo like that!" when I'd dug out an old family album to show him recently. So for September's portion of the challenge ('Plants & Art') I've taken a selection of my plants printed from my Instagram account to play with.
The subject of these images - the 'flower' part of October's challenge...well, I'm not even sure where to begin. These stunning, almost translucent bell-like clutters were foraged from a Pieris Japonica tree not far from here (thank you Instagram family for dispelling the mystery for me!) Their delicate scent is a sweet and subtle mix of honey and mead, the tree vibrating with the hum of an army of bumble bees, even now in the coldest half of October. Can you imagine what the honey must taste like?! It is completely magical. I stood under this tree in light rain one morning, the river just over the wall from me and listened to the sound of the steadily moving water and the singing hum of the bees whilst I took a few clippings.
The fruit the tree bears can only be compared to lychees and although toxic they still look tempting. Starting out an almost translucent white like their flower, they turn from an acid yellow before warming into peach and ruby red. Aren't they fascinating?
And I love the continuity of these images, as the small jug they sit in was made by hand in the same place. A home from home.
To join our green fingered community or to follow the challenges, look for #urbanjunglebloggers on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, or via the website.
Photography & Styling © Tiffany Grant-Riley
Slow Saturday / Druid Street Market
Under the strange misty haze that covered the city, Saturday morning found me wandering Druid Street Market in Bermondsey, The Shard disappearing off into cloud just beyond. The market is a relatively new location for founders Toast who are hosting a series of Slow Living workshops and brunches over the coming weeks. Have you seen mine yet? On October 18th at the Rosewood London I'll be joining up with Waffle Design who create the most deliciously tactile organic cotton embroidered accessories to show you how to make a custom table runner whilst we talk all things interiors. Ask me anything. More on that soon but now let's get back to the market.
Druid St is full of gems - I love that it's in that growing phase, it feels that little more intimate, personal. There's a great mix of food, drink and homeware with an emphasis on slow living. You come here to stroll and meander. It has a fantastic cookbook lending library too - how many street markets out there are doing that, huh? Nope, there's no market fluff around here, the vendors are ready with good conversation, generous with advice and a huge array of organic, homegrown and freshly prepared eats and homewares. I even bumped into my plant guru Concrete Jungles who was there with some of her cacti babies - no surprises that she normally sells out of everything before lunch time, it was hard not to walk away with everything!
I made a new discovery in ceramicist Skye Corewijn and her comically named 'Lazy Eye' ceramics (just for the record, she doesn't have a lazy eye) who mades her designs from a shared studio/kiln space in Hoxton. I could've lusted after her pieces all afternoon with their subtle, earthy textures and soft glazes. Yes please.
If you're stopping by, make a point of visiting Weligama for a Sri Lankan egg hopper. They are amazing, particularly in tandem with a fresh coffee - get there early mind, there was a queue around the block by the time I headed off. Or there's fresh Gyoza, Sushi, smoked oysters or Malaysian lentil patties by Sambal Shiok to whet your appetite. I bought a jar of their spicy peanut sauce which I've been trying to find ways to eat with everything since.Thanks to co-founder Miranda York for coming out to meet me and talk more about our up and coming workshop with Waffle. Exciting times. A tonic for my work addled brain and a morning well spent on my own, wandering and people watching.
Druid Street Market runs from 9am to 4pm every Saturday.
Photography © Tiffany Grant-Riley
Wild Boys & Girls / The Birthdays
Today's is a two-birds-one-stone kind of post, the main purpose of which to send up my amazing friend Annie Kruse, mum of two bonkers boys and designer of new kid's company Wild Boys & Girls. The second is to cleanse myself of the craziness of the past fortnight. Stay with me.I face the onslaught of September with an equal dose of excitement and sheer terror. It's the birthday month in our house. Of our five years worth of parenting thus far, we've spent the last two celebrating the kids' birthdays exactly one week apart. Mine in the middle. And that means two lots of everything-cakes included. Please don't ask me what we were thinking-we weren't.Although we can get away with quiet celebrations with Tabby for a few years yet, there was no escape with Reuben who had eight friends over to the house for a party on his 5th. I decorated our living space simply with paper decorations in black and white (naturally) and we organised a few games and simple snacks to keep everyone entertained. There were tears (apparently nearly fivers don't do competitive games) but the sun was out and we managed to defuse the chaos with fresh air in the garden.
