interior design – Nina's Apartment

Velvet inspiration: soften up your decor

Published on August 22, 2018 by Nina's Apartment1 Comment

Velvet is the one fabric I can’t walk past without touching it. Can you? It is very much on trend just now and many home interior stores are selling cushions, upholstered furniture and soft furnishings in this luxurious material. Here is some velvet inspiration to soften up your decor. A roundup of some gorgeous products for the next season. Enjoy!

Velvet fabrics for soft furnishings

Rich velvet-like texture gives a luxurious look with irresistible soft to touch feel. Go for a decadent interior or bejewel a room with a few velvety touches for a must have look of 2018. Embrace the velvety look and give your living room or bedroom an on-trend plush update.

Where to buy velvet fabric?

Dekoria has a fabulous collection of fabrics that are – very useful – washable at 30 degrees. Affordable too at £17.00 / metre.

Luxurious velvet sofas

velvet sofa chesterfield in home decor — The Wellingtone sofa from Graham and Green

If you are looking for a beautiful luxurious sofa to make that grand statement in your interior, Graham and Green have a good selection. The one pictures shows the ‘Wellington 3-seater, a timeless sofa inspired by the classic chesterfield, in a royal blue velvet material. Luxury meets comfort here. It has beautiful scrolled arms and a plush button back finish creating a decadent focal point for your living room. Request a free swatch of your favourite colours to see and feel the material up close.

grey velvet sofa midcentury modern homelia — Image: Homelia

I really love this one, looking very midcentury modern and sleek. A long, rectangular 3-seater sofa from Homelia, online destination for luxury & designer homeware and furniture. The silhouette adds structure and style to a room whilst its plump back and seat cushions offer sink-in comfort as you completely stretch your legs out along its length. The small, angled legs in varnished chestnut add design-led flair.

Make a statement with a velvet armchair

If a 3-seater sofa is bit too much for you, why not go for a single armchair to add a smaller sophisticated statement to your interior? There are many shapes and sizes and with just the one chair you could go for something a bit more daring and different.

Knoll velvet dining chairs — Image: Knoll

A true vintage classic, these gold Platner armchairs by Knoll. No boring interior for you if you invest in one of those. Place them around the dining table or add a single one to your sitting corner for a wow factor.

velvet armchair in home decor — Image: Made.com

MADE has a great selection of velvet armchairs, in both minimalist and bolder styles. I like this one with the elegant copper metal frame.

Snuggle up under a velvet blanket

Because the evenings are getting chillier, little feels more luxurious and comforting than to snuggle up under a super soft blanket. These Quilts With Printed Reverse (240 x 220cm) by Graham and Green are double sided and welcoming in every way. Besides that, the two colourways, Coral Red and Slate Blue are perfect colours for the winter months, treating your bedroom to warm tones while while the nights are getting colder. The quilt is soft to touch and showcases a neutral cotton reverse that has been embellished with hand block print work in a pale blue, inspired by floral Indian patterns. I’m sure I’d be loving these for a very long time, possibly forever.

Review: buying affordable art online with Artfinder

Published on January 12, 2018 by Nina's Apartment5 Comments

Buying affordable art online is something that is becoming quite popular. I regularly post about art, as I believe it brings joy to people’s lives and can add real personality to a home. Art is in fact an important ingredient in my designs for clients and I always suggest to people to invest in some artworks if they don’t own pieces already, and it really doesn’t need to cost the earth. Without it, I feel a room is just not complete! I wrote a blog post recently about how and where to buy art in which I mentioned online galleries as a good way to browse art in a non-threatening way. Today I am reviewing Artfinder.

Discovering original art is becoming a lot easier with sites such as Artfinder popping up on the net, offering a service that takes any barriers out of the buying process. Buying art can feel a little bit alien to some, but just saving images as favourites as if you were on Pinterest makes things a doddle.

artfinder5 — Landscape, Acrylic painting on Canvas, by Nadia Moniati

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As you are saving your favourites, the site recommends other artists and works you may like, a bit like Spotify, so if you don’t know exactly what your taste in art is, then you may form yourself a much clearer idea after browsing the site for some time and regularly clicking on the ‘like’ button.

