Scrapwood wallpaper by Piet Hein Eek

I've been a fan of Piet Hein Eek's work since I spotted his designs in Elle Decoration a couple of years ago. I really admire the fact that someone can actually create something so beautiful out of reclaimed wood (like this headboard made by House Tweaking) or this Pallet chair by Studiomama which one day I'm hoping to make for our Summer house.
Piet Hein Eek's designs are unique and merge artisan handcraft with skilled design but I also feel (and that's me believing in good karma) that this whole approach to a more eco-friendly design, his commitment to use reclaimed wood and his handcraft can only have a positive impact on our lives, our homes and the world of design in general.
So I can't tell you how happy I am to have his amazing and unique collection of Scrapwood wallpaper on BODIE and FOU.
The Scrapwood wallpaper by Piet Hein Eek has the warm, rustic feel that real wood brings to a room. Like the Bookshelf wallpaper, this is the kind of wallpaper design that is simply perfect to create a feature wall and this one has an industrial vibe that I love very much.
Think about this Dutch home and more specifically their kitchen (which is my inspiration for our kitchen in London) and how great just one wall would look with low-level kitchen units, the other walls painted in white, maybe a couple of floating shelves from Ikea to display handmade ceramics....
With just one roll, you can easily cover up to 4 sqm which should be enough to re-invent a corner of your home, an office space, kitchen, a beach house or a kids bedroom like the photo below.

Scrapwood wallpapaper at BODIE and FOU

Je suis fan du travail de Piet Hein Eek depuis que j'ai vu ses designs dans un numero de Elle Decoration il y a a peu pres deux ans. J'admire vraiment le fait que quelqu'un puisse creer quelque chose d'aussi beau a partir de bois de recup' (comme cette tete de lit realisee par House Tweaking) ou cette chaise faite a partir de bois de palettes de Studiomama que j'espere arriver a faire un jour pour notre maison de vacances.

Les designs de Piet Hein Eek sont uniques et ont ce doux melange d'artisanat et design de pointe mais j'ai aussi l'impression (et ca c'est moi qui croit au karma positif) que son approche du design, son engagement a n'utiliser que du bois de recup', son talent a creer quelque chose des ses mains ne peuvent avoir q'un impact positif sur nos vies, nos maisons et le design en general.
Du coup, vous imaginez a quel point, je suis super excitee d'avoir sa collection de papier peint Bois de recup' sur BODIE and FOU.
Le papier peint Bois de Recup de Piet Hein Eek a le meme charme rustique et chaleureux que le vrai bois apporte a une piece. Comme le Bookshelf wallpaper, c'est aussi un papier-peint qui est simplement parfait pour creer un impact visuel (feature wall...je ne sais pas comment le traduire) et celui-ci a un petit cote industriel que j'affectionne particulierement.
Prenez cette maison en Hollande et plus particulierement leur cuisine (qui est mon inspiration pour notre cuisine a Londres) et imaginez a quel point ce papier peint aurait l'air parfait juste sur un mur, avec des unites de cuisine basses, les autres murs peints en blanc, quelques etageres flotantes de chez Ikea pour mettre en valeur quelques ceramiques...
Avec juste un rouleau, vous couvrez jusqu'a 4 m2, ce qui suffisant pour refaire un bureau a la maison, un mur de cuisine, une maison de vacances ou meme une chambre d'enfant.

Psssttt: Until 05/03/2011, you can also win one roll on my friend's fabulous blog Vosges Paris

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I like this...

Very warm, cosy and inviting...

From Hege Greenall-Scholtz via HEM

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Mini & Maximus posters

Last month, I mentioned these two gorgeous posters...well they've arrived! The only thing is that I didn't foresee so many pre-orders so now we've only have 5 Meow posters left in stock until next year and a few more of the Feathers poster which is actually looking even better in real than on the photo so it will also end up in my home! It's a great one for teens as it look a bit more grown-up.
Since I got two of her prints and saw how great they look in my bedroom, I have been developing a massive crush for black and white prints. I have not decided yet where I will hang them all but it's likely to be in the kitchen where the Meow poster is (but then I'm moving away from my dream kitchen) or in the lounge, either on the floor or on the wall once we've done the lounge next Spring...

