Reuse and repurpose: the imperatives that once ran through the lives of our grandparents have now come full circle to our own and, as ever, from necessity is born beautiful invention. The Recycled Glass Bottle Lamp Base uses salvaged material to create a rustic, ambient light with a soft green-blue tint; dressed up with a lampshade (it is ideal with our Natural Cotton Drum Shade), or left unadorned without, it transforms any room by emitting a soft warm glow, while creating a rustic yet elegant accent.
Coming very soon to Rowen & Wren, the Autumn Winter 2019 Collection…
It’s often said that the way we begin our day will determine what the rest of that day will look like. For us, mornings grant us time for quiet reflection, considered preparation and little, uninterrupted moments of soft, dappled light before the world awakens.
Our collection of elegantly framed looking glasses – whether hanging or lean-to window mirrors, are a beautiful addition to the home and perfect for adding a little extra light to an interior space.
The glorious weather we’ve had of late has had us spending more time outdoors than we could ordinarily only wish for during a British summer–everything around us seems to have sprung to life in way of appreciation. And, as we do during most seasons, we’re feeling creatively inspired by the array of delicate hues and intricate patterns we spy all around us.
The natural world has always been something that’s inspired us at Rowen & Wren, its ability to transcend seasons, styles and trends we feel demands our respect and admiration.
“In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous.” – Aristotle
Many of our decisions are guided by the natural shift in colour from season to season as we remind ourselves that nature is not just something we witness from afar, it’s something we are intrinsically part of.
When it comes to interior design, nature often plays a bigger part in our decisions than we realise. Most elements of a room, from the colours we choose to paint with to the texture of our chosen furniture, have been inspired by the natural world in one way or another.
Just recently, our entwined love of nature, florals and interior design lead us to the distinctive work of aptly named painter and designer Flora Roberts. Flora is the artist behind many wonderful floral wallpaper and fabric designs for companies such as Lewis & Wood. Her ability to capture nature’s unique and unrepeatable colour palette is inspiring.
We’ve always been intrigued by the marrying of old and new–the way design can bring eras together whilst other creations possess the ability to transcend time completely–which is why we felt such a strong connection to Flora’s work. She says, “I would describe my style as treading a line between traditional and modern. I’m very inspired by historical houses and like to imagine how their atmospheric decorative schemes would work in a contemporary setting”. Flora’s work goes far beyond that of a traditional painter. The realistic quality of her paintings brings them to life and her wall murals are truly astounding. She also produces hand-painted wallpaper for companies such as Sandersons, Zoffany, Mulberry Home & GP & J Baker and is currently working on a wallpaper collection of her own. In 2010, Flora was elected as a member of the prestigious Art Workers’ Guild of London, among those founding members was textile designer William Morris.
When we think about bringing nature indoors, our minds flock to house plants or flowers but Flora’s work extends beyond simply bringing aspects of nature into the home–the realistic quality of her work translates not only the visual aspect but also the calming attributes of nature into a space as well.
Whether you’re in the market for a hand-painted mural or you’re simply a lover of nature inspired art you can find out more about Flora here and follow her on Instagram here @flora.roberts.
The season of bare feet meeting well-watered lawns, of children gadding freely like butterflies, and of lulling choruses of crickets as the sun goes down: summer brings the sun and, with it, easy sun-kissed informality. And just as we gladly dispense with all notions of wintry reserve, there can be few happier sights than that of an al fresco table, laid for lunch and expectantly awaiting its guests.
As French artist, Paul Cezanne said, “Art is a harmony parallel with nature”. We see some artists take the beauty of nature and transpose it into new mediums while others create directly from nature itself. Either way, the seasons are always profoundly influential and we find ourselves harbouring a deep appreciation for the way in which individual creators are able to convey the subtle changes in nature from season to season.
We frequently find ourselves irresistibly drawn to the distinctive rhythm of the summer season and this year we’ve been most taken with all things floral. Most recently, we stumbled upon the enchanting botanical artistry of Bex Partridge. Bex is known on Instagram as @botanical_tales and her beautifully curated feed feels warm, slow and inviting from the moment you arrive.
Bex combines her love of gardening and nature with her experience and creativity to bring us her unique and inspiring story of embarking on a slow and steady creative journey.
“Every season is one of becoming, but not always one of blooming. Be gracious with your ever-evolving self” — B.OAKMAN
As a floral artist, Bex follows the ebb and flow of the seasons and aspires to help people bring nature into their homes in a creative and achievable way. Her creativity, passion and honest, heartfelt captions have had us lost in a world of slowed down, botanical wonderment; dreaming of handmade wreaths and floral crowns.
One of the things we adore most about Bex is the way she encourages her community to spend more time outdoors, connecting with nature and settling into the rhythm of the seasons. We’ve dreamt about our own allotment many times. A little patch of nature to call our own. A place to feel at one with the land. And, when we read, “My favourite place to be in the world is in my greenhouse, garden or down the plot”, we knew we’d found someone who shares our values.
Bex effortlessly brings together the intricate details of nature with the simplicity of slow living and aids us into a place of calm and peaceful being. We also couldn’t agree with her more on this: “The meditative benefits of making daisy chains is definitely something that should be studied further!”.
With the days, months and years seemingly passing us by so fast, we are learning to take more time to appreciate the now and be mindful of the beautiful world in which we live. Bex’s work is encouraging us to get creative and appreciate we have. Nature is an endless artist’s palette, as well as a place of restoration and renewal.
