Arabian Nights

As the days get longer and the temperature starts to rise, we can see that summer is on the horizon! Therefore, there is no better time to start dressing your home for the summer season. With the addition of our newest client Bohemia Design, we are loving the Moroccan look!

Moroccan style is all about rich lighting, vibrant tones and bringing the outdoors in, and these Moroccan Leather Pouffes from Bohemia Design are perfect for this.

Available in a range of colours and styles from fresh summer hues, traditional oiled leathers and kilim rug designs, they are the perfect home accessory to update your living space.

You can also adapt this exotic theme for the garden with jewel toned lanterns, colourful plant pots and canopies, to add an authentic touch, reminiscent of a Moroccan Bazaar tent.

Here is a pick of Moorish-inspired delights that are perfect for creating that real Arabian look.

1)      Moroccan Shopping Souk Basket; Bohemia Design; £12

2)      Kilim & Leather Boots – Yasmina; Bohemia Design; £125

3)      Moroccan Leather Pouffe – Burgundy; Bohemia Design; £85

4)      Bohemia Moroccan Drum Pouffe Dark ; Bohemia Design; £89

5)      Moroccan Babouche Slippers ; Bohemia Design; £20

6)      Moroccan Drum Pouffe Oiled with Kilim; Bohemia Design; £114

7)      Mini Glass Lantern Moroccan Style – Pink; homehomehome; £4.95

8)      Lisbeth Dahl Rose Pink Glass Bowl; MOLLIE & FRED; £19.99

9)      Cream Lantern Decoration; Gifts From Handpicked; £10.95

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The grand scheme of things to come

Venice Lamp; House Couturier

I discovered, as I tore the wrapping paper off of my modest pile of Christmas presents last December, in and amongst the slippers and Maltesers and Topshop clothes I’d gifted myself, a little postbox red t-shirt. The t-shirt had been emblazoned with a rather large typographic design and read something similar to ‘Titanic – Belfast – April 1912’.

I was amused and a little puzzled as to why this t-shirt ended up in my Christmas stocking for I didn’t ever recall giving off the impression of a die-hard cruise fan, or even history buff. My mother (for it was my mother who had purchased and wrapped this little treasure with me in mind), jumped in to try to explain: “It’s the centennial! Now everyone will know you’re from Belfast.”

Chaucer Chesterfield Sofa; Darlings of Chelsea

Err Ok. Between us citizens of Belfast there has always been a good bit of debate as to whether or not being the architects of the most famous sinking in history is something to be shouting from the rooftops. That aside, there has always been interest in the Titanic, and this year undoubtedly hype will be ramped up further with the centennial in April, the opening of the imposing Titanic museum in Belfast, and general fixation with all things early 1900s.

At zero2one we are familiar with how trends develop and progress. Everything is linked, details unveiled on the catwalks in 2011 is destined to filter into the Wonderful World of Interiors several months down the line. Hype, events, exhibition openings can all influence  how people choose to decorate their homes. With this in mind, I have taken the liberty to scout a few suitably Titanic products from our clients (and  no, alas I’m not sporting that little red t-shirt as I type).

Toni Table Lamp; Gong

AM

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New Year, New Clients

Top Drawer is the leading UK event for showcasing the latest in design led gifts, lifestyle and fashion accessories. So parting with the knowledge that a handful of zero2one clients were exhibiting at the bi-annual event, I was positively glowing with not only the excitement of an afternoon out of the office, but meeting some of our favourite people.

I was really excited about what new and exciting products the style icons of the homeware world might be displaying and was thrilled to see that a lot of stands were filled with bright vibrant colours and pretty and intriguing products.

After drooling over many items which I have now added to my dream home wish list, (girls, please take note) I went off to visit Sweet William, Giant Sparrows, and White Rabbit England to see their wonderful displays. After a quick walk and talk with Jo from Found Home Store, I went to meet our latest client to hop onto the zero2one PR train; FEBRONIE.

Formed in 2010, Febronie Dessage-Bonnet decided to set up her own self-titled brand FEBRONIE by using her multicultural upbringing, travels around the world and love of fabrics and materials to inspire her to create a collection of holiday and lifestyle essentials for the beach, bathroom and the home.

The Fouta is her signature product and an essential holiday companion: it is a beach towel, a bath towel, a sarong, a throw, a tablecloth and a picnic blanket. It is absorbent, lightweight, washes brilliantly and is available in a wide variety of colours. Febronie’s bright and colourful collection has seen her cast her net wider into designing kaftans, panama and fedora hats, bags and bathrobes and this year she has also created a collection of foutas and kaftans for children.

