The Directory
Handmade and Creative
Synopsis: A contemporary take on gorgeous things to makeMaking it yourself rather than buying it off the shelf has never been trendier. Whether driven by eco considerations and anti-consumerism or by the desire to own or give something personal rather than uniform, many more of us are getting out the knitting needles and sewing kit, and taking pleasure in lavishing some TLC on our homes, our friends, our children and ourselves.
Homemade is packed full of ideas for things to make that make life that little bit better. From crocheted coat-hangers to cordials and cupcakes, from cushion covers made from vintage blankets, old shirts cut up to make summer bunting or beautifully simple decorating ideas for an old-fashioned Christmas tree, here are over a hundred ways of adding individuality to your home and to the things you give. You'll save some money along the way - and using materials you have to hand not only saves the cash, it also means building a little bit of your history, whether from a favourite worn-out skirt or pebbles you've collected on holiday, into the things that surround you.
While the book is practical and project-based, covering everything from knitting gloves to making natural moth repellents and devising the most gorgeous hand-made gift wrapping, it is also aspirational and chic - a key requirement is that the finished result has to look better and more desirable than a shop-bought version.
Many of the ideas are incredibly simple and can be done in minutes; some are more of a labour of love; all have clear instructions and gorgeous accompanying photographs that cannot fail to inspire you to get going and add some homemade glamour to your home and your life.
Hot Brands Verdict
The sub-title on the front cover is ‘Gorgeous things to make with love’ and this really does sum up the contents. Built around the seasons, this beautiful book shows you how to create simple, chic and stylish items for you, your home and your family. The summer section is full of wonderful ideas that range from minutes to longer projects, but inspired by the beautiful sea-shore picture introducing the section you can almost feel the sand beneath your toes and feel the ocean spray.
What follows are delicious recipes for freshly baked scones, foolproof strawberry jam, colourful cupcakes. Wonderfully fabulous creative ideas for summer bunting, a summer salad trough, stylish beach bags and ways of restoring garden furniture and much, much more. Each season contains similarly imaginative projects, and the book also includes other helpful ideas, like how to use natural ingredients in cleaning materials, homemade basics, templates, and a comprehensive directory.
This is an absolutely delightful book, perfect for relaxing, and fun to do, we loved it! Highly Recommended!
Buy Homemade: Gorgeous Things to Make with love from Amazon.co.uk
Synopsis: Give fabric a new lease of life with one of these fantastically chic recycled bags. In today's modern, environmentally conscious society, with its emphasis on reusing and avoiding plastic bags, a practical bag has become an essential part of everyday life. However, practical doesn't have to mean boring, as any of the 35 fun and functional projects in this book show. Every bag is designed to make the most of the materials that are readily available and easily recyclable. Try turning a dish towel into a smart shopper to carry all your groceries in, or use an old hessian sack to make a sassy bag to take to the gym. You will soon be able to transform an old blanket or a few scraps of discarded clothing into a unique bag in no time at all. Each project comes complete with beautifully illustrated step-by-step instructions and there are designs suitable for all skill levels. You are certain to find the ideal bag for you or the perfect gift to give to friends and family.http://www.cicobooks.com/books/bookdetails.php?isbn=9781906525811
Hot Brands Verdict
We loved Scandinavian Needlecraft by Clare Youngs and The Perfect Handmade Bag is equally delightful, there are 35 bags, including purses, totes and other bags, each one handmade and beautiful. We love the way that Claire turns materials that are easily available into the most creative ideas. Everything from a beach tote to a fabulous evening bag made from pearl buttons with full instructions and templates. There is also a useful section on techniques and a list of suppliers. A fabulous book an inspiring way to spend many weekends. We loved it! Highly recommended!
