French Bedroom Company - Traditional and quirky mix of French style

I believe there is a growing trend to incorporate French style furniture in modern interiors and designers are opting to mix traditional French pieces with their contemporary counterparts. I am not talking shabby chic or French Provencal, I'm referring to traditional styles in lolly coloured fabrics or specialised paint finishes. When I discover a traditional interior with a pop of colour it makes me want to throw away my 'neutral' living room and start all over again, however it takes a brave person to vamp up a traditionally styled piece of furniture with bold colours. Look at the impact these colourful chairs below have on the neutral decor in this dining area. Personally I would have preferred a set of coloured chairs rather than just two, but these days there are no rules, breaking the rules when it comes to interior design will often give the wow factor the designer is seeking.

Image source

Most of us are familiar with the Kartell Louis ghost chair, inspired by the original Louis XV chairs, a perfect example of a modern twist on French design. Today's designers are taking traditional French style and adding a twist. The French Bedroom Company, a British company who have recently been awarded the cool brands award 2013/2014 have a fantastic range of both these styles, traditional French pieces combined with contemporary versions. The company have a wide range of furniture and accessories, from seating, beds, armoires, drawers, cabinets and tables and those essential extras, cushions, rugs, mirrors and lighting to complete the look. The French Bedroom Company's quirky take on French style is fabulous, their Deer looking glass is definitely a statement piece. A stags head mounted at the top of the mirror is flocked in white, the mirror can be flocked in any colour, giving you a tactile, personalised piece that will definitely become a talking point in your home.

 'My Deer Looking glass' - I can visualise this mirror flocked in bright blue...stunning!

Love the pink mirror - how fabulous in a  little girls room, a big girl's too for that matter!

This little cushion chap is absolutely adorable and a must for any doggy owner don't you think?

The Sylvia silver bed - OTT and why not!

The French Bedroom Company certainly  have a fabulous selection of products. Unfortunately I can't share them all so instead I have created a board of some of the ones that stood out for me...

1. Fashion Forward Seat

2. Fight Me Grand Antler Wall Light

3. Sistine Chapel Ceiling Pendant Light - I think this is absolutely awesome!

4. Cafe de Paris Dressing Screen

5. Rollo Red Cowhide

6. Petite Bouledogue Lamp

7. Darling Buds Cushion

The French Bedroom Company not only have cool brands, they also have a cool Blog where you can check out their latest products and mood boards.

Images above via The French Bed Company

Have a wonderful weekend, it's a fabulous sunny, spring day in Auckland, I hear the sun is shining in Sydney and I believe you are still having a great summer in London.

Blogging your way to a business - Week one, getting started & branding

Today's post is a little different, please don't run away for the lack of interiors, delicious recipes or my latest home tour, hang around and read what I have to say, especially if you're a blogger and can identify with long hours spent at the keyboard.

It has been more than two years since I started my blog, initially titled 'Blooming Art', focusing on my paintings and daily life, little did I know my passion for home decor would lead me where I am today. Now titled, "Lee Caroline - A World of Inspiration", my blog has evolved into a place to share beautiful images of interiors, before and after makeovers, gorgeous homeware, DIY ideas, delicious recipes and so much more. Along with the growth of my blog which has now reached over 352,000 Blogger page views, I am excited to be approached by businesses and the chance to form relationships with some well known brands (more about this next week). With this in mind it has made me think about brand engagement and important things I should have put in place at the start of my journey. Mistakes can be fixed, however it is far better not to make them in the first place.

For me blogging is not about money, its about doing something I love and if it means two hours on the computer or 24 hours and not a penny back but simply the reward of a comment from a reader, then I am happy. I blog for the sheer joy of being able to share my discoveries with my readers, if it brings a monetary reward this is the 'cherry on the top' or the 'icing on the cake', so to speak...blogging must come from a love, whether it be interior design, food, pets, gardening etc, it has to be something you are madly passionate about, without the passion there is unlikely to be success. Personally, I think the most rewarding aspect of blogging has been the friendships I have made across the world, whether business or social, there are some amazing bloggers and many of these have become my friends.

