BedNest Blog

Dining in the round

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 03:12:00 GMT

We've been on the hunt for a new dining table for a while and for the first time are considering a bold (!) move to a round table. Now this change may not seem that earth-shattering or revolutionary to most, but it will totally change the look of our open-plan living-dining space and so for me (Mrs BedNest is not the most adventurous of souls) it is indeed a brave decision!

Here's my thinking...

1. Feel - a round table definitely creates a more casual feel. There's no "head of the table" and it's very conducive to conversation and chat. I would go as far as to say it can create a more intimate dining experience but with 3 small children that's not really something very high on the list.....

2. Look - in a room that is full of angles and straight lines a gorgeous curved table will be a total surprise and contrast and I do LOVE a surprise in any interior. Every room should have something a little unexpected...

3. Space - if you choose the right base and size you can pop a round table into any space and not feel so squishy. They also work with fewer chairs for every day (and a few extras for when guests come)

4. Grandeur - there's just something very grown-up about a round dining table. I'm not talking formal here, still relaxed but they have a real presence and definitely help mark out a separate dining "zone" in an open-plan area.

I do think it only works if you're after a relatively small table. If you've all the space in the world then, for me, nothing makes my heart sing more than an enormous long timber dining table. For now, for a Paddington terrace, I reckon round is the go!

Here are a few images that have helped me (nearly) get there. Very different looks but good food for thought...

All images from pinterest

Chartreuse love

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 01:14:00 GMT

Dusty, slightly greeny yellows are everywhere right now and we are LOVING how a shot of chartreuse can add a real wow factor to any room - especially a BedNest.

See how it livens up gorgeous dark, cozy bedrooms with a delicious, smokey pop of colour. All you need is a throw, blanket, cushion or even a painted side table or upholstered ottoman if you're feeling a bit braver.

Oh and of course, chartreuse is grey's best friend.....

All images from apartment therapy, atelier abigail ahern and Houzz

Duck Egg Blue

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 04:59:00 GMT

As you can probably tell from the BedNest photography, our logo and so many of the images I end up using and being drawn to, I'm a blues kind of girl. Anything from gorgeous, inky navy through to soft powdery sky blues tick my boxes - with a particular fondness for rich, tealy aquas and Delft or Wedgewood mid-blues.

But the one blue that ALWAYS makes me smile and brings something soft, uplifting and refreshing to a space? Duck egg blue....

Have a look...

Now I know that some of the blues above might not be strictly duck egg (if you're a purist) but they are there or there abouts and I'm sure you can see what I'm banging on about....

After a gentle, uplifting burst of colour - you can't go wrong!

All images from Pinterest & Apartment Therapy (except the last one which is our gorgeous Hampton bedhead!)

Rand Rug Heaven

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 23:40:00 GMT

Black and white, stripes and scale - this rug has it all.

A long-time lover of oversized rugs, I have used the Stockholm Rand rug from Ikea in so many projects, for so many customers and in my own home and it always comes up trumps.

I keep noticing it in other shoots, mags, blogs and images - clearly a rug with "cult status"!

Want some instant, low cost impact in your BedNest - this rug's your answer!

Images from Houzz, charliesdesigndiary, imbusyprocrastinating

Abigail Ahern at Decorate & Design

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 10:53:00 GMT

Yesterday I took a couple of hours out and popped in to the Decorate & Design show in Sydney.

I have to say the show itself wasn't so amazing but the hour I spent listening to UK Interiors guru Abigail Ahern at her seminar on "Decorating with style" was utterly inspirational.

For several years now Abigail's individual, eclectic and refreshing approach to interiors and her absolute passion have made her daily blog update a wonderful and anticipated part of my day.

A big believer in not following rules, trends or pre-conceptions but instead trusting your instincts and sticking with a few little tricks, Abigail seeks to create spaces that are daringly different, very beautiful, utterly individual and personal and in her words "make your heart race".

Dark walls, wallpaper, layers, patterns and textures all with in a "reigned in" colour palette are all part of her style and I LOVE it!

Yesterday she shared some of her tricks, some great images to make us think differently and above all her genuine belief in the power of interiors to bring happiness to people's lives - it was fabulous to have the chance to listen, absorb and enjoy!

Abigail's own bedroom

Images from Abigail's Projects

Anders Jungermark

Tue, 15 Jan 2013 03:52:00 GMT

Have you seen the work of the incredibly talented Swedish Photographer Anders Jungermark before?

Well - here's a sample... Just sublime...

Thanks so much Desire to Inspire for "introducing" me to him....

Grey walls

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 03:42:00 GMT

Yup, we admit it. It's so easy to work with white walls - we love this blank canvas as it gives us a chance to work with BedNesters to add colour or texture or pattern (or even all 3) with the fabrics we use on their bedhead, cushions etc.

We're also long-standing fans of a nice stoney neutral (NOT too yellow-based) - Hogs Bristle from Dulux we love.

