The Bear & The Bee

See You Soon!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Mon, 09 Sep 2013 18:09:00 +0000

Inspiration: Simple Stationery

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Hello!

So, i mentioned earlier in the week that i have a lot of those 'must-get-organised' days! This weekend was no different, and this time it was my stationery's time for a makeover!

It all started when i was flicking through the June edition of Elle Decoration and got side-tracked towards the beautifully simple website of Folklore. I've not had chance to visit their store in London, although i kick myself everytime i get on the train home as it's been on my to-do list for quite some time.
Now i've always been a fan of their 'simple but functional' ethos, particularly in their ceramics, however their stationery was quite a surprise and this recycled desk tidy is what triggered today's big tidy-up!

Source: Folklore

I love how this product really represents Folkore's ethos as it has such a simple design but it's so functional, i'm not sure how i'm suriving without one! It's funny how stationery always has this effect on me - i'm a nightmare walking around stores like Paperchase - always full of products i didn't realise i needed so much! :)

My usual stop for this style of stationery is of course, Muji, and their simple, no fuss design, which has become quite a staple for my 'day job' desk!

Source: Muji

I love the combination of the acrylic holders with the kraft notebooks and functional accessories! This simple desk-design, combined with the beautiful, bold inspiration boards i recently blogged about would make such a great little creative office space!

Bee
xxx

Inspiration: Inspirational Boards

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Sun, 12 May 2013 14:33:00 +0000

Hello!

Do you ever have those days where you just want to have a huge clear-out and get super-organised? I get these quite a lot and today was definitely one of those days!
I really wanted to start making the most of my little creative corner of the apartment and instead of hiding all of my inspiration in folders, boxes and drawers, i want to have it out on display as constant inspiration for our home...Now, this isn't easy when you're limited on what you can pin onto your walls, so i decided to do a little research into mood boards to try and create my own real-life Pinterest board!

As soon as i started browsing all of the wonderful boards out there, i loved how unique and diverse all of the of the ones i found were - each having personal touches such as photos or mementos. There was also a lot more texture than i was expecting! Unlike e-boards, these weren't just images being pinned to walls, but everything from ribbons to flowers to clipboards - all building on top of each other to create truly personal displays!

Here are just a few of my favourites, each with their own unique styling:

All images sourced from Pinterest

For more inspirational inspiration boards please do check out my Pinterest too!

Do you have one in your home? I'd love to see!

Bee xx

Get The Look: The Humphrey Residence (Gossip Girl)

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 08:00:00 +0000

Hello!

Hope you had a great weekend? We've been busy trying to get our bedroom a little more organised, as we've been living for a few weeks now with just a bed and our clothes piled on the floor. I have to say, my clothes have been neatly folded and segregated by type but the other side of the room...well, i guess Spring is the time of jumble sales! ;)

We finally ordered a wardrobe we liked though and have built some other storage units, which we'll share photos of later in the week, but it was lovely to wake up this morning and finally feel like we were sleeping in our bedroom.

Talking of bedrooms, over the weekend i was reminiscing about the room sets on Gossip Girl with Kiki, the author of North Leads To Home blog (and soon-to-be e-magazine!) Now this show is certainly a shared guilty pleasure, but so is the love for their style, and not just the clothes! The interiors were just amazing and so well designed - i actually spent quite a bit of time exploring the set designer's website today. Her name is Christina Tonkin and you should definitely check it out if you're a fan of Gossip Girl or Sex & The City as she's designed sets for both of these shows.

For those who may not have spent their teens (and tweens!) dreaming of a life in the Upper East Side, shall we take a litte tour?

Today, let's start at the Humphrey residence in Brooklyn in a rather retro "little" apartment...

Source: Hooked on Houses

Source: Material Girls Blog

I loved this apartment, it was so quirky, effortlessly cool and full of stories. None of the furniture matched, there were splashes of colour and materials all over the place and a lot of clutter. But it was their family home and was practically personality. I mean, who doesn't want a garage door as a wall separating you and your sibling?

Source:Hooked On Houses

Another of my favouite things about the Humphrey household was how family-orientated the whole house was; the kitchen & dining areas were just divine - they had a big open plan living/dining/kitchen area which provided a lovely big open space to socialise in. We have a similar set up in our new place and love how you can prepare and cook meals in the kitchen whilst still entertaining your guests.

