May 2013
2 posts
Abi Campbell web chat
How exciting that Abi, of Abi’s House (http://www.1st-option.com/index.cfm/locations/thumbnails/bt/stills/lf/abis) has been in touch with the Colporter Blog.
She has kindly agreed to field questions about her lovely pad.
She has already confirmed that the kitchen is indeed the coveted Plain English and I have been a sleuth and found the Blithfield Wallpaper.
Any more questions?
Please...
April 2013
4 posts
4 tags
Mood for thought...
Sorting out mortgages is dull, dull, dull. BUT planning a bit of decorating is far from it. Here are a few snaps of some colour and wallpaper samples which pleased me this week.
Above we have some Farrow and Ball greigey neutrals from left to right..Pavilion Grey, Slipper Satin, Dovetale and Skimming Stone. These testers are painted on the fabulous canvases Tiger sell - £2 each. They are not...
Anonymous asked: Hi - love your blog! Am very keen on the railway platform sign in the house you featured in the latest post. Do you have anything similar in stock? I'm guessing that a fair amout of your stock finds a new home before it goes on the website... Thanks!
4 tags
New house to lust after...
I go through phases of being obsessed with certain houses I have seen online or in magazines. I revisit the picture or website and examine it. Repeatedly.
You may recall the Annabel’s House obsession. Finding the website 1st-option.com was the worst thing that could have happened to a stalker like me. Anyway, there is a new house on it. It may even trump Annabel’s. I think there must...
Box Pendants
Sorry I have not posted for a long time. Lots going on with “the Move”.
So now I turn to my plans for the new place. I am starting to collect images on my Pinterest boards and I have noticed a recurring item appearing, the Box Pendant. I think these look wonderful in a hall, stairs or landing and are a little bit different to the chandeliers and industrial lighting I have hankered...
March 2013
1 post
Moving on...
So, we may be moving on to pastures new. We have absolutely loved living in Furzedown but now we are shipping off to commuterland…
If you have read my blog for long you will know I have rather a love affair with Percy Pendle. So after 6 years of doing it up, and two out of three babies born here it will be a sad day to leave.
Here are some pics if you fancy moving to a lovely (I am biased)...
January 2013
1 post
8 tags
TOTA - The design diaries...
So TOTA has opened, finally! Now most people have had a few weeks opportunity to visit themselves I can blog about the design and branding.
So how did we go from this…
and this…
to this…
Let’s start at the beginning, how did Colporter get this gig? Well it is all thanks to this blog. This time last year I blogged about Tooting and what I love about it. Someone...
November 2012
1 post
9 tags
Bricking it.
They do say everything comes around again and look what is hot again now, exposed brick.
If you read this blog often you will know that Colporter has been working on the design and branding of a new restaurant in Tooting, TOTA. We have tweeted a few photos of the walls we uncovered in the strip out and have been teased about our obsession with them but they have been a real gem of a find as the...
October 2012
1 post
9 tags
Love it or Loaf it
I am an absolute sucker for branding. Show me a cool logo, some quirky stationery, I am completely won over. You can imagine how excited I was therefore to take on an extra role for the owners of Tooting’s new restaurant, TOTA of advising on and designing their branding, as well as the interior design.
This week has seen that new logo revealed…
The Tooting Twitterati seem to like it....
September 2012
2 posts
Floral and Botanical
We have noticed a real trend for Botanical Prints and Posters lately. A botanical poster is a subtle way to embrace vintage without being industrial looking in the way that maps are. It also brings the outside in as the nights draw in.
Here is what hangs in our hall currently. I could not part with this one (for now) lovely lilacs, pinks and greens.
I love the use of Botanical posters in these...
3 tags
Door Stalker III
It has been too long since I last blogged so I shall ease myself back in gently with a regular feature.
You know the drill, smart road, smarter front doors. You guess the road and F&B colour you think is closest to the front door.
A nice neutral (but still lots of pigment) grey with wonderful original encaustic floor tiles and wrought iron railings. Love the bay tree too.
A classic...
August 2012
1 post
6 tags
Front it out
I love a shop front. Full of promise, it gives you a taster, “sets out your stall” quite literally.
