ARTspiration

ARTspiration

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Team Duck Egg

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ARTspiration

Arstspiration: Sometimes the sheer number of decorating directions can be overwhelming. You’re a fan of a nautical stripe but equally adore a pop of neon. You coo over charcoals but go gaga for gold. So, which way wins? And, ultimately, what goes with what? It’s all too easy to be distracted by the range of styles available and end up losing sight of your original vision because of a multitude of disorientated decorating decisions.

Whilst I am personally a big fan of the eclectic look, if that’s not what gets your pulse racing, you might end up feeling that you have failed to achieve the specific style you set out to nail.

To avoid getting thrown off course, look to the art world for inspiration. Choose an artist that makes your heart sing and pledge allegiance to their artistic prowess.

Theme: Earth Tones

ARTspiration: Egon Schiele – Gerti Schiele in a Plaid Garment, 1909

“I must see new things and investigate them. I want to taste dark water and see crackling trees and wild winds.”

The earthy palette favoured by Austrian expressionist painter, Egon Schiele, creates a rich and contemporary scheme that oozes with autumnal vibrancy. Washes of neutral earth tones layered upon one another add interest and depth, and the presence of natural materials combined with steel wirework keeps things fresh.

• Work with three earth tones: keep stone and ochre as the tonal foundation but include a contrasting jolt of pigment such as leaf green to break things up
• Choose wirework furniture and accessories to reference the sketchy quality of Schiele’s work
• Layer furs and hides to add texture and contrast
• Prop varying sizes of framed artwork against each other – think haphazard art studio! Who says art needs to be hung?
• Introduce a mix of monochrome plaid patterns and grayscale textiles
• Hang filament bulb lighting from suspended branches for an original timber twist

One of the factors we look at when working with clients regarding Artspiration or colour palettes is offering all of our products in a colour match system where we will create bespoke pieces of work or take an original print or artwork and adapt it to our clients needs. The results can be amazing!

Nail the look

• Colours: Stone, ochre, chocolate brown and leaf green
• Patterns: Plaid, checks, stripes
• Furnishings: Distressed leather sofas, vintage trunks, wirework accessories

Theme: Jewel Colours

ARTspiration: Paul Klee – Du Gris de la Nuit Surgit Soudain, 1918

“Colour and I have become one” Paul Klee

 The abstract patchwork of jewel colours within Paul Klee’s work presents a symphony of decorating inspiration.  By mixing a rich and expressive palette made up of yellows, blues and reds, the vibrancy of North Africa is evoked.

Klee famously declared that art is “taking a walk with a line”. Try taking the same curious approach to decorating and you’ll find that your room will evolve organically resulting in more depth and a palpable soul.

• Don’t be afraid to mix several strong colours. Colours must appear three times or more to look intentional so don’t just go with a safe/non-committal ‘pop’ of colour – it will fade into insignificance unless the ‘rule of three’ is applied
• Remember the UK’s cold-toned natural daylight will give a cooler output than in sunnier climes. Strategically use a combination of ambient, task and accent lighting to lift and enhance the jewel colour scheme
• Bear in mind that the lower a bulb’s Kelvin number (between 2700K to 3000K), the more yellow and warm the light will be
• Use fabrics that are opulent and heavy, such as velvet (one of 2014’s key interior design trends) in jewel colours
• Try to resist the urge to buy everything all at once; no matter how desperate you are to tick another room off your list, the space will visibly thank you for being patient. As Klee did, allow your creative line to ‘take a walk’
• Collect unusual items on foreign travels or pick up pieces at car boot sales and flea markets. Look out for woven rugs, patterned throws, embossed leather items, straw baskets, and decorative boxes that will give a global charm to your room
• Avoid an overly themed effect by interspersing the Moorish scheme with graphical art framed in simple black frames. Prints that contain typography will bring an eclectic and modern update to your room

Nail the look

-        Colour: Jewel colours (ruby, sapphire, topaz, emerald)

-        Pattern: Geometric, mosaic and patchwork

-        Furnishings: A velvet chaise longue, woven rugs, typographical artwork, Moroccan inspired lanter

ARTSPIRATION article written by Nicola Maughan of Duck Egg Designs. For more details visit www.duckeggdesigns.com or email info@duckeggdesigns. comacebook:  www.facebook.com/duckeggdesigns

Twitter:  @duck_egg

Duck Egg Designs Website: www.duckeggdesigns.com

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Settle Bench - Welcome Back your Hallway!

