It's a cover-up

Bemz loves DIY: Créations & Savoir-Faire in Paris

Bemz recently participated in the annual Créations & Savoir-Faire trade show in Paris - a must for DIY addicts - which took place in mid-November this year. And our textile products were selected to be part of a central animation called The Loft, where we collaborated with the French company Lilibricole hosting popular DIY workshops for fair goers.

Stylish bedding from Bemz

In case you couldn’t make it, here are a few photos from our exhibit (can you spot the cat?), demonstrating how easy it is to personalise your home and create a space is a reflection of you using designer slipcovers from Bemz.

The themes this year were: Trends, Sewing and customising; Paper, scrapbooking and Colours; Creative Home and Tasty ideas: Needles and tradition.

As in past, the 2013 show was both a trendsetter and showcase for exceptional crafting.

Over 60,000 passionate DIYers got together to discover the latest crafting innovations and find everything they need to hone their creative skills.

Visit us next week for a DIY special based on The Loft workshops held at Créations & Savoir-Faire, including how to make a designer headboard in 45 minutes!

Credits: Photos: Créations & savoir faire, Slipcovers:Bemz, Sofa Legs: Prettypegs

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Übercool Klippan sofas in Switzerland

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.

Trend alert: Beetles, bees and other beauties & beasts

These days trendy homes are buzzing with bugs and creepy-crawlies. Hopefully not scurrying, live insects, but art and furnishings adorned with butterflies, bees, beetles and other multi-legged friends.

Photo c/o A Merry Mishap

Photo c/o The Daily Mail

Interiors with a botanical twist are here to stay and the entomological take is an extension of this. Add to that animal heads and horns. It's all about bringing the outside in - a look that works well with the Industrial Vintage style that we love so much.

Bemz cover for Kivik in Charcoal Grey Sybary, Light Grey Sybary, Zinc Grey Tegner Melange

Bemz bed skirt, Loose Fit Urban style in Sage Brown Rosendal Pure Washed Linen

Butterflies, bees, beetles and other - cute rather than creepy - crawlies add colour, dimension and interest to any wall.

Photo of artwork by Christopher Marley c/o The Walk Up

Wall of artwork by Christopher Marley c/o The Walk Up

If you trawl your local antique or thrift stores you’re sure to find lovely vintage prints and wall mounts that will do the trick.

Photo c/o Urban Comfort

Photo c/o Imagine This

The beautiful Papilio Paris gedeensis Butterfly Prints below from Rockett St. George are perfect for nature-lovers.

And when it comes to enjoying animal head art – no animals need to be harmed. From paper maché, to plastic, cardboard and felt, there are a lot of unique and innovative wall mounts out there that won’t offend your vegan friends.

Patchwork Tweed roe deer head from Rockett St. George

Rhinoceros head from Rockett St. George

Dog head hooks from Graham and Green

Antelope head from Graham and Green

Enter the fold: Söderhamn, Mellby & Bemz Artist Series

Following up on our recent post on the chic Monochromatic trend, we thought you'd like to know that Bemz has added a number of exciting new covers to our product range to enhance your monochromatic interior. These include stylish covers for Ikea’s gorgeous Söderhamn sectional sofa, the Mellby chair and our one-of-a-kind exclusive Artist Series cushion covers.

Söderhamn modular furniture grouping in Silver Grey Panama Cotton covers from Bemz. Cushion covers in Yellow Fiskis and Orange Fiskis from the Bemz Artists Series cushion cover collection.

The Söderhamn series is based on durable and comfortable modules that can be combined in a myriad of ways. Its design and size are the perfect complements for a trendy monochrome scheme in your home, and the modern, square Mellby armchair fits right in.

Mellby chair in a Silver Grey cover from Bemz. Brown Kvarter and Silver Grey Vallsta and more from the Bemz Artist Series Cushion Covers.

Bemz has also introduced an Artist Series of digitally printed and specially designed cushion covers. Created by our in-house designer Katarina Wiklund, they’ll add the perfect splash of colour and interest to your stylish monochromatic interior.

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

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

Available in neon, bold and retro, you can’t help but fall in with the stunning motifs, striking colours and exclusive piping details of these fab covers, made in all natural materials.

