I'm a thief I know! I found this wallpaper through Homebug a few weeks ago and just had to post about it myself. I love how unusual they are.
The designs, by Danish designer Lene Toni Kjeld are designed as transition wallpaper. There are 8 designs that can be blended to fade in to one another.
The idea is to create an individual design and bring up different atmospheres. This would be a great way to define living spaces if you are living in an open plan apartment.
The interiors you create can really reveal a lot about your personality. As your personality and your life changes you will probably subconsciously change your interior along with you.
Take my sister and I for example, we've always had quite different personalities and while we were growing up I had my bedroom decorated with deep blues and purples while my sister decorated her room with lemon and cream. As we got older Catherine changed her room to mostly purple and I changed to pale greens and creams.
I think you can tell a lot about someone by how they choose to decorate their home, stepping into someone's home will give you a sneak peak at their personality. To show this I'm going to use the example of my favourite show - Sex in the City!
Carrie's apartment (my personal favourite!)
Carrie's apartment has a lived in look, verging on messy. It's got a real beauty about it but is far from flawless with bags under the hall table, mail on the floor, drawers open...
Charlotte's apartment...
Charlotte's apartment is elegant and classical. There are a lot of floral patterns to give a feminine appearance. Everything has it's place and the finishing touches are not forgotten.
Miranda's apartment
Miranda's apartment is safe to the point of being boring. There seems to be a fear of introducing any colour or pattern, she chose to use sensible dull and muted colours.
Samantha's apartment...
Samantha's apartment has a drama about it! There is no fear of colour here. There is a vibrancy and excitement about this interior. Oh and the bed is the focal point of the whole place!
Visit the HBO website to find out more about the girls and their interiors!
One of my favourite shops in Limerick is Olio & Farina. Hailing from Genova, Olio & Farina have the world famous Italian passion and enthusiasm for quality food. Their store on Little Catherine St., Limerick has the most delicious pasta and bruschetta sauces, not to mention their collection of olive oil and wines!
Apart from their delicious food they also stock some great "home" items and gifts. They specialise in Olive wood, a beautiful wood with a natural warmth and depth. Olio & Farina tell us that Olive wood requires a good number of years before reaching maturation point. A true work of art, owning one of our handmade products is to own a piece of history.
Here are a few beautiful pieces from their collection
Spaghetti Measure €11.99
Lemon Squeezer & Honey Drizzler €13.99
Mortar & Pestel €36.99
There's just something about using wooden utensils and tools in your kitchen, it feels really traditional, like you're really creating something as you cook! Apart from the items above there are great gift sets available from Olio & Farina. You can either get one ready made or create one yourself, these would make a really personal and very useful house warming present!
Visit Olio & Farina to find out more about them.
Another Interior Design free day today. Today I've done a fashion post on Style Treaty.
Click here to read the article and to see my new dress!
Earlier in the week on our lunch break Maz and I took a trip to Childer's Road Retail Park, a bad idea (it was Maz's idea...) as I ended up buying a pair of shoes from Dorothy Perkins, although they were on sale so I paid a ridiculously cheap price for them so I don't think it really counts! The fact that they don't really fit need not be mentioned...
I digress! My point was that we also visited Next while we were there and I just love all of their reasonably priced homeware. I don't know why but I never remember to visit Next and each time I do I'm pleasantly surprised. Here are a few things I liked...
This dinner set is €36. for 12 pieces, as is the Tahiti one below...
These Black conical glasses are €22. for a set of 4 and the best thing about them is that they are dishwasher safe
I loved these ceramic place mats, the picture shows the coasters as the Next website doesn't have a picture of the placemats but you get the idea! The place mats cost €19. for a set of two as far as I remember. Maz and I agreed that we would hate the sound of the plate on top of the ceramic place mat (!) and if I was to buy these I would actually use them as serving plates for hors d'oeuvres or starters like the Brazilian Agate ones I posted about earlier in the week, obviously this wouldn't work if your starter was soup! But would be perfect for little nibbles, crackers and cheese etc.
Maz spotted this bread bin which is very similar to one from Nigella Lawson. The great thing about this is that the lid is your bread board. At €32. however its much much cheaper than Nigella's one!
Its barely distinguishable from Nigella's one shown below, I know which one I'd be "splashing out" on!
One of my first posts back in January was about putting your favourite picture onto a canvas print, its so much more unique than just putting the picture in a frame and is a really great way to display your favourite pictures.