As FEBRONIE have already picked up a celebrity following in Pippa Middleton who was seen wearing her brown felt fedora hat, I am sure that Febronie will be the name rolling off many more celebs tongues by the end of the year and I can’t wait to see what other designing delights she has in store.

RN

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New Kid On The Block

 

It’s not every day you get the opportunity to help launch a new fabric designer. Last week zero2one were delighted to welcome Peony & Sage,  the debut fabric collection from British interior designer Kimberley Bell, onto our books.

A collection of subtly coloured linens, Peony & Sage was inspired by the colours and textures found in nature – as well as by the colour palettes from Farrow & Ball.  Having immersed herself in beautiful fabrics and wallpapers for most of her career, creating her own range felt like the natural next step for Kimberley Bell.

 

The entire collection was designed with versatility in mind: the linens should appeal to different tastes and are suitable for all room types, for curtains and upholstery.

 

Kimberley explains: “I specifically designed fabrics suitable for every room in the home. I wanted them to be delicate and timeless to suit elegant understated homes.”  There are four series in the collection, “Country Life”; highly detailed drawings from nature, the “English Meadows”; faded florals and fauna, “The French House”, elegant French florals, and “The Vintage Cottage Collection” pretty, ditsy, vintage inspired designss.

 

 

 The Peony & Sage collection (£38-46.00 per metre) is on sale at www.peonyandsage.com. 

 

 

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Virtual Inspiration

We’ve gone pinning crazy in the office this week!

In between Christmas call ins and the putting together of our Christmas ‘Wow’ packs (yes, really!), juxtaposed with the sweltering heat and persistent whurr of air con in overdrive, we’ve been getting to grips with the new phenomenum of Pinterest – and becoming obsessed!

Have you logged on yet?

Basically it’s a virtual pinboard that allows you to organise and share all the beautiful things you find on the web, and trust us, there is plenty of wonderful inspiration out there!

We are finding it invaluable for organising our favourite client images into trends, themes and categories, and it’s also fantatsic to follow the ‘tastemakers’ and see what trends are going to be taking off over the next few months.

You can keep up to date with what’s hot in Zero2one’s world by following our boards here.

KB

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The Office

We had a productive week re-arranging the office. Just as our back catalogue magazine shelves were filled to overflowing, a little angel of fate left little a bookcase just outside our office with a post-it reading ‘please take’ attached.

Colour is certainly the name of the game as our new bookcase sits happily in it’s new spot in the corner that served previously as a no man’s wasteland, adorned with files and mags of every shade under the sun.

If you’d like a few ideas for quick office updates that could really enhance your working environment, take a look at the  great products below…

I Am Not A Robot wall sticker; Red Candy

Ever wake up in the morning and feel the need to switch on to autopilot just to get you through the day? Remind yourself that you are a human and not a machine that is there for the convenience of others with the I Am Not A Robot Wall Sticker.

This funky motivational quote is a great piece of wall decor for the office or bedroom, and is not only there for you, but for others to remind too. Fun and with a thoughtful message, this sticker is ideal for those workaholics.

Esteban Standing Lamp; Gong

Shed a little light on your subject with the ultra cool Esteban Tripod Lamp from Gong’s industrial collection. This would make a great addition to any creative space and has been inspired by lights used on film sets in the 1970s!

Arne Jacobsen Style Egg Chair; Interior Addict

Try this reproduction inspired by Jacobsen’s unconventional and iconic classic Egg chair for office style. Although this is the ultimate in office statements, it may not be the most practical option in terms of  office seating arrangements should you have colleagues within touching distance ! Without wanting to drag up the donkey, this 70s style armchair is bang on trend for the season.

AML

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Get the Spa Style

I challenge anyone to conjure up a more blissful Bank Holiday Monday than spending five luscious hours within the walls of the Royal Day Spa, Tunbridge Wells. Prior to discovering the spa, Tunbridge Wells meant little more to me than home to Zero2one’s exquisite kitchen client Kit Stone, but we’ll leave kitchens for another day. I’d like to show you a few ways to capture that essence of spa in your own bathroom, for sandalwood and mud infused jacuzzi’s aside, there really is something to be said about the luxurious Grecian decor of the RDS.

1) Bamboo Towel Holder; giftsfromhandpicked.com; £9.95

2) Rex Inter Vintage Toilet Sign; giftsfromhandpicked.com; £1.95

3) Oasis Bath Caddy; strawberryfool.com; £39.99

4) Foot Spa; healthylivingdirect.com; £27.99

AM

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The Barbeque Season is Upon Us

As the weather warms up and the days get longer, nothing spells out summer more than enjoying a barbeque with friends and family.