Your Name/Brand:

The  most important point when starting a blog, or business is its name. If I had known in the beginning the direction my blog would follow, I may have chosen a different name, however already established It would be foolish to change my name at this point in time. What I may have to do is change my catch phrase, 'A World of inspiration'. My inspiration could be anything from fashion to pets and although it leaves my options open, my blog is specifically about the home and I am aware I need to incorporate this into my catch phrase (ideas welcome)...I doubt I will  be another 'Martha Stewart' and I am not sure I would want to go in that direction, however I recognise the importance of keeping the name 'Lee Caroline'. Therefore, I plan to develop my brand, making it more easily recognised. A new banner, logo, font and social network buttons are currently on my mind. These are important factors to think about when starting out, (another mistake I had to correct).

Branding is a post in itself and a lot of us have different thoughts about this subject, however it is important before launching a new company, blog, product etc, your name or brand can carry you through whatever direction you may go. You may wish to choose your actual name as I have done (excluding my surname), or you may want to select something short and catchy, if I had the choice again it would have chosen something short and catchy. With any idea it is best to move 'forward', not 'backwards to go forwards' and I have learned by trial and error during my blogging journey. Over the next few weeks I've decided  to share a series of posts with  tips and hints, do's and don't do's to help you with your blog.

Some bloggers will say 'being there at the start, before blogs quadrupled and inundated the internet, is a reason for their success." I agree it may have given some bloggers an advantage, however, I also disagree with this comment. I know bloggers who have been around for a year that are successfully turning their fabulous blogs into a businesses and others that have been blogging 10 years and don't make a single penny from the long hours they work. Some are quite happy to blog away without commitment and I want to add at this point, once you begin to earn an income from your blog you will have to work harder and longer, there is not turning back, however, the benefits and friendships you make along the way can be totally rewarding, income or no income.

Starting out - don't fail to take these steps:

• Choose the name of your company wisely make sure  it is not in use by another company. You can use a domain checker for this (Google 'domain checker') and I recommend you check worldwide not just dot.co.nz, or dot.com or dot.au. Whatever country you may be in, there just might be another Jo Blogs elsewhere
• Make sure the name you choose will be used across your Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google + or any other social network pages you may choose to join. I failed to do this as I opened my Twitter account before I started my blog. There are thousands of social network platforms that would bewilder even the most experienced networkers. However, important ones in my mind are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google +. Unless you want to be on your laptop 24/7 I would say that these are enough to start with.
• Make sure your email address is the same name as your business
• Purchase a domain, you can do this very reasonably or use a free host such as Blogger, or Wordpress
• If you choose a free platform, choose a 'dot com' rather than a 'blogspot' there will be no need to migrate if your blog grows and expands
• Once you have chosen your name think about spending a little money to get someone to design a blog or website banner that will have a professional look. There are many small companies on the internet that will do this at very little charge, again you can Google this information.
• If you are computer savvy you may want to download GIMP which is free and similar to Photoshop, It may help you with your own design and I find GIMP extremely helpful when creating mood boards, specific fonts or layering words over images
• Think about branding, what is your blog/business about, what are you trying to portray to your readers?
• Always use high resolution images, small images increased in size will not look sharp and professional
• When it comes to images, remember scale down large ones, don't increase the size of small ones or you will end up with a fuzzy look
• When you are writing your posts, choose a font that is browser compatible. Not all fonts are recognised by every browser, instead your font may show in 'default' meaning you may have a very pretty italic font flowing on your pages whereas, someone else may be looking at the page on another browser and see the font show up as size 16 courier, (example only) - Keep fonts simple, I use Trebuchet on my blog, it's modern, neat and easy to read

Of course I couldn't write a post without at least one image so I have created a board of brands you may or may not be familiar with. Some a simple font, such as Ralph Lauren and Laura Ashley, the names themselves a brand. Others use clever design to play on their names such as Kenzo and Matt Blatt and some have a catchy well designed logo such as Bombay Duck and Cush & Nooks. Cush & Nooks brand speaks clearly about her colourful homeware.  Vic who owns Cush & Nooks has a wonderful blog you may want to visit.

