Having Fun With Fabrics & New Friends

Today was the last workshop for Series 3, & what a fabulous time we had! Over the past 4 weeks, we have had the pleasure of meeting & mixing with another wonderful group of women, who are now rejuvenated, refocused & re-energised about their respective design & decorating projects & challenges, & I am very excited about the new opportunities on the decorating horizon!

Today we discussed new bedlinen collections, colour & texture in fabric design, & why investing in the professional services of an interior decorator & designer proves time again to be such a worthwhile investment when building, renovating & redecorating. We discussed our ideal interiors, & whilst I love inviting friends into mine, I need to move to the peninsula to create it! As a result of this, I potentially have a new client from this workshop who is just delightful & I very much look forward to helping her create hers.

As always, the mornings began with a welcome coffee & chat, with a mid morning break to follow with treats to enjoy. Today was our "Girls Morning In", our tribute to breast cancer fundraising, so to compliment our cherry pink fabric theme, we enjoyed pink smiley cupcakes (they put a smile on everyone's face), strawberries, cherryripes & melon & guava mineral water!

I would like to make special mention of one of the lovely women I have met in this group, Deb. Last week she learned that her father is very sick, & although a very challenging and worrying time for her & her family, the prognosis sounds very positive which is wonderful news in itself. Deb, your smile & nurturing nature will make an enormous difference I'm sure to your father's recovery, & my thoughts are with you:-)

Also, a very special thanks to Bronwyn Paul for her time, enthusiasm & great support behind the lens, at our workshops by very quietly but so professionally capturing the energy and essence of what designersecrets is about. She is fast becoming an invaluable member of the team, & we would highly recommend her photographic expertise to one & all!

Wishing you all a fabulous Cup Weekend, I'm off to the peninsula in search of my coastal haven!

Bronwyn Paul: rpaul1@optusnet.com.au

The 2009 finishing line...

As we gallop towards the Spring Racing Carnival and Christmas, we are running one more designersecrets workshops for 2009!

Bring your own interiors challenges to the upcoming NOVEMBER ‘designersecrets Uncovered’ workshops series.

The designersecrets workshops have been designed for people who:
- Are interested in interiors & styling
- Are renovators
- Want to design, redesign, or reinvent a room or a space
- Are moving to a new home
- Are wanting to change or expand their current home
- Love design & interiors books & magazines

We are very proud to be associated with Inform Design, a Melbourne based project design & construction company, & are very excited about running our November workshops at their latest environmentally friendly display home, "The Butterfly House"

November Workshop dates:
Tuesday November 10th, 17th, 24th & Tuesday December 1st
Times:
Morning sessions: 10.00am - 12.30pm
Evening sessions: 6.30pm - 9.00pm

Venue:
The new Inform ‘Butterfly House’ in Murrumbeena...("build green with Inform!")

Bookings close by Friday November 6th and we have limited spaces, so don’t miss out!

For more information about our workshops, please contact me at:
haven.interiors@bigpond.com

For more information on The Butterfly House, The Blade, & other Inform design projects, please go to http://www.informdesign.com.au/

Wishing you all a fabulous week!!!

Claire :-)

sharing designersecrets...

I thought you might like to see a few inside snippets of our designersecrets workshops, what fun we are having!

some of our recent designersecrets graduates...a wonderful group of enthusiastic women that we shared 4 very cold & wintery sessions with, & still they were smiling!
Our colleague Bronwyn has just joined our team to capture workshop activities & stories moving forward...no object is hidden from her lens, including the colour palette of the morning coffee!

Planning colour schemes & story boards for your perfect haven...

Enthusiasm & a passion to further develop your own interior style with like-minded women is what makes our workshops so interesting & enjoyable...

A combination of simple styling & quality bedlinen & accessories are key ingredients for how to make your bed look fabulous without fuss

Sharing & exchanging ideas, challenges & decorating tips make our workshops welcoming, interesting, interactive & informative

Hmmm, what fabrics do I like for that furniture scheme at our holiday house?

At our workshops, we share our knowledge & expertise on developing your appreciation for art as both an investment, a reflection of your interior style & your personality

Floor Rugs by Hip Home...tailor the design to your specific needs to create both another dimension of artistic expression & interest in your home or office

At designersecrets workshops, we introduce you to beautiful textiles, furniture, wallpapers & furnishing design from around the world that you may have never heard of...just what you want when you are renovating & redecorating...

Every week we introduce you to different colour schemes & furnishings...4 in total, all very different, very unique...

The day Susie & I launched designersecrets...5 months on, Series 3 underway, with Series 4 beginning on November 10th!! Join us at another fabulous Inform property for 4 consecutive Tuesdays (morning or evening) to let us help you with your interior design plans, or because you want to do some decorating for the festive season & Summer living...