Settle Bench – Welcome Back your Hallway!

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Team Duck Egg

 Settle Bench - Welcome Back your Hallway!

Settle Bench: A cluttered, maze of muddy shoes darken most of our hallways or porches, so what can be done about it? Shove them messily on top of one another into a corner and call it avant garde? Throw a blanket over the mess and hope no one notices? Display all your shoes acrimoniously on a shoe rack and hope for the best? Or maybe you could start wearing all your shoes at once? That would get them out of the way…

Duck Egg Designs creates furniture with you in mind. Unique and beautifully hand crafted, vintage pieces that add a classic and charming tone to any household, and their Settle Bench is no exception. The gorgeous Settle Bench is an elegant and traditional piece, which would make a perfect addition to the typical, busy family home. Leave behind the days of the muddy wellies in the hall, the endless array of school and work shoes and the stiletto heel; and tidy them neatly away into the Settle Bench’s subtle compartment. Welcome back your beautiful interior from the chaotic mess of dog leads, shoes and other paraphernalia that has for too long taken control of your hallway!

The Settle bench is handmade by Duck Egg’s expert team of carpenters and available in a colour of your choice, so you can be sure that whatever your colour scheme or theme, your Settle Bench will not only be a practical solution, but one that suits you and your household.

If you require more details on the Duck Egg Classic Settle Bench then please click here: Settle Bench

Welcome Back your Hallway, the Settle Bench article written by Bethan Grylls of Duck Egg Designs. For more details visit www.duckeggdesigns.com or email info@duckeggdesigns.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/duckeggdesigns

Twitter:  @duck_egg

Duck Egg Designs Website: www.duckeggdesigns.com

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Creating Vintage Interiors - New Year, New Look

Creating Vintage Interiors – New Year, New Look

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Team Duck Egg

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Creating Vintage Interiors – New Year, New Look

Creating Vintage Interiors: Sometimes we can feel a little flat after the festive season, with the phrase “Out with the old in with the new” wafting over the dinner table like a compulsory mantra. Whilst some may take this to extremes with a complete overhaul of their image; stand out from the crowd by giving some much needed love to creating vintage interiors with complimentary patterns and luxury fabrics from Duck Egg. Transform your best loved items into a showman’s piece worthy of yesteryear. Emmalena Ellis ofDuck Egg Designs demonstrates how with a little love antique can still be chic creating vintage interiors.

Whether it be for entertaining friends, snuggling up with loved ones for a DVD night or a makeshift dining room; the Sitting Room is arguably one of the most important features of our homes. A projection of the occupants within where we can proudly display our achievements, relax and socialise. However, inadvertently with age and continued use, some items can start to feel neglected as newer trends and decor creep in to suit our needs. Still, rather than hiding old tables and sofas in shame, why not breathe new life into them, to maintain their vintage charm with the added benefit of continued use for 2014 and beyond. Simply follow these tips to make your Lounge, a Living Room: perfect for that quick Spring Cleaning project to start the New Year.

