Show off your home and embrace British pride in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

Show off your home and embrace British pride in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee

There’s a real buzz at Honeysuckle as we start thinking about preparations for the queen’s diamond jubilee.  We’ve just taken on a new range of fabrics which will have us making bunting, cushions, aprons the possibilities are endless.

With the jubilee in mind there is an abundance of truly patriotic themed accessories for our homes this season.” Cool Britannia” décor is growing in popularity because it can be done on a small budget and still look beautiful.

 A well-designed patriotic room will evoke pride. This often begins with the use of a simple flag. Think about how you can use the Union Jack flag as a focal point in your room. Look for large, antique flags to frame and you will have a perfect wall hanging that serves as the focal point of your patriotic design.

Painting a patriotic themed room is actually pretty simple. The colour choices are a no brainer. Go for either a deep red or a navy blue. If you don't want your rooms to have dramatic colour on the walls, then paint one wall with a bold red. Hang your antique flag on that wall for a stunning effect. You could also consider adding a decorative border or painting your trim in red or blue.  There are some great British themed wallpaper on the market and are available in beautiful patriotic themes.

Rugs offer another great accent to your British décor. If you choose a neutral wall colour, you could bring in your bolder colors through a beautiful, Union Jack rug. You could choose a solid colored rug in red or blue.

Capital, First Class and Jack Designs at Honeysuckle Interiors

Capital, First class and Jack designs are now available at Honeysuckle Interiors; helping the nation to celebrate by decorating homes, street parties and even sporting venues with a distinctly patriotic theme. These colourful prints on 100% cotton are suitable for curtains and cushions, table linen and kitchen accessories, bags and flags. Available to buy by the metre with pvc coating this is also perfect for practical table cloths – with no stitching! The options are truly endless with these design at affordable prices, so get creative!

Happy New Year and the winner of our seasonal prize draw is ..........

Happy New Year!

We Have A Winner............... 

Honeysuckle Interiors Seasonal Prize Winner

Honeysuckle Interiors are delighted to announce the winner of their seasonal Prize draw is Valerie Wilson from Basingstoke.

The lucky now retired Valerie was over the moon and so surprised to be picked from the thousands of entries received by Honeysuckle to win £500 worth of designer furnishings. It is the biggest prize she has ever won apart from the occasional tombola or raffle draw.  Valerie hasn’t completely decided what she is going to choose yet but is hoping to put the prize of £500 towards having two chairs re-upholstered or maybe some new designer lighting. To help her get the best value from her prize, the design team will offer a complimentary design consultation offering help advice to help her choosing just the right design combination to complement her current furnishings.

If you missed your chance to enter or win the last competition then why not try again?  Honeysuckle Interiors are delighted to announce that due its overwhelming success plan to run the competition again to win £500 worth of designer furnishings be drawn in April.  To enter simply click onto the website and follow the seasonal prize draw link - GOOD LUCK!

We wish you a Merry Christmas......

To all our valued customers......

A very Merry Christmas and wishing you all a healthy and Happy New Year ....

Our showroom will be closed from:-

Friday 23rd December at 4pm and re-opens Tuesday 3rd January at 10.00am when our January Sale starts.

Huge thanks go out to all the team at Honeysuckle who have been busy cutting, sewing, ironing and drilling.  We have managed to fulfil all our Christmas orders which always takes a huge amount of effort and commitment.

The last pair of curtains has been hung and we are busy cutting out orders ready to goagain in January which, is going to be really hectic and busy - nothing new there!  How lucky we are at Honeysuckle,  it is because we provide such a great service our customers come back time and time again.

So we have lots to look forward to in 2012..

Our first task will be to draw the lucky winner of our seasonal prize draw.... who is going to win £500 worth of fabulous furnishings ??????

Watch this space............ see you again in the new year - and remember the early bird will catch the worm in our sale - there are some gorgeous items going in at fantastic bargain prices.

           Happy Christmas one and all ...........

Give your Home Some Seasonal Style

Give your Home some Seasonal Style

It's official, with less than 6 weeks to Christmas the seasonal madness has descended upon us at Honeysuckle and we're busier than ever.  The showroom has never looked more dazzling with its new displays which are really beautiful . We have two Christmas trees laden with trimmings - thanks to the help from lovely Michelle at Pippins. Check out her website for some fantastic Christmas gifts and accessory ideas http://www.pippins.co.uk/.  There's always a wonderful atmosphere in the shop but it's always extra special at this time of year.  We've already had an amazing response to the seasonal free prize draw and we are busy preparing for our end of season sale - there are going to be some fantastic bargains to be had so watch this space.