Bemz artist series cushion in Chocolate Brown/Bamboo Green New Baroque

Mix and match these unique cushion covers with a Bemz sofa cover on your sofa and chairs, decorate your bed with them or make a statement with a gorgeous mound of cushions on the floor.

Books to inspire: The New Artisans by Olivier Dupon

With the DIY crafting trend gaining momentum worldwide, The New Artisans by is Olivier Dupon is a timely, must-have for all arts-and-crafts buffs out there looking for inspiration or for people who simply love beautifully made objects. What a treat!

Adeptly capturing the new mood - a return to the unique and the artisanal - Dupon showcases designers and makers who use craft techniques rather than mass-production methods to create unique, covetable objects.

Some pieces have been created from scratch, some are old things put together in novel ways, and others are upcycled from the growing mountain of abandoned objects out there, a consequence of today's throwaway culture.

In itself, the book is beautiful, a massive lush tome of 300 pages that is a pleasure to pick up and leaf through. Featuring 75 designers from all over the world whose products are available online – you’ll be sure to find a few favourites yourself.

It is also an excellent reference guide for your own crafting, including an invaluable directory of products, divided into categories: art, ceramics, furniture, glasswork, jewellery, lighting, metalwork, paper and woodwork, stationery, tableware, and textiles.

More than 800 colour photographs illustrate the huge variety of design work available — knitted scarves, handblown chandeliers, wooden table lamps, delicate paper flowers, handthrown pots and jugs, beaded necklaces, embroideries, and more.

Enjoy!

The New Artisans sells online from Amazon and Thames & Hudson.

Pictures c/o Amazon,Thames & Hudson,Cool Hunting and Hi Arts

Design-It-Yourself: Under US$20

Do you sometimes have an idea in your head and can't quite find the right product within your budget? That's where our Design-It-Yourself series comes in! At Bemz, we're all about personalisation and often post DIY ideas we find in fave blogs or magazines. I came across these great DIY tips AGES ago and picked out my favourites. Each of them sure to cost you less than $20 and very little of your time.

From Dabble Magazine

The first is faux panelling from creative folks at Dabble Magazine. This is the perfect way to add glamour and architectural interest to an otherwise plain Jane room.

From Dabble Magazine

Start by making a simple box outline with some masking tape and change it up with an "X" detail using skinnier masking tape stretched from corner to corner. Imagine it behind a headboard. Keep lines crisp and neat with a metal ruler and a standard level. This is a non-permanent wall treatment so you can get imaginative!

From Dollar Store Crafts

The next one comes from Dollar Store Crafts. Armed with a little TLC and some blue paint, you can upcycle your boring old beige filing cabinet into a storage-savvy statement piece that feels like it walked right off an architect’s blueprint. Achieve the end result by using a paint pen to hand draw the white lines on the final piece.

Via Apartment Therapy

This fab DIY I picked up from Apartment Therapy. Using a pile of old leather belts they created a copy of designer Blake Sloane’s wonderful Belted Chair from The Haymaker Shop.

Via Apartment Therapy

A sturdy old wooden chair with a broken cane seat is ideal. Remove the cane and attach 12 belts of different widths using a screw and washer as shown in the image above. Seems easy enough right!

From Whatever

This wonderful happy idea comes from the adorable blog Whatever. It’s the perfect project in the run up to back to school. Take a box of 64 crayons and remove the blacks and browns. Glue the crayons to the top of a canvas, and blast them with a hair dryer. Watch as the colours bleed down the canvas, creating a beautiful, colourful mess. The result dries really quickly too. Hang it in your child's room - happiness guaranteed!

If you want to see more ideas along this vein, visit Apartment Therapy.

Credit: Apartment Therapy

Top tips: How to colour clash à la Creative Bohemian

Take a preemptive strike against autumn drab with interior fab by incorporating the latest colour clash trend à la Creative Bohemian into your home.

Bemz cover for Stockholm sofa in Rose Tegnér Melange

It’s all about mixing and matching funky fabrics in a clash of colour, patterns and textures with eclectic furniture styles, homespun art and vintage favourites.

Bemz designer cover for Jennylund armchair in Moss Green Prisma Stripe by Katarina Wiklund

Plunge into clashing colour like never before. Mix reds with pinks and greens with browns – colour combos that used to be no-go's but that are right on-trend today.

