All posts

Feature Posts

Friday Musings

Colour, Parties, Decoration, DIY Design, Balloons, Design, Inspiration, Fashion, Photography

balloons, bespoke balloonery, paper, frills, Heidi Gill, celebrations, birthday, interiors, Arent&Pyke

balloons, bespoke balloonery, paper, frills, Heidi Gill, celebrations, birthday, interiors, Arent&Pyke

balloons, bespoke balloonery, paper, frills, Heidi Gill, celebrations, birthday, interiors, Arent&Pyke

balloons, bespoke balloonery, paper, frills, Heidi Gill, celebrations, birthday, interiors, Arent&Pyke

balloons, bespoke balloonery, paper, frills, Heidi Gill, celebrations, birthday, interiors, Arent&Pyke

balloons, bespoke balloonery, paper, frills, Heidi Gill, celebrations, birthday, interiors, Arent&Pyke

balloons, bespoke balloonery, paper, frills, Heidi Gill, celebrations, birthday, interiors, Arent&Pyke

balloons, bespoke balloonery, paper, frills, Heidi Gill, celebrations, birthday, interiors, Arent&Pyke

balloons, bespoke balloonery, paper, frills, Heidi Gill, celebrations, birthday, interiors, Arent&Pyke

Heidi Moore-Gill of Bespoke Balloonery fame is a favourite of ours and has been ‘balloon flying since 2012′. The nostalgia of the balloon and the bunting, the hand-dyed, hand-cut paper frills and fans are whimsical and magical and have us dreaming of sunny days eating fairy bread. We decided it was high-time we had a chat with Heidi about Bespoke Balloonery, and her recent ‘Carnival of Sights to See’ & ‘Ce Petit Point (This Little Spot…)’ photo-shoots.

IN/OUT: What is the story behind this little shoot?
HEIDI: The shoot evolved from vintage carnival ideas – I am curious, and still a little spellbound about the carnival children from 30 years ago that I used to see at the local shows. I love the typefaces and lighting and faded, once-gaudy colours. I wanted to soften and mix this up with some of my products to show them in a context that reflects the nostalgia of the giant round balloon and the bunting.

IN/OUT: Tell us a little about your pieces?
HEIDI: The bunting is all made from hand pressed and dyed watercolour paper. The fans are mix of hand made and machine made. My balloons are only background shapes in the shoot – I wanted more to capture the mood I envisioned for these balloons without making them the star, just a hint of my pieces will do!

IN/OUT: What did you do before balloon art?
HEIDI: I am a trained designer with a B. Design. I majored in and further trained as a specialist watercolourist – an education that is still continuing. I worked as an interior and still life stylist for many years for major magazine titles and corporate clients – which inspired me to make more of what I could never find for the shoots I produced. I now make for many of my friends who still work in the industry. They are wonderfully supportive and have helped me an enormous amount in establishing the business.

IN/OUT: What are you working on right now?
HEIDI: Right now, I am developing Balloon Favours and Giant Balloon Kits to be sold online via the website, and am working with some specialist paper lovers on excusive retail products.

IN/OUT: What’s the big BB dream?
HEIDI: Aspiring to be the experts in joy.

Heidi, we will gladly join you on that panel of experts and we thank you for sharing with us!

Credits: Bespoke Balloonery

Friday Musings: Bespoke Balloonery

posted on May 24, 2013
Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, Eclectic, dedece, copper, home accessories, London, design, milan furniture fair, Salone Internazionale del Mobile, interior design, Arent&Pyke

Tom Dixon, the man, is a self-taught British design supremo (but more on that next Wednesday when we share the Chat in a Chair we had with Tom). Tom Dixon, the company, established in 2002, is now a British design and manufacturing powerhouse of lighting and furniture, with a commitment to innovation and a mission to revive the British furniture industry. In 2012 we fell in love with ‘Eclectic’ – the inaugural range of everyday home accessories, giftware and design objects. Each piece is designed to be used or played with, to be treasured or to be given.

