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Felt | Homeware & Accessories

Felt making is one of the oldest known forms of textile craft, with archaeological finds dating as far back as 6500 BC. Traditionally found in Nordic clothing, it's the modern use of felt in homeware and accessories that I love, thanks to its natural wool texture and Scandinavian feel.

Being both fire resistant and water repellent, the wool fibres in felt help the fabric to retain shape even after folding crushing. Great for use in household storage products, every room could do with one!

With the ability to insulate against heat as well as against cold, felt not only looks great on these wooden chairs and stools, it's comfy to sit on all year round!

Lately I've seen some very cool uses for felt such as clocks and pin boards...

Images: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5-7 | 8-10 | 11-12

Table linen, bags, notebooks and even plant holders look amazing made out of felt! Here are some great ideas...

Links below images

01 Norm Felt Panel Pin Board from Menu Design Shop
02 Orange Felt Pod by Flip & Tumble from GSelect
03 Grey Felt Pod by Flip & Tumble from GSelect
04 Felt Hamper from West Elm
05 Felt Chie Placemats from Country Road Home
06 Felt Chie Table Runner from Country Road Home
07 Ellie the Elephant Wall Art from Al + Em
08 Lappland Bag from Kikki.K
09 Round Pin Boards from Al + Em
10 Norm Felt Panel Clock from Menu Design Shop
11 Lappland Notebook from Kikki.K
12 Grey Muuto Restore Basket from DWR
13 Tablet Pouch from VBS Hobby Service

Before I go, I just have to let you know that I have an incredible giveaway lined up for tomorrow, so make sure you pop back - you won't want to miss it!

Vee Speers Photography

If you follow Scandinavian interior blogs, you will have no doubt come across the above artworks at some point and time. Part of a series called The Birthday Party by renowned photographer Vee Speers, I've been posting images featuring these works for some time, including two recent ones on my Facebook page. One of my lovely followers asked if I knew more about 'the print of the girl with the bird in her hand' and being that I too love this portrait, I thought I'd share it with you, along with two other favourites from the series.

Born in Australia, Vee Speers has been residing in Paris since 1990. Her incredible works have been exhibited and published around the world and are part of many collections including the Morten Viskum Collection in Norway, the Elton John Collection in the UK and at the George Eastman House in New York, to name just a few. Vee's book Bordello with a foreword by Karl Lagerfield was followed up by The Birthday Party book in 2008.

It started off as a personal project with Vee wanting to capture a few childhood moments before her daughter, who features in Untitled #16 (blowing a bubble) became a teenager. Her kids would blow soap bubbles like this in the bath, so she cleverly recreated them with a French 'balloon paste', a gluey substance that can be blown through a straw, producing a sticky transparent bubble. Lasting around three minutes, it was long enough to capture on film. The costume was from a school dance show and the hair was purposely exaggerated to mimic the circles of the balloon.

The photograph was to became part of The Birthday Party, a bigger series combining Vee's 'fantasy' style seen in earlier works with a pared down aesthetic. The imaginary party consists of portraits of children dressed in various costumes, confronting us with reminders of our own childhood. It's the simplicity of the imagery that I find so beautiful and intriguing. The original black and white Polaroid prints with neutral backgrounds and subtle colour effects have a nostalgic quality. I can imagine they would create quite a strong visual presence in your home. If I had to choose, it would be Untitled #22 (the girl with the bird) which has a soft dreamy quality.

The series took on a life of its own and its popularity took Vee by surprise. The pictures struck a chord with people and quickly went around the world. Untitled #3 (below) is of a sweet little girl dressed in black angel wings. A little bit edgier, it's also seen a lot around the Scandi-style blog circles.

In the series there are 49 images in total, some of which are really quite strange and interesting. Take a look here. From my research it seems that Fotografiska in Sweden is the most popular place to buy these posters. For international shipping, I would recommend contacting them directly.

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

Heavenly Hallways

I have a real soft spot for hallways. Traditionally seen in older homes, especially villas, to me they speak of character and charm. Often located at the entrance they provide a place for hooks and console tables, but depending on the size, they can almost lend themselves to being an extra room to style. I'm so pleased our new home has an entrance hallway. It's not big, but I'm looking forward to decorating it. Here are some hallways that I'm loving right now.

Bright and white with pale wooden floors and splashes of greenery. Perfection!

I love gallery hallways. This one has a stunning mix of framed photographs and art, both wall mounted and on display shelves. The herringbone floor and gorgeous cushions add texture and warmth to the pristine white canvas.

