2 Comments
I'm delighted to announce that the two winners of the Etsy Success Sydney competition are Claire Wright and Emma Lee. Congratulations - you've each won a double pass to Etsy Success Sydney valued at $200. I will be in contact with you by email.
p.s. the Sydney Opera House (above) and the Museum of Contemporary Art (below), are just two buildings that have been transformed by incredible light installations for Vivid Sydney 2012. If you're in Sydney at the moment, head down to the Quay before lights out on June 11.
4 Comments
Exciting times in Sydney and London this week, birdies. While Jubilee preparations reach fever-pitch in London, Sydney's most iconic buildings are currently ablaze with colour for Vivid, the annual festival of light, music and ideas.
Ranked in the Top Ten global ideas festivals by the Guardian, this year's Vivid Sydney features an excellent line-up of speakers including Cory Doctorow, author and co-founder of Boing Boing; fashion designer Henry Holland; Jake Nickell, founder of Threadless and VICE founder and CEO Shane Smith. There will also be installations and concerts with the likes of Sufjan Stevens and Karen O.
I'm speaking on a panel at Etsy Success Sydney* on Saturday, which is part of the Vivid Ideas program. It's not just for Etsy sellers - anyone with a creative business would benefit from the talks and workshops led by the likes of Frankie editor Jo Walker, PR professional and blogger PottyMouthMama and US Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson.
In celebration of Etsy Success Sydney, I'll be showcasing my favourite Australian Etsy shops this week on Wee Birdy and shining a light on some of our most talented designer-makers.
First up is the creative duo Cat Rabbit and Isobel Knowles, who have collaborated to produce this rather crafty and clever children's book, Owl Know How - which is also this week's birdy pick. I've been a long-time fan of Cat Rabbit, whose incredibly imaginative range of felt animals (think hipster rabbits in Jarvis specks and hoodies) and brooches will be featured on Wee Birdy later this week.
In the book, published by Thames & Hudson, Cat Rabbit's felt owls and rabbits come to life with a problem-solving narrative that weaves its way through a whimsical city made of cardboard. The crafty aesthetic is warm and inviting, and the book comes with a pattern and instructions for children to create their own felt owl. You can buy a hand-signed book from Owl Know How's Etsy shop, with a bonus gocco-printed bookplate for AU$26.
Their Etsy shop also features a very sweet Owl Know How hankie for $15, as well as some very special limited edition hand-made plush characters from the book - Cornelia Rabbit, Orvi and those inimitable owls.
* My competition for two double-passes to Etsy Success Sydney will be announced later today.
9 Comments
To celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee next weekend, I've designed some special Wee Birdy cupcake toppers and cake banners! They're free to download and print and super-easy to assemble.
Jubilee cupcake toppers
All you need is a colour printer, some cardboard (a cereal box will do or some red or blue cardboard would look great), some scissors or pinking shears, glue and toothpicks.
Print out the free downloadable PDF here* and glue the back of the sheet of cupcake toppers to an A4 piece of cardboard, then cut around each circle. I used pinking shears for a cute finish. Stick a toothpick to the back of each cupcake topper with sticky tape. If you want it to look super-slick, print out another sheet of toppers and glue another topper on the back, covering up the toothpick. Ta-da! How good do they look?
Jubilee cake banner
All you need is a colour printer, some scissors, glue, cardboard and wooden skewers.
Print out the free downloadable PDF here* and glue the back of the banner/s to some cardboard. Cut around the border, making sure you don't cut over the coloured edge. Stick two skewers on a slight angle to each end of the banner with sticky tape. You're done - now just pop it in the Victorian Sponge and it's ready for your Jubilee street party. If you're having a table of cakes, pop a different design in each cake. They'll look spectacular. Enjoy!
* The Wee Birdy Jubilee Cupcake Picks and Cake Banners are free downloadable pdfs and are for personal use only. Please feel free to pin, blog or tweet about these free printables, but please link back to www.weebirdy.com and to this actual post's URL. Please do not link directly to the downloadable file. Thank you.Click here to download the FREE Diamond Jubilee Cake Banner.
Click here to download the FREE Diamond Jubilee Cupcake Toppers.