The reason that I'm doing a reminder on this is because just last week I got this done for my gorgeous little nephew Fionn as a Christening present for his parents and it turned out so well, his parents were delighted with it!
Click here to read the original post.
And here's the star of the show! This is the picture I used.
Its more than a little intimidating to consider using some Sanderson fabric or wallpaper in your home when you consider that they were awarded the Royal Warrant as Purveyors of Wallpaper to the King of England in 1923 and continue to supply to the Queen today... but if its good enough for the Queen...
I think I love everything on their website, I could post every picture from there to here, but as that would be more than a little time consuming here's a few of my favourites!
I've ordered my book of samples from them and as soon as it arrives I intend sitting down in a quiet room with a glass of wine and drooling! I really hope I get the chance to use some of their products in the future. There is currently just one supplier in Ireland, in Dublin. You can find out more about Sanderson here. Ok here are just a few more pics...
Well here it is - my final post on Elsewares! (I find it funny that I'm even pretending as I know I'll have another one up here probably by next week...).
I'm really struggling with the temptation to buy this fab Ming Oil and Vinegar set. I love it because it's stylish and novel at the same time!
As you can see its a very simple design made to imitate a wine glass turned upside down. The designer from Dutch company Jansen + Co. apparently takes particular enjoyment from deconstructing familiar items and redefining their use. According to elsewares this item is not just attractive its clever too as the narrow stem reduces flow making the liquid easy to measure as you pour.
For the reasonable price of $28. (approx. €20.) you get the two glasses in a stylish box along with a funnel for easy filling and a cleaning brush.
I love how the oil and vinegar actually look like red and white wine. I think these would make a great house warming gift. Anyone who likes cooking and enjoys wine would get a kick out if these.
Yes I know I've probably done enough posts on Elsewares at this stage, like here... and here... but I just love their products. Ok I'm doing this post on Elsewares today and one tomorrow but that's it - promise! (maybe...)
I just had to share these Hors d'Oeuvre plates with you, how fantastic would it be to serve your guests with these plates, dismissing their oohs and ahhs with mutterings of "oh these old things, they're nothing special, just some Brazilian agate...". Am I the only one that's not exactly sure what agate is? As far as I can find out agate is a type of quartz...
The plates (which can be ordered here) cost $68. each, not exactly cheap for a 9 inch plate but if you do happen to get a set as a present I want to be invited to the dinner party!
I think this "re-designed" vintage 1950's cafe chair would be such a novelty piece to have in your home! I love how unique it is, for GB £225 (approx. €330) you can be the proud owner of this chair. I know at that price you wouldn't go buying a full set for your kitchen table, but one wouldn't be out of this world...
The great thing is that you get to choose your own comic, or magazine, or newspaper, whatever you like and then choose the seat fabric.
Wouldn't it be great to do this with photos of all your family and friends! Or photos of every holiday you've been on! The chair is designed by Bombus and is available from www.notonthehighstreet.com click here to order.
Last week, Maz had the brainwave that all of the lovely lady Limerick bloggers should finally put faces to the posts and meet up. And that's exactly what myself, Maz, Laura and Lorraine did on Saturday night when we met for dinner and some vino in Limerick's new swanky Absolute Hotel.
If you fancy a few cocktails or Aperitif on a girl's night out then I would recommend the Absolute Hotel, the great thing about it is the decor, it makes you feel that you are somewhere special as soon as you walk in the door.
One of the nice things about the decor is that its not confined to the beige and cream of a lot of hotels and you will find a splash of colour and pattern here and there. Here's Maz waiting on one of the Damask patterened couches.
The attention to detail is superb, even their fire extinguishers look interior designed, in chrome so that they don't clash! Yes I did get a few funny looks when I was taking photos of the fire extinguishers...
A good night was had by all in these beautiful surroundings, we joked that the next time we meet up Lorraine can cook, Laura can be in charge of deserts, I can design the table settings and Maz can decide on all of our outfits!
I love cooking, I could happily chop, roast and sautee all day long, however I'm not the world's best baker. Last night however I tried Laura's Honey Cookies thinking that if her daughter could manage them I could surely attempt them! And I'm happy to report that they were a complete success! I have so many gadgets and tools to make life easier when I'm cooking and filled with a new found confidence in the baking stakes I decided that I need to update my baking utensils!