Le mois dernier, j'ai mentionne ces deux posters canons...et bien ils sont arrives! Le seul truc c'est que je n'avais pas prevu que nous recevrions autant de pre-commandes et que maintenant nous n'avons plus que 5 Meow posters en stock jusqu'a l'annee prochaine et un peu plus du poster Feather qui est en fait, beaucoup mieux en vrai qu'en photo et du coup, celui-ci aussi va finir a la maison! Je trouve que c'est un chouette poster pour des ados.

Depuis que j'ai recu deux de ses illustrations, et que j'ai vu a quel point elles avaient l'air cool dans ma chambre, j'ai un peu developpe, comme qui dirait, un gros coup de coeur sur les illustrations en noir & blanc. Je n'ai pas encore decide si je vais toutes les mettre dans la cuisine ou le poster Meow est (parce que du coup, je m'eloigne de ma cuisine de reve) ou dans le salon par terre ou au mur, une fois que nous aurons refait la piece au Printemps prochain....

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Letters at home

Today, we received another 200 sets of the Rob Ryan plates, while the driver was unloading our 39 boxes, he got clamped (£300! ouch!). At the same time, 12 (voluminous!) Ovetto recycling bins arrived and the lift chose that specific moment to breakdown (luckily temporarily....) Then a third driver who was delivering large bags of eco-friendly chips so we could pack all our orders safely while being good to the planet, went upstairs to get Genevieve to sign the paperwork while I was dealing with the *cr..* going on downstairs and left without leaving the chips with us....give me strength!!

So I have decided to have a little break to show you something I really love....using big letters like these beautiful red metal letters from House Doctor DK at home which is something La Maison Pujol in France is doing very well. I know that in terms of home styling, it's not new or groundbreaking and I don't care. I don't think a home should follow trends. A home should reflect your style, your lifestyle, your personality, your travels and everything you love in life and for me, who loves design, typography and food, these big, red and striking letters really stroke a chord when I saw them the first time. I think letters are a fantastic way to express your style with a touch of humour and you can easily use these ones separately to add little industrial touches around the home like Maison Pujol or simply give one of each to friends as a Christmas gift!

(C) Photos: top pics from La Maison Pujol photographed by Manolo Yllera, bottom image: Pia Ulin, Little Arrhus from Konfettiform, Via Little Blue Deer

Apres la journee d'enfer que j'ai eu (je vous epargne la traduction), je voulais vous montrer quelque chose que j'adore...l'utilisation de grosses lettres en deco a la maison, comme ces belles lettres rouges en metal de House Doctor DK, qui est quelque chose que La Maison Pujol fait tres bien (super addresse d'ailleurs pour un WE ou des wacances..).
Je sais que ce n'est pas tres nouveau, ni avant-gardiste en terme de decoration et je m'en fiche. Je ne suis pas de celles qui pensent qu'une maison doit suivre la mode. Une maison devrait refleter notre style, nos gouts, notre personnalite, nos voyages et tout ce que nous aimons dans la vie. Et moi perso, j'adore le design, la typo et trainer dans ma cuisine (pas pour cuisiner, pour manger!), alors forcement j'ai completement craque pour ces super lettres rouge vif des que je les ai vu! Le truc genial avec celles-ci, c'est qu'elles auront l'air super cool* dans la cuisine (accrochees au mur ou suspendues) mais qu'elles peuvent etre egalement utilisees separement comme La Maison Pujol pour ajouter des petites touches industrielles dans la maison ou simplement etre offertes a des amis comme cadeau de Noel!

*cool: (kool): Adjective;
1. Something regarded as cool is an admired aesthetic of attitude, behavior, comportment, appearance and style, influenced by and a product of the Zeitgeist.
2. Adjective overused by Karine who still thinks she is in her twenties

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Expresso Cafe in Manhattan

As per the title of this blog, stating the obvious, this is the interior of the Expresso Cafe in Manhattan designed by Nema Workshop, a team of architects & designers who specialize in creating conceptually innovative spaces and this one, like or not, has a wow factor!

And if you fancy doing this at home...you know...turns a normal room sideways and almost feel like in Inception with Leonardo, you can use the new Bookshelf wallpaper by Y & B.

