Happy Thanksgiving!

We love Thanksgiving - and even if you don't live in the USA, it's one to celebrate. What could be better than a chance to reflect over a good meal on what really matters? We're thankful for friends, family, health and good fortune, obviously. We're also thankful for original ideas and artwork (see above) and all the amazing, creative people who help make our lives more colourful and interesting. If you are reading this, we're thankful for you too!

And shells and sea glass, picked up on the beach.

And guilty pleasures like French's Fried Onions. In catering packs.

And always, a glass of champagne. Happy Thanksgiving!

Trevor Jones

Last week, we went to the Edinburgh Art Fair, which is Scotland's largest annual art show. One of the highlights was seeing the work of (and getting to meet) Trevor Jones, a Canadian artist who lives and works in Edinburgh and whose work combines oil painting and augmented reality. Scan a painting with a special, free, app (Junaio) and a whole other world is revealed. So, for example, scan the cherry blossoms on his business card with a phone or an iPad and a slightly unsettling walk through the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens unfolds. Scan the painting of the mechanism of the Eiffel Tower and the see in action the mechanism that takes the cars to the viewing platforms.

It's a bit difficult to explain, but visit his website trevorjonesart.com to see the work in action. Trevor uses technology to enhance the viewer's experience of his art, but his work isn't technology-led. He has a degree in fine art and teaches drawing and painting at the Leith School of Art. His slogan is 'where art meets technology' and it is clearly art that comes first, with the technological aspect helping to explore what we really see in front of us. The paintings are beautiful in their own right rather than just being a vehicle (and check out the lovely tree drawings on the site).

So it's exciting stuff and we are looking forward to seeing where Trevor's art takes him. He takes commissions, so if your decor is missing a truly original artwork, he might be the man to help!

Handsome beasts

This handsome gentleman arrived yesterday:

He doesn't look too happy, but he seems to have made himself at home on the sofa and we are delighted to have him. He'll make several friends here, including this foxy naval officer whose hanging around:

What is it about pictures of creatures with animal heads and human bodies, often in uniform? They are undoubtedly charming and very popular at the moment - but why? Because when you think about it, it is a little curious...

We think it can all be traced back to Charlotte Cory, who is now the Artist in Residence at the Gilbert Scott Bar at the gothic St Pancras hotel. In 2007, she held an exhibition in London called 'Charlotte Cory's Cabinet of Curiosities'. The idea behind it was to create photographs using Victorian photographic visiting cards and stuffed animals, which she calls 'visititorians', so as to avoid describing them as people or animals. This led to a book 'The Visitors' and subsequent projects such as an exhibition at the Globe Theatre and an installation at Haworth Parsonage (home of the Brontës). She also produces furniture with some of her designs - have a look on our Pinterest board. You can see Charlotte's work on her web site. We don't like to gossip but apparently the Queen has two of her pictures...

In the last few years, creatures bearing the clear influence of her work have started appearing on cushions and prints all over the place, making visitorian charm available to a wider market. Evans Lichfield have some lovely cushions and our fine naval man came from Fab Funky, where there is an amazing selection of prints (and great customer service).

A moment about lightbulbs!

The clocks have gone back, Halloween has been and gone, Bonfire Night is over and the nights are getting dark and cold... a lightbulb moment!

The lack of natural light outside means it's even more important to have good lighting  inside. There are three kinds of lighting: background lighting, lighting for specific tasks and and lighting to highlight the particularly lovely things in your home. It's important to have good shades for all of them to look good and do their job. 

After the lightbulb moment, a moment about lightbulbs. For background lighting, there is a place for the exposed bulb look but it can be quite industrial and not the cosiest on winter evenings. Plus, a gentler light can be kinder, if you know what we're saying. You don't need help from good lighting, but we'll take it happily! Have you noticed how most restaurants use ceiling lights with some kind of diffuser shade? That's because the softer light makes everyone look better. Really. If your dining companion looks at their best, and they think that you are looking at your best (because you are so happy to be with them) and everything is lit with a warm glow, the scene is set for a great evening.

And here's another reason for using diffuser shades. If your ambient lighting involves ceiling lights the bulb is likely to be in your sightline when you sit down. There was something quite attractive about the the old-style incandescent bulbs, but they are being phased out (they are already banned in some countries, like Mexico) and replaced with more energy-efficient but frankly unattractive ones, like this fluorescent one:

So a diffuser shade gives a softer light and hides the bulb. Here are some examples. This is the classic diffuser - a disc at the bottom of the shade so that light shines through. This one fits flush to the ceiling with the bulbs at an angle inside so that the light is directed through the sides:

This one is suspended from the ceiling and uses pleated fabric to create the diffused effect:

And this has a smaller fabric diffuser but obscures the bulb with crystal drops to give soft lighting and a bit of sparkle:

So - no need to look at those bulbs anymore. They can just go about their job making us look fabulous in secret!