Seriously cool gifts for kids...

We had so many orders and press coverage for our decorative animal heads that I totally forgot to post about them here. So here they are!
For those, who have read me for a while, you will know that I'm not a huge fan of licensing toys like Barbie, Bob The Builder, etc... I think our children, our homes deserve better and I see so many talented designers out there that I make it my mission to show you things that are beautiful, creative and unusual to create inspiring, happy family homes.
When I put the BODIE and FOU Kids collection, I searched for things that would be beautiful to decorate a child's bedroom but also out of the ordinary - We don't like boring rooms, do we?
I love these animal heads because they change the look of a  child's bedroom in a positive way and break a plain wall. 
In Mila's bedroom, I painted one of her walls in Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball and the other 3 in bright white and you can see from the photos below that these lovely animals work equally well on a pale or dark wall.
All our decorative animal heads are handmade in India, ethically produced and then definitively add a striking decorative note to a kids bedroom (although we had one lady who bought the fox head for her kitchen :-)
Boys love jungle-themed bedroom so it's probably why the Elephant head is so popular (my favourite was the polar bear but I'm often in a white Xmas kind of mood) and I think these, are a great way to encourage creativity & imagination while decorating a kids bedroom.
For more animal themed bedroom, check out the Bat print or the Monkey print

Photography: François Kong  | Styling: Karine Kong | star garland from here

Nous avons eu tellement de commandes et de couverture de presse pour ces Têtes d'animaux, que j'ai complétement oublié d'en parler ici!
Comme vous le savez, je ne suis pas méga fan des jouets avec des licenses genre Barbie, Bob The Builder etc, donc lorsque je travaillais sur la collection enfant de BODIE and FOU,  j'ai cherché des objets de décoration qui soient beaux mais un peu différent pour créer une décoration dans la chambre des enfants qui soit belleet originale.
Si vous avez envie de créer une chouette chambre d'enfant qui sort de l'ordinaire, vous allez adorer ces Têtes d'animaux

Elles sont toutes faites en Inde selon le commerce équitable et elles sont juste parfaites pour ajouter une note de décoration a la chambre des enfants (bien qu'une cliente a acheté la tete de Renard pour sa cuisine :-)

Les petits garçons adorent tout ce qui touche a la jungle, c'est surement pourquoi la tete d'elephant a le plus de succes (ma préférée est celle de l'ours polaire parce que je suis plutot du genre Noel blanc) mais toutes sont parfaites pour encourager la créativité et l'imagination des enfants.

Si vous souhaitez trouver d'autres accessoires de décoration avec des animaux, jetez un coup d'oeil à l'affiche Bat ou l'affiche Singe

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Pigmée | handmade dolls

I first wrote how special the Pigmée collection was to me almost a year ago here and while it was too late for us to include it in our last Xmas catalogue, this year you will find Pigmée a bit everywhere
...lounging on our stonewashed linen collection
...in Mila's bedroom here and there as we have two at home now
...in the white Christmas moodboard from our Autumn/Winter catalogue and below.
Pigmée is a beautiful, handmade collection designed by Florence Bories, a young designer who just gave birth to a little boy named Oscar so things are getting a bit busy for Florence right now and the delivery we received will be the last one we received before Christmas so don't wait for too long if you wish to offer one of these beautiful dolls as a gift. The good news is that we managed to get more of this beautiful garland, the bad news is that Florence is stopping them to introduce new designs and keep her collection fresh - which is a shame because I really like how beautiful it looks in Mila's bedroom but hey we all need to move on from time to time and I'm sure the 2013 Pigmée collection will be wonderful!
PS:
Lots of deliveries this week so the UP poster, Friends of Violet poster, the Paumes books and the turquoise linen scarf are all back in stock

Photo: François Kong | Styling: Karine Kong

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Morning in Manhattan wallpaper | Famille Summerbelle

My posts were not meant to be all about beautiful, striking wallpapers this week but the truth is, we've recently added a lot of new wallpapers which I really need to tell you about!
My new favourite to decorate a kid bedroom is this Morning in Manhattan wallpaper by Famille Summerbelle - who also designs these beautiful city maps.
I've recently taken down the Nelly print from Mila's room to replace it with this beautiful map of Paris in coral pink to match her newly painted pink desk - she loves it!
Do you recognise the stylist behind these photos?