Available where?? I hear you saying... Chez nous here!

Via Fubiz
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Chalk or wallpaper - Which version do you prefer?

The chalkboard version or the wallpaper version?
Since seeing these gorgeous grey bedrooms, I'm tempted to vote for the chalkboard version. I love how the range of grey hues (the cupboard, the chair, the concrete floor) on this image come together...I also think, given my recent posts, that I'm going through a gray phase...
However, the practical side of me thinks that it may be quite messy to do at home compared to the wallpaper version by Lisa Bengtsson which makes a great feature wall and is slightly more flexible. What do you think?

Top image via James Dwyer, bottom image from BODIE and FOU

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I love this...last one for the day :-)

but I had to post it otherwise I will spend hours trying to remember where I saw it!

I love how the mix of big letters and wobbly picture frames make this kitchen looking...well like a real home rather than a shot from a magazine. A demain!
Via Little Blue Deer
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Life would be rubbish without you...

Our team is in the process of adding gorgeous art prints and decorative tiles by British ceramist Bianca Hall and I couldn't resist her 'Life would be rubbish without tile'

I love it! My immediate thought is for Steve and Mila but I think it's such a lovely message that it would be really nice for best friends, sisters and any other partners in crime....

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Karl Lagerfeld's bookshelves

Do you think you have too many books? Check out Karl Lagerfeld's studio in Paris!
His bookshelves covered all the walls of his studio up to the second floor and he even owns the bookstore next door!
These images are taken from Todd Selby's latest must-have book: The Selby is in your place which I mentioned last month....

The shot on the second image is a portrait of Lagerfeld's muse Baptiste Giabiconi. This portrait of Baptiste surrounded by roses and Barbie dolls (check out the Barbie Foot here) was taken by Lagerfeld last year when French concept store, Colette hired him to shoot a special series of Barbie photos to be displayed for their Barbie 50th birthday celebrations.
Photos courtesy of: www.theselby.com)
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Chez Nous: Mila's bedroom - UPDATE

I have to admit that the photoshoot with Paumes last Saturday gave me the ultimate boost needed to finish Mila's bedroom... After spending several weekends painting her walls and floorboards, my motivation to do more DIY was running low but hey....no matter how talented Hisashi Tokuyoshi is in seeing beauty in the most mundane things, I thought my masking tape around the ceiling wouldn't quite cut it!

So in an ultimate effort, I took the masking tape off, hang a couple of beautiful art prints et voila...!

I LOVE how the prints Mila and I choose together, look in her bedroom...The Friends of Violet poster by Studio Violet is my latest love. I have always been a fan of Camilla Engman and Elisabeth Dunker's work so I'm super happy to have this beautiful poster they designed together now on B&F (and now, we also have the Friends of Violet wallpaper!).
Elisabeth and Camilla have also designed some gorgeous postcards here that would look very nice framed individually and hang in a row.
My other 'coup de coeur' was this Nelly poster by Betsy Benn. Betsy's Quintessentially print is already a best-seller but my heart belongs to Nelly because I knew as soon as I saw it that it would be just perfect against Farrow & Ball Down Pipe paint I had in mind at the time. Both prints are super easy to frame as the Studio Violet design fits perfectly in a 50 x 70 cm picture frame from Ikea (I always use the RIBBA) and the Nelly print is a standard A2 format which most framing shops have in stock.

Like Sophie, I used these adorable Bird Clothes Pegs to display Mila's "masterpieces". I had the idea since I saw how one of our US customers used the bird pegs to display her wedding seating plan!