Photography by Debi TreloarSynopsis
Interiors experts, Emily Chalmers and Ali Hanan show you how to mix high-street basics with more individual finds to achieve the home of your dreams; how to track down bargain copies of modern classics; and how to customize high-street basics or mix them with junk-shop finds. The first part of the book, The Elements, looks at colour, pattern and fabrics, and moves on to cover window treatments and furniture. There are sections on storage and display, lighting, accessories, flooring, and materials used in the home. The second part of the book, The Spaces, includes chapters on relaxing, cooking and eating, sleeping and bathing areas and home offices. Advice is given on how to find treasures at markets and salvage yards. Cheap Chic is an indispensable guide for anyone furnishing their home on a budget.
http://www.rylandpeters.com/books/bookdetails.php?isbn=9781845979539
Hot Brands Verdict
As more and more people are wanting to find ways of creating a new look for their home without spending a fortune, this book is a great place to start. Taking an overview first by examining the way you design a home and then focusing on each room, this book is full of simple ways and ideas for injecting colour, light and style into your home, plus a useful source guide. By clever use of bargain finds coupled with a designer’s eye Cheap Chic will help you create a stylish home on a budget.
Synopsis: From city high-rises to seaside cottages, the great manor homes of England to the smallest beach house on the other side of the Atlantic, the beauty of the Cabbages & Roses ethos is its gentle but highly visible vintage design. This lavish book embodies all locations – country, city and coast. Chapters encompass Classic Country, Modern City, Island Country and Outdoor Country. Homes that bring together the old and the new, evoking the atmosphere of each season, sit beside city spaces where urban living combines with vintage style – think faded florals and ticking fabrics softening an industrial space, splashes of colour to enliven it and contrasting textures to add interest. Coastal dwellings are fresh, breezy and dreamy – beautifully suited for beach living. Cabbages & Roses' style shows that the country can come to the city, and that city homes can exude the pure freshness of coastal living.Hot Brands Verdict
We loved Christina’s earlier book Home-Made Vintage, and this book is equally delightful. This time Christina has gathered together a collection of beautiful homes, all demonstrating the wonderfully natural style
of Cabbages & Roses.
The homes range from Christina’s own 500 year-old country cottage
and a houseboat on the River Thames to a New York loft apartment and a stylish Cape Cod beach home, even a luxurious tent!
Each chapter contains a number of examples of the theme, beautifully
photographed by Edina Van Der Wyck, and illustrating how the comforts of a country home can be applied to any environment, anywhere in the world.
Christina’s own home is an absolute inspiration, full of delightful ideas that anyone can incorporate into their own home. Her sitting room is a beautiful example of how comfort and practicality can be combined with restful colours and soft fabrics to create a welcoming haven. This theme
is continued throughout the book, wonderful personal collections, secret hideaways, inviting chairs, beds piled high with quilts and pillows, deep squashy sofas, unusual ways of displaying treasured items.
From contemporary to vintage, from the country to the ocean, this enchanting book is interior therapy, just by turning the pages, you immediately feel more relaxed, calm and inspired! We loved it! Highly Recommended!
Synopsis: With the same chainstores littering every high street and shopping centre, it can sometimes seem difficult to inject individuality into your home without paying designer prices. The Homemade Home provides the solution. Here, designer and stylist Sania Pell provides 50 inspirational yet easy projects for you to make, all for next to nothing. Turn basic white bed linen into something special by adding ribbon borders and embroidered panels, and update lampshades by recovering with fabric or paper. Give old furniture a facelift by repainting and adding paper collage decoration. Recycle glass jars into a stylish tealight holder, and use old teacups as pretty plant holders. Create family heirlooms by framing special pieces of children's clothing, or display tiny treasures in wooden box frames.
Turn felted sweaters into appliquéed cushion covers or cosy scarves, and use the contents of your button box to revamp an old cardigan. With easy-to-follow instructions and artworks, The Homemade Home will inspire you to get out the paintbrushes and dust off the sewing machine, and create a truly stylish and individual home.
http://www.cicobooks.com
Hot Brands Verdict
We have a passion for creative projects here at Hot Brands and we love quirky, different ideas and this book has them in abundance. We also love the way that Sania divides the book into Quick Ideas and longer projects.