Unfortunately these silicone bowls from Isi are not on the shelves yet as I've decided that I have to have them! Are these or are these not the best invention ever! They're the kind of thing that you look at and think - why didn't someone come up with that sooner!
These flexible bowls can be used as a regular bowl for mixing and stirring or they can be manouvered into the shape of a spout for pouring, the clear plastic lid lets them hold their shape so they can be used for storage, as I said - best invention ever!
Isi are also responsible for other innovative kitchen items that you might be familiar with, like this silicone oven mitt.
I was browsing earlier on the beautiful Inspire Co. website and came across these felt tulips that I love!
I'm not generally a fan of dried flowers (although you can get some nice ones that can work in the right setting) and I absolutely abhor plastic flowers (they remind me of graveyards...) but I do know that fresh flowers are not always practical. That's why I love to find funky alternatives like these felt flowers.
If any of you have been to Amsterdam you'll know that almost every shop you walk past has an abundance of these painted wooden tulips that will only set you back a couple of euro for a bunch.
I love these tulips and the last time I was there I bought a bunch of plain white ones. I displayed them in a large tall vase filled with white sand to keep them in place.
If you are going to go down the route of artificial flowers then the best advice I can give is to find something like these felt or wooden ones that make no apologies for the fact that they are artificial and are not trying to look like real flowers and make a feature out of them!
I'm having a day off from Interior Design posts today and have done a book review instead! My thoughts on Pomegranate Soup can be found over at Style Treaty!
Now I know that the general rule with kitchen tools and appliances is that you get what you pay for. That being said however I do believe that there are great bargains out there if you look in the right places. I've bought a few things in the Lidl special offer section with the frame of mind "at that price, if I get a few months out of it I've lost nothing!" but I've been pleasantly surprised and the quality is actually impressive.
They have a few bits and pieces in next weeks offers that have caught my eye.
I've been meaning to buy one of these Grill pans for ages now so I'm going to splash out (!) on this one for €12.99 when it hits the stores next Thursday. It's got a teflon anti-stick coating by DuPont.
My mother bought me this mezzaluna a few months ago when it was last on offer and I don't know how I ever managed without it! She always regretted not picking one up for herself so I'm going to get her one this week as it's in store again for €5.99
I'm undecided about this electric pasta maker for €69.99. I'm always promising to make my own pasta (and this one even comes with the recipe!) but in reality I think I would make it once and then admit that the shop-bought pasta is much easier (not to mention tastes better!)
They also have these kids bedclothes on offer that would be ideal if you're looking for a spare set. They cost €17.99 and they are available in (tune out if you have no kids...) Bob The Builder, Disney Princesses, Cars and someone else that I can't remember... They are 100% cotton and there are matching cushions available for €5.99!
I'm a sucker for a bargain!
I hope everyone had as productive a bank holiday weekend as I did. My search for the perfect white tableware is over (Mary T has had to listen to this for months so I’d say she’s as relieved as I am!). I wanted to find the plainest whitest ware I could get, I wanted to buy them separately as I only wanted plates and side plates. (I have cereal bowls from the simply white collection in Dunnes and I have an impressive collection of Disney mugs that I have collected from holiday destinations with Disney Stores).A tale of the trials and tribulations of finding the perfect ware, by Maz at Style Treaty!
Do any of you remember the Past Times store that used to reside on Cruises St. in Limerick? I think it was where the current Thornton's shop is... wasn't it? I used to love that shop and was devastated when it closed, it was always a great place for Christmas and Birthday presents for Mums and Grandmothers!
I was just browsing on their online shop and they have such beautiful quaint gifts such as...
These planters would look great in a conservatory or even by a window in your living room, you can either rest them on a shelf or hang them from the ceiling. They cost £39.99 (approx €58.). To me they look like an old birdcage. If you do happen to find an old bird cage in an antique shop or car boot sale then I'd advise you to snap it up, paint it white and you've got a budget version of these planters!
I love this dragon fly perfume bottle, it's costs £12.99 (€19. ish) and has a dropper inside. I love the ornate detail.
This Blue & White Ball Box which imitates Staffordshire ironstone design would be the perfect home for any treasures or trinkets that you currently have thrown on your dressing table! £10. (approx €15.)
And here's a pretty way to hide your dirty laundry! As the website suggests, this would be very handy to take with you on holidays. This costs £16.99 or €25.