Are you having a Jubilee party next weekend? Tell me what you're doing!
4 Comments
Another day, another pop-up shop. But this is one that you won't want to miss - and it's a Wee Birdy favourite, too. St Jude's is a British-based company with two studios - one in Norfolk, England and the other in Morayshire, Scotland. Founded by Simon & Angie Lewin, the company collaborates with a variety of artists to design and produce a range of fabrics, wallpapers and other homewares.
I've been a long-time admirer of this little gem of a company and when we moved into our new flat in Sydney, I bought a pair of Angie Lewin's beautiful dandelion print cushions and had them shipped over to remind me of the British countryside.
Many of Angie's prints feature motifs inspired by nature - blossoms, seeds, berries, leaves, stems and stamens - that are distinctly British in style, and are reminiscent of mid-century designs.
Alongside St Jude's range of artist-designed cushions, fabrics and wallpapers, Emily Sutton's 'High Street' series of original paintings will also be exhibited at the pop-up shop in central London, alongside new work by Mark Hearld and Angie Lewin.
Each work portrays a traditional Victorian shopfront with the most exquisite details. Pigeons peck at crumbs outside the bakery and community notices are plastered all over the door of the pet shop. The paintings are available to purchase for £495 each.
And have a look at Emily's series of birds, which I've never had an opportunity to showcase on Wee Birdy before.
These glorious hand-painted and hand-stitched birds were created for a past show, and have long since sold-out. I'm super-pleased to finally feature them here.
St Jude's in The City 30 Tottenham Street London W1 Nearest tube: Goodge Street Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 11am-6pm until Friday 1 June 2012 daily
5 Comments
When it comes to finding special vintage pieces for your home, sometimes it's best to go through an experienced antiques dealer. They regularly trawl markets, deceased estates and auction houses for the best stuff, and can often source specific pieces on your behalf. They usually keep their stock in warehouses, storage facilities and showrooms, so you need to make an appointment to meet with them and look at their collection.
Here are my top five picks for the best dealers in mid-century modern furniture and decor in London.
Sarah Potter (pictured above)
Specialising in Scandinavian and British mid-century furniture, textiles, glass and light, this Clapham-based dealer's showroom is by appointment only.
Tel. 020 7627 0570
Mobile: 07762 264507
The Modern Warehouse (pictured below)
This Victoria Park-based warehouse specialises in Scandinavian, American and British mid-century furniture, and is open by appointment.
3 Trafalgar Mews
London E9 5JG
Tel. 020 8986 0740
Firefly House (pictured below)
Located in North London, Firefly House stocks a wide range of mid-century modern furniture which is available for hire as well as purchase. They also offer an interior design consultancy.
Tel. 020 7428 3366
Email: welcome@fireflyhouse.co.uk
Caroline de Kerangal 20th Century Antiques
Based in Wimbledon, Caroline de Kerangal has extensive experience as an antiques dealer and sources mid-century furniture, décor, lighting and art for her private clientele. She also offers an interior design consultancy and her showroom is open by appointment only.
Unit 11, Wimbledon Stadium Business Centre
Riverside Road
London SW17 0BA
Tel. 020 8394 1619
Roomscape
With over 20 years’s experience, Roomscape sources a varity of furniture, lighting and décor, and all items can be viewed by appointment in their Camden showroom.
CityStore, Belmont Street
London NW1 8FH
Tel. 020 7956 645 492
It’s (a rather extended) Week of Modern on Wee Birdy! Click here for more mid-century goodness.Want more Wee Birdy? You can find me most days hanging out on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook – come over and talk to me!
6 Comments
It's here, it's finally here! The modernist's guide to shopping for mid-century furniture and decor in London.
First stop is The Midcentury Show at Lords on Sunday, where 50 vintage dealers from around the UK will be showcasing their wares to modern enthusiasts. Sign up to their mailing list for news about their excellent events, which are held several times a year.
The Midcentury Show
Sunday 27th May 2012
10am - 4pm
North Gate
Wellington Place
Lord's Cricket Ground
St John's Wood
London NW8 8QN
Entrance £7 on the day
Early entry for trade 9am (£9)
Children under 14 free (note that baby buggies are not permitted inside)
Now, as many of you are aware, there are a great deal of vintage shops that stock mid 20th-century pieces, but I've tried to stick to places that deal almost exclusively with furniture and decor from this period. Here are my top picks, which I've also sorted by area.