I have just come back from a design meeting for TOTA (the new restaurant for Tooting). We know the shop front needs to knock peoples’ socks off. You can be the judge of whether it does soon.
But in the meantime here are my top tips for a stunning shop front
1 Paint job
An...
July 2012
4 posts
6 tags
Tolix - tastic
Look at these. Nuff said. Coming soon to Northcote Road Antiques Market.
3 tags
La vie est belle...
I am not meant to be blogging tonight, so many little jobs to do, but I just got snapping in the dusky evening light in my kitchen and had to share these images.
My new bunch of blooms from the lovely bloke in Hildreth Street Market Balham. Tenner.
Placed in a Colporter Hungarian Jar, stylists own (poncey).
Next to the new French Gig Posters with their sherbety colours (soon to be on the...
3 tags
Ben's Canteen Pop- up
The last few months have been so hectic for Colporter: the Moyser Rd Pop-up, joining Northcote Road Antiques Market and sourcing enough to stock both places. All with my little sidekick Hattie in tow.
We have been delighted with the response from people seeing our stuff in a real, rather than online, shop. It especially warms the cockles when someone really “gets” the quirky...
5 tags
A tale of 2 Londons
I have been a bit lax on the blogging side of things recently. 3 nippers, 3 shifts in the Northcote Road Antiques Market a week, TOTA, life etc is taking its toll. On Sunday we decided we needed an adventure. A day out having fun and no jobs. So we went “into London”.
Boy did we cover some ground. These soldiers are getting younger all the time.
Fred loves Michael...
June 2012
3 posts
2 tags
I love this chooooon
Anonymous asked: Hi I wondered if you had the contact details for Pip West, the bathroom is fantastic. Thanks, ali
7 tags
Friday Finds
As some of you may know we have finally managed to join the Northcote Road Antiques Market after a long long wait (longer than an allotment I bet).
Now our stall is set up I can browse some of my fellow stallholder’s beautiful finds.
There is a real mix of antiques. One of my favourite stalls is the silverware. I do love a dining table dressed formally for dinner. These bundles of separate...
May 2012
11 posts
3 tags
Lubilee Jubilee
Here is our little Jubilee window at the Moyser Road Pop up…sorry about the naughty reflections, blame this sunshine.
Although we love European antiques we are a patriotic pair and you cannot beat an iconic British find. The transport memorabilia, the reconditioned industrial lighting and a vintage Marks and Spencer Toy Till are pleasant reminders of earlier decades in Queen...
5 tags
Jubilee Crazy
I was born in the Silver Jubilee year so cannot really remember what fuss was made about that. Those hats were special, pleased they have not been revived.
2002, the Golden Jubilee, now that was fun, our first year in London, living in Chelsea (don’t you know!) and we celebrated by watching the procession from a building site’s scaffolding and drank wine in plastic cups.
It was...
5 tags
Lace Looks
I have always loved lace, especially for wedding gowns, think Grace Kelly and Our Kate.
Our Kate loves it for a formal do too…
This Teal Jenny Packham dress is just so stunning. Image from www.blogvedete.com.
Reminds me of “that dress” in Atonement in the way it hangs.
I digress, back to lace.
Recently I have noticed lace becoming more mainstream, even casual. Here...
1 tag
Eucalyptus foil
In my house stuffed full of old things, very greige, slightly shabby and not always too tidy as it might be, I find myself wishing I could always have a statement flower arrangement.
Not the sort you might see in an office lobby. More like this…from Scarlet and Violet. Fresh and no bright colours in unusual vases.
or this when feeling a bit more formal…
But this sort of...
3 tags
Persephone Books
If you are a bookworm, and you care about the aesthetics of things generally, then you must must must take a look at Persephone Books. This publishing house is really rather special. Located in Lambs Conduit Street in WC1, the home of many quirky independent retailers (Ben Pentreath, the People’s Supermarket etc), this independent publisher specialises in forgotten literature which they...
Moyser Road Pop - Up
A chance conversation last week saw Colporter pop-up into a local empty shop. People in Furzedown were ever so sad to see Raine close recently, now online and doing shopping parties so still going from strength to strength, but leaving a gap on our little mini high street. People kept saying “can’t you go in there?”. “Will you sell cards”. I was keen but lots of...
