Home Tour: Emily Henderson

Emily Henderson wasn't content with winning a TV show, presenting her own TV programme or launching a spanking new blog. Nope. She had to have a down right fabulous home, too. And boy am I glad she does because it's a testament to her understated and relaxed decorating style. Flea market finds and small, delicate vignettes create an effortlessly stylish space, which showcases her talent as a prop stylist. Her use of midnight blue hues add depth and visual interest to the scheme that flows throughout the whole apartment. Meanwhile, vintage artworks are hang proudly on the walls, each new drawing or painting adding a quirk to her eclectic home. Oh, and I should mention, she's utterly charming in person as well.

design*sponge

Styling Inspiration: Elephant Props

Do you ever fall upon a blog, website or creative space and instantly it connects with your aesthetic? Well, this very experience happened to me when I turned the first page of Sweet Paul's fall issue, whose inside cover was dedicated to advertising Elephant Props, a full-service prop house in Manhattan's Chelsea neighbourhood. Ran by Michele, a former prop stylist, and Patrick, a former set designer and builder, you can just imagine the visual delights within their prop house. Discovering Elephant Props was as exciting as winning the golden ticket was for Charlie.

Livingetc Subscription Giveaway!

For a while now I've been wanting to find a little way to say thank you for the support you've given to Bright.Bazaar and my new column in Rue magazine. Whilst I was fortunate enough to meet some friends in New York and thank them in person, I know there are many of you out there who support from afar. So, to say 'thank you' and to celebrate the recent launch of Livingetc's new blog, Life.Style.etc, I've teamed up with the magazine to offer you guys a free year's subscription to Livingetc. Life.Style.etc is well worth a read as each day a different member of their editorial team posts about what has inspired them. As such the content is as diverse as it is entertaining; expect to read about the latest art exhibitions to independent interiors stores, along with a splash of fashionable accessories.

There are two yearlong subscriptions up for grabs for bloggers based in the UK or internationally. Plus, you can enter up to eight times for a chance to win. Pick and choose the ways you would like to enter (feel free to do them all if you like), but be sure to leave a comment for each separate entry. The giveaway will close at midnight on Wednesday 6th October 2010 and the two winners will be chosen at random. Good luck!

Livingetc November 2010

That time of year were we head out to the shops to buy loved ones a gift and return laden with extra little treats for ourselves is fast approaching. Livingetc's November issue is brimming with ideas that will seed gift ideas for the holiday season ahead. I've totally fallen for the colourful door mats; do you have a favourite from their picks?

Don't be surprised if you find yourself returning several times to the 'house of the month' spread as you'll find a new gem with every read. Be it the Habitat spindle lamp, the brass-plated island unit or the quirky narrow shape of the building, each photograph of this space is there to be marveled.

There's a charming subtlety to this issue. Statement features or outlandish patterns are few and far between, allowing small details a chance to give the lens a twirl. Never one to disappoint when it comes to their styling, the team have added an extra dose of sparkle to the proceedings in the latest issue. From tonal touches to white schemes to silently flickering candles they've captured that cosy autumnal mood with such ease.

I find myself drawn to the relaxed masculine qualities of these muted schemes. The simple headboards, divine grey fabrics and intriguing artworks make for bedrooms with some serious lust factor. Can you spot the antler lamp?

Although I'm not a big fan of the sofa in the foreground, this shot is actually one of my favourites of the issue. The way the doorway frames a slice of the kitchen excites me beyond belief. Nestled within a Connecticut home, the kitchen has been designed with an industrial take on a country kitchen-style. With olive green tiles and open metal shelving the snaps of this space alone make it an issue worthwhile purchasing.

This is a well-balanced, thoughtful and delicate issue that will have you reaching for the gift guides and hankering after a night in front of a log fire in no time. If it's whet your appetite for more, then check back in with Bright.Bazaar later today for an exciting treat from the Livingetc team.

10 Things I Learned This Weekend

1. Saturday afternoons spent reading the weekend papers and eating your way through a cavernous bowl of chips kinda rock.

2. Manhattan is even more beautiful than I remembered.

3. Adding new hardware to our bedside tables has transformed them from drab to fab!

4. Hours seem like minutes when catching up with an old friend.

5. I've fallen head-over-heels in love with Real Simple magazine and I'm now on a mission to find a UK stockist.

6. A new craft magazine, Making, has just launched in the UK and my friend Perri writes an excellent column for them. There's also an awesome feature on giving old chairs a new twist by re-upholstering the base.

7. LetterboxCo is a must-stop shop for any stationery geeks.

8. I can't stop thinking about this industrial-style storage unit I saw in CB2.

9. Pottery Barn's fall styling ideas reminded me how every now and then their brand gets it so right.

10. Sweet Paul is like porn for food stylists.

Blog Crawl: My Life Is An Open Book

Already there have been some inspiring, amusing and touching takes on Beth's Blog Crawl (see the week one recap, here) so it's with both excitement and a touch of nerves that I write my entry. On Friday Jeanine from AphroChic shared tales of her adventures across America and tomorrow Amanda Lee will post her take on The Crawl.  Looking back my tale feels quite poignant but at the time it was something I felt embarrassed about. Heck, sometimes I guess I still do. Anyway, here goes...