Beautifully illustrated with clear instructions and templates, as she says, ‘There is nothing like the feeling you get when someone says how lovely something is that you are wearing, have in your home, or have given as a gift and you can reply, “I made it” This book is about making it yourself-getting creative, injecting your personality into objects that surround you, and putting your own individual stamp on your home’
Whatever your level of expertise this book has projects that will inspire. What we loved was that it gathers ideas across the whole home, plants in antique tea-cups, embellished bed linen, embroidered scarves, decorated cupboards, curtains with pockets and flowers; ideas that can transform a home in minutes. Delightful, inspiring, and great fun, we loved it. Highly recommended !
Synopsis:Expert crafter and lover of Scandinavian design Clare Youngs presents a stunning collection of home wares, gifts, accessories, bags, clothes and more to stitch. Fans of the clean, elegant lines of traditional Scandinavian style are sure to be inspired by the 35 sewing projects in this book. Incorporating the finest elements of Scandinavian crafting traditions, inspiration is taken from a range of backgrounds including classic folk art and local needlework, as well as more contemporary sources. Working with a wide variety of fabrics, there are adorable fleece and felt baby booties finished with French knots to make, or use classic gingham or stripes to put together an apron, coat hanger cover and laundry bag. Also included are ideas for projects using recycled materials, plus ways to use up the scraps in your sewing box. Simplicity is always at the heart of Clare's designs, and the clear instructions and step-by-step artworks mean anyone can have a go, and will be surprised how quickly beautiful pieces can be made. There's also a how-to section that explains any stitch, knot and join you might need.http://www.cicobooks.com/books/bookdetails.php?isbn=9781907030222
Hot Brands Verdict
Sometimes it is the simplest things that bring the most pleasure. This delightful book about Scandinavian Needlecraft is an absolutely charming collection of 35 projects that are helpfully explained and beautifully illustrated. Packed with ideas for the home, for presents and just for the sheer fun of making it, with patterns from a simple egg cozy to more ambitious projects, this book is an absolute delight. We loved it! Highly Recommended!
Synopsis: From a medieval manor overlooking a vineyard in the Southwest to a traditional eighteenth-century stone mas in Provence, this new book opens the door to homes in the French Countryside. With an informal approach, the French country home mixes well-worn objects with the modern aesthetic. Many modern country interiors emphasise the use of natural materials, be they vintage, or found objects, and above all else-comfort is the key theme. In this his latest book Sébastien Siraudeau experienced eye has uncovered some of the most inspiring hideaways imaginable. Following on the format of his previous books, French Country Style at Home unveils the very best in country décor.A contemporary family home in Brittany blends the classic and the unique in a fresh new ambience. The parlour of a small hotel in south western France combines rustic exposed beams and an open hearth with modern colour schemes and plush furniture. Be it a humble farmhouse, or a grand chateau, the focus here is on ‘relaxed’ environments and Siraudeau’s talent for finding these gems is unparalleled.
Hot Brands Verdict
This is a delightful book, divided into Bric-a-brac style, Bohemian Tastes, A Change of Scene, Back to Basics, and an Address Book, each section uses stunning photography and background commentary describing the owners to illustrate the different styles, and to invite you to explore their homes.
‘With a nod to childhood memories, the couple have named their gites the “little houses on the prairie” seven cozy holiday cottages surrounded by a farm, fields of cows, meadows of tall grass dotted with cosmos flowers, choose from Rose, Florence ,Marie, Louise, Joséphine, Anne, and Jeanne-each stone cottage is named for a grandmother, a great aunt or a dear neighbour’ '
Whatever your taste, or style you will find something to charm you in this beautiful book, we loved it! Highly Recommended!
Buy French Country Style at Home from Amazon.co.uk
Synopsis: In these tough times we could all do with a little cheering up, but with expensive holidays off the agenda, and moving house a no-no, why not start by rolling up your sleeves and transforming the space in which you live into something truly fabulous? Packed full of wonderful and unexpected ideas, stunning photography and expert advice from an inimitable source, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's Book of Decorating is the one decorating book everyone should own.In this stylish yet practical guide, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen imparts his expertise on all aspects of home decoration - from planning a space to make it work for you, through to the practical help that will transform your space and make it truly unique. Throughout Laurence provides professional techniques and tips to enable you to revamp, rework and renew every room in your house.