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artfinder3 — Diamond (Rose), Linocut on Paper, by Liam Roberts

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Of course, there is more to art than only large abstract paintings – try browsing the printmaking section for beautiful contemporary graphic pieces for example. I enjoy receiving tailored suggestions or seeing “The daily finds”, as it is a good way of sifting through the huge amount of art that is on offer as well as discovering pieces you may nog have come across otherwise.

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artfinder2 — Cat in Teal Green, Screenprint on Paper
by Lu West

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You can get an original piece of art on Artfinder from less than £50, so it is very affordable and so much more personal than buying a mass produced canvas from the home section of a high street department store (who buys these things anyway?). The nice thing is also that you get to read about the artist who made it, often with a bit of background about the artwork. Artfinder supports artists from around the world, which means you can buy internationally.

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artfinder4 — Through a Courtyard (relief), Relief on Panel / Board / MDF, by Liam Hennessy

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Many of the works come framed and ready to hang, which is a welcome bonus. Do double check the sizes though, as many artworks are small. Nothing worse than receiving your purchase in the post and opening a tiny parcel when you expected a huge canvas! Shipping costs are given upfront so you know exactly what you are paying. And if you are looking for an original birthday, graduation or Christmas present, there is always the gift card option.

Do you have any online art sites you like to use?

This post includes affiliate links to Artfinder. This mean that if you like this article and subsequently decide to purchase an artwork through Artfinder by clicking on one of the links in my post, Nina’s Apartment receives a small commission too.

Shop the trend: a Grey and Mustard living room

Published on November 3, 2017 by Nina's ApartmentLeave a comment

Grey and mustard yellow have been around now for a while but there still is no sign of them going out of fashion any time soon. It’s such a timeless, sophisticated combination. The grey is the new ‘neutral’, while the yellow perks things up a bit. Grey and mustard yellow mix well with black & white, teal blue, but also with soft dusty pinks and the latest copper trend. If you have some midcentury modern furniture to throw into the mix, teak wood also works, as well as tan leather.

gray and mustard living room — Image: Instagram (mrsmerrellyeah)

Grey and mustard yellow: a match made to last

Farrow and Ball have some great colours in their paint collection. These would make excellent choices to use:

Style Board

Midcentury modern style lighting

I have spotted lights like this on Pinterest and I love this one, which is not badly priced either. Inspired by midcentury lighting, this globe pendant chandelier would make a great, eclectic statement, especially if you have high ceilings.

John Lewis & Partners Huxley Ceiling Light £210.00 buy

Add some nice table lamps to the corners of the room for added coziness. Drum lampshades are always great and come in so many different designs. Check out Etsy for some great geometric patterned ones.

Add a cosy monochrome blanket to your mustard and grey decor

Every living room or bedroom needs a warm blanket or throw for cooler days. Black and white monochrome throws go really well with a mustard and yellow decor. They provide a nice contrast. Check this one out on Etsy.

A great comfortable sofa

I am a big fan of the velvet trend just now. These sofas look comfortable and timeless in grey. Just style it up with a few nice patterned mustard yellow and black & white cushions. For more velvet sofas try Graham and Green or John Lewis

Grey and mustard rug

This grey and mustard rug is made of a cotton and wool mix, so natural materials. A nice, pattern in a pop colour to really lift the room and set off a grey sofa and natural wood furniture. Check out Kukoon for many more grey and mustard rugs.

Another great grey and mustard rug, with a slightly more minimalist look. It is soft yet hard-wearing with a stain-resistant finish. Find it on Kukoon.

Midcentury modern Sideboards to go with a grey and mustard decor

I think an original midcentury modern teak sideboard would be preferable in this scheme, to give the room some character and an eclectic touch, but failing that (you can’t always find the right one or they are too big for your space), this is not a bad alternative and a nice small size too. A lovely warm wood tone, in a simple, timeless design. This one is by west elm at John Lewis. The whole west elm range is worth checking out by the way, some gorgeous pieces here.

west elm Mid-Century 3 Drawer Chest £699.00 buy

Perfect cushions for a grey and mustard living room

If you don’t want to completely redecorate and buy new furniture at this point or you’re very happy with your own sofa, try adding some cushions to your grey and mustard living room. This is a nice, quick and inexpensive way to update the look of your room and make some seasonal changes. I love the pattern and colours on this one. Plenty nice cushions to find on Etsy.