It is the lovely Aurelie Lecuyer who I wrote about a few days ago when she launched Sunday Market with her friend Anne Millet - and the more I see photos of this half-painted grey wall, the more I want to do the same in our guest bedroom. What do you think? Tell me please bises

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Mila's little bedroom revamp...

A few weeks I got inspired by this little creative project for Mila's bedroom found on Pinterest...and as the minx wanted more pink in her bedroom, I decided to add soft touches to her room by painting her old desk and chair.

We went to our local DIY shop and she chose (actually!) a lovely, soft pink from the Dulux range which we got mixed into a plain pot of acrylic eggshell paint.

Here is the result....a lovely, brand new desk & chair for just £12!

White pompoms | Rabbit lamp | Handmade Pigmee dolls

I'm feeling a bit restless today so I may carry doing stuff with my paint brushes...Have a great weekend

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Gorgeous wall stickers to spread happiness around the home

I've always been a fan of Shanna Murray wallstickers and used one of hers in Mila's bedroom along with the beautiful handmade cotton garland from Pigmée so she can see each time she goes to bed and wake up how much I love her.
Murray's calligraphy is feminine, inviting and each of wall stickers are little pieces of art to spread happiness around the home.
I've been looking for ways and places to add more of these gorgeous stickers around our home either in London or our holidays home in France and today I came across this image of the I love you beyond measure sticker on the nursery door of an adorable little girl named Lucca Valentine and it just opened my mind to a whole world of creative little projects...
* I could put one on each of the four bedrooms in our home in France with a feel good message or an inspiring photo...
* I could paint the back of our kitchen door with blackboard paint, adding B&W photos and let our friends and guest leaving lovely message...
* I could put this one on our entrance door to welcome people...


On Sunday, I'll be styling our new winter bed linen collection to show the new mustard duvet cover and other goodies we've received...I can't wait to share everything with you.
Have a lovely weekend xoxo
PS: The last one is the Dutch garland stickers which is temporarily in our Summer sale until Friday...

J'ai toujours adoré les autocollants muraux de Shanna Murray et j'en utilisé une dans la chambre de Mila avec cette jolie guirlande en coton de Pigmée afin qu'elle voit combien je l'aime à chaque fois qu'elle va au lit et se reveille le matin.

La calligraphie de ces stickers est très féminine et chaleureuse et chaque autocollant est comme une petite oeuvre-d'art qui sème des douces notes de bonheur dans la maison.

Cela faisait un petit moment que je me creusais la tete pour voir ou est ce que je pourrais éparpiller ces jolis autocollants dans notre maison à Londres ou notre maison de vacances en France et aujourd'hui, je suis tombée sur cette belle image montrant l'autocollant I love you beyond measure

sur la porte de la chambre d'une adorable petite fille nommée Lucca Valentine et cette simple image a juste déclenchée une vague d'idées créatives...

* Je pourrais en mettre un sur les portes des quatre chambres avec un petit message bienveillant ou une petite photo ...
* Je pourrais peindre le derrière de la porte de la cuisine avec de la peinture a tableau noir et ajouter des photos de famille ou inviter nos amis à laisser des petits messages...
* Je pourrais mettre celui-ci sur la porte d'entrée pour souhaiter la bienvenue à nos invités..

Dimanche, je vais mettre en scène la nouvelle collection de lin que nous avons recu pour vous montrer la couette en lin lave couleur moutarde ainsi que d'autres trucs géniaux. Il me tarde de vous les montrer.