I managed to get in some shots of the two of them in their Wild Boys & Girls 'T's about thirty minutes before the guests arrived - I think you can get a sense of the excitement! When Annie told me she was launching a monochrome kid's collection (she also has a range of posters and cushions) I knew she'd pull something seriously cool out of the bag. The collection has Native American, tribal motifs throughout with an urban, minimal edge and the t-shirts are super soft. I trust Annie's style implicitly and the quality is brilliant - she's put so much heart into this project over the past few months and I know it'll do so well. We are well and truly won over by this tribe!
The recipe for Reuben's cake came from Sweetapolita, who came up with this ingeniously moreish Double Chocolate Party Cake.
The paper garlands were a couple of evenings work, inspired by these from my recent visit at Room To Dream in Munich.
Tabby's cat cake was a combination of vanilla and raspberry sponge with the cutest little cat design I'd found on Pinterest via Coco Cake Land. She's a real cat girl.
And so that's me, hanging up my party planning hat for another year. You might want to check out my Little Parties Pinterest board if you're on the look out for ideas with a similar style. No gimmicks. No Disney. Promise.
Reuben wears Black Headdress Tshirt | Tabby wears White Chief Tshirt - all designs by Wild Boys & Girls.
Photography & styling © Tiffany Grant-Riley
Botanical Gardens / Munich
The past week has been so hectic (it's birthday month in our house right now-3 of us within two weeks) that I've been wishing myself back inside the quiet sanctuary of the botanical gardens in Munich. My last post of my blogger's tour of Munich before I talk about "the book" (squeee!) I had to share this botanical wonderland with you. Really, I had only one must-do plan while we were here for our short stay-visit the gardens. Hilariously, it took four of us bloggers a whole hour to try and figure the public transport system from the centre of the city before throwing in the towel and calling a cab. Yes, I'm sure there's a "how many bloggers..?" joke in there somewhere. Anyhow, after our morning styling session, I arrived with Jeska and Kimberly, a little frazzled but focused on losing ourselves inside the hot houses for some time. I won't waffle on for too long now, because the photos really do speak for themselves. The sheer scale of everything, the quality of light my camera just couldn't capture. Some of the oldest cacti we have ever seen. Everywhere so lush and green, only spurring me on to fill our home up with more large scale plants, and maybe even try a fiddle leaf fig (I couldn't fit the one here in frame enough, it just didn't do the size of it justice). Please, please visit.Have yourselves a good week...
Photography © Tiffany Grant-Riley
Room To Dream + By Lassen / Munich
Oh would you look at that - it's already been an entire week since our blogger's tour of Munich in celebration of the Callwey Interior Bloggers Awards. And because it's Friday I have another epic post to share - epic in every sense of the word, it's full of interiors eye-candy and, hold on to your seats folks, there's fourteen images in this baby. Fourteen! I never said I was an editor...Saturday morning, a little worse for wear for lack of sleep, we arrived at beautiful homeware store Room To Dream for a styling session with the leather wall strap - the 'Stropp' by Danish brand By Lassen. I probably don't need to say that I'd been dying to get my hands on one for a while and quickly snapped up the all black design and wandered the store for inspiration-one thing we certainly weren't short of.
Jeska Herne from Lobster & Swan stuck to her pink roots and created a sweet vignette with birds and sweets.
I really loved the soft, gentle tones in this styling by Un Due Tre Ilaria and Madame Love too with the mix of textures and that splash of vibrant green.
91 Magazine's Caroline Rowland put together a playful scene with hers using a mobile from Ferm Living.
The tableware collection by Menu had me at hello. My goodness, those tones - just perfect all year round, right?
And here's my final "effort" - a simple flat lay with a food theme, an idea sparked by the large pot of basil on the table. If I could, I'd just finish it off with a couple of drips of extra virgin olive oil...Thank you to Sabina and Tanja for hosting such a wonderful event, Lillet for providing my new favourite drink (if you're curious I think they sell it in a supermarket that rhymes with al-fresco...) If you'd like to know more about Sabina, Room To Dream and her home in Munich, you can now order Caroline's beautiful new book 'The Shopkeeper's Home'...See you next week for the final Munich instalment-the Botanical Gardens...