Yellow and Grey Double Sided Geometric Cushion. 17″ x 17″ €8.95 buy

Tan leather chair

Tan leather goes suprisingly well with a grey and mustard decor. It gives warmth to a colour scheme than otherwise can become a bit too grey and cool. This classic butterfly chair would make a great design addition to your interior: stylish and timeless at the same time. Find it on Etsy.

I love a swivel chair. This one comes in a retro design with enough comfort to make it a great chair for snuggling up in for a read. Try Homelia for some great chairs and other home products.

Gallery Bristol Leather Swivel Chair in Antique Tan £1,070.00

Room makeover ideas: from dated pine to art deco glam

Published on November 1, 2017 by Nina's ApartmentLeave a comment

Everyone love a great room makeover ideas! Last year I had the pleasure of designing a living room for a lovely couple in Aberdeen. Typical Victorian granite property, high ceilings, fire place and a large front window. They loved dark moody colours for their home interior and the dining room was already decorated in a beautiful deep blue. Their living room was still very much in need of some love and attention. A lot of dated pine woodwork, tall white walls, nothing really worked and it lacked warmth. The only thing they really liked and had added to the room was grey patterned wallpaper on the chimney breast.

Art deco, greens and gold

They didn’t quite know what else to go for with their living room, but they did tell me that greens, golds and art deco were colours and styles that had crossed their minds. They hired me to provide my ‘design package’ for them, in which I suggested practical solutions and ideas to make the room look more ‘together’ and add the cosiness they were looking for. They were very pleased with that and decided to go and decorate and finish the room themselves, using my designs as a guide.

room makeover ideas — The room before the makeover: a lot of pine and big white walls.

Almost a year on I contacted them to find out what had happened since I last saw them, as I was keen to see the room again. I was pleasantly surprised that not only had they managed to redecorate, they also became new parents to a beautiful baby girl! Time for a visit.

Emerald green walls and brass accents

I was a bit nervous to see my designs brought into reality. Still, I was delighted that it looked much as I had envisaged. The walls were green (I had initially suggested a more smoky green but their choice definitely makes a great, bold statement and works well). White shelving had been built into the alcoves. They put down a beautiful dark mahogany colour floor and the furniture they had picked was not far off my ideas. They had splashed out on a very nice brass and glass coffee table from Rose and Grey but saved on other items such as the grey Ikea sofas and a simple cream rug. The lovely dark sideboard came from House of Fraser. Their existing framed stag print now looks great against the green back drop. It’s really picking up the green in the picture.

art deco sideboard

Buying everything new at once certainly has its conveniences. My clients did confess that if they had sourced an original art deco sideboard that it would probably have saved them some money. Buying vintage also means getting something totally unique.

white woodwork as a contrast

They decided to go for white woodwork rather than the grey I originally suggested. I think it makes a good, fresh looking alternative. Still a few finishing touches to make, such as perhaps some light weight curtains and a different lamp base. They are also still looking for a mirror above the fire place, artwork above the sofa and maybe a vintage art deco drinks trolley. Still, they achieved a gorgeous result so far nonetheless. Well done to them for doing all of this by themselves! And all of it in quite a hectic time of their life with the new addition to their family.

“We absolutely love the room now, it is lovely to spend time in”, they said. And the baby and cat seemed very happy with the calm atmosphere in the room too, cooing and purring away.

Does your room need a makeover too?

Contact me to discuss what you need. A first no obligation meeting is free. Call +44 7724622835 or click on the link below:

Interior design services

One day…my dream house in the sun

Published on July 19, 2017July 19, 2017 by Nina's Apartment2 Comments

Living in Scotland is great and we are lucky to be surrounded by beautiful countryside, lots of space, nice people and generally a good quality of life. But oh, how I curse the climate, even though we do get the odd wonderfully hot day in summer which makes you appreciate it all the more. Wouldn’t it be nice to have your winter clothes put away in April – and wear your summer clothes…like, all summer? Today I am posting about dream houses in the sun! Yes, because, well, you can dream, right? I have been collecting some gorgeous inspirational images again, making us all wish we lived in the Med. I guess we could always try and replicate the ideas…in our summerhouse or glass extension. Or just book a holiday. Perhaps you’re already there.

