Duck Egg TV

The Duck Egg team have been in somewhat of a whirlwind! It is only on a Sunday night when the little rascal has exhausted Daddy, who has gone to bed (wrong way round), whilst he is happily bouncing around in his cot that I have managed to sit down and take stock. What a crazy couple of months! Duck Egg TV is coming to you shortly!

In April Duck Egg after idly browsing through our tweets came across an interiors challenge for an makeover programme airing on Channel 4. After coming to a grinding halt in the renovations work and being overwhelmed by the delightful yet daily chaos of our lives, we jumped at the opportunity to be involved in an exciting interiors programme aiming to help DIY amateurs such as ourselves! A beloved interiors specialist was to present and knowing that we shared similar tastes, we sent off an application. Glass of wine in hand, a Marks and Spencer lasagna to the rescue and we filled out our form! The next morning dawned with bright sunshine and rather hurriedly I uploaded and sent off our application with the little man whooping and laughing as we set off for another of our eagerly anticipated journeys to the Sussex coast. I hardly dared hoped someone somewhere sitting at a desk sifting through hundreds of similar pleas, might read it.

Needless to say the application had not been perfect. I cringed at the spelling mistakes, what I thought were jovial comments and the mild hysteria that had ensued in our application, fuelled by the alcohol imbibed to gain the confidence needed. The whiff of desperation was palpable and in fact it stank of it. However, that Someone Somewhere saw Something in it and the rest as they say, is history! We were assigned a winning team and together our passion for transforming our Victorian cottage was reignited and we were underway with the planning! (I also was concerned with my outfit planning aiming to achieve practical yet sophisticated however always seemed to find the closest thing to hand that didn't look like I had stuffed it into a drawer. My wardrobe options were therefore drastically reduced!)


Along the way we have met some amazing collaborators. We have been inspired by beautiful interiors and refreshing design ideas. No one was as perturbed as I was by the space restrictions and the inventive ideas for storage were inspirational and have really influenced the way we are building our business. Interiors aside, we made some fantastic friends and the support and fun we had on the journey to create the programme and makeover our rooms were as much a bonus as our beautiful sparkling made over rooms! We filmed on location, hunted down treasures which will become family treasures, our little person was in heaven with the camera equipment and we all learnt a whole new skill set. The whole experience reaffirmed how talented our British craft society is and how genuinely encouraging this group that we are endeavouring to join is towards one another. There are so many unique skills out there and we are amazed every day on twitter by the people we meet and the unique items they create. The idea of our Duck Egg community is taking shape and when the website launches we can not wait to involve our new creative friends! Because that is what Duck Egg has become; from a  nascent shell as creative entrepreneurs, we are tentatively sticking our beaks out and finding that the world is an exciting and welcoming place!

The fabrics are done, and whatever response we find, we are proud of what we have achieved. The designs fulfilled my brief and are, I hope, a fresh take on shabby chic. I wanted them to have a sense of humour, be a little eccentric and  add a relaxed timeless beauty to any home. They also feature on the programme and of that there will be more on our next blog post on Duck Egg TV... Thinking of which I had better stir myself and deal with the devastation of toy cars, banana, soggy rice crackers and solo socks that now adorn our made over home! (But it's so stylish that even housework feels slightly glamorous now in these surroundings..!)

Renovations and how to create a vintage floral arrangement

Renovation requires epic amounts of patience! The little man and I are moving back and forwards from Grandparents and at each stage when we hope to return, something in the new house decides to pack up and refuse to work. This week it's the boiler. Poor hubby is enduring the inclement June, wrapped in woolly duck egg windowpane rugs and brisk cold baths at home. We are very lucky to be enjoying the home comforts of spoiling Grandparents and beautiful gardens. Whilst our nascent plot is ravaged by slugs and hubby's stalwart midnight gardening forages are keeping it going, it has been lovely to sit back and marvel at the fruits of more experienced gardeners and more mature gardens. I am really inspired to tackle our plot and the lawn which, I am reliably informed, has reached gargantuan proportions. In a humble way to thank my parents whose hospitality we are currently trespassing on, I have been arranging their abundant flora, which happily for me has a strong vintage feel. Heavenly scented tea roses, heavy lavender heads and frothy peonies. With this in mind here are some Duck Egg ideas on arranging vintage posies perfect for weddings and thank you's (I hope!).

After a beautiful summer wedding of a great friend of mine last year, I was struck by the vibrant and simple beauty of their homegrown flowers. It is now becoming an exciting and blossoming trend for smaller business to grow their own flowers for events and in particular support British blooms as well. Meadow flowers are flourishing and decorating spectacular bunting festooned marquess and also encouraging our own fauna too. Particularly poignant as our butterfly and bee populations dwindling.

