It's a cover-up

Top tips (from renown designer Tricia Guild): How to sell your home

With the economic downturn (yes, we're still talking about that. Sigh...), it has become harder than ever to sell your home. Gone are the days of popping bread in the oven and placing a well known designer labelled liquid soap on the bathroom sink to ensure you get the best price possible. It's time to pull out the big guns and get creative. And who better to provide you with some top tips on how to make your home so enticing that a stranger will love it enough to pay top dollar, than top designer Tricia Guild?

Photo of Tricia Guild by Heathcliff O'Malley

Tricia Guild's £50 million-a-year global empire grew from humble beginnings: a small shop on the King's Road in London back in 1970. This is a woman who knows business, knows how to sell and knows interiors. And here are her top ten tips:

1. Be bold: Tricia Guild's designs are known for their larger-than-life patterns and bold, vibrant colours so it perhaps comes as no surprise that this tip tops the list. But I think she makes a valid point: who really wants an impersonal, beige home? Through your personality and design choices you will give your home an identity and style which can only enhance the look of it.

2. Camouflage defects: Accept your home's weaknesses and find solutions that work for them. If you have low ceilings, long low-level furniture will make the most of the height available to you. Along the same lines, if the rooms are small, choosing furniture you can see through, like wire, perspex or glass will open the room up.

3. Rein in those rafters: If you have big solid beams, painting the ceiling between the beams in a soft pink will soften and warm the look.

4. Don't be ageist: Modern interiors benefit from the odd antique just as a modern piece or two in a period interior will give it an individual edge. This rule goes for colour choices too!

5. Get inspired: Inspiration can come from so many sources - museums, theatre, even the outdoors. See what others are doing and take from it the bits you like.

6. Give your hall a chance: Transform them from a practical walkway to a space of their own, with colour and personality.

7. Avoid clichés: Predictable furniture choices and interior decor, like the black leather sofa in a loft, lacks personality and means your property will not stand out.

8. Take the indoors outdoors: Use any outdoor space to create more indoor space, weather permitting! According to Tricia, you can erect a simple metal frame and hang lengths of linen fabric to create an extra cozy and intimate area.

9. Bring the outdoors in: Reflect the garden by introducing details that mimic the outdoors like leafy wallpapers and green and yellow colours in rooms that overlook the outdoors.

10. Dare to discard: If there is a piece of furniture you don't like, get rid of it. There's no point working on making your home beautiful if you have to do it around a piece that you don't like. Of course, if it's a sofa or chair you could also give it a facelift with a new slipcover*.

You may well find at the end of it all that you are the one in love with your home. And, maybe that's just what you needed... Good luck! 

*You can find a wonderful selection of Tricia Guild fabrics in the Bemz Designer Collections. 

Credit: The Daily Telegraph Property, May 16, 2001

Allerum in Stockholm Stripe - Jet Black

Jacob of Germany sent in this lovely photo of his Allerum sofa with a Bemz slipcover on it.

Sitting pretty is Jacob's girlfriend. What a fabulous photo! I'm not sure if it is posed, but it looks so natural and inviting. Jacob chose a Stockholm Stripe - Jet Black cover for his Allerum sofa and the overall result is a cool, monochromatic urban one. The very lovely girlfriend matches too!

Here is what Jacob had to say: I am very happy! My couch is now a beautiful eyecatcher!...I send you a picture of my new BEMZ-Sofa with my lovely girlfriend sitting on it :)

Thank you for sharing your home with us Jacob! If you have a Bemz cover send us a picture of it to blog [at] bemz [dot] com or upload it onto our Facebook page.

Design-It-Yourself: Childhood mementos

I recently came across this little number and had to share. This takes personalisation to a whole new level! And ticks all the on-trend boxes: upcycling, vintage, retro, modern, humourous...to name a few.

The creative minds behind Evil Robot Designs have come up with a way to preserve those childhood memories by turning toys into functional and beautiful lamps. With their high gloss finish and clear, clean colours, this mish mash of unrelated and unmatching colourful plastic items are transformed into an effortless, stunning and contemporary piece; a piece that tells a story.