The more I look at these pictures, the more I'm pleased with how the soft and deep hues of greys used on a single wall and the shelves work beautifully against the rest of the room painted in white.
The room displays Mila's favourite toys and gifts which all have a little story to them like the yellow Apple we got from our last trip in Hong-Kong when we both went to explore Stanley market while Steve was working or the DREAM sign she broke, hide at the bottom of her basket under all her Doudous, which eventually I found months later and glued back, her latest present from me: the Doudou Superstar cushion, the vintage globe purchased at Columbia market, little gifts from Elodie and Lily she cherishes and Liberty cushions I made for her + one I brought back from my last trip to Paris.
I got the old Mickey on E-bay for my retro toys collection but lately everything I buy seems to end up in her space...The day after I bought a big rubber duck for my studio from the Paul Smith shop in Borough market, Steve found her sitting in the bathroom counting all her coins to see if she had enough to buy it from me. Her dad gave her £10, I 'sold' it to her at a loss but I ended up with a very happy little girl :-)
In the end, without too much pink, her room looks like a proper little girl room with cool pieces of design like the Norm 06 pendant light mixed with retro collectables robots and is so far, my favourite room in the house but if you are after more ideas on how to decorate a little girl's bedroom in pink and grey you may want to read this.

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Big Ben Clock sticker by Funky Little Darlings

Last month I mentioned the gorgeous new range of wall stickers by Funky Little Darlings which are proving to be very popular and frankly it's hardly surprising given how beautiful and easy to use they are. So today we are very excited to add this fabulous Big Ben Clock sticker!

Yes you read it correctly, not only this little beauty will add a touch of 'Cool Britannia' to your home - and for those who didn't know (I didn't until today!) it's Big Ben 150th Anniversary but it also doubles up as a clock!
Easy to install, the Big Ben Clock sticker comes with a 'silent sweep' if you fancy putting it near a bedroom and is handmade in Britain.
It also comes with 1 year guarantee and a serial number. Wouldn't this be a great present for friends getting hitched but make sure they don't live in a cave, the clock is 2 meter high!

Click here to see the whole collection of wall stickers by Funky Little Darlings

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Funky Little Darlings wall stickers now at BODIE and FOU

I'm really excited today because we've just added the fabulous range of stickers from Funky Little Darlings to our collection and they all look fab!
Wall Stickers are a blessing when it comes to decorating a room. I mean all it takes is 2 min to open and peel the stickers and then you have a fabulous artwork on the wall in no time. I love the Funky Little Darlings collection because they really capture the world of children while being contemporary.
I'm pretty sure the Dinosaurus Rock wall stickers are going to be a hit with boys. We've received some fantastic feedback on the Dya-Think-E-Saurus wallpaper but if you are renting, wall stickers are easier to handle than wallpaper.

Click here to see the whole range of wall stickers.

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DIY project: styling up the toilets/WC

A couple of weeks ago, I took Mila to France and spend a bit of time doing some DIY in our house no 1. The toilets have been annoying me for a while. They were not that bad since we had modernised the whole unit but still... not that exciting either and frankly unless you go to Le Kong in Paris, a bar restaurant designed by Philippe Starck & Laurent Taïeb, where you can see real creativity in the toilet (see photo below), then most toilets in our homes are pretty basic if not boring.

So I'm not Stark and I didn't have his budget either but I wanted to do something a bit different with this small room...
I was inspired by the bedroom of Shanna Murray who wallpapered her walls with pages from Pride and Prejudice (see post from last year) and also by the beautiful stylism of Sweet Paul for US Country Living (see below)

So first I stripped the walls from the wallpaper (1) then painted them in white (2)

I then selected a great book (I mean great with the layout of the page not the content..I will explain later) and started wallpaper the back wall with pages from the book. I only did one wall because this room is tiny and doing all three would have probably made it look even smaller.

From this.....

To this...

I just added a 'practical' message on a blackboard (it's a rental house and sometimes the obvious has to be stated!). So it's hardly as stunning as Stark's toilets but given the time and cost I'm very happy with the results.

Here are a few tips...
- Select a book with a good layout. Lots of books nowadays have the title of the book on each page which won't look good on the wall so go for a book with a nice, airy layout.
- Measure the area to wallpaper and the size of your page to work out the number of pages you will need. If you need 100 pages, go for a book which has 200+ pages (pages are counted on recto & verso but you will only be able to use one side. Pretty obvious but wasn't to me at the time until my smart mum enlightened me.....
- Get a varnish that doesn't turn yellow over the years and spray your wall once finished to protect the pages from water projections.
And then of course you can do this with pages from comic strips or from The Times etc or even pages with gorgeous women from glossy mags but I wanted to create a relax feel to it and it just worked out perfectly.

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