Nymphenburg Porcelain / Munich
Well, I'm back from Munich after an unforgettable two days spent with a wonderful group of bloggers celebrating the launch of our publication 'Wohnideen aus dem wahren Leben' (you might want to catch up with this post here). I'm not even close to processing just how incredible an experience it has been and how well our publishers Callwey looked after us all. There'll be more on the book later, but this week I wanted to share some of the beautiful surroundings of Munich with you, starting today with Nymphenburg Porcelain - the first part of our busy tour on Friday. There's a heck load of images to drool over, so you might want to grab a coffee and sit with it a while...
Not your typical industrial looking site (situated next to the Nymphenburg castle) the factory has been producing the finest porcelain since the 1700s, all of which was and still is all made by hand. The machinery used to produce the porcelain paste are powered using only the water from the canal and every single step of the process is carefully managed by trained artists. Did you know, once the porcelain mix has been ground, it takes two years for the paste to mature before it can be used?!
The buildings themselves were nothing short of jaw-droppingly beautiful - full of character, a mix of contemporary meeting vintage, studio spaces filled with light and potted plants in every corner. The room above was only a staff room. I mean! It was safe to say that most of us were already planning to move in...
In the turning shop, the porcelain paste is brought to life with skilled hands on the wheel before being placed upon a mould - after the first firing, the porcelain will shrink slightly, so each piece is made taking that into account. The room was full of racks stacked with just fired, sweet pale white designs, just waiting to move on to the next step of glazing, firing, painting and firing again. I think I loved them the most at this stage, simple, clean and purest white.
In the studios upstairs, a small handful of artists were doing their best to ignore us all gawping at them as they painted on delicate designs. Nymphenburg create and mix all their own paints and the understanding of how each colour works when mixed and fired is intrinsic to each artist - it's no surprise that to fully train here in each discipline takes ten years! I thought to myself how therapeutic it must be to sit and paint like that...although the pressure must feel immense at times...and there would be no coffee for me and my shaky hands...
The Commedia dell'Arte Couture Collection, commissioned to celebrate the 260th anniversary includes hand painted designs by Vivienne Westwood, Prada, Karl Lagerfeld, Missoni and Elie Saab to name but a few. I loved to see the more contemporary designs along side the classics too, a sign that Nymphenburg are always looking to the future despite holding on to their traditional roots.
Thus concludes my little show and tell of Nymphenburg. What did you think of the spaces at the factory-don't they just make you want to move in?!Next up, a Saturday morning styling session at interiors store Room To Dream with the ByLassen 'Stropp'. See you in a bit...
Photography © Tiffany Grant-Riley
Munich Bound...
Stopping by as I quickly master the art of micro-packing 48 hours worth of potential outfits (with space for shopping) before I head off to Munich on Thursday for a whirlwind trip. Yes! I can finally talk about it now because we're on the home stretch. I'm practically losing my s**t as I'm one of a group of 15 international interior style bloggers who have been working on a collaborative book, 'Wohnideen aus dem wahren Leben' (living ideas from real life), being published by Callwey on September 12th. Remember back in April when I was frantically working on a "project"? Well, this was that. If I ever needed a reason to get the house sorted and decorated, this was it. Queue lots of painting, drilling, styling and shooting...honestly, I think working on a editorial for a week straight would've been a breeze in comparison! I'm really not complaining though, as this has been on my wishlist for a very long time. Almost two years ago I spent six months writing a book pitch which, although I finished it, never really saw the light of day because I felt it wasn't the right time, so being part of this beautiful book has made me realise that perhaps now I can start looking at it again.Anyway, we're all flying out to Munich to meet each other, Callwey publishing house and experience Munich before it all culminates in an award ceremony to crown 'Best Interiors Blogger'. The judges on the panel are my good friend Igor Josif of Happy Interior Blog, trend expert Gudy Herder (she teaches the most incredible looking moodboarding workshops that I'd love to find time to do) and Ricarda of 23sqm Style. The line-up is pretty epic, including British lovelies Lobster and Swan, Swoonworthy and Patchwork Harmony as well as many others I admire from across Europe. Keep your eyes peeled on Instagram and watch it unfold.So, the out-of-office is set and I'm back after the weekend. See you in a hot minute, Munich...