The new range launched early this year has us completely captivated (again). Designed for the slightly eccentric collector’s cabinet, the modern architect’s table and the British tearoom trolley the new range incorporates copper, brass, cast iron, natural and semi-precious metals which are only improve with age. We like that he designs for designers – it’s cheeky, he knows we will love it. We defy you not to want the Tool The Golden Rule set as much as we do.

Now if you care to muster up a drum roll, we have some exciting news: our next Chat in a Chair will be with Tom Dixon himself! To celebrate we will be launching a new Instagram competition & Tom’s Chat next Wednesday. We will be giving away a Tom Dixon ‘Offcut stool’ signed by the man himself. All you will need to do is show us where you would put the stool if you won it. Guest judge will be photographer Luisa Brimble who shot Tom with us. Stay tuned.

Credits: Eclectic by Tom Dixon

Friday Musings: Tom Dixon Eclectic

posted on May 17, 2013
8_chanel

fashion, chanel, stella tennant, art

fashion, chanel, stella tennant, art

fashion, chanel, stella tennant, art

fashion, chanel, stella tennant, art

fashion, chanel, stella tennant, art

fashion, chanel, stella tennant, art

fashion, chanel, stella tennant, art

fashion, chanel, stella tennant, art

A ‘Japanese teahouse’ sets the scene for the Spring 2013 collection from Chanel shot by it’s irreplaceably brilliant creative director Karl Lagerfeld. Long-time Chanel muse Stella Tennant joins the cast in a beautiful tableau of small scenes of textural mid-century modernism meets Japanese minimalism. A quietly geometric room of pale timber & fabric panelling creates a serene backdrop for the monochromatic layering and embellishment and the textural blocks of primary colours of this collection.

Credits: Fashion Gone Rogue

Friday Musings: Chanel Spring 2013

posted on May 10, 2013
aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

aesop, london, store, paris, marais, islington, bleeker st, NYC, grand central station, paddington, sydney, skin care, hair care, body care, herbal, natural

Aesop is that ubiquitous brand that represents understated luxury, and one we are so proud to call Australian. Founded in Melbourne in 1987, the Aesop brand and packaging is almost utilitarian by design, and quite literally frill, fuss and colour free. What makes this brand so successful is the strength of its philosophies, the quality of product, and the experience of shopping in-store.

Each store is subtly different in design, but all so immediately and arrestingly recognisable as Aesop. Shops are a direct extension of the products they sell: highly functional, carefully considered, modest in appearance yet the end result of much thinking. Inspired by the unintentionally appealing aesthetics of a well-ordered 1930s laboratory, adapting traditional materials in an ostensibly simple yet deeply considered design. Aesop believes unequivocally that ‘good design can improve your life’.

Stores feature clean lines, industrially elegant metal with thin, sharp profiles, polished marble, and reclaimed wood. Everything about the Aesop store design is almost painfully restrained, allowing material and order to reveal the inherent beauty of the space. The quasi-clinical nature of the stores is warmed with the natural materials, soft lighting and the less tangible elements of fragrance and ‘calm’.

Twenty-eight years on, Aesop now has more than sixty signature stores internationally across many major cities, including Paris, Tokyo and New York. These are a few of our favourites.

Credits: Images courtesy of Aesop

AESOP BEST OF…

posted on April 17, 2013
Aark Collective, Fashion Watches, Mens Watches, Women's Watches, Design, Fashion, Accessories

Aark Collective, Fashion Watches, Mens Watches, Women's Watches, Design, Fashion, Accessories

2_aark_mini

3_aark_mini

4_aark_mini

5_aark_mini

7_aark_mini

8_aark_mini

10_aark_mini

13_aark_mini

6_aark_mini

9_aark_mini

11_aark_mini

12_aark_mini

Aark Collective is a new Australian watch company that does minimalist designs with a slightly unisex aesthetic. Watches can be a fashion accessory in a form-over-function kind of way – and this range is bang-on for it’s styling and colour palette. They are sleek with clean lines and sharp design – and moreover they are designed in Melbourne. Always good to see great things coming from local talent.