My favourite arrangement has to have roses in. They remind me of my own wonderful grandparents who would tend to their roses in summer afternoons and bring armfuls into the house and I still remember the scent of roses as we all traipsed up to bathtime. Roses and their heavy and yet delicate petals are full of nostalgia. Choose tea roses for maximum visual effect and scent and for a traditional posy simply incorporate lavender. Lay the stalks diagonally in your hand and build the posy in a circular motion. Remove thorns where the posy is held, if you wish. Finish the arrangement and make it suitable for transporting by tying the posy with vintage stripy ribbon - we like Susie Watson's thick ribbon for tying and to also protect from any thorns.  

For displaying a posy in a vintage style, choose a china bowl. I like blue and white ones, or find a pretty floral one in a car boot sale. You will always use it! Perfect for a table display. Think about what colour scheme you are going to go for. Cut a piece of oasis to fit the bowl (florist's foam) soak. 

The 'greenery' or foliage you wish to use will go around the base in a circular fashion. Have a play with using different foliage and look for different subtle shades. I love sage for its silvery appeal and mint, using herbs for foliage adds a depth of scent and the variety of their leaves adds interesting texture.

For a vintage look there should be a slight height in the central arrangement, but not too high or it risks becoming formal. Then build in your flowers. Think about shapes and sizes. It will have maximum impact if you place smaller flowers alongside larger blooms. For this time of year sweet peas and elderflower heads can look very striking, cornflowers and roses, peonies and sweet peas too.

Or if you only have a minute nothing is more effective than a beautiful lilac head in a vintage cut glass bottle.

www.duckeggdesigns.com

Duck Egg's Top 3 Vintage Decorative Solutions

Duck Egg has been hatching some exciting new plans recently! In our quest to transform our new country abode we are taking part in a TV interior makeover programme. With no running water downstairs our little man and I have retreated to the ever-patient grandparents. I am sure we have far out stayed our welcome. This is my first experience of proper building work, so in order to distract myself from the deadlines long gone I am furiously creating mood boards. I am in the middle of planning our attic room at the moment, which is a guest room and a study. Currently we have been wading through the eclectic paraphernalia that seems essential yet has remained untouched in our attic, after filling the eaves to bursting point we have been left to a motley collection of lonesome golf clubs, single pairs of socks and ancient handbags filled with receipts, as well as my huge collection of books! This is the one room in the house that needs the least work, but is more challenging on the decorative front. One side of the room lacks light and although the pale magnolia walls are in good condition the rooms needs a big injection of personality. So on my quest to revamp the one room we can at least get into at the moment here are our top 3 Duck Egg vintage decorative solutions.

Problem 1: Small rooms with little light…

A great way of introducing light into a room is of course using a light colour, Farrow and Ball ‘All White’ is a wonderful bright backdrop. Emphasise any natural light coming in with a large mirror, avoid the room being dominated by it by choosing or painting a pale frame for the mirror. Add a more vintage and a less harsh feel by finding a vintage treasure and the more foxed the mirror, the softer the focus.

http://myshabbystreamsidestudio.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/louis-philippetize-square-mirror.html - Has some great mirror tips. We also recommend Annie Sloan paint for painting over an old frame, to give a textured and chalky effect.

Problem 2: Room lacks personality

The quickest and easiest way to update a room is to change the fabrics used in the room. If you don’t have time to paint your room, which can also transform a space, try adding some interest with beautiful vintage inspired fabrics; faded rose patterns give a gentle country feel, deck chair stripes in pastel shades are great for a bedroom or go for more bold patterns in bath rooms and dining rooms. A pattern can add texture and interest to a room, co-ordinate cushions and curtains or choose a similar colour palette for furnishings. (Duck Egg is also very excited to be launching our vintage inspired fabrics)

Vintage mangle cloths are a great way to add personality through furnishings.

Cream walls can be a wonderful backdrop for showing off wall art. I have a commitment issue with placing things on my wall, but I am beginning to enjoy adding my vintage finds on the wall. I love architectural sketches found in antiques shops placed alongside family snapshots.

Problem 3: Bathroom flooring

This is something I often come across in interiors. Stone floors are fabulous especially with the added benefits of under floor heating. However structurally and expense wise this is not always possible. Carpet often suffers with the wet of a bathroom, especially if there are little fish that escape when out the bath. We have white painted floorboards which were great until our house became peppered with white recently and we discovered the floor had been peeling off and sticking to our feet and so we decided to re-address the issue of bathroom flooring. Keeping the floorboards is the most economical solution, but to add some vintage style and fun to bath time we are creating a checkered effect across the floor. Reminiscent of 1920s tiled washhouses, mask off the required areas and the colour choice is yours. We are, of course, going for white and Duck Egg!