Photography & Styling © Tiffany Grant-Riley.
S220 / A Collection Of Nordic Style
I've been a great admirer of Glasgow based interior stylist Hege Morris forever - she has impeccable taste, a real eye for composition and her work always hits the mark. The fact she's Norwegian may have a little something to do with that (I'm convinced Scandinavians develop style in utero!) So when she gave me a sneak preview of S220, her new online interiors shop, I knew you'd love it as much as I do - the designs are simple and minimal in style with a strong, contemporary feel. From lighting to textiles, magazines to ceramics, this is Nordic heaven. Whilst there's no shortage of Scandi-inspired homeware stores to choose from now, STwoTwenty is different in that Hege's selections are for the most part drawn from small, independent designers from across the globe. The collection is considered and shows her deeply rooted understanding and passion for design in the home and how we connect with it.This week I found a little time to play with some of the new pieces from the collection in our home, so whilst I could happily share the beautiful styled shots from the new S220 site (and I would encourage you to take a good look round!) for the purpose of breaking out of my creative funk, I'm sharing some of mine with you...
The brass candle holder by Nicholas Oldroyd Design comes in an interesting triangular box and almost echoes the lines of a copper table lamp we have in our living space, so I think it might sit well with it there against the black wall. Metallics really lift dark shades (mixed texture is key) and I'm happy to introduce a little on-trend brass into the mix. I love the continuous shape and flow of it and it works by simply pushing the candle onto the spike in the centre (just make sure the candle you use is non-drip).
This hand-held mirror comes from a Korean company called Cool Enough Studio and will be coming with me for my 48 hour jaunt to Munich (more on this next week). Since I found a recent feature in Milk magazine which included plant pots with mirrors attached at different angles as a new way to view and enjoy your plants, I've been thinking about doing something similar. On a much smaller scale, I loved that vibrant glimpse of the green leaves of my Peperomia plant far more than looking at the bags under my eyes!
Already well received by stylists and bloggers alike, I have no doubt that S220 will become a regular destination for new and different Nordic design. Well done Hege!Pictured are: La Bruket hand and body wash, Lysestage brass candle holder, and Cool Enough Studio handheld mirror.
Photography & Styling © Tiffany Grant-Riley
So This Was Marciac
Hello stranger. Been gone a minute, enjoying some time away from the online world to just "be" in the moment with family a little while before school hits in September. I'm starting to get back into the swing again though and feeling rejuvenated, so figured I ought to get up some of the shots I took from our break in Marciac before summer runs away from us-it has been a whole two months since our stay after all. For ten whole days, we shacked up with my in-laws at their beautifully renovated farmhouse, all lovingly restored by my clearly bonkers father in-law Bob (the builder). Yes, he did all of it on his own.
We took our days pretty slowly, despite every part of me wanting to go faster, do more, see more. Hilariously it took for us to come home before I finally realised I needed to slow down. Typical. We enjoyed the little day to day things that we take for granted at home but relish when we're away, like walking to the bakery for a couple of loaves for lunch (and boy did we get through a lot of bread!) or sitting on the square with a coffee, watching the locals go about their day.I realised after we got back that I actually didn't get any photos of the house, but made time during the evenings to go out and get lost with my camera during the golden hour before sun down. I wandered off from the main square which has a history dating back to the 13th Century, down the maze of narrow residential lanes and alleys and found some gems with Rob who came along for company once the kids were in bed. Snooping is much more fun when you can do it with someone else.
I love to shoot details, textures, inklings of colour, suggestions of the lived-in, so that's what I took away with me from Marciac. And if you saw how much that soft pink/terracotta/coral was coming through on my Instagram, I think it's safe to say that blue was the colour connection with my DSLR.
It seems that The Gers has its own micro-climate, nestled amongst the rolling hills that lead to the Pyrenean mountains, it boasts clean air and land here is lush and fertile - it's no wonder they call it the French Tuscany. Everything really grows here. Of course, I was instantly taken with this mini forest of thick bamboo at the bottom of our lane and the waving fans of palm that punctuated the deep blue skies on every other corner.
