It's a cover-up

A home to inspire

Came across this post on a fave blog, design sponge - it featured an excerpt from Canadian House & Home and I really liked the pictures. Inspirational! So thought I'd share.

These are photos from their assistant style editor and fellow-blogger, Michael Penney's own home (which happens to be in the very same city that Lesley Pennington, the Bemz founder and CEO, calls her hometown: Toronto, Canada). 

Those baskets are a great solution for making the best use of the space available in a small kitchen, without leaving it looking cluttered. And I love the contrast provided by the window frame painted in a glossy black against all the white of the kitchen.

He certainly makes the brown and blue combo work!

This is my favorite picture. Don't you love how those bold brown stripes bring the room up-to-date, giving it a contemporary edge without sacrificing its cozy feel?

You like?? See the full slideshow and Michael's own comments on why / how he made certain design choices here.

Photos by Angus Fergusson

Laura Ashley's homes

Perhaps slightly over budget for most of us but who wouldn't enjoy a look around? Famous designer, Laura Ashley's family home in Wales along with her French Chateau in Picardy, Northern France are up for sale.

Here are some photos of her family home, a classic Victorian Country house, in Rhydoldog, Wales. It's on the market for £1.2 million (but that does include about 50 acres of land!).

Photos c/o Savills

Laura Ashley, originally from Wales, got her big break when Audrey Hepburn (my absolute fave!) appeared alongside Gregory Peck in the 1953 film Roman Holiday, wearing one of Ashley's Victorian style headscarves. As Hepburn was such a fashion icon, she instantly created a style that became popular around the globe.

And with it, she inadvertently placed what was to become one of the world's most successful fashion and home furnishing companies firmly on the map.

Here is her French Chateau in Picardy, Northern France, dating back to the 18th century. It includes four reception rooms, 11 bedroom suites, extensive outbuildings, walled park, English lawns, swimming pool and tennis court set in grounds of 34 acres. Asking price? €3,500,000.

Photos c/o Knight Frank

Laura Ashley was a family run business with everyone from her husband, Sir Bernard Ashley, to their four children involved. The ultimate cottage industry turned global empire. 

Exclusive to Bemz customers: Henriksdal medium-length skirt

As mentioned previously, at Bemz we are all about individual design. With that in mind we have just launched a completely new product, one that is available only at Bemz.com - not something you'll find at Ikea - and one that we are very excited about.

Photos: Henriksdal chair with new medium length skirt with box pleats in Jet Black Panama cotton and cushion cover in new Tegner Melange Bamboo Green

Developed by our in-house designers and following hot on the heels of the latest trends, Bemz now offers a slipcover for the Henriksdal chair with a medium length skirt. As with the full-length skirt, you can choose to have it with or without box pleats.

Photos: Stockholm 3.5-seater in Stockholm Stripe- Jet Black and cushions in Jet Black, Tegner Melange Bamboo Green and Tegner Melange Burnt Orange. Small Karlstad Armchair in Zinc Grey Belgian Linen blend and cushions in Tegner Melange Burnt Orange and Deep Navy Blue Panama cotton.

While we were at it, we decided to add some new models to our existing furniture ranges, with the ambition of eventually offering all models for each set. New additions include covers for the small Karlstad Armchair (pictured right above), for the Strömstad corner sofa and, one of IKEA’s newer sofa models, the popular Stockholm 3,5-seater sofa (pictured left).

Less is more. Or is it?

Some live by the rules while others feel they are only there to be broken. Anneloes van Gaalen’s new(ish) book, Never Use White Type on a Black Background and 50 Other Ridiculous Design Rules takes an analytical yet humorous look the merit of 51 established design rules. (The jacket sets the stage introducing ambivalence with a title that is far from short and catchy, and graphics that cannot claim to emulate your one chance to make a good impression, but somehow still works...)

It is odd to think that an industry spawned on the back of creativity would even entertain edict but everyone needs a framework and you need to know the rules if you are going to break them (rule 51!). Whether you follow guidelines to the letter or prefer to turn them on their face, there is something to be taken from this book.

As Miyoko of Dwell pointedly writes Regardless of whether you agree with the modernist motto of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe ("Less is more") or the counterpoints presented by Robert Venturi ("Less is a bore") and Frank Lloyd Wright ("Less is only more when more is no good"), "less is more" still stands strong as an accepted design rule.

More interesting than didactic, each rule in this book provides an image that either negates or supports it, along with a short history of its origins and the design world's thoughts on them.

From the popular "Form Follows Function”, “Keep it Simple”, “Dress Your Age", "When in doubt, leave it out" to the overused "... is the new black", Rule 47 stood firmly out as our fave: "If your images does not work, put a dog in it." The phrase is based on a comment once made by iconic American illustrator Norman Rockwell: "If a picture wasn't going very well, I'd put a puppy in it."

Moodboards con't - my attempt

My most recent Top Tips post about the usefulness of moodboards was a call to action for me. I put together this moodboard for the said H&M Jimmy Choo competition. I chose some shots from the H&M website, some from their Facebook page and some were random words or imaged that helped underline the overall mood I was after. What do you think?

Top tips: Moodboards - do we need them?

Moodboard c/o most inspired

I say 'Yes!' I love the way moodboards enable you to visually illustrate the look and feel you're after without having to come up with all the appropriate adjectives. It's hard to be establish that your interpretation of 'classic' or 'bohemian' or 'shaker' is the same as another's and this is one way to ensure you are on the same page (punny!).

