5 favourite finds....Wednesday

1. Swedish influence Josef Franck fabric covered headboard

2. Pale blue fireplace - so different

3. Fabulous mexican suzani bedspreads from Table Tonic (oz) $464 usd + postage

4. I adore the work top and the use of different woods to create this space..The lighting is also great. A kitchen to die for!

5. Chandeliers in the bathroom and a great big window to stare out of or be stared AT!! Quite outrageous!

wish list....aguayos

Two years ago a girlfriend and I set up 'lana' which was our attempt at trying to bring the unique and beautiful aguayo rug from Northern Argentina and Bolivia to our friends.

Sadly, we didn't get very far before we were flummoxed by problems exporting from Argentina and the onset of the economic crisis... But, thankfully it seems that these beautiful rugs are making into the market now. Last summer in various European design magazines they were featured and you definitely do see more of them around now.

The aguayos have been used in the Andean region since pre-hispanic times and are regularly worn by Aymara & Quechua women to carry their babies and personal goods. Each region has its own colors, designs & techniques. Weaving of each aguayo is done in two separate parts which are then sewn together; this central seam shows decorative details and colors that highlight the beauty of the tapestry. The dyes are all natural.

Today, there are two types of aguayo -

i)The ancient ones which make wonderful wall hangings or can be used to upholster furniture - chairs, benches etc.

Note - They are not that big. They range btw 70cm by 50cm and 120cm by 100m.

And

ii) The more modern machine made version - which tends to be larger and less detailed in design.

You can usually tell the difference btw an ancient aguayo and a machine produced one by the vibrant colour. The ancient ones tend to show signs of fading, this is simply down to age and the fact that the natural dyes fade after extended exposure to the sun.

Good places to source aguayos and upholstered furniture using aguayos are - elementos argentinos, la puskana & la viva home...

Oh and yes, also lana !!! We still have some aguayos which are all in the UK. Please contact me for further info.

Prices start at $50usd

Images taken from la puskana, la viva home & lana

ideas...pink

pink cushions & mirror

pink walls

pink furnishings

pink bathroom walls

pink rug

Today is all about pink.

Pink is one of my favourite colours and I wanted to share with you some images that illustrate how pink can be used in a tasteful way - Pink doesn't necessarily have to be girly girly.....

These images have been taken from apartment therapy, pink is a religion, maggymoon, domino and flikr

wish list......plum pretty sugar

I am loving Plum Pretty Sugar and I thinking you might too.

Plum Pretty Sugar was born from the idea of bringing breezy happiness, cozy comfort and easy-living chic to lounge wear and accessories.

There are kimono style robes and pyjama sets that give flutters of gorgeous silhouettes - all are made using whisper-soft fabrics in enchanting garden of eden-inspired palettes. Much of the inspiration for the range has come from India where many of the fabrics have been sourced.

Started less than a year ago, Plum Pretty Sugar has already received write ups in the NY Times and other prestigious rags..... The range is now being expanded to include bed linens and accessories.

Congratulations Plum Pretty Sugar!!

Items are available through the following link and shipping outside of the US is possible.

Kimonos from $65 usd

Pyjama sets from $106 usd

wish list...all things suzani

Today, was supposed to be all about suzani 'cushions' but alas I can not limit the post only to cushions when there are so many other beautiful creations using this exquisite technique.

The term suzani means 'needlework' and in particular that of the exquisite silk thread embroidery panels made by women in Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, and other Central Asian countries. An antique and decorative tribal textile suzani is synonymous with these region's glorious embroideries.Traditionally the embroidery work began at the birth of a daughter and continued, with the help of family and friends, until the bride's dowry was complete.

In recent years the use of suzani textiles in upholstering has produced fabulous showcase items of furniture, with the more common place wall hangings and soft furnishings now regularly used by the world of interior design.

Ok, so the suzani trend is not new to interior design trade BUT alas I love it!....

These items are not cheap but Ebay stores Desert of Suzani and Great Silk Road should be monitored closely as bargains can be found!

An antique suzani work will be mega $$$ but then, if one considers the amount of detail and labour that goes into creating these beautiful items, you can understand why.

images taken from - jayson home interiors, casa sugar, furnituredesign.com & yurdan.com

cushions from wisteria, madeline winerib and uzbek crafts - $$ vary!

wish list...

I wait in anticipation for news from my man on the ground in Jaipur, ref. the block prints I have designed.. will they work? can my ideas translate from the drawing board to reality ok??

There is a limit to what I can do via the internet and telephone and sadly, it wont be until I am in India in May that I will really know and can get to work...

I have spent hours researching block print textiles and in the process have come across some amazing designers. One of my current favorites in Mary Mulcahy and her company Les Indiennes .

Les Indiennes range of textiles, soft furnishings and wallpapers are created using the ancient art of Kalamakari. Sun bleached naturally dyed cottons are hand-blocked with carved wood dyed in ayurvedic dyes derived from plants, roots, earth and rock.

One of things that I applaud is that Les Indiennes has never set out to industrialise or change the ways things are done in India. Les Indiennes provide fair trade employment for 50 families, raising the standard of living for the entire community.

Be inspired by the images.

Her website is thorough with a great on-line shop. For now I can only refer you but with time I hope to be able to source everything for you!

My dream is that one day Lala Moon will be able to give Les Indiennes and the like a run for their money... Yet I will remain indebted to them for giving me the inspiration and vision for moving forward with my ideas... Thank YOU!

www.lesindiennes.com (USA with shipping)

ideas....

I remembered a feature I had seen in House Beautiful magazine July 2009. The Brooklyn townhouse, home to a NY marketing director Heather Evans and her 4 daughters is a sumptious mix of colour and fabrics. Decorated by interior designer Jonathan Berger the finished result is one of flirty, exuberant fun, ideal for a houseful of girls!

• I particularly like the use of vibrant fabrics to upholster 'antique' style furniture - the result is a refined look but one which isn't stuffy.
• Note that the walls are painted in natural, clear tones which assist in making the home feel more spacious.
• Yes, the wallpaper in the bathroom is quite a statement but somehow it works! The vibrant tone is fresh looking and girly.
• The 'suzani' throw in the master bedroom provides a touch of opulence.

The use of colour in upholstering furniture, in accessorising or to paper/paint small wall spaces really does work but remember that the key is that the shell of your home is a nude or natural tone. Colour should complement not take over.

Fabrics for upholstering from Lee Jofa's range and China Seas.

Wallpaper from China Seas

Suzani throw found on ebay

unique blankets...

Whilst doing some research on India and the Ladakh region, I stumbled across this dutch site....You see, spelling has never been my strong point!

But, what a great find!

LADAK blankets are extraordinary pieces of skilled handicraft. The starting point for each blanket is recycled sweaters, blankets, jeans etc etc which are then lavishly decorated with ribbons and rich fabrics.

LADAK stands for warmth, comfort and protection in style: on the couch, at the beach, on a patio, at a picnic or in a boat.

Each blanket is named after a homeless person, and as in life no two people are the same, no two blankets are the same.

Blankets (200cm/140cm) cost 189 Euros with 15% of it's profits being donated to an Amsterdam shelter for the homeless.