Keeping Britain Shabby: Cath Kidston

Hello lovelies!!

Remember back in the day when IKEA, dramatically, ordered you all to "CHUCK OUT YOUR CHINTZ"?? To banish kitsch and floral in favour of minimalist and clean?? Swap your pastels for contrasting brights and hide your tea set away inside sleek, Swedish storage units?? I do. If you don't then here's the YouTube Link to the ad (circa 1996) for you all to have a giggle at. I take great pride in the knowledge that one woman has single-handedly laughed in their faces and, in recent years, has not only taken the world of home, decor and lifestyle by STORM, she has reclaimed British-ness for our bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms and all the personality and character that goes with it. I am, of course, talking about the interior design powerhouse, Cath Kidston...

I was recently set a challenge by Amara.Co.Uk to tell them, and my lovely readers, WHY i love Cath Kidston so much.... But i fell a bit flat trying to put it into words. HOWEVER, i realised i was answering the wrong question. Rather than writing a whole post along the lines of "I love Cath Kidston because her things are pink and pretty" (which is, of course, a part of it), i've decided to tell you a bit about what Cath Kidston MEANS to me and how it makes me feel. The woman has, basically, reinvented an entire way of living incorporating nostalgia, vintage crafts and stunning prints for all ages. She's personally sparked a national obsession with what has now become known as 'Shabby Chic'. 

Cath, herself, describes her style as being of the 'Marmite' variety. In her opinion people either go nuts for it and have to have EVERYTHING or are completely repelled by it. Personally, i haven't come across ANYONE, male or female, who has expressed any significant dislike for it. 

Whenever i spot a piece of Cath Kidston in a shop window or online i automatically smile. The style just seems to evoke a warm, safe, homely feeling in me. Kind of like how i used to feel as a little girl when i used to stay at my nana's and loved how warm and snuggly the Eiderdown she used to put on my bed was. I don't know if it's purely psychological (probably) but i always feel physically warmer under a ditsy floral print duvet than i do from anything clean, crisp and plain. 

Aside from the warming factor, i find the colour palette Cath Kidston uses to be very calming and easy on the eye. It's easy to just sit back, surrounded by all that pastel loveliness, and just breathe out! With all these lovely feelings it's not surprising that i am currently trying to introduce the style into every area of my life. My travel makeup bag is Kidston (see previous post), my Oyster card wallet is Kidston, all my laptop and iPad wallpapers are Kidston.... you get where i'm going with this. It ain't easy though cos this lady isn't cheap (and rightly so) and my student budget is lowly at the best of times. 

Here are just a handful of the items on my 'Cath Kidston Lust List'...

Pink/Spot Duvet set in Provence Rose - (link)

Washed Roses Day Bag - (link)

White Printed Bathrobe - (link)

Trailing Floral Twin-Lid Sewing Basket - (link)

Crochet 'Knit in a Book' Tin - (link)

So, all in all, i reckon Cath Kidston has done a bang up job of taking the retro and outdated and reinventing it into something stylish, current and hugely popular within modern homes of all shapes and sizes. And as for IKEA?? Well i'm sure they're laughing all the way to the bank now, as they try and sell us back all the things they encouraged us to bin all those years ago. I hear that they too have jumped on the Shabby Chic bandwagon. The Swedish may have AMAZING meatballs, but they can't take away our British character!! So feel free to sit back and pop your homemade crochet teacosy on your floral teapot, relax and feel PROUD to be British!!

And I'll leave you with a, not so subtle, suggestion.....

Finding Homeware HEAVEN with Amara

Good evening my dears!

I little late night blogging for you tonight. Trying to get a few bits scheduled again for next week as i keep finding myself rather busy and exhausted lately, which is not conducive to effective blogging at all! Roll on the Xmas break from Uni!! I'm coming to you today to chat about a new website i have discovered recently. With my newfound love of handmade and shabby chic EVERYTHING, when i was contacted about the possibility of writing a piece for Amara.co.uk i just couldn't say no. Their site is like a little slice of HEAVEN to me!

I had a good rummage around the site, more or less the minute i found out about it. I'm not joking, EVERYTHING is absolutely stunning! They have every kind of bedding you could possibly dream of, beautiful furnishings to suit all tastes and a wide range of kitchen and tableware to get your culinary juices flowing! I've found so much inspiration from this website and am currently crocheting up a multitude of different cushions and throws (more to come on that on my other blog VERY soon). 

I was also lucky enough to be sent this STUNNING cushion by Pip Studio and i've completely fallen in love with it! I had been holding off on this post as i've ordered some new bedding which compliments it PERFECTLY, but it still hasn't arrived yet and i'm so excited to write about it that i've just gone ahead. 

This piece of art (yes i'm calling it that because it really is) is possibly the prettiest thing i own homewise at the moment. I just can't stop looking at it! Every time i do i see something different! From the music notes, to the little hearts, to the chinese pottery in the background. The print is so well thought out and different. Everyone who has seen a picture of it on Facebook or Instagram has commented how beautiful it is. 

This baby measures 45x45cm and is made from 100% cotton. The prices for Pip Studio's cushions ranges from £22 up to £49.99 depending on the style. 

Amara are stocking an extensive range of Pip Studio items. They include cushions, bedding, bath robes and tablewares amongst other things and all feature beautiful prints and patterns in gorgeous fabrics. Browse from up to 20 pages HERE. At the moment, as an extra incentive, if you sign up for their mailing list, Amara are offering 20% off your first order!

So now i am redesigning my whole room (and possibly my landlord's whole house) based on this cushion haha. I've found some amazing inspiration from Amara and, if my budget wasn't that of a student, i would definitely go a little wild on that site. For now, i am content admiring my cushion, but if you have a few spare pennies to spend on your home i'd say spend them at Amara. Items like this don't just brighten up your room, they brighten up your soul! 

What are your interior design inspirations?? Do prints get you going??