I will end here today so as not to overwhelm new bloggers, next week I will cover some important facts about copyright and in particular the floating "Pinterest" pin which you will see that I am not using at the moment for a very valid reason of breaching copyright. Yes, I know of one blogger who had to pay a large sum of money to Getty Images for using an image from Pinterest that belonged to Getty. There are some other important facts you may not know about using images especially with regards to Pinterest, I will cover these next week.

Hopefully you have learned something today, don't be scared away, blogging is a fabulously rewarding past time that anyone can enjoy and once you learn some hints and tips you will be surprised where it may lead you.

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Planning an outdoor patio area

When it comes to planning a courtyard or patio, just as planning an area in a house it is a great idea to put together a mood board. When I flip through magazines I cut out images that catch my eye and pop them into my home inspiration file. My home file is divided into sections - bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens etc. I use the clear A4 plastic slips and  place my images between the plastic, this way when it comes to planning or re-decorating a new area, I can easily search ideas. Of course now we have the Internet and Pinterest, it makes life so much easier to be able to store all your images in one place. I have a Pinterest board especially for outdoor ideas, however sometimes I want to be able to feel the paper between my hands not just the keyboard on my finger tips.

My perfect outdoor area has to be filled with spectacular furniture and today you can buy rattan, wood, plastic and glass that has been re-designed to withstand our outdoor weather. A set of rattan chairs can look fabulous teamed with a weathered table. Outdoor rattan has come a long way in the past few years and you can even buy Lloyd loom style pieces. Personally, I don't like to buy a matching table and chairs, I believe in buying a table you absolutely fall in love with and then buy your chairs in a different material, this adds more interest to your outdoor area. Make sure if you are buying your chairs separately, the seats are the correct height to sit comfortably at your table. Sometimes older up-cycled chairs have lower seats than today's models.

To help plan my outdoor area, first I collect images to inspire me, whether a touch of Morocco, French or or funky, gather your images to see which style will work for you. Once you have found your mood, then you can organise your board either  using the computer or cutting and pasting from magazines.  Shackletons have a wide range of outdoor furniture and I have incorporated some of their pieces in my mood board. Whether you like contemporary resin, traditional teak, or outdoor rattan you will find everything you could possibly want on their website. Remember outdoor entertainment areas these days should be treated as extension of your indoor living, therefore don't forget to accessorise your area just as you would the inside of your house. Candles, hurricane lamps, bright coloured cushions can help create an outdoor room and little touches add to the story you are telling.

Another important factor to your outdoor area is foliage, landscaping  would take up a completely new post, I am talking about adding some large pots and suitable plants. For example, if you are going with a Mediterranean theme you could add some large terracotta pots with lemon trees, Fig trees also look wonderful in pots and Bougainvillea or Wisteria can look stunning cascading down from a pergola. These are just a couple of ideas.

I found it hard to narrow down one design I liked, I love all of the above, however, as I live near to the beach and I live with a fairly neutral indoor palette, I decided to choose a coastal theme using my favourite blue and white colour scheme...

1. 4 Seasons Toledo Round Parasol

2. Bridgman Mayfair 2 seater sofa

3. Bridgman Mayfair Modular Round Coffee Table - Glass top

4. Neptune Bordeaux 290cm Rectangular Table                  

5. Outdoor Chef Gas Kettle Barbecue - Ascona Blue        

6. Bridgman Mayfair Dining Armchair

Items above can be found at Shackletons (link above)

If this isn't quite your style and you want to see more outdoor ideas, please visit my Pinterest board where you can find lots of colourful ideas.

Fathers day gift ideas

Well, here it is again, Sunday 1st September, Fathers day in New Zealand and Australia, where on earth has the year gone! I've been doing a little 'window's' shopping, excuse the pun & found some cool items for dads...