COST: $440 for a 4 session workshop (each session is 2 1/2 hours)

For more information on designersecrets & our forthcoming workshops, email me at haven.interiors@bigpond.com

or contact me on 0408 363 529. Bookings close Friday November 6th!

As many of our participants have said..."this workshop could save me a lot of money!"

The Essence of LIfe in Provence

Vicki Archer's latest chapter from Provence is "French Essence", a beautiful narrative & pictorial sequel to the divine "My French Life", & will absorb you from cover to cover & everything in between. When I purchased the book, I was told to make sure upon opening the book to look inside the cover for another stunning image...(the first of so many to follow)..Vicki's magnificient property in Saint Remy-de-Provence...it takes your breath away.

When you're thoughts take you far away, to beautiful places...this is the book that will further inspire your dreams...culture, beauty, passion for enjoying life as it comes, .."French Essence" is a simply gorgeous celebration of living your dreams, living life, in Provence.

Vicki, thank you for sharing your dreams & inspiration with others.

http://frenchessence.blogspot.com

Dressing for that Special Sense of Occasion

When I had a cocktail party for a small group of clients & colleagues, it was a perfect opportunity to showcase a selection of table styling themes - classical & traditional, informal & outdoor table styling, magical treasures for children, to the timeless appeal of monochromatic tones.

The two featured were the result of several requests for accents of gold, & black & white. The gold twig was previously old pear vine, the placemats for the next, sheets of music...an interesting alternative to traditional fabric placemats

I am often asked by clients to dress their tables for special occasions...

Christmas

Spring Racing

Winter entertaining

Simply 'something special'

The tables featured have been repeated on many occasions, albeit with signature touches provided by the client

• Garden parties
• Christmas
• New Year
• Milestone events
• Winter
• Summer
• Spring
• Autumn
• Coastal
• Country
• Provincial
• Mixing old with new
• Oak & stone
• Shades of white, linen, latte & more

Haven Interiors is all about creating that perfect sense of occasion for you...

To enquire about what we can create for you email me at: haven.interiors@bigpond.com

Home

What makes your house a home, a place that denotes your personal retreat, the haven that welcomes you day & night? The stone or timber that makes up your home? The paint or render of your walls? The natural light of day that filters through the trees of your garden, & that reflects from the windows? The path to your door, or a favourite wall lantern to welcome you home in the evening? A plaque that identifies your property? The planter boxes that sit either side of your front door? Or the gumboots that have been on the verandah to dry after walking in the rain with the dogs?

In Autumn & winter, we seek our cosy retreat, in Spring & Summer, we throw open the doors & windows to embrace the warmer breezes & lightness of day extended for all to enjoy...

Regardless of whether the road winds to your door, or sits at the street, a townhouse, country or coastal retreat or intimate studio space...your home welcomes you in...nurture your haven to make you happy, you're now 'home'....

OCTOBER designersecrets workshops...

Series 3 of designersecrets workshops begin next week!!


Once again, we're offering MORNING & EVENING workshops, with the dates fitting in perfectly between school term beginning, & Melbourne's colourful Spring Racing Carnival!


Colour, Window Treatments, Lighting, Art, Bedlinen, Fabrics & Furniture to name just a few interior areas we will be covering, along with other secrets...


Our last workshop was a great success, & our attendees were just wonderful braving the stormy, wintery weather! I will soon be posting photos from our last Series on both 'Haven Home' & 'designandstylesecrets' blogsites, & look forward to sharing these updates with you!


The dates for designersecrets Series 3 are: Wednesday October 7th, 14th, 21st, 28th.
Morning Sessions: 10.00-12.30pm
Evening Sessions: 6.30 -9.00pm


And for those of your who can't make October, Series 4 begins after Cup Week, on Tuesday November 10th, so mark it on your calendars!!


For more information on designersecrets workshops & events, please email me at haven.interiors@bigpond.com to find out more!!

Gelati Inspiration

Hello there! After almost 4 weeks, Haven Home returns. I don't know where the past month has gone, suffice to say, another exciting series of designersecrets has finished, school holidays are midway through, the football season is over, cricket has begun, Spring is well and truly upon us, with Melbourne's racing season about to begin. Gardens are bursting with colour & scent, grass is green, & daylight saving is just around the corner.

Energy abounds to redecorate & reorganise interiors to prepare for outdoor living & festive entertaining, & what wonderful inspiration comes from Spring blooms. Whilst going through my library of interior magazines the other day I came across these beautiful images. such stunning combinations of colour - raspberry, fuschia, gelati pink, mango & strawberry shades- what a perfect way to wake up your home from Winter.

Welcome to Spring time...

