So from wandering around Paris I discovered my new favourite book publishers Assoline and the giant books they produce, you really need a library to store these and have the time to be able to leave them be on your most inspired page to keep returning too.

From there we ventured to have lunch in Cafe Chanlot which had a Parisian buzz of very beautifully dressed people. We wandered around Le Marais and did a lot of window shopping taking in the new seasons pieces. This was all really rather decadent as I never have this amount of time on my hands and I found myself a little lost but also enjoying the vacancy my life never seems to have at the moment. In Le Marais we came across this awesome retro launderette which I found myself drawn to and taking photographs. I think it was the retro turquoise washing machines and the random placing of the chairs that I liked.

I should soon be able to post about the two new jobs I have just completed for various clients for all to see the new images and then time to start updating my i-pad for meetings and my website.

I am having an inspirational over load at the moment with some exciting jobs in the pipeline and discovering new shops and old shops with fab pieces.ONe that I love and always go back to time and time again is Robinson Antiques  where I found these beautiful plates which really stood out amongst the different coloured glass wear hues.

On my trip round Alfies Antique market I also stumbled across this genius bench. The seat of this bench is made up of 1625 individually sprung pencils pencils. It is super comfortable as you can see I was a little apprehensive when I actually sat on the seat pad.

This bench is from decoratum which deals mainly in 20th Century and contemporary design. I always pop in to see the ever changing stock.

On my prepping out and about day with Jo Cave we finally managed to go to Pitfield London where we had a yummy wrap and soaked up the buzzing atmosphere. It is a stones throw from Old Street and has some really great furniture and cakes. If you ask me its a great new hang out spot.

I have been working with an amazing artist for my production/concept shoot for next week called Lucie Russell. I will be posting the images when the client allows in the mean time I have uploaded some of her current work for you to see what a talented lady she is!!

I will also post the fantastic drawing that Lucie kindly drew of me for my website. It has been one of those things that have been on my list for ages. I hate having my picture taken and would much rather be on the other side of the camera but some times it is good for assistants/clients to be able to have an idea of what you look like before arriving at a shoot/meeting. I am hoping after my big shoot next week I will have more time to get blogging about what I am seeing out and about.

I can finally post some images that are in the December issue of Living Etc. I worked along side Next to show case what I think are there best products and I would say the ones that you can mix and match in a modern home and they would shine. I shot the feature with the brilliant and talented Jake Curtis. I have been working with him for years, and always leave the shoot happy. It makes so much difference to work with people who have similar taste with regard to angles, and composition.

Over the Chrismas period I spent it in Norfolk and discovered the most beautiful house which I am looking at shooting for a house story and desperately trying to think of an editorial story I could shoot there. He is a little sneek peak. The rest of the house is definitely as divine. I will be blogging later in the year as this particular location has a shop attached to it with some really beautiful products. I am going to be working on the new images for the launch of their new website.

So on Monday we have Olivia Young  coming to join our little team for a few weeks. I hope she likes keeping busy as we have lots going on and as soon as I can show the images they will be up and on my blog/website. Hopefully it will not be another month before my next news/blog section but there really is so little time at the moment.

So with a New Year comes New Project which makes for an exciting start to the year. I was back at work on the 2nd January with the fab Jo Cave who has currently been assisting me for the last few months. It has been a full on start but I am thinking this could be a good sign (I hope).

With all our research for up and coming jobs I have discovering some great new places which is always very satisfying.

Here is the most recent and the only information/ photos I could find about this concept store was from the great blog Style Bubble. There definitely seems to be something going on in Dalston with the skull theme when I also came across these beaded skulls at ln-cc which is just on Shacklewell lane. If you have not visited this concept store then it really is worth a visit. It is the brain child of one of the founders of Oki -ni and so inspiring.

I discovered it about a year ago and found myself lured in to the spell binding world that is ln-cc. Listening to a selection of records in the bespoke plywood room. I found myself bounding out of the experience with a pair of Maison Martin Margiela shoes and feeling that this would be an appropriate time to stay in for a few weeks. I have not looked back and enjoy wearing them every-time.