1. Brass compass with engraving from -  White Villa

2. Nothing like putting his feet up on this comfy leather ottoman from Redcurrant

3. Dart cuff links - Acquisitions

4. Bronze adjustable spring lamp - White Villa

5. Pamper his skin with a travel pack from Tessuti

6. Black (a book on all things black, including the All Blacks) - iko iko

7. Love this cool Fox coat hanger from Macy Home

Oh My Goodness! - Salted honey and fig cheesecake

I was browsing Pinterest yesterday and spotted a beautiful recipe image, I quickly popped over to "A House In The Hills" to check out the ingredients. Salty and sweet, a divine contrast of flavours for the palate, with the added bonus that Sarah's salted honey and fig cheesecake is dairy free. I also couldn't help noticing that there doesn't appear to be any gluten in her recipe so as soon as figs are in season again I will be making this little beauty. 

When I was living in the Middle East I used to buy mini wooden crates of neatly packed fresh figs flown in from Lebanon. I would indulge in them 'au naturale' for breakfast or cut them in half and serve with yummy goats cheese and sometimes I would lightly stew them and pile on loads of thick, creamy Greek yogurt, divine! Oh and I've just remembered, Poppy's friend Pippa the schnauzer has a HUGE fig tree in her back garden overhanging their pool, I will have to offer to help pick them next season before these delicious fruits end up on the bottom of their pool ;)

If you would like to make this desert, please visit Sarah's blog for her recipe and ingredients.

Bon appetit

Wood burners - Stylish designs

It's pouring with rain and freezing cold again in Auckland at the time of drafting this post.  Last week it seemed that spring was in the air and now I am curled up on my sofa with the heat pump full blast. When we lived in England we had a cast iron wood burner, it was the best thing ever, providing us with fantastic heat, at the same time I loved the look it gave our dining room. We had a huge inglenook fireplace in our dining area which we had opened up ourselves. Previously the dining room fireplace had been boarded over but when we had some renovations done to our property, I took to the plaster board with a hammer and within three strikes I had discovered a huge inglenook.  We had already restored a lovely marble fireplace in the lounge and I thought a cast iron wood burner would look perfect in my newly discovered space. I love the look of a real flame fire but open fires loose a lot of their heat up the chimney, with a wood burner you can still see the flames with no loss of heat.

Wood burning stoves are about the most economical way of heating a home, the short time they take to light is worth the effort. Wood burners provide an amazing amount of heat for their small size. When we bought our stove we didn't have a great deal of choice, we chose a traditional wood burner that suited our Victorian house. Today wood burners have had a makeover and their stylish contemporary designs make them perfect for modern living. 

It is certainly a myth that with modern heat pumps and gas fires, wood burners are not so popular. I feel a wood burner is actually more Eco friendly than you think. They don't give off  nasty gas smells and they are silent apart from that lovely crackle you get from a roaring fire. They also don't blow dust around or sound like a 747 as some heat pumps can. The bonus is they are perfect for roasting chestnuts and I even toasted muffins on top of mine, something a heat pump definitely cannot compete with. www.woodburningstovesandflues.co.uk have a wide range of styles, it seems the old wood burner has been re-designed into a contemporary look that would suit most homes.

Beautiful curves on this stylish wood burner and clever storage for your wood

You can almost feel the warmth

  Love it!

The glass hearth mirrors the curves of the circular wood burner

A smaller stove with a curved front - this design would be suited to a small beach house

Traditional style, similar to my UK one

So cute!

Would you think about installing a wood burner this winter, and if so, what would be your style, square, round, black, coloured, enamel or cast iron?

