I’m so in love with these! Mrs. Darcy have launched the Chameleon collection for SS14 and it’s as gorgeous as ever. Consistent with Mrs. Darcy’s contagious desire to brighten our worlds, Chameleon includes homewares and loungewear for flower lovers.
The brainchild of flamboyant creative and new mum Kellie Collis, Mrs. Darcy’s design direction is underpinned by a love of colour and beauty, and a very genuine passion to add happiness to our homes. Adapting to the change of season, Chameleon introduces a beautiful range of textiles featuring trademark florals with a seasonal injection of mint tones and geometric prints, delivered across a striking range of cushions, throws, robes, slippers and scarves.
New to Mrs. Darcy’s offering this season is a stunning selection of quilts and bedding, in addition to a smart capsule of stylish accessories including elegant overnight bags, fun floral clutches and colourful cosmetic cases.
An expanded bedding and accessory range builds on their widely adored ongoing collection of candles and diffusers.
Mrs. Darcy was launched in February 2012 and has grown ever since. Their products can be found in leading lifestyle and homewares stores around Australia, and are now also stocked in stores across New Zealand, Asia, Europe, the US and South America.
True to its name, the Chameleon collection adapts easily to a new season, room style or decorating whim. Kellie won’t mind how you use her range, as long as the end result makes you happy!
Launching today, we have got our hands on a sneak peek of the second collection of bed linen from Hunting for George.
Aptly titled Siesta, this bedding will have you dreaming of island getaways, beach life and a golden tan as we head into summer.
In true Hunting for George style, Siesta is all about clean lines, minimalist design and a good night’s sleep. Made from pure cotton, the collection is quality tested and chemical free and in a Hunting for George first, everything comes in single too, meaning little people don’t miss out!
Complimenting the Siesta range is a re-release of the much-loved classics: the party starter Pinata Party, the cool The Hamptons and the crowd favourite the Islander.
For more information visit Hunting for George’s website here.
Another day, another great new kids linen brand! We can barely keep up but we’re loving it!
Established in 2013, Dreamers Inc. is a family affair created by sisters-in-law and designers Nina & Karin Altman. Their diverse expertise and backgrounds in textiles and fashion were the perfect start to a modern day kids’ label. Combining the latest trends in fashion and interior design, while keeping a traditional high quality linen standard and throwing ultra modern technology into the mix, dreamers Inc. was born.
From bed linen to decorative cushions, Dreamer Inc. has it well and truly covered. Focusing on high-end quality with high street prices, the collection offers bed sheets for single beds ($169) and cots ($69); pillowcases ($39) and decorative cushions ($59). Fresh and contemporary, all the designs have been inspired by Nordic elements, with graphic design that will help modernise a nursery or even add a touch of fun to a bright living room or a quirky master bedroom.
The prints are lovingly sourced and developed in their Melbourne design studio. The digital printing technique used captures the finer details to create a life-like version of the image. Children will be nagging for nap so they can visit their cosy beds. From Pink Dove to Dragon Fly, Goldfish, Green Budgie and Green Beetle, your child will surely find a friend to fall in love with!
The front of a Dreamers Inc. pillow features a single animal motif on a fresh white background, whilst the back of the pillowcases show multiple images. Made from 100% combed cotton (400 count tread), Dreamers Inc. use natural substrates and breathable fibres. Machine washable, the bed sheets are set to stand the test of time and stay as vibrant as the day they were bought.
The Dreamers Inc. girls love packaging and they went all out to design some that reflects the high quality of their products while keeping merchandising in mind. Tidy and compact zip-up bags made from 100% cotton canvas showcase matching prints and have been created to re-purpose and re-love!
I just love bedding. Yet I must admit I always find myself envying the kids’ collections, and the debut from Sack Me! is no exception.
