A bit more than a hint of lavender

For this burst of lavender and today’s flowers on Friday we’re heading back to the Chelsea Flower Show last year, and into the Grand Pavilion, which if you’ve been to Chelsea will know it’s an assault on your senses. Often a pleasant experience, but confusing at times too with the sheer array of exhibits on display.

And while we’re not in traditional lavender season, there is some rhyme to my logic, as in the autumn sun on my morning walk to work, I’ve been smelling lavender. There’s bushes edging the boundary of a development as I head towards Greenwich Park, and when the sun’s out the air is filled with lavender, which I’m sure the insects, and residents alike are enjoying as much as me.

plenty of lavender at the 2018 chelsea flower show

So when I headed into my flower photo store and stumbled across, rather than brushed past, this lavender from that moment on there was only one flower I was sharing today. And when I say one flower, I clearly mean one sort with many varieties. No longer is lavender just purple, or lavender.

lavender isn't always purple

But often wherever there’s lavender, there’s bees and the Chelsea Flower Show was no different, although these were probably the best behaved and inside their hive, or it was empty. One or the other. Though imagine if you were a bee and stumbled upon the whole flower show, surely too much for one bee to cope with.

where there's lavender there's often bees

But, ah, just breathe in - can you smell the lavender?

Zoe Murphy: Loving what belongs to you

I’m continuing my 2016-fest today with a few photos from my visit to the London Design Festival, where I took these photos of Zoe Murphy, a young designer’s work. I’ve realised that I’m quite a fan of mid-century furniture, especially when it’s had a bit of attention and brought up to date.

In its original state I can admire the furniture, but it’s when it has either simple colour blocking like the unit in our Porto apartment, or the bold designs at this year’s Grand Designs Live. Zoe pieces take a similar approach, but there’s much more detail and colour. She says she takes her inspiration from her seaside hometown of Margate.

Zoe Murphy London Design Festival 2016

She also promotes the idea of ‘loving what belongs to you’ using the shapes and textures inspired by her home town to decorate the furniture, none more so evident than the buildings in the table below.

upcycled furniture by zoe murphy
zoe murphy - loving what belongs to you

What do you think? Are you a fan, or do you prefer your mid-century modern furniture unadorned?

Love this #88 The Bonnie Potter

I’ve been meaning to share this for a while, after discovering it in a magazine - I can’t remember which one, but I know seeing Bonnie Scoggins’ work was enough for me to head over to her website to discover more about her and her work, and to drool over more loveliness.

I wasn’t disappointed.

As she says on her website her work “revolves around imprints from her great-grandmother’s handmade doilies” which she inherited in 2012, and she sees these imprints as a way to honour the “artistry that goes into crocheting doilies.”

The process doesn’t damage the crochet and she has used other families’ heirloom doilies to make one-off pieces for those families. The work in her gallery is just stunning, and while the crocheted doilies are lovely, these platters, trinkets and mugs are something else - it’s just as well she’s based in the US, or I’d be creating a wish list right now….