Stylist/Photographer Paulina Arcklin and her latest shoot for Tutze store

I've decided I have been spending  a little too much time writing 'long' posts lately, so this post will be short and sweet. Sweet is definitely Paulina Arcklin, originally from Finland and now based in Amsterdam, Paulina is a stylist and photographer who loves to mix white with touches of grey and black. Paulina quotes her own style as... "A mix of new and industrial and now also a little bit ethnic, with white and a little bit of grey and black." Recently Paulina ran a workshop at Tutze Store and took these fabulous shots below. Tutze Store have many lovely products so you might want to pop over and do a little window shopping. I think Paulina's clever styling and photography showcase their products wonderfully don't you.

 I love this overdyed rug

 The black and white pots are gorgeous

The black heart prints are really effective

I keep seeing desk lamps everywhere - this one is a little different to the ones  I have seen in NZ stores.

 Those gorgeous pots again

I wish I could see this store first hand, its so beautiful

If you have time definitely pop over to Paulina's website or visit her Facebook page to see more fabulous photos.

All images above are copyright to Paulina, please do not alter her images in any way. Copyright information is available on Paulina's blog.

An outdoor artist/craft studio - what do you think?

Having recently turned my studio into a lovely guest bedroom, I now have limited space to paint. My third, small bedroom is soon to become an office and I did think I may be able to set my paints up in one corner, however as my medium is oils I realise with only a small window, there may not be enough ventilation. Other options are renting space in a studio, buying a larger house (not an immediate option), or the possibility of a studio in my garden which would certainly be a cheaper and less drastic choice.

I don't have a large garden, I also don't require a huge space to paint in, just a small area with enough light and ventilation. To have my own studio and to be able to close the door at the end of the day and literally walk away without the worry of the smell of turps throughout my home is an appealing idea. In the long run it should be more economical than renting studio space, spending money on petrol and travelling back and forth. Imagine how much easier it will be to roll out of bed and walk a few steps across my garden to reach my work place, and I get to decorate another space :)

Artists studios are such personal spaces, some work in spotless studios, others paint splashed disaster zones, some large, some small, I have been looking for ideas of how I might want to plan the inside of my studio and then started looking at suitable designs that might work in my small garden. I was amazed to find a vast range of architectural designed garden studios. Initially I was expecting little more than a garden shed until I came across Tunstall Garden Buildings who have some fantastic studios. The garden shed has certainly advanced to grand proportions, in fact, I could probably move into one of these buildings and rent out my house, something to think about should I hit hard times.

Some artists require only a small space

My dream studio,enough room to paint and exhibit...maybe not a reality :(

Light and airy with a  homely feel

This studio feels a little industrial -  the painting kind of scares me.

Images via: 1|2|3|4

And the exterior....

 Light filled, contemporary...I may want to move in!

Cute, probably a more appropriate size for my own garden

Traditional style - add some pretty shutters, sisal flooring and you have a lovely outdoor room

Images via - Tunstall Garden Buildings (link above)

I believe I have found the perfect spot for my studio, well actually I don't have a lot of choice with what must be one of the tiniest gardens around. I guess all that's left is to do is to work out the size and design that will work for me.

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My favourite home and lifestyle series & some before and afters

Currently I am blogging from my sofa, laptop perched precariously on my lap, as I watch professional home stager, Matthew Finlason perform his magic on the television series, 'The Stagers'. Suddenly I have a flash of inspiration, with the recent explosion of home inspiration series, I have decided to dedicate this post to a few of my favourites. I realise there is the possibility my personal favourites may not be viewable in every country, however if you have digital TV you could have access to these and many more. If you don't have access www.digitaltvsignup.co.uk/ have a great choice of packages available where you can discover your favourite series. I have to warn you some of these programs highly addictive, especially for those of us passionate about home decorating.

Candice Tells All:

An inspiring before and after series where weekly, Candice Olsen takes you through the detail of her signature makeovers where she turns a tired space into something beautiful. Candice loves classic design and has a savvy way of combining classic and contemporary pieces, creating a fresh, timeless look to her rooms. I love this series, not just for the makeover but Candice has a wonderful personality and she and her team usually have a little lighthearted fun as they progress through their work. A few examples of Candice signature style can be seen below;

Neutral  Hampton's style this living area has a bright fresh look

Candice loves to play with colour and pattern. The elaborate mirror is made more effective by the dark  plum paintwork

Nothing works together in this large empty space until Candice waves her magic wand....