Source: Kitchenisms

So, how can you bring a little Humphrey-style into your home? I've been asking myself this too!

It's all about statement pieces, eclectic accessories and playing with combinations of different colours and materials. This desk, for example, from Rose & Grey oozes urban chic with it's combination of wood and iron.

We also love their Industrial Apothecary Chest, it's a great statement piece and its unusal style is perfect for creating the Humphrey look (and adding some interesting storage!)

John Lewis's explorer trunk is also a great way to add a little vintage adventure into your home - and the combination of the brass, leather, canvas and wood certainly ticks all the Humphrey boxes. I imagine the trophy is for some musical or literary accolade...

The colour palette on these cushions from Crate & Barrel are also perfect accessories for this eclectic look - we love the combination of the burnt orange and dusty yellow here and think these would look great clashing with vintage leather sofas or against industrial-inspired metal cafe chairs!

Finally, what Humphrey family home would be complete without one of these hand-printed Oversized Ruler Growth Charts from Dear Lillie...

What do you think of the Humphrey style? Are you a fan or are you a little more Upper East Side?

XOXO

Ideal Home Show

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 07:30:00 +0000

Hello!

Well this heatwave we were promised this weekend hasn't quite arrived in our village yet - it's pretty much been raining all day, which has given us plenty of time to build a few more bits of furniture!
We've also been going through our photos from the recent Ideal Home Show at Earl's Court and have got some we thought you might like to see if you didn't get chance to go this year.
We were fortunate enough to attend for the first time after winning tickets through Lucy Loves Ya blog and considering it was its 105th year running, it was still absolutely packed with interiors, food, accessories, beauty products and lots & lots of people!!

One of our favourite areas at the show was the Ideal Home Room Sets, which were right at the entrance to the exhibition hall, and a great way to start off the day by bringing together ranges from across the high street in inspirational displays (and each room set came with a really handy shopping list to take away too!)

We loved the more country take on the botanical trend in this living room display - the combination of the lavender tones with the more vintage floral accessories create a really soft, homely atmosphere don't you think?

How striking is the hue of blue they've chosen for the wall in this display? The built-in bookcase is also a great way to display your key accessories or store all your favourite interiors books!

This bedroom was right up our street - simply accessorised but with a Scandi colour palette and minimalist features - we particularly loved the shelving units they'd fixed to the wall and the burnt orange cushions.

Not sure what else we can say on this, other than...check out the bath tub!

...and there's a walk-in shower...surely this can't just be our dream bathroom?

Unfortunately, we don't have any outside space in our new place, however if we did, we'd definitely use it for entertaining al fresco too (when we finally see that sunshine!)

Oh, and somewhere between the interiors and food halls (where we bought some amazing smoked cheese!) we spotted this quirky cabinet! We loved how the coloured stripes created a great statement piece, but we'd also sand the top down to add to it's distressed oak finish.

So, what do you think of their chosen room sets? Did you attend the Ideal Home Show this year?

xxx

Inspiration: Ombre Accents

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:30:00 +0000

Hello!

Today we wanted to share with you some ideas for one of the big trends we've noticed recently in lots of the interiors magazines and stores - ombre!
Now this is one of those trends that we've seen slowly working it's way into everything from fashion to beauty and now it is the home's turn to jump on the graduating colour train! And what better trend than ombre to try out some new accessories.
In last month's Elle Decoration magazine, they recommended experimenting with graduated hues of vibrant pinks and inky blues and used some great examples of subtle ombre accessories from one of our favourite stores Ferm Living:

Source: House of Money boxes at Ferm Living

Whilst on our search for some beautiful ombre accents of our own for the new place, we came across some really bright, colourful accessories that fit this trend perfectly and are a really simple way to bring this trend into your home.
Our particular favourites are the beautiful tapas plates from the super chic Aedriel Originals - isn't the coral colour just stunning?

Source: Ombre The Tapas Plates at Aedriel Originals

Source: Ombre Pillows at Just Dwell Etsy Store

Source: Flamenco Shower Curtain at Anthropologie

We love how ombre can add really fresh pops of colour to your home, but being the colour-phobes we currently are we're also huge fans of the more neutral earthy palettes that West Elm have done in such perfection - don't they always?!

What do you think? Are you brave enough to bring some of the more vibrant ombre desigs into your home, or are you currently as in love with West Elm as we are?

xxx

A Mini Break

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:58:00 +0000

Hello!

