What Will This Year Bring?...

Are you a 'New Year resolution' kind of gal (or guy), or do you roll your eyes at the very idea? I totally understand why people set goals at this time of year when they feel refreshed and ready to kick butt. Just make sure your goals are realistic, and if you want something badly enough, make it happen no matter how hard it is. Focus!

2015 was a big year for Bibby + Brady. It was this time last year that we moved from our home office into our wee studio/office in Ahuriri, Napier. A lot of the year was focussed on growing the business, getting our name know, and building relationships with a lot of other amazing creatives and suppliers in our industry. We were thrilled to have the home of our clients, Angie and Ryan, in the September issue of Your Home & Garden magazine, not only as a feature, but on the cover too (photos by Helen Bankers). We hope to feature more of our work in 2016 issues, and will start by styling and writing the story for another cool Hawke's Bay home next week.

In October last year Dael & I were part of a fabulous fundraiser for Te Awanga Kindy. The venue was the incredibly rustic backdrop of a working shearing station, which was filled with flowers, fairy lights and 100 beautiful ladies. They came to watch as Dael & I styled a console table three different ways while we talked them through the process.

We also demonstrated how to mix colour and pattern with the use of cushions, and shared our top tips on developing your own interior style. It was a great evening with local wine, delicious canapés, spot prizes, goodie bags, and products for sale at the end of the night. We also shared the stage with the talented Chloe from Peggy Lane who gave tips and a demonstration on creating a floral display. The night was such a success and Dael & I hope to hold similar evenings throughout 2016 (photos by Under the Kowhai Tree - Christall Lowe).

Another of our goals for this year is to find a way to showcase more of the incredible furniture and homewares available to purchase through Bibby + Brady. Of course our interior clients have access to them, but we want you to know that you can all come to us to source and buy furniture, whether you're a client of ours or not. We love working on complete room designs, but if you're happy with your room and are just trying to find that killer coffee table, or the perfect dining chairs to finish the look, we can help.

I'm also really keen to source one-off vintage or antique pieces to add to our shop. I love mixing older pieces with more contemporary ones, so if we find a beautiful old table, or a great chair that we can have re-covered, then that will help our clients and customers to create the unique spaces that we adore.

table | chair

As well as furniture, I love to hunt down gorgeous and quirky decorative items for my own home. There's only so many I can fit on my coffee table and shelves, so I will be adding future finds into the shop for you to buy.

Last year a lot of you followed me on my kitchen reno adventure. Our home is a work in progress, and this year I hope to finish off a few projects before I put it forward for a magazine feature. Be sure to keep following the blog to get some sneak peeks. We're also working with some lovely clients on exciting new interior projects, and can't wait to see what else 2016 will bring.

One more thing that will be happening is we're going to change this blog and the Facebook page into the Bibby + Brady name. Those were the first things I started all those years ago when I was still a graphic designer trying to express my love of interior design. Now they're the last of my social media to hold onto that name. We keep hearing time and again that people are confused by the two names and don't realise that Cush & Nooks is a part of the Bibby + Brady brand. It's a little sad for me as Cush & Nooks was my baby, but I'm so excited about the future of Bibby + Brady, we have so much more to offer, so it makes sense to unite everything. I have such a fabulous and loyal following, so I want you to know that other than the name, everything else will remain the same. Our Facebook page and Pinterest boards will continue to be a place of inspiration; our Instagram feed will show behind the scene sneak peeks and snippets of my life; and this blog will bring you inspirational and informative interior design content. We have some great new ideas for the blog this year, including a new series where we will share the favourite space of some of our favourite creatives.

Please come and visit us as often as you like and remember we love to hear your feedback. In this busy world we live in it's much easier to click on a "like" button than sign into your Google account to leave a comment. But we do love hearing from you. What do you think about our ideas for 2016? If there's anything you would like to see on the blog, run it past us; if you want to collaborate with Dael & I on something, get in touch. Let's make 2016 the best year ever!

Inspired by Petra Bindel

It's no secret that I am a huge fan of Swedish photographer, Petra Bindel, I have featured her work before on the blog, here and here. The interiors she photographs always inspire me with their unique style.