If you’re heading off to the beach, check out Drinkstuff favourite, the Portable Notebook BBQ that folds up to a slim 25 mm making it easy to carry or pop in the boot of your car.

For a more girly touch or those short on space, the Portable BBQ in Raspberry from The Gifted Penguin is a must. Alternatively you can always rely on The Present Finder for a humourous take with the Fire Bucket Barbeque that looks exactly like; yes, you guessed it – a Fire Bucket!

The problem with portable barbeques especially in the park is that you end up leaving behind a large burnt patch of grass. Strawberry Fool has the perfect solution with the Asado Chrome BBQ stand which fits all standard size disposable barbeques.

However top of the list for the barbeque season must be the Barbeskew. Originally seen on Dragon’s Den; the Barbeskew combines a traditional barbeque with a spit roast so that the food is automatically rotated ensuring it is cooked thoroughly but never burns. For those food items that can’t be cooked on a skewer there is a rotating cage. There are 9 main skewers, a chicken skewer and 2 long cage skewers so no more worries if you’re planning on cooking for a large crowd.

But no barbeque is complete without a yummy cocktail or jug of Pimms so why not check out the Trend Trios on our facebook page for some ideas.

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Trendy Trios and Wedding Bells

Can you believe it’s finally here?

Heady on the excitement of the sun coming out to play during the whole of the Easter bank holiday (completely unheard of!), all thoughts are turning joyously towards the upcoming Royal nuptials,  now just mere days away!

So we thought it would be particularly fitting to kick-start our new Trend Trios series with 3 beautiful products to help you celebrate the Royal Wedding in style!

We simply love the idea of sitting out in the garden to watch the wedding on Friday, reclining on the beautiful William & Catherine Commemorative Chair by Metal Design Furniture, under Red, White and Blue Paper Heart Bunting from The Gifted Penguin, then heading into the kitchen to dust off the champagne flutes with the Royal Wedding Tea Towel from The Present Finder, before we raise a toast to the happy couple.

Trend Trios is our new weekly series where we will be showcasing our three favourite trend-led products. You can keep up to date with these Trend Trios by checking out our brand new Facebook page! Make sure you become a fan  so you can keep up-to-date with all the latest news and gossip from Zero2one and our clients.

We look forward to seeing you over there!

KB

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Top 5 Picnic Tips

We are big fans of summer days out here at Zero2one. Getting out and about in the sunshine is an inexpensive and enjoyable way to spend your day off, or even treat the kids without breaking the bank.

Below we give you our top five picnic tips to help your day go smoothly.

Keep it light

You may decide to take a nice stroll to and from your picnic spot so choose paper or plastic plates and cutlery, they are lighter and easier to carry around (and children love the novelty factor!) Melamine wins on the durability factor and is ideal carting around. Strawberry Fool have some great polka-dot melamine tableware currently on sale. Polka dots are going to be big news come Autumn / Winter, so why not have yourself a fashion-forward picnic now?

Keep it separate

Fan of sauce? No need to pack the whole bottle, or douse your salad before you go. Strawberry Fool are reaching out to condiment fans with their new Bento Box lunch boxes that feature an added sauce pot and airtight lid.

Keep it easy

It’s great fun getting the children to help make picnic food, such as a quiche or fruit salad but if you’re short on time (or patience) for this type of thing then a quick visit to the deli will have it covered, no fuss. Zero2one are big fans of the particularly simple carrot baton / hummus combination.

Keep it cool

Get a cool bag or ice box and don’t forget to add your chiller-block before you leave to keep the contents cool and fresh. Another great tip is to freeze drinks and use them as an alternative to chiller-blocks; by the time you reach your destination they should be drinkable. Strawberry Fool should once again see you right on this point with a family cooler to co-ordinate with their timeless polka-dot melamine. If stripes are more your thing, look into their Neapolitan family cooler with striking raspberry trim, highly insulated, needless to say.

Keep it clean

Take plastic bags, napkins and wet wipes. Red Candy stock Renova napkins in vibrant red, green and orange. The wet wipes will be very welcome to clean hands after eating and you can then put them, along with any rubbish, into a bag ready to dispose of. Totally Funky have made it their business to turn your rubbish into art with their GoldFish Bin Bags(somewhat wrong if their contents includes discarded tuna sandwiches!).

Finally, when the day draws to an end, either take your rubbish home or find the nearest bin but make sure you leave your picnic spot clean so that somebody else can enjoy it!

 

AM

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