Candice took a large space and created a stunning master wing. I don't know about you but I could totally live in this room.

Image sources via.

The Stagers:

A popular series where professional stagers Matthew, Bridget and Maureen take tired houses or empty properties and turn them into spectacular homes that will stand out in the property market. Matthew Finlason is my favourite stager, his crazy energy and 100 mile an hour mind, along with his obvious passion for his work make him a fun personality to watch. When Matthews rooms are complete, there is a definite "wow" factor. Matthew actually reminds me a little of my eldest son who is co-incidentally called Matthew too and is also a stylist but in the fashion industry, both Matts have the same enthusiastic energy that I love.

'The stagers' is a great series for learning lots of home styling tips and tricks. One tip I took one on board last year when I staged my mums house was using a blow up bed.  I had already sold her dated bedroom furniture and  thought, how on earth am I going to stage the bedrooms now. Simple! as seen on "The Stagers", I took 8 large cardboard cartons (free from the supermarket) and sat a blow up Queen size mattress on top (placing a carton at each corner and one in the centre of the side and bottom of the bed. Once I had dressed the bed, no one would have known. I was praying a child wouldn't run in and try and jump on the bed, luckily it didn't happen. It is a really worthwhile tip. A great idea if your styling an apartment and don't want to be moving a bed up and down stairs.

A few of Matthew's before and afters...

Before -  a multi use area in a loft apartment

After - a light filled dining area

Before -  a dark loft is given a contemporary and light filled look below...

After - with the addition of free standing lights, cream ottoman, glass coffee table and light coloured rug, retaining the owners small leather couch, Matthew worked his magic.

Before - No comment....

After -  Matthews magic touch - a stylish contemporary living area

Images via

House rules:

An Australian series currently airing on NZ TV, this fast paced series takes 5 couples and two brothers who compete by renovating each others homes. One home is showcased each week and each couple (apart from the home owner) is designated an area of the house and  given one week to complete the renovation. The only direction given is a short list of 'house rules' from the owners. The final winner will have their entire mortgage paid off.

With a roller coaster of highs and lows, rippling wallpaper, doorways being blocked off, live possums and dead rodents the program continually keeps you on the edge. Nevertheless the couples battle to achieve the highest marks, not only the judges but the home owners themselves.

In the list of house rules provided by the owners are their likes, dislikes and favoured style such as country/industrial and as you can imagine interpretations of style can vary. Homeowner Michelle loved Moroccan tiles, the two brothers who had Michelles bathroom to renovate, thought Morocco was in South America and decided they would create their own Moroccan look by using bright orange, green and yellow coloured mosaics in a geometric design, needless to say this didn't go down well with Michelle who apparently hated the colour orange and gave them a low 3 out of a possible 10 points. 

To date, the houses renovations are complete, one couple have been eliminated and it is now up to the remaining couples to have a second chance at re-doing one area in their own homes, the catch is, they only 24 hours to complete the transformation.  I think the series finishes this Friday in NZ. I am keen to see the changes they make this week, it's any ones chance of winning now as the original points have been wiped and they will start again.

Some of the final room makeovers below...

 This house had to be totally re-built, the house rule was coastal Moroccan mix

Amy and Sean's kitchen -  Their house rules were "country/industrial". Michelle and Steve interpreted this perfectly in their renovation of Amy and Sean's kitchen 

Brothers Chris and Nicks living/dining area is given a modern makeover

Jane and Plinio's new dining room

Images via

There many house renovation series, sadly I don't have time to review all so I have created a short list of others I enjoy...

• Secrets from a stylist 
• Sarah Beeny's selling houses 
• Buying and selling with the property brothers
• Dream build

I hope you have enjoyed this post, I would love to hear what your favourite home and lifestyle programme is?

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