My collection of ceramics has grown significantly in the last few years as I’ve come to understand that eating and drinking should always be an enjoyable ritual. It offers us all time to slow down, to make the most of our time with friends and family, or even just a moment to ourselves. The way in which we eat and how we see our food can greatly affect how we feel in the moment, and after. We all deserve to drink out of a beautifully-designed mug, pour a glass of water from an attractive jug and eat our food off plates and bowls that emphasise the beauty and quality of the ingredients we serve.
This Spring, Royal Doulton and Barber Osgerby have relaunched their Olio Collection; initially launched in 2015. The collection by London-designers Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby takes inspiration from our modern love of mix and match ceramics; no longer is it the norm to have a single set in which every plate and bowl are the exact same style. We have become ceramics collectors, picking out complimentary designs from various places. Olio means a miscellaneous collection of things, and also a highly spiced stew of various meats and vegetables originating from Spain and Portugal; so it’s quite an appropriate name for the eclectic collection.
“We design objects that are timeless, things that people want to keep forever.”
Edward Barber & Jay Ogersby
There are 14 pieces in the, predominantly ceramic, Olio Collection. It has been designed in such a way that you could choose just one piece to add to your current collection or create a complete set. In addition to ceramics there are sustainable wooden serveware and stainless steel cutlery. The collection combines porcelain and stoneware with both glazed and unglazed details in graphic black, timeless white and celadon blue. The sugar pot, jugs and serving bowls work equally well as decorative objects in the home.
Royal Doulton describe Olio as “a considered range with an honest, authentic and functional design sensibility”.
It took far longer than I expected to get Isabelle’s nursery looking and feeling the way I wanted it. It’s continued to evolve since she was born, fitting her ever-changing needs. However, it remains a warm, welcoming space, where she feels calm and happy, as well as somewhere I know she’s safe. It’s a room with multiple uses: most often for changing, sleeping and playing. I’ve kept to a predominately minimal colour palette, adding colour with books and toys. I want it to inspire her but not be too stimulating, as she needs to be able to relax for naps and bedtime. There’s lots of storage so it’s easy to keep tidy, with baskets for her toys that I throw everything in at the end of the day.
We decided not to find out if we were having a boy or girl when I was pregnant with Isabelle. We wanted a surprise (and it was, I thought she was going to be a boy), so the nursery is fairly gender-neutral. I don’t believe that pink is for girls and blue is for boys so there are touches of both throughout. The colour palette is predominantly white, grey and beige (similar to the rest of our house).
Since minimal Scandinavian-inspired interiors are now fairly popular in the UK, it was easy to source all the soft furnishings and decorations without paying extortionate fees to have them shipped here. I sourced a lot of pieces from Scandibørn and used their gift list registry for our baby shower. They kindly gifted me a few pieces for Isabelle’s bedroom but I’ve also bought a lot of things from them, and continue to do so most months.
Safety in our house isn’t something I had previously given a lot of consideration to (beyond the obvious) but I’ve learnt how important it is since becoming a mum. Being responsible for a little person makes you look at things quite differently. I’ve found it helps to get down low so I can see things from Isabelle’s perspective.
The most important piece of furniture in her room is her cot, it has to keep her safe whilst she sleeps. I had a lot of anxieties about moving Isabelle into a separate room so I didn’t want her cot to cause any more. I did my research and found that Boori share a lot of my values. For their cots they use sustainable, FSC-sourced solid wood and their paint finishes are Greenguard GOLD certified, meaning they’re low-chemical emitting. I chose a natural pocket sprung mattress with a 100% cotton cover and 100% pure British Herdwick sheep wool padding, a natural temperature regulator. It’s a solid cot that was easy to build. We moved her into her own room at about six and a half months, at that point the base of the cot was in a raised position. We lowered it when she could sit-up. When she’s ready we’ll remove one side, lower the other and turn it into a toddler bed with a guard panel, and eventually we’ll remove the guard panel. Meaning, we won’t have to worry about a new bed for quite a while.
Initially, I had a cot bumper but after reading about them I was put off using it. There’s a lot of advice that says you shouldn’t, since they’re a suffocation and strangulation risk; the thought of either upsets me beyond belief. It’s also suggested that they trap heat, a big no-no since overheating increases a baby’s risk of cot death.
