We Love: Willow & Hall

 

I love a classic and relaxed style sofa, especially in a family room.  A piece that you can snuggle down in to and watch films on a rainy day.   My new recent find is Willow & Hall, a Surrey based company that makes a varied selection of sofas, sofabeds and armchairs, in the UK (so refreshing to hear), and they are budget friendly too!

 

Here the founder of Willow & Hall, Sarah Massouh, answers a few questions about her creative job and her personal style...

What is the favourite part of your job?

I really enjoy the creative side of the business such as designing new furniture from scratch from the initial sketches to the first prototype; working with our photographer and set designers to get the right shots of our lovely items; and working with the brand agency to develop our marketing and website for customers. We are also in the processing of looking for our first showroom in South West London so I am enjoying working with the team and the property agent to find something perfect for Willow and Hall customers.

How would you describe your homes style?

Our home is very calm, relaxed and welcoming (well we like to think so!).  The colours are all very neutral with warm greys complimented with soft pastel furniture pieces and injected with colour through various small soft furnishings.  I also love my candles. I think a home should be a space you love and for me colours, textures and smells all play an important part in creating the right ambience in any home.  Likewise, like my candles I also love flowers.  I buy lots of beautiful fake flowers then create my own big displays around the house.  I find it’s a great way of creating a focal point in a room and to bring all the colours in the room together through the mixture of the flowers used in the bouquet.

What is your favourite piece from the Willow & Hall collection?

I can’t really pick a favourite but I do really like our new corner sofas and sofa beds which offer fantastic comfort for families and have a slightly more relaxed look to some of our more traditional 2 and 3 seater sofas and sofa beds – which I think is how it should be with corner units

Do you favour country living or city chic?

I am not sure I fall into either camp.  I really just love stylish, elegant and timeless interiors and like to buy pieces which will reflect this and then combine these with fun smaller pieces to add a touch of playfulness.  My style is really translated into our products and photo shoots. Willow and Hall is an extension of the type of interior design I love and more importantly our customers love. 

Visit Willow & Hall here:  www.willowandhall.co.uk

An Interview with Sophie Allport

We love the Sophie Allport collection here at Butterfly Lane and our customers do too!  It is the epitome of chic and understated country living, with pretty prints and delicate fine bone china.  With everything from friendly busy bees on sweet tea tidies to a country favourite chicken design on tea towels, we want it all!  

So you could imagine our delight when we found out that Sophie was launching a whole range of gorgeous kitchen accessories with Butterfly Lane's most favourite of garden creatures...the robin!  We think that a robin is not only for Christmas  (they are just so cute any time of the year!) but these fabulously festive designs with subtle snow flakes are getting us feeling rather...well, festive!  I love the idea of filling the large jug with mulled wine, and the medium jug full of gorgeous gravy for your Christmas dinner.  Whilst the mugs can be filled with steaming hot chocolate!  

They also make a splendid gift as they come in a gift box and of course have the beautiful Butterfly Lane gift wrap!  With prices starting from £5.00, what's not to like...

Sophie Allport Christmas Collection

We were lucky enough to have five minutes with the lady herself so here Sophie Allport talks to Butterfly Lane about her inspirations, her home and what she's planning to do this Christmas...  

What is the favourite part of your job? 

I’m so lucky as I get to paint as a job and I’m never happier than when I’m in my studio painting and coming up with new designs and product concepts.

What is your inspiration?

I’m continually inspired by the world around me.  Nature and the countryside fascinate me and the changes of the seasons and their colour are incredible.  I have three young boys and their excitement rubs off on me.  Our Ladybird collection came from my eldest’s obsession with the cute little bugs!

If the Butterfly Lane readers were to buy one iconic piece from your collection, what should they buy?  

Our best selling products are our double oven gloves and tea towels.  They’re 100% cotton and really durable and people come back time and again and buy more in different designs.  Our products are high quality but we think still reasonably priced.  A tea towel is £5 and a pair of double oven gloves is £13.

'Busy Bee' Oven Gloves £13.00

Tea Towels £5.00 each

How would describe your homes style?

I think a home should be comfortable and a place to feel completely relaxed (which is difficult with three boys under 7 causing chaos!)  I live in a barn conversion that has plenty of natural light and I’ve mixed hard surfaces like natural wood with soft furnishing in the form of rugs and cushions.  I’m obsessed with colour and my home style could probably be described as quite simple and neutral but I like to bring in pattern and contrast with colourful accessories like throws, cushions and in the kitchen with my tea towels, oven gloves, chair pads and tablecloths.

How do you unwind after a stressful day in the studio?

I love relaxing in front of our woodburner at this time of year with a nice glass of wine.  There’s nothing better than snuggling up with my boys to watch a family favourite like Strictly Come Dancing!

How would you spend the perfect weekend?  

I absolutely love the north Norfolk coast.  This is where the inspiration for my Sailing Boat range came from.  The big skies and vast open beaches make for great family walks and cricket and rounders matches.  I always like to cook a Roast on Sunday – there’s something so rewarding about the family all sitting together and indulging in a lovely meal before collapsing in front of the fire with the papers.

What does the future hold for Sophie Allport? 

I’m working on some great new collections for Spring and Summer 2013 and we’re planning to widen the range of products we sell even further.  New launches this month are our hot water bottle covers, pot grabs and after so much demand we are now selling rectangular hob covers that fit Rayburns.  We’ve also just opened our first showroom at our head office near Stamford so we’re hoping that will go well this Christmas and into next year.

We have just launched your gorgeous Christmas Robin collection on Butterfly Lane.  Have you even begun to think about Christmas yet in the Allport house?  