Give your home a magical make over .......

There’s so much to organise and think about at this time of year! The tree, the decorations, the table the food, and those extra special touches that will make all the difference to your home.  Treat your home to a magical make-over this Christmas and celebrate your well-deserved holiday in style.  Rich coppers and bronzes create a warm cosy look in a living room, subtle sage greens and purples provide a scheme that is easy to live with in the hall, traditional gingham with splashes of shaker style add a country feel to a kitchen, while bold red and sparkling gold bring opulence and luxury to the dining room. 

Make your hall look fresh and inviting….

An inviting scheme in your hall will immediately make friends and family feel relaxed and welcome.  Sage greens, pretty heather hues and hints of silver provide a light and open backdrop that won’t upstage your festive decorations.  Be sure to include a few key pieces of furniture such as a handy storage bench that will cater for the extra coats, hats and shoes of your guests.  The familiar scent of the tree and the banister garland will get everyone in the Christmas spirit as soon as they step through the door.

Warm up your living room….

Metallic golds and bronzes are Christmassy colours that lend cosy, intimate feel to a living room – the perfect environment for enchanting gifts, chatting and relaxing. Use them against a neutral backdrop of cream walls and linen coloured sofas and chairs to create a sophisticated scheme.  Include piles of cushions and throws in rich fabrics, such as silk, velvet and chenille to add texture and warmth.  Adorn the tree with beautiful decorations in bronze, orange and gold tones and complete the look with stunning foliage on the mantelpiece.

Create a glamorous dining room....

Gather friends and family around the dining table and celebrate in style.  Rich red walls compliment dark wood furniture perfectly, and ivory chair covers and a cream mantelpiece lift the decorating scheme, preventing the richer colours from being overpowering.  Dress the table with plenty of glass, white china and candles to create a truly magical atmosphere

Fill your kitchen with seasonal colours….

The kitchen is the hub of the home, especially at this time of year, so make the most of with simple but gorgeous decorations with a homespun feel.  Use a mini tree filled with rich reds and pretty gingham ribbons as a focal point, then team buttermilk-coloured walls with cheery red and cream check curtains and warm wool to create a relaxed country style.  Add lots of natural touches such as fresh foliage and pine cones, to enhance the rustic look.

Walk into Honeysuckle Interiors this winter where you'll always receive a warm welcome - we look forward to seeing you soon.....

Bringing the Feel Good factor into your home with our Seasonal Prize draw your chance to win £500 of designer furnishings

There was a huge sence of relief and a great feel good factor in the offiice today as we finally managed to get our database emailed off to the printers. YIPEE!! At last our long awaited mail shot is ready to mail out to over 4000 clients from both Honeysuckle & Fine Fabrics.  We're so excited about the seaonal free prize draw  - you saw the details of it here first...

Bring the Feel Good Factor back into your home.

Nothing makes us happier than spending time at home and when your home looks good, you feel good too. Whether you’re looking forward to snuggling up during the dark evenings to enjoy this season’s must-see films or curling up on a sofa to read the latest best-selling novels, make sure your home is where your heart is at.

It is obviously unrealistic to redecorate every season, but you can add warmth by adding accessories in spicy saffron, chilli reds and cinnamon shades. Why not add a few extra layers to your existing furnishings to warm them up a little.  Just as we pile on pullovers to keep ourselves warm, a few extra layers work wonders in creating a warm feel indoors too.  Add a woollen throw or a travel rug to an armchair or sofa and cushions of all shapes and sizes to add a feeling of cosiness.

Carpet is unbeatable for warmth and comfort in the winter.  If you currently have bare floorboards or a stone floor, then this is the time to invest in a rug to raise temperatures instantly.

Eliminating draught is the first step to a warm comfortable home and windows and doors are the chief culprits when it comes to letting in cold air.  If your budget won’t run to new double glazing make sure you have linings and interlinings in your curtains.  If you have radiators under the window, then team your existing curtains with a thick Roman blind to cut out draughts.

