Ahhh…don’t these fantastic deckchairs from Gallant & Jones just shout Summer? Tamra (Gallant), one of the founders of Gallant & Jones was inspired by the classic English deckchairs she spotted while strolling along the Thames in London. She brought the idea back home to Vancouver and shared it with her designer friend Gwyn (Jones) and a chair was born as they say.  Each chair is handcrafted in Vancouver by Tamra and Gwyn using sustainable black walnut wood and gorgeous fabrics. They aren’t cheap but the quality of these deckchairs is worth it.

As soon as I saw the Keri rug from her Amagansett collection I fell in love. I loved the floral motif and how it almost perfectly matched the Indian floral motif on the couch pillows. The bright raspberry was a risk but when I looked around the room I realized I had quite a bit of pink and red on the walls already.   Since the rug is on the thin side I bought a 1/2 inch rug pad and it makes the floor super cushiony. I realize this look is not for everyone and I was unsure at first myself of the bold color choice, but in addition to warming up the room it really ties together all of the different elements I have going on in that room and the adjoining living room. It certainly boosted my confidence that blogger Making it Lovely also has a pink Madeline Weinrib rug in her living room.

I have to give a big ups to the hubs who trusted me on this choice and luckily feels comfortable enough with his masculinity to lounge in his leather chair surrounded by all of that pink.

I’m still not sure what to do with the wall behind the tv.  Since we can’t paint the walls I feel like it needs something. I’m also not sure if I want add a coffee table in this room. So I guess this isn’t really a full makeover just yet, so stay tuned!

In the meantime, here is some more information about the prints and such that I have on the walls. Behind the couch I hung the polka dot plates I bought off of One Kings Lane, here’s a picture from Charmville’s blog. On the right wall is my Stephanie Levy print.  Behind the leather chair is my Nate Lambdin print and opposite is my San Francisco print from Ork Posters. Lastly, in the living room is the hubs Jerry Garcia print from the über talented Marian Bantjes.

I was just perusing Vivaterra’s unique collection of eco friendly products when these suzani benches caught my eye.  These benches of sustainable sheesham wood are made with suzani’s of 100% organic cotton using eco-friendly dyes and they are on sale now for $235! Sadly of course, in my house it would most likely be covered by clothing or kitty hair and these benches are way too pretty to cover up. To see more of Vivaterra’s homewares click here.

]]> http://littlewillow.com/2009/09/11/suzani-bench/feed/ 1 http://littlewillow.com/2009/08/26/the-most-beautiful-chair/ http://littlewillow.com/2009/08/26/the-most-beautiful-chair/#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:21:14 +0000 lilwills http://littlewillow.com/?p=3659

Dear Most Beautiful Chair in the World,

If I wasn’t already married and knocked up and you weren’t already sold to some lucky bastard, I would definitely want to marry you and have adorable chair babies with you. That’s not weird at all right?

Sincerely,

Your Biggest and Possibly Your Strangest Fan

For more amazingness from Spruce Upholstery in Austin, TX check out their two Etsy shops here and here.

P.S. If you have any recommendations for things you couldn’t live without when you had your baby, please write to me. I am a sponge right now for information!

Hable Construction: Storage Bushels, Skip Hop: Diaper Bag, Uppa Baby: Vista Stroller, Serena & Lily: Glider

Halo SleepSack Swaddle, FloBib Dribble Baby Bib, MamaRosa Booties, Ella Moss Little Ella Romper, Happy Greenbee Organic Striped Cardigan

Wee Gallery Mobile, Decoy Lab Elephant Clock, Bibitty French Alphabet Cards, Cocoon Couture Whale Beanbag, Serena & Lily Peacock Sling

Harmonie-intérieure Wonderland Decal, Skip Hop Vine Floral Crib Bedding, Inke Heiland Wallpaper Tree, E.Soule Zebra 5×5 Photo Box, JennSki Letter L (lion), Sweet Nellie Martin the Dog

While I was in London I picked up the May issue of House and Garden UK (my new favorite design mag) where I saw this photo by Chris Tubbs of artist Jorge Estevez’ Paris studio.  I love everything about this kitchen especially the trumpet lights made from vintage gramophone horns and the bright hanging glass tealight holders in the background.  I wasn’t able to find these exact tea light holders but found a similar version here. The gramophone lights are from Trouver Antiques and they’re on sale!