I love the dark walls and crisp white trim in this room (below) looking through to the gorgeous teal room beyond. The touches of teal and green in the foreground room provide a link to the room behind.

I'm particularly drawn to the dramatic moody colour palette of charcoal, teal and indigo blue at the moment. Soften with white and bring warmth with wood and metallics.

Also high on my list of current faves is a modern take on traditional plaids and checks. I love taking something old and giving it a new twist.

To see more of Petra's work check out her website, and also Cameralink, I'm sure you'll be as inspired as I am.

Contrast & Harmony

Did you see, in the latest issue (June/July) of Homestyle magazine, the fabulous spread called "Contrast & Harmony"? It's all about mixing patterns to make a statement in your home, and some tips on how to achieve this look. You know what a massive fan of colour and pattern I am, so this is my kind of article, especially as it features two products that I hold dear...

Photography by Melanie Jenkins and styling by Alice Lines for Homestyle

I am the exclusive New Zealand stockist of the stunning Neon Vintage cushions, pictured on the chair in the Homestyle shoot. Neon Vintage was founded by Brisbane designer, Kirsten Millbank. The bold, edgy homewares are inspired by African safaris and tribal textiles, with a touch of vintage 80's design. Kirsten has collaborated with several international artists to create her collection.

On the floor in the Homestyle shoot you'll notice a gorgeous rug on the floor. Many of you will know that I am a big advocate of the Armadillo&Co rugs, I have one in my own home and we often use them in our Bibby + Brady client's homes. They are such fabulous quality, and the range of patterns and colours available is vast.

The rug featured is Pilgrim in the granite/fern/ecru colourway from the new Latitude Collection. Pilgrim comes in a range of colours and three different sizes.

If you're interested in purchasing an Armadillo&Co rug, I recommend you spend some time exploring the different designs available - their "I Love My Rug" site is a great place to get inspired. And when you're ready to purchase, contact me, I can help you place an order.

Mixing patterns takes some skill, pick up your copy of Homestyle for some excellent tips on how to rock it!

Winter Colour Report | Your Home and Garden

The latest Your Home and Garden magazine is on the news stands, and I'm thrilled to have another colour story featured in it. This time it focusses on the hottest colours for the cool winter months.

Written in association with PPG Architectural Coatings, I share some handy tips and PPG Paint colours.

I also write the monthly "Nook of the Month", and this issue is a beauty. It was lovely to read in the front of the latest Your Home and Garden magazine how previous "Nooks" had inspired a couple of readers to create their own - that's awesome! If you haven't already, make sure you pick up your own copy, I'm sure you'll be inspired too.

New Adore & More

I'm finishing this working week off with a few magazine excerpts. First... the latest edition of Adore Home magazine is out, and is amazing, as always. It's focus this issue is on the beautiful city of Perth.

There's a lot of inspiration, and as usual, my favourite are the home tours. The first home belonging to interior designer, Lisa Marinovich, is a beautiful example of how you can use pattern and colour to bring a space to life. She's used one of my absolute fave wallpapers, Coconut Grove, which also appears on the cover.

The next home I love too, although it's very different to the first. It's funny... I feel like if you throw both homes in a big bowl and stir them around, you'll get my perfect home! I love the edginess of Samantha Tatulli's home. 

Samantha is also an interior designer, she works for Coco Republic, and she has a more neutral colour palette with the addition of warm leather, gold and greenery. If you look at both home owner's fashion style, it's a real reflection on their interior style. I often tell people to look to their wardrobe to help with their choice of colour palatte. There's so much more to see, so find some time this weekend to read all of Adore.

Dale & I, Bibby + Brady, were recently asked by Habitat, the Resene Magazine, to come up with an alternative room scheme. They sent us a photo of the original dining room and asked us to re-design it with our choice of furnishings and, of course, our Resene paint colours. We love the result...

And last but definitely not least, make sure you check out my new "Nook of the Month" in Your Home & Garden magazine. Each issue will have a new nook - ideas for what to do with an under-utilised, or awkward space in the home. You know I'm all about 'nooks', and there are some fantastic ones coming up, so pick you copy today.

Have a brilliant weekend everyone. See you next week, I've got some great things to share with you then.