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A peek at my Bali hit-list…

Before our recent honeymoon in Bali becomes a distant memory, I want to mix things up & share a mini photo diary of our trip to let you in on some of our fave spots around Seminyak, I hope it will be a handy little reference if you are planning a Bali getaway…

1. Sisterfields - Our new favourite lunch spot, a place to keep the whole family happy with healthy salads, green juices, coconut water & equally tasty burgers, fries & pulled pork sandwiches.

2, 4, 10. Anantara Hotel - The perfect hotel if you are looking for a peaceful, romantic getaway - wonderful location right on the beach in Seminyak.

3. Sunday Brunch at the W Hotel - Is becoming an institution, all you can eat & drink with every cuisine imaginable - worth it just to check out this amazing hotel if you are not lucky enough to be staying here, you also get use of the pool during your visit.

5, 8. Moonlite Kitchen & Bar - Rooftop restaurant at the Anantara Hotel - Panoramic views of the coastline, watch the sun dip into the Indian Ocean while enjoying tasty Asian fusion food & a live jazz band.

6. Cocoon - Great spot to enjoy pre-dinner cocktails (2 for 1 cocktails 4pm-7pm) - avoid this place on a Sunday when they put on crazy nightclub’esque parties.

7. Motel Mexicola - be transported to Mexico for the evening, tasty mexican fare, killer Margaritas, upbeat tunes, amazing quirky decor & all round awesome atmosphere.

9. Barbacoa - The latest go-to dinner spot in Bali, wood burning pits & ovens, tasty Latin American tapas style food, jaw-dropping interiors - we chose to eat alfresco on the terrace overlooking the rice paddies. (PS the house made Peanut Butter ice-cream is to die for)

I also recommend Grocer & Grind for breakfast/coffee, Ryoshi for a quick & tasty Japanese lunch, La Lucciola & Sarong for a romantic dinner (book ahead).

For pampering I love Spa Bali, for a special treat we head to Bodyworks for the ‘2 Hour Exfoliation Massage’ in a couple’s room - we book this in for the last day to scrub away sunscreen build up & head home with soft, glowing skin.

NEW IN STORE THIS WEEK…

1. Ikat Cotton Throw in Ink Blue, Silk Kantha Cushions - ‘Silver Blue Paisley’ & ‘Silver Blue Floral’
2. Denim Cushions - ‘Kriss Kross’ & ‘Ikat’, Silk kantha cushions - ‘Kali’ & ‘Ariel’
3. ’Viola’ vintage kantha quilt
4. Ikat Cotton Throw in Denim Blue, Ikat denim cushion
5. Denim Cushions - ‘Kriss Kross’ & ‘Leopard’, Silk kantha cushions - ‘Flora 1’ & ‘Reed’
6. ’Rimesh’ vintage kantha quilt

Live bright,

Natalie x

1st peek at gorgeous new treasures…

Lots of gorgeous new pieces have landed in the shop, I am sharing them with you today!

The easiest way to update and give life to a tired space is with cushions; this collection is full of beautiful bursts of gorgeous colour & pattern - like jewels for your living room or bedroom, perfect for injecting inspiration & joy to your home…

This is a limited edition collection with 1 or 2 pieces in each design, made from vintage panels of printed silk intricately hand stitched.

Being made from vintage material, you may find patches, rough/raw edges & general imperfections in the colour/finish, adding to its unique charm.

Click HERE to browse the new kantha cushion collection.

Also just in, our cotton hand woven throws are an easy way to bring colour & life into any space. They are a light weight, beautiful hand woven quality, lay across the foot of your bed or on a couch or armchair, they also make great rugs for picnics & beach days.

Ikat Throw - 160cm x 240cm - $97.00

Stripe Throw - 220cm x 260cm - $109.00

Click HERE to shop these gorgeous new throws.

I won’t bore you with details, but thought I would share a snap of our special celebration a few weeks ago…

Above quote via @theblacklinebylauren

Live bright,

Natalie x

12 Inspiring spaces & a colourful kantha quilt update…

This week, in celebration of our latest gorgeous kantha quilt collection, I am simply sharing a few inspiring spaces where beautiful textiles are the hero. Added as a pop of colour & interest to a simple, white space, or multiple pieces layered to create a warm & eclectic look; quilts, throws & cushions are the easiest way to refresh & update a tired room…

Above Images: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

The new vintage kantha collection has been running out the door to lovely new homes but I thought I would share a few of the beautiful pieces still available in store…

Above Quilts - Aswini, Savi, Nadira, Namrata, Harper.

We have also just re-stocked the gorgeous Indigo Blockprint kantha quilts. They are a huge size - 230cm x 270cm perfect for a king or queen size bed, available in store.