White punctuated by a row of black wall lamps and herringbone flooring, this intriguing hallway has a lovely, serene quality.

Once again the striped rug comes in to play, this time as a striking hallway runner.

Here's an example of a modern, architecturally designed house with an incredible hallway. The blackboard wall is a great idea for a family home.

This character hallway features a remarkable dome ceiling, a simple console table, framed pictures and plants.

The extra wide Dinesen floorboards I featured here work beautifully in this spacious foyer-style hallway.

A rustic bench, glass jars and vintage touches make this light-filled hallway so pretty and textural.

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

Kidsrooms | Scandi-Style Inspiration

I have very fond memories of decorating our boys' bedrooms and picking out furniture, toys and accessories. Of course one of the biggest decisions is the colour palette. Choosing to go with white and pops of bright colour has worked really well for us, and we can easily transfer these elements over to the new house. If I did it all over again I'd stick with the bright white canvas but incorporate a bit more grey, natural wood and some black accents. As you know I'm a fan of yellow, especially when paired with monochrome, and I think in small doses this bright and cheery colour is great for little ones. It's also gender neutral, working well in both boys and girls rooms.

I'm constantly in awe of the beautiful Scandinavian kidsrooms I see online. Playful and fun, they ooze style and personality, combining simple pared back furniture with bright graphics and cosy textures.

I love this black and white bed with built in storage and the cute apple cushions. Open shelves and picture ledges are perfect for displaying kids books.

The Kilim rug on the wall above is actually a colouring-in poster. With our ever-growing collection of Lego, these storage boxes are high on my wish-list.

This delightful girls room has been given a big dose of Scandi-style with a simple bed, graphic wallpaper, prints, posters and quirky cushions.

Wall stickers like this alphabet one look great and can be removed if your kids grow out of them or want a new look for their room. How cute are the paw prints?

Great for wooden floors, rugs provide comfort when playing on the floor. You can never go wrong with stripes.

Kids bedlinen is a key factor and I've spotted some gorgeous monochrome designs around the web. I love seeing graphic duvets layered with playful cushions and warm, textural throws.

Blackboard walls are always are a good idea for the kiddies and storage is a must for keeping toys tidy and clutter to a minimum.

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

Taking inspiration from the images above, I've picked out some gorgeous online finds.

Links below images

01 Apple Papple Print by Fine Little Day from Bodie and Fou
02 Bear of Few Words Print by Kerry Layton from Bodie and Fou
03 Do-Wop Pendant by Louis Poulsen from Design Denmark
04 Dropit Hooks by Normann Copenhagen from Design Denmark
05 Face Painted Boxes from Ferm Living
06 Yellow Lego Storage Brick from Design Denmark
07 Black Lego Storage Brick from Design Denmark
08 Clouds Bedding Set designed by Gunila Axén from Rafa Kids
09 Milk Table Lamp by &Tradition from Design Denmark
10 Twist A Twill Blanket designed by Tina Ratzer from Fine Little Day
11 Karl Zahn Wood Tree Tops by Areaware from Let Liv
12 Gran Black Cushion Cover by Fine Little Day
13 Let Liv Cotton Striped Floor Rug in Grey & Milk
14 Little Ugly Jeero Ugly Doll from Yopie

For more Scandi-style inspiration, check out my Kidsrooms Pinterest board.

OneFortyThree

I get really excited about lighting and furniture but have a tendency to fall in love with beautifully elegant, minimalist design pieces that inevitably carry high price tags. Recently I came across the work of OneFortyThree who are based in Las Vegas, and was amazed to discover that their stunning yet affordable designs started out as DIY creations for their own home, number '143'. Founded by Logan and Roxy, OneFortyThree began as a blog about their house project, which is still a work in progress. Along the way Logan put the cabinet building skills his father taught him to good use and started building furniture and lighting, in turn making them for family and friends and then selling online.

Since those early days in 2008, Logan has taught himself some pretty impressive skills such as welding, upholstering, and even plywood molding. Today each piece is still lovingly made by hand.

For someone who started out as an amateur furniture and lighting maker, Logan's designs are refreshingly simple yet timeless, expertly combining both form and function. I especially love the walnut rocking chair with molded arms, and the wall-mounted swing light with brass and wood detailing (pictured below).

Continuously evolving and growing, you can keep up to date with the amazing product range by following the OneFortyThree blog. Shop online here and on Etsy.