Bibby + Brady Interior Process

Some of you may know that Dael & I offer a Bibby + Brady 'e-decorating service'. It means you don't have to live in Hawke's Bay to work with us. All you need is a phone to chat with us, a computer to email us, and a camera to snap some photos of your chosen space. 

I thought I'd show you an example of the process. The following photos are the 'before' photos of Angie and Ryan's entranceway. It really was a blank canvas! Our brief was to create a 'wow' factor with a console or bench seat for Angie to display fresh flowers, a statement piece of art or a mirror, and a great pendant light. They didn't need storage for shoes or bags, as there was a cupboard around the corner for these things. Ryan liked bright green, and although Angie wasn't so sure, she was open to our ideas.

This is the concept board we produced. We used Ryan's green on the ceiling. It brings the outside in, looks really fresh with white walls, and adds some 'wow' without being too overwhelming. The black and white runner leads your eye into the home. We wanted the console table to have simple, clean lines so that it didn't 'fight' with the statement art piece. We chose a gorgeous pendant light, but because it was quite pricey we also included a more affordable alternative - our save and splurge.

This is the finished entranceway. Once of the reasons we love working with Angie and Ryan is that they trust us, and follow our concepts very closely. We recommended an Armadillo runner, but because there were a couple of special 'wow' pieces in this entranceway, the budget dictated a smaller runner for now, which still looks great.

We found this a-ma-zing vintage brass console table from Mid Century Swag and knew it would be perfect (thank goodness Angie & Ryan agreed).

I'm a big fan of Andrew O'Brien's artwork, and love how this piece picks up the green in the ceiling.

Angie and Ryan didn't end up choosing either of our original lights, although they loved the 'splurge'. But we found these cute beaker pendants from Lighting Plus that look great hung at different levels.

So that's our process from concept to reality. It's only a tiny space, but your entranceway is very important for creating first impressions. We're currently working with several clients from Hawke's Bay and beyond, and will keep you updated with progress. If you'd like some help with your space/s, maybe your home, or your workplace, please get in touch.

Cotton On Kids Bedroom Range

My two youngest kids are like the poster children for Cotton On kids - we all love their cute clothes in a range of fun colours and graphic patterns. So you can imagine how excited I was to hear that Cotton On had brought out their own range of bedlinen and room accessories.

The range is gorgeous and boasts the same fun, graphic feel as their clothing. The 100% cotton bedlinen comes in reversible duvet covers, sheets and pillowcases, and cushions that can all be mixed and matched.

The bedding is available in single, double and queen size, which means you can cater for the bigs kids as well as the little ones. You'll also find the cutest accessories - paper lanterns, cute garlands, wall stickers and more.

Kids' rooms are my favourite rooms to design, you can have so much fun with them. I can definitely see this new range from Cotton On featuring in my twins' room, and some!

Vancouver Island Getaway | Rue

I managed to find some time yesterday to read the latest Rue magazine. If you have time this lunch hour or over the weekend, curl up with a cuppa and get inspired.

My favourite part of the magazine was this beautiful bed & breakfast on Vancouver Island, with it's light, airy, relaxed style. Owners, Harold and Marianne, achieved this with the help of their interior designer daughter, Angela Robinson.

Time spent in Norway inspired Angela - she borrowed their natural colour palette and layers of texture, working with quality materials to ensure that comfort wasn't spared despite the minimalist look.

Because the setting of 'Inn the Estuary' is so beautiful, it was important to Angela to have a seamless transition from indoors to out. Bright whites, warm wood, and accents of blue and green reflect the natural surroundings. I'd be very happy to stay here, wouldn't you?

Read more about this home and lots more in the April/May edition of Rue.