We just wanted to quickly drop in to let you know we're still here (we haven't killed each other just yet...)

It's now been 2 weeks since we moved in and crikey, it's been quite a busy couple of weeks! We've been busy building, shopping, exploring, creating, baking, entertaining and not forgetting working, so unfortunately blogging has had to take a little step back. But we're finally starting to feel things settle, so we'll be back in a few days to share our progress, and we've also got lots of exciting ideas and photos to share with you from our recent trip to London!

See you soon!

xx

Savannah Salvage Wall Art

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:30:00 +0000

Hello!

Well, we've been in our new home for a week now and i'm finally getting round to catching up on my emails... Amongst all the various stores updates and promotions, i came across a rather interesting one from Anthropologie who have a sale on their Savannah wall busts.

They're not your ordinary wall art, but they really stood out for me amongst all the Easter deals filling up my inbox!

Source: Anthropologie

I absolutely love the handmade element to these and especially the eco-friendly story behind them. They're made from recycled materials such as books and cement bags by fair trade artisans in Haiti. Now that's what i call up-cycling!

They are such versatile pieces too; they could be used as a great statement piece in a hallway or office space adding both a great conversational piece and a place to store those scarves now we've finally seen a bit of sunshine! Or for those brave enough, what a great addition it could be to a room filled with tribal prints, salvaged furniture and ombre accessories.

We actually have a small entrance way, which if it wasn't rented, i'd definitely be investing in my very own gazelle!

Source: Anthropologie

You can see more of our favourites from this range on our Pinterest too!

What do you think though - would you have one in your home?

Moving Update!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Sat, 23 Mar 2013 15:52:00 +0000

After 3 long days of carrying boxes up two flights of stairs, taking evening visits to Ikea to avoid the crowds only to find it even busier and wincing at the checkout of our first big food shop - we're finally moved in! Hooray!!

We're quite light on furniture at the moment - the sofa isn't due to be delivered until the end of April, so to say we're loving our new Lydia chairs from Rose & Grey is an understatement:

Our Scandi-style Sigurd chairs from Ikea have also come in really handy as both extra seating and as dining-tables-for-one!

And of course, what would a romantic first home be without a little bit of mood lighting - we picked this tripod lamp up from Sainsbury's this week:

We'll be keeping you updated as we begin to build upon the chairs and lamp - but hey, gotta start somewhere right? :)

All tips welcome though!

xxx

It's Moving Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 09:00:00 +0000

It's finally here!!

Boxes are packed, furnitures ordered and in a couple of hours we get the keys to our first home...

We may be gone a little while, but can't wait to share the start of this journey with you!

The Bear & The Bee
xxxx

Blogs that Rock!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 21:15:00 +0000

For the past couple of weeks, i've been part of the Blog Boss course, ran by the super inspirational Decor8 blog! It's been really exciting being back in lessons, meeting my new classmates and actually coming across some amazing new blogs too.

Our homework this week, which in true school-style has a deadline of today, was to share with you the 8 blogs i think really rock!!

Source: Pinterest

Really difficult to get this down to 8, but here you have it..

1 - Bright Bazaar. My absolute go-to blog whenever i've had a long day at the office, am feeling uninspired or just fed up of this miserable weather! I adore his quintessentially British approach to interiors, his gorgeous photography, inspirational anecdotes and how friendly his posts read.

2 - Print & Pattern. I love stationary - especially printed notebooks, gift wrap and tags! This is a really great blog for finding out what patterns are on trend across the market, both in high-end stores such as Liberty and John Lewis but also in places such as Tesco and Wilkinsons. Such a great variety and updated regularly so always something new to browse

3- Dusty Lu. I have major home envy after reading the latest post on Dusty Lu's blog! I love the photography throughout, especially all the food and interiors images - the images are so colourful, and beautifully shot. It really inspires me to look into getting my own photos on my blog too.

4 - Poppy Talk. This is one of the first blogs i stumbled across and i've got far too many posts bookmarked to mention - mostly DIY projects i can't wait to try in our new home! I love the style of the blog, how easy it is to navigate and how the couple that write it most of the posts really invite you to become involved.

5 - Interior Thinking. This blog has some beautiful posts that have really inspired our new home. The simplicity of the layout really draws me into the posts, which is great because there are some stunning images and a really personal approach to the posts.