Give your childhood the time and respect it deserves - and your home a unique conversation piece! You can either give your old toys (or your child's) to Evil Robot Designs and get a bespoke, humourous yet contemporary lamp or turn your hand at making one yourself. Why not?

Design-It-Yourself: Ikea Frosta stool

The whole premise behind the Bemz business is personalisation and here at It's a Cover Up our ambition is to provide tips and inspiration on how you can bring your personal touch, taste, design into your home.

This one comes directly from Apartment Therapy's interior tips genius Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan who demonstrates several ways you can personalise the budget Frosta stool from Ikea into a side table, a nightstand or simply your own version of a stool - and, it's a video! Doesn't get much easier than that. 

How To Hack an Ikea Frosta Stool from maxwell gillingham-ryan on Vimeo.

For more tips and ideas like this one, check out our Design-It-Yourself series.

Designer Strömstad moves to the country

Catarina of Sweden's summer home needed a lift and she decided that the Unikko - Red fabric from Marimekko at Bemz was just the ticket. Here are the photos to prove it:

That's a strömstad sofa from IKEA.

Those giant blooms really claim centre stage. They are stunning. The dusty green of the rug and the walls make the room soothing. There is a wonderful Scandinavian vibe about the whole place isn't there? Beautiful choice Catarina. Tusen tack for sharing your summer home with us.

Send your photos of your Bemz cover to me at blog [at] bemz [dot] com or upload it to our Facebook page.

Top tips: Discover your inner designer!

Don't get depressed as summer draws to a close. Get started on some autumn inspired projects and turn those long awaited interior dreams into a reality. And, if that's not enough to inspire you, we've got a special summer sale on whites to get you motivated (ends August 18, 2011)!

The secret to success for interior decorating projects is the same as for any project: planning, planning and more planning.

1. Take stock. Go through your home and take note of what you want to change and what you like as is. Keep a list of furniture and accessories. A ”simple” rearrangement, moving things from one room to another, can often create a wonderful metamorphosis. And, don’t forget the basement and attic! You may find that a lamp you put away a few years ago now fits beautifully into your new decor.

2. Floorplan. Make a simple floorplan of your home and use post-it notes for cut outs of large furniture and objects - that way they can be moved easily when trying different layouts. At Ikea's website there are several planning tools to play with, some of which relate to specific sets of furniture and others are for more general use.

3. Inspiration. Gather ideas and inspiration in one easily accessible place. Save anything that depicts the feel you are after: from newspaper clippings to website addresses, from fabric samples to string. Don’t forget to browse through the Bemz Lifestyles which are full of inspiring images there for the taking.

4. Be consistent. Sort and organise ideas and look for trends and colours that repeat throughout. Here’s a list of some helpful programs that do just that – and, they’re free. You’ll find other programs of this sort online.

• Evernote is a simple "notes program" which allows you to save web pages, images from the Internet, your own photos and written notes. Helpful tags like grey, colorful, kitchen, etc, can be added to easily identify trends within your choices.
• Mydeco.com has several excellent tools for creating moodboards (of which you can read more on the Bemz blog), as well as decorating whole rooms. Registration is free and you can use your own images, or images from other users.
• Kuler.adobe.com is a great resource when researching colours. It allows you to explore, create and share colour themes with thousands of other members. Themes can be based on a specific colour or on your own images.

5. Budget and schedule. To succeed, give yourself a realistic budget, draw up a timeplan, then stick to it. It may not be as exciting as flipping through inspirational photos but it is certainly as important. You definitely do not want to bite off more than you can chew when it comes to time or money!

Done? Great - now you’re ready to go! What changes are you hoping to make to your home this autumn? As always, we would love to hear from you: click through to our Facebook page and fill us in.

Books to Inspire: Dorm decor

With the annual reemergence of the "Back to school" signs, I thought this little gem of a book was a timely discovery. Dorm decor by Theresa Gonzalez and Nicole Smith is a terrific guide for those souls leaving home to build their very own first nest (or for parents keen on helping said souls turn drab into fab). It offers 35 projects to help you personalise your dorm space.

