The World Of Coco Design

Don't you just love it when you stumble across something new? This week I've discovered Oxfordshire / Stratford based company Coco Design. 

With over 10 years in the interior design industry they decided to hang up their hard hats and create a home collection inspired by urban and rural settings. Their chosen colour palette means their collection will be at home almost anywhere. 

Spring Chickens

Boulevard 

Their collection is painstakingly created through a 3-stage process of sketches, hand cut stencils and finally hand painted with recycled emulsions. Nothing goes to waste. One of the many things I like about this company! Although this is a relatively precise process, each piece is unique with visible brush strokes an additional and intentional feature 

Do you own any handcrafted, unique artwork?

Upcycle Furniture With Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

I've wanted to try Annie Sloan chalk paint for ages. If you haven't heard about this miracle paint here's a brief description from their website. 

1. Chalk Paint® is the BEST paint for painting furniture by a long way 

2. No need to prime or prepare 

3. Extremely low VOC so it is good for the environment 

4. You can use it on any surface, indoors and out (the outside of our shop was painted in it -- perfect!) 

5. You can use the paint by diluting it with water to make a wash to show the wood grain 

6. The colours are mixed intelligently and the website shows how you can adapt your colours for your use 

7. It's a girls' paint, but boys can use it too 

8. It's flexible so you can be creative and change your mind 

9. It allows your walls to breathe so it is perfect for cottage walls 

10. You can use it as an impasto (thickly) - leave the lid off to thicken 

11. We've been making it since 1990 so it's tried and tested 

The deciding point for me had to be No.2. No need to prime or prepare? Hmmm I was a little sceptical about that statement but with so many people raving about this product I was willing to put my doubts aside. For those of you who have ever painted furniture you'll know how much time goes into preparing and priming! It's a lot of effort to say the least! 

I already had a project in mind. This 6 drawer chest of drawers which I'd picked up recently from a second hand shop. Although I quite liked the wood stain it was scratched and the colour didn't really go with the grey and purple tones in our bedroom.

Before

After carefully removing the handles I set to work using a soft brush. The paint goes on thickly but a little really goes a long way. Handy considering the £18 price tag for a 1 litre tin. As recommended by the stockist we watered down the second coat before applying, which makes it a lot smoother to apply. 

There are lots of finishes you can go for. Shabby chic, two tone, rustic, crackle effect, etc but in all honesty I prefer a smooth block colour finish to my furniture. After allowing the paint to dry I rubbed in some clear wax. This protects the paintwork and adds a slight sheen to the overall finish - Note - the paintwork was touch dry in around 30 minutes but I waited until the following day before rubbing clear wax into the drawers.

Annie Sloan - Paloma - Clear wax

I love these original handles

My overall thoughts?

I have to say, I'm really pleased with the effect and although the paint was expensive I've still got well over 3/4 left in the tin! Not bad considering there are endless uses with this paint. With that in mind I decided to give a cheap terracotta plastic pot a coat.

However, if you are looking for the exact colour in the tin I would recommend giving your furniture a quick once over with a primer or some white-ish paint.  It goes without saying that the colour underneath is bound to change the overall shade you end up with.  If the shade isn't quite right don't worry, you can easily mix it with any other Annie Sloan paint to achieve the right shade.

Would I use this paint again?
Most definitely! I love how versatile this paint is. You can water it down, mix it and literally paint any surface with it.  It dries so quickly without any stickiness and hardly smells compared to other paints.  The only problem I have with this paint is deciding which colour to get next!

Have you tried Annie Sloan Chalk Paint? Have you got a project in mind you're about to work on? I'd love to see what you're working on.  You can tweet a photo of your project to me at @agirliknow

Contemporary Lamp Giveaway

It's giveaway time!  Everyone knows lighting is key to any room. There's nothing that can ruin the tone of your room more than a stark ceiling light; or worse, lighting so dim you feel as if you've reverted back to candlelight! To overcome this I'm a big fan of lamps.  There's an abundance of them in our home.  In fact, come to think of it there's four in our living room and I'm contemplating a fifth! You see great lighting can complete your room and set the scene or as some would say, 'um-bi-uhnce'.

Some of us aren't fortunate to have floods of natural light within our home which is where clever and decorative lighting comes to the rescue.  Choosing the right lamp will complete your overall design scheme, just like the right pair of shoes would complete your outfit.

