Open!

My goal was to open the shop before christmas and on Tuesday at 5pm the first customer walked through the door. It was a race to the finish with quite a few 18 hour days and some help from some wonderful friends and family.

The photo above shows our 1st colour palette of Murobond and Society colours, most of which we used in the fitout of the shop and all available in the sample pots beautifully displayed by my 3 sons.

There are still lots of things to set up when we return in January, but it was worth opening for a few days of christmas trade.

This photo shows the shop from the front door, looking through the new opening to the extension.

This photo shows the original handmade brick wall at the back of the building taken from the new extension. 

The boys displayed the Murobond sample pots.

The gorgeous wonki ware, proving to be quite popular, won't last long after being featured in the Februrary issue of Inside/Out magazine.

We are very happy with how the concrete floor has come up with the Savon Noir as the sealer, so easy to use and we were able to walk on the floor immediately which proved very useful and best of all, no toxic fumes to choke on!

Renovation Review

Suffering from renovation fatigue.....just a quick post to show progress of the transformation of the front of the shop.

Front in June?

Lost the awning

A fresh finish......Murobond cement paint, colour Marble.

and the frame of the new awning.  

lighting

After discovering a few weeks ago that the pendants I had chosen for above the shop counter have been sold (all 20 of them) I have been searching for something to replace them.....

first choice would be these very shapely industrial pendants, unlucky for me again, there is only one left!

Second choice would be these very cool bottles.... can't get these either, looks like we'll have a lightbulb at the end of a cord!!!

bedroom style

Consider light, sound, temperature, scent and humidity, then style....

add splashes of colour for an instant lift...

add lots of comfy pillows, blankets and a designer light fitting....

add interest with wall decoration or texture....

get a statement bed or bedhead...

personalise....

dress the bed by layering....

keep it simple.....

design great storage....

keep it calm, relaxing and neutral.....

splash out on luxurious bedlinen....

select at least one unifying element.

choices

Designing a bathroom and kitchen can be a little overwhelming, the choices of fittings and finishes available are to say the least, huge.  My advice to those about to embark on a shopping trip to select bathroom and kitchen fittings is to do your homework before visiting the showroom.  If you have a budget and some idea of the look you are after before you hit the showroom floor, you have already narrowed down your choices. 

You can usually get a better deal if you buy everything from the same place. 

I don't usually like patterned bed linen, but this stunning duvet cover is an exception. 

Get creative!  The worst thing about following kitchen and bathroom trends is that you can end up with a room that is dated within 5-6 years and a bathroom or kitchen that looks the same as the next door neighbours - boring!   But how do you acheive a look that is individual, interesting and balanced?  The key is to choose things that you have loved for a long time, not what is in fashion at the moment.  Secondly, have something that holds it all together.  It could be a paint colour or your choice of joinery or furnishings, a unifying element will tie it together. 

images via style files

Not to be overlooked is good lighting design in bathrooms.  Lighting needs to be as flexible as possible.

Task lighting for applying makeup and shaving is obvious, but the option for lighting to be dimmed when taking a relaxing bath should be considered.



Savon Noir & Goodbye Detergent

Not a lot of spare time for photography lately.  Have been forgetting to take the camera to the shop for renovation updates but will do so tomorrow. 

Great, clean table and clean Thunder Stones!!!

Some new arrivals from TADE. 

The gorgeous wonki ware pudding bowls.

Great October light.

Favourite book, Bailey's Simple Home.

Product of the week!  I am always sceptical about new cleaning products, but I have been trialling several  of the eco friendly "Goodbye Detergent"  products lately and they are very effective.  Well deserving of their awards. 

SAVON NOIR : 

• Add 5 to 10 drops of citrus essential oil with cleansing properties to black soap before cleaning your floors.
• In a spay bottle, combine a tablespoon of black soap, 1 litre of water and around 10 drops of citrus or rosemary essential oil : this homemade household cleaning product is practical to use, environmentally friendly and economical.

Second product of the week!  SAVON NOIR.

Shown here in its paste form but is also available in liquid.  Savon Noir is a natural and pure product for sealing and maintaining absorbent surfaces.  Savon Noir has been used in the Mediterranean for centuries to seal terracotta and other masonry surfaces.

Derived from black olives, this pure soap is produced in the South of France and has a history spanning thousands of years.

Interesting other uses include in brief (will post in more detail soon):

Organic gardening - diluted with water and sprayed onto infested plants

Cleaning:

laundry  -  washing clothes, stain removal 

BBQs - removes grease

cars, bikes, boats etc  

paint stains - removes from fabric

windows

floor and tiled surfaces

kitchen -  surfaces, cookers, dishes

leather - cleans, maintains and nourishes

pets - a natural and conditioning shampoo

copper and silver!!! yeah ok, who cleans copper and silver?



Personally I have found Savon Noir great for sealing our limestone bench and the outdoor table shown above, for cleaning leather boots and car seats, and for cleaning stainless steel range hoods.  This slightly addictive product is available now on our website and will be in the shop very soon!!!

SAVON NOIR carries the "Good Environmental Choice Label", so if you are after green ratings for building projects, it's perfect for sealing concrete floors, benches etc.

busy

There have not been many spare moments to update the blog lately.   When there has been a moment I have taken to the garden for some therapy!!!

Things are looking hopeful for a late November first week in December opening.  Stock has been continuing to arrive so we are now officially packed to the rafters! 

renovation update

 The suspended slab for the first floor will be poured on Monday, we should have windows and a door on the ground floor shortly after that. 

This is the new space on the ground floor.