Hello everyone, I’m afraid it’s been a while since my last post as I have been out of the office for a while, but I’m back and now and have some fantastic posts coming up.

I was in the middle of sorting through some bits at home and whilst doing so, I came across these original needlecraft books from the 1950′s; there seems to be a vintage theme on my blog at the moment!  They belonged to my grandmother, who was crazy about needlecraft, and I think they’re fantastic.  The front cover of the first image is especially interesting as 50′s interiors are so fashionable, people are paying a lot of money to buy original pieces like this; especially the sideboard.  The 1950′s paint swatch card is from Erwinhouse, I thought it would be interesting to see all the colours together.  Most of them are a bit heavy for my taste but I am a fan of the Chelsea gray, I could see this one amongst the Farrow & Ball colours.

Nestled in the South of France between the Canal du Midi and Minervois vineyards, you will find boutique hotel gem, La Maison Pujol. Housing just four guest-rooms the petite yet perfectly formed B&B is built in the heart of a restored old provinicial winery with a modern twist.

La Maison Pujol offers a rustic ambience merged seamlessly with contemporary, cool design to a very high standard. All of the renovations and transformations were completed by owner and architect/designer Philippe Phi. It’s very clear that during the restoration it was of paramount importance to create an environment that both embraced the history and original features of the old winery with new modern design. Every detail has been carefully thought through so that the opposing ideals sit happily alongside each other and the end result is effortlessly chic. One of the clearest ways of seeing this is through the use of texture – a representation of both the history and future of the hotel. It’s original, uneven pebbled flooring, animal hides and wood – vs – modern smoothed concrete, industrial metal and pure white walls.

The four guest-rooms are flooded with light and kept simple with minimal furniture, striking artwork and vintage accessories. Whilst Philippe Phi was designing La Maison Pujol he was largely inspired by 1960s-1980s design which can be seen in the choice of vintage furniture from Van der Rohe, Eames and Jacobsen. Much of the other bric-a-brac and decorative wooden antiques are from Africa, adding a needed sense of warmth. There is also a strong theme of graphic typography as vintage industrial lettering is scattered throughout the interior and exterior of the property. The colour palette is also very neutral with the occasional splash of bright earthy oranges and reds.

Prices start from 80€ per night on low seasons, please check La Maison Pujol website for further details.

There is just under two weeks to go until John Lewis unveil their new Stratford store, but as you might expect from an Olympic site shop, this is going to something completely different… Image credits: Clements Riberio, ercol cabinet; Bottles Blue cushion, James Joyce; Ikat print cushion,  Ikat Broadstripe chaise, Seattle Chaise, Adras Indigo all Ptolemy Mann;

There are many elements that make this new Home store exciting including collaborations with designers that are completely new to John Lewis.  One that I am really excited about is the vintage boutique brand, Pedlars.  As well as their signiture pieces, they will be offering reconditioned 1950s telephones, original London bus blinds, vintage 1960s bread baking tins sourced from the Hovis factory, along with 1960s lamps, maps, and globes.

Customers will also see a new focus on design-led, directional products, particularly in furniture and lighting.  One particular designer lighting brand will be Design House Stockholm, a firm favourite of mine, you might know them for their ever popular and gorgeously stylish Nordic Light.

There will be a section dedicated cushions, wallpaper and fabric by Jocelyn Warner, a new dining range from Bethan Gray for John Lewis, and fabrics from Mulberry Home.  The area will see a new installation by the renowned stylist Emma Davidge, her concept is inspired by Tibetan flags, and uses long drops of John Lewis fabric to create a breath-taking entrance to the Home floor showcasing the array of fabrics available.

Other collaborations include Original BTC and Modernica, as well as designers Clements Ribeiro, James Joyce and Ptolomy Mann (images above).

Another service will be from Image library guru, Getty, where customers can customise a range of art and photography to suit their own requirements – altering the print size and frames to suit their taste.

Finally, there will be a Home Design service offering customers a design consultation in-store or at home.  Customers will also be able to pick-up swatches and samples, browse interiors magazines and books, and speak to one of their interior design-qualified home designers.

The official opening will be on September 13th 2011
John Lewis

The consumer practice of throw-away buying and not caring about the origin of a product has drastically changed in the last few years. We’ve grown increasingly interested in learning about where our food is from, is it ethically sourced, is it organic, is it healthy, were the animals properly cared for? Our habits of recycling are also improving – we don’t want to waste, we want to buy responsibly and we want to buy items that will last. It’s these traits, this new mentality for intelligent purchasing that is spreading to all aspects of our life and affecting our buying habits; especially when buying interior products. There is one particular interiors trend that follows the ethical ethos.. shabby chic.

The trend for all things shabby chic has been around for a while now, and is showing no signs of leaving. With the recent revival for choosing up-cycled over reproduction furniture, it’s clear that consumer buying habits are changing. We are going back to vintage roots by thrifting and creating, with a make-do-and-mend attitude. I think the reason shabby chic furniture has been so successful is down to its transferrable nature – blending in to most interiors seamlessly.  This is due to the variety of shapes, styles, colours and differing degrees of furniture painting techniques used. Every item of shabby chic furniture looks different and any style of furniture can be up-cycled.  Many of the high street chains cottoned on to the trend over the years and have decreated mass produced reproduction shabby chic furniture which I am not a fan of; it all looks the same, devoid of any character.  The paint is flat, the wood is cheap MDF and the style is unimaginative.  I believe that shabby chic furniture should be up-cycled from antiques or pre-used furniture – you can see the grain of the wood, it distresses authentically and more often than not the furniture is imperfect. It is these imperfections that make great shabby chic furniture – the dents, scratches and uneven surfaces, they all add to the character and individual nature of the piece.  For these reasons, I buy from independent suppliers who up-cycle the furniture in-store and by hand.  Below is a selection of the best shabby chic up-cyclers!

Ruby Rhino

Phoenix on Goldborne

37 Old London Road

Ruby & Betty’s Attic

The following antiques dealers also offer a great selection of beautifully painted, French shabby chic furniture: The French House, A & L Antiques, Maison Artefacts, Belle Epoque, Jensen and Ballantine and for the occasional piece MADE.

Whilst searching through their new Summer/Autumn collection I wondered to Anthropologies’ house and home section – where I was left positively giddy over the eclectic beauty everywhere to be seen. What great feature pieces these would make.

Jump on over to Anthropologie yourself for more homey goodness!