]]> http://littlewillow.com/2009/05/07/house-and-garden-uk/feed/ 2 http://littlewillow.com/2009/04/28/pyrographed-coffee-table/ http://littlewillow.com/2009/04/28/pyrographed-coffee-table/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2009 16:31:02 +0000 lilwills http://littlewillow.com/2009/04/28/pyrographed-coffee-table/

I’m back from London, still a little jet-lagged but ready to get back to work.   It’s never fun to come back to an in-box full of email but it is fun when they contain notices about beautiful new products! Atelier R.Bernier the dynamite French design workshop has created this gorgeous “pyrographed” oak coffee table.   Don’t worry I didn’t know what pyrographed meant either.   It’s the process of engraving a design into something, in this case wood, with a heated needle.   I’m a sucker for the simple lines of this table but it’s the engraved floral motif that elevates this to something more than just a coffee table, it’s a work of art.

I had the best experience on Monday buying a new couch! When was the last time you heard somebody say that? Instead of settling for any old straight-out-of-a-catalog or this season’s Pottery-Restoration-Sonoma-Pier-Macy’s-type couch, I did a bunch of research and found a way to make my own. Yes, I actually used the resource section of my new Domino Book of Decorating and found a furniture manufacturer that allows you to select from a wide range of couch styles, then let’s you choose the fabric and hardware. I went to Hamilton Park Interiors here in Utah and worked with an awesome designer named Kathryn who helped me pick a Drexel Heritage settee. I have to say it was more fun than I imagined. The possibilities were endless (thank God the hubs wasn’t there — I imagine it really would’ve felt endless for him).

In the end I fell in love with the ladylike scalloped back and the antique look of the turned legs in the above design, though the combo of the rich blue fabric and the jacquard silk floral pillows with a little fringe made it a show-stopper for me. Of course now I have to wait until January for it to arrive but looking at this mock-up of the final couch will help keep my eyes on the prize until then. Below is a photocopy of the fabrics but once the real deal is in I will repost for your viewing pleasure.

Now on to some pretty things worth sharing. Brocade Home has all sorts of lovely boudoir items to shabby chic-ify your home. My favorite is this green bed frame for a fairly reasonable $399. They have a great selection of feminine laser cut furniture and colored chandeliers. I love this tufted lounge chair in my favorite shade of blue/grey, I feel better just looking at it.

As kids, Haley and I used to escape to the backyard apple tree to hideout and make up songs or whisper swear words to each other over and over thinking that if we got them all out at once, we’d never swear again. True story: once after saying s**t Haley went and washed her own mouth out with soap and then told my Mom!

I’m too cautious now to go climb a tree so I’ll have to satisfy myself with a more grown up hideaway from Cocktail UK. The teepee swing would have been perfect for us as kids, we would have filled it with all of our stuffed animals and books. Nowadays I could sit happily in the GLOBO swing seat and swear away until my hearts content – no soap included.

Needs some inspiration for reupholstering your Sunday Flea Market finds? Head over to the incredible Lotus Bleu for designer Jeannie Fraise’s boldly reupholstered vintage furniture. Jeannie travels annually to France and Southeast Asia to gather her beautiful fabrics for custom upholstery, cushions and curtains. I’ve got my eye on some bedding from India and I’m definitely filing this place away for my next upholstery project. Bonus for me, Jeannie’s store is in San Francisco!

One of the things I miss the most about our years living in San Francisco was meandering home from work, up and over the hills, to our apartment below Russian Hill. I loved the discovery of a new boutique on Polk, taking a peek at the menu for the latest hipster restaurant on Hayes or stopping into a little sweet shop on Union for a before dinner treat. So last week I came up with a plan. The hubs and I commute home together, so instead of waiting around for him I decided to get a head start and walk in the general direction of the Golden Gate Bridge and he could pick me up wherever I ended up.

This plan led to the best SF discovery I’ve had in awhile, the design boutique Eden & Eden! As soon as I turned the enormous antique doorknob to enter I felt a wave of awe fill my soul. I was like a kid in a candy store, oohing and awing over the ferm Living wallpaper, the stunning Ivana Helsinki clothing and bags, colorful Antoni & Alison cashmere sweaters and my new favorite, People Will Always Need Plates witty mugs and of course plates. The shop has a real international vibe, due to owner Rachel’s British beginnings. There are items from Denmark, Finland and the UK all displayed with the sophisticated eye of a curator. On the Eden & Eden website they have made a select few goodies available for purchase which gives a sense of the diversity and the quirky personality of the shop. Rachel could not have been more kind or easy to talk to, in fact I think I talked her ear off!

If you like what you see at the shop, Rachel and Christiane from ferm Living have joined forces to offer design consulting. I would love to hire an interior designer but have often been intimidated by the thought that a designers taste might take over and my home wouldn’t feel like mine anymore. I was happy to hear Rachel talk about their low-key design services, often reusing items you already own to revise a room or an entire house. It is truly a pleasure to visit this unique boutique, if you live in San Francisco or come visit don’t miss Eden & Eden! Located at 560 Jackson Street at the base of Columbus Ave in North Beach.

Here are some snaps Rachel graciously allowed me to take on my last visit.