 

I also had a night out at Tony Horneckers Pale blue door which is situated in East London. He puts on a series of secret supper parties and hosts them. They are so much fun. I do not think I had laughed as much since…….. Well thats enough of that. He has built the most magical space, which reminded me of a Alice in Wonderland scenario with lots of collected items of beautiful full length dresses, to Old army jackets. Our table napkins where different sections of a shirt, I had the cuff while my other dinner guest had the collar, there where six of us all together so you can imagine that we spent some of the meal in fits of laughter putting this vintage shirt back together.

He hosts the night beautifully and continues to enter the room in different guises and with many wigs and accents. The food was good but the entertainment so much better. So from that very amusing evening I have booked myself and my partner in to many other nights over the festive season to get in the spirit of it all and I will keep you updated on the best of the nights out there. But I highly recommend Tony’s night and I am sure the Panto will be even better.

The whole space was rather magical as it was dark for the private view and the whole space was beautifully lit up by the signs. The food was provided by Primrose Bakery and I had to stay away from the teared cupcake heaven that was placed at the front of the show.

I have been out and about on many meeting and now have my new portfolio on my i-pad and its looking rather smart. I headed to the Nordic bakery for one of there amazing cinnamon buns this definitely was breakfast, lunch and perhaps a bit of dinner. I met the lovely photographer David Woolley who has just arrived back from living in Sydney and he had a very impressive collection of interior and house stories. So I am hoping we can work together in the future.

I also on my wonder around Soho discovered the new The Society Club where I met the owner Robert and his three stunning dogs which where all terribly charming. The collection of books and vintage vases where a joy to see and Vi the resident lady with a cup of tea working her way through the daily paper made this a really friendly haunt to go to.Robert also organised film nights at the Sanctum Hotel in Soho so do check it out if your a film buff!

I have a meeting in the morning and this is definitely my new meeting place in town as it has a very homely feel with the large sociable table in the middle.

In the middle of all of this I whizzed to Oxford to another client meeting at The Old Parsonage. Do look out for the new website as I styled it and the talented Emma Lee shot it. It was a busy couple of days but we got some great shots we you can see on my website too.

I am off this weekend to Norfolk to style a christmas card with Claire Richardson which I cannot wait for as the pine woods will be perfect for the idea I have in mind and Claire and I always have such a giggle. I come away with beautiful photographs and it reminds me of when I was a little assistant and she was a stylist!

I currently have a lot of silver leaves drying in my back garden….(Just a hint of one of the ideas) and hopefully the weather will be kind to us….Getting very in the xmas mood with the ginger bread lattes that keep on coming every morning from Roz (my lovely assistant who has been helping out).

The interiors in Nepal where so unbelievable. I can to open your eyes to the colour and delightful gold and bronze metal plates/bowls which I have to say I have manage to bring quite a few back with me. Not sure where to put them as I am out growing my garden studio and I am now creeping in to the spare room with props. I met this wonderful lady who was living on the trekking trail and after walking past her house she allowed me in to take photo’s as she had hand plastered and polished the floor with a mud and clay mix.  You can see from the photo she did it while all the furniture was in and just incorporated the bed in to the mix so the legs became part of the form of the floor. It was all so yummy and now planning the next adventure!Having run out of time before I left I had no time to fill everyone in to the new products and designers I had been discovering for a job. I aways enjoy finding those special pieces that just make a room or a shot look so individual.

Claire anne O’Brien is making these lovely chunky knit stools which would add texture and just ooze gorgeousness in any home…Seriously why has no-one started selling these in boutique shops. The pops of colour would zing out on a dark wall.

Nic Parnell has also caught my eye for the organic structures but usability. Lamps that can be used to hang jewellery or other such things (at the bedside or perhaps hallway?). The choice is the buyers and oh how I have been dreaming of such a useful piece of product design.

I see a personal trend going on here especially since my return from my trip of the strong colours and not being afraid to use the bright instead of the muted.