Marciac is very much a seasonal town for the tourists who, for the most part, flock to experience the huge Jazz Festival here for a couple of weeks in July and stay on over the summer months. And then they leave and things settle down into a normal rhythm again. I kicked myself that we missed it this year, mainly because I stumbled upon this incredible art gallery/restaurant, Riad St Jean. As if the exterior wasn't enough to sell it to you, the inside is all the sweeter- the raw and open space of a former barn. Renovated by architect Jean-Christophe Leconte, it comes alive during the festival with a combination of food, art and live jazz. Maybe next time...
Photography © Tiffany Grant-Riley
A Stylish Find / Native & Co
There is a new love in my life. Meet Native & Co, an independent homeware store specialising in handcrafted products from Japan and Taiwan. Until now, I think that Japanese and Taiwanese homewares have been misrepresented here in the UK. Aside from Muji which to me conjures up stationery and perspex office storage, for the most part we are still stuck with the stereotype of painted fans and crockery with geisha motifs - it's difficult to find those quality pieces without a struggle. At least, that's what I thought before I spent a little time exploring this beautifully styled space.Founded by product designers Chris Yoshiro Green and Sharon Jo-Yun Hung, Native & Co is bringing authentic Japanese and Taiwanese designs to the forefront from its quiet location just a stone's throw from the bustling Notting Hill Gate and Portobello Road. You'll see I've taken a lot of photos. That was deliberate - there was so much to take in and I couldn't not share it all with you!
Each and every piece has found its way here through a real labour of love - trying to source handcrafted pieces like these is impossible to do from a laptop, their makers don't have access to email. It's a slow process and Chris and Sharon have worked hard to build relationships with craftsmen on site visits when they find time to fly out in person.
The day to day running of the shop includes amusing challenges in trying to get quick messages through to their craftsmen in Taiwan with no email or having to translate design drawings from one language to another and still end up with the same product. But these are the stories that make Native & Co so unique and endearing-they take the word traditional seriously and that comes across in the pride they take in all of their products.
Particular favourites of mine included the table and stools, designed by Chris and heading for production as a soon to be staple piece of the Native & Co collection. I really fell for the simplicity of the Japanese maple bowls and Magewappe bentwood cups, seeing them styled on an open shelf in my "one day" kitchen. In fact, it was nigh on impossible to find anything I didn't love, a sign that these are pieces that will blend into any interior, regardless of the style or need to completely redesign your home to fit it.
So, have I opened your eyes to something new today? Hope that I've sparked your curiosity enough to visit them in person, or if they're too far for you then spend a happy half hour swooning over their online shop - the tableware is out of this world.Thank you for having me Sharon and Chris. See you soon...
IKEA Is Bringing Its A-Game
I wasn't so much impatient for summer for the sun and warmth as I was for the new collections coming to IKEA next month. Sheeeeeeeesh they are killing it. You are not ready for this.Firstly, I just want to take a moment to jump up on the table and do a proper "all hail the interior design gods" dance to acknowledge this brilliant collaboration between Head of Design Marcus Engman and designer Ilse Crawford. Ilse, I love you. Obsessed with the physicality of things, she designs pieces on an emotional level, to be able to feel, touch, to connect with objects that "affect us on a human level". And when I saw the impossibly tactile 'SINNERLIG' collection, using cork, black metal, bamboo and other natural materials as a main feature...well...consider me affected.
"We have to get used to the idea of things being enjoyable to touch, to realise you can connect through the senses. The core value of my collaboration with IKEA has been to bring the head and heart together through the hand, with touch and natural materials..."I hate to use these faddy, new-fangled phrases the kids use these days, but seriously, "I can’t even".IKEA have always been the first in line to champion great design at a price point that we can all afford, but I feel like they've gone a step further with this, to incorporate a higher quality of design with aesthetic and I love that. It looks really...expensive.
Designed by Marcus Arvonen, the SKOGSTA collection has put into question my entire quest for the white dining table. It's a warm and tactile one, crafted from solid Acacia wood (no veneer here thank you!) inspired by the modern country kitchen, to become long term, enduring pieces in the home.
The collection has been been built up on the idea of being together around food; so starting with the beautiful table, it branches out into food storage, boards on which to prep and stands to display and serve. There are benches and blocks, stools and sturdy crates that can be adapted for other rooms too. And isn't the grain from that Acacia just wonderful? I cannot wait to get my hands on it.