Live bright,

Natalie x

Our latest vintage kantha quilt collection…

This stunning collection in jewel like colours & a gorgeous array of patterns is designed to inject inspiration & joy to any space…

Thrown on a couch or armchair they are not only decorative, but great for protecting your sofa from little sticky hands and dirty feet. On a bed they can instantly update the whole room - treat your bedroom to a luxe layer of colour or if you have guests coming to stay a kantha quilt will instantly makeover the space, guaranteed to delight & make visitors feel welcome with a happy burst of colour. Also gorgeous kid’s rooms, I love that a kantha quilt gifted to a toddler for her first bed could stay with her & be used and loved 20 years later when moving into her own first home. The quilts are the perfect weight to lay over sheets in the warmer weather & as a cosy layer over the doona in winter - they easily fold up or can be thrown over an armchair when not being used…

Each piece is one of a kind and cannot be re-ordered again, made from vintage panels of soft printed cotton intricately handstiched together. If you invite a kantha into your home you will get to enjoy it every day and treasure forever.

Quilt dimensions vary, generally all will fully cover a single bed or lay horizontally to cover a double or queen bed (the quilt will cover the bed width-ways and the bottom 2/3 of the bed lengthways) - if you are unsure about size let me know.

These quilts are made from vintage material, you can expect to find patches, rough/raw edges and general imperfections in the colour & finish, adding to its unique charm.

SHOP THIS COLLECTION NOW

The full collection is displayed above and below pictured laid out on a queen size bed…

A FEW GLOWING KANTHA QUILT REVIEWS…

SHOP KANTHA QUILTS NOW

Live bright,

Natalie x

An easy formula to follow for adding colour to your space…

Hopefully the previous few newsletters have got you inspired about colour in the home? This week I am sharing with you an easy formula to follow for adding colour to a space…

START WITH A NEUTRAL BASE Go for neutral colours on the walls like white, cream or soft grey. For key pieces of furniture stick to grey, brown, black, cream shades & materials like glass or wood. This foundation will keep a room feeling light & spacious - these elements won’t grow tired or date too quickly.

CHOOSE 2 ACCENT COLOURS Choose 1 dominant & 1 secondary accent colour;

Dominant Your dominant accent could be a wall colour (if you ignore the safe neutral wall tip above ;) a rug, or a large piece of art - you then want to repeat that colour a couple of times elsewhere in the space - a cushion, throw, vase, splash of colour in an artwork or books on a shelf (are you guilty like me of buying books you may never read - just for their beautiful spine colour?)

Secondary The secondary accent should compliment the dominant colour & is added to the space in a smaller quantity - a cushion, throw, splash of colour in artwork or decorative object - you might have 1 hit of this colour, or a few small splashes, just remember you need less of this colour in a space than the dominant accent. If the colour balance is 50/50 the 2 colours will fight each other & the look will not be harmonious.

It’s ok to vary shades & tones You don’t have to restrict yourself to 1 shade of each accent colour - for example mixing a few shades of blue for your dominant colour with orange as your secondary colour works beautifully.

Below a few spaces to show how this can work in a space, whether you have bold, bright colour splashed throughout your home, or you love neutral palettes with little touches of colour this is an easy way to make colour work in your home…

Above Images; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

Live bright,

Natalie x

A peek into my home & the happy kind of blues…

Our home was styled this week for a photo shoot, we were going for a winter look & had lots of fun swapping out my bright, summer colours for a more muted, moody winter colour palette. It showed how easy it is to create a completely different look when you have a neutral canvas to work with - simply by swapping around rugs, cushions, throws & artwork, a whole new look was created in just a couple of hours…

Photos 3 & 4 - Styling by Lisa Quinn-Schofield of FEATHERHORSE studio.

Bowerhouse products featured above:

Bowerhouse Metallic/Jute Stripe Rug - Gold
Barrel Side Table
Ikat Denim Cushion
Crescent Shibori Kantha Quilt

Inky blues & indigos were the favoured shades for the day, so I am feeling inspired to talk about blue today, to show how versatile this colour can be in the home…

BLUE ON BLUE…

The monotone palette for our living room make-over - multiple shades of blue from deep navy, moody indigo to soft blue-grey. Cool blues are balanced out with warmer tones from the rattan, wood, natural jute & metallic gold rug.

TEAL BLUE & YELLOW

A fresh, sophisticated take on the traditional blue & yellow combo - works well when either the teal or the yellow is the dominant colour - if you are feeling brave a tiny pop of pink or aqua blue adds another dimension.

