...Going back to our mini trip to Paris, we were very much looking forward to finally visit merci, possibly one of the most beautiful and expensive shops on earth! OMG what a building, and hello, the furniture, the objects, the interiors, style, give it me to me please! We really enjoyed our tea time at their cafe, and managed to relax after being walking like mad women all over the city. If you haven't been, I truly recommend you pay a visit to this concept store, you won't leave untouched. I felt very inspired by it all, regardless the fact that I could hardly afford anything in there...I saw a very similar vintage rattan chair I found back home, at the price of £7 for nearly £400, but who cares, if I could, I would have paid the £400 just because it was in there and gorgeous...

Photos by me

OUR MINI TRIP TO PARIS, A GORGEOUS SHOP AND A MAGAZINE...

I would like to share with you a few discoveries from my recent mini trip to Paris. Last week, Sian, Kate and I jumped on the Euroestar on a mission, to visit the Mason & Object trade fair to have an idea for future shows (I will post about the fair and some other shops after I have finished TENT in London). We walked and walked miles and saw and saw millions of things...

Here is a gorgeous shop we found while looking for the French magazine toc-toc-toc. La manufacture parisienne, is a super cute little shop, filled with gorgeous things, some fantastic notebooks and paper goods mixed with vintage finds. Love the styling and the space.

...an Kate finally got her magazine...you should have seen her face when she saw it. 

toc-toc-toc magazine 

EAST DULWICH FESTIVAL – COLOUR MAKES PEOPLE HAPPY

Hola, nice weekend? I am back from spending the last three days, not working much and instead socialising like crazy. It was the Dulwich Festival over the weekend, and I visited Pulse yesterday, as some of my friends are exhibiting, (I will post a little review of the show in the next few days). I talk a lot, specially if I am passionate and interested in a subject, so that is what I did, talk and more talk, eat and have fun.
I met with Kate and Lynne on Sunday to do a little exploring of the festival. We started at Simon March's (pictured above) shop, Colours makes people happy. I have known him for a long time, so it is very nice to pop around his shop now and again, to see what he is up to. Simon is such a creative person, full of ideas and skills to put them in place.

His is passionated about colour and has got a great deal of knowledge about paints. Need some advice on what colour to use or some interior advice? He will be happy to help.

Simon's kitchen is as colourful as the rest of the shop. He collects dutch ceramics, home-wares, food packaging, etc...all so cute, I always leave his shop feeling inspired, specially by colour. Next time you are South East of the river, I strongly recommend you to pay him a visit, you will find wall paint, quirky lighting, cushions, paint brushes, wall art, and a long etc...of beautiful objects.

Photos by me 

CRATE EXPECTATIONS – NEW STOCKISTS

I love to see how my customers use chocolate creative's products they stock in their shops. Crate Expectations is a gorgeous store, full of colourful and beautiful products in Melbourne, Australia, run by Gerogie Bird. Her shop is filled with Australian brands and designers from all over the world. I really like how she has used the wooden hooks to decorate the walls and hang the various accessories through out the space. If you are a local, make sure to stop by, she is very nice and I am sure you will find beautiful things to take home with you. Read more about Crate Expectations and Georgie over at the Design Files blog.

MODERN TIMES VINTAGE

I met Thomas a few year ago, at his Camden Passage, Islington shop, in one of my lazy Sundays around London. I wasn't looking to buy anything, but couldn't help to pop into his shop, attracted by the so many gorgeous things he had on display. Needless to say that I ended up buying a few things, and as bonus made a friend. 

Thomas is quite a caracter, super friendly and helpful, he has a great passion for what he does and it shows in his ever growing collections of vintage pieces and 20th Century homewares, including beautiful delicate glasses, white German porcelain tea cups and vases, vintage globes, small cabinets, etc...His shop is always changing according to his latest finds. 

I am delighted to finally see his online shop up and running. I think it is very important for a brick and mortar shop to have an online presence too. He couldn't have done it better, the site looks sleek and it is the perfect neutral background to show the gorgeous pieces he sells. 