Sarah & Bendrix Montgomery Pull Along Wooden Dog with Xylophone
The other major piece of furniture was our armchair from Sofa Workshop. It was designed and made here in Britain. I’m so pleased that they support British craftsmanship and that their furniture doesn’t travel halfway around the world before it gets to you. Our armchair is covered in British wool from the Moon Melton Wools Collection. I visited the Sofa Workshop showroom in Wandsworth to look at fabric swatches. There was a huge range but I eventually chose a pale grey (Silver) for its versatility. The same skilled upholsterer worked on my chair from start to finish, it wasn’t made conveyor-belt style. It’s a piece of furniture I hope will remain with us for many years. We have a second in our bedroom and one day will reunite them when we have the space.
Having somewhere comfortable to sit that offers support for your back and arms when you’re nursing is a game-changer. Isabelle recently turned one and I stopped breastfeeding her just over three weeks ago. We still use the armchair every day for stories before her naps and bed time.
L’Amour Fou Digital Safari Animal Prints via Etsy | Habitat Ontario A4 White Picture Frames
Dan and I have read to Isabelle since she was about three months old. She surprised us both when she quickly learned to turn the pages. She has a good attention span for her age and I think that comes down to her love of books. We have so many already. I bought a few that were in excellent condition from FARA Kids and would recommend a visit if you live near one. Book Trust have a great website with age-based recommendations if you’re not sure where to start. Isabelle also has a library card and we get a few books out every couple of weeks. It’s a great way to gauge what she likes and is ready for.
Some of her books are on picture ledges that she can see when we’re changing her. When I pick her up she usually wants to look at one of them afterwards. We rotate them quite often so she doesn’t see the same ones day after day.
We have bought and were given quite a few bits from Liewood. It’s a Danish children’s brand that has a strong ethos of sustainability. Not only is their style minimal and Scandinavian but functional. They use ethical materials; including GOTS-certified organic cotton, bamboo, Oeko-Tex fabrics and BPA-free silicone. Isabelle’s Liewood sleeping pod* and nursing pillow were in almost constant use for the first six months. We have everything from silicone plates to music mobiles. I’ve also just ordered some swimwear and jelly sandals for Isabelle for our holiday. It’s an amazing brand and quite reasonably priced, I buy most things through Scandibørn.
When you walk in Isabelle’s room it’s hard not to notice the beautiful felt animal heads that are hanging on the opposite wall. They are from Fiona Walker, a great British brand. Their team helped me source the exact heads I wanted; a couple of them are older styles that I had seen on Pinterest but couldn’t track down. They’ve since relaunched their website and you can now buy directly from them.
Often when I get Isabelle up from her naps, she wants to pat the animal heads. They’ve helped us teach her about a few animals, along with the prints on the opposite wall.
Each of the heads is ethically hand-crafted from organic lambs wool, using traditional methods. The all-female workforce are able to take their work home so they can continue to look after their children without losing out on an income.
I mentioned in my last post that getting Isabelle sleeping well wasn’t easy. What I didn’t mention is the advice we were given about her bedroom. We keep it as dark as possible when she sleeps, we have a blackout blind and curtains. In the day we switch off her lamp but at night we have it on the lowest setting. We keep her room as cool as we can; babies like a pleasant 18°C. In the really warm weather we’ve had recently, she’s slept in a Bonds Zip Wondersuit (which have a double zipper), or just a nappy and vest when it’s been in the 30s. Otherwise, we use a Baby Mori Clever Sleeping Bag. They go down to 0.5 togs and are made with a bamboo and organic cotton mix fabric. They have a double zipper and and an opening for car seats which is very useful if you need to travel in the evening and transport them straight to bed.
Overall, I think I’ve created a room that works for her now but will easily grow with her. It’s a space she clearly enjoys spending time in and I do, too.
There are lots of little items that I haven’t mentioned but have tried to link to below each of the photos. If you have any questions about any of them please leave a comment below or DM me on Instagram.
A while back I started gathering inspiration for a Scandinavian-inspired home office, you might remember my post. With Isabelle on the way, I had to rethink the location, moving it from our back bedroom to a small alcove in our open-plan living/dining room. The style is unchanged, it’s still very minimal and Scandinavian-inspired, I just had a much smaller space to work with.
Finding a suitable desk was my first, essential task; it needed to be less than 1m wide so that it would fit within the alcove of our living area that I had designated. I found this quite limiting with the style I had in mind and I had to be a bit more creative, opting for a console table rather than a desk in the end. My favourite design for quite some time has been the Skagerak Georg Desk (named after the son of its designer, Chris Liljenberg Halstrøm). I love its rounded edges and soft oak finish. Unfortunately, it was too wide and too deep for the space, so I chose the Skagerak Georg Console – a smaller version of the desk that comes without a drawer. It’s a lovely solid oak table made with FSC-certified wood. It’s just deep enough for my laptop and a few essentials. If you prefer a paler look you could try their Cura Oil in White, which preserves the wood whilst giving it a lighter, whiter finish.