Above image - Fired Earth Tiles

NAVY & CARAMEL

A grown-up, sophisticated palette - rich warm caramel tones contrast perfectly with navy & deep grey-blue.

Above Image - The Design Files, home of Suzanne Gorman

INDIGO BLUE & ORANGE

One of my all time favourite colour combinations, I love adding 1 or 2 small pops of bright orange to add fun & balance out a blue space.

Above image - House & Garden UK

AQUAMARINE & SEAGREEN

A fun, fresh palette - be sure to incorporate deeper tones to balance & ground the space.

Above image - via Gypsy, Sibella Court

Live bright, Natalie x

How to choose a colour palette (warning: may incite happy dancing & heart singing)

I am sharing with you today the 2nd instalment in our ‘Decorating with Colour’ series, today - my tips on how choose a dreamy colour palette…

• Choose colours you LOVE You are going to live with these colours every day, they need to uplift & make you smile. Why not simplify things & make the starting point of your collour palette your favourite colour? (This method will only be tricky if you have multiple favourite colours like I do - which is when my next tip comes in handy…)
• Use a key piece for the space as a starting point… It might be a piece of artwork or a rug, gorgeous curtain fabric you plan to use, a multi coloured bed throw or even a cushion - it may be something you already own or a piece you have your eye on. Pulling 1 or 2 colours from this piece & repeating them throughout the room is an easy way to creative a cohesive colour palette.
• Forget the trends… Unlike fashion, your homewares purchases need to last longer than 1 or 2 wears, so take magazine articles directing you to ‘Give your Home a Pastel hit this Summer’ with a grain of salt - if you love pastels then go for it, magazines are great for ideas & inspiration but don’t let the trends completely dictate how you decorate your home.

Once you have chosen an accent colour, you might want to balance the space with another 1 or 2 colours (I will share more about how to actually apply these colours to a space later) At this point, it is helpful to refer back to basic colour principles from the colour wheel & classic, never fail ‘go-to’ colour combinations. I will share a selection of these today & over the coming weeks to provide some inspiration & perhaps get you thinking about colour combos you might never have considered!

Yellow & Aqua

A light & bright combo that I chose for our main living/dining space - yellow & aqua blue contrast beautifully to create a fun, cheerful vibe. If you want to add a 3rd highlight, a tiny touch of bright pink works well - I have a touch of fuchsia pink pattern in a cushion & in a kantha quilt, which is just enough to add that extra layer of depth & interest to the scheme, without overpowering it. Alternatively you could mix in some deeper turquoise as a third accent.

Yellow & Purple

Purple is such an underrated colour; in the home - I like to steer away from the bright purple/violet shades & go for gorgeous grape, deep berry & dusty orchid tones. They work beautifully with bright yellow or deep mustard, mix in some brass or gold decorative pieces & you have a really sophisticated palette, perfect for a guest room, living or dining space. If you want to add a 3rd accent, a soft, muted green ties in well here.

Green & Pink

This is an exciting & fun colour combo - using green as the dominant accent, then adding a splash of pink means these 2 strong colours will complement rather than ‘fight’ for your attention. Most shades of green & pink work well, although I love the pea green & melon pink combo pictured above. Add a splash of burgundy or deep berry pink or if you are feeling daring, a tiny pop of sunshine yellow as a 3rd accent. I like this palette for a guest room, playroom or kids bedroom/nursery.

Live bright,

Natalie

An Introduction to Confidently Decorating with Colour…

Making colour choices is one of the more daunting aspects when it comes to decorating, many of us are afraid of making a mistake & sometimes end up stuck in a colourless home for fear of making a bad decision.

Unless you have a very minimal white on white or black & white colour scheme you will want at least a few touches of colour around your home - so whether you have an overall neutral scheme & would love some small pops of colour to lift a space, or you are craving big splashes of happy colour throughout your home, I have some inspiration lined up for the coming months that I hope will give you the courage & inspiration to confidently decorate with colour.

THE COLOUR WHEEL

I am not trying to go all ‘high school art’ on you… But I can’t talk colour without at least touching on the colour wheel basics. I am not suggesting the wheel MUST be consulted before choosing a scheme, (choosing colours that make your heart sing should be the 1st priority) but it is helpful to know the principles behind why some colours look amazing together & others dont quite have the same impact.

The world of the colour wheel can be confusing & contradicting so we will look at it very broadly. There are 3 main, easy to follow schemes that the wheel can help you work with…

MONOCHROMATIC

A ‘monochromatic’ look is when you choose 1 main colour & layer different shades of that same colour. I think monochromatic schemes in all green or all blue (as pictured) are particularly beautiful.