Over the last year, however, we've been brave and bold and daring (well, by our standards) and working so much with grey walls. Not life-changingly different certainly, but that shift from "always light" so "sometimes dark" on a wall colour is not nearly as scary as it seems. Dark walls are NOT just for the northern hemisphere, libraries, studies and sheds - they can work so well in this beautiful sunny climate of ours and especially in a bedroom. What they create is a cozy, intimate space with instant personality and appeal and dark grey is definitely the way to go.

One of my utter gurus Abigail Ahern is THE guru on dark interiors and as she so brilliantly puts it "go dark, cross over to the dark side, we promise way more fun and its pretty darn life changing!"

Here are a few images we love, both from bedrooms and other spaces - not all the greys are very dark but you get the picture....

Images 1,4,5 Desiretoinspire, Image 2 AbigailAhern, Image 3 Blueprintbliss

Happy 2013

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 03:35:00 GMT

Hey BedNesters,

Wishing you a very Happy New Year.

We've got a great feeling about 2013 and hope it brings you all health, happiness, fun and plenty of down-time in a home you love.

Oh, and lots of playtime at the beach!

Merry Christmas

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 09:37:00 GMT

Happy Christmas BedNesters.

We wish you all a wonderful and happy time with your loved ones.

Interiors Addict

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 02:39:00 GMT

A couple of weeks ago we ran a competition on the fabulous blog Interiors Addict to win our gorgeous new Maddison bedhead below...

We were absolutely swamped in entries and Jen and I were delighted with how many truly inspiring bedroom images were sent into us.

Here's the winning entry...

.....on first glance it's a gorgeous image but maybe not the most inspiring, but have a look at the detail and you'll see the real beauty...The colour scheme, the combination of pretty/feminine and contemporary, the stunning feature wall, the clean lines of the furniture shapes with a real nod to tradition, that amazing parquet floor. SO inspiring in a very understated and elegant way.

Sign up to our newsletter and daily "pillow talk" update on Facebook to hear about more competitions and special offers..

Peep My Style and BedNest

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 03:18:00 GMT

We've "talked" before about the fabulous blog Peep My Style. Well, it's the brain child of the very talented Claudia - style hunter, writer and very cool chick! Claudia joined forces with Hannah Blackmore Photography to work wi

th us on our recent shoot for Adore Home Magazine and Peep a bit of her Style onto some of our new designs.
We love the results, hope you do too!

Florence bed in Husk Dust

Maddison bedhead in Castello Sphere

(Don't you just love the faceted gold and pink sculptural pieces? Claudia MADE THEM!!!)

Linen heaven

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:49:00 GMT

For our recent shoot we used the fabulous linen bedding from CULTIVER. Available in a perfect charcoal and simple white, the quality is beautiful and it is SUCH fabulous value. AND you can buy it all from the fabulous online store - oh how we love fingertip shopping!

How long have we waited to find divine true linen bedlinen just like this without having to take out a second home loan to afford it?!

Here's a shot of our new Maddison bedhead using the Charcoal duvet set and white pillowcases.

Fingers x one day there will be Cultiver throws too....
Go have a look guys... and read Nicolle's blog while you're there, great interiors, styling, shopping and general lifestyle ideas & inspiration.

Adore Front Page - YAY!

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 02:20:00 GMT

We were excited enough last week to be featured in the Adore magazine blog....the latest issue of this inspiring, utterly readable and beautifully put-together magazine is just out and guess what? Yup - we're on the front cover.

Look at the Maddison bedhead looking all glamorous and just a little bit Hollywood!

The bedroom styling feature on page 96 features lots of our new BedNest products - have a look here...

Thanks Loni and team - for another great issue of the mag and for featuring us!

Amazing pics...

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Our latest BedNest shoot was a whole heap of fun and we're so delighted with the results. You've already seen a few of the images (including that amazing shot from the Adore Blog) and you'll see more in the new issue of Adore that's out this weekend...

Of course, there are plenty in our BedNest range too - showcasing our new bedhead designs Maddison and Oxford, our 2 new stools Oscar and Hugo and our gorgeous Florence bed.

We love the beautiful, fresh and natural feel of our new images and it is all down to the enormous talent of the wonderful Hannah Blackmore. Such a fabulous photographer - have a look at some more of her work here....

and, of course, here are some of her shots for us.

Oxford bedhead in Tilda Bisque

Maddison bedhead in Castello Sphere

Florence bed in Husk Dust

Hugo Stool in Ric-rac stripe linen

We LOVE - thanks Hannah!

Adore

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:44:00 GMT

We're chuffed to bits to have been asked to help create a "bedroom styling" feature for Adore magazine's summer edition (out this Saturday).

Here's a sneak preview of the idea behind the feature on the Blog over at Adore today....

Don't you love our new Maddison bedhead (photographed here in Castello fabric)?