For years I’ve had issues with my neck, shoulders and back. Slumping over computers is nothing new to me and for too long my posture was appalling. I’d get so caught up in what I was doing that I didn’t notice how close I was getting to the screen or how locked up my shoulder was getting. A good chair has always made a world of difference to how I sit at a desk and how comfortable I am. It’s not always been easy as a freelancer to make a fuss over a desk set-ups but since working from home it’s down to me to create a set-up that works in terms of comfort and inspiration.
I wanted a chair with armrests that would still slide neatly under my desk. I wanted a design that’s simple, elegant and minimal but it also had to function. I tested out a few for comfort before deciding on the MENU Harbour Chair. MENU are one of my all time favourite brands, they work with some incredible designers, including Norm Architects who are the designers behind the Harbour Chair. It was originally created for MENU Space, MENU’s new creative destination in Copenhagen’s Nordhavn Harbour. The injection moulded, ergonomic shell is upholstered in a Kvadrat wool-mix fabric called Remix 2, in a soft beige colour-way known as 223 and is lined with soft foam for added comfort. The gently tapered legs and base are made of natural oak (which coordinate perfectly with my desk).
Being such a small desk it would be easy for it to get covered up quite quickly so I’ve tried to keep to my bare essentials. A statement lamp (also from MENU) and my laptop take up most of the space. In addition there are just a few small bits: my notebook (an old one from Bamford), a pen, candle, plant, timer, hand-cream, coaster, clips and a few inspirational postcards I’ve collected over the last year.
Skagerak Georg Console Table† | MENU Harbour Chair with Wooden Base* | MENU Conic Lamp* | Skandinavisk Escapes Collection Heia Scented Candle† | Bamford Cloth Bound Journal | HAY Gold Bullet Pen† | Aethyr London 04 Êpíkouros Tomato Leaf, Fig & Vetiver Candle* | HAY Flowerpot with Saucer Small in Grey† | HAY Time Hourglass Large in Grey† | Compagnie de Provence Hand Balm in Incense Lavender* | French Connection Terrazzo Coaster* | HAY Clip Clip with Handle in Brass | HAY Clip Clip Large in Brass
How To Stay Focused When Working From Home
I’ve been working from home for quite a while, so I feel pretty qualified to share some tips on how I manage to stay focused and get my work done.
Get up, shower, get dressed and do your hair and make-up as if you are leaving home. You don’t need to be meeting-ready but just enough to feel ready for the day.
Before you sit down get any distracting household chores out of the way; put the washing on, wash-up, empty the dishwasher and have a quick general tidy-up.
Working from your dining room table is okay but I would recommend having a dedicated space in your home. It helps to have everything ready to go where you left off the day before. You won’t waste time setting things up or clearing them away each day. It also helps put you in the right frame of mind to work.
Make yourself a cup of tea, coffee or preferred drink before you sit down.
Make a list of jobs for the day; be realistic about what you can get through (save less urgent jobs for another day). There are two ways I approach my list, depending on my mood. If I’m feeling productive I’ll tackle the most important job first; if not, I’ll tackle a few small easy jobs to get things moving.
We’ve been on a mission to get the house as finished and baby-friendly as possible over the last few months, me being pregnant was the kick up the backside we both needed. One area of the house that needed some attention was our bathroom. The paint had started to flake, we still didn’t have a bath and it just felt a bit unloved even though we’d invested so much in it when we first moved in. We’ve since had the walls micro-cemented and a stunning roll-top bath from C.P. Hart has been installed. It’s now need to think about the smaller details, like hooks and shelves. I’m currently looking for the perfect minimal hooks to hang our towels on. There are so many great designs out there, so I’ve rounded up a selection of my favourites.
1. HEM Punched Metal Hook Large in Grey by Julien Renault | 2. Skagerak Regn Hook Large | 3. Utology Wooden Wall Hook in Ash & Scorched Black Wood | 4. Muuto The Dots in Black by Lars Tornøe | 5. HAY Volet Hooks in Black | 6. HAY Hook in Natural Ash | 7. Skagerak Reflect Hook Double | 8. MENU Knobs in Black | 9. HAY Iso Hook in Light Grey | 10. MENU Afteroom Coat Hanger in Small | 11. ferm LIVING Hook in Brass in Small | 12. ferm LIVING Hook in Brass in Large | 13. ferm LIVING Hook in Black Brass in Large | 14. HEM Peg Hook in Varnished Natural Ash by Jonah Takagi
