I’ve just come across the Recreate studio, a fabulously quirky home interiors company based in Cape Town, South Africa.  Owner Katie Thompson collects and reuses pieces of diguarded junk to recreate a unique, recycled range of furniture, lighting and interior accessories, each piece infused with its own previous character but with a new function.  The results are fresh, innovative and inspiring.  And Katie ships worldwide!

” I love creating functional art from discarded non functional junk “

 This set of old, broken weighing scales have been reborn as a clock- I love the colours and pattern

These colourful milk pails make fabulous retro stools!

This old solid wood rack was previously used in a sorting office for mail.

Posted by Emily

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It fascinates me how people can mix old, vintage home accessories with new, modern items so well.  To combine these two very different looks successfully is certainly no easy task.  Modern technology is an essential part of our lives and it can be a task to integrate the two together- how do you mix a distressed piece of furniture with something that is shiny and new? 

Robert & Michelena show us how to get it right in their Apartment Therapy tour of their Dallas home…

A monochrome colour pallet seems the best option- perhaps it is enough just to mix surface textures and materials and not to involve too much colour.  The distressed coffee and dining table fits in well amoungst the leather sofas.  The patterned floor adds interest.

An interesting alternative to a conventional side table

The different shades of grey add dimension and depth

Fireplaces were once commonplace in the bedroom.  I would make more of a feature of the four poster bed but it’s still a lovely, relaxing room.

Via Apartment Therapy

Posted by Emily

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Scandinavian design is quite hard to define, yet it has it’s own distinctive look.  It’s modern, innovative and colourful, whilst also being retro, traditional and folksy. 

via scp.co.uk

It’s definitely one of my favourite styles at the moment.  Why not add a burst of colour or a bold pattern to your home with some scatter cushions, a rug or a throw?  

These are a few of my favourite Scandinavian home accessories on the market at the moment… so much to choose from!  Think snuggly, chunky knits, warm log cabins and outdoor hot tubs.  Heaven!

via scp.co.uk

via thelollipopshoppe.co.uk

via scandiliving.com 

via thelollipopshoppe.co.uk

via scp.co.uk

 Posted by Emily

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There’s certainly nothing shabby about these shabby chic interiors, created by talented stylist Atlanta Bartlett!  Although the look is minimalist, each piece in the room holds a history, adding interest and intrigue. 

I love the bedroom, above… but is it too minimalist?  Would you like to see more colour; a colouful rug, perhaps?  It’s one thing loving it but in reality I’m not so sure I’d like it day in, day out.  Perhaps in a warmer climate, as I’d imagine it to feel a little cold in winter, with the high ceilings and bare floorboards.  The room is beautiful though- the ultimate in shabby chic.

An eclectic mix of quality furnishings and home accessories give this kitchen the thumbs-up.  Original floorboards are a necessity for this look.

 Fabulous storage idea beneath the bed and the crisp white sheets suggest the dreamy scent of fresh linen

Pick pieces you love and will cherish.  The image above is proof that mixing styles of furniture can work perfectly with a little careful planning.

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Not only is Christian Lacroix an amazing clothing designer- his talents appear to stretch to interior design, too!  Last year his seventeenth-century apartment in the Parisian neighborhood of Le Marais was on the market and looking at these images, I could’ve moved in straight away… 

Bright, colorful and eclectic.  How sweet is the staircase?

The floor to ceiling windows open as doors, in true Parisian style…

A tasteful mix of old and new, don’t you agree?

Images via Apartment Therapy

posted by Emily

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