This is just a taste of what's to come over the next few months. I'm excited, aren't you?
Minimal Jewellery By RUUSK
Maybe it's part of maturing and growing into a style that you're comfortable with, but these days I just don't want the fuss. Do you feel the same? Perhaps it has something to do with early childhood or later in my teens, helping my father (a Master Goldsmith) in his shop on Saturdays surrounded by precious stones and metals...but I don't see the need for excessive jewellery. I think, of my entire collection, I wear only two or three pieces at any one time and they are very simple. Which is why I loved discovering this minimal collection by Italian designer Tania Gnecchi-Ruscone of RUUSK.
Recently moved to the Netherlands from Australia, Tania's love of travel and the quest for timeless, every day pieces inspired her to create the 'essential' collection for the modern woman, the creative, the traveller. Each piece is hand made in Italy using traditional techniques (which is great to hear) from sterling silver. I love the simple shapes and classic designs - as she says, these are pieces you can 'live in'."Designing for life is my motto. It's about striving to create simple pieces that withstand trends and time. Pieces that you wear everyday and which, in a way become a part of you." 
To see more of the collection and the Peak Ring which really caught my eye, check out the newly launched website.
Photography © RUUSK.
My Summer of Linen
A few weeks back I spent a jaw slackeningly relaxing evening with the Soak&Sleep team (remember this post?) at boutique hotel Artist Residence. During the course of the night we experienced a bespoke pillow consultation - a unique service S&S can provide to help you get over your pillow rut based on your sleeping habits. Amazingly, having spent years wrestling with two deflated feather things and it still not feeling "right", I was pared up with this latex baby and I will not be separated from it. Ever. If you do one thing for your bedroom this summer, make it this!
Today we've got the results back from our sleep survey and some of them are really interesting, for example 41% of you want to create a relaxing sanctuary in your rooms, not just for sleeping in but to kick back in too. Our bedroom has become just that for me in recent weeks and whilst I can't spend much time relaxing in the mornings, the evenings are all mine. With these bright and balmy nights we've been enjoying lately, I've been using those few post-bedtime hours once the kids are asleep to catch up on some reading, do a little learning and maybe try to find some inspiration. Believe me, after my last post, I've needed it.
I've brought in a few sprigs of just opened lavender from the garden, have a few healthier snacks to hand when I'm tempted and there's crisp, cool linen on the bed. I think I'm having a love affair with linen right now-I've always loved the crinkles it holds so well and how it softens over time. Have you tried it yet?
I try not to use any technology in our room if I can to help cut out unnecessary distractions, much like the 30% of you who agree with me. Apart from a little music, it's great to have the headspace to concentrate on something that isn't online. And I've made a few recent discoveries that have helped to get me going again. One is an incredible book by choreographer Twyla Tharp, which explores the creative process through her own and other artists' work. The Creative Habit. You need this in your life, my goodness yes.
On our way home at Toulouse airport a few weeks back I bought a copy of Ideat magazine which had a huge feature on Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf. I'd never seen his work before and was instantly taken with it. His 'Keyhole' and 'Grief' series look to capture private moments as if you were observing them from a distance or coming upon them by accident. Most are shot in home environments, with a nod to Mid Century style and although they're a little uncomfortable, I think they're beautiful.
So tell me, how do you create a sanctuary in your own room? Maybe it's all about the bedding or it's locking yourself away with a good book?
This post is in collaboration with Soak&Sleep.
Styling & Photography © Tiffany Grant-Riley
Infographic courtesy of Soak&Sleep.
Confessions Of A Funk'd-Up Creative
I need to get something off my chest in a not-so-glossy, perfectly presented and styled within an inch of its life kind of way. This is a post I wasn't sure about publishing, because it's not a glowingly positive one, there aren't any words of wisdom or top five tips today, I think above all, I just need to offload and connect with some of you. So I could really do with your ear (or your eyes if I'm being pedantic) if you have a minute?
For several weeks now, without any sign of letting-up, I've been at the bottom of an all-consuming funk. Wish I was talking about it in the musical sense, rather than the crippling inability to find any sort of inspiration. Sure, it's all part of the creative process and something we will all go through at times, but right now I can't find my mojo, I am done. I'm just back from a ten day break in the south of France and I feel nothing - no amount of reading or 'pinning' is going to jumpstart it.
