It's a cover-up

Vote for your favourite design in Bemz Design Award

In September 2013 Bemz launched Bemz Design Award, the first European textile design contest to find tomorrow's most talented textile designers.

Over 200 entries have been received from four different countries, and three student finalists from each country have been chosen by an expert panel of judges. The in total 12 finalists now has the chance to win Bemz Design Award 2014. The winning creations will be available for purchase around the world as sofa covers, curtains, cushion covers, chair covers and bedroom products, alongside the hundreds of home textile products already available at Bemz.

Now it's your turn to have your say with the Bemz People's Choice: Pick your favourite design from each country and enter to win a one-of-a-kind designer bed make-over (pictured, RRP £780) from Bemz!

Vote now and support the designers of the future! Voting ends February 28th, 2014.

The picture below shows just a few examples of the shortlisted students designs. See all 12 contributions here. 

By voting you will also be entered to win one-of-a-kind designer bed make-over (pictured below) from Bemz. 

Announcing the Bemz Design Award

Bemz loves design. So much so that we have decided to throw our energy in to a competition to help the next generation of textile designers break into the big league. Yes, we are proud to announce the inauguration of the Bemz Design Award!

Our new prize will bring together students from major design schools around Europe, encouraging their future design careers and inspiring upcoming generations of designers. Students working with textiles from renowned design schools in Sweden, Germany, France and the UK, will compete for the prize: one lucky winner from each country will see their design developed, produced and introduced into the ranks of the Bemz Designer Collection.

Bemz cover in Pienet Kivet by Marimekko from the Bemz Designer Collection

Bemz cover for PS armchair in Duck Egg Brera Lino by Designers Guild

Here, the winners will see their names sit alongside long established and illustrious designers like Marimekko and Designers Guild...

Bemz cushion covers in Blue on Blue Kaleido, Brown on Plum Kaleido by Viola Gråsten and Ash Brown Bulbous by Stig Lindberg

... as well as designers like Stig Lindberg whose seminal vision changed the face of textile design for future generations...

Bemz cover for Stockholm Easy chair in Blue on White Korall, Brown on White Korall, design Bantie

... and Lisa Bengtsson and the designers at design house Bantie who are a testament to contemporary design and were not long ago students themselves.

Furthermore, the winning creations will be available for purchase across the globe, from Australia to the Americas, making their way into homes as sofa covers, chair covers and bed covers to name a few, alongside the hundreds of home textile products available at Bemz.

The Bemz Design Award will be launched at the end of August 2013 at which time members of the judging panel and participated schools will be announced. You will also be able to follow step-by-step as the competition unfolds.

 

Books to inspire: Paul Smith A to Z

Interested in finding out what inspires British fashion designer Sir Paul Smith, one of the most influential designers of our times? Then his latest book Paul Smith A to Z is a must-have. Available on Amazon, this is also a great book to browse through when you need some inspiration or something to smile about.

Paul Smith A to Z draws on a personal collection of photographs, sketches and documents, all arranged alphabetically, offering rare insight into his unique way of working. A for Abbey Road, E for Eccentricity, P for Post-Its and R for Rabbits and so on.

"I was being filmed for a documentary by the French company Arte and they originally wanted to make a small booklet to go in with the DVD," said Smith to Vogue. "When they started talking and visited my London studio they realised they could make it into a simple book instead - a little story about each letter along with my photographs taken over various years and in different locations."

Paul Smith has a very unique yet relatable outlook on life and every ounce of it is translated in his brand. He reckons that being dyslexic hones his way of working and his creative chaos. The book, as you would expect, is beautifully put together.

What is amazing is the simplicity and diversity of the images – a cross section of Paul Smith’s creativity. It also clearly shows the importance of keeping sketchbooks or visual diaries, such as an Instagram account.

Paul Smith A to Z gives us a peek into the personal collections of the designer, what he loves and how he relates to things as a designer, businessman and inquisitive gentleman.