Whether you’d like to learn more about botanical artistry or you’re simply looking for some slow, seasonal inspiration – Bex is the one to follow.
When it comes to upholstery, we believe in two things: keeping it simple and finishing it beautifully. Adhering to our signature palette of natural hues, we insist on provenance, using only wools, velvets and fabrics that were crafted using traditional methods.
The generously proportioned Wilford Linen Armchair is inspired by the furniture of Napoleon III’s 19th-century court, its relaxed and textured earthy grey linen would see it at home in a light and breezy French coastal beach house, miles from the formality of Paris, without sacrificing any of the elegance that the design exudes.
Whether your celebrating, Pops, Pa, Dad, or in our case, Bampa – we’d like to send well wishes to you all this Father’s Day.
Earthy, cool and solid: three words that encapsulate all the best paterfamiliases. And in homage, our Father’s Day gifts reflect these resoundingly dad-like qualities. Handmade drip-glazed terracotta tumblers are rustic enough for knocking back glasses of cool water on summer days and red wine by fireside in the winter, while the Bruna Serving Board, a great slab hewn from the sustainable mango wood, is gratifyingly hefty for presenting hunks of bread and cheese: two simple but perfect accompaniments for eating and drinking to mark a celebratory day for our inimitable brilliant dads.
As spring steadily meanders into summer, we are gently reminded of the simple pleasures the warmer season brings. The botanical freshness that fills the air lures us out into the garden to witness the early morning sun, and we can almost feel the house taking a deep breath as a gentle summer breeze flows through an open window. Time leisurely passes by as we take joy in tending our gardens, while away candle lit, al fresco evenings and escape to the seaside for relaxing long weekends surrounded by nature.
With the change in season we also feel ourselves adapting to a slower pace of life. We find ourselves sinking into a restful rhythm and taking time to appreciate nature’s idiosyncrasies. And with a slower pace of life comes a slightly more minimal sense of style—we’re drawn to natural, earthy tones and ‘less is more’ design, from bathroom basics to outdoor lighting.
In celebration of our love for simple, summer living we wanted to share with you the beautifully calming work of Tessa and Sanne Hop—we’ve always admired the way the pair turn the simplest, day to day activities into effortless scenes of happiness. The warm simplicity and calming tones that fill their feeds reflect well their passion for natural style and peaceful approach to family living.
Both inspiring women have a natural eye for interior design and engaging storytelling which is why we love their feeds so much. We feel connected to their work, their families and their lifestyle in a way that is rare through social media these days. They help us to appreciate the little things in life, to slow down our days and take mindful moments with our families, and to take pride in our unique and personal styles.
While social media can have its unfavourable side, we believe that there is a positive side to sharing your favourite moments with others. Your Instagram feed is what you make it and we strongly believe in only filling your feed with inspiring individuals that lift you up and motivate you to live the life you want to live. And whether you’re on the lookout for nature-inspired home ideas or you’re simply looking for a summer style inspiration, we highly recommend visiting the feeds of @sannehop and @tessahop.
There is beauty in everything, just so long as you have the right lighting. Our collection of table lamps, pendants, wall lights and floor lamps strike just the right note between the elegant and the industrial, and bathe all who bask in their ambient glow in radiant light.
Reading in bed is so indispensable a pastime and so constant a joy that it transcends seasons or even time of day. Indeed, can there be any more extravagant escapism as tucking up with a well-thumbed book in the middle of the afternoon? To illuminate the heavenly pursuit of a literary world of escape, there’s nothing more perfect than our newest brass companion; the Edgar Spotlight.
So renowned are mad dogs and Englishmen for their shared folly of being unable to resist the hottest part of the day that there are even songs sung about their ludicrous conduct. There remain, however, a contingent of us who do exercise some sanity by retreating indoors at such times. Even so, only the defeatist would dispense with the atmosphere of summer. Instead, us less barmy English folk(along with the occasional sensible hound) transition indoors to make like our Mediterranean cousins and recline amidst scattered relaxed linen cushions in a kaleidoscope of soft summer colours, with the day’s papers tossed into a Palm Leaf Woven Basket, thus sinking happily into a scene of effortless coastal-style living. Since this is England, no matter the season, there will of course be inevitable rainy days puncturing short sharp heat waves. Happily, the tableau works just as well when retreating from summer rain as from the heat; after all, the British may not be entirely rational when it comes to our collective over excitement at the first sight of the sun, but we are, naturally, well-practiced at contingency plans for poor weather and enjoying the great indoors.
From all of us at Rowen & Wren, we’d like to wish you and your family a wonderful Easter.
Savour the long weekend with as much chocolate as you could possibly hope for!
Easter is a time of renewal, a beacon of hope after sometimes seemingly endless winter that happens to chime, too, with nature’s own renaissance. And since spring’s flowers have begun to peer sunnily out of the soil, it seems apposite to marry the two. When it comes to setting the table for a familial Easter lunch, a relaxed and informal aesthetic – here courtesy of our natural linen table cloths in pink plaster or a fine black stripe – sets off natural decorative flourishes from the garden. For a charming handmade embellishment to your tableau, dot around woven baskets containing eggs adorned delicately with pressed flowers of the season. Total eschewal of foil-covered chocolate eggs may, however, not be met with universal approval by some of the smaller members of the family; for the avoidance of outrage, our mini baskets serendipitously double up as the ideal repository for Easter egg hunts in the garden(duringwhich time, they can also gather a harvest of yet more spring flowers – win win).
To peruse our Spring Summer Collection in full, visit our Lookbook here.