A lot of our information about interior design, shabby chic and rustic style and accessories is included in fixed pages that you can see by using the menus on the left of the page or by using the search box to find relevant information.

This blog section is where we post all the latest information and ideas  that we come across and ask for your comments and contributions. If a topic or story seems to be of particular interest, we will expand on it and produce a permanent page of information to add to the collection.  You can look at all of our posts in the category of your choice by using the “Post Categories” menu on the right.

We hope you enjoy our site and please do add your own comments, advice and experiences. We do review all comments so we don’t miss anything and we will reply on the blog so everyone can see all the answers.

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I recently bought my daughter a new camera for her birthday and she took this gorgeous photo of our boxer Phoebe taking a break from her Rustic Angels duties.

 Not only is she great company up at Rustic Angels HQ, she  also has kept my waistline in check for the last 5 years (for which I will always be eternally grateful!).

 Here she is having a chill out on the lawn in the lovely sunshine.

 It’s true what they say – it really is a dog’s life…………………..

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I thought I would share with you my wonderful find!  Always on the lookout for something old, shabby, unique and original I found myself  wandering around the Antiques Barn in Market Harborough, Northampton with a couple of friends and this large (really large!) cream shabby chic enamel jug jumped out at me so I just had to buy it. 

 It is a whopping 60cm tall and at its widest is 47cm.  It has a really chunky handle and is such a great shape. 

I knew exactly where to put it – in the corner of our day room on my shabby chic metal table and after weeks of searching for

the perfect flowers to put in it I plumped for some gorgeous artificial hydrangas from Gisela Graham and some eucalyptus

leaves which are such a fantastic duck egg green cloudy colour.

I took a closeup of the jug so you could see the wonderful embossed floral detail which adds a real touch of charm to it.

Underneath this unit I have put one of my personalised planters – which by the way makes a fantastic magazine storage box – you can fit 2 magazines in perfectly side by side. 

It is a lovely eye catching jug and sometimes get used as a prop for piccies for the website.

By the way – did I say that it was half price.  It must have been my lucky day!

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We have been given this fantastic lavender recipe  from Wendy who works in our admin department.  Apparently they are to die for!! You will need - 125 grams (4 1/2oz) butter or margarine 100 grams (4oz sugar) 1 egg 150 – 200grams (5 – 7oz) self raising flour 1 level tbsp dired English lavender flowers  (it is essential to use English lavender with no camphor  scent) 1 small cup (1/4 to 1/3 cup) chopped candied ginger (optional)

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To mark its 150th anniversary  Sanderson have created a new website offering additional funcionality and transforming your online experience.  There is now an exciting new area that enables you to create schemes while browsing the website.  You can save products and images via ‘my scrapbook’ and you also have a palette of tools that allows you to create a mood board of your selected items, save and print your projects and download your own images into your mood boards.  What a fantastic idea!

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Lavender is nominated as the Plant of the Month for May by the Horticultural Trades Association’s (HTA) PlantforLife Campaign.

Lavender is really easy to grow be it as a garden plant in the flower border or grown in a container. It makes a great companion plant for roses and is loved by bees and humans alike and emits a beautiful scent when you brush past it. There is nothing nicer than a lovely lavender plant by the cottage front door or bordering a path.  Lavender plants are pretty hardy and providing that they are kept neat and tidy with an annual trim just before growth starts in early spring they are really easy to care for. Sounds like my kind of plant!

As an herb, lavender has been in documented use for over 2,500 years. In ancient times lavender was used for mummification and perfume by the Egyptians, Phoenicians, and peoples of Arabia.   There are many health benefits associated with lavender essential oils including its ability to remove nervous tension, relieve pain, disinfect scalp and skin, enhance blood circulation and treat respiratory problems. Lavender oil is extracted mostly from the flowers of the plant, primarily through steam distillation. The flowers of lavender are fragrant in nature and have been used for making potpourris for years.

Lavender essential oil has been traditionally used in making perfumes due to its aroma.  There are now many aromatic preparations made using Lavender oil.  On the high street you will find soaps, lotions, gels, infusions and oils all the the calming scent and health benefits of lavender. 