6 - Hungry Girl por Vida. I love cooking. There are so many wonderful foodie blogs out there that inspire me, both with mouthwatering recipes and imagery that i had to include one in this. This is definitely one of my favourites, as it really brings the two together and also appeals to my sweeth tooth!

7 - Fairly Light. I've really connected with this blog since discovering it on our Blog Boss course. Another interior-lover who spends their days in the corporate world, but the rest of their time sharing beautiful moodboards, DIY projects, inspiration and beautiful Instagram shots of her travels!

8 - North Leads to Home. This is another blog i've been fortunate to discover through Blog Boss, and i adore how Kiki is sharing her progress on her Interior Design course, but also already has such a great eye for beautiful accessories and brings these all together for really inspirational posts.

I love discovering new blogs to read - which blogs do you think rock?

xxx

#blogboss

A Little Bit of Nordic

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 11:30:00 +0000

Last season, we fell in love with Scandi furniture - such understated, contemporary shapes on soft oak frames, a beautiful palette of soft whites and greys and dusty pastel textiles. Oh my!
So of course, i'm sure you can imagine we're hoping to bring a little Scandi-style into our new home. Quite a few bits of furniture have already been ordered...Can't wait to share photos with you as it all begins to arrive!!

Today though we wanted to share with you some of our favourite Scandinavian-inspired room accessories that we've been looking at to accentuate this look...

Image source: Hannotte Interiors via Houzz

We love this last room-shot - everything from the wooden stackable side tables in the corner to the beautiful sofas that look perfect for sinking into on lazy Saturday afternoons. It's the pouf's though we want to focus on in this image though - there are such a wide range of colours, textures and fabrics available out there now; it's hard to choose between them all!

L-R: Broste Copenhagen Small Pouf at Occa Home, Kew Dhurrie Pouf at West Elm

We love the cable knits from Occa Home, which they have in a variety of sizes and colours including a stunning new burnt orange. The patterns on the selection from West Elm too though are perfect for creating an eclectic seating area (especially like us when your sofa arrives a month after you move in...)

And not forgetting the rugs - our new home has wooden floors, so we'll definitely be shopping for something to add a little warmth and colour to our living area:

Grey Barn and Heather Stitch kilim rugs, both at Loaf

The colours on these two kilim rugs from Loaf are just subtle enough to not dominate the room, but the patterns would really compliment the Scandi-feel we're going for. Definitely our favourites so far!

Now we're starting to get the furniture and the additional room pieces, we can't wait to see it take shape and start adding in some accessories!

How do you start building your ideal rooms? Do you start with the furniture and build from there or is it the accessories that you focus on?

xxx

Inspiration: Easter Dining

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:00:00 +0000

Although when Easter comes around we won't quite be ready to entertain guests - largely due to being so undecided on an actual table - we still love the idea of creating a perfect dining table full of charm and character.
We've spent some time researching this and have quickly discovered that there is a lot more to Easter than just traditional woodland prints and novelty bunny jelly moulds!

Source: Houzz

We're really growing to love the trend for bringing the outdoors indoors, and how the simple use of fresh flowers and plants have really brought Spring to the table in these images. We've also been really inspired too by our recent trips to restaurants where we've been served fresh juices and cocktails in preserving jars.
It's a great way to impress your dinner guests with an unexpected twist in your presentation and what better time to impress your friends than at Easter! We recommend pink lemonade with fresh mint and raspberries to serve. Divine.

Of course if you're lucky enough to live somewhere where you can simply just celebrate outside, you can add a little colour by using bright coloured glassware to sit alongside your beautiful green backdrop...

Source: Houzz

What we've discovered is that it really is in the accessories and adding the 'finishing touches' to a look; something to add to the table that makes it a little different and bit more personal...for example, check out this quirky Egg Ferris Wheel from Pottery Barn!

Source: Pottery Barn

What do you like adding to your dining table to add your own personal touches? Fresh daffodils? Quirky statement pieces? Or perhaps a craft project?
Would love to hear your ideas!

xxx

The Botanist Display

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 15:51:00 +0000

Hello!

We can't believe how fast time is going - we've had around 8 weeks since we found the place to the date we move in and still feel completely unorganised! Some of our friends recently moved into an apartment just 5 days after starting their search...how did they do it!?

