Tag: John Lewis

Welcome to my studio!
Decorating Projects · Interior Design · lock-down

Welcome to my studio!

Julie GardnerLeave a comment

We were incredibly lucky to have our kitchen/dining room (which is also my lampshade workshop) decorated just before lock down and I have been meaning to share it on here since then so I’m sorry it’s taken so long. I adore this space. It’s so light and airy but also very cosy in the winter. I can step straight into the garden for a stroll and look at the flowers or make myself a cup of tea whenever I need a break. The only down side is that I have to tidy everything away at the end of a day and everyone obviously gravitates here when they get hungry (which is quite often when you have two teenage boys living in the house!) It’s been accentuated during lock down for sure with four of us living here. So I am seriously considering building a workshop in the garden where I can really get away from it all and absorb myself in making. But for now I’m very happy and grateful to have this space.

I have been busy working on my own machine embroidery designs which I will be adding to my Etsy shop. These are all botanical themed so far and I have used them to make cushions and lampshades. I’d like to come up with a collection that I can sell eventually but it’s early days as I’m trying things out and having fun experimenting. One good thing about lock down, I have plenty of time to do this and seem to be quite inspired! Yesterday I spent all afternoon coming up with a design and started cutting fabrics to stitch on.

Anyway, back to my kitchen/dining room/workshop… Here it is. The walls are painted in Little Greene china blue, with a slightly lighter tone in the kitchen area as it can be a bit dark in there at certain times of day. The wallpaper is also from Little Greene and is called Fern in sage blue. It wraps around two walls and makes a cosy seating area in one corner. I admired this wallpaper in one of Samantha Johnson’s designs in Taplow – see her gorgeously clever interior design work here.

We already had the two seater sofa which is from Made.com. And my favourite velvet Calvin armchair is from Atkin & Thyme. Glass pendant over the dining room table is quite old but I still love it (from Next). Lampshades by gilhoolie. Glass cabinet from Ikea. Anglepoise original 1227 dark blue ceiling lights from John Lewis. Dining room table and benches from Habitat.

So you see, what a lovely space to be creative in. Next project, our master bedroom! I have ordered new furniture but we need to get on and decorate before it arrives, I’m off to get paint sample pots…

If you would like to order a lampshade for your own house please get in touch. I can help with sourcing fabrics to fit in with your scheme. Check out my instagram account for lots of images of previous makes.

Decorating Projects · Interior Design

Art Deco with a twist…

Julie Gardner2 Comments

It’s been quite a while since I studied Interior Design and it was really good to have the chance to refresh that knowledge by putting together a sample board for a client last week. I didn’t have to do this but I find it helps visualise how a scheme is going to look with the wallpaper, cushions, lampshades, furniture, fittings and ornaments all on the same board together. I would always recommend doing this when putting a scheme together plus I enjoyed doing it too so that was a bonus!

This project has been based around an Art Deco fireplace and the client wanted to keep that Art Deco feel but with a modern twist. This is the kind of Interior Design I like as I love mixing up styles rather than just sticking to one.

We chose the wallpaper a while ago but now that I offer a bespoke lampshade making service, I’m able to combine the two skills and complete the room for her. We’ve gone for a simple geometric wallpaper behind the bed, to go with the Art Deco fireplace on the opposite wall.

Then a lovely floral fabric from John Lewis will adorn a pendant lampshade in the middle of the room and cushions on the bed. The two small bedside lampshades will be replaced with plain, muted pink drum lampshades and an Art Deco mirror will go above the fireplace. I don’t have pictures of all the furniture on this sample board but they would ideally be included to finish off the whole picture. I’ll put some more photos on here once the lampshades and cushions are made… I wouldn’t mind a bedroom like this though, a bit girly but not too much so and very calming zzzzz……

Wallflower fabric in magenta and grey
Large pendant lampshade in wallflower fabric

ArtDecoInspiredBedroom SampleBoard
Sample Board for an Art Deco Inspired Bedroom

Events

Models required!

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gilhoolie table
gilhoolie table!

This week I’m putting the finishing touches to things and I thought I’d practice arranging all my creations ready for Thursday evening. I put this display together in half an hour before I rushed off on the school run, but you get the idea! As you can see, I got the bunting bug last week and made some more out of scraps of fabric from our bedroom (Romo Quadra Dahlia and John Lewis chevron in sulphur).

I guess it isn’t a coincidence as I’ve made lots of things from the same fabrics, but it does feel like gilhoolie has some kind of identity now don’t you think?

My next task is to take some more professional looking photos so that I can sell gilhoolie things on-line; I might need some little models to pose on the beanbags and pouffe!

Decorating Projects · Interior Design

Did you know John Lewis sell disco balls?!

Julie Gardner1 Comment

Walls, ceiling and woodwork painted, fire surround painted, fireplace tiles painted, shelves put up, wallpapering done, mirror put back, new light put up… not a quick job this one but worth it in the end! I can’t believe how much lighter the room feels now that it’s a cool duck egg rather than a dark red.

The floral wallpaper is called Hudson Mohair from Laura Ashley and has a pearlescent sheen (not available any more though so the pressure was on when we were trying to wallpaper round the fireplace!)

Front roomThe Dante chandelier is from John Lewis and has already been described as a disco ball by my five year old but I’m hoping it adds a bit of glamour and impact to the room.

My last task is to frame some pictures I’ve been collecting for the wall behind the sofa which is looking very empty – more photos of the rest of the room to follow, I just thought I’d do a quick update now.

Even the beanbags I made back in March match the scheme…

Interior Design · Sewing projects · Soft Furnishings

Simple pleasures…

Julie Gardner2 Comments

gilhoolie pouffe
gilhoolie pouffe

I really like the shape and style of traditional Moroccan pouffes and thought it would be good to have a go at making one. These will eventually be made from my screen-printed designs but I thought I’d practice on bought fabrics first.

This one is made out of three fabrics: John Lewis Chevron in sulphur, a plain natural coloured linen, and grey cord as the top and bottom. Can you spot the gilhoolie label in the seam? (Seeing them attached to something I’ve made makes me smile!)

I really enjoyed making something a bit different from standard cushions. The question is, what to make next?….

….well, I realised yesterday I’m not happy if I don’t have my next project at least in my head, but the next ‘project’ is to clear out the utility room and try and set up a workshop so that I can start screen printing. Not as much fun as making stuff but it has to be done. Hopefully I’ll be posting pictures of my first prints soon!