 Example of painted floorboards

We will keep you updated on all our new adventures and the launch of our fabric range coming very soon.

www.duckeggdesigns.com Duck Egg Designs

'Weather warming up again?' Gardening Tips from Hugh Cassidy

Cucumber on Window Sill







'How long will I have to look at these plants on my window sill?' 

This was asked yesterday by one of the boys, about his bedroom window sill, where I (or should I say 'we') have some seeds sown indoors in a heated propagator, which has been very successful, and they have since had the heat turned off and the lid removed.

 Tomato and basil on window sill

Of course the next step would have been to pot them on and transfer them to the greenhouse, but with the weather the way it has been, I have held off on this process, 
A) because with the cooler weather the plants would have had a set back & 
B) because the space is limited in the greenhouse as the plants in there should have been hardened off to put outside or into cloches. 

Well, with the change to warmer weather, the gardening wheel will begin to turn again. Plants from the greenhouse will be hardened up to go outdoors, plants from the house will be transferred to the greenhouse and more seeds will be sown on the window sill. 

(Note to self: don't be to hard on yourself in 2012 for only getting to sow your tomato seed in March; earlier sown plants have been 'checked' by the turn in the weather over the past few weeks.)

Of course we can sow seed outdoors, directly into the soil, particularly the hardy annuals, such as sweet-pea, snap dragons, etc.; and veg such as broadbeans, peas, some lettuce, and so on.
Personally, I prefer to start them off in the coldframe or greenhouse in pots, and then plant them out.

The cold frames I use are very basic, inspired by Geoff Hamiltons's version in the 1990's. They comprise of a large cardboard box, with the front cut to about 9 inches in height and the sides cut to slope upwards to the back, normally about 18 inches in height. Some years when I have the time, I paint them a nice bright colour, other years they are left au-natural. For the covers, I use plastic, held in place by staples and clothes pegs, other times they are left completely uncovered, depending on the need.
Now, you understand, these coldframes for me are a gardening basic, that really do serve their purpose, and usually last until winter. If you want to get a few years out of one do what Geoff Hamilton did and paint with gloss paint, store it in a shed over winter, dust off in spring ... Happy days!

As for the window sill? Well it'll be a little time yet before it's cleared!

Avoid those raindrops and have a great week gardening!

http://hughcassidy.blogspot.com/

The Duck Egg Community is growing!

We are so thrilled to have some wonderful new contributers coming to our blog. We have some experts in the field of all things shabby chic coming to impart some words of wisdom and help with matters very much close to our hearts from craftspeople we have met to some amazing social media presences!

The Duck Egg community is vibrant and growing (like our uncontrollable lawn, beautiful, verdant and abundant!) After thousands of blog reads we are so grateful, to you, the readers, for sharing our ideas. The big part of us starting Duck Egg was for support and a platform for up and coming talented entrepreneurs, to share thoughts and unique ideas. We are hoping to share the wisdom of specialist in their fields from makers, bakers and growers and eclectic mix of inspirational crafts! What a journey and what friends we are making along the way!

Our latest blog features gardening tips from Hugh, with brilliant ideas on what to do with those plants still languishing on your widow sill... Watch this space we are looking forward to posting tomorrow...

Email:  info@duck-egg.org.uk

Duck Egg The Story so far...

The time has flown by since we left the big smoke and in the rare, hazy sunshine of Sunday evening we were able to sit in the garden and take stock of how much our life has changed. Lying on a rug, we both sank into the meadow that our little patch of turf has blossomed into, listening to the birds, whilst the little one ran about with a flower pot perched on his head...


Duck Egg came into fruition on our kitchen table, throughout our start up we have toy cars to be mended on piles of business books, 'Start your Business in 7 Days' by James Caan has been placed beneath Annabel Karmel's children's recipes and there has been much painting into the wee small hours as we establish ourselves! I have learnt a whole new skill set whilst living here, yesterday I was laying a path albeit wearing marigolds, mixing cement in powdered baby milk pot and laying the cement with a spoon... Our timetable of dashing to birthday parties, play dates and swimming lessons has been interspersed with investigation of the smaller antique shops of East Sussex joined by  the hands of doom of the little one, leaving with only minimal devastation in our wake and armfuls of goodies!

 We have met some wonderful and interesting people along the way. And that's what it is all about. The people.


