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12 Days of Christmas | The Fairy Light Shop Giveaway!

You may have noticed all the fairy lights popping up around my home lately, from photos posted on the blog and Instagram. I've always fancied the look of decorative string lights that you see in Scandinavian interiors, and since discovering The Fairy Light Shop here in Auckland, I've become obsessed! The onset of Christmas has further fuelled my excitement, and I can't wait to share the love with you today.

The Fairy Light Shop was founded by best friends Belinda Gregg and Kristina Ercolano, who together run La Lumiere, a fairy light hire company. Having travelled the world together, Belinda was previously a successful television director and producer in London, while Kristina worked as an Art Director for commercials and feature films. Their combined talents and passion for decorative lights has resulted in them becoming Auckland's leading fairy light hire and design specialists. If you are planning a wedding, corporate event, birthday or any occasion that deserves the magic and romance of decorative lights, then these are the ladies to call!

For those wanting to inject a bit of fun and sparkle into their everyday spaces, indoors or out, The Fairy Light Shop can help. They sell a gorgeous range of lights and lanterns, sourced from around the world, and while Christmas undoubtedly calls for fairy lights, there is no reason why you can't display these lights all year around. I know I will be!

As you can tell from these photos I've taken of our home, the LED Fairy Lights are one of my favourite products. I love how they add a delicate touch of background ambience to any room. The flexibility of the wire, which is available in silver and copper, means you can be as creative as you like, winding them up and over shelves, around pictures, or even stuck to a washi-tape Christmas tree, as we've done above! Also available with a battery pack, there is no limit as to where you use them. The lights are available in white or warm white, and also come in a range of colours.

If you're after something a bit different, take a look at the gorgeous range of Decorative Lights. These cute paper lights are a hit in both my boys' rooms. The Reindeer are perfect for Christmas!

Two more of my favourites include the Orchid Lights and Bamboo Lanterns, which are pictured below, taken during a recent photo shoot at our house for The Fairy Light Shop. Both evoke a feeling of summer, perfect for parties and entertaining, or whenever the mood takes you!

Next on my wishlist is some string lights for outside, around our Pohutukawa tree! All available to purchase online, this is just a taste of what's on offer. To see the full product range, which includes lamp shades, lanterns, outdoor lights, solar fairy lights and string lights, take a look here. To keep up to date with news and products, follow the Fairy Light Shop on Facebook.

As part of our 12 Days of Christmas series, The Fairy Light Shop would like to gift two sets of lights to two lucky readers!

The first name drawn will win a set of the Warm White Silver Lights valued at $59 and the second will win the Bamboo Lanterns valued at $75. To enter, simply email me at steve3star@gmail.com with THE FAIRY LIGHT SHOP in the subject line. Please also let me know your full name. Entries close on Tuesday, 10th of December and the two winners will be selected via random.org, and contacted via email. All winners will be announced on the blog at the end of the series.

Please note that this competition is open to New Zealand residents only, and that we will do our best to ensure the prizes arrive safely, prior to Christmas.

12 Days of Christmas will continue over the coming weekend, so keep an eye out for more fabulous giveaways!

Update: This giveaway is now closed and the winners have been notified. Thanks to everyone who entered and big thanks to the The Fairy Light Shop for the beautiful prizes!

12 Days of Christmas | LET LIV Exclusive Reader Offer

As day four of 12 Days of Christmas rolls around, I'm excited to have another exciting offer for you today, thanks to the fabulous Wellington-based online store LET LIV. They need no introduction, having been featured many times before on the blog, but if you are only just discovering them, prepare to be wowed. I also recommend you have your credit card handy!

For the entire month of December, The Design Chaser readers will receive 15% off everything in store! Before you dash over to the online store and start shopping, I couldn't resist curating a lovely selection of gift ideas. With so many gorgeous things to choose from, and several of these on my Christmas wishlist, I'm also hoping Santa is watching....

Links below images

01 Ball Mason Pint Jars
02 HOME by Beci Orphin
03 Hanging Miner's Lamp
04 Kip & Co Croc Orange Duvet & Pillowcase Set
05 White & Orange Kitchen Canister
06 Orange Flower Kitchen Canister
07 Kristian Vedel Birds
08 Botanical Rose iPhone Case
09 Mimi Necklace
10 Martina Organics Oil Cleanser
11 Copper House Candle Holders
12 Cream Cowhide Pouch

To redeem your 15% discount, enter the code TDCxTDC at the checkout and click submit. Easy! Thanks LET LIV. You're the BEST.

Pinterest | Picks & Peeks

Having recently interviewed Superette founder Rickie Dee, I was excited to see her stylish home featured in the latest issue of Homestyle. With a sneak peek over at Fancy I also saw these awesome images by photographer Duncan Innes popping up on Pinterest over the weekend.