Designed by former architect turned graphic designer Li-Ann Scott, the debut range, Haute Bites, features a food theme to bring about that friendly familiarity to kids and kids-at-heart. “Taking a cue from my family’s live to eat motto, our debut range features a quirky take on a gastro-art theme,” says Li-Ann. “The designs just evolved organically from our day-to-day adventures, seeing the world through my children’s eyes, as well as conveying a positive message in a fun way which children can relate to.”
The idea for Sack Me! came about when Li-Ann was on the hunt for kids’ bed linen which was gender neutral and stylish, but spoke the language children speak. Struggling to find something that fit that brief, she took on the challenge herself, creating a collection that includes fitted sheets for cots, single and king single beds, reversible quilt covers in single and double sizes, pillowcases and cushions to match.
The entire range is Oeko-Tex certified, made from 300 thread-count, 100% cotton sateen and free from harmful substances. With prices starting from $35 for cushions and $49 for fitted cot sheets, this bedding won’t break the budget!
The second collection of bed linen, cushions and prints from Feliz is simply gorgeous. Filled with pastels, watercolour and embroidery, the whole range is the embodiment of organic and luxurious freshness. And looking at the beautifully styled photos below, I’m very envious of anyone who gets to calls that their bed!
Created via a mix of both screen printing and embroidery, everything is produced locally, something that is very important to owners Jane Forbes and Melissa Alessi. “What we do feels light years from mass production,” says Jane. “But it is the handmade aspect that we love and want to preserve.”
With this notion in mind, the duo decided to also create a kids range, which saw them use timeless images like bikes and SLR cameras, believing these objects need to be preserved. “We live in a digital world but bikes and cameras weren’t meant to be nostalgic,” explains Jane. “They’re fun, synonymous with youth. Bikes never lose their cool and we hope kids will always be able to identify cameras, skipping ropes, hoola hoops and vinyl records.”
The adult range is also seeing Feliz go off in a new direction, with this second collection seeing the addition of both an embroidery and watercolour design. The end result is soft and striking, with an understated simplicity and versatility, that between you and me, I desperately want to get my hands on!
I Love Linen owner Lauren Roe impressed us with her fun mix ‘n match pillowcase range earlier this year. Now she’s released a full linen range under her own label, The Bedroom Society.
“Although the pillowcases were really bold and bright, my overall design philosophy is about playful restraint; it’s about embracing simple design concepts but having lots of fun with little pops of pattern colour,” Lauren says.
“I focused on creating a range of classic French flax linen bedding that is simple and elegant in its design. I then balanced this out with fun and fresh cushions and screen printed pillowcases that add a pop of colour and make it very easy to instantly change how each linen piece looks, depending on what you style it with.
“I love all my bright cushions and pillowcases but I always like to set them against good classic bedding and pure linen is dreamy.”
The prices are pretty great: pillowcases and cushion covers from $24.95 each and queen linen quilt cover sets with pillowcases for $230.
Whenever I decide I’m going to go all neutral and subdued in my decor (boring!) something like THIS lands in my inbox and reminds me why colour is great! The latest fun linen from Rachel Castle sees the introduction of their bestselling pegboard sheets in fluro pink and gold (have I mentioned how much I love gold?!) shimmer pillowcases. Divine!
“Everyone’s been asking us to make our sellout pegboard bed linen in pink, so we have, and it’s super cute,” says Rachel. “Fluro pink pretty confetti polka dots in quilts, flat and fitted sheets, including king single, and pillowcases. Not just for the kids, pink pegboard is a serious pattern in playful color; the perfect kickstart for spring sleeping.”
You just can’t go wrong with a bit of mix ‘n match pilllow action if you ask me!
Before I was given a pillow case by Hale Mercantile Co. I had never slept on linen before. To be honest, I hadn’t really given it a second’s thought. I had grown up with cotton sheets and I was happy. Well, ‘was’ being the key word, because since using my beautiful deep purple pillow case (the colour is as good as the feel) I have become wholeheartedly converted!