April was a ridiculously crazy month for work and I was preoccupied shooting our home for inclusion in a book coming out in September (more on that very soon) so it snuck up on me quietly in the way that it does, disguised in too much Netflix watching when I should be doing something more constructive than relaxing. In the blogging community we call it "bloggers burnout"-we all fear those phases and this for me is the worst yet. But it's not that I've run out of ideas completely, it's just that they're not good enough or I'd just be repeating myself. My ideas are not inspiring enough, or aspirational enough or real enough. And when you're faced with daily visual inspiration and stimulus and other people doing it already and far better than perhaps I think I ever could, I wonder what the point is. And that's ridiculous isn't it? The world is full of writers, stylists, designers-you name it, part of a similar vein or discipline, yet carving out their individual paths - there's room for everyone, right?
A few weeks ago I headed to Blogtacular which I'd booked several months previously when my head was in a good and positive place, hoping to pull myself out of "this", to rediscover or maybe even reinvent myself. During a conversation I was having with friend and designer Silkie Lloyd, she said "sometimes you just have to give yourself a break. Particularly where you are in life right now with two small children, it's ok to give yourself permission to slow down." She was, of course, completely right, but I was never going to do that. As my own worst critic, the inner whip-cracker is always at the back of my mind reminding me "that's not good enough, do more, be competitive, go bigger". After a while that mindset would break anyone. Do you ever find yourself stuck in that loathsome cycle of inactivity, whereby everything needs to be done to perfection, but perfectionist tendencies require that you never actually do because it won't be exactly right? So then nothing gets done...
France, I thought, would be the chance to clear my head, recharge, have space to breathe and come home inspired and invigorated. One morning last week with a very nearly two year old using me as a trampoline, I woke myself up to this article on Design Sponge on 'Finding Your Quiet: Listening To What Really Matters'. Yes, I was checking my email on holiday. As Grace described herself as a former angry driver and point-proving workaholic, I shrunk further down under the duvet as I realised that that person is me now. Every day is a rushed routine from nursery to home, work for an hour, back to nursery, the supermarket, the park, shoot something for an hour, make dinner...What is the point? What is the goal? My children have to share me with my email, an iPhone, a DSLR and whilst that's not always the case, I feel as though it's impossible not to when our home is my workspace and I'm doing my best to navigate working freelance with parenting. And maybe that's the problem. Maybe I am just trying to do far too much all at the one time with the exact same amount of intensity and is why I'm not finding that creative flow right now. Perhaps you really do have to let go of some things in order for other areas to grow?
So that's how it is and this is me. Quietly doing my best to keep going.
How do you cope with periods of inactivity like these? Do you just ride them out and let them pass on their own, or row against the tide? If you have the master plan, perhaps you could let me in on it...
Photography © Tiffany Grant-Riley
July Adrichem / Second Skin Collection
Please let me just explain that when I discovered the draw-droppingly gorgeous Second Skin Collection, I could've cried. I was having a wander over on one of my favourite online home decor and style sites, Studio Oink - do you know them? and stopped in my tracks. Textured tableware - a stylist's dream, oh my. It's no wonder then, that they were brought into being by product stylist July Adrichem, based in The Netherlands. They have such a quiet fragility about them, I could spend an age just pouring over these beautiful images that July has so expertly styled. Don't you just want to reach out and touch them?
Although they have the appearance and texture of ceramics, they're actually made from a plaster-cotton fibre which have been treated and sealed with a protective layer to guard against moisture and dust, during which she adds in the colour. Moulded from a variety of old and decorative vessels, each piece is unique depending on the way the paste takes to it. These aren't pieces to use with water but are perfect for uncut fruit and dried flowers. Personally, I'd be over the moon to have a pair of white spoons mounted onto our black wall as a contrast and happily invest in a collection of bowls and plates to add to my ever-expanding prop store-how perfect are they? 
The colour range is a delicate, muted palette including Petrol (a trend I'm starting to see coming through for tableware in A/W) Peach, Mint, Charcoal, Sand, Dust and Shadow. Oh the hours I could spend lost inside a creative bubble playing with these, they lend themselves so well to simple styling. Here's a collection I can't wait to bring into our home.