Credits: Vogue
Photos: Amazon, Zimbio

Top Tips: snug sleeping spaces + 10% off bedroom faves

We all love waking up after a good night’s sleep feeling refreshed and ready to greet a new day. And a comfortable bedroom is a key factor in getting the best sleep possible.

Here are some great ideas that can help you design your way to sleeping more soundly.

Made-to-order bedspread in White and Grey Japan from Bemz by Katarina Wiklund for the Bemz Designer Collection

Create mood with colour and pattern: A comfy mattress and soft pillow may help the sheep send you off to sleep, but beautiful bedding that invites you to snuggle up is just as effective.

Bemz bed skirt with box pleats and Bemz cover for Bådalen headboard, both in Bayshore Magenta, design by Designers Guild

Select cool or neutral hues to create a room that exudes serenity and calm.


Bemz bedspread. Loose Fit, in Medium Grey Rosendal Pure Washed Linen


Bemz bedspread, Regular fit, in Unbleached Belgian Linen Blend

Look to bright and warm tones to foster a sense of good cheer, energy, and cosiness. Bold patterned and colourful beds and bed linens will get you dreaming of exotic destinations. Florals bring a bed into bloom, adding a touch of romance to your boudoir.

Bemz Florö bed frame cover Sir Harald - Multi

Bemz bedspread in Real Red, Bemz cover for Abelvär headboard in Multi Comedin Går, design Stellan Mörner by Bemz and Bemz bed skirt, straight, in Black/White Stockholm Stripe

Bemz cover for Florö bed frame in Moss Green Belgian Linen Blend and Bemz cover for Karlstad footstool in Brown Bubbel, design Bantie

Bemz bedskirt, Loose Fit Country style in Cobalt Brera Quadretto, design Designers Guild

Cosy up with a headboard: Adding extra blankets is one way to stay warm at night but for ultimate comfort choose an upholstered headboard. Soft and cushy with no hard edges, an upholstered headboard is the perfect choice when supreme snugness tops the boudoir wish list.

Bemz bedspread in Loose fit style, Bemz cover for Abelvär headboard and Bemz Loose fit Urban bed skirt, all in Absolute White Rosendal Pure Washed Linen from Bemz


Bemz bedspread in Grey Frescati Plaid, Bemz cover for Abelvär headboard and Bemz bed skirt with box pleats both in Zinc Grey raffia textured cotton

Bemz cover for Abelvär headboard in Blue & White Kokeshi topped off with a selection of Bemz Artist Series cushion covers

Furnish for comfort, ambiance and function: When you make your bedroom space about more than just sleeping, you’ll find it beckons to you to linger longer in the morning and retire earlier at night.

Bemz bed skirt with frills, Loose Fit Country style, in Lavender Rosendal Pure Washed Linen

Cushions in Eggshell Blue and Black Gustavian Flowers by Katarina Wiklund from the Bemz Designer Collection, Dusty Rose, New Baroque Chocolate Brown, and Tea Green in Belgian Linen Blend and Lavender Belgian Linen Blend

Pair a rocking chair with a side table to create a cozy reading spot, where you can take some time to unwind before hitting the hay.

Bemz cover for Lillberg armchair in Graphite Grey Belgian Linen and Bemz cover for Karlanda bench

Create a relaxed, romantic feel by layering quilts and cushions and a decorative patchwork rug. Instead of a nightstand, stack books with tonal spines informally by the bedside. Or make a statement with a pile of decorative cushions.

Make a statement with Bemz Artist Series cushion covers

Add candles, they create a warm, inviting and sensual ambiance to your boudoir.

And a set of stylish storage boxes works well in all bedrooms - use them to keep your belts, scarves and jewelry in order.

And finally, don't forget your windows and floors: up the cosy-factor with stylish full-length curtains and add an extra layer of comfort with a soft rug.