 During my fog of baby-dom the notion of how social media can help a company really took off and I am trying to catch up. Through Twitter we have met an amazing array of craftspeople and start-ups, who are incredibly generous with time and suggestions. We have exchanged gardening tips for how best to cope with our human caterpillar and found out about local events, which have really helped us establish roots.

Penshurst Farmer's Market

Facebook has been invaluable too and while the website is still being deliberated over, it's been a great way to display more information and build our network further. The website is being developed after huge deliberations on fonts, images and the best way show this and that. I had no idea the choices were so endless and finally we have a template! With a sigh of relief I have now handed it over to the web designer! It is with excitement and a healthy dose of trepidation that we finish the fabric designs. I was working to a brief of fresh, yet nostalgic prints that embody our ethos. Prints for a family home, be it town or country, that give off a feel of summer's past at the seaside, of warm, sunny (definitely a past reference!) July afternoons, of crawling up the rocks in sandals and buckets of tepid seawater and the afternoon's catch slopping against sun burnt legs.

It was important to me that the designs came from my own drawings. Similarly we wanted to find a printer who would be able to be replicate these and print them on a  rotary flat -bed for screen printing or similar. We could have done digital printing, but we wanted these to be durable and multi-purpose fabrics, with a sense of the hand-made about them. I am going to use them for upholstering an armchair, for Roman Blinds and Nursery curtains, all with matching cushions of course! I hope there will be something there for everyone!


The blog has also been instrumental in us building a supportive network. We are introducing guest bloggers for their insight and creating a community, where it is more about sharing ideas. We are hoping to bring a wide variety of baking tips, recipes, specialist gardening advice as well as the general mayhem of our Duck Egg journey. Along with that the Book Club is going well and we launched a Facebook site last month and every month we will post a new book to read. It was something I really wanted to do as a Mummy I felt it was hard to attend a book club, but it's  a great way to share ideas and perhaps suggest new books to each other whilst still in the glory of my hoodie and painting jeans!

And so, my worst habit is that last on my list is my new found talent for Excel spreadsheets. I have stubbornly ignored this phenomena all my life, yet one dark evening I did indeed find a 'Sum' button and yes it did work, despite my protestations that 'Sum' is totally different on a Mac and why didn't Hubby know that?...It is the same and the same totals still apply...! It is all neatly and conveniently working everything out for me, no longer streams of numbers stretching into infinity...No longer desperate checks of the Daily Mail Online or anything to pretend that I might be working rather than doing calculations. However, I am now at one with Excel and finding a strange pleasure in it and keeping creativity where it belongs!

Duck Egg key addresses:
www.facebook.com/duckeggdesigns
www.duckeggdesigns.com
Tweet us at @duck_egg

Rainy day ideas for little hands...

The rainy weather has had the little man climbing the walls, literally. Toy cars have undertaken some spectacular aerobatic displays and hide and seek has taken on epic proportions in the onslaught of the deluge. We now have an attractive moat around the backdoor and my vegetables are staring forlornly at me from the other side of the river bank.  The moat has been compounded by a glamorous blocked drain. And so the little one and I are sitting in state like our feudal ancestors, in our castle, and we too are going back to basics with our rainy day activities.

Bodiam Castle

So the toys are no longer acceptable, plug sockets are now far more appealing and the new found joy of assailing the dizzy heights of our furniture now all need distracting from. And so in the spirit of Duck Egg and upcycling, I have utilised the rare empty packing boxes for a series of play items. Cutting a curve lengthways along the box we create the sleek lines of a 1920s car, combined this with a Porsche inspired side door, the robust square shape of an old Land Rover and the large cartoon-like wheels of a Monster Truck (these however were prone to falling off and the breakdown unit were called out frequently as we left wheels dotted around the house.) Try it out and push along on smooth floors for very excited exclamations of 'Weeeeee'! You could use a split pin for the steering wheel, ours was fixed and I gather a little bit of a disappointment! the cardboard was perfect as a place to snuggle in and scribble on the sides, the crayons did tend to meet up with our newly painted walls at times but it was an excellent place to try out some colouring! Older toddlers could try paint for a less Lascaux-esque effect!

For inspiration check out Artist Chris Gilmour's work (Pic: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2748115/Artist-Chris-Gilmour-makes-life-size-models-out-of-cardboard.html?print=yes )

Cardboard boxes from larger items such as washing machines etc are perfect for the next stage, the cardboard house. Use the lid to create sloping eaves and tissue paper for roses around the door. All this creativity has compounded what I am beginning to understand about toddlers, it's the simplest toys that are the most fun!