Enjoy, get inspired, imagine the sound of lapping waves as you lounge on your bohemian veranda full of plants and floaty drapes, sitting in your white linen dress, sipping a mojito. Bliss.

(To enjoy this post even more, I suggest clicking on this Youtube link and use the calming lapping waves as a background sound…Done it, yes? Told you it was good.)

And…relax.

0467cc8c979f0474b4888151781ce8d5 — Image source

530ffc75168d91938132c86b17a37d07 — Image source

AirBnB

A fabulous way to experience – or pretend you own – a house in the sun, is to rent a house through AirBnB. Much more interesting than a boring self catering apartment in a complex within a resort, often off the beaten track and certainly more personal. Have a look for some stunning places in Greece or Spain.

dream6 — Not an outdoor space, but I love the interior and how the light comes into the house. Image source

dream7 — Beautiful shadows and shelter created by the roof made of branches. Image source

533033cb9e63237a28cd58fd703f5a8e — Image source

7c705abca2437cb6337e4f3a32de9e55 — Image source

Beautiful shady terraces for hot days

Published on July 19, 2017 by Nina's Apartment2 Comments

If you are lucky enough to live in warmer climates, or get a decent summer, you probably sit in the shade quite a lot when the sun is at its hottest. Trees are obviously great as natural umbrellas, but here are some more inspirational images for creating a beautiful hideout for the summer, under reed covered pergolas, sails or wooden veranda roofs.

(To enjoy this post even more, I suggest clicking on this Youtube link and use the calming lapping waves as a background sound…Done it, yes? Told you it was good.)

And…relax.

dream3

AirBnB

A midcentury sideboard in a modern converted steading

Published on October 5, 2016 by Nina's Apartment2 Comments

Today I am visiting a midcentury sideboard in a modern converted steading. In this blog series I am tracking the beautiful vintage pieces that were once bought from my store Nina’s Apartment. I am looking them up them in their new homes. I rescued most of these pieces from house clearances or I bought them from older people who were downsizing and no longer had space for their beloved (now vintage) furniture.

the journey of a vintage sideboard

Whatever their story, they carry a lot of history. I am sure if the original owners saw their furniture getting a new lease of life, it would put a smile on their face. So who bought them, why and where are these pieces now? This time I am looking up a sleek teak sideboard, bought from a house clearance. Dusted off, polished up and giving some TLC. Currently taking pride of place in a gorgeous modern converted steading near Alford, Aberdeenshire.

looking for stylish storage

New owners Erika and Derek came into Nina’s Apartment two years ago, looking for something that was stylish, of a mid-century modern design and with plenty of storage space. It also needed to be low enough to fit under the sky light windows. The sideboard didn’t change that much in use compared to its original purpose. It’s main function is the the family’s drinks cabinet. They did update the original door knobs and replaced them with dark grey marbled ones to add a bit of contrast.

modern converted steading

Erika, who produces artwork at a design company and her husband Derek, who works in the oil industry, converted the old steading ten years ago. They live there with their two teenage daughters. They chose to have the living space upstairs and the bedrooms downstairs. This provided them with amazing views over the Aberdeenshire countryside and also makes the large open plan top floor very bright and sunny. Although according to Erika “the whole space gets pretty dark in winter on days when there is heavy snow and all windows are covered”!

a quality vintage sideboard

The sideboard Erika and Derek bought is a 1960s design by A Younger Ltd. This English company was a high quality furniture manufacturer that led style and contemporary taste in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Younger furniture was low volume, well made and aimed at the top end of the market. It was also among the first firms to make Scandinavian style furniture in the fifties. Finally it was one of the first manufacturers to abandon the style in search of something more original in the late sixties (more info on Retrowow).

modern scandinavian style decor

The design of the sideboard goes very well with the rest of the modern converted steading. The space is decorated in a kind of Scandinavian style and fairly monochrome colour scheme. It is nice to see how the owners have creatively combined vintage, high end design and high street furniture. The black and white rug was bought from La Redoute, the large grey corner sofa sofa is by SITS. I love the Ikea kitchen cabinets that, placed upside down and beside each other, were transformed into a full length TV and media unit. Talk about thinking outside the box!