You can shop the Second Skin Collection via July's Etsy shop or another of my favourites, Studio Oink.
Beynon Modular Crafted Furniture
It's difficult to find impeccably well made modular furniture these days that can put its dukes up to the systems that revolutionised modern living in the mid-century era. Sure, there will always be the flat-pack, but if you're looking for solid, reliable and timeless, not so much. So I had my head turned with this beautifully crafted unit by British brand Beynon, hailed as heirloom quality and an adaptable piece of long-term furniture which grows with you over time. As modular suggests, you build your desired piece using a system of wooden units. You don't even have to wrestle with the tool kit because each unit has a simple interlocking mechanism that relies on the turn of a coin. Intelligent. And I love the various ways you can custom build and configure your own to suit your space and needs.
Designed by industrial design specialist Keinton Butler and graphic designer Richard Davies, the units are produced by master craftsmen in Wiltshire using traditional techniques and made in white oiled oak. Isn't that pale wood bureau just perfection? And please, do yourself a favour and take a look at the poplar sideboard, the details in the grain of the wood are incredible. I could look at it all day.
Beautifully simplistic details for adaptable living. I think this one could be a classic.
at{mine} / The Online Interiors Community
For the past year I've been a very fortunate Beta member of new online interiors community, at{mine}. Introduced to the site by my good friend Igor Josif of Happy Interior blog, I jumped at the chance to be a part of it as it developed through the early days with a feeling that this was something that would really take off. The concept has been nurtured into being by long time friends Helena Benelbas and Ia Bergman who found that there wasn't a dedicated online space for interiors enthusiasts and professionals to share their own spaces and interact with other like-minded people. We all love to be a little nosy, right?
An inspiring little community of just over 1,000 now, at{mine} is building a steady membership reaching across the globe with its beautifully styled, simple interface, including recently updated additions that Beta members helped the team to develop as we got to know the site. How does it work? Members can upload and share images of their homes which are categorised by room, tag items in each room and where they came from and include a caption or story. Other members of the community can search for and follow other users whose photos appear in the gorgeous new home feed, 'love' an image, add a tagged item to their interiors wish-list or comment if they want to connect. Finally! A homely online space for sharing real interiors in one place.Have I piqued your interest? Fancy a look around some of my favourites? I'd love for you to join me and see what it's all about so at{mine} have kindly created an invitation for you to come and check it out before the site opens to the public. See you there...
The Summer Flats Edit
I think it's finally warm enough to break out the summer flats, lately it's just been that little bit too warm for boots and sneakers although I'm loathe to leave my winter wardrobe behind - when it comes to style, I have a winter personality. Do you find that too? So this weekend I went shopping for a new pair of sandals to update my capsule wardrobe and have been trying to make more informed choices about what I purchase and how everything I buy can be useful as an ensemble and go with everything. I'm not one for glitz and fuss these days so I spent a good evening hunting online for the perfect every-day pair before I hit the shops on Saturday and today I've put together my definitive edit. Of course, I plumped for the simple and minimal, focusing on this season's neutrals - navy, nude, white and tan.|1| You can never go wrong with a Birkenstock, particularly when they come in navy - this summer is all about deep blue.|2| Love the pale taupe leather with white trim and double sole in these K Jacques St Tropez Barigoule sandals at Net-a-Porter. A definite wardrobe staple.|3| A barely there style with a detached toepost. Minimal to a 'T'. Aralia in white at Whistles.|4| My champions (I ordered these on Saturday and they arrived on Sunday!) are these black fringed leather beauties with ankle buckle at Zara, drawing on the fringing trend with a little more structure and a little less fuss.|5| I will always love nude as a colour and these double buckle Sol Sana Fosters are the ultimate in in simple, feminine style. Do it. |6| The height of a platform without the potential for twisting your ankles. Get the best of both worlds with these two tone leather and rubber platforms at & Other Stories.At least, if nothing else, my feet are ready for our trip to France next week where we'll spend ten days with my husband's parents at their home in the Midi-Pyrenees. Now I just need to find the rest!How are you going about tackling your summer wardrobe this season? Have you spotted some flats for you?