The ladies behind Melbourne’s Hale Mercantile Co. are Sharon Patsiotis and Siobhan Beaney, who decided to design their own linen range after finding that true European household linen was limited in Australia. When searching for the secret to making superior linen that met their standards for texture, softness, colour and durability, they discovered that luxury linen is best made from individually dyed fine linen yarns.
While most linen today is piece-dyed in an effort to contain costs, they were determined to find the perfect yarn that would offer colour beyond compare. It had to maintain the integrity of its colours and have the strength that they yearned for. So, fulfilling their desire for quality, Hale Mercantile Co. yarns are spun from flax sourced from France and by craftsmen based in Latvia.
It’s a true European linen range lavished in culture, tradition, pride and centuries of craftsmanship. Designed to be relaxed in nature and easy care, the entire range is grown, spun, dyed, woven and sewn in Europe. With beautiful hand-tufted edges that create a unique finish, Hale Mercantile Co. linen has been prewashed and pre-shrunk to ensure the product retains its integrity from the first wash.
With accessories for the bedroom, bathroom, living and kitchen, you can purchase their linen at their Abbotsford showroom, online, or from one of their many stockists. For more information visit their website here.
This hallway mirror represents Country Road’s first foray into small furniture and there’s a rug (a hallway runner) too.
The latest new season collection is all kinds of fresh and pastel. Grey, lemon, mint and melon mix with natural textures, spliced fabrics, metallics and wood elements.
Overscaled weaves, woven chunky stripes, houndstooth and shag textures are found across cushions and throws. The oversized Pod cushion in grey jersey is perfect for lounging while mint is the new hue for bed linen, against monochrome grid patterns and herringbone prints or layered with soft pastels in oversized graphics. Throws are spliced with a mix of fabrics, geo prints and micro textures.
A woven monochrome floor runner makes a bold statement. Highlights of black and white reappear on hive-shaped vases and contrast tableware, serving trays and geo printed mugs. Grained marble rolling pins, serving boards and dip bowls add luxe to the table.
Glassware plays with proportion in tubular stemware and balloon-like vases and mugs are updated in grey, yellow and pink matte finishes.
Geometric vases are offered in brushed silver, as is new desk storage. Organic porcelain servingware is clean and fresh, dipped in silky white glaze. Woodgrain textures are the perfect accompaniment in cross-shaped coasters, vertically dipped photo frames, leaning ladder style racks and a large full body mirror. Wood is glazed with pops of bright colour across photo frames, servingware and decorative bowls.
Children’s bed linen packs a punch in soft pastel prints of birds, raindrops and butterflies for girls and graphic pear and cross prints for boys. Embroidered quilts layer with linen along with scatter cushions featuring patchwork pops of printed fabrics and fruit-shaped cushions.
I’m excited. What piece will you be rushing out to buy? First up for me will be the popular Britta cross trivet, now in marble.
Fromage La Rue’s new, smaller letter lights, Petite Vegas, are not quite available yet but you can get your name on the waiting list for your little person’s letter (or indeed your own initial!). They’re about 30cm high and with safe, low voltage LED lights, perfect for a night light. They’ll be $150 with free shipping.
Shop at Sydney’s My Bespoke Chair for a custom chair (and even coordinating cushion) for your little prince or princess. You can even design it yourself online with their clever tool. From $850 with free delivery.
If I had a child, they’d have one of these Incy Interiors beds. I just love the rose gold version as it’ll go with most colour schemes and I mean really, what kid wouldn’t want a gold bed?! From $649 for a single, it’s a great update of a classic shape.
I’ve been a big fan of Aura linen for a long time, so I was happy to see they now do all their quilt covers in kid-friendly single size too. The brand does mix and match so well, you’re bound to find a cool combo for your kid! PERFECT for tweens and teens too.
These gold foiled prints from Papier d’Amour would look great in a child’s bedroom. $30 unframed or $80 framed. Buy online.