EAST LONDONFørest London
Specialising in Scandinavian mid-century furniture, this relatively new shop also features exhibitions and collaborations with new artists.
115 Clerkenwell Rd
London EC1R 5BY
Chase & Sorensen
This café-shop in East London specialises exclusively in mid-century Danish modern furniture, with new deliveries arriving direct from Denmark every few weeks.
238-B Dalston Lane
London E8 1LQ
Tel. 8533 5523
Osi Modern
With a special focus on reupholstered chairs and lounges, this East London shop offers a variety of mid-century modern furniture, lighting and objects.
32 Seal Street
London E8 2EE
Tel. 7881 953 708
Two Columbia Road
Featuring a well-considered collection of 20th century furniture, lighting, art and objects, Two Columbia Road stocks many original pieces by the likes of Hans Wegner, Finn Juhl, Arne Voder and Charles Eames.
2 Columbia Road
London E2 7NN
Tel. 7729 9933
Russell Roberts
A carefully-edited selection of modernist 20th century furniture, art and collectables, with a touch of playfulness thanks to the addition of quirky retro toys and accessories.
8 Cheshire Street
London E2 6EH
Tel. 020 7613 3355
CENTRAL LONDONBent Ply
Specialising in furniture, lighting and décor from the 1930s to the 1960s, this shop is just the tip of the mid-century iceberg. More treasures can be found at Bent Ply’s stand at Alfies Antiques Market, which is just around the corner.
95 Lisson Grove
London NW1 6UP
Mob. 07711 940 931
Tel. 0207 725 9515
Antik Modern at Albam Clothing
An unlikely source for mid-century furniture and décor is men’s fashion boutique Albam Clothing, which stocks select pieces from Antik Modern in their Soho, Spitalfields, Islington and Covent Garden stores.
Alfies Antique Market
Housed in a former Edwardian department store, Alfies is home to roughly 60 dealers with some really incredible stalls representing mid-century modern design. It’s one of my favourite London destinations for vintage, but the sheer size of the place can sometimes be overwhelming. It’s a bit of a bugger to get to in terms of public transport, but it’s worth the hike from Marylebone tube.
13-25 Church Street
London NW8 8DT
Tel. 020 7723 6066
The modern enthusiast should make a beeline for the Quad and Decoratum in the basement:
Bent Ply
The Quad, Basement.
Stocks an impressive range of furniture by the likes of Alvar Aalto, Gerald Summers, Marcel Breuer, Ernest Race and Hans Wegner. There is also a stand-alone shop around the corner on Lisson Grove.
Decoratum
Basement
Tel: 7724 6969
Boasting over 5,000 square feet dedicated to vintage mid-century furniture, lighting and accessories, Decoratum is a modernist’s dream. Purchases can be shipped worldwide.
Here are my other picks for MCM at Alfies:
Robinson Antiques
Stand G077-78 and 91-92
Tel. 07955 085 723
20th century glass, pottery, chrome and stainless steel.
Thirteen Interiors
Stand G001-G005 and G050
Tel. 07811 008 144
20th century furniture, lighting and collectables.
Francesca Martire
Stand F131-F137
Mob. 07990 523891
20th century furniture, glass, ceramics lighting and jewellery.
Modo Italia
Stand F040-49
Tel. 07796061901
20th century Italian furniture, ceramics and décor including pieces by Gio Ponti, Paolo Buffa and Osvaldo Borsani.
Stephen Lazarus
Stand F017
Mob. 07981 374 909
Mid-century lighting and furniture mixed with industrial pieces.
Ian Broughton
Stand SO48-49, 59-60
Tel. 020 7723 6066
1930s to 1960s homewares, textiles, barware, furniture, ceramics, glassware, ephemera, collectables, kitsch, bakelite, record players, games and lighting.
SOUTH LONDONDesigns of Modernity
Located in the basement of Crystal Palace Antiques and Modern, Designs of Modernity offers a good range of Scandinavian, British and American 20th century furniture, lighting and décor.