Passez un très bon weekend bises

PS:

L'autocollant sur la dernière photo est le Dutch garland sticker qui est temporément en solde jusqu'à Vendredi - date à laquelle nos soldes d'été se terminent...

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In love with buntings & garlands

Last Sunday, Steve & had all the happy campers around (kids and grown ups = 18 people +2 dogs) to have one last BBQ together before our friends Emma & Richard are heading to Hong-Kong. 
Since we added these gorgeous pom poms, I have developed a bit of a crush for anything that helps me to add a WOW factor to a kids party or garden party in no time and I had great plans to decorate our garden but the British Summer being what it is this year, we ended up having an indoor BBQ - which was fun but really noisy.
Part of my plan, was to decorate the garden with these lovely white pom poms and this Bibi bunting which I had got for Mila's Birthday last year because they suited the style of our garden but I really love this crochet bunting.
Mostly because I can't do crochet to save my life but also because I really love how sweet and retro it looks

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Soft pinks at home

I'm not a huge fan of the way toys companies or interiors companies produce and market all their products in pink for girls and blue for boys, especially the ones with Barbie, Bob The Builder themed etc...I think given the chance, kids have far more to offer than a life through pink and blue glasses just because of their gender.
Saying that, as a mother I can't deny that a lot of little girls are going through a "pink if not Princess' phase at some point in their lives. Mila did and believe me it was not something I encouraged!!
A couple of years ago I posted two articles "Pink, pink you stink"  and Pink for grown-ups here) that gave advices on how to decorate a little girl bedroom with soft, touches of pink. I think the best way to do this, is to stay clear from the bright Barbie pink and go for vintage pink - a softer colour which goes very well with soft, light grey. So here are three of my favourite pink home accessories that I'll be more than happy to have at home...

1. Vintage pink bed linen in French washed linen (soft and gorgeous!) 2. Soft pink ball chair (looks wonderful next to the white one, the lilac or grey ones) 3. This beautiful tutu in vintage pink (which we have in grey at home)

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In the shop this week: LES DOUDOUS

In France, the first soft toy a baby will take a fancy is called un doudou and is likely to be the toy children will keep forever, or at least the first years of their lives so choosing the perfect Doudou is no mean feat! 

The gorgeous and soft doudou Kiou (featured in white below), which is perfect for a newborn baby, is one of several brother and sisters from the über cute Doudou family. 

With its little ears, easy to grab for tiny hands, its cute little heart embroidered on its bottom and its lovely design, the Doudou family will charm lots of babies and will be an adorable companion for the years to come.

Designed with creative and imaginative little kids in mind, the little Doudou soft toys and Doudou cushions by Kayatine add a cool, modern and colourful touch to a child's bedroom. 

 

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Pink, pink you stink

I was working on a post for the Ball chairs but I felt really inspired by the new soft pink ball chair which is really pretty. 
I'm usually not a fan of pink (she says, sporting bright pink fluo nail varnish)...I think what bothers me the most about pink is the label attached to it (i.e. pink is for girls and blue is for boys) so I regularly revolt against this but as I'm starting to long for baby no 2, it's cold outside, my back is hurting and I have been in a right mood for the past week, today I'm craving for some softness, cuddles from my child and soft hues of pink and grey for a nursery.

Doudou ABC poster | Tutu | Miss Lilac soft toy | Pigmée garland | Pigmee handmade doll | Family tree print (on the wallpaper) | Penguin wallpaper | Soft pink ball chair | Rabbit lamp | Birds on a wire blind

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In the shop this week: Finland Children rooms by Editions PAUMES

Last October, we announced the launch of Tokyo Home Ateliers which is delightful and very unique.
This month, I'm very excited because they've finally released a new book on Children's room which like all the others is filled with creative ideas, colours and heaps of personality. Personally, I'm a big fan of the Family Style series (Family Style in London, Paris Family Style), the workspace ones and all the kids ones.
Finland Children's rooms will be available at the end of February and the rest of the collection too so you can pre-order them now if you wish