Anonymous asked: Hi - absolutely love the blog. Can i ask where did you get the wood panelling from for your ensuite bathroom? Especially the bath panels?many thanks Sarah
4 tags
Setting the "British Standard"
When we were redoing our kitchen 4 years ago I got rather obsessed with having a Plain English two tone kitchen.
I had pulled out so many pictures from magazines in my ideas book and under scrutiny each one ended up being Plain English.
But what was to be done? The cabinetry alone was bound to be north of £30-£50k.
At the time I investigated and found The Old Creamery . Cue a long drive to...
4 tags
Alexandalexa - the package arrives
So, after an eager few weeks of anticipation, the parcel arrived. I had been told the packaging was special so was armed to shoot from the hip and catalogue every stage of this process for you! Just a reminder that I won a £500 voucher at the very lovely www.alexandalexa.com site. Lucky kids…
A rather posh box, great storage too.
Nicely branded, of course.
Wrapped in paper too, for...
Andy Pandy, then I go a bit off on one
Looking through my sons’ bookcases there are hundreds of books to choose from for the bedtime story. But tonight my eye was drawn to some familiar spines. Small but perfectly formed, almost pamphlet-like, there were my old Andy Pandy books which my Mum had brought down from her loft for us a year or so ago. I have by-passed them a number of times but felt nostalgic tonight. It was a cute...
4 tags
TOTA Tooting
So, word is out. The name of Tooting’s new restaurant is TOTA, an anglo saxon word possibly meaning the people of Tooting. It is to be located at 102 Tooting High Street and should be open in a couple of months. Yay, Tooting is a changing.
Through the wonders of modern social networking I got chatting on Streetlife to Victoria, and later met up with both Victoria and Gary (the chef), the...
April 2012
5 posts
5 tags
Lantern Bore
I have bored my chums with tales of this weekend’s DIY endeavours in our house, so why not bore you lot too.
Background - My husband is a perfectionist and I am slapdash. My husband likes to use a spirit level and I trust my eyes. We have three children who tend to always need tending to at a vital “2 adults required” stage in the DIY. We have also recently spanked a lot of...
5 tags
The French Cafe
A short walk from us in Furzedown (or Balham South as I like to call it) across the Common, is the Heaver Estate, a number of roads built in the late 1800s by Alfred Heaver. These very smart streets are between Bedford Hill, Balham High Road and Tooting Common with Ritherdon Road running through the middle. For some house envy it is worth a drive, or slow amble with a pram, up and down these for...
5 tags
Door Stalker II
So, I promised a regular Door Stalker feature. I will explain again. Firstly guess the SW London road. It is one of my favourite roads to drive down and “nebbage in” at around 6 o’clock when no-one has yet closed their curtains. Come on, you know you do it too.
Also guess the Farrow and Ball paint colour you believe the door has been painted in to win a Colporter Tea Towel...
4 tags
Light Touch
So, exciting times at Colporter HQ. I am helping some wonderful new clients with a restaurant look and design (more to follow on this super project in time). As part of this we want some Factory Lights rather like these at the wonderful Pizza East Portobello…
We have sourced a few different types of Factory Light in a smashing Racing Green.
Now we need a friendly sparky, working on that,...
Alexandalexa - the Lexem
A few weekends ago when mooching around Covent Garden I was handed a lovely little giveaway from the kids’ clothing website alexandalexa.com.
It was a beautifully presented goodie bag promoting their new parenting broadsheet The Lexem.
I popped the newspaper in the to read pile (along with my stack of subscription mags). With 2 boys and a newborn these are stacking up a bit but the...
March 2012
6 posts
Door Stalker
A new regular feature on the Colporter blog, Door Stalker will feature 3 front doors to lust after. It is an interactive blogpost because I want you to:
(a) guess the SW london road; and
(b) guess the nearest Farrow & Ball colour.
The first correct answer to (a) will win a Colporter tea towel like this…
For what it is worth, I reckon 1 is London Stone, 2 is Hague Blue, and 3 is...
