Make it in pattern

Pattern can really pep up an interior and give it a point of view. For me it’s a must, since a mix of patterns adds depth and sophistication. After all, why should everything be beige?

Cheers, Arren

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Monochrome or bright? No matter your mood, artisan Naila Janzen - the creative mind behind Winnipeg’s Rox Textile Art - can hook you up.

Janzen describes her work as ‘functional art’ - Bold patterns show up in cotton quilts that look good both tossed over the arm of a sofa, or hung on the wall to admire. Then, patchwork comes into play in graphic cotton cushion covers, which are totally giving me a naval signal flag vibe. My suggestion is that you snap up two or three of those cushions to wake up your sofa, pronto.

Love. It. All! Shop the whole shebang here.

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Australian design powerhouse Sibella Court has just released a collection of tiles with TeraNova that have me going gaga. Honestly, I could probably do with an intervention at some point, because my love of good encaustic tiles knows no bounds, and HELLO, these are marbled!!!

Sirocco is the pattern’s name, and comes in a gorgeous array of tints. That one on the top is a smoky teal called Ocean and the on-the-money shade beneath is Brick. Ink and Ochre round out the Sirocco palette, though the full Tradewinds collection includes other patterns in both encaustic and stone. Shop the lot here.

The question has already been asked as to whether TeraNova ships, and the answer is yes, so keep an eye out - You can bet some of your fave designers will be using it soon…

Photo: William Meppem

Photo: William Meppem

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Why, WHY, do you have dull white lampshades in your house? Shake it up, people!

Thank heavens Bespoke Binny’s shade collection in standout African wax prints definitely makes the case that adding personality to your lamps is an absolute must. The designer behind the brand, Natalie Manima, has been perfecting her craft over the past 7 years and now kindly shares the wealth with virtual make-your-own-shade classes that include all the bits and bobs you need.

More info on the Virtual Lampshade Class here. Not feeling handy? Don’t sweat it - You can scroll through Manima’s extensive collection here.

Photo: SR Costello

Sit Like Sylvia

I was lucky enough to grow up with an appreciation for vintage finds, heading with my gran Lena to assorted jumble sales and church bazaars, where she would bribe our way in for an early ‘dealer’s view’ of what was on offer. That’s where I caught the collecting bug. In fact, I still have the Art Deco alabaster dressing table mirror I bought at the age of 12. You’ll spot it in this snap on Insta.

What are your favourite vintage and antique finds? Send me a snap, I’d love to see.

Cheers, Arren

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I have always, ALWAYS, wanted to own a Peacock Chair. And now, while I might be no closer, I definitely have a new one to top my list - The Melek accent chair. A great piece from the ace new furniture collection for McGuire by San Francisco interior designer Nicole Hollis, this chair is a standout in her line. But wait, there’e even more to see here.

Definitely no shrinking violet, this style of chair has quite the colourful history (take a look at the Vox mini doc below). But for me it’s all a little more louche, sexy and 70’s, since it's the chair made (in)famous by the erotic 1974 film Emanuelle, when star Sylvia Kristal posed topless in one for the movie’s poster.

Photo: McGuire

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If you’re in Canada and and fancy easy access to Canadian makers, artisans, artists and food purveyors, then you need to hit up Fabrique 1840.

Started as an online craft-centric offshoot of the Simons department stores, you can source everything from the fab Edwin chair (Coolican & Company’s mod take on a Windsor chair), to Lambert & Fils clean and minimal Dot Line Floor Lamp (in black or white it’s a winner). Currently sitting in my shopping cart? The limited edition ‘Artefact no. 7’ abstract art print below from Montreal’s mpgmb.

The good news is that Fabrique 1840 has become so successful that they’re looking to expand their roster of makers. Drop them a line here if that’s you!

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After blatting on about colour last week, I thought it would be fun to delve into something a little, ahem, paler. While we’ve all seen more than our fair share of gorgie all-white Scandi interiors, I thought this more ‘dressed’ space was a sophisticated twist on a monochrome palette.

Designed by Baptiste Bohu, a French interior designer who works mostly in Asia, I’m very much into how layered it all is. That palette of soft tonal shifts in greys and whites, with just enough black to ground everything, and a hit or two of brass? Perfect. The decidedly glam take on a Qing Dynasty style scroll table is, well, rather FAB, and don’t even get me started on that lamp. Check out more of Bohu’s work here.