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We broke up...{Life with Mila}

Last weekend, Mila announced us she was in love with Gabriel...
Last night, she showed us a nice drawing of a boy and a girl holding hands
Me: "Is this you and Gabriel?"
Mila: "No we broke up"
Me: "What?! You broke up?! But you told us you were in love with him over the weekend"
Mila: "Yeah but I prefer Christian, he is funnier and he is in the girls' team"
Guys...if you want to hold onto a girl more than 3 days, be funny!

Here are some better photos, François took of Mila's bedroom

 

Handmade garland by Pigmée | Shanna Murray wall sticker | Handmade doll by Pigmée (size 2 & 3 are now sold out & will be back in 2012)  

Le weekend dernier, Mila nous a annoncé qu'elle était amoureuse de Gabriel...

Hier soir, elle nous a montré un joli dessin d'une petite fille et d'un garcon se tenant la main

Moi: "Est ce que c'est toi et Gabriel?"

Mila: "Non on s'est séparé"

Me: "Quoi?! Vous vous etes séparés?! Mais tu nous as dit que tu étais amoureuse de lui le weekend dernier"

Mila: "Yeah mais je préfere Christian, il est plus drole et il est dans l'équipe des filles"

Les garçons...si vous voulez garder une fille plus de trois jours, il va falloir etre drole! 

Voici de plus belles photos de la chambre de Mila prises par François.

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De gauche a droite...{by Sophie}

SO cute! :-)

Nelly The Elephant art print

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Mila's bedroom: little update

These past two weekends, I have been working on Mila's bedroom, finishing off what I never got around to finish first time around before the photoshoot with Editions PAUMES. 

The photos aren't great but by the time I was done painting, it was too dark to take any nice photos so I've just taken these very quickly this morning...

I'm done with the room yet but it's getting there...Changes included:

- Moving the Nelly print from the wall to the shelves to clear the space so I can add this beautiful "You are loved" sticker by Shanna Murray

- Displaying her new Miss Doudou red, a gift from Julie the designer behind Kayatine

- Replacing the old brass handle doors by newwhite ceramic handles

- Re-painting the white walls with washable paint

- Painting the inside of her cupboard in bubblegum pink (more pics later)

- Replacing Friends of Violet poster by Mima Le Chat art print

- Playing with Pigmée garland until I find the right spot

and finally putting her 4 years old clothes away....It's actually a bit tricky to let go of things that reminds me of her first years as a toddler so we took some to the charity shop and kept my favourite ones in a box...

 

 

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Pigmée - handmade & loved ♥ ♥ ♥

It took me longer than usual to write the copy about the Pigmée collection because I really wanted you to get a feel of what I had seen in this wonderful, handmade collection for children.

So I tried to remember how I felt the first time I came across Pigmée in Paris (besides butterflies, which is usually a sign for me that I need to follow my guts feelings and go for it)....
"The first time I saw Pigmée, I knew I was in front of something very special. There it was... standing in front me, beautifully made in textured cotton. With no back or front, with nothing imposed on him, in all its simplicity, it laid down its soul and its story to tell and I knew it was the kind of thing we all want for our children. Something very special to let them be children...just a little bit longer while they can."
Handmade in a beautiful textured cotton, Pigmée is a desire to rediscover the authentic pleasure of simplicity and beauty found in handmade things like old toys were. Neither a character nor an animal, with no front or back, Pigmée is what a child sees in it, always something different and truly unique. Far from standardized codes, Pigmée stimulates a child's imagination and inspires very personal and original stories.

Sadly, we did not have the time to include them in our catalogue but I really hope you will love this wonderful collection (the gardland is beautiful!) and I'm hoping I'll be able to bring you more little treasures like this in the future.

  

 

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