I was fortunate enough to grow up in charming village deep within the English countryside. My bedroom window overlooked rolling fields, mooing cows and there was often the distant, comforting hum of a tractor, dog barking or flock of birds tweeting. My Gran would come to stay and we would walk her dog, Bruno, for hours down country lanes and across the fields. Despite being nearly sixty years apart in age, we would laugh and chat for hours on end. When she was staying I would run downstairs to her room every morning and jump under the covers to chat and I would pretend I liked drinking coffee so I would feel more grown up! I look back to those times - the unaltered, naive bliss of childhood - with misty-eyed warmth.

One cold winter's day, I snuck out on my bike and rode to the local store to buy chocolate. And there it was, the plastic wrapper glinting under the clinical strip lighting of the store: my first ever issue of Livingetc, complete with a free foldout fabric wardrobe organiser. Pennies handed over, and magazine hidden away in my rucksack, I hurriedly cycled back home. I still remember that very night when I hid under the covers with a torch and read the whole issue, cover-to-cover. From then on, each month I would look forward to slipping into its pages. This was my time to dive headfirst into what I loved and enjoy what would turn out to shape who I am.

Twelve years later and I've graduated from university with a Journalism degree, my Gran is still living life to the full and I'm now writing freelance about interiors. And, of course, I'm still reading Livingetc. The only difference? There's not a torch in sight. Nope. Now I hold my copy proudly as I sit reading it in the coffee shop, riding the tube or at my desk. I'm a guy who loves interiors and you know what? I wouldn't have it any other way.

Sunday's Bright Links

Marcus Design takes us through the new trend for inky blues.

Lana's post on a dreamy outdoor wedding warms the soul on this cold autumnal day.

Typographical art that you don't want to miss.

Great shoes. Great socks.

Street art that is bound to get you feeling creative.

How many pins could you put onto this places of America map?

A European-style apartment in Brooklyn.

Happy Weekend

Whatever you do this weekend, folks, I hope it treats you well. I'll be reading the latest issue of Living etc ready for a review next week. Here's a sneak peek for you!

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Mr.Bazaar Goes To New York City!

I can't tell you how much I've missed blogging over the past week. Reading about your inspirations and hearing about what's going on with you guys is such an important part of my day, so to not be able to check in everyday has been weird. However, I was lucky to be experiencing a delightful few days in New York, and now I'm back with plenty of fun planned for Bright.Bazaar (standby for a super exciting giveaway next week). Now, although I said I would be back with a colour cocktail post today, I thought it would be fun to share my time stateside with you guys and return to my regular features next week. So let's get started! On the first night the world's most fabulous and generous host, Kelley Moore, treated us to a dinner party to end all dinner parties. Seriously, check this lady out, she's the tablescape queen! It will always be a special night for me as it was the time I got to meet the Rue girls for the first time after working with them over the past few months. A fantastic evening was had by all, with hilarious dancing included!

After spending Sunday having brunch with some friends in Brooklyn, I met up with Emily who showed us her favourite places in the West Village. Emily is my age and loves magazines, J Crew, Carrie Bradshaw, the colour yellow and trashy romcom movies. A kindred spirit? I think so! On Monday I went to the HGTV lunch and met up with so many inspiring bloggers. As well as meeting new friends and gushing over our shared love of design, I also discovered I'm partial to a strawberry and raspberry snapple.

The same day brought with it another exciting event. This time, the Rue magazine launch party. These girls did good - what a blast! To be able to meet such friendly, engaging, funny and passionate people from all over the world is something I will cherish. Thank you to everyone who put their time and effort into organising such a wonderful celebration. Nick Olsen and I discussed our love for a decent checked shirt, whilst later I chatted Paris and photography with the charming Emily Anderson, giggled with Mackenzie Horan and Emily Clark over prosecco and nattered the night away with Karen, the moggit girls and lots of other fun people who I didn't manage to get a snap with.

Over the four days I snapped some of the architecture that I found most inspiring. New York oozes inspiration everywhere you go - from the brownstones of West Village to the rough, industrial feel of the Meatpacking district and Chelsea. On Sunday evening we saw the sunset from the Top of the Rock and watched as the twinkling golden lights sparkled in the darkening city below.

On Monday afternoon I popped into Vicente Wolf's showroom and had a tour of the worldly items that filled the space. Trudi, the showroom manager, told the stories behind the pieces with pizazz and her energy was infectious. I loved the collection of mirror plates (middle, right) from Thailand, along with the delicate vignette of blue vases.

And, of course, no trip to New York would be complete without a little bit of shopping. Jack Spade, J Crew, Jonathan Adler and the Chelsea Market bookstore all delivered excellent goods. Us Brits need to learn a lesson from the Americans when it comes to retail - they know how to ace customer serivce and take visual merchandising to the next level. New friendships, inspiring interiors and interesting cultures. Thanks for a top four days, New York.

All Bright.Bazaar except tablescapes via 1 and shopping items 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 

Guest Post: Bonnie Tsang

Photography is an art that I hugely admire; it captures emotions, thoughts and feelings in a way nothing else can. Bonnie Tsang is a great friend and outstanding photographer, so I'm really pleased to have her popping in today to share the work of a photographer she admires. Thanks, B!

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When Will invited me to guest blog, I thought, "hm, what can I blog about?" First of all, I'm not good with words. Secondly, Will's blog posts are always so fun to read with all the pictures and colours. So instead of pressuring myself, I decided to just use a simple 'formula': Will = colours. Bonnie = photography. Instantly I remembered the beautiful images from Jeffrey Becom. Here, I picked some of my favorite images to share with you. His work is always filled with intense colours that are so full of life, which reminds me of Will.

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