If you are in London I strongly recommend a visit to either of his two shops, the established Camden Passage, or the new one at Rosebery Avenue. He is always in the hunt for unique pieces, and can help you put together a Wedding list or simply search for the right piece for your home. Well done Thomas, I love the new site, see you soon!

Photos

SOURCING FABRICS

I tend to spend a lot of my time sourcing materials, specially fabrics. I work mainly with linen which is becoming very expensive and difficult to find in the UK at a reasonable price. I tend to get my fabrics online, but recently wanted to explore a famous area in Shepherds Bush called Goldhawk. I have never seen so many fabric shops concentrated in one street. Some of them stocking amazing linens, Liberty's, silks, cottons wools, etc... Although I have to say that after spending hours exploring each of them I came to the conclusion that if you are looking for fabrics to make homewares this is perhaps not the best place to go, but if you are into fashion OMG, don't waste your time, rush there, you are in for a treat.

Gubi is in my wish list

Hola hola, nice weekend? Mine was spent sanding and stripping layers of paint from some old pieces of furniture I recently bought, in between sporadic rain over the two days. You see, when your budget is quite reduced and you have to choose between an Ikea plan chest that you have to assemble yourself (I dislike this very much) or an old Victorian chest that will gain value within the years, but it is in a desperate state of restoring, I choose the second. But after 2 days of sore hands, arms, back and legs, I am not sure I have chosen the right pieces, Ikea would have done just fine.

To the contrary if I had a lot of money kept underneath my mattress I would happily get some of Gubi's pieces.  The chairs and lamps have kept me dreaming for sometime now. I guess my style is define by my budget, if this last one was much bigger I would choose cleaner, and more contemporary pieces, all mix up with some of my old favorites. What about you? What style do you go for? do you tend to compromise much when it comes to decorating your home?

By the way I am in love with the styling too, well done Gubi and its designers!

(Images Gubi)

We Make London pop up shop in Hampstead

Nice weekend? weather is great in London, and I am really enjoying going out and about and having my breakfasts and meals in the garden. On Saturday, I went along to the opening of the Summer pop up boutique that We Make London has put together in Hampstead. They have done a great job, curating the space with gorgeous products from over 40 UK based designers, among them my friends kate, Laura and Mary have a selection of their gorgeous mugs, tea towels and prints for sell, the shop is well worth a visit, open till the 9th, do not miss it!

Gosto design & lifestyle shop

I could easily spend big part of my time visiting design, antique, lifestyle, second hand, you name it, shops. In the past I have looked for premises around where I live to open my own shop, where to sell my handmade products alongside other gorgeous treats, together with restored furniture mixed with new pieces by independent designers, next to a organic cafe, with homemade cakes and a studio where to work. Maybe one day I will come across the perfect space whether, it is back in Gran Canaria or here in London, I will see... Gosto is a perfect example of a well designed shop that stock a balance selection of established brands and beautiful products from new designers. The shop is run by Sonia and is located in a town called Blaricum just outside Amsterdam, I think I will be a regular if I was near by, the shop blog is a treat for decor and products ideas, one of my favorites is the red version of the E25-socket lamp rood by Muuto. Do you have a favorite shop/shops where you live?

(images gosto shop)

NEW shop in town: Phoenix on Golborne

There is nothing that I enjoy more than stepping in a a well curated and stocked shop, selling gorgeous restored furniture, antiques, vintage, etc...well, apart of course, than delicious tea, cakes, the SUN, the beach, my cat, and a long etc...but for the time being I am going to stay with this NEW shop, Phoenix on Golborne, which just opened in the Notting Hill area. Nice and tempting isn't??

The perfect balance – Montes+Mujica shop

These photos from interiors shop Montes+Mujica in el Pais Vasco, represent the perfect balance I like to achieve when it comes to decorating. I was browsing an old copy of Nuevo Estilo magazine and found myself again and again hooked on this images, more in the online version of the magazine. The right mix of industrial lighting, old pieces, art, white big sofas, more contemporary pieces and plenty of light. Perfect!!

(photos from Nuevo Estilo)