Izzy and Jean Co. | Giveaway!

Recently I introduced you to the new NZ online store Izzy and Jean Co. The write up included an interview with the founder Claire Ongley, who kindly shared her background and story of how the store came about. I also gave you a taste of some of the gorgeous products on offer, many of which are handcrafted and sourced from around the world. If you missed that post, take a look here. 

I remember at the time thinking how great it was that the range also included gift ideas for guys as they can be tricky to buy for. With Father's Day fast approaching here in NZ, Izzy and Jean Co. have come to the rescue with some beautifully curated gift boxes for Dad.

You can choose from two boxes (one has two items, the other has three) and you can select which items you'd like to include, from a list of five fab products.

The boxes range in price from $25 through to $180 so there's something to suit every budget. Pop over here to see the full collection, and make sure you get your order in by Monday 26th August to deliver in time for Father's Day! 

Now for the second part of this post, the giveaway! Thanks to Izzy and Jean Co, one lucky reader will win a beautiful Fouta Towel and Klars Classic Soap of their choice. 

To enter, simply click click here and sign up to receive the Izzy and Jean Co. newsletters and tell me you've done so in the comments below, along with your full name. You must also like the Izzy and Jean Co. Facebook page and The Design Chaser Facebook page. For extra entries share to Facebook and Twitter, let me know you've done so in the comments and I will count you twice. The winner will be chosen via Random.org and announced on Monday, 26th August via The Design Chaser blog and Facebook page. 

Note: The competition is open to New Zealand Residents only. Once announced, the winner must contact me within three days, otherwise a new winner will be chosen. 

Good Luck!  

Ferm Living | New MORE Collection

Bordering on obsession my love for Ferm Living, the Danish homewares brand, is no secret. Any excuse to browse their gorgeous (and recently revamped) site, I will almost always feature Ferm Living in my product collages. Ever since I heard news of a collaboration with talented graphic designer Kristina Krogh earlier this year, I've been hanging out to see the magic. Announced just yesterday, the latest collection MORE has now been launched, and I've been drooling over the catalogue ever since!

I have to say that it pains me a little to share this with you, knowing that Ferm Living is not easily available in NZ. I've looked at different avenues for shipping it over, even contacting Firm Living Australia last year to see if I could become an NZ agent. Unfortunately they are unable to sell wholesale to NZ (nor do they ship here via their retail channel) but there are some online stores further afield who do, including the Ferm Living webshop. 

I featured Kristina Krogh here, and have one of her prints proudly displayed on my living room picture wall. Her work is a great fit for Ferm Living, combining geometric patterns and textural elements of wood, cork, ply and marble.

The Wall Wonder Clocks and Lamps are another amazing addition. Made from smoked oak veneer, laminate and brass, with different colours to choose from, these designs are truly unique.

Ferm Living has a distinctive look that combines traditional Scandinavian design with retro charm. Graphic detailing plays a huge part in every collection, and that's what gets me every time. I especially love the textiles including tea towels, throws, cushions and bedding. If I could, every bed in our new home would be decked out in these latest designs.

I'm loving the new marble textile collection...

There's always so much on offer at Ferm Living when it comes to the kitchen. Just look at those tea towels!

Open shelves never looked so good...

Too lovely not to share, here's a few more to finish off...

All images via the catalogue which you can see here. For store locations or to shop online visit the Ferm Living Website.

Tine K Home | Autumn Winter 2013

Located in Odense, Denmark, Tine K Home was founded in 1999 by Tine Kjeldsen and her husband Jacob Fossum. Passionate about beautiful objects, Tine says design is her life, and she draws inspiration from the smallest every day actions at home, as well as food, shapes, colours, flowers and trips abroad. The products which include everything from ceramics and textiles to furniture and clothing are mostly handmade and therefore unique. Distinctively Scandinavian, they combine natural colours, texture and plenty of charm.

Although Tine K Home is not yet available in NZ, it did make its way to Australia recently, so there is hope! In the meantime, I'm happy to draw inspiration from the beautiful interior styling and photography that is seen with each new catalogue. I just came across news of the Autumn Winter 2013 edition thanks to Hallingstad blog, and I'm sure you'll agree, it is simply breathtaking.  