 As one of the most famous uses for lavender oil is its ability to induce sleep it is often recommended for insomnia. Many herablists tout its use also as a remedy for colds, flu, bronchitis and tonsillitis.   If you have trouble sleeping and feel you need the calming influence of lavender a small fabric pouch filled with lavender placed near the side of your bed or draped over the eyes or neck works really well and will ensure a calming nights sleep.

We found some simple yet effective ways to fill your room with gorgeous lavender fragrance so thought we’d share them with you.

To Scent a Room with Lavender Essence

 Place a bowl of lavender by the window in the sun to draw out the scent.

Drop a little oil on the light bulb of a table lamp–it will evaporate and fill the room with perfume.

Keep a pot of lavender and water simmering on the stove.

Throw bunches of lavender into a open fire.

Place bowls of lavender-scented potpourri near doorways to help repel mosquitoes.

Place lavender oil in a porous jug so the perfume seeps into the room.

Place sprig of lavender with other flowers in vases.  source: Book of Lavender by Jackie French

 So all in all we feel that the humble Lavender plant deserves to be nominated plant of the month for May.  It has many many uses in the shabby chic home – some of which we will be sharing with you this month.  If you have any crafty tips, hints recipes or makes with lavender please drop us an email and we’ll publish them. 

PlantforLife has been created by the Horticultural Trades Association with the aim of helping people get the most out of their garden with gardening advice, information and inspirational ideas, highlighting the health and well-being benefits of plants and gardening.

Visit www.plantforlife.info for more information.

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In 2010, Sanderson celebrates its 150th anniversary and to mark this occasion the highly anticipated ‘Very Sanderson – 150 years of English Decoration’ exhibition opened at the Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey Street, London.  This is a momentous occasion for the oldest surviving English brand in its field.  The Sanderson story spans many eras of changing tastes and styles and their designs have moved with the times, always reflecting contemporary style and new technologies.  Whilst the company has had struggles and successes over the last 150 years it still remains a prosperous British business with an international reputation for lasting quality and timeless style.

Arthur Sanderson set up his business in Islington, London in 1860 as an importer of French wallpapers.  He could scarecly have imagined that a century later it would have grown into a company with a landmark London showroom serving an international market.  Sanderson is still going strong today.  The exhibition not only charts the Sanderson story but the social history of a country reflected through domestic furnishings.

There are various talks and events taking place during the exhibition including an interior design workshop led by interior designer Daniel Hopwood, one of the presenters of Britain’s Best Home and a Textile design workshop inspired by Sanderson textiles.  If you love wandering around historic buildings you may be interested in the To Stay the Same Everything Must Change workshop which interprets and recreates decorative colour schemes in historic buildings.  On the 29th May 2010 there is a Textile
Design workshop which is a day inspired by Sanderson textiles where you can create a design to decorate your own beautiful fabric which can be made into a scarf, cushion or bag.

To coincide with the exhibition The Shop at the museum has a range of Sanderson 150th Anniversary special edition products including ‘A Painters Garden’ soaps, hand wash, hand lotion, scented sachets drawer liners and gift sets. There is also a range of stationery including writing sets, greeting cards, notebooks, cards, notelets sets and a range of tableware including ceramic mugs, teasets and coffee sets featuring Sanderson Dandelion Clocks and Etchings and Roses designs.

 The exhibition runs until the 13th June 2010. The exhibition opening times are Wednesday – Sunday, 11am – 6pm with a last admission at 5.15pm.  Ticket prices are £6.50 for adults, £3.50 for students and concessions, free entry for under 12s.  For further information about the Fashion and Textiles Museum and its activities visit www.ftmlondon.org.  For more information please call 020 7407 8664.

 The Sanderson umbrella now encompasses Zoffany, William Morris, Harlequin, Harlequin Harris and Walker Greenbank PLC all of which have extensive and innovative designs in fabric and wallpaper. Sanderson now offer fabric, bedlinen, wallpaper, tableware and paint and even a range of beautifully fragranced toiletries.