Bemz cover for Florö bed frame cover in Soft White Belgian Linen Blend

Bemz cover for Grimen bed frame in Grey Frescati Plaid

See more of the Bemz range of bedroom products including the newly added bedspreads, additional cushion cover sizes, and the new Abelvär headboard cover on the Bemz website - plus get 10% off all Bemz bedroom faves until Sunday, February 17, 2013.

Credit: Elle Decoration Nov. 2012
All photos from Bemz

Blogger blitz at Bemz: made-to-order bedroom must-haves

This week it's all about design in Sweden. And Bemz was thrilled with a visit of some 80 bloggers from around Europe getting a firsthand look at our brand new bedroom products, including new made-to-order bedspreads, matching cushion covers and a new headboard cover.

Here's the skinny. The group was here in conjunction with Stockholm Design Week for a two-day blogging seminar. Organized by Meet the Blogger, this unique conference dedicated to home-, design- and lifestyle bloggers is held a number of times a year in various cities around Europe.

A part of the Meet the Blogger weekend was a Design Walk through Stockholm's most design oriented stores, and Bemz was really excited to be one of them.

And the timing was perfect.

The Bemz Inspiration Store was all decked out to showcase new Bemz bedroom products, giving the bloggers a firsthand look at our latest must-haves for the boudoir.

These new made-to-order bedspreads join Bemz’s suite of stylish bedroom products, including a line of bedspreads and decorative pillow covers, and a new headboard cover, making it easier than ever to create an elegant and coordinated bedroom look.

A big thank you goes to Meet the Blogger and all the wonderful bloggers we met. We certainly enjoyed having you and appreciate your interest in Bemz. And we hope you enjoyed your goodie bags, containing a couple of neat, specially made bags from Bemz, a candle and a relax/enjoy kit put together by Biofood of Sweden with Pukka tea samples and chocolate.

Come back and see us soon and keep spreading the love!

Trend Alert: Digital Prints

Digital prints are not only making major headlines on the catwalk these days, they are also turning up everywhere in interior design from curtains, sofas, cushions and carpets to entire walls.

Bemz Artist Series cushions in Chocolate Brown/Bamboo Green New Baroque and Rose Dellen

Wallpaper from Orla Kiely

And this spring it's all about mixing it up with an array of colours, patterns and stripes, with retro prints from the 20th Century bang-on trend.

Bemz cover for Karlanda sofa in Trianglar by Viola Gråsten from the Bemz Designer Collection

Bemz Artist Series cushion covers in Orange Fiskis, Pink Fiskis, Orange Kvarter

Bemz Artist Series cushion covers in Brown Kvarter, Beige/Orange Stockholm Stripe, Silver Grey Vallsta, Rose Dellen, Jet Black/Pink Stockholm Stripe, Orange Fiskis, Pink Fiskis, Orange Kvarter, and Yellow Fiskis

Digital prints make a strong and original statement, a focal point for a room.

Digital print carpet from EgeCarpets. Photo via Tréndir.

Bemz cover for Karlanda sofa in Hästkastanj by Viola Gråsten

It is the latest advances in digital printing technique that makes it an exciting new foray for textile designers. Todays new techniques offer photorealistic image quality and vibrant colours, meeting today’s tastes for zingy, image-led interiors.

Retro digital print wallpaper. Photo via Emerald Interior Design.

Bemz cover for Klippan sofa in Real Red Kavalkad by Strömma

Landscape visuals, big florals, geometric and visual plays, plant life studies – anything is possible with digital print.

Garden Beech digital print wallpaper from House Couturier, image via House & Home

Bemz cover for Stockholm sofa (older model) in Folklore by Göta Trägårdh

From cool blue, grey and black tones to fabulous, frivolous patterns in any number of colours, 2013 is already looking brighter.

Birds fabric design by Strömma, from the Bemz designer collection

Bemz cover for Klippan sofa in Blue Birds by Strömma, from the Bemz Designer Collection

Credits: FESPA Federation of European Screen Printing Associations 
See individual photo captions under each image for source

Rock your IKEA sofa this spring in revived retro

Exciting news! At Bemz we're celebrating the lead up to spring by reintroducing select 20th Century Swedish design. Yes, we're expanding our range of fabrics with a host of long-forgotten treasures from the Swedish design archives – carefully picked out by the Bemz design team.