Honeysuckle Interiors are passionate about bringing something special to people’s homes, so to help you put the feel good factor back into yours, we are delighted to announce the introduction of our seasonal free prize draw where we are offering one lucky entrant the chance to choose from one of the following fantastic prizes:-

£500 of beautiful hand made curtains
£500 of designer wallpaper
£500 Hand woven Jacaranda Rug
£500 of Designer Lighting

To enter simply click onto the website www.honeysuckleinteriors.co.uk

Walk into Honeysuckle Interiors in Oakley and experience a warm and friendly welcome this winter. Our show room boasts one of the largest fabric collections outside of London and there’s always a friendly face to guide you through your choices. What ever your requirements from just supply or a complete room makeover they’re happy to help. To find out more contact the Design Team on 01256 780831 or click onto their website www.honeysuckleinteriors.co.uk

From Cat Walk to Curtains

We had such a lovely time at Focus and Decorex at Chelsea Harbour last week where we met the lovely Clarissa Hulse who  has just designed the wonderful new Kallianthi collection for Harlequin.

So many people remarked on our outfits that we had specially made - and that we'd made them

ourselves! Clarissa shares our passion for wonderful fabrics and textiles and was pleased to see her designs walking around Chelsea harbour!

 

From Cat Walk to Curtains..........

It’s an exciting season in the furnishing industry as September sees the launch of new fabric and wallpaper collections. Fashion has been a key trend driver in interiors this year with many design inspirations transcending from the catwalk into the home.  Vintage style has seen a revival too as homeowners choose to decorate their rooms that remind them of yesteryear.  Key interior design trends take inspiration from the 1940’s and 50’s as bright colours and patterns are making a comeback.  Villa Novas new High Society – Tea at the Ritz is a great example of this illustrating ladies wearing 1950’s printed dresses.

If you have a passion for fabrics and have a little imagination you can turn this theory on its head as the design team at Honeysuckle recently demonstrated. Inspired by Clarissa Hulse’s latest Kallianthi collection for Harlequin, decided to make their own outfits in beautiful curtain fabrics to wear at Chelsea Harbour’s Focus design exhibition.  Kallianthi is a breathtaking collection of fabrics and wallpapers with a botanical theme.

Recent trends have also shown that we are also starting to use more vibrant  colours in preference to natural shades for our walls.  Wallpaper is also a popular choice as it adds texture and warmth and has a certain amount of luxury to it. In austere times consumers will be looking for brightness and will reflect on better times. The new Kallianthi collection has this in abundance whether you choose to make it up as curtains or clothing.   Colour is all around us and we are constantly influenced by it whether we realise or not. Colour creates mood, ambience and atmosphere in a room it can make us feel cosy, cold, relaxed, happy or sad. If you want to add some colour into your home, why not pop along to the showroom and see the whole collection for yourselves - its stunning!!!

A gorgeous collection of Kallianthi cushions

We also love this The High Society collection from Villa Nova - we all have to find a window to put this on...

And here are some we made earlier..... what will we be making next??????

From left to right Jen is wearing her own fitted jacket creation in Olea
Clarissa - not sure what shes wearing but looks lovely..
Miche is wearing a lovely knee length shift dress in Salvia
Marina has a longer length jacket on in Rue Flower

Improve Dont Move

Improve Dont Move!

One of my customers remarked recently that they were going to do exactly what their home was designed for – and that was to live in it and enjoy it! When you’re happy with the area you live in, the thought of having to move in order to get a bigger bathroom or an extra bedroom can be daunting and costly. A reasonable estimate of the cost is about 10% of the price of the property you’re selling. That means if you live in a three-bedroom house worth £300,000 and decide to move into the identical three-bedroom house next door, you’ll pay around £30,000 on fees, stamp duty, legal costs, removers and the rest. 

People underestimate moving costs because they pay them a bit at a time and don’t necessarily add them up. It often pays to improve rather than move – especially as house prices are high just now, buoyed up by the lack of properties for sale while owners hold back until the market is more settled. Extensions, loft and garage conversions or creating a basement will add the most value. Open plan living is now very popular and knocking down a wall to open up a space that is filled with light will always appeal to potential buyers. Replacing an outdated kitchen will increase the value of your home. If the configuration of your kitchen works well and the carcasses are sturdy then keep the layout as it is and change the doors. Fitting a new work surface and smart new tiles will bring it into the 21st century.

Here's one we prepared earlier  - Before

During........ remember to call in the professionals!

Beware of the cowboys!  Be very wary of one man bands changing career from the stock market to becoming a builder, or the curtain maker working out the back of her shed in the garden. It does pay to shop around but make sure you are comparing like for like quotes so you know what you are getting for your money.  You’ll need to bring in professionals to carry out this kind of work and also contact your local authority to find out if planning permission is required. Talk to people who’ve had similar work done to get their advice.


                                        And Happily Ever After being Honeysuckled.......

Remember book early to avoid disappointment – the really good trade’s people are always busy.  If you’re thinking about having a project completed ready to entertain at Christmas now is the time to get organised.