Available Light - My Cottage

When I am doing a photoshoot for Ghost Furniture I always use the available light setting on the camera. It gives me dark, medium and light images to choose from.

Yesterday the sun was shining on a vase of multi-coloured tulips on my dining table so I photographed them wth the same format. I love the results.

Confessions of a Design Snob

Up until recently I had no idea what an Ultrabook was or what it would do. To be honest I thought it was something that was just very slim, chic and stylish a bit like a supermodel.

Then Intel asked me if I would like to try one. Being always up for a challenge I said 'yes please' and promptly had an Asus Zenbook delivered to me.
OK a packing box is a packing box and I duly opened it on it's arrival and pulled out the most stylish box ever containing

the most stylish laptop ever, from now on I will refer to it not as a laptop but an Ultrabook. I was so impressed I took these photographs before I even activated it.

The accessories are so cool, look at that carrying envelope and matching accessories case. How could you not be impressed? Even the instruction book makes you not want to put it back in the box.

It is aluminium so no nasty finger marks all over it. I took my laptop off my desk and replaced it with my Ultrabook and instantly created more space not only that but it looked so elegant. It was like placing a piece of art it was so satisfying.

I am a designer and I blog about great design so I need to be seen to practise what I preach and armed with my new Ultrabook I am set to impress.

So this was the designer in me approving of the look and feel of the gift bestowed upon me. Intel have added the magic inside so my next installment will be about my love affair with my Ultrabook and how it has changed my working life. Watch this space.

Meet My New Best Friend - The Samsung G Series 3 Door Fridge Freezer

I was recently asked by Samsung if I would review their new 3 door American fridge/freezer from their G Series. They asked that I live with it for a while and report back on it. Live with it? I would sleep with it now even though we have been together for only 2 months. As most of you may already know I live in a very remote place, beautiful but remote. A 20 mile round trip to the nearest shop.

This beauty has changed my life and saved me time and money. My petrol costs have reduced dramatically and my shopping bills have also reduced as I can now take advantage of those deals such as 3 for the price of 2, buy one get one free etc. etc. and I don't throw the huge amount away that I used to with my last fridge/freezer.

This baby is like having a huge built in pantry but the thing that amazes me more than anything else is how it just blends into the room. We have a huge open plan ground floor so the kitchen is constantly on show. This fridge/freezer is huge inside and has fold back and moveable shelves, more features for storage in the doors than you can shake a stick at. It has a huge deli drawer that has 3 different settings, it has 2 salad/vegetable drawers both with humidity controls and they actually work. I haven't had to throw a soft vegetable away since I got it.

Maybe it's because it is reflective that it fits in without shouting at you 'hey I'm a fridge freezer'! I love that the sides are finished in a textured finish. I love that

the freezer is a big drawer with 3 separate compartments and I can easily find things as I am looking down on it and not straight on, now that's clever. I love that it has a filtered water dispenser, ice maker (crushed or this really cool shape which could never be called a cube) and it takes a jug not just a glass. I love that

when I come in that stable door with my shopping I can put everything away neatly in next to no time.

I wanted to write a very honest review and to be very honest there is absolutely nothing negative I can say about my new best friend. It has been life changing owning this fridge/freezer and I just hope it is as happy living with me as I am living with it. Thank you Samsung you have made me very happy.

GHOST FURNITURE IN 2012 - PLANS ARE AFOOT

I have never known a year like 2011. Apart from some awful personal stuff going on in our lives business has been dire. I don't believe anyone who says it hasn't been for them. I have never seen so many sales before Christmas, it was certainly a buyers market.


Onto 2012 with new plans to beat the recession. Ghost Furniture will be spending longer periods of time in France scouring those fabulous brocantes to not only bring back pieces and breath new life into them but we are going to start to bring back those pieces we have spent years bypassing, those pieces that need to stay just as they are. We are determined to put the chic back into shabby in 2012.


We are also in the throes of organising Furniture Workshops for 2012 to be held in this gorgeous place I call home - The Northumberland National Park. They will be 3 day courses with the most amazing accommodations available which include - luxury apartments, traditional country inns and even luxury yurts and Indian tepees. Our guests will be treated to wonderful local fayre and will be taken to the places that inspire us and will have a tour of our cottage that sits in a tiny hamlet overlooking the Tyne Valley. All our guests have to do is turn up with a small piece of furniture they want to restyle and the rest will be provided by us.

We will be appearing at Vintage Fairs all over the UK. All that's left to say is WATCH THIS SPACE.

WHITE

I know that white in the home might not appeal to everyone but it's hard to understand how anybody wouldn't be drawn to these rooms. I have used this method on my dining/kitchen area (see bottom image) and IT WORKS. It's calming but at the same time wants to make you jump for joy, this is all down to using blocks of bright colours - white for calm colours for joy. Simple!
Other images found at Campagne Decoration

Little Additions

Due to the fact that my work enables me to collect masses of lovely things there is not always somewhere to put them. Some of them in fact are far to beautiful to hide in a chest or cupboard so I display them. Such as

ornate French tin coving pieces placed above my kitchen utensils,

decorative mounts and tassels displayed at the windows either side of my desk,

a gorgeous pediment fixed to the top of my Ikea bed headboard,

decorative corbels underneath my kitchen wall cupboards,

vintage port boxes hold my vegetables and keep them in the dark and

a pin cushion on an expandable candlestick fixed to the window sill next to my desk.

My Big 60th Birthday Bash

On Sunday 24th July 2011 I hit 60 years of age and my gorgeous family held a party for me on the village green outside our cottage. They cooked and brought food, drinks and everything imaginable to throw a wonderful party.

My cake was a Vintage Amoire with a Lot 60 ticket on it and 6 champagne bottle candles, it was beautiful. I know my name is Di but to the children I am Nan or Nanny.

Gifts just kept coming - things to make me look and smell better,

things very personal to me,

gorgeous jewellery, carefully chosen to go with my bohemian taste,

chocolates and goodies to indulge me and

beautiful flowers to brighten mu day.

Trying to blow the candles out on my cake proved very difficult with 6 grandchildren trying to help me.

They soon shifted when I got the knife in my hand.

The little ones had a fabulous day with the freedom to run around with no fears. The advantage of living in a remote hamlet.

Megan is nearly 12 so a bit too cool to be photographed with the other grandchildren.

Mathilda the escapee. A perfect picture of childhood freedom.

My son Garry and daughter Rebecca outside the cottage, just had to include this one as it looks like a Paparazzi shot.

My daughter-in-law Emma, daughters Sara and Francesca who with the help of Rebecca provided the most delicious food.

You can see from this shot just how perfect the weather was.

Another escapee, Harvey retreating for a moment

The oldies corner.

and the dismantling of the marquee at the end of the day. I had absolutely nothing to do. It was a perfect day with 4 things missing only and they were

my daughter Charlotte, her partner Bad and baby Tiana all in France and Georgia my eldest Grandchild who was in Greece on holiday. However she did send me her framed picture (see 3rd image).