5 tags
Hattie's Art
Little Hattie has a dinky little bedroom which has a window with a view quite like this, except gloomier. No joke.
Photo Copyright FreeStockImages.org
Given the view outside is so grim it needs to have some lovely imagery on the walls.
We have not done anything madly exciting in there so far. Just F&B Wimborne White liberally covering Fred’s old Cowboy wallpaper with her...
Larousse Books
I am busy stocktaking my Larousse Books. I think they may be featured in an interiors Magazine next month so trying to be prepared!
They are pretty - if only I understood them…
Vintage Farine bag
I quite like my new Colporter line in Flour Bags. This season we are going with the white frame but it is up to you.
Only 3 of these so get in soon if you want one…
6 tags
Bathroom Tour
So, I promised a proper tour of the Bathroom. Here it is, although still a few things to sort out, such as what to do at the windows - suggestions welcomed.
We wanted the bathroom to be in keeping with the style of our house even though this room forms part of a new conversion of our loft. It is therefore quite traditional.
The bathroom suite itself and mirror are from Burlington. But taps are...
5 tags
Ceramic Style
I am a devoted Pinner. The reason I love it so much is that it is so inspirational. Every time I log on I see something I totally love.
Today, I came across this pin. This is a piece of ceramicware from Maria Kristoffersson. Luckily the pin enabled me to track down more of her work. This crockery is certainly not for the dishwasher!
This really appeals to me because it nods to the blue and...
February 2012
4 posts
1 tag
Fairy Cake frenzy
My littlest man’s nursery are having monthly cake sales for fundraising. Baby in sling, I have been slaving over a hot stove with the boys.
Sorry DG lovers but Lorraine Pascale’s cupcake recipe spanks Nigella’s.
Pink ones were with the kids, choccy were all mine. Cherry lips on top is a bit random but tastes yum.
4 tags
Hello Sailor
I am renowned for my love of Navy Blue. The breton jumper teamed with Liz Hurley’s fave: white jeans. In fact, anything navy and white just does it for me. I do not care whether Nautical is “in” or not. The first hint of spring and I am working this look.
Here are some of my faves, unfortunately mainly US pics acquired over the last few months on Pinterest but there is bound to...
5 tags
Peeling paint
There is a point just before a wooden door totally gives up the ghost and falls apart where it looks gloriously shabby.
Peeling paint looks chic in Europe, yet in England just a bit tatty. Maybe that is because at the in between stage, where the paint is just looking a bit sorry for itself, rather than full on distressed, we give in and repaint it.
Here are my favourite examples of some...
13 tags
Tooting Tooting's horn
I saw today that Earlsfield was voted London’s best kept secret in Metro. I used to subscribe to that view too back in 2002, but surely Earlsfield has very much been discovered now? It has a Carluccios for goodness sake, they hardly open those up in edgy, up and coming areas. I actually believe that myself and a few friends are responsible for the upsurgence in SW18’s popularity. We...
January 2012
1 post
5 tags
Ralph's special
About 14 years ago my friend Emma and I went to New York and went mad for Ralph Lauren, in those days it was mainly polo shirts we liked.
In Bloomingdales trying to acquire said polo tops we attempted to use a money off “coupon”. A snooty New York Shop assistant said in a patronising drawl “Oh you can’t use that dear, Ralph’s special”. It has remained a bit...
December 2011
2 posts
You saw the mood board...
No surprises here - retro metro tiles? Check. Panelling? Check.
Just needs some posh smellies now (if I have been good this year) from Father Christmas…
Full details and more pics in 2012.
A little taster...deck the halls
So, we have almost finished the Works to the House. Last bits of titivation needed.
Just in time for Christmas and a new baby.
A full post to follow but a little taster of our long awaited striped hall carpet.
November 2011
3 posts
1 tag
Christmas Carol
If you are in the market for some new Christmas decorations this year then look no further than Carol Ridler’s beautiful site www.handcraftedwood.co.uk.
A couple of years ago while at the Country Living Christmas Fair I invested in a family of three of these wonderful carved deer. Dad, Mum and Little boy Hughie.
The following year I needed to buy another for the 11 month old Alfred. So...