Credits: Images from Aark Collective.

FRIDAY MUSINGS: aark watches

posted on February 22, 2013
paper flowers, easy, handcrafted

paper flowers, easy, handcrafted

2_francis_mini

3_francis_mini

4_francis_mini

5_francis_mini

Well, we couldn’t let Valentines Day pass without a flower…

Apart from having a really cute name, Frances&Francis craft flowers out of paper and they are passionate about bringing to life flat sheets of the stuff! Based out of London, they sell their wares online via Etsy as a sampler of what they produce commercially. They are delicate and whimsical, and the colours are soft and romantic.

While there is nothing like a fresh flower, these certainly give them a run for their money.

Credits: Images from FrancesandFrancis

FLOWERS BY Frances&Francis

posted on February 14, 2013
Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2013

15_d&G_mini

14_d&G_mini

13_d&G_mini

12_d&G_mini

11_d&G_mini

10_d&G_mini

9_d&g_mini

8_d&G_mini

7_d&G_mini

6_d&G_mini

5_d&G_mini

3_d&G_mini

2_d&g_mini

Sicily, D&G, Italy, fashion

It’s only natural that Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce would look to their homeland of Sicily for inspiration for the Spring 2013 collection. And what a cheery springtime tune they are singing too – with bright sunshiny homage to the island’s vibrant street markets, puppet theaters, and beachside holidays.

Think street-scene prints in saturated primary hues, beaded embroidery, raffia basket weave, still-life florals, tassels, and folksy appliqué.

Heart be still!

Credits: Images from Fashionologie and Style.com

Friday Musings: Dolce & Gabbana Spring 2013

posted on February 9, 2013
title_ten&co_mini

Ten & Co Shoes

2_ten&co_mini

3_ten&co_mini

4_ten&co_mini

5_ten&co_mini

6_ten&co_mini

7_ten&co_mini

8_ten&co_mini

10_ten&co_mini

title_ten&co_mini

Every pair of TEN & Co. shoes is cut from unique vintage and antique hand-woven Moroccan rugs and supple leathers. They scour rug auctions, souks, Marrakech flea markets and the Atlas mountains to find strong, colorful rugs and blankets that tell a story in each shoe.

Handmade in small batches by a cobbler in Marrakech, their shoes combine a classic Oxford with the vibrant colors and patterns of North Africa.

Their aesthetic is bang-on too, as can be seen in their amazing look book. Ten & Co – we give you 10/10.

Credits: Images courtesy of TEN & Co. shoes

Ten & Co.

posted on January 25, 2013
contemporary Japanese housewares, artisans, craftsmen, simplicity, elegance

Analogue Life
Analogue Life

What is so charming about Analogue Life is that their products are handmade by artisans and craftsmen working out of small studios, or small manufacturers, many with long histories employing techniques perfected over generations.

Their range is focused primarily on contemporary Japanese housewares and they speak in a language of simplicity, elegance, harmony and tradition. It beautifully marries up the skills and talents of their young creators with time tested methods and long-established customs that never expire.

These pieces need no colour, or translation – their strong lines and organic shapes speak across styles, trends and cultures.

Credits: Analogue Life

FRIDAY MUSINGS: ANALOGUE LIFE

posted on January 18, 2013
Hana Pesut

Hana Pesut is an artist from Vancouver whose main focus in photography is the “little moments” that people sometimes miss and later wish they had captured. In this continuing body of work Pesut says “I’ve been photographing couples, friends and family in their own outfits and then again in each others” in locations all over the world.

Over the past two and a half years selections from the project have been featured in magazines, newspapers, exhibitions and various online publications. Pesut is currently seeking funding to publish this series in a book. Switcheroo is cheeky, honest & engaging. We think it’s a goodie and we wish her well!

Credits: Images courtesy of Hana Pesut

HANA PESUT – SWITCHEROO

posted on December 26, 2012
older
Top

 

Stay in the Loop!

Subscribe to our Newsletter