I've spent most of the day sat surrounded by empty cardboard boxes and piles of clothes to 'keep or toss' (it's not quite as fun as Sex and the City made it look) - but i wanted to share with you some photos of the John Lewis store i visited yesterday afternoon. It had the most fantastic entrance displaying their Botanist trend with pots and plants hanging from the ceilings with beautiful wicker picnic baskets, butterfly prints, glass bottles and just a real fresh Spring feeling about it.

With John Lewis on the news this week celebrating their ongoing success - their store displays and lifestyle photography on their website surely must be part of this; it's always such an inspiration to shop!
I've never really been much of a gardening-type, but i can't wait to get some of these botanical cushions (below) into our home!

Image source: http://www.johnlewis.com/

What do you think? Has John Lewis managed to reveal your home's inner botanist?

xx

Get a Loaf of this!

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 10:45:00 +0000

The internet really is a wonderful thing. Since joining twitter, we've discovered so many great stores, products and people that we've also had the great pleasure of getting to speak to and share ideas with.

Today, i'd like to share some exciting new products from Loaf - an online homewares store who's new Spring range has succeeded in being able to capture all the high street interior trends in a beautifully subtle way. If you're like me and looking to capture the essence of country living or indulge in a little shabby chic without having to invest in entire new Laura Ashley-esque upholstery suites and antique-inspired pine..Loaf may just be the answer to your interior prayers!

We absolutely love the mix and match chairs that Loaf have used in the lifestyle shots above - their Geronimo chairs would go perfectly with the Scandi-style chairs we picked up from Ikea this weekend!

The dusty pinks and greys from their Scrunch cushion range are also a great way to add a little Spring pastels into your home, without making it too feminine - i even have his approval for these!

My favourite pieces from their new range have to be some of their great wire storage units though (pictured above). We're not moving into the biggest apartment, and as a relatively new build we've also inherited a significant lack of storage space - so these would be perfect for the kitchen or bathroom! I'm also completely besotted with the Poste Coffee Table - distressed pine on a black metal base...oh my!

Thank Loaf, for their 'My List' feature where you can add everything you love into one wishlist!

What are your favourite pieces from their new range?

Inspiring Blog Award

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 16:54:00 +0000

Last week, i decided to sign up for the Blog Boss e-course via the super inspirational Decor8. It officially starts tomorrow, but we've had the weekend to get to know each other, read through the lesson plan etc and i've gotten to discover some of the most interesting and inspirational blogs (& people), and not just interior blogs, but food, craft, fashion, museums...etc!

You can check out some of my favourite fellow interior bloggers on this course in the blogroll in the right hand navigation and there really are some really great interiors bloggers worth checking out if you haven't already -->

So, imagine my surprise, when i find out today that Bear vs Bee Blog has been nominated for an Inspiring Blog Award - by one of the great new blogs i've been admiring all weekend, North Leads to Home! Having read more about this award this afternoon, i'm actually really excited to be a part of it, as it helps to bring together the blogging community in such a positive way!

So, as stated in the rules, i now need to share with you 7 facts about myself and also nominate 15 great blogs too...

7 Facts about Bear vs Bee

1 - We currently live an hour and a half away from each other, and when we get the keys to our apartment, this will be the first time we've lived together! (wish us luck!)

2 - I'm addicted to horror films, no matter how cheesy, gorey or shocking, i've seen a lot and it takes a lot to shock me! He can't stand them; some might say they give him nightmares...

3 - Our favourite city in the world is Amsterdam! We spent a weekend just before Christmas there and it was freezing cold, but we loved wandering through the little streets discovering boutique stores, delightful restaurants and peeking into people's homes!

4 - Our personal magazine subscriptions include Elle, The Simple Things, Little White Lies and I-D

5 - We love good food. If i could do another job outside of homewares, i'd learn to be a chef. I'm a firm believer in 'presentation is key' so even if my dishes taste pretty average, they usually look amazing haha!

6 - 10 years ago, i was what we used to call 'Grebo' - Google tells me it's a Birmingham thing, and basically means i hung around with the skater kids and listened to a lot of Avril Lavigne and Good Charlotte. He was a football jock. Who'd have thought it?!

7 - We drink a lot of coffee. A lot.

15 Nominated Blogs

Being on Cloud 9
Blue Bird Sunshine
Bright Bazaar
Diary of an Interior Novie
Duck Egg
Emerald Green Interiors
Fairly Light
Her Indoors
Interior Thinking
Love Thomas
My French Heaven
The Paper Mulberry
Poppy Talk
Print & Pattern

The Yvestown Blog

There are a few rules to accepting a blog award…
1. Display the award image on your blog page.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you
3. State seven facts about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for the award.
5. Notify your bloggers of their nomination and link to their posts.

