Wallace Cotton Giveaway

I have long been a fan of New Zealand owned and operated company, Wallace Cotton. Passionate about creating beautiful home textiles, Bill and Paula Wallace started the company in late 2005. Over the years they have steadily grown and now have over 50,000 people on their mailing list throughout New Zealand and Australia, a growing number of shops throughout the North Island, and of course, their online shop.

I received the new Spring catalogue in the post last week and was, once again, highly impressed with the beautiful products, styling and photography. Each catalogue is photographed at a different New Zealand setting. From luxury lodges to stunning homes, the locations are chosen to best showcase the range. For such an excellent catalogue I'm always pleasantly surprised at the price point. I own several Wallace Cotton pieces, and the value for money is brilliant for such fantastic quality products.

I am thrilled to have an amazing opportunity for all of you - my lovely readers...
the fabulous team at Wallace Cotton have a $200 gift voucher to giveaway to one lucky Cush & Nooks follower. All you have to do is pop over to their website, and email me the name of your favourite bedding range. I'm going to help you out a little bit by showing you some of my favourites. And because I like to mix and match, I've selected some pieces that I think will work really well together.

The Ethereal range features a divine Suzani print in charcoal, pale grey and white. I have chosen to team it with my favourite Delacour sheet, a Velvet Quilt in Kingfisher Blue, and Hideaway Quilted Pillowcases for a soft, dreamy look.

I love the Indira range in the timeless combination of fresh white and indigo blue. Try matching their pillowcases with the beautiful Santorini Quilt. Throw in some delicious cushions like a Ming Blue Velvet cushion, a Bettie Lou cushion, and warm up those cool tones with a Ginger Meg Square cushion.

For a wildy feminine room you must choose the gorgeous Eutopia range. One side beige, the other white, you can choose which side faces up, and flip it whenever your heart desires.
I love mixing floral, stripes and spots, so I think the combination of the Tallulah Quilted Euro pillow, the Tallulah pillow, and the earthy tones of the Wanaka Oxford pillow look fabulous together. As a finishing touch the Sack Cloth Linen cushion is wonderfully soft and compliments the rosey red beautifully.

If you haven't got a copy of the latest catalogue in the mail you can order one here, or why not download the latest FREE issue from the App Store so you can view it on your iPad.
I will randomly draw a winner of the $200 voucher next Thursday 5th September. The winner will be announced at 5pm on my Facebook page, and will also be notified by email.
Open to New Zealand and Australian residents. Good Luck!

This competition has now closed. Congratulations to Claire Mitchell, our winner.

The Home of Amber Lewis

When I first saw the home of interior designer, Amber Lewis, on Style Me Pretty, I felt an immediate connection. I don't think I've ever come across someone else who likes hot pink, blue, and bold pattern mixes, quite as much as me!

Obviously, I love her home. It's fun, full of energy, inviting, and relaxed, and a little bit Boho. Although she lives in Los Angeles, I spied a couple of my Aussie favs in Anna Spiro's wallpaper, and Rachel Castle's art.

Repeating a similar colour palette throughout a home gives a sense of cohesion. And even though there is a lot of pattern, because Amber has stuck to the same colour palette (pink, blue, touches of green, and warm golds), it doesn't overwhelm.

This home is sooo me, it's a little spooky :) I could move in tomorrow and live quite happily here. And that Moroccan wedding blanket, and Kilim rug I've been eyeing up have been shuffled to the top of my wish list now.

Hamilton Home

For me, one of the most special parts of Cush & Nooks is getting to meet so many amazing, like-minded people. Just over a year ago I got a Facebook message from a follower of mine, asking advice on some art for her home. Since then we have exchanged many more messages and emails, and on a recent trip to Hamilton I got to visit her in her gorgeous home.

Sarah-Jane Hamilton is one of those people who is as beautiful inside as she is out. Bubbly and vivacious, she took me on a tour of the home that she and her husband, Justin, bought in May 2012.

Although no structural work needed to be done to the house, Sarah and Justin have given it a major makeover. Originally painted in tea tones with wooden beams, the first thing they did was paint the entire inside of the house in a fresh white to lighten and brighten it. Once they had their blank canvas, Sarah was able to work her magic by layering furniture and homewares that she'd been collecting and creating. With a job as a graphic designer she has a great eye, and simply oozes creativity.