Bemz covers for Henriksdal chairs in Rose Tegnér Melange, Nils chair in Black Classic Ruta, Klappsta armchairs in Silver Grey Tegnér Melange and Rose Tegnér Melange

Bemz cover for Stockholm sofa in Zinc Grey Tegnér Melange. Bemz cushion covers in Rose
Tegnér Melange, Chocolate Brown New Baroque and Silver Grey Tegnér Melange

Although this trend is all about breaking classic colour code rules, there are still certain things to consider in order to achieve the right look. For maximum impact choose your ‘colour clash’ palette carefully to reflect the desired mood of the room and keep the space visually balanced.

Bemz cover for Karlstad armchair small in Crocus Barcelona by Designers Guild

Bemz cover for Barkaby armchair in Green Baronessa by Lisa Bengtsson

The palette can either be light or dark but on the softer side. The lighter palette features warm colours like Soft White, Burnt Orange, Dusty Rose and Cinnabar Red. The darker palette includes hues like Moss Green and Chocolate Brown teamed with Ink Blue. Use a shared palette to inject movement and interest.

Bemz covers for Stockholm easy chairs in Lavender Belgian Linen Blend, Bamboo Green Tegnér Melange. Stockholm sofa in Chocolate Brown New Baroque. Long skirt cover for Karlanda sofa in Sand Beige Tegnér Melange

Mix and match a myriad of different textiles and designs in your cushions, throws, tapestries, area rugs and window treatments. Layer lush textures - linens, chenilles and textured cottons - and pattern clashes in a rich rhapsody of colour that truly represents you.

Bemz cover for Henriksdal chair in Blossom Sagrada by Designers Guild

Trawl garage sales and thrift shops for interesting eclectic accessories and vintage furniture in quirky colours and finishes. Furniture with a patina or slightly worn edges is perfect for adding a bohemian element to any room.

Bemz cover for Stockholm Easy chair in Dusty Rose Panama Cotton

Incorporate a vintage chandelier or colourful light, adding a spectacular focal point to any Creative Bohemian space. Hued candles in vivid vintage coloured glass bottles or jars will also cast a ambient boho glow throughout the room.

Bemz cushion covers in  Brown/Plum Kaleido by Viola Gråsten and Strong Pink Josephine by Göta Trägårdh

Bemz cushion covers in Blue/Blue Kaleido, Brown/Plum Kaleido and Ash Brown Bulbous by Stig Lindberg

And don't forget to use cushions, cushions and more cushions in all colours and patterns for a colour clash décor à la Creative Bohemian with maximum visual appeal.

Credit: Living etc., July 2012

Top Tips: How to create your dream bedroom

Your bedroom is the one room in the house where it’s all about you. Here are some easy tips for turning the place you sleep into a sanctuary, somewhere where you can unwind and relax.

Florö bed frame in Soft White Belgian Linen from Bemz

Bring light and happiness into your bedroom using delicious pastels creating a bright and airy, calm atmosphere.

Bemz bed skirt with frills in Rosendal Pure Washed Linen Lavender

Cool, crisp colours that are soft and muted are ideal for bed linens, beds and bedroom furniture as they add comfort. Think mouthwatering sorbets like delicately washed Lavender, Mineral Blue, Daiquiri Green, Dusty Rose and Soft White.

Bemz bed skirt with frills in Rosendal Pure Washed Soft White and cushions in Pale Turquoise New Baroque, Dusty Rose Gustavian Flowers, and Soft White Panama Cotton from Bemz

Bemz bed skirt with box pleats in Bayshore Magenta by Designers Guild from the Bemz Designer Collection and a Bemz Bådalen headboard cover also in Bayshore Magenta.

Add romance using translucent fabrics or other feminine details without being overly sweet. By sticking with cottons and linens you'll keep the look honest and natural. Then select a few carefully chosen accessories to pull it all together, keeping the space clutter free with smart storage solutions.

Bemz bed skirt with pleats in Mocha Belgian Linen Blend

A good mattress to help achieve optimal rest and relaxation is a wise investment.

