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Richard Waller of Inside Out says about design ‘if you’re too busy trying to please all the people all of the time, you end up pleasing no one (least of all yourself).’  

Have you ever taken a fabulous decorating piece home and discovered it won’t fit where you planned to put it?  Maybe you created a whole new room around it, changing layout, colours and textures as you went.  The ultimate creative spirit is shown by those who can use what they have and make it look amazing.  

Some decorators can plan to the nth degree, but where’s the fun in that?  If you’re given a wonderful antique which has been in your family for ages and means a lot to you do you throw it out or give it away just because it won’t fit with your decor?  More likely you’ll take the initiative to make it work.  

Our lovely clients sent us lots of photos in a recent competition and there were some bedrooms that made us go “wow”.   A few of them had created their room around the feature wallpaper, then used other pieces to show it off.  Then there were the bedrooms that showed the individual creativity of their owners who used colour, texture and bedhead design to personalise their bedroom.  This image with a Catherine Martin wallpaper from Porter’s Paints and our Soho design in Ella stone is all about creativity, having faith in following your creative instinct – what a result! 

Creative instincts at work

You just never know where inspiration for your perfect bedroom make over may come from.  For some of our clients, it’s  whilst enjoying a movie where gorgeous interiors are featured that the seed is planted.

Rebecca fell in love with the bedhead in the movie “Somethings Gotta Give” and so did we. So much so it inspired our Fulham design.  We love the understated clean lines of this design and teamed with a textured linen, the finished result is always elegant and refined.

The stunning wingbacked bed from “The Proposal” movie inspired Julie for her daughter’s bedroom.  Finished in Dolce velvet, her daughter is one special little girl to have her very own custom made bedhead to rest up against each night whilst reading.

Of course, the bedhead that is currently the talk of the town is Carrie’s gorgeous wingbacked design from Sex and the City 2.  Following countless enquiries for wingbacked designs, what better way to launch this design than with Carrie’s  rendition.  The piping and studs on the profile define the clean lines and complement the stunning black and white fabric featured.

So next time you find yourself at the movies admiring the interior features of a room and not following the story line, you can rest assured you are not the only one who focuses on the finishing touches that make a house a  home.

It is during these cooler months when the garden is dormant and the clouds are low that I look for splashes of colour in interiors.  The Peony flower from Designers Guild featured on our Ralston is one such example of adding that layer of warmth and interest.  Another textile designer’s work I love is Christopher Farr who has been designing prints and furnishing fabrics since 1988.  Farr’s art training and passion for contemporary design and architecture are exquisitely expressed in the Cloth collection. From the choice of materials of the highest quality, to the bold geometric patterns, oversized motifs and textured weaves, this bedhead featured is testament to how to co-ordinate bedhead design and fabric for maximum effect.  The floral lamp adds that extra dimension and should gives us all encouragement to follow our convictions.  Pink and orange were two colours I never felt confident in combining – not anymore!

Every once in a while one stumbles on a charming collection of beautiful products unique that is worth sharing.  Anne Mannion’s Blackthorn Textile Designs studio in the historic railway station in Yea is a treasure trove of beautiful textiles that encompasses the sustainable philosophy of reducing, reusing and recycling antique and often very scarce textiles into modern creations. Anne’s designs and creations are often one off and unusual in their concept and configuration. She designs increasingly for discerning individuals, busy modern families and adapting family heirlooms into tailored designs exclusively for her clients.  Her recent productions have included country weddings, restaurant interiors and stylish private libraries and corresponding furnishings.  Employing aged and rare fabrics, imported fair trade textiles and post-modern contemporary cloths, pre-loved garments, felting of woollen and woven blankets, tartans, silks and linens, her designs and creations have found their way into homes, restaurants and a select range of Melbourne’s cutting edge boutiques and High Street retailers.  
Now that is one contact from the little black book worth sharing…… 
Anne can be contacted on blackthorn1@optusnet.com.au or phone 0413489196. 

Looking forward to visiting Furnitex this week in Melbourne which is a fabulous fair filled to the brim with decorative items.   We are just in the process of finalising bedside tables and bedside lighting to add to our range next month so this fair will ensure we have the best designs on board!

So lucky to have Abigail Ahern in the country as part of the Funitex lecture series talking on “Creating feeling and emotion in an interior”.  Wow, her work is breathtaking and I just cannot wait to listen to her speak on this topic.  Pen and paper already packed so will update you on my return next week.   Her new book “A girls guide to decorating” has already sold me just on the title net alone her dreamy images and stories behind each room……

Wow!  There were lots of new photos of beautiful bedheads sent in as entries to our fantastic competition over the weekend. 

They’re all different and I started thinking about how the choice of bedhead corresponds to the personality of our client.  Does a choice of bright colours indicate that the customer is passionate and energetic, whereas a more neutral colour indicates someone who likes their bedroom to be relaxing? 

Already a Heatherly Design customer? you can join in the fun by sending a photo of your Heatherly Design Bedhead to sales@heatherlydesign.com.au and be in the running to win $1000 worth of Sheridan bed linen.

For those keen on reality TV and renovating and decorating, there can be no more perfect fix at the moment than the block which is airing each night on Channel 9.  We first heard about this series a few months ago when the gorgeous Amy contacted us in house no.3 to say “Hey Georgie, we need a bedhead, and we need it fast!!”  As we love a deadline here in the design office, we jumped at the chance of creating something special for Amy and her sister Katrina.  We were fortunate to have a stunning Belgian linen in stock so it did not take much convincing that the colour would be perfect with their chosen bedhead design.  We finished it with a valance and delivered within 48 hours.  The following week we received a call to say how thrilled they were with the result and how the design so finished the room.  It was a pleasure dealing with these gorgeous girls.  I cannot begin to appreciate the pressure they have been under especially too being away from their husbands and children for 8 weeks.

Their guest bedroom will go to air in the next few days so keep an eye for the talented girls from Wagga NSW.

Really enjoying reviewing our fabric range on line.  Have found some stunning linens including a very special design called Catalina. Our new colour palette and selection of textures is near perfect!
Now that is something to behold! 

What a dreamy time of year Autumn is.  Some recent snaps from the Heatherly garden.    We are busy preparing our garden for the Australian Open Garden Scheme when we open our doors to other garden lovers for the first time in three years on November 12th and 13th.  So much to do but we always love a deadline to work towards…….

More updates to follow on the projects at hand over the next six months……

Happy Gardening!