Creating vintage interiors: First if you can, give the room a bit of a scrub, choosing a time most suitable for you to work either individually or without distraction. Carefully clean over surfaces with care, dust and polish items where needed. This not only gives you a realistic idea of the state of your items but also leaves your home feeling fresh again. Work at your own pace, taking care to cover up more valuable items with dust clothes or if possible assign a temporary home for these ornaments until you have done. Very often this is the only step needed for many items, particularly older furnishings and in properties where dust can easily settle unnoticed. A blank canvas also allows for the mind to reassess the space with fresh eyes, allowing for a new layout to compliment inbuilt features such as windows providing natural light and heating units.  Neglected skirting boards? – No problem,  with a pot of white paint you can touch up cracks and scratches. In addition when added to doors, window panes and ledges you will allow as much natural light as possible to enter the room during the day and to unify the overall shell.

Feeling like you’re boxed into four walls? When creating vintage interiors smaller spaces can appear larger with brighter and complimentary paints. Make the window your focus painting the walls parallel to it (on either side) in the same colour. At Duck Egg Designs we tend to use pastel colours as these are fairly neutral to all furnishings and flatter both wooden varnish floors and carpet/rug combos.

Creating Vintage Interiors: With darker and richer tones, you can balance these with subtle neutral lighter shades. Finally on your last side opposite the window add contrast with a single side of wallpaper or stencil art. Whilst you will want this wall to remain distinct from the others; avoid over-compensating with clustered designs especially if intending to place art, mirrors or wall features on this wall. Think functional and practical. You could even use one of our posters on the wall such as our new and exciting ‘You Are My Sunshine‘ Poster available in an array of beautiful colours, sure to set the perfect outlook for the day ahead. You could also make your own unique picture gallery using postcards and magazine cut outs in pretty frames either found in charity shops and antique stores or customisable options in most craft stores at competitive prices.

 Transform seating areas by arranging them to face in a welcoming position adding throws for instant warmth and colour. You can also add vintage cushions from our online store or make them using vintage materials or old clothes. Nothing suitable? – You can find a growing number of beautiful fabrics in our shop with many patterns fully customisable to suit shabby chic and antique decor.  Following the instructions on how to make a fabric heart  (seen here: http://www.duckeggdesigns.com/blog/how-to-make-christmas-stocking-fillers/) you could use a similar method for creating vintage interiors with your cushions, filling the fabric of your choice with stuffing, cheaply found in craft and home ware shops. Alternatively a fun idea for all the family can be designing your own cushion patterns with fabric paints and appliqué designs. If you feel more adventurous you can also add sequins, buttons and toggles from coats and bits of ribbon.  When creating vintage interiors and your retreat already has bespoken and loved bolsters you can place most existing pillows in a wash with mild detergent and freshen them up on a low setting in the dryer instantly reversing ageing and unwanted sagging making seating soft and fluffy. As always Duck Egg recommends checking the label first as some cushions may be dry clean only but can still be revived up with a quick spray of perfume or mild air freshener.

For table tops and low placed cabinets when creating vintage interiors you can add a slip of surplus fabric along the middle to create a tablecloth alternative with a modern twist. Runners are easy to replace and clean whilst protecting older fixtures from dust and food and drink spills. They are less expensive and more casual than their precursors, making them perfect for casual gatherings, whilst their central location enables you to de-clutter the surface, making them suitable for minimalistic style homes which still embrace a vintage touch and can give you the opportunity to show off any luxury wooden surfaces, all these tips should help towards creating vintage interiors.

Finally add the occasional personal touches and sentiments. What you add is up to you though commonly used items include photo frames, candles and vases but even the more adventurous items can become a talking point and ideal centrepieces. Why not try a bowl filled with rocks and shells from the seaside; or a cluster of multicolour gem stones and candles?  Add in sensible but flattering lighting and plants to appropriate points of the room, making sure not to clutter the space to allow free access and movement. Try to avoid covering electrical sockets with furnishings, storing unwanted items away until needed.

Whatever you chose make the room a place for you; a place you can truly unwind and create memories in with those you love and care about. From all of us we hope you can follow your dreams and who knows what will follow. The year ahead looks to be an exciting place to be, keep following us for further product releases and tutorials on how to make your house a home.