Rickie showcases her cool style with pieces from the Superette Home range and pops of bright colour. I especially love the office moodboard and reindeer hide in the bedroom.

When I came across this next image of a hanging planter I had to find out more. The result of a collaboration between one of my favourite designers, Brooklyn-based Doug Johnston and Michigan-based photographer Debbie Carlos, the pair spent the summer creating a series of objects under the name 'Material Material'. By simply shipping each other raw materials for each other to use, they came up with some very cool designs, later shown at the San Francisco shop Little Paper Planes. The Hanging Planter which I love, was made out of a sheet of rubber sent from Doug to Debbie! See more of their creations over at Sight Unseen.

I frequently pin the work of Swedish interior stylist and photographer Daniella Witte, who I featured in this post. Her newly decorated courtyard apartment caught my eye with its bright and airy interior, and signature pared-back Scandi style. Located in the country, but still close to both Malmö and Copenhagen, it would make a lovely weekend escape. See more photos over on Daniella's blog.

Lighting is definitely one of my favourite elements of interior design and styling, and I love pinning new finds to my Lighting board. The unique range of Helix lights by Brooklyn-based lighting designer Bec Brittain is exquisite. Made from custom brass hardware and LED tubes, I love the ellipse white marble and cravat granite counterweights.

Finishing off with a couple of Pinterest moodboards, I can't resist using this first colour combination again and again. Featuring soft pinks and blush tones together with muted greys, the effect is so calming. Perfectly suited to my mood at the time, I was thankful when Friday came around last week, after a busy few days.

Summer appears to have arrived early here, and I was so excited to see the first signs of red appearing on our Pohutukawa tree and the sun shining all weekend. I also made sure I got in some much needed rest and relaxation, with a moodboard inspired by the adorable photo of a toddler and puppy sleeping, which I pinned straight to my Moments board.

Home Build Update | Diamond Lights

In the big scheme of things, today's Home Build update features a small step in the journey. But to me, it's a really exciting one! Long before we even moved into our new home, I decided I wanted some Swedish Eric Therner Diamond Lights. I'd only ever seen them on the web, but they looked so pretty. I've always loved the look of simple hanging pendants, and although I wanted something a little bit different for our living room, I didn't want them to compete with the Muuto Unfold Pendants hanging over the dining table.

Having tracked them down from a shop in Australia, Fat Shack Vintage, I had to arrange my own shipping and hope that the very delicate glass bulbs would arrive safely. Luckily they did, and when I opened the boxes I knew I'd made the right choice.

At some point along the way, I had the idea of leaving the cords long, and hooking them up to the ceiling. I'm not sure if I'd seen it somewhere, but since then I have seen some cool examples. Here's a moodboard to demonstrate the sort of ideas that were swimming around in my head!

Images via my Pinterest

Fortunately Dean was right on board with my vision! Because we couldn't find the right screw-in lampholders for the Diamond Lights, we just left the cords tied up, with normal bulbs in. We finally tracked down the lampholders just last week (more on that later) so finally let down the cords. I was a little disappointed with the length, as I thought we had a bit more to play with, but when we sorted out the position of each, and put the hooks up, the results were amazing!

I absolutely love the clean lines that this creates, especially in our open, high-ceiling space. Minimalist, yet interesting, it suits my design aesthetic perfectly!

I had my heart set on gold metal lamp fittings, but I wanted just a touch of gold, nothing too heavy or overly industrial. Dean (bless him) found the right E27 lampholders at Kiwi Living, and at just $15 each, with free shipping, we couldn't believe how easy it was after waiting for so long to put them up! They also come in a silver finish.

Before I go, I just want to share with you an amazing project by Inadesignerhome (IDH), one of my favourite Australian online stores that I first introduced you to here. IDH are incredibly supportive of the blogging community, and to celebrate their online relationships with bloggers, they have dedicated the month of November to 30 Days of Bloggers. Everyday they have been showcasing a different 'social media guru' with a questionnaire, including their top picks from the IDH store. With a focus on my favourite season Summer, I was thrilled to participate. Pop over here to read my answers and see my Summer edit from the store, for which you'll receive a 15% discount, all day today!

MintSix | Store Opening & New Products

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of featuring the launch of the online homewares store and styling service MintSix. Founded by Dunedin sisters Ella Murdoch and Talia O'Connor, the clever and ambitious duo have recently taken the next step in making their dream a reality, by opening a retail store. When Talia emailed me a couple of months ago with the exciting news, there were cyber high-fives all around. Being that I'm in Auckland, and knowing what an amazing eye for design these girls have, I'm a little sad that I can't visit the shop in person. I have however been pestering Talia for some photos to share with you, and this week she came through with the goods. I'm sure you'll agree it all looks fabulous!