Tine says she uses contrasts between light and dark to create style and atmosphere. As well as her own designs and those sourced in Denmark, the collection includes unique finds from places such as Vietnam, Morocco and India. Dark colours often come from old objects, furniture and carpets from the East.  

With the exception of a couple of gorgeous dusky pink backdrops, the styling consists of a purely monochrome palette. Layered with wooden furniture, metallic accessories and woven baskets, there is a pared-back vibe, yet many small details to soak up. 

Light and airy, the images evoke a sense of calm. In fact with so much 'noise' going on around the web at all times, I've found browsing through these images to be really cathartic.

All images via T K Home

Interior Styling | Candleholders

Candles create the perfect decorative element for any vignette. In addition to scented candles, I really love displaying both candlesticks and tealights, especially when they're placed in beautiful candleholders. Whether you're styling your coffee table, dining table, sideboard or bookshelves choosing the right ones for your space will add impact and when lit, will create a cosy atmosphere, especially in winter. 

I recently purchased these beautiful natural Candleholders from LET LIV, which I've placed on the dining table alongside a couple of plants. All I need now is some candles! 

Here are some more examples of stylish candleholders, all beautifully styled. 

I love the Kubis range of candleholders from Copenhagen designers by Lassen. Available in different shapes and sizes they come in black, white and copper.

The gorgeous home above belongs to blogger and stylist Nina Holst of Stylizimo. She also found the brass candleholders below from a second-hand shop. Polished up and paired with black candles, don't they look fabulous? 

Wooden candleholders provide a great way to add natural touches to the home...

Designed by Shane Schneck for Hay, the Lup Candleholder is stunning. Id' also love one of these ombre candles....

A swoon worthy candle-fest to finish, here's the copper Lup alongside a scented candle, white candleholders and the Tom Dixon Etch Candleholder...

Images: 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11

Inspired by the images above, I did a bit of searching around the web for online finds. Here are my 12 picks. 

01 Alfie Candlesticks from Country Road Home

02 Muuto Gloria Candlestick Holder from IDH

03 Ellen Candlestick from LET LIV

04 Iron Candleholder from The Wooden Horse

05 Candleholder String from Ferm Living

06 Bobbel High Candleholder from OYOY 

07 Etch Candleholder by Tom Dixon  from ECC

08 Cube Candleholders from Ferm Living

09 Kubis 8 from By Lassen 

10 Lup Candleholder by Hay from Finnish Design Shop

11 Lumi Candelabra from Country Road Home

12 Aryd Candleholder from Ikea

Home Build | Living Room Update

I'm really happy with how the living room is coming together and I've spent a lot of time taking photos over the last couple of days to show you. I'm working really hard to improve my photography, but because I'm a perfectionist and such a 'details' person, I'm finding it a challenge, but certainly a welcome one! It helps that this upstairs area is filled with light. We've had the most gorgeous sunny weather here lately and it's been fun seeing how the light moves around the space during the day. 

So firstly, we got the picture wall up last weekend. I started out by laying them out on the office floor and then once I'd decided on the configuration I cut out the shapes with paper, and used washi tape to stick them on to the wall. Dean then had the hard job of putting them up, and I think he did an amazing job. Probably due to the fact that his life depended on it. Ha - just kidding, but I was very particular about getting the spacing even between the frames. I also had to look ahead to where I would place more pictures down the track. For starters I'd like one more for the left hand-side near the tiger (slightly smaller) and one large one over to the right, in the centre of the picture wall.  

To see where I got several of these beautiful artworks, take a look at my Home Build | Living Room Inspiration post. The X by Jane Denton is a favourite, having interviewed Jane on the blog here. New additions are the Graphic/Alphabet Print by RK Design from The Minimalist and a small print given to me at a Citta Design launch which I placed in a bought frame.

