I'm turning into a right Botanist!

Here are four more images to wet your whistle! How tempted are you by this new botanical trend? 

Botanical Kitchens

Listen up you lot! I'm letting you in on one of the key trends for Spring/Summer 2013. If you want to be ahead of the game this Spring, make sure you pay homage to Flora and Forna in your decorating. Use the images above as your inspiration! I love the cream/grey/green tones which feature heavily in this style, and anything striped or with a leafy motif  looks ace alongside them. Check out these two wallpapers, both from Ralph Lauren Home. For me, they some up the Botanical trend.

Ralph Lauren Home Plains Creek Botanical - Parchment 

Ralph Lauren Home Nature Study Toile -Elderberry (£55 per roll, John Lewis) 

This trend certainly hasn't passed John Lewis by! One of their new ranges fresh for 2013 is awash with butterflies, wild herbs and bees. According to JL " 'Botanist' is a distinctly British trend and draws on our national obsession with gardening in all of its many forms. Botanist is about rediscovering the pleasure of life’s simple things and reconnecting with nature in the digital age. " Yes Please! Check out my selection of top pics from the range. . .

John Lewis Botanist Herb Oven Mitt £10

John Lewis Botanist Herb Tea Towels, Set of 3 £13

John Lewis Botanist Cork Coasters, Set of 4 £5

John Lewis Botanist Ladybird Mug £7

John Lewis Botanist Stripe Doorstop £15

Christmas Wishes.

Merry Christmas Paper Tape - East of India | £3.50


Merry Christmas Everybody! 

I'm off on my Christmas jollies this afternoon so there's just enough time to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year. See you in 2013!

Lots of Love 

Gem 
x

Look at this Beaut!

I came across this gorgeous white kitchen with yellow accents the other day, whilst trawling through images in the hopes of finding something that really got my juices going. I simply love everything about it, especially the floor (and the window seat, and the dining chairs and the ampersand!). What do you think? Which is your favorite element?

Christmas Inspiration.

I'm sorry if you've noticed my absence over the past few weeks. I'm blaming internet issues coupled with the pre-Christmas rush! I just thought I would share with you these three images which form the basis of my Christmas scheme for this year. What do you think? 

Robins by Sophie Allport

I've fallen hard for this new Christmassy range from Sophie Allport. Hob covers, tea towels, table runners and aprons are also available in the same 'robin' design. Perfect for this festive season. Click here to view the whole range. 

Country Mudrooms

I'm a boots girl through and through. I love leather boots, suede boots, knee high boots, ankle boots, motorcycle boots, riding boots, wellington boots and more. Basically I love the lot! I would equally love a proper mudroom in which to keep all my pairs, instead of cramming them all into my average sized wardrobe! 

A mudroom should be a place to hang coats, bags, hats and scarfs and most importantly a place to take off well worn boots before heading inside to warm up. 

If unlike me you are lucky enough to live in a big country house then feast your eyes on these beauts. (Believe me as the temperature drops further you will really appreciate a room where the dirt and grime brought in from the outside world is welcome.)

Emily Bond

Emily Bond is a young British designer with a passion for creating gorgeous fabrics which celebrate country living. Since the launch of her first collection, Emily has continued to develop a range of fabric patterns. Here are my top five!

p.s. to go to the relevant webpage just click on the caption!

Dog Collection | Dachshund

Farm Collection| Dairy Cow

Farm Collection | Jacob Sheep

Farm Collection | Saddleback Pig

Bird Collection | Oyster Catcher

Country Living Fair Christmas 2012 (Nov 7th-11th)

The Country Living Christmas Fair returns to the Business Design Centre in Islington in three weeks! Better get your tickets sorted. See you there! x

Its National Baking Week! (15th-21st October)

Today is the start of National Baking Week! 

There have been plenty of flag waving opportunities this year - the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the London Olympics and the first British Wimbledon finalist for 76 years, to name but a few. Its safe to say that 2012 was the year of all things British. Why not continue to celebrate by getting stuck in to National Baking Week. Bake with your kids, bake with your friends, bake with whoever. Just have some fun! (and you could always raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital in the process!)

To encourage you to get your hands floury, here are some of my favorite baking bits. 

The legendary Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer

Classic good looks and high quality craftsmanship make this the ultimate food mixer - perfect for an all-in-one sponge cake! The colour shown above (Aqua Sky) isn't available in the UK but it can be found on the web.

Keith Brymer Jones Measuring Bowls

The Kieth Brymer Jones Word Range is a beautiful and contemporary collection of home, table, cook and giftware. These measuring bowls have the words 'full', 'half full' and 'empty' inlaid in green, blue and lilac on the large, medium and small bowls respectively.

Cakes, Cookies and Crafts

This website is a bakers paradise! They are a complete online supplier for creating all things sweet. I dare you to think up a cookie cutter shape that isn't available. Whats more, most of their cutters are part of a 4 for 3 deal. Result!

Curiousa & Curiousa

These glass pendants from Curiousa and Curiousa are my find of the week!

The single shades are free blown to order with five shapes available and a choice of fourteen colours. (Its like lighting pick and mix!)

Shown above are the bowl, teardrop, round and traditional shapes in the medium size (left to right). There is also a retro shape which is available in both the medium and large sizes but not the small. The colours shown above are purple, smoked olive, sky blue and yellow ochre (left to right). 

My favorite combination? Slate grey medium traditional. . .

P.S Check out the cluster lights and the pendant chandeliers which you can 'build' using any combination you wish!

Clarke & Clarke | Rosetta

If we are all destined for our own individual heaven (as one of my favourite books suggests) then this is what mine looks like. 

The Rosetta collection by Clarke & Clarke includes a large scale floral/bird trail, a pretty ditsy rose, a floral stripe and a Jacobean styled trail. To add to the kitsch factor a charming pussy-cat print and a fun small scale scotty dog print are also available.

This fresh, vintage inspired collection was launched in the spring of this year but has somehow managed to go unnoticed by myself until now. I'm desperate to use it for our project in rural Hampshire - I really hope the clients like it! How could they not?!

To view the full collection click HERE