Funny you should ask that as we did our brochure photoshoot at my house a few months ago and had to get a Christmas tree decorated and set up all the fairy lights etc.  It felt very strange in August and my boys got very confused!  We have booked the Christmas pantomime and organised who’s hosting Christmas day in the family but that’s as far as I’ve got.  It’s always such a busy time for us at Sophie Allport that I really should start planning my present buying but can’t quite bring myself to think about it yet!

Sophie Allport's Christmas Collection is now available at Butterfly Lane

Finally, if you could buy anything from Butterfly Lane (apart from your gorgeous collection!), what would you buy? 

You have such a lovely collection of things... I would probably treat myself to your ‘Rose and Peony’ soap.  I love my gardening and roses are my absolute passion.  To be reminded of that wonderful smell in a soap would be a real treat. 

Our gorgeous range of soaps that Sophie Allport has her eye on

Rose & Peony Soap, £5.95

View all of our gorgeous Sophie Allport collection here.

Lifestyle Interview: Emma Forbes

Lifestyle expert and TV presenter Emma Forbes is one of the nations most loved personalities, and now she is making waves with her lifestyle magazine and website, which is fast becoming an influential online destination, covering everything from parenting, food, interiors, travel, health and well-being, basically everything to make stylish living easy.  Which sounds good to us!  Emma has also released her book Life & Soul, which gives the rundown on creating perfect themed parties.   

Emma could quite possibly be the ultimate Yummy Mummy and here she talks to Butterfly Lane about interior design, how she unwinds after a stressful day and how it's important to embrace change.  

How would you describe your homes style?

My homes style is no clutter, but things I love around me!  I think 'less is more' - a splash of colour in a white room, a beautiful object on a shelf.  I love a cosy and warm feel, but love white as a base colour.

How did you make the transition from TV to writing a book and having a lifestyle website?

Transition from TV to what I do now seemed to be the right move as I had my two kids and enjoyed spending more time at home than away working, and then I could be a working mum but fit everything in around their schedules!  It's what I've always loved - everything to do with lifestyle, so it seemed like quite a natural transition.  

How do you unwind after a stressful day at the office?

I unwind by being at home, good rubbish telly, and a home cooked meal - ideally while wearing PJ's with my husband and kids.

Do you favour country living or city chic?

I always think I love country living but in fact I think I'm more urban than that, as I love the noise of a city, and having things like a Starbucks nearby!  So probably I'm more city chic?  Perhaps a bit of both?

If you were to buy anything from Butterfly Lane what would you buy? 

I would buy lots of gorgeous cake stands, I love them.  You can never have enough and they look great in quantity!

Cake Stands available from Butterfly Lane 

Bird Dome Cake Stand available from Butterfly Lane

What is your top lifestyle tip?

My top lifestyle tip is to keep things changing.  I think people get very afraid of 'change' and I love the idea that rooms evolve with you, the time you are in your life, seasons etc, so be bold and brave - do spring clearouts, make a room cosy at Christmas and always make your home your castle!

Visit www.emmaforbes.com for more lifestyle tips. 

Her book Life and Soul is available to buy now.

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We Love Helen Turkington: Interview

I recently discovered a wonderful interior designer, her style is sophisticated, liveable and oh so elegant.  Her name?  Helen Turkington.  Helen's style instantly grabbed me, her use of neutral tones and classic pieces is everything that Butterfly Lane represents, so I had to share my discovery with you.  

Helen is one of the UK and Ireland's most influential designers, so I feel like I am slightly behind the times with my so called 'find', but better late than never!  I just love her effortless style and here are some gorgeous examples of her work...

Helen very kindly agreed to an interview with Butterfly Lane.  I hope her answers inspire you to create beautiful interiors, I know she inspired me...

How would you describe your style?

Contemporary classic, combined with understated elegance.  Because a lot of our clients have town houses and country houses I tend to give them a comfortable yet elegant city home and a more laid back accessible country look.  

We really believe in carefully building our colour palettes with neutrals being the core of the look, and accents of colour to bring it to life.  

I love to mix old with new and make something look effortlessly stylish.  It's all about mixing it up but knowing your particular style, I am not a slave to trends and know when a room has just enough detailing to make it unique.  

What is your inspiration?

Lots of things, from different colours in nature, travelling to different countries sourcing fabrics always inspires new ideas.  I love classic old houses with beautiful features, old textiles, sourcing artwork for clients always makes you see things differently.  

I love getting new interior magazines from Europe and the States to see what they are doing.  There is inspiration everywhere.  

What is on your current wish list for your home?

A garden room and a new study so I can work from home in my own creative space.  I am always on the move between our various shops and my iPad is my portable office.  I would love to have my own creative space away from kids, cooking, dogs and daily life.  

How do you unwind after a stressful day at the office?

I go home to my children which is a different challenge and makes you instantly forget about work, until their bedtime.  I usually spend my evening mulling over the day just gone by and making notes for the next one.  I love to watch a good film or read a book.  

How would you spend the perfect weekend?

No phones or emails, a lazy morning with kids and out to a party or dinner with friends in the evening.  And Sunday is all about family time and a walk on the beach.  

Do you favour country living or city chic?

City chic because I love the buzz of the city, especially London.  It's such an inspiring town with great restaurants, galleries and a never ending choice of amazing specialist shops.  

What is the favourite part of your job?

When you see a project finished exactly as you and the client wanted, a happy client!  So satisfying and makes it all worth while.  

What are you top three tips on creating the perfect Helen Turkington home?

Keep it simple, get your paint colours right for the house and the key element in finishing the look is to accessorise, accessorise, accessorise!  

Thank you Helen!  

View Helen's website here, and follow her on Facebook.