Creating Vintage Interiors – New Year, New Look article written by Emmalena Ellis of Duck Egg Designs. For more details visit www.duckeggdesigns.com or email info@duckeggdesigns.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/duckeggdesigns

Twitter:  @duck_egg

Duck Egg Designs Website: www.duckeggdesigns.com

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You Are My Sunshine Poster

You Are My Sunshine Poster

You Are My Sunshine Poster

You Are My Sunshine my only Sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey. We wanted to come up with a poster that best captures this song and gives a bright lease of colour to any wall in your home or office.

We were undecided on the final poster so we have given you the option of two posters. Simply click on the image to the right to reveal both posters.

1. You Are My Sunshine Poster (Full Sun)

2. You are my Sunshine Poster (Half Sun)

On purchase please state in the notes section which poster you would prefer and we will ship it out to you and hopefully it brings your walls the desired sunshine. The poster was created due to one of our Duck Egg Facebook Fans requesting a poster with this famous tune attached. We love working with the Duck Egg community and if there is any phrase or creation you want to become a reality then please contact us on info@duckeggdesigns.com - we love to help and love the reactions and feedback.

You Are My Sunshine poster is available in an array of colours and in our famous colour match, to go with any wall colour.

If you like this poster please do hit the social share buttons below to let us know and keep letting us know what you want to see next.

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How to Cook Haddock

How to Cook Haddock

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Team Duck Egg

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How To Cook Haddock

How To Cook Haddock: Team Duck Egg Designs were very fortunate to be able to ask Paul Bentley (Chef to the stars) for some tips on how to cook haddock as beautifully as he does.

January is a great month for round white fish. West Yorkshire, where Paul lives has always preferred haddock over the national favourite cod.

Paul says:

“So what is the difference? Well for me, haddock is sweeter and cod is flaky and succulent. Cod tends to be more prone to parasites and can often be sold out of condition and tasteless.”

How To Cook Haddock:

• Get the thick end of haddock from a good fish merchant rather than the supermarket.
• Ask him/her to leave the skin on but remove the ‘pin bones’.

Team Duck Egg ask:

“How do you make your fish so nice Paul”?

“Simple- a good non-stick pan, a little oil, some good butter to start , a little fresh lemon juice and some foil.”

Then..

• Warm an oven to ‘rest the fish’.
• Season the fish well and carefully.
• Dust with a little flour and knock any excess off.
• Warm the sauté/frying pan.

Oil the pan; lay the fish in the pan to sizzle and the secret is not to move the fish for a good few minutes. If the pan is getting too hot remove the pan from the heat and adjust the heat bring the pan back onto the heat.

Add some butter and swirl the pan and the butter will go brown and ‘smell nutty’ squeeze some lemon juice in and shake the pan.

Top the fish with a little foil or grease proof paper and place in the oven without turning the fish over 4 or 5 minutes. 8 – 10 minutes in total.

Team Duck Egg ask:

“How do you suggest serving this dish Paul”?

A good fish slice and onto a warm plate with the haddock, peel of the sin and turn over to show a golden, crispy surface.

This is a great way to enjoy good fish, salmon is good this way too.

Team Duck Egg ask:

“Accompaniments?”

Melt a pot of brown shrimps into the pan and add some fresh parsley and pour over the haddock.

Sauté potatoes with a handful of chorizo and garden peas piled up alongside the fish.

Try some new potatoes with fresh chopped mint, even in winter.

“Alternatively, a pot of cauliflower cheese with leeks as a wholesome veggie dish.

Team Duck Egg:

“Yummy!!!!”

We like to thank Paul for sharing his tips and hope he will join us again soon with another wonderful  dish!

How To Cook Haddock article written by Paul Bentley and Ellie Harrington of Duck Egg Designs. For more details visit www.duckeggdesigns.com or email info@duckeggdesigns.com

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Twitter:  @duck_egg

Duck Egg Designs Website: www.duckeggdesigns.com