Following an introduction that outlines the principles of home design, the book is divided into two sections. In Part One, over 30 breathtaking rooms are revealed. From breezy seaside living room to contemporary knock through or cosy cottage bedroom, there are spaces and schemes to suit the range of budgets and lifestyles. Part Two, shows how you can bring all Laurence's fantastic ideas into your own home. All major techniques are fully explained - from painting, tiling, hanging wallpaper, laying natural flooring and hanging up shelves and pictures. Easy to follow step-by-step instructions and accompanying photography will inspire you to try your hand at every suggestion.
Throughout, Laurence encourages us to make a bold statement with our interior design and to be brave with colour and pattern - with ideas for adding style and glamour to our homes that are easy to put into practice and won't break the bank. Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen's Book of Decorating is set to become every home decorator's bible.
Buy Decorating with Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen from Amazon.co.uk
Hot Brands Verdict
We really liked this book! What we particularly liked was the way the book was structured with inspiring and beautifully designed rooms in Part One and a guide to how to recreate these ideas in Part Two. Very accessible with Lawrence’s commentary throughout this is an essential book for anyone looking to re-vamp their home this Spring. Beautifully illustrated this exuberant book is full of wonderful ideas to inspire you to create fabulous, individual and unique rooms. We loved it! Highly Recommended!
SynopsisSimple and timeless in red, white and blue, these exquisite needlecraft motifs can be used in a multitude of ways to create unique gifts and home accessories. Everything can be embroidered, from little canvas shoes to bed linen and handkerchiefs, from linen bags to cushions and from bath towels to cotton tea towels. These elegant and easy projects will seduce every reader into the simple art of embroidery.
Buy Made in France: Cross-stitch and Embroidery in Red, White and Blue from Amazon.co.uk
Hot Brands Verdict
This is such a classy book! If you are looking for something relaxing and therapeutic to do, these simple projects are perfect. In interior design it is often the little statements that say the most. This book is full of delightful ideas, built around the three colours of Red, White and Blue, like mini works of art, that are not only very contemporary in terms of design, but can also become treasured keepsakes. It is full of ingenuity, effortlessly demonstrating the variety of items than can be embroidered from canvas shoes to jam pot covers, from exquisite pin cushions to lingerie bags. If you are looking for something special we loved the Marriage Sampler, a beautiful and unusual gift. With details of how to get started, stitch library patterns and templates, this book has everything you need to embrace a new pastime. We absolutely loved it! Highly Recommended.
The Crafty Minx is about making gorgeous things from pre-loved, remnant and vintage items. It is written especially for non-crafters who are desperate to be more creative but don't know how, and shares the delicious rewards of living with and giving away beautiful handmade objects.Including over 75 projects which give traditional crafts a modern makeover - from brightly patterned summer beach bags and cotton apron tops to cosy lambs' wool throws and cashmere-covered hot water bottles, or a soft toy for a friend's new baby - this book is broken down into the four seasons of the year for easy inspiration.
No matter where you live or what your circumstances, discover just how easy it is to be a crafty minx.
Buy The Crafty Minx from Amazon.co.uk
Hot Brands Verdict
If you are looking for inspiration this weekend, this book is the perfect solution, it is packed through with fabulous ideas for creating wonderful items from pre-loved, remnant and vintage items. The whole look and feel of the book is very creative, as well as the projects there is also Kelly’s commentary running through the book with personal anecdotes, information and inspiration. Divided into seasons, with projects like A Bold Beach Bag, the intriguing Maltese Bow for a Modern Entrance, (which is a unique way of announcing the arrival of a new baby). Vintage Silk Scarf Cushions, and the more ambitious Tepee this book is packed with fun projects, simple enough for a beginner, inspiring enough for the more experienced. Overall this book is an absolute joy, to be read from cover to cover, destined to be a Hot Brands favourite. Highly Recommended !
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 lionwitchwardrobeEstablished in 2002, lionwitchwardrobe mainly concentrate on private residential commissions. They can provide a full service from space planning and complete structural refurbishments through to new decorative schemes for single rooms. They also specialise in bespoke contemporary furniture design. |
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