Viola Gråsten’s popular Kaleido, first launched at Bemz in 2008, is joined by two more stunningly unique designs: the organic Hästkastanj, and the geometric Trianglar pictured above

The designers include two established favourites from the Bemz Designer Collection, Viola Gråsten and Göta Trägårdh, who are joined by Annika Malmström and Stellan Mörner. Also making their debut with Bemz is the design house Strömma. All were seminal in influencing Swedish 20th century design.

Göta Trägårdh’s Josephine, part of the current Bemz collection, is joined by the equally impressive blooms depicted in her vibrant Folklore and the timeless Japan pictured above.

We actually leaked news about this relaunch back in November. Now these iconic fabrics are up and available to order on bemz.com – for the full range of Bemz products, including sofa covers, chair covers, cushion covers, fabric by metre and more.

Strömma is synonymous with Swedish textile history. Bemz is reintroducing their flowing Birds and the vibrant Kavalkad designs, pictured above and created by Inga Lill Andersson.

Needless to say, we're thrilled to be able to re-introduce these designers to be rediscovered by a whole new generation!

Stellan Mörner’s Comedin Går is constructed from eleven different colours of angular prisms that intersect and interlock in one strikingly abstract dream.

These vintage fabrics are perfect for those looking for something fresh and unique this spring, with the hot trends in fashion and design being all about mixing it up with geometric patterns, stripes and bold blooms.

Annika Malmström’s Harlequin is a never-before produced design made up of pen strokes that fuse and connect to form a spectacular geometric pattern.

Once again, Bemz has created the opportunity for easy and inspired home updates by transforming Ikea furniture around the world into something truly unique and individual. With these eight new patterns, we now offer a total of over 180 fabulous fabrics available via bemz.com. Enjoy!

Photo credits: All photos from Bemz. Hover over each photo for information about the products.

Prêt-à-porter: Home updates for the savvy fashionista

Just like fashion, home décor trends are constantly evolving. And just like your wardrobe, your home may need an occasional update to keep it looking fresh and inviting. Spring 2013 is no exception.

So, listen up all you savvy fashionistas out there – you’ll be happy to hear that it doesn't take an entire room makeover to brighten up your place. In fact, bringing the catwalk into your home is as easy as going from flats to heels. The most cost effective way of staying on-trend – without sacrificing your wardrobe budget – is by varying the textiles in your home.

Which of the following hot trends for 2013 gets you going?

1) Bright accents: Love super bright accessories in bold orange or canary yellow such as a cheeky yellow clutch by Kate Spade from her Spring 2013 collection? Then pack a punch with a dash of Sun Yellow or Mandarin Orange with a cover from Bemz on a daybed or cushion.

Daybed in Black&White Coconut Grove by Designers Guild from the Bemz Designer Collection.
Cushions in Sun Yellow and Soft White also from Bemz.

2) Neon: Do you light up at the thought of Kurt Geiger’s neon Starheel and the Supers collection? Then make your home glow with a Fiskis cushion in neon orange, pink or yellow from the Bemz Artist Series cushion series.

Bemz Artist Series cushion covers in Orange Fiskis, Pink Fiskis, and Orange Kvarter. 

Bemz Artist Series cushion covers in Pink Fiskis, Orange Kvarter and Brown Kvarter

3) Floral prints: Want to flaunt floral with Charlotte Ronson's Floral Print dress? Then your home will bloom with a sofa or armchair cover in floral prints by Lisa Bengtsson for the Bemz Designer collection. Or how about big & bright blooms by Designers Guild from Bemz?

Bemz cover for Barkaby armchair in Green Baronessa by Lisa Bengtsson.