The Tiger, Alphabet and the Circles Print (on the String Shelf further down the page) all came from The Minimalist in Australia so needed to be framed. I asked around and one that was recommended to me by a friend was KS Thompson in Epsom, Auckland. Being specialist framers and fine art dealers that have been around since 1928, I gave them a call, and was really impressed with their experience and knowledge. When I took the prints in I realised that the lady I had been talking to was Sarah from Trees Furniture where I got the dining table trestle legs! I knew I would be in great hands. In fact Sarah is a trained graphic designer who worked at the magazine publisher ACP Media prior to me. They had the narrow frames I wanted which they strengthened due to the large size of the prints. The results are amazing. I couldn't be happier!   

I'm in love with my new Gran Cushion cover from Jamie Kay. We finally put our Stockholm coffee table up from Freedom Furniture, and it's made such a difference to the space. It also gives me another area to style, at least while the kids aren't around! The little grey and black milk bottle vases are recent finds from the online store Good Regards in Mt Maunganui.

I moved the couch away to give you a full view of how the String (from Bob and Friends) looks today. I change the shelves around daily! The white Origami Vase is a another new one from LET LIV.  

Finally, my favourite new additions are the Leather Poufs, also from LET LIV. I couldn't decide between natural or snow so ended up getting both! The colours are perfect and I'm loving the new leather smell. I used old duvet inners to stuff them, and I'm thrilled with the results. Personally I prefer the look of poufs when they are loosely filled, rather than being stuffed tight. 

From another angle, the poufs look gorgeous here with the kitchen/dining area behind. As I'm sure you know by now, the Striped Rug is also from LET LIV, which I move around the house as the mood takes me! I love these rugs so much I've ordered another large one for under the dining table! Speaking of rugs, the large white cowhide was a great find at Lapco Leather. 

Being the fusspot that I am, I wasn't happy with the photos I took of the TV Unit, so I'll show you that another day. Oh, and hopefully the Diamond Lights will have been installed by then. I'm still hunting downs some brass screw fixtures that I want to go on the end. 

Have a lovely weekend and I'll see you back here Monday!

Interior Styling | Grey & White

When it comes to interiors, grey and white is a simple colour scheme, but one that evokes a feeling of calm. I I especially love seeing this palette in the bedroom which is why there are several in my moodboard above, curated from my Pinterest boards. I'm on the lookout for some new bedding and I love the idea of mixing these colours, together with black accents or a soft colour like dusky pink. Pale grey with white can create a really dreamy look, while darker greys and charcoal shades add depth. I also love wearing grey and white, especially in Summer. 

I've come across some beautiful grey and white homes recently. Too many to share all at once, I've picked out some of my favourite rooms, starting with this lovely bathroom in the home of Norgwegian blogger Elisabeth Heier.  

Natural details like the rustic wooden stool and storage basket give this light-filled, pared-back space a relaxed, lived in feel. 

I'm in love with the grey and white towels!

What better way to add grey and white to the kitchen than with marble? Together with white subway tiles, industrial pendants and natural wood, the muted kitchen above has a lovely fresh feel. 

A serene living room (also from the home of Elisabeth Heier) and gorgeous picture wall in the bedroom below...

Pale wood herringbone floors and touches of black compliment this grey and white open plan space...

The stylish grey sofa anchors the living room, while gold pendant lights and tapware, together with a marble bench in the kitchen make me swoon!

Images: 1-2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6-8 

Here are a few grey and white homewares that have caught my eye recently. 

1 Bobby Blanket by Luckyboysunday

2 Fouta Towel by Anna Backlund from Fine Little Day

3 Knotty Floor Cushion by Kumekodesign

4 Grey & Milk Striped Cotton Floor Rug from LET LIV

5 Fort Standard Marble & Leather Trivet from Everyday Needs

6 Gran Grey Pillow Case by Elisabeth Dunker from Fine Little Day

7 Fog Linen Tray Grey & White Stripe from Father Rabbit

8 Calni Quilt Cover from Country Road Home

9 Coyuchi Diamond Pewter Rug by Coyuchi Father Rabbit

I just had the pleasure of being a guest curator for the brilliant website A Cut Above the Retsy, which includes a daily-updated, curated database of the best shops Etsy has to offer. One of my faves from the list above, the Knotty Cushion (3) was included in my picks. To see what else I chose, take a look here. Big thanks to A Cut Above the Retsy's talented author Mélanie Beauvironnois for having me!