They found the vintage green kitchen table locally, as well as the old chest underneath it. The wall paper on the central staircase adds a nice bit of pattern to the bright room and is from Scion.

from neglected to adored

A lot of vintage pieces came into my shop in a very unloved, neglected state. I just love seeing them come to life again in their new environment. I know it sounds like I am talking about the adoption process of an abandoned kitten, but I think this was one lucky sideboard to find such a fitting, stylish and sunny home. This modern converted steading with its beautiful interior, light and open plan living is just perfect. And I can’t help but feeling slightly envious.

Vintage revisited: midcentury sideboard in a monochrome converted steading

Published on October 5, 2016September 24, 2017 by Nina's ApartmentLeave a comment

In this blog series I am tracking the beautiful vintage pieces that were once bought from Nina’s Apartment, looking them up them in their new homes. Most of these pieces were rescued from house clearances or bought from older people downsizing and no longer having space for their beloved (now vintage) furniture. Whatever their story, they carry a lot of history and I am sure if the original owners saw their furniture getting a new lease of life, it would put a smile on their face. So who bought them, why and where are these pieces now? This time I am looking up a sleek teak sideboard, bought from a house clearance – then dusted off, polished up and giving some TLC – and now taking pride of place in a gorgeous converted steading near Alford, Aberdeenshire.

New owners Erika and Derek came into Nina’s Apartment two years ago, looking for something that was stylish, of a mid-century modern design and with plenty of storage space. It also needed to be low enough to fit under the sky light windows. The use of the sideboard didn’t change that much compared to what it was originally used for: it’s main function is now as the family’s drinks cabinet. They did update the original door knobs and replaced them with dark grey marbled ones to add a bit of contrast.

Erika, who produces artwork at a design company and her husband Derek, who works in the oil industry, converted the old steading ten years ago and live there with their two teenage daughters. They chose to have the living space upstairs and the bedrooms downstairs. This provided them with amazing views over the Aberdeenshire countryside and also makes the large open plan top floor very bright and sunny. Although according to Erika “the whole space gets pretty dark in winter on days when there is heavy snow and all windows are covered”!

The sideboard Erika and Derek bought is a 1960s design by A Younger Ltd. This English company was a high quality furniture manufacturer that led style and contemporary taste in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Younger furniture was low volume, well made and aimed at the top end of the market and amongst the first firms to make Scandinavian style furniture in the fifties. It was also one of the first manufacturers to abandon the style in search of something more original in the late sixties (more info on Retrowow).

The design of the sideboard goes very well with the rest of the house, which is decorated in a modern, kind of Scandinavian style and fairly monochrome colour scheme. It’s nice to see how the owners have creatively combined vintage, high end design and high street furniture. The black and white rug was bought from La Redoute, the large grey corner sofa sofa is by SITS. I love the Ikea kitchen cabinets that, placed upside down and beside each other, were transformed into a full length TV and media unit. Talk about thinking outside the box!

The green kitchen table is a vintage piece found locally, as well as the old chest underneath it. The wall paper on the central staircase adds a nice bit of pattern to the bright room and is from Scion.

Knowing the often unloved state vintage pieces were in when I first got them in the shop, I just love seeing them come to life again in their new environment. I know it sounds like I am talking about the adoption process of an abandoned kitten, but I think this was one lucky sideboard to find such a fitting, stylish and sunny home. And I can’t help but feeling slightly envious.

Playing with patterns…Textile, wallpaper and ceramics designer Anna Hayman

Published on June 30, 2016September 24, 2017 by Nina's ApartmentLeave a comment

I love patterns, textiles and creative people who are making fabulous home accessories. I recently came across British designer maker Anna Hayman on Instagram (Instagram is great for discovering new artists!) and her posts always make me smile. Anyone who has followed Nina’s Apartment knows that I am a sucker for colour and bold Scandinavian-style patterns so it comes to no surprise that this creative lady’s work caught my eye. Such vibrant prints, beautiful florals and bold colours – her images just make me happy each time they come across on the timeline. I decided to get in touch with Anna and find out more about her work and what inspires her. With her collections appearing in more shops and exciting collaborations on the horizon it sounds like she really is one to watch! I hope you will agree with me that Anna’s designs are gorgeous and worth featuring on the blog today.

Anna, can you tell us a bit about your background?