I have just completed two permeant in-store installations at two Anya Hindmarch shops in London. It was a major project from spending weekends scoring vintage markets to find stunning picture frames, original art work. It was such fun and a little out of comfort zone as I am so used to being on shoots and the turn around of a set being a few days that the thought of it being there for a number of years is really exciting. As the installation was installed this week I can show you all how it looks.

In the middle of all of this I styled a fab advertorial shoot for Living Etc for the December issue. This was for Next and I really left the shoot wanting quite a few of the pieces, but I am afraid you will have to wait till the December issue for me to be able to post the images.

Another project I worked on was with the lovely Emma Mitchell and was for Willowson flooring. Here is a sneak peak. I am going to upload my new images on my return.

I am currently sourcing and researching in to new designers for a new project and will be posting images on my return from the trek…

We decided to combine time together with going to Maison Objet. My favourite and newly discovered a week before was Nicki Jones. Nicki was a designer at Habitat before founding her own beautiful homewares company. The catalogue is stunning and well worth ordering as the photography is really wonderful and it is very hard to resist buying the whole catalogue.

I am coveting all the geometric rugs and the vintage kantha which is a folk art of Bangladesh which is made in to stunning throws which work best layered to mix colours and individual patterns.

Arxe was another discovery at Maison. They source old industrial fabrics and materials to give them a new lease of life. The heavy linens made in to laundry baskets with a zinc frame where very special. The kitchens designs are exactly how I would like my next kitchen to be. Mixed textures with old and new materials sitting comfortably together to create a warm space. I love the simplicity of the designs and the less is more quote definitely applies to this range.  I only hope they arrive with a shop in the UK soon.

On my wizz round Paris which it literally was as I barley felt I had been there I did manage to finally go to Merci which has been on the things to do list since I first discovered it. Wow what a fantastic concept store. You are pulled in to the store by a beautiful court yard and with a restaurant and coffee shop either side of the entrance. These are both part of Merci and are beautifully styled. I don’t think I could of picked a busier time to go than Paris design week. It was heaving with design people checking out the heavy linen bedding (one my favourites as the colours where divine). The Piet Hein plywood chairs where striking and well designed for space saving.  There was a really great mix of small home wears to larger furniture so you could easily buy that little gift or an investment piece.

It was all very new and had a very different feel to London shops. My trip to Paris has given me so many ideas for my array of commissions that I am just a starting.

It was such fun working with Tara and adding colour, pattern and streamlining the spaces. I literally spent the time whilst styling and planning the space eying up several stunning pieces she has carefully picked to add to the Chic and Seek collections. Tara has fantastic taste and you truly get the best of the bunch when it comes to fashion and accessories.

The consultation room below was brought together with this Chiesa yellow graphic rug from the The Rug Company and the chairs are Ghost Chairs by Kartell. You can find these at Ghost Chair.

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The showrooms display area back wall was painted in Pearl Ashes by Fired Earth which really gave the room some depth as the wall was very white and cold before and there was no focus. The bags are displayed on fantastic plaster cast hand hooks by Unica home. The fab zesty lime sofa can be found in Designers Guild but another of my favourite haunts for stunning re-upholstered sofas is Niche I love love love there selection and spend hours dreaming of places to put them in my home. I am looking forward to posting the images that Ingrid Rasmussen took for our house story and Richard Fairclough took all the images for the new Chic and Seek website re-launch. oh such an exciting year and now on to the next commission.

This got me checking out other inspirational ideas for styling kids and I came  across this brilliant  Australian magazine Papier Mache. It is a totally style savvy mag filled with great ideas and beautiful imagery.

If you have checked out Papier Mache you will see a few companies who produce wall stickers. These are a great way to add colour to a kids room but it does not have the same effect as a beautiful hand painted wall in stunning muted colours. My dear friendMarion Rhoades is now painting beautiful children’s murals and she really has a wonderful style to her illustrations. Her imagination with her murals takes me way back to story time when I was little.