Heat pumps, while practical, are not beautiful! Sarah has cleverly distracted your eye away from theirs by creating a fun picture wall underneath. Included in the mix is a framed piece of Cole and Sons 'Woods' wallpaper (a favourite of Sarah's) and a photo of Justin, who is a police officer.

Sarah is a great example of patience and innovation. If there's something she loves but the budget doesn't quite stretch that far, she'll diligently save until she can afford to buy it. She believes in investing in quality pieces, and by saving for them she can be certain that they're not just bought on a whim. If she can't find what she wants, she'll make them herself, or find someone to help her make them. A great example is the moose cushion, bought from Harvey Norman, which has been pimped out with hot pink pom poms that she sewed on by hand.

A black and white base with pops of vibrant colours is Sarah's M.O. It was her mum, Jenni Greenfield, who encouraged her to paint the back wall of their dining room a striking black.

Bold black and white striped wallpaper leads you upstairs where the black and white theme continues.

The colourful garland in the guest bedroom is another of Sarah's creations.

Karen Walker's 'fuscous grey' has been used on the back wall of the master bedroom. The deep charcoal is slightly softer than black.

Plans for the office include wallpapering it in the favourited 'Woods' wallpaper. It may, one day, need to be turned into a nursery, in which case the wallpaper will make a delightful feature that will not be outgrown.

Sarah is lucky enough to have a wonderful and close relationship with her mum, Jenni. They share a passion for interiors which runs in the family. Jenni tells of her 80 year old mum who recently white washed the floor boards in her Napier home herself - what a woman!

Combining their styles, which compliment each other beautifully, the talented mother and daughter pair have started a Facebook page which showcases all the things that they love.
In particular, Sarah is passionate about the fusion of fashion and interior design. So if you like what you see here, go over and 'like' their page, there are sure to be great things to come.

All photos are taken by the amazing and extremely talented Larnie Nicolson. Larnie is responsible for the photography of many of the gorgeous homes you see in our NZ home magazines, so make sure you 'like' her on Facebook too. She has a new book with LeeAnn Yare due out soon, featuring 24 amazing New Zealand homes. I've pre-ordered mine!

My heart goes out to Sarah and Justin who recently lost their beautiful dog, Whiskey, to an unexpected surgical complication. As a massive dog lover, I know how big a hole they leave in your life when they leave. Rest in peace Whiskey x

Wall & Deco

The range and quality of wallpaper just keeps getting more and more amazing. The right drop can make a huge statement in your home or workspace. Just take a look at these incredibly cool designs from Italian wallpaper company, Wall & Deco.

'Garden favors' is like a giant wool rug overlaid with flowers. It reminds me of picnics in the park.

'Cascade' makes a simply stunning backdrop.

One of my favourite, 'Funny land' looks so cool in the right setting.

Another favourite, 'Palette' is so unexpected, but looks amazing. It comes in a series of colour palettes.

I love the Souk rug from West Elm, and the 'Signoria' is the wallpaper version.

With my healthy obsession with circles, 'Shooter' is a winner in my books.

This is my kind of writing on the wall. 'Ink' looks pretty great behind these Tom Dixon pendants.

'Picos do Mundo' features snow capped peaks and billowing clouds in soft pastel tones.
Wouldn't those clouds look amazing on a ceiling?!

This is just a tiny selection of the wallpapers available. There are so many more, all equally jaw dropping. So make sure you pop over and see the full collection.

Magic in Madrid

Let's start this week with a hiss and a roar! I discovered the most incredible home in Madrid that has me weak at the knees! Gorgeous blocks of jewel-toned colours; sumptuous textures such as velvet, leather, and marble; simply amazing artwork; and furniture pieces that are so fabulous they are, indeed, like pieces of art.

If I had to choose I'd say my favourite area is the divine emerald green wall with the antique console table in front of it - a beautifully balanced vignette.

There is plenty of crisp white to balance the bold colour blocks, and provide a rest for the eye. I hope this has inspired you to embrace colour, and be bold in your decorating choices. It's homes like this that keep my passion for interior design burning brightly.