Klippan sofa in Fuchsia Flamingo Park by Designers Guild from the Bemz Designer Collection

4) Landscapes: Digital prints of flora and fauna are turning heads this season and similar photo fracture prints were spotted at Fashion Week Spring Summer 2013. Cultivate your wild side with Rose Dellen or Silver Grey Vallsta digitally printed cushions from Bemz.

Bemz Artist Series Cushion covers - Rose Dellenand Silver Grey Valsta

5) Black & white geometric and optical plays: are making statements on everything from rags to bags. Express this on a chair or bed with a cover from Bemz.

Klappsta armchair in a Dusty Rose Houndstooth cover from Bemz

6) Simply chic:If you love a sleek fitted jacquard suit from Burburry Prorsum. Then cover a chair or footstool in Viola Gråsten’s Kaleido print from Bemz.

Nils Chair cover from Bemz in Viola Gråsten Kaleido BrownPlum

For more information on how you can bring the hottest fashion trends into your home, visit www.bemz.com.

Photo credits: All photos featuring sofa and slipcovers from Bemz. Other photo credits in order of appearance: Vogue, Swide, Wardrobe Trends Fashion, Vintage Traffic, Red Carpet Fashion Awards,Vogue UK, The Fuji Files, WSGN, Louis Vuitton, Harper's Bazaar Australia.

Books to inspire: The Natural Home

Love understated elegance and a casual lived-in feeling to your home - one filled vintage finds, old juxtaposed with new and nature as a decorative element? Then The Natural Home by art director and stylist Hans Blomquist is the perfect book for you. With sublime photography by Debi Treloar, this book is an ideal rainy day read, an invitation to sit down and unwind. Truly captivating.

Blomquist starts off by exploring the essence of his evocative, painterly and quirky yet comfortable style.

In Texture, he revels in the textures and patinas of natural materials. Still Life reveals his passion for creating displays that showcase treasured pieces, while Plants and Flowers celebrates the beauty of nature and the cycles of the natural world. Colour presents his favourite earthy, natural colour palette, which provides the perfect backdrop for hits of brighter natural hues.

In the second part of the book, Blomquist brings us into real homes that showcase the natural look—including a converted button factory!

As Blomquist himself puts it: "The book celebrates a home where style, through furniture and materials used, is very natural, celebrating vintage objects with patina that aged with time and use [...] The homes shown are furnished in a very spontaneous way... unplanned or un-staged, where the style and setting have evolved with time, where furniture and objects found their place, almost by accident. [...]"

The Natural Home is the perfect read to curl up with a pot of tea. Look forward to an afternoon of dreaming!

Photo and text credits: French by Design, Amazon, Ryland, Peters & Small and Decor8

Designer armchair without the designer pricetag

We recently read in Livingetc that the UK based furniture company Multiyork has introduced new easy living “linen-effect” slipcovers for their sofas and armchairs that look just like the real deal.

Currently on sale, the Multiyork Vouvray chair and "linen-effect" cover pictured below can be yours for a total of £645.

Now, wouldn’t it be wonderful to get the same look at less than half the price with real linen to boot! Enter Bemz. This sweet number: a Karlstad armchair from Ikea with a Loose Fit Urban style cover in Soft White Rosendal Pure Washed Linen from Bemz will set you back just £130 for the chair and £189 for the cover.

I can think of quite a few things to do with that extra £326. And the beauty of this solution, you don’t have to buy the chair – just cover the one you already have (but if you do buy the chair, you might want to know that you can buy it without the Ikea slipcover and save a few bills there too.) What's more, our lovely Rosendal Pure Linen comes in 13 lovely colours and patterns including some by Designers Guild from the Bemz Designer Collection.

Karlstad not the armchair model you have? No worries. There are over 20 different armchair styles and models to choose from at Bemz.

If your a regular reader of It's a cover up you'll know that we do this kind of comparison quite often. Check out two other thrifty designer furniture alternatives here and here. Or you may also be interested in playing our which of these is more expensive game! Check it out here.