I’m from an artistic and musical background, with a bit of retail management and window dressing thrown in. Although I’ve been piano teaching most recently, I had a shoe brand for six years (2006-2012) before having children, so ANNA HAYMAN DESIGNS is my ‘round 2’ business-wise. I’m an unstoppable creative person and most of what I do is completely self-taught.

How long have you had the business for?

The business has been a gradual build up over the last year or so, I keep saying ‘I’m launching all the time’, as the brand, message and signature style of my designs takes shape, and the use of them changes and develops. I’m not one for beginnings and endings and things being pinned down, as then the work has freedom to evolve. As I do more and more designs they develop a look and feel which is exclusively mine, so I’m planning to keep the branding solid then the designs can vary from season to season. It helps if I use the same methods, i.e. lino-cutting to create them, then it makes a ‘family’ of work.

When you travel, what kind of things do you photograph / take home that may inspire your work?

Flowers, flowers and more flowers! I’m on an Art Nouveau tip currently and completely obsessed with arts and crafts, and Art Deco patterns. It will always be florals for me, with some geometrics thrown in. Colours are important too, darker gemstones are my fling right now so I’m looking at Lapis Lazuli and Mystic Topaz. Mid tones are trending out so I’m looking more at dirty metals, dark greens and pastel shades.

What or who else inspires you in your work?

I re-read a lot of the same source books, Celia Birtwell, Biba, William Morris, Rennie Mackintosh, and Sixties patterns. Pinterest is a massive influence, the richness, variation and ease at which you can consume images, and feed your mind, is a daily essential for me. In terms of contemporaries, Iris Apfel, Cressida Bell, and Abigail Borg are people I look up to in terms of their colour use, style and finesse.

How would you describe your home and interior style?

I’m on a knife edge this week as we are waiting to exchange on the most beautiful 1920’s house, with original windows and fireplace, in rural East Sussex. I’m planning to go to town on decking it out in vintage patterns, it’s going to be a serious print frenzy, I love the idea at the moment of matching wallpaper and upholstered furniture, with matching crockery. And clothes! It has a huge garden which I would like to set up a heavily glazed office in to work from so that I’m surrounded by nature. A massive hammock is on my shopping list.

What does an average workday look like for you?

Mid-week days are my work days, my children are small so it’s a juggling act, but I have a lovely studio in Lewes where I can work quietly from 9.30am-3pm. My husband and I are both work-mad, so we do a lot in the evenings and weekends where sociable! It’s never hard to be ‘disciplined’, I can’t wait to arrive at work in the morning and get creative. I do a bit of everything in a typical day; design work, discussing forthcoming projects with factories, sales, admin, website updates, marketing, making prototypes, finding new leads – there’s a lot to do. Having said that I’m taking the summer to produce a new body of work really in readiness for next year so it’s in a more creative phase right now, the bit I most enjoy.

What are your plans for the next 12 months? Any exciting events/collaborations or other things lined up?

As well as selling my ceramics collections in shops, I am focusing on the prints, with collaborations in mind. I’m exhibiting at Top Drawer in January which is a huge trade event at Kensington Olympia. This will hopefully open more doors in terms of licensing work, (where a company buy and use my prints). I have some collaborations I’m working on at the moment but I’m afraid I’m sworn to secrecy! Watch my Instagram account (the hub of the business) for news on these. I have a lot of irons in the fire and am really intrigued to see what 2017 brings. I think it will be a really fantastic year.

You can currently buy ANNA HAYMAN DESIGNS ceramics and textiles online via her website.

Interview with textile and pattern designer Anna Hayman

Published on June 30, 2016 by Nina's ApartmentLeave a comment

I love patterns, textiles and creative people who are making fabulous home accessories. I recently came across British designer maker Anna Hayman on Instagram and her posts always make me smile. Anyone who has followed Nina’s Apartment knows that I am a sucker for colour and bold Scandinavian-style patterns so it comes to no surprise that this creative lady’s work caught my eye. Such vibrant prints, beautiful florals and bold colours – her images just make me happy each time they come across on the timeline.

I decided to get in touch with Anna and find out more about her work and what inspires her. With her collections appearing in more shops and exciting collaborations on the horizon it sounds like she really is one to watch! I hope you will agree with me that Anna’s designs are gorgeous and worth featuring on the blog today.