Armadillo & Co are pretty much Aussie rug royalty and if you’ve got money to spend, you should definitely consider something from their Junior Collection. They’re not too childish so they could easily take a child from toddler to teen years. From $255.
These colourful wire baskets from Lilly & Lolly are brilliant for chucking toys or laundry into and come in a variety of colours and sizes. From $22.
The Booksee is a great way to display kids books, making reading appealing and adding colour and interest to their walls. $199 for a set of two from Ubabub.
What are your favourite places to shop for kids rooms? I’d love to hear about them.
Available in four colours, these linen throws by Coast almost make me wish it were winter.
The generous size of the Antigua Waffle Linen Throws makes them a perfect fit for lying across the end of your bed or draping over the arm of your favourite chair.
Expertly woven in a 100-year-old family mill in Lithuania, the 100% premium-quality washed linen is a strong and luxurious natural fabric. The throws come in dove grey, mustard, inky grey and sea foam and are NZ$239 each. Shipping to Australia is free on orders over $299.
The new season range from Melbourne brand Milk & Sugar embraces colour, despite the time of year, and offers a range of affordable and mix and match homewares from linen through to cushions, tableware, furniture and rugs.
Creative director Cameron Taylor, says: “Above all we were inspired by colour this season. Typically, the trend is to shy away from colour in the lead up to Autumn/Winter but we always embrace beautiful colours and tones all year round.”
Cameron adds: “Something else we concentrated on this season is creating hand drawn texture through shapes and prints. Our bedding, cushions and linen all feature simple prints that when put together create texture en masse. All the colours complement each other and you can mix and match prints and colours to your heart’s content.”
Milk & Sugar was started in 2009 with the aim of providing the Australian market with well designed, simple yet beautiful things, without the hefty price tag. Everything is designed in-house in Melbourne and manufactured in Asia and India. They produce two major collections per year.
Another week, another gorgeous collection of Australia linen, this time from the sisters at Hunting for George in Melbourne.
At Hunting For George,they believe sleep is your chance to switch off, recharge, dream of unicorns and snore like a sailor! As passionate ambassadors for a good night’s sleep it was only fitting that Lucy Glade-Wright and Jo Harris create their own bed linen range to add to their fast growing stable of homewares products.
The unisex collection is interchangeable so you can mix and match easily throughout the range and consists of four quilts (Pinata Party, Hamptons, Islander and Mr & Mrs Smith) and three sheet sets and matching pillowcases (Smoke, Pinata Party and White Islander). I’m a big fan of gorgeous looking sheets, even though it may only be you who sees them!
Made from 100% pure cotton and with a 400 thread count, the quality tested, chemical free range was designed specifically for the dreamer. All Hunting for Georgebedding has quality approved accreditations and is free from all harmful chemicals. It looks rather lovely in this video and makes me want to go right back to bed…
There’s nothing like a peaceful, comfortable night’s sleep and a new bed or mattress can be pretty much life-changing! I asked a few experts for their top tips on getting a good night’s sleep and creating a relaxing bedroom sanctuary.
An Ergoflex mattress won’t look out of place in the most stylish bedroom
Matthew White of Ergoflex, says: “Better sleep is about a holistic approach. It’s about improving your sleep environment, and about training yourself to be a better sleeper. First, create a bedroom you never want to leave. A room with a relaxed ambience, regularly washed sheets, darkness when the lights go out and, where possible, zero noise pollution.
“You spend around one-third of your life in your bed so invest in a mattress and pillows that will help you sleep comfortably and undisturbed through the night, such as the proven material memory foam. Exercise, eat healthily, and drink plenty of fluids — and do it to a routine. Learn to wind down before you go to sleep, keep your stresses outside your bedroom door, and retire your digital devices an hour earlier.”
Tracie Ellis is creative director of Melbourne linen brand Aura Home. She says: “A great mattress and good quality natural fibre sheets and bedding are worth every dollar. Create a relaxing sanctuary that allows you to slip into a peaceful slumber with a beautiful natural fibre quilt and pillows, and of course only natural fibres for your bed linen. Your bed linen is right next to your skin so always choose pure cotton and/or linen which will breathe and enable you to have a great night’s sleep, also wonderful in keeping you cool in summer and warm in winter.