Spring is here already...September 1st heralds so many new beginnings...

Longer days, renewed energy & fresh spirits awaken our senses to the burst of colour around us, in our gardens, cooking, entertaining, our wardrobes. Interiors & fashion celebrates with kaleidescopes of rainbow hues in florals & everything brighter than Winter's black...no longer wanting to be cosy inside, it's time to open the doors & windows, & let nature's revitalising touch filter through in colour, fragrance & life. Yes, it's time to shake of the winter blues & embrace the season of Spring...

Nog 'n Piep -In Praise of Friendship & Artistic Passion

Nog 'n Piep is a celebration of friendship & a shared passion for beautiful handmade pieces. Inspired by the talents and creativity of three fabulous women - Camilla Cicoria, Dana Lavercock and Nicole Rickard. Their partnership objective is to create unique quality products they simply love, which is very evident when you ask them about any one of their product range. An item that you can present with pride & that will add something special to an already stylish room.

"Using a selection of irresistible linen & silk, gorgeous fabrics & original hand stamped prints, our pieces are sophisticated enough to create your own coordinated look anywhere in the home. Our collection includes feather cushions, cards, wall art, framed artwork & other décor accessories."

Make sure you keep popping online to their site so you know where to next view their beautiful wares, perhaps at the next Red Hill Market or the fabulous Magnolia Square market...

http://www.nognpiep.com

Simplicity & Style for Spring Entertaining

I love the simplicity of how this table is dressed - beautiful colour in bloom with candles to welcome, offset by the clean, white lines of the kitchen - dark timber against white surfaces, one of my favourite interior combinations.

designersecrets workshop Series 2 Is Coming!

designersecrets Workshops Series 2, beginning Tuesday August 25th!! We can hardly wait! Tell your friends and colleagues about it, we're running it at Inform in Camberwell, Melbourne, and once again, we have fabulous industry experts joining us to make this another fabulous event!!!

Click on the image to learn more!!!

No Chintz for Chrissie Jeffery

"Sand Between My Toes"

Founder and proprietor of No Chintz, Chrissie Jeffrey, creates the most divine, versatile & interesting collections of textile & soft furnishings, proudly showcased in her two beautiful Sydney stores, Woollahra & Willoughby.

When she was about four years old, Chrissie took a pair of scissors to one of her grandmother’s patchwork cushions & cut out a small square. `My grandmother used to turn all her old fabrics into cushions & spreads - viyellas & old silks & wonderful old crepes,’ she says, `& I just had to have that piece!"

"Walking Through The Vineyard" detail

"Nana's Chair"

Chrissie studied at East Sydney Technical College (now the National Art School), completing a rigorous three year `hands-on’ course in which students did everything from millinery & hand stitching, to cutting & making “from the block”, that is tailoring a pattern on a dressmaker’s mannequin in calico, a technique also used by students of haute couture. After a couple of years with Pamela Taylor in Surry Hills, Chrissie began her own soft furnishing business, Stitches, working with a range of interior designers, including Ann Gyngell & Michael Love, both of whom set high standards of workmanship & enjoyed prestigious client lists.

"Evening Breeze" Chair

"Evening Breeze" Story

Over the next few years Chrissie’s reputation for reliability & beautiful workmanship spread but she felt increasingly frustrated that she could not get the fabrics she wanted. After a trip in the late 1980s looking at London textile businesses, Chrissie opened her first retail shop in Surry Hills, Sydney. `It was a tiny little shop but there was a demand for a wider choice of fabric & we filled the niche.’

Also in that year she worked with curators from the Powerhouse Museum on the exhibition A Material World about the history of textiles around the world. It encouraged her to push the boundaries & expand her business.

"Nina's Caravan"

"Alone In Paddy Field"

No Chintz Lamp Collection

Chrissie's two Sydney stores - No Chintz Woollahra & No Chintz Willoughby are testament to her passion, focus & commitment for her work. Both stores enjoy dedicated following from customers who want a special product. She is equally committed to her staff in the workshop. "It’s vitally important to keep those skills alive, to hold onto that knowledge.'

Chrissie & her team in the workroom also deal directly with architects, designers & textile houses, as well as such public clients as the Historic Houses Trust for the refurbishments at Duntroon College & Government House. `I really like collaborating with clients to get the best results possible. It’s very interesting to work with different sensibilities.’

"We are about finding the exact fabric you want, whether on-trend or classic, in a relaxed environment with a team of passionate experts who are happy for any opportunity to talk textiles"

As ever, Chrissie is moving in new directions. Some of her fabrics now are woven in India to her specifications & her online catalogue has become a major part of the business.
`I just love textiles,’ she says. Who ever would have guessed?

http://www.nochintz.com.au/