Along with the opening, MintSix have expanded their product range to include such international brands as UASHMAMA, Elms + King, Brita Sweden, Kip & Co and Pony Rider, not to mention the gorgeous Dutch brand HK Living (swoon) and Nynne Rosenvinge art prints that I recently featured here. True to the MintSix signature style, heavily influenced by the sisters travels, there are also new treasures from Turkey, Africa, Uzbekistan and Morocco.

It was really hard to choose from all the fun and stylish products on offer, but here are some of my favourite picks. There are still a few to be loaded on the website. (Poor Talia, I'm so impatient!) But they will be available in store, so make sure you pop in to see the full range if you're down that way! The store is located at 290 Highgate, Roslyn.

1 Pony Rider Swiss Alps Wall Dot
2 Large Workshop Lamp in Black by HK Living
3 Charcoal, Grey & Yellow Arrow Cushion
4 Yellow Anglepoise Lamp (available in store)
5 Pony Rider Three Points Cushion
6 HK Living Marble Board
7 HK Living Teak Breadboard
8 Elms + King Gold & Yellow Clutch (available in store)
9 Charcoal Geometric Cushion

For more MintSix style inspiration and expertise, follow them on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and their blog.

A couple more things before I go... I had the urge to do a moodboard today, especially being that it's Friday.

Images via my Pinterest

Lastly, I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone who has entered the worldwide CULTIVER giveaway - what an amazing response! Entries close on Sunday at midnight (NZ time) so get in quick, if you haven't already. I can't wait to announce the lucky winner on Monday morning! Have a lovely weekend.

Joanna Laajisto | Revisited

Today we revisit the talented Helsinki-based interior architect Joanna Laajisto. First featured here after I'd discovered and fallen head over heels in love with her work, I've continued to follow Joanna, eagerly awaiting a glimpse at any new projects. Now almost a year on, I've picked out a few to share with you, each one showcasing Joanna's impeccable taste and beautifully elegant design aesthetic.

Finnish furniture company Lundia enlisted Joanna to design their stand at the Habitare trade show during Helsinki Design Week recently. A stunning kitchen in black and pale wood, it's easy to see why the stand was awarded best of show by the Finnish Interior Journalist Association.

I love the simple styling. Natural materials and textural objects like brown glass bottles, terracotta pots, copper kitchenware, flax baskets and branches sit perfectly against the black shelving and pale wood accents.

This year Joanna was also invited to design a private pop up dining space for the Helsinki Design Week. Located in a historical building that dates back to 1901, her choice of furniture and signature style works in beautifully with the original brickwork.

Featuring black-painted Alvar Aalto Highback 66 chairs around a large steel-clad table, and new Lambada lamps by Finnish designer Samuli Naamanka, the light-filled space is breath-taking. A willow tree at the end of the dining room adds further wow.

Joanna has also moved into product design, and her first piece, the Edit Lamp, is exquisite.

The timeless design not only looks incredible, it cleverly transforms from a pendant light to a wall fixture with a simple bracket. This would have to be one of the most perfectly stylish ways to illuminate a a reading corner!

See more over at Joanna Laajisto Creative Studio.

Interior Styling | Clamp Lamps

When it comes to lighting, the clamp lamp is a simple yet functional piece that can work in any room of the home. Like most of the ideas I write about in my interior styling posts, this one is beautifully suited to Scandi-style interiors, and even adds a cool industrial edge.

Being adjustable, you can easily aim the light where you need it such as on the book you are reading, or on a specific area of your room. I've seen them on shelves, ladders, desks, tables, bedheads and even ceiling beams. Here are some great examples.

Ladder shelves and clamp lamps go hand in hand. Perfect for the living area or bedroom, one of my favourite stylists Pella Hedeby nails this look, shown above, for a recent styling project she carried out in Stockholm.

A rustic ladder paired with an industrial clamp lamp looks amazing in this all-white interior...

As does this minimalist black ladder and clamp lamp shown here in the bedroom...

When it comes to the workspace, shelves placed above the desk are calling out for clamp lamps....

I love this next idea for illuminating a favourite photo or artwork....

Clamp lights provide great task lighting in the kitchen. Attaching them to the ceiling beams is a clever idea...

Images: 1 | 2 | 3-4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11

I'll know you'll be wanting to know where to buy a clamp lamp from, so I've done some research, and here's what I've found.

Images below links

1 Cyclone Clamp Lamp by Nordlux

2 Gunnery Cage Lamp from Artilleriet

3 Telegram Clip Lamp from LET LIV

4 Hektar Wall/Clamp Spotlight from Ikea

5 Eichholtz Clamp Lamp Zinc Pendant from ECC

6 Clip On Cornet Lamp by Tse Tse

7 Tolomeo Clip Spot from Design Within Reach

8 Fas Clamp Spotlight from Ikea

I think they're all pretty cool, but I can't go past anything Tolomeo, so number seven would have to be my top pick! Which one do you like?