HARMONIOUS
Colours that sit next to each other on the wheel are known as harmonious & also work well together examples of gorgeous harmonious schemes are pink & red, green & yellow or as pictured green & blue.

COMPLIMENTARY

Opposite colours on the wheel are complementary to each other & can make for a very exciting colour pallet - some great complimentary pallets include; Blue paired with orange (pictured), reds/pink or yellow. Yellow with purple, blue or pink. Greens with red, purple/pink or orange.

I am really excited to explore the world of decorating in colour with you - if you have any specific decorating questions or areas you would love covered in the coming newsletters, please hit reply I would love to hear from you!

Live bright,
Natalie x

How to create an inspiring outdoor sanctuary…

Are you feeling the january limbo between work & holiday mode? Busy days at work, at the desk craving fun in the sunshine or squeezing fun into the last days of holidays & ‘back to school’ preparations, the season of parties & social catch ups. I have been taking my work breaks outside in this little spot, a little fresh air works wonders to inject a little holiday into every day…

Sitting here yesterday I was inspired to share a few ideas for creating your own outdoor living room…

Bring the indoors out…

I actually don’t own outdoor cushions, I have a selection of indoor ones that I swap & interchange between my indoor & outdoor sofa’s during summer (if your lounge spot gets the sunshine you will either need to bring cushions/quilts inside when not in use or accept that they will fade in the sunlight)

Same goes for stools & side tables, when entertaining outside, our Drum stools & Barrel side tables are dragged outside for versatile extra seating & drinks tables - great if you are short on outdoor space & don’t want lots of furniture cluttering a space.

Colour is your friend…

If your outdoor space consists mainly of decking, concrete & pavers it can tend to look a little opressive, a few splashes of colour will break this up & uplift the space - we had fun with colour in our outdoor space with bright citrus green dining chairs, glazed plant pots in a myriad of lime & aqua shades & kantha quilts/cushions for pops of pink, yellow & aqua.

Potted succulent garden…

No matter how small your outdoor space, try to squeeze in a little greenery - it injects life, colour & interest & will make you smile. A cluster of mismatched pots planted with hardy succulents look great & make a low maintenance instant garden.

Above Images; 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Link to shop pieces above;

1. Floral Garland

2. Vintage kantha quilts ‘Javas’ & ‘Jyotis’

3, Tropico Cushion

4, Denim Ikat cushion

5. Painted Stripe floor cushion

6. Drum Stool

7. Native Metal entrance mat

Live bright,

Natalie x

My inspiration for a healthy & bright 2015

Happy 2015! I hope you enjoyed a very merry festive season & managed to take some time to relax, unwind, reflect & set some intentions for an exciting year ahead? The Bowerhouse holidays looked a little like this…

1. Setting soulful goals with Danielle LaPorte’s ‘The Desire Map’ also pictured our ‘Lilya cutwork throw’ & Denim Shine cushion 2. G&Ts with Terrance on NYE 3. A gorgeous new Fiddle Leaf Fig plant (sitting on our Barrel side table) 4. Coconut & mango smoothie dessert (recipe below)

After the indulgence of festivities & our March wedding fast approaching, I have been experimenting with tasty, healthy recipes to share with you - all from my fave go-to food blogs to inspire healthy eating & ‘living bright’ in 2015!

The Wholesome Cook Zucchini pasta with coriander & cashew pesto - I am a huge pasta fan but in an effort to reduce gluten & up veggie intake I have found zucchini makes a surprisingly satisfying alternative - slice a whole zucchini very finely using a veggie peeler for ‘pappardelle’ style ribbons & toss for a few minutes in a pan with any kind of homemade pesto, spinach leaves & tinned tuna - delicious!

The Healthy Chef Gluten free zucchini fritters - Great for lunch topped with natural yoghurt & chilli flakes or with salad & a good drizzle of olive oil.

Sprouted Kitchen peanut butter bites - These delightful treats had me at ‘peanut butter’ - very quick & easy to make, I made with organic, all natural peanut butter.

Loving Earth super fertile maca slice - Another super easy mid morning or afternoon snack to tide the sugar cravings.

Tales of a Kitchen coconut dessert smoothie - I made this for dessert last night - replaced the banana with 1 large mango & subbed the quinoa flakes for a few macadamia nuts - delicious dairy & sugar free, creamy indulgence!

In other news, we have a lovely selection of vintage kantha quilts on sale at over 50% off! Not just for beds, our kantha’s have been popular this summer as sofa throws - perfect to protect your couch from little sticky hands & dirty feet…

50% off Selected Vintage Kantha Quilts…

Click to browse full collection in store - Renka, Isdan, Mala, Jimla, Lakia, Sanhya.

Live bright,

Natalie x