Jasper Road
London SE19 1SG
Tel. 07966 285 694
NORTH LONDONFandango
2 Cross Street
London N1 2BL
Tel. 07979 650805
With a line-up of 20th century furniture and décor, Fandango mixes classics by Arne Jacobsen with lesser-known pieces and objects.
Peanut Vendor
133 Newington Green Road
London N1 4RA
Tel. 7226 5727
A warm and eclectic mix of classic ‘big names’ with an assortment of lesser known or anonymous ‘50s and ‘60s coffee tables, chairs and accessories.
WEST LONDONPaere Dansk
Specialising exclusively in Danish solid rosewood furniture, Paere Dansk sells both original vintage pieces by the likes of JL Moller alongside new editions of the original designs.
13 Stratford Road
London W8 6RF
Tel. +44 7771 861939
Some of the best mid-century modern dealers in London have warehouses and showrooms which are only open by appointment. I'll list my top picks in tomorrow's post, so please do check back in.
Do you love mid-century modern furniture? Do you have a favourite shop in your area? It’s (a rather extended) Week of Modern on Wee Birdy! Click here for more mid-century goodness.Want more Wee Birdy? You can find me most days hanging out on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook – come over and talk to me!
12 Comments
It’s no secret that I spend a lot of my free time on Etsy, and I’ve been showcasing some of my favourite Etsy finds on Wee Birdy for almost five years. So when I was invited to speak at Etsy Success Sydney, I didn’t need to think twice.
The day-long event is part of the Vivid Ideas Exchange at Vivid Sydney 2012, and will take place at the newly renovated Museum of Contemporary Art on Saturday 2 June. It's the perfect location for taking in the extraordinary beauty of the light installations and projections once the sun goes down.
I’m excited to be part of a cracking line-up of speakers, including Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson, Jo Walker from Frankie magazine, Valerie Khoo from Sydney Writers' Centre, Darryl Nichols and Andrew Valder from Garage Sale Trail and Lexi Kentmann from Pottymouth Mother.
I’ll be discussing online etiquette alongside Stuart Buchanan from The Nest and Chantelle Ellem from Fat Mum Slim.
Check out the full program here – it’s going to be an amazing day full of ideas, expert tips, practical advice and inspiration.
I have two double passes to give away for Etsy Success Sydney, valued at $200 each. All you need to do is tell me in 25 words or less in the comments below why you’d love to go to Etsy Success Sydney. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
To be eligible to win you must “like” Wee Birdy on Facebook here. The competition is open to Australian residents only – unless you fancy hopping on a plane and getting yourself over to Sydney in time for the conference?
Entries close Monday 28 May at 5pm EST. I’ll choose the best two comments and winners will be announced on Tuesday 29 May on Wee Birdy’s Facebook page, and will be individually contacted via email.
UPDATE: This competition has now closed. Please see this post for competition winners.
14 Comments
I'm kicking myself for not getting this post up earlier last week, when I first saw these incredible LEGO creations. Apparently they've hit the papers in Britain, but I'm hoping that they're still news to some Aussie readers. Besides - they're too beautiful to ignore as a Birdy of the Week.
The brainchild of LEGO and bird enthusiast Thomas Poulsom, the series of six British birds (including Bobby Robin, Kingsley Kingfisher, Billy Blue Tit, Penelope Puffin, Gloria Goldfinch and Woody Woodpecker) were made using the only LEGO bricks he had on hand.
Thomas's goal is to get enough supporters for them to become official LEGO products - so if you love them please do give them your tick of approval here. He needs 10,000 supporters and so far he's got 571 votes (when I first heard about them last week, he only had 17 votes). Vote, vote, vote! (please!)
Etsy shop: andODesign.
Who: Yumi Ando, a Japanese ceramicist based in Melbourne.
What: Delicate ceramic jewellery and homewares in muted shades inspired by Japanese and Australian cultures. The pieces are made in Ando’s home studio using clay slab tecnhiques.
Best buys: Crown earring holder; Octogan-cut jewel stud earrings, and porcelain air plant hanger with faceted bead.
How much: Stud earrings start at AU$30 a pair.
Read more: andODesign's blog and website.
