Good news....

wireless internet will be working again next week....

hope you have a lovely weekend.....maybe lunch at a spot like this!?!

In store today....

My apologies for the lack of posts lately, I have been out and about finding new treasures, and we are experiencing some technical issues with wireless at home, so will have to do some speed blogging from ecoco.....

Don't forget our special Wednesday giveaway tomorrow....

come in and have a look at some of our new pieces....

and if you are in the market for a new bed, how is this gorgeous king size Hampton bed?

Also don't forget the Shannon Fricke workshop at ecoco in September spaces are filling up fast so if you want to come along and learn some tricks of the decorating trade visit Shannon's website and register.

Abigail Ahern

Wow, where did that week go?  As the saying goes, "Time flies when you're having fun!!"  Clearly I am having far too much fun...true!  While having your own store means working long hours, I can honestly say I love 99% of what is involved.   Today was spent working on one of my favourite tasks, sourcing gorgeous homewares for our new collection.   Today I am inspired and excited about what is on the way!!

This morning I attended a seminar by Abigail Ahern.  Abigail has a store in London, Atalier, is the author of A Girls Guide to Decorating and is a highly regarded decorator in the UK and around the world.  While her style is not for everyone and certainly not for the conservative souls amongst us, she certainly knows how to create feeling and emotion in interiors, which was the focus of her seminar today.

The two photos above are of Abigail's store in London and below is a living space in her home. 

Having followed her blog for a long time I am familiar with her style, I did however take some interesting points from her talk today.  Clearly, Abigail loves using dark sludgy, inky hues and today she talked of working the single colour look, which means painting the walls, floor and ceiling the same colour, (not for the faint hearted, especially when we are talking sludgy, inky hues!) purpose being the surfaces blend seamlessly, the spaces are then layered with contrasting textures and patterns and accented with punches of colour, very much like her living room above. 

This style is one easily created on a shoestring budget, if you can paint!  Dark walls, then search markets and garage sales for furniture which can be given new life with a coat of raspberry, hot pink, or cobalt blue!  Abigail talked of jumping on the fast train to Paris to search flea markets for the perfect piece to add to an interior....we can only dream!

As a general rule when designing a space Abigail aims for 90% chic and sophisticated and 10% fun.  Without going over the top she aims to inject playful and whimsical elements which give personality to the space.  In the photo above the 10% fun is probably the ostrich table.

I loved her analogy that pattern and texture are the herbs and spices of the interior design world.  Abigail showed successful spaces filled with up to 6 or 7 different patterns which were interspersed with plainer notes, creating visual friction and excitment.

All images via Abigail Ahern

While I can appreciate her style and love some of her interiors, I'm not sure that I could live with it in my own home, especially in rooms that are light challenged.   Also living with 3 boys has meant much excitement in our interior spaces over the last 16 years, I guess I have tended to opt for tranquil, calming, spaces to bring the friction and excitment levels down!  Wouldn't it be a great style for a hotel, cafe or restaurant though? 

In store today....

we had heaps of fun giving away a gift to our tenth customer of the day....congratulations Ange!!!  Thanks to everyone who called in to see us today, we will do it all again next Wednesday, so wander in!!!

Here are some beautiful products handmade in Tasmania....earrings and scented soy candles.

The elle shirt in Latte....not handmade in Tasmania, but still gorgeous....

as is this silk and velvet dress, jacket and a lovely "spotted giraffe" (Handmade in Tasmania) necklace....

 neck loops and another spotted giraffe necklace.

Also popular lately are patterned towels, hand towels and bath mats, so if your bathroom needs a mini makeover try some beautiful towels rolled up in a basket...

and if you are heading off to NYC or France any time soon, here are a couple of must have guides, Flea Markets of France and The Stylists Guide to New York City.....

or if like me you are staying put, At Peace At Home sounds perfect!

Hope you are having a great week.

Provence

While watching le tour, I decided to do a post about the beautiful buildings in Provence and in particular the one above which I have on a canvas in the shop and get lots of questions about.  I just invested quite some time in a detailed post then somehow lost the lot!   Here are the pictures minus the text.

Explanation to come!!! Stay tuned, hope you are enjoying le tour and the breathtaking scenery and architecture.

In store today......

I took a nanna nap under a cosy blanket on the sofa after reading a book and having a cup of tea.....

the only thing missing was the roaring log fire!!!  Yes, the thought did cross my mind for more than a few seconds, but in reality I was kept busy receiving and unpacking stock, including this gorgeous 2x3 Armadillo & Co floor rug,

and moving things around to accommodate the new pieces....

We also have a new promotion called

Wander in Wednesday

there is free parking right outside the door and the 10th customer of the day receives a giveaway.....but that's not all, if you pop over to ecoco launceston on facebook we are giving away a Bonnie & Neil treat valued at $89 when we reach 200 likes.

Hope you are having a great week.

Saving Elephants!!!

Helping to save the majestic Sri Lankian elephants are all of you out there who have been purchasing our elephant dung paper!!!  And no it doesn't smell!  Taught to make paper using elephant dung, small Sri Lankian communities are now making a living from making paper rather than killing the elephants for their body parts!

These cute little notepaper boxes, great for beside the phone, have been very popular as have the gift cards and notebooks.  Thank You!