It is the beginning of yet another busy week (I am shooting a magazine story this week) and I haven’t had much time to spend on my blog. I had a quick look through my archives and found these images that I took not long after I had finished my new book. The photos are not extracts, but part of a collection of objects I had near by, some of which did become props in the photos. My new book is on general release soon and if all goes to plan, a book launch will take place in late April. I have an exciting meeting later this week to discuss it and I will reveal more as soon as I can.
The very first copy of my new book arrived recently and it’s been great to finally see how everything has come together and I’m really happy with it. It’s exciting (and a bit nerve-wracking!) and I hope you all like it. It will be officially available from April 5th although it looks like Amazon may have already sent out some copies to those who pre-ordered early! In a similar style to my first book (which I recently found out is now a best seller for CICO Books!) The Homemade Home for Children contains 50 thrifty and chic projects for creative parents to make with and for children. It is not a book of projects for children to make on their own, but it contains ideas that can involve the whole family – children, parents, grandparents, friends or relatives – with illustrated step-by-step projects and quick ideas for all skill levels.
My little boy was very excited to see it as he appears inside the book along with his sister. Many of the projects were made with them in mind, using their drawings, for them to play with, dress up in and for their bedrooms. If you would like to get an idea of some of the projects in the book then you can see it in two fabulous magazines this month. I have contributed to the April issue of “the world’s best selling homes magazine” Elle Decoration, which has a four page feature, and also to the new issue of Junior – “the world’s finest parenting magazine”.
I will be sharing more about the book and launch event, so do visit regularly for updates if you wish. You can also follow on my Facebook page Facebook.com/homemadehome and on Twitter.
The book is available to pre-order on Amazon now:
US – order at Amazon.com
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February 14, 2012 in news
I had a play with some homemade and vintage love hearts and 19th century hand-written letters. I was only going to post one image but I couldn’t decide which one I liked the most, so I posted them all for you to choose which one you like best.
With love on Valentine’s Day
x
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February 10, 2012 in books, news
Following my home being featured in the Liberty Chic book last year, I was asked by another Japanese publisher if it could be featured in an interior design book. I love Japanese books; their design, smaller size and they are always filled with creativity and style. I said yes straight away and am so pleased I did. A few days ago a package arrived out of the blue, containing a copy of the new book as a sweet surprise.
It is a guide to decorating called Wall Color Interior by Yuki Kubota and Chieko Tomita, part of an ‘Interiors of Europe’ series. It is packed with photos and features 21 homes from Berlin, Copenhagen and London. There are lessons, advice and how-to’s plus a case study of each home, although it is in Japanese only. The home on the front cover above belongs to Kristine Lavigne of Danish design collective Meyer-Lavigne in Copenhagen. Below are a few of the spreads of my home in London with images taken by photographer Teruyuki Yoshimura.
It is published by Graphic Publishing Co and you can find out about it and many others from the Interiors of Europe series here.
I couldn’t resist putting together a little Japanese-inspired display to photograph with the book.
The only problem I now have after receiving a copy is that I want to go back to Berlin, Copenhagen and Japan! I had better start saving…
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February 1, 2012 in books, news
The first peek inside my new book The Homemade Home for Children is available on the newsagent’s shelves! The new March issue of Elle Decoration magazine in the UK features one of my projects as an ‘inspired idea’ in their decorating section, showing the ideas in my book aren’t just for kids and can be interpreted however you like.
I’m afraid that’s all I can share for now but if you want to be one of the first to receive my new book you can pre-order now at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
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January 10, 2012 in interior styling, news
I’m sure many of you will be aware of Heart Home magazine that launched in September last year. It’s a new quarterly digital publication founded by Arianna Trapani, Carole King and Daniel Nelson and showcases British homes and designers. Snippets of my home were featured in the Winter issue last month in a story called ‘A little something from nothing‘.
I wanted to create a different slant to the shoot so I styled mini displays around my home using the objects around me, each with its own little story. Many of the objects are inexpensive car boot sale finds, holiday treasures and trinkets, but I wanted to show how pleasing displays and vignettes can be made from very little. Small pockets of detail, where everyday items can become stars. It is about embracing a pinch of handmade, a touch of homemade, nature, new items and vintage treasures – mixing them together to create new scenes, all of which should feel very personal and give joy when seen.
This shelf is in my bedroom. An empty picture frame creates a focal point and gives height to the display. You can see an earlier incarnation of this shelf in a previous blog post here.
In my living room I evoked a 1950s sculptural feel with objects like old polo and billiards balls and vintage geometry sets in different woods and neutral tones.
This is an Ikea chair that I revamped a while back with a fun skirt in St Jude’s fabric and a giant silk bow.
Vintage flea market perfume bottles sit with contemporary vases and bottles and a necklace by Emma Cassi.
Here a painted canvas acts as a backdrop to vintage clay bottles used as vases for flowers painted with fluorescent paint. Old books with the pages facing out add height and natural finds in similar tones add quirky interest – a deer skull that my husband and young son found on a walk in the countryside and beach-combed pebbles with holes in simply strung together.
Here my collection of old chemistry and laboratory equipment become unexpected vases for interesting flora and fauna. All of these were items were bought at car boot sales.
In my work room, displays of objects I use and work in progress become inspiration in themselves. For more tips on how to achieve interesting, fun displays in your home head over to Heart Home to read the full article.
The day of the photo shoot was a pleasure with lovely photographer James Balston taking all of these images. You can see James’s work over on his blog.
If you haven’t seen Heart Home yet do go and take a look at the Winter issue and the first issue and the Heart Home blog. I’m looking forward to seeing what the Spring issue has in store!
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December 6, 2011 in news
A huge thank you to everyone who entered the prize draw to win A Green Guide to Natural Beauty by Karen Gilbert from CICO Books.
Your comments were lovely and it was really interesting to hear about all of the different things you love making.
So I printed off all of the entries, cut them up separately and put them in my grandfather’s old bowler hat, closed my eyes, rummaged and pulled one out.
And the winner is…
Anneline!
Congratulations to Anneline who said “I love anything handmade and love doing various arts and crafts but my passion is textile and surface pattern design which also means that I love to sew. This book would be perfect to help me with my handmade Christmas as I’m aiming to make all presents myself this year.”
Thank you again to everyone for entering and to CICO Books for donating the book and postage, and I’m sure I’ll run another giveaway in the future.
For those that didn’t win, don’t forget the book is available to buy on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.
Thank you!
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A place to share my work and the things I love: interior styling and great design; fine art and contemporary craft; exciting new products and flea market finds; handmade and homemade; celebrating the old and embracing the new; creativity, family and fun. The things that I believe make your house a home.
Line Up contemporary craft exhibition, curated by Sania Pell, at Flow Gallery, 1-5 Needham Road
London, W11 2RP.
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