Thank you again for the nomination Kiki and for sharing this award with me.

Are there any other great inspirational blogs i need to discover? Let me know!

xxx

A Little Spring Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 18:04:00 +0000

What a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Finally, a bit of sunshine and it's been great to spend some time outdoors without constantly wishing i was back indoors!

I always feel really inspired by Spring and love bringing this feeling back inside the home too whether it be by creating an indoor herb garden in the kitchen or adding some fresh flowers to the hallway.
I've been shopping for ideas today on how i can capture Spring indoors by updating a few accessories for a more fresh, botanical feel and thought i'd share my favourites with you...

These botanical prints in the kitchen attached by clipboards creates a rustic feel to the room. Image via Houzz

I adore these beautiful Vintage Style Prints available from Mia Fleur - pefect to combine with Spring pastels!

I also love the detail on this Botanical Serveware from West Elm who ship internationally (yay!)

I've always thought the use of branches as an accessory adds a touch of eclectic charm - especially when combined with this colour palette too! Image via Houzz

Botanical doesn't necessarily mean traditional as proven by these Birdy Coasters from Hunky Dory Home!

So many great unique finds at Bottle Green Homes - the use of vintage glass bottles as vases for your favourite flowers is an easy way to embrace Spring indoors!

How do you capture Spring in your home? Do you add simple touches such as vases and prints, or do you prefer a bigger change for the new season?

xxx

Spring has arrived at Rowen & Wren

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 11:00:00 +0000

It may be cold and grey outside, but Rowen & Wren have just launched their Spring Summer ranges and suddenly i'm feeling a little less gloomy and embracing the calming, rustic charm of their new collections!
With 3 new collections to browse, be inspired by and undoubtedly fall in love with - it's difficult not to simply want it all...

Refined Rural with its simple, yet eclectic country charm, is definitely my favourite range and the botanical elements with serene green and blue accents are really on trend this Spring. The addition of the Scandi furniture creates a more 'refined' country look than we've been used to seeing and is perfect for people like us who love the rural landscape, but enjoy our urban comforts too!

My absolute favourite pieces have to be the Oak 7 Drawer Mariner Chest (pictured above), the Winkie Candle Holders, the Alma Handmade Serving and Tapas Set (pictured above) and the Mini Glass Cube Candelabra from the Distant Home collection, which is perfect for bringing a little Spring into your home.

What's on your Rowen & Wren wishlist this season?

xx

Pastels - to be or not to be?

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I was sat in my car last night, warm air blasting through the vents, building myself up to get out into the cold and dark to make the 10 metre walk to my front door when it occurred to me...this time next week it will be March. March!!
Christmas is now a distant memory, the January health kick is most definitely over, February has flew by and now...i'm moving in with a guy!

We're going to spend this weekend seeking out some accessories and working out what look we want to go for in our living space. And i know what that means, goodbye to all the ditsy floral, pastel coloured sweet like sugar-ness rooms that girls dream of.

I am however hoping to try persuade him over to the 'lighter side', focusing on pastel accessories with more contemporary tones and quirky features - wish me luck!

'Large jar in saltwater taffy' by LEIF

'Color Fest Tea Towel' by LEIF

'Matte porcelain bowls' by LEIF

LEIF is full of beautiful pastel pieces for the home - artworks, tableware, throws etc... I love how the above pieces all combine the soft pinks with greys and the geometric print on the tea towel gives the pattern a really contemporary edge and a more masculine feel.

Chevron range by Jill Rosenwald

For more geometric patterns on a mix of pastels & brights, i also really like Jill Rosenwald's new collections - perfect going into Summer too.

BootsNGus at Etsy

Fletcher and Fox at Etsy

I also really like the mix of playful pastels and unique designs on these quirky accessories - i have plenty of empty jars just waiting for a bit of interior DIY!
Guys like a bit of DIY, right?
xx

Inspiration: Reclaimed Furniture

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 22:34:00 +0000

We've been really inspired by the trend to reinvigorate, recycle and renew furniture both out on the high street and in blogs over the past six months; from creating the look with a variety of salvage-inspired accessories at Next to investing in statement pieces from stores such as Raft and Restoration Hardware to even having your current furniture redesigned with a distress finish (see Sara Prebble Design if you're in Surrey!)