“Choose bed linen in colours that you love so that you’ll feel relaxed when enter your bedroom. Extra luxuries such as big fluffy European pillows and layers of throws on the end of your bed are great for extra warmth and comfort.”
Aura linen
Sometimes, it’s altogether more simple too: “I love an open window for fresh air, a great book and my phone on silent,” Tracie adds.
Interior stylist Naomi Findlay of Silk Home Staging & Styling says: “A visually cluttered space can impact on your ability to focus and relax. Minimising the amount of clutter will give you the best chance to relax and rest. It is well known that colours can have a physiological effect on us; colours can help us focus, increase our heart rate or even have a soothing effect. It goes without saying that it is best to avoid colours that increase your heart rate and alertness when decorating your bedroom, such as fiery red, zesty orange and yellow. Consider a muted or softer palette.”
She adds: “To help you slip into sleep or a relaxing state quicker, choose softer lighting over harsh bright lights. Consider having overhead lighting on dimmers and use side lamps beside the bed. Your bedroom should be all about you and your partner (if applicable), so spend some time thinking about the places that you feel most relaxed and calm. Is this in a holiday home, hotel or somewhere else? Once you have worked this out, spend some time recreating elements of this place to help transport you there whenever you enter the room.”
Kip & Co linen
Hayley Pannekoecke of Australian bed linen company Kip & Co, adds: “The first thing required for a great night’s sleep is a fluffy pillow and an amazing comfy mattress. Linen-wise, nothing beats beautiful soft cotton sheets and pillowcases.
“Having a hot shower before bed is great for getting you in a snoozy state of mind. It’s important to have good air flow in the bedroom and to be warm, but not too warm. Overheating is terrible for sleeping conditions. Lastly, try and eat dinner a couple of hours before bed so you’re not too full. If you follow these guidelines you’re bound to be drifting off in no time at all! Sweet dreams!”
About Ergoflex
The Ergoflex memory foam mattress is a temperature sensitive, pressure-relieving mattress that moulds itself to the contours of your body. The Ergoflex memory foam mattress gives your body optimum support and comfort meaning a restful and more comfortable sleep. Available online across Australia at www.ergoflex.com.au
WIN A MATTRESS
For your chance of winning an Ergoflex mattress in your choice of size tell us, in less than 200 words, why you crave a good night’s sleep. Complete the form below by 11pm on Sunday 16 March 2014
I’m a really busy girl, as you can probably guess if you follow my antics on this blog. But I also preach the importance of taking time out (and sometimes you have to really work at making this happen) to relax, switch off from technology and just breathe.
My bed
My absolute favourite place to do this is the bath, but I don’t trust myself with my prized interiors coffee table books in there. Steam, clumsiness, you know… So when I need a little time out I like to retreat to my bedroom with a nice cup of tea, a stack of books and homes mags and lose myself in them for an hour or so. It makes such a difference!
Check out these easy to follow video tips from Temple & Webster stylist Adam Powell on how to style your bedding three different ways.
Temple & Webster have a sale on Florence Broadhurst bed linen starting today (8 January). Check it out if you feel like refreshing your sanctuary for the New Year! Special offer for Interiors Addicts of $15 off for new members joining up using the link below.
If you know Rachel Castle of Castle & Things’ work, you’ll know she creates colourful, fun (and pleasingly white-based) linen and pieces that become cult must-haves within weeks.
Remember Put The Love In the Coconut? Thought so! The latest tutti frutti collection is no exception. Just perfect for summer. It comes with a warning though: it may make you want dance like THIS…
Now you’re feeling all happy and giddy, check out the rest of the collection. I’m really stoked there’s polkadots involved on the quilt covers this time. I’m just dotty for spots.