Dorm decor tackles every co-ed's space issues from roommates to layout to colour choices to being frugal. This is certainly a resource I could've used when heading off to university too many years ago to mention! 

For more ideas and inspiration, check out the Best Dorm Rooms from the Archives at Apartment Therapy. 

A trio of Ektorps à la Country chic

Britta of Germany sent in this photo of her sitting room.

What a clever use of space! By allowing the arms of the sofas to slightly overlap, Britta has managed to fit three sofas into one space, maximising on sitting area without making it look cramped. In fact, the overall effect is very cosy and inviting (the cat can obviously attest to that!).

Britta chose Soft White slipcovers for her trio of Ektorps and injected colour and character thanks to the floral cushions which fit perfectly set against the pastel mint green walls. This country style home has hit the nail on the head design-wise. Dankeshön Britta for sharing your lovely home with us!

If you have a Bemz cover, or two, send me a picture to blog [at] bemz [dot] com or upload it to our Facebook page.

Meet the people behind the mails: Bemz customer service Part IV

At Bemz, we feel it is important that you know who you are talking to. We started this Behind the Inbox* series to introduce you to all the wonderful members of our customer service team. This latest installment brings you Lisa Pokrupa.

Since moving from her native Canada five years ago, Lisa has lived in the northern Swedish town of Kiruna and in Stockholm. The Pokrupa house is a bilingual one with both English and French spoken there. Lisa has gone on to learn Swedish through work.

"I’ve been a Bemz customer service representative since September 2008, working with our English and French speaking customers, but I also help out with Swedish customers whenever required. I help with questions, advice and outstanding orders by phone and e-mail. In the summer and the holiday time, I sometimes help out in the finance department, so my tasks are varied! At the moment, I am on loan to the marketing department where I coordinate product launches, newsletters and press enquiries. On Fridays, I love to catch up with colleagues with old ABBA hits playing in the background, while enjoying a yogurt. Working at Bemz rocks!"

Bemz at home: Lisa has a Raffia Crimson Red slipcover from Bemz on her Tullsta armchair at home. Another favourite of hers is the Stockholm Easy chair, which she would like to have covered in a couple of other favourites from Bemz: Josephine - Strong Pink and Kirsikka Turquoise, both from our Designer Collections.

When not at work: Lisa balances the hustle and bustle of the work week with a little kickboxing, reading and scrapbooking.

You can reach Lisa, or anyone in the team, via customerservice [at] bemz [dot] com. Alternatively call +46-8-664 62 00 during office hours, Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm (GMT +1).

*Earlier installments in this series on Tina, Ben and Amber available on It's a Cover Up.

Top tips: Decorating with a soft palette

Kivik sofa in Lavender Belgian Linen; Kivik chair and footstool in Sand Beige Raffia, from Bemz

With pastels being so hot on the radar here are some top tips on how to use those beautiful soft shades in new and exciting ways.

Modernise a country scheme by throwing bright yellow into the mix. The dip dyed tablecloth along with the hand-painted lamp shades shown above create a soft, yet unexpectedly edgy setting. (Remember to keep into account that the dye will seep up the fabric a little when dip dying. And don't forget to add salt...).

Use an oversized motif to add depth and structure. By sticking with the blues, pinks and mauves the tones are established - then broken with the pop of yellow curtains. 

Use a piece of artwork as the palette for your decor. Like a painting, layer fabrics so they blend with each other. Keep the walls pale to frame the painting and highlight the furnishings.

If you cover every surface from top to toe, floors, walls and furniture in one colour will create a soothing effect. Like these softly graduated blues that leave you feeling like you're on a grecian isle.

The scale of this dramatic mural, created by a graffiti like painting in washed rich pastels gives the softness and charm of the colours a gritty edge. To achieve this look sponge on a light coat of emulsion and then run a brush across the image. This will tone down the colours. Once dry - apply the watercolours of choice.

Credit: Livingetc June 2011 issue; Photos: Emma Lee