Bemz bed frame cover for Grimen bed frame in Unbleached Belgian Linen Blend

For more inspiration on bedrooms see our blog entry on How to Decorate your Bedroom full of great tips from the Bemz design team. You can also check out the Bemz website for more bedroom ideas as well as our Bedroom board on Pinterest.

Credit: Elle Decoration May 2012 issue

Top five covers at Bemz for discontinued Ikea sofas

It’s Ikea catalogue time of the year again, bringing exciting news and re-launched classics. At Bemz, we’re taking this opportunity to celebrate the top 5 best selling covers at Bemz for beloved favourites no longer available at Ikea.

Although the catalogue may not have dropped through your mailbox yet, you can take a sneak peek at it here thanks to the online pdf version of the US catalogue.

And here's the list of the top five Bemz covers for discontinued Ikea favourites that you, the great majority of our customers buy.

Bemz cover for Nikkala sofa in Sand Beige Belgian Linen Blend. Bemz cushion covers: True Blue Panama Cotton

Nikkala sofa
The Nikkala sofa is a discontinued model from Ikea. Nikkala is also a town in Northern Sweden, where the designer's family had their summer home. Works well in contemporary interiors with a Bemz cover. Available in three styles for this model: Regular Fit, Loose Fit Country and Basiq.

Ektorp in Light Denim Blue True Rose from Bemz by Katarina Wiklund from the Bemz designer collection

Ektorp sofa
Ektorp is one of Ikea’s most popular sofa series of all time. Ektorp is also a commuter town located outside Sweden's capital city, Stockholm, home to Bemz. Yay! The Ektorp 2 seater sofa bed is the perfect companion for any Compact Living home. Add understated elegance to our room by upcycling your Ektorp in a Loose Fit Country linen cover or a stylish Designers Guild fabric from the Bemz Designer Collection.

Bemz cover for Karlanda sofa in Mineral Blue Tegnér Melange. Bemz cushion covers: Dusty Rose Panama Cotton, Straw Yellow Panama Cotton, Soft White Belgian Linen Blend, Sand Beige Raffia

Karlanda sofa
With its straight lines and modern expression, the Karlanda has become a timeless classic that suits almost any home. Choose between Regular Fit covers,  Basiq or Loose Fit Urban for an edgier look. Scandinavian simplicity – what’s not to love?

Tomelilla sofa in a Bemz Basiq Unbleached Cotton sofa cover

Tomelilla sofa
Sold between 1993 and 2005, the Tomelilla series was one of Ikea’s longest running favourites. Don't you simply adore this comfy, sink-down-into sofa with its generous deep seat and loose cushions. Up the wow factor even more with a designer cover from Bemz, available for Tomelilla sofas in Regular Fit, the shabby chic inspired Loose Fit Country and our low-cost Basiq model. And buy separate Bemz covers for the loose cushions to create a chic mix and match effect.

Bemz cover for Göteborg sofa in Eggshell Blue Prisma Stripe by Katarina Wiklund from the Bemz designer collection

Göteborg sofa 
There's a whole lot of love out there for Ikea’s discontinued Göteborg sofa – an old family favourite. Fit your whole world into this large, comfy sofa, with its deep seating and characteristic square legs. If your Göteborg sofa is looking sad, cheer it up with a designer cover from Bemz, available in Regular Fit and Basiq for this series.

So why not cover your old Ikea sofa with some love from Bemz? We have a multitude of different fabrics and patterns to choose from including iconic patterns from world-renowned textile houses and cutting-edge flair from new designers on the block. Read more about our designer fabrics on the Bemz Designer page.You can also order free fabric samples to see your favourites up close.

Top 10 at Bemz - discontinued and discounted

At Bemz, we offer covers for over 20 models of Ikea sofas and within each of those models there are any number of styles: two seat sofas, three seat sofas, corner sofas, modular sofas, chaise longues and sofa beds. And that's just the sofas! We also sell covers for over 15 models of Ikea armchairs, a dozen or so models of footstools, dining-room chairs, day bed covers, cushion covers, bed skirts, bed frames... Phew! 