I've teamed up with Out There Interiors and giving away this large, white, contemporary table lamp to one lucky reader of A Girl I Know.  This bold lamp will certainly make a statement in any hallway or lounge.  In fact I'm a little bit jealous that I can't enter the giveaway myself!

If you haven't heard of Out There Interiors I would definitely recommend you take a look.  Known for their quirky and quality assured designs, I love how they describe themselves as 'furniture people - not arrogant people'  In fact I'm slightly obsessed with this Fuschia Pink French Chest of Drawers. Which would make a great feature in any room!

Anyway, back to the giveaway in question! To be in with a chance of winning this oversized lamp worth £140 just enter via the rafflecopter form below. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Favourite Finds At The Ideal Home Show

For the first time in 106 years (!) the iconic Ideal Home Show exhibited at Manchester's Eventcity.  If you've visited the event at London's Earls Court, you'll know it's a pretty grand affair and a chance for many designers to exhibit new gadgets and concepts. Although the Manchester event wasn't perhaps as grand a scale as its London counterpart I didn't come away disappointed or drained!  These shows can turn into an all day event and with so much to take in and with a lot of ground to cover, you can feel pretty tired from it all.

I managed to cover most of the show, although with eight dedicated sections I skipped the insanely long queue for the Ikea goody bag, which I'm a little bit gutted about!  The main sections which interested me were the Interiors, Home Improvement and Show Home sections.  With over 10 years in the property development industry and with a few show homes under my belt I was interested to see which design trends we'll be seeing more of.

Here are my Top  Five Favourite Finds...

1wall

Although mural wallpaper isn't actually new this stand was crawling with visitors!  I suspect the price has something to do with it as most of their wall murals were priced at £25.  The one which really caught my eye was this comic book inspired wallpaper.  It measures 1.58m x 2.32m however I would guess you can cut this down to size or buy more sheets for a larger area. This would be perfect in my sons room and see him well into his teenage years.

If comic books aren't your thing then other designs are available such as stunning cityscapes or brick effects.  If you're looking for a feature point in your room or perhaps a subtle backdrop then I would highly recommend checking these guys out.  Here's an added incentive with a discount code, GD2014.

Img: 1wall

Img: 1wall

 

Img: 1wall

MagPaint

It does exactly what is says on the tin, it's a magnetic paint.  The great thing about this company is that you can combine their paint with their sketch paint, thus creating a magnetic whiteboard anywhere you want!  Home or office this ingenious paint is perfect for busy homes, children's rooms or to help you stay organised at work.  I had a quick go on their board and I can tell you the magnetic strength is quite strong and more than capable of holding your paperwork etc to the wall.  Check out their site for more technical details and range of products.

Jam Jar Lights

These handmade, custom lights certainly caught my eye.  They're not the kind of thing you'd find on the high street which is exactly how the designers of these quirky lamps want it.  Their lighting is an eclectic mix of iconic Kilner jar lights to fabric cables and hanging pendants.  If you're looking for something unique and handmade these lovely folk are perfect for you.

 Img: Jam Jar Lights

Img: Jam Jar Lights

John Lewis 150 Years

For those of you who live in a cave, John Lewis are currently celebrating 150 years in the business.  I love the colour palette they're currently using to mark their anniversary.  This room set, appropriately named The Anniversary Room, has been inspired by their heritage and uses a combination of retro prints and modern day living  They've come a long way since 1864!

George Clarke

Of course I had to include the swoonworthy George Clarke in all this! Lovely bloke, incredibly tall and I managed to form at least one sentence without drooling. Winner!

So there you have it. My top 5 picks from the show. Did you manage to get to the Ideal Home Show this year?

* Just so you know although I had courtesy tickets to the show all thoughts and favourite finds are my own!

Cinnamon & Applesauce Christmas Ornaments

I love making handmade gifts but never seem to have the time lately.  When I spotted these the other day, via Coulson Macleod's Facebook page, I had to give them a go.  Not only are they really easy to make but they also make your house smell of cinnamon! Bonus! 

If you haven't heard of Coulson Macleod pop over to their page.  They always share the best craft ideas and blogs as well as they're own original artwork.  This particular recipe is from Katy Elliot's blog.  Here's the link if you want to check her out.

Here's How It's Done..