Unfortunately they only seem to ship to UK addresses but they do still have a store on Wicklow St. in Dublin and Fountain St. in Belfast, definitely on my "to be visited list" next time I'm in Dublin. I remember years ago when the store was in Limerick I spent all of my birthday money one year on a Christmas Snow Globe (which seems unusual seeing as my birthday is in August!). It had a mahogony base and a large globe with a girl ice-skating and when you wind it up it plays an Austrian waltz, this still has pride of place on my mantel piece every Christmas!
Past Times also has some beautiful garden pieces, but in protest of the disappearance of our heat-wave I'm going to hold off on doing a post about these until the sun comes out again!
I love these Klondike lamps from Minnie Peters. I think these lamps would be perfect if you have a few pieces of African Art in your home, little statues etc. The dark wood would go great with the ebony and walnut of African statues and ornaments. They would also work just as well in any room with walnut furniture and cream soft furnishings. These lamps remind me of tribal African shields and are very different to Minnie Peter's usual pieces which are usually ornate and elegant like this Parisian wall light.
In preparation for my BBQ Friday evening I paid a visit to Dunnes to look for some of those lanterns that I spoke about in the last post. I went to the one on Childer's Road but unfortunately they didn't have any. But I did find some gorgeous tableware. They have tough plastic items in beautiful bright summer colours, I could have bought everything there! Pay them a visit if you want to brighten up your garden party with some colourful serving dishes, salad bowls, salad spoons, wine glasses, coloured ice cubes, coloures cocktail sticks... the list goes on!
Hope everyone had a great long weekend!
With the long weekend so close you can almost reach out and touch it, and with the unexpected heat wave we're having set to continue then I'm sure there are more than a few of you planning a BBQ over the next few days!
If you haven't already got your BBQ sorted for this summer then you should take yourself down to Cunningham's Garden, Tipp. Road, Limerick as they have a great range of Sunshine and Legend BBQs in stock. But the best thing about these is the accessories you can get for these BBQs that could actually help to turn the cooking part of the BBQ into an enjoyable task!
I love BBQs but as a veggie I'm often left just eating bread with a few roasted onions, that's why I think this Wok Hot plate is the best invention ever! You remove the griddle or char-grill plate and insert it with this plate so you can stir-fry to your heart's content! Genious!
This warming rack can fit a lot of the BBQs that Cunningham's have in stock, it's the perfect way to keep food warm while your guests are queuing up for seconds!
This Barrel cooker lid means that you can roast whole joints of meat (and maybe some bread or a pasta bake for us veggies!) as it transforms your BBQ into an oven.
If I haven't convinced you yet then these gorgeous garden lanterns might encourage you to decorate your garden and invite your friends over this weekend. These gorgeous colourful lanterns were featured on Homebug last month and are avaliable from Dunnes. Perfect for some cheap and cheerful decorations!
And if there really is no convincing you then I give up, let the experts do the cooking for you by heading to Limerick City for Riverfest this weekend and sample the goods at the River-Feast BBQ on George's Quay.
Maz pointed out this vase to me earlier in the week and I immediately fell in love with it. She suggested that it would look great with some short stemmed flowers - I couldn't have suggested anything better myself!
You could also fill this vase with some colourful summer posies or some simple daisies and use it as a pretty centre piece for a brunch or lunch with friends, dress the table in a nice white table cloth with white napkins and you'll have an instantly elegant table.
If you're looking for good quality flowers on a budget then take yourself down to Lidl or Aldi. I buy flowers here almost every weekend. Last week I bought a really nice bunch of white tulips in Lidl for €2.99, on my way home I stopped for petrol and saw the exact same bunch for €6.99 at the petrol station, I don't think there's any justifying that!
The vase above costs €24.50 from Instore
I love unique or unusual pieces of furniture and I've just recently learned of the work of Limerick born furniture designer Eric O'Donnell. Design Onion was formed just this year by Eric and another very talented furniture designer, Donegal-born Ronan Lowery.
Both men studied Furniture Design & Manufacture at Letterfrack furniture college and their website tells you that they "strive to create unique and innovative pieces of furniture combining traditional woodworking techniques with modern and unusual materials".
This is certainly true of Eric O'Donnel's thatched bench, this was made as a live project for the National Museum of Ireland and was recently featured in the Sunday Times. Click here to read more about it.
Here's another beautiful piece featured on the website, this Walnut coffee table (I love anything walnut!) is said to draw its inspiration from ocean swells.
To check out more of their work or to contact Design Onion go to www.designonion.net