But this is not about an exhaustive list of what we sell. This is about what you, the great majority of our customers buy. What are the top 10 products sold, by model, at Bemz? To stay true to a top 10 list, we will countdown from number ten:

(drumroll please)

Number 10: The Ektorp armchair

Even though you can still get covers for this comfy number at the giant furniture retailer, it comes in as the tenth favourite product for Bemz customers. The Ektorp armchair is available in made-to-measure and shabby chic inspired Loose Fit Country styles.

Join the Prime Minister of Great Britain and get in at number 10 with your Ektorp cover.

Number 9: The Nikkala three seater sofa

The Nikkala is a discontinued model from Ikea. At Bemz, covers are available as regular, made-to-measure fit, in our exclusive Loose Fit Country style and as low cost Basiq fabric for our number nine spot, the Nikkala. Nikkala is also a town situated in Norrbotten, the most northerly region of Sweden.

Nine means long-lasting and harmonious. Perfect! One Number nine Nikkala cover, please.

Number 8: The Ektorp two seater sofa

The two seat Ektorp sofa, available from Bemz in made-to-measure and Loose Fit Country styles, ranks eighth on our top 10 list. Ektorp is a commuter town located outside Sweden's capital city, Stockholm, also home to Bemz. Yay!

Good fortune and prosperity go hand-in-hand with number eight. Better order your Ektorp two seater cover today.

Number 7: The Tomelilla three seater sofa

The Tomelilla is also a discontinued model from Ikea but its namesake is situated at the very south of Sweden in the Skåne region. Covers for the Tomelilla three seater are also available as regular, made-to-measure fit, in our exclusive Loose Fit Country style and as low cost alternative Basiq.

Seven is a lucky number for relationships - better get your lucky Tomelilla cover.

Number 6: The Klippan two seater sofa

 

This is one of the most iconic and longest standing sofas Ikea has ever offered. It was launched back in 1979 and is still going strong. For some, that's reason enough to get a unique and personalised cover, in made-to-measure or Loose Fit Urban style, from Bemz. Did you know that Klippan means cliff in Swedish?

Six is happiness! And good for business. If only you could order those as easily as your Klippan cover.

Number 5: Ekeskog three seater sofa

The Ekeskog is another discontinued line from Ikea with covers available as made-to-measure, Loose Fit Country style and in Basiq from Bemz. The town of Ekeskog is located between Sweden's two largest lakes: Lake Vänern and Lake Vättern.

Five is for the five elements. Oddly fabric is not one of them so complete the circle with an Ekeskog cover!

Number 4: The Ektorp three seater sofa

This is still a popular sofa at Ikea - one of many you can buy without any slipcover and save yourself a few clams to be put toward your stunning individual cover from Bemz, whether made-to-measure or Loose Fit Country style.

The number four represents solidity, calmness, and home, much like the Ektorp three seater sofa.

Number 3: Goteborg three seater sofa

Goteborg is Swedish for Gothenburg, the second largest city and home to Volvo. It is also a discontinued sofa model at Ikea with covers available in made-to-measure and Basiq.

Coincidentally, number three is associated with birth and your Goteborg will be a brand new baby with its new cover.

Number 2: Karlanda three seater sofa

The Karlanda is discontinued at Ikea but that doesn't mean you have to get rid of it. And many of you don't! This second most popular model's covers come in made-to-measure, the new Loose Fit Urban style and in Basiq. 

Lucky number two can be yours - get your Karlanda cover.

(one more time...drumroll please)

Number 1: The Ektorp two seat sofa bed

This item from the Ektorp collection, now discontinued at Ikea, is the most popular item among Bemz customers. With over 180 fabrics to choose from, you can rest assured that your much loved Ektorp sofa bed need not be kicked to the curb and better yet, look like no other Ektorp sofa bed in the world.

Are you number one? Yay! Get your Ektorp cover - and join our other number ones.

As a special celebration of spring and the renewal it brings, we are going to knock 10% off* your favourite model from our Top 10 list so you can make a renewal of your own. These discounts will be for one day only though. To take advantage of this promotion, all you need to do is 'like' our Facebook page so that you can stay tuned for the daily updates. The offers are going to crop up like spring flowers!

*promotion will run from April 18 through to April 28, 2012. Each promotion will be valid for one day only. Each of the top 10 products listed above will be discounted individually. To participate, 'like' our Facebook page, stay tuned and get ready to order your favourite from our top 10!