Moodboard c/o most inspired

All kinds of designers from graphic to web to interior designers start their projects with a moodboard. Why is that? Because using this visual tool clearly lays out the direction of style being pursued and these professionals need to be sure they are delivering what the client is after or run the risk of losing precious time and money.

Moodboard c/o stuff and nonsense

OK, but do you need a moodboard, even when you are not enlisting the help of a pro? I still say 'Yes!', even more so, in fact. A moodboard is exactly what will help you stay on track when picking out colors, fabrics, accessories so that the end result in front of you reflects the image you had in your mind, whether it's updating your living room or introducing a nursery to our home.

Moodboard c/o webdesigner depot

So how do you make a moodboard? It's easy: collect examples that show what you are after. These can include everything from textures, colors and any general attributes, including emotional ones, of the project you're undertaking. There are no limits here! It can include cuttings from magazines, photographs, fabric samples, a favorite quote, words, anything that helps form your vision. I've included pieces of jewelry and even the odd leaf and stone. Collate your treasure trove onto a board and voila! Moodboard complete.

Moodboard c/o mydeco

They say a picture is worth a thousand words and in this case it's definitely the truth.

Now onto the project itself...

Moodboard c/o mydeco

PS If you are looking for the chance to try moodboarding out, Swedish clothing giant H&M are having a competition in conjunction with the launch of their Jimmy Choo collection (yes, Jimmy Choo!) Put your moodboard together and you'll be a shoe-in! ;)

Thanks for the shout out!

Photo c/o M2JL with Tullsta chair with Bemz cover in Marimekko Unikko- Red 

We've recently been getting some great coverage from some fab blogs. Thanks to M2JL, A Chair in a Room, Rented Spaces, Swedish Våning & Villa, Inspirera Mera and Villa Varm, and Norwegian Fjellrosa & Livet Under Stjernene.

Left: Residence from Sweden; right: Your Home UK

On the newsstand you will have found some of our models gracing the pages of some fave mags. Swedish Residence put together this great orange ensemble with a Klippan dressed in Gotland Stripe- Mandarin Orange by Bemz which, combined with the wood, really warms up the otherwise white room. Meanwhile, the UK's Your Home opted for a greener look with an Ektorp armchair in Marimekko Kirsikka- Turquoise by Bemz.

Design-It-Yourself: business cards

Bemz is all about putting your individual mark on your home. With that in mind, I've decided that It's a Cover Up will include a new category in its line-up: "Design-It-Yourself" the DIY of the design world. I hope that this will open up all the wonderful opportunities for making any and every aspect of your life personalized.

Business card by Chris Fischer

Starting with the very simple business card. The lowly business card is no longer simply passing on basic information about yourself and your company. Au contraire! This is your chance to leave a lasting impression. Choose a creatively designed business card and you can convey the image and personality of your business or why not even yourself?

NationBuilder pop-up card by creattica

Tony of Designrfix wrote a fab post on creative business cards. What I really admired about it was that creativity went beyond mere presentation to even work with various materials ranging from metal and plastic to wood and steel!

Business card by Jamie Wieck

My favorite was the one with the plants coming out the top (though I'm not sure how practical that would be! My business cards need to be ready to take a bit of a beating...) It really grabs your attention though. I also really liked the one for the radio presenter (top) as it was clear about what the cardholder does as well as had a beautiful retro-meets-modern feel. Check out more amazing ideas in his post.

Even we at Bemz have a slightly novel business cards, each with a fabric from the Bemz collection as the backdrop. I have received many compliments on mine (above) which is in Symmetry- Light Olive Green.

Typography throw back to the 80s?

I came across this great post on designfeedr about retro typography, design and illustration and thought it a perfect follow-up on my earlier post about typography.

Illustration by Sakki Soini c/o designfeedr

Much like the clothing industry's latest obsession, these creative designers are using cool 80s style with a dash of modern edge to niggle at our emotional sides via a nostalgic trip back to the years we grew-up in.

Illustration by Nicolas Alexander c/o designfeedr

Although I swore I would never revisit the 80s and their contiguous fashion mistakes, I must admit that I now find myself smiling whenever I see anything reminiscent of that decade - from fluorescents, leg warmers, tulip skirts and sweater dresses to movie remakes like Fame and (gasp) Knight Rider!?

Illustration by Sebastian Bentler c/o designfeedr

It is with an emotional mix of two-parts yearning-for-yesteryear and a fraction of smug satisfaction that I welcome this tribute to an era I had the pleasure of enjoying the first time around.

Illustration by Will Consiglio c/o designfeedr

I am obviously not alone in my desire to relive some of my youth: the 80s has firmly established itself as a trend for the coming years.

What do you love and hate most from the 80s?

Trend report: houndstooth

Seletti tables

A monochrome decor has always been popular due to its immense flexibility - it works with virtually anything. But this consistent palette's slightly more daring and edgy cousin is now vying for a place in the limelight.

Preen skirt and Alexander McQueen tote

Houndstooth is enjoying a resurgence on the catwalk, the highstreet and in the home. These abstract checks range from a very on-trend oversized weave to the more subtle yet still very chic fashion fave.

Bringing it into your home is easy as the monochromatic aspect of the pattern goes with any scheme giving it a contemporary edge. Check out Bemz's stunning Hounds Tooth - Dusty Rose (above), available with a twist on the classic: it's duo tone black and dusty rose give a slightly softer edge to the contemporary yet traditional black and white option.