For those, like us, who think it looks beautiful but need to spend a few months browsing through inspirational room sets until you're feeling brave enough, there are some great inspirational ideas available through sites such as Pinterest, Ffffound and Houzz...

Contemporary Kitchen design by Philadelphia General Contractor Hanson General Contracting, Inc

Eclectic Headboards design by Other Metro Furniture And Accessories Vintage Headboards

Eclectic Coffee Tables design by Other Metro Restoration Hardware

Modern Kitchen design by New York Architect, Bates Masi Architects LLC

If you are feeling inspired but aren't sure where to start, here's some great stores we've been discovering to help you bring a little bit of rustic charm in your home too:

Rose & Grey - as featured in the Sunday Times

At West End

Pickled Ruby

We'd love to hear of any projects you've been working on too! Do you have any top DIY tips for transforming your furniture?

The Bear & The Bee

RawXclusive Prints

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 17:20:00 +0000

I'd like to share with you the place i've been browsing statement prints most recently. In particular, i've been looking for some really quirky printed cushions.
I really like having lots of cushions, both as something to snuggle up with and also for the fact that they're so replaceable if you want to change the mood or theme of a room! They're a simple way to make a statement or share your passions in your home.

RawXclusive, aka award winning artist Rebecca Winter, who's eye for simple designs and handcrafted quality (and sense of humour!) really caught my attention at recent trade shows. I've actually been wanting to do a bit of a feature on them ever since i came across the stall at Home in January and after spending most of this afternoon drooling over some of the 'coming soon's (& the up to 80% sale!) it definitely feels like the right time now...

My particular favourites are the animal-prints on some of the textiles - these cushions below are just fab! The 'Animals Cushion' (top left) is sold out everytime i go onto the website, so i'm guessing i'm not the only one who loves it!

These great prints are also featured across wash bags, hot water bottles and cosmetics bags too just in case you want to try out the pattern on something smaller - or have something you can also take everywhere with you!!

Boxing Hare Bags & Purses range @ RawXclusive

And of course, there's RawXclusive's funny side with some quirky statements on placemats, bone china mugs and framed prints. I can't help but feel 'Totally Dotty' about the dalmation prints!

I'm certainly not the only one who loves these prints; having already been featured in Country Homes & Interiors Magazine and also on Not On The High Street's TV ad!
And if animal's aren't your thing, these are just the start.. There's also some great stencil designs from chairs to delicate chandeliers so do go check them out if you haven't already done so at http://www.rawxclusive.com/.

Chair Cushion - £29.95 - coming soon @ RawXclusive

Let me know what your favourites are!

Bee
xxxx

Fabric Swatches - hooray! it's your comfy pack

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:02:00 +0000

Happy Valentine's Day to me!

In this morning's post i've received a most delightful pack of fabric swatches from Sofa.com - packaged especially for those who get as excited as me when it comes to creating your the perfect place to call home...

The swatches were as beautifully packaged as you could want for small pieces of fabric and actually were delivered really quickly - i can only have ordered these at the beginning of the week!

I'd ordered a selection of different fabric types within the same sort of neutral-grey colour pallette. We want to keep the whole living area quite minimal in terms of colours and create a very clean look (although i really do love the current trend for grey with yellow accents!)

There were a couple of wool options in the delivery, which i'm a huge fan of, although i've also heard they're not particularly durable and are prone to 'bobbling'...
Sofa.com's ash colour is what i'd call a light-charcoal grey and would look perfect on some of the shapes we pointed out yesterday (particuarly the Anya..) but they have some beautiful classically-English shapes on their website too which could carry this well - check out the Bluebell or the Descartes for good examples.

I also really like this Herringbone design that i've pulled out below too; this fabric is really on trend at the moment and I've seen a lot of textiles coming through in herringbone, particularly on throws and cushions. It does make me think though...it looks great on these accessories but am not sure if it'd be too much all over?

Hmmm...i have a feeling this is going to be a difficult one....

Answers on a postcard? :)

xx

Sofas: Comfort vs Contemporary

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 21:13:00 +0000

5 weeks time and tonight will be the first night in our new home! How exciting!!

It will also mean that i'll have officially moved out of my parent's house. Is it wrong that i've argued with them twice already over the fact i wish my bedroom to stay exactly as it is? No gym, no office, no second wardrobe for my sister...