Co-inciding with the 150 year celebrations,  the Sanderson studio introduces ‘Vintage Fabrics’.   Nine printed fabrics and two embroideries offer a glimpse of the treasures in Sanderson’s unparalleled archive. The resulting collection is a celebration of the creativity and diversity of Sanderson over the past 150 years.
We are proud to be stockists of the Sanderson range.  If you require any samples, fabric or wallpaper please do not hesitate to call us on 020 8239 1134.  For full details of the events visit the Sanderson official website.

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We would like to say congratulations to Mrs Shepherd of Scunthorpe, Miss Howells of Swansea, Mr Pearce of London, Miss Williams of Bristol and Mrs Bearton of Southport who all won one of our cute little buttons jars from East of India in a competition run by Let’s Get Crafting Magazine in November. 

Toview all our lovely shabby chic sewing accessories click here.

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We are always getting new brochures and the occasional (very occasional) free gifts from our suppliers so imagine how happy we were to receive a couple of gingerbread doggy biscuits and a doggy biscuit cutter to promote some new additions to the Wish retro puppy dog door stop range.

Building on the huge success of the puppy dog door stops in 2009 we are thrilled to announce that very soon you will be able to buy the puppy dog door stops in 3 tartan designs - Royal Stuart, Black and White and “McDoogle”.

We will also be introducing 2 new and exclusive puppy dog door stops in “Big Jack” pink and green! Very retro!!

This really is a great range of British designed & manufactured doorstops, all superbly crafted using only the finest materials. Quintessentially quirky and at around 2kg, they are weighty enough to do the job designed for.   That, of course, doesn’t stop people buying the dogs just to have as friends!   They are suitable for all rooms, from hall to lounge, from kitchen to bedroom.   All puppies come complete in a calico drawstring gift bag with a brown leather collar and so really make a great and unusual gift. 

These original door stops are fast becoming a true design classic.  So put the Great back into Britain and grab yours today!

Have a look at our complete range of puppy dog door stops here.

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We were thrilled to be featured in the 60 Minute Makeover program which was aired on Monday 11th January, 2010.    The team made over assistant head teacher Pam’s house at the request of her two daughters Laura and Louise and her friend Sue.   In just one hour the team transformed her living room, dining room, bedroom and created a new outside space at her home in Windsor, Berkshire.   Scott Waldron  did a fantastic job of designing the lovely cream/grey bedroom  and obviously has  great taste as many of our shabby chic accessories were used to enhance his design!

We are sure Pam will be delighted with this lovely shabby chic cream filigree jewellery holder.  It has won itself a number 4 slot in our top selling items list and is such a handy accessory to have in the bedroom.  It has filigree hooks to hold rings, bracelets and 3 hooks in the middle for necklaces, etc.  It looked great on the beautiful white chest of drawers in Pam’s bedroom.

We all love to have photos of our loved ones around us so to make the room feel homely Scott added a couple of our picture frames.  The cream shabby chic frame on the left is such a pretty design and can stand landscape or portrait while the heart frame on the right is great for standing on a windowsill, mantelpiece of shelf.  There is also a smaller version of the frame on the right – they look great together.

There is an extensive range of fabulous frames on the website.

Our small shabby chic sewing box was also featured.  It has a separate lift out tray inside and space at the bottom to hold all those needles and threads.   It has a glass lid displaying lots of shabby chic buttons, cottoms and tape measure.  As sewing boxes go this is a real cutie! Scott also used a couple of our shabby chic baskets on the dressing table.  We all need somewhere to put all those little bits and bobs and the baskets were just perfect.  After a couple of our ceramic heart candles were added Pams’ bedroom was done.  We hope you enjoy it Pam!

So if you are planning a revamp of  any of the rooms in your house this spring don’t forget your accessories.  They are your finishing touches to any room and really add a bit of shabby chic style.

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Rachel Ashwell, the creator of the look and phrase “Shabby Chic” that we know and adore, is back!  After the sad demise of her business last year, when Shabby Chic filed for bankruptcy after nearly 20 years in business, Rachel and her signature style have seen a resurgeance during these credit crunch times.

Now,  Rachel has been courted by a new business partnership and Shabby Chic stores in London, New York and Santa Monica are once again planning to open their doors.  Welcome back Rachel!

See article in the New York Times

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