Add the cinnamon and applesauce into a bowl and get mixing. It's best to use your hands and besides it's more fun that way, especially if you've got kids! The mixture needs to be dry enough that it can be rolled out without sticking to your rolling pin but moist enough that it sticks together.  If the mixture's too moist add more cinnamon.  If the mixture's too dry then add more applesauce.  Keep doing this until you've got a dough like mixture.

Roll the dough out as you would pastry.  Don't make your dough too thick else it might not dry likewise if you make it too thin your ornaments will become quite delicate and could break.  I used a pound coin as a guide for the right depth.

Use any shape cutter you want and cut out your pieces.  I only had stars available but I did shape a heart by hand which looks quite rustic.

Remember to make a hole where you want to thread the string through.  I used a chopstick. Turn the shape over and check the hole is just as wide on the back.

Lay your shapes onto greaseproof paper in a tray and then bake on a low temperature in the oven.  I baked them on 50 degrees for over an hour and then let them air dry for 24 hours just to be on the safe side.

Once your shapes are dry, thread your choice of string or ribbon through the hole in your shape and there you have it! A scented Christmas ornament which you can hang on your tree. They also make interesting gift tags or why not turn them into a garland!

Do you like making things like this? Do you know of any good craft blogs? Let me know, I'd love to read them.

Teacups of Design

I love a good cup and saucer - No, that's not a filthy innuendo, obviously I mean the ceramic kind! Somehow tea tastes even nicer from a special cup. Which is kinda lucky seeing as they're everywhere at the moment.  The older it is the better.  There's something special about the uniqueness that comes with a vintage tea cup.  However there are also some really good modern designs out there which might tickle your fancy.

Here are a few of my favourites...

Mrs Moores Vintage Store

Mrs M has a passion for vintage fashion and glamour of past times.  Not only does she have an amazing collection of pre-owned vintage tea sets, she also designs her own range of tea sets, textiles and stationary.  I love the simplicity and quirkiness behind her designs such as the Metamorphosis range below

Metamorphosis - Kestrel

Lisbeth Dahl

This Denmark based design team have a creative approach to quality, shape and quality and like to put their personal stamp onto each product

The vibrancy of this Florence range is effective without being garish.  What's even better is you can mix and match with other styles from different collections.

Florence

Pip Studio

Pips motto is 'Happy Products for Happy People'  She gets her inspiration from everyday incidents, that when scrutinised, are actually exceptionally beautiful.  Her collections range from duvet sets and stationary to bags and cushions.

PiP Love Birds

Anthropologie

Established 20 years ago Anthropologie describe themselves as a destination for those wanting a curated mix of clothing, accessories, gifts and home decor.  They are fast becoming well known for their signature look and have recently opened their fourth store in the UK  

Do you know of any other designers out there? Let me know.

What I Always Wanted & Can't Live Without!

What I Always Wanted is a beautiful online gifts and homeware store. It supports home grown talent and independent businesses, something which I wholeheartedly support.  Three cheers for them please.

When I was asked if I'd be interested in writing a blog post about them I didn't need to think twice.  I love nearly everything on their website including their ethos.

All their products are designed and made in the UK, many of which are made from eco-friendly materials or 'upcycled'.  There is even an option to personalise some of the products.

One of the many things I love about this website is how passionate owners, Deborah Bancroft and Ann Ellison are about their products.  They love nothing more than tracking down beautifully designed and crafted British gifts and homeware.  This passion shows in the products they've carefully chosen.  

With Christmas just around the corner, yes I did just mention the 'C' word, why not pop over to What I Always Wanted and see what they have to offer.  Not only will you be supporting some great British Designers but you also have the opportunity to purchase some original and unique homeware.

Tiny Daisies by Wychbury Designs

Gorgeous heart shaped stud earrings covered in vintage fabric.  If you look closely you'll notice even the butterfly is heart shaped!

Little Flowers by The Magpie's Daughter

This dainty orange pinwheel poppy necklace is complemented by a strand of pearls

Appliqued Dog Cushion by Naughty Dog

This appliqued and embroidered Dalmatian cushion uses vintage fabrics and would make a great gift for any dog lover.

Letterpress Print by Print for Love of Wood

For all you Great British Bake Off lovers.  Each letterpress print is lovingly printed on a vintage press

Vintage Camera by Moha London

This fun retro camera illustrated print is printed on heavy poster paper and available in A3

Which is your favourite item.  Do you love handmade or upcycled products?