Anyway, the furniture search has also begun in earnest now and it's become quite apparent that although we agree on a lot of things...we're definitely have differing tastes when it comes to sofas!
It's a comfort vs. contemporary debate!

I'm all about curling up on the sofa with a good book and a soft throw, so whilst i love the more contemporary shapes i want cushions and soft fillings...some perfect examples below - straight sides, simple shapes but lots of fillings for sinking into on a Saturday morning after a long week at work!

The Salute sofa @ Sofa.com

Julian sofa @ MONTAUK

The Sixty Seven sofa @ G Plan Vintage

I know there's a few different styles in there from the slightly more classic shape with the metal finish on the feet from Sofa.com to the Scandi-style sofas, but there's a little spark of comfort in each of the images!

He's however, got his heart set on something a little more angular and with more of a boxy, high straight armed feel...

Ikea Stockholm sofa @ IKEA

Wolseley 3 Seater sofa @ Made.com

The Anya sofa @ Sofa.com

Don't get me wrong, there are some lovely sofas here too and the apartment we're moving into is modern with wooden floors and sky lights...I've just always thought of sofas as being at the heart of the home. Somewhere to put your feet up after a hard day at work or a place to share a tea and cake with your friends at the weekend...(here's a little treat i baked recently actually, which was divine...)

Chocolate & Raspberry brownie recipe can be found in one of my new favourite magazines - The Simple Things Mag
made with love ribbon from Sass and Belle

What do you think? Comfort or Contemporary? If you can find a perfect mix, please do let us know!!

The Bee

Yorkshire - Eating & Treating

noreply@blogger.com (Kerry Bee) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 21:44:00 +0000

Hello!

Apologies we've not been around lately, we've been on a different kind of adventure for a week. All the way up in Yorkshire for a fabulous week of shopping, eating and treating! Quite a few beautiful little homey bits we'll be sharing over the course of the move too :)

We actually stayed in a log cabin in the middle of the woods, which had all the beautiful wooden features you'd expect to find including this fabulous four poster bed...which also came with a bottle of champers on ice!

Throw in a hot tub, a rain shower, channels that you can watch live CCTV feeds from the woods on, some snow and we were pretty much lost to the world for a week.

Good news is, we finally got a move in date - mid march! So it's full steam ahead on the furniture front....just 5 weeks to get a new bed, new dining set, new sofas, chairs, towels, dinnerware, a hoover (!) and all the pretty things that we ~~need~~ want right now!

Bear with us,

xxx

Snow & Throws

noreply@blogger.com (Him & Her.) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:07:00 +0000

We've had around 15cm of snow here - with more forecast for tomorrow!

I've had quite mixed feelings about this weather so far; from starting off panicking about the airports shutting down over here and being stuck in Paris for a weekend, to the delight of finding the sledge i bought last summer in the sale!

I have however spent the last week desperately trying to keep warm and seeking out new cushions and throws for a chilly forecast. Occa Home have an absolutely gorgeous range of designer throws that i was pleased to receive in my inbox last week, varying from their new herringbone stripes at £26 to something more of an investment at £505!

Whilst scrolling through their cottons and wools (which very nearly had me reaching for the credit card!), the ones that really caught my eye were the beautiful new handmade patchwork quilts. With the increased trend in simple arts, crafts and making home-made-homes, patchwork has seen something of a revival over the past few years. Suddenly, my gran may be one of the coolest people i know - she's a patchwork fiend, and has made several unique bedspreads that adorn the beds of myself and my sister. Each has a special message sewn into it too; a truly treasured gift.
Those who aren't so fortunate but are still looking to fall in love with these beautiful pieces of fabric art in their homes, here's my top 3 suggestions by price range (although for something so attentively handmade - you're likely to find one at a bargain but they are rarely ever going to be super cheap):

BIRTHDAY

Jean Paul Gaultier Country Mutlico throw at Occa Home - £405.00

PAYDAY

Green Gate Agnes Quilt at Occa Home - £133.00

ANYDAY

Make your own at home - priceless!
Above designs from Quilters Haven Blog

It's been quite an education reading through Quilters Haven blog actually - who knew you could go on a quilting holiday!? Everything from Christmas markets to flying out to see the Northern Lights! I've always been told it's a great community of people, and you really can tell from reading some of the posts online.

If anyone's made any of their own, i'd love to see them!

The Bee.x