Dot to Dot...

You may remember Emma Bridgewater's iconic polka dot pattern from our post on her, then, newly released collaboration with Aga, so, with that in mind, we thought she would make a great subject for one of our regular "Save or Splurge" features...particularly as the teapot above is £125, and the butter dish £32.95.

Then we spotted this, I must say, rather heavily influenced range of ceramics in Tesco, and it seemed like the perfect candidate!

Named "Circus", each piece is hand-painted with a profusion of brightly coloured polka dots- perfect if the Emma Bridgewater range is out of your budget, or you want a full 12 piece dinner service (for only £25!) in one box.

Instant kitchen gorgeousness!

ryan@abigail*ryan

Drop Your Drawers..!

This kind of thing isn't normally my taste at all, but there's something about it that has made me completely fall in love...

Styled in the right way, and in the right room, it could look absolutely stunning- adding a touch of dramatic interest, whilst remaining chic and subtle. Texture can't be underestimated in interior design, so having furniture that adds textural interest could inject a gorgeous contrast with the more traditionally textured soft furnishings- a leather chair with a woolen throw on top, sitting beside the chest of drawers, a sheepskin rug on the floor...maybe a matt glazed vase on the chest...

Anyway, if you love it as much as I do, all you need decide is whether to "Save or Splurge"!! :)

Images above- Embossed White Metal Chest, priced £995, and available here.

Images below- Saffron Collection Chest, priced £299.99, and available here.

ryan@abigail*ryan

Porcelain Gorgeousness...

Whilst having a quick browse online today, inspired by Oh Joy Eats, I thought I would have a look at the Lladro website...

Now, most of us probably know Lladro from the strange (dare I say ugly), stylized, pastel figurines, so it had never occurred to me to look at their website...and what a shock it was! Some truly stunning, if incredibly expensive, items that i've totally fallen for.

This beautiful jewellery (reminiscent of my own woodland collection, if I do say so myself!) is gorgeously stylish, and manages to be both elegantly simple, yet a definite statement.

The same could be said about the floral vase and butterfly chandelier- stunning, bold statement pieces, that remain uncluttered and delicate.

As always, there are some equally beautiful alternatives for the thriftier amongst us (i.e. me, Mr. Concrete-Pockets!)...so why not have a look and see which you prefer! I would love to hear what you all think, so feel free to leave a comment :)

This paper version of the chandelier looks like a fun and easy D.I.Y. project, and could be adapted the fit any space, or style of room (just use a different punch, or different paper!) with ease!
Potter Whitney Smith makes some truly wonderful ceramics, and her recent foray into lush, vibrant colours adds a whole new dimension to her collection. Although quite different, her pieces certainly strike the same notes as the Lladro vase- minimal, yet striking, bold, yet subtle, and all absolutely gorgeous! Available here.
ryan@abigail*ryan

Save or Splurge!

As we're in the middle of redecorating, homewares and things of that ilk have been cluttering our collective mind as of late (i've been bullied in to saying collective...really, it's more that Abi chatters and obsesses and I sigh about spending money!).

To keep us both happy (her the "have nothing in your house you believe to be beautiful or useful" sort, and me the "do I need it? is it cheap?" sort) we've been scouring around for beautiful bargains to give our house the look we love, but for far less...we both have expensive taste...(seriously, we can find the dearest thing in the shop from a mile away...with our eyes closed!) so keeping prices down is super important (*turns and gives abi a stern look*)!

So, in that vein, welcome to the first in what we hope will be a series of posts featuring designer gorgeousness, and, what we think, is an excellent bargain equivalent- the look for less. HA!

The fantastic rug from Ikea is handwoven pure wool, measures 2 x 1.4m and costs a bargainiferous £95...
Having seen it in person, this cropped shot gives a much truer representation of the zingy vibrancy of the colours:
It does, however, have more than a whiff of Paul Smith about it...so, if you feel like selling your soul, or offering up your first born, why not try this equally gorgeous, equally handmade, equally wool equivalent from the Rug Company :)


ryan@abigail*ryan