esther's kitchen

My friend Esther has the most beautiful Kitchen I have ever seen! Her husband Joost made it. 

I love Esther's house and her wonderful work. ( more of that to come)

 The units are made of reclaimed wood.

I love the colours she uses everywhere. 

I have just had a really nice catch up chat with her and she told me that this tray ( http://www.donnawilson.com/product.php?id_product=62 ) completed her kitchen! thanks Esther.

April giveaway .....and March's winner is......

And for this month's giveaway we're giving one lucky reader a bone china egg cup, with our Mog cat's face on it....so you have somewhere purrrfect to place our easter your ! (sorry I couldn't resist)

....all you have to do is send one line on how you would decorate your egg and we'll pick a winner at random, go on it's worth a go!

Here are a few ideas from last year

also congratulations to March's winner, who won a spring folk flower cushion. Jemibook, please get in touch with us to claim your cusion. laura@donnawilson.com

this is what Jemibook 's idea of spring... sounds lovely!

Jemibook said...

Spring is all about Sangria, and picnics with little bento boxes filled with fresh berries and dark chocolate, crackers and fancy cheese. Flying kites, star gazing with a lover. Barbecue's with corn on the cob. Jumping on trampoline's, getting caught in a sun-shower and swinging on swings. Picking flowers to put in your hair or give to a friend, getting out of work and smiling at the fact that there is still some daylight left. Easter egg hunts [even if you are not religious it is a must] pastel-flavored dresses that are just begging for a 50s dance party, and early shows that you enjoy on patio's or rooftops while sipping on a mojitio made with fresh mint. Spring is when everything and everyone comes alive, and you forget about all of the dreariness of the winter and find hope in every little thing that you see on the street and you smile way too much!

Have fun decorating those eggs!  

xx

Milan furniture Fair

Next week is the start of Milan Furniture Fair, and I'm excited to be showing here with SCP. Along with SCP's fantastic collection, we are launching a 3 seater chesterfield sofa, a range of knitted pouffes, rugs, and turned wooden stools, see some images below.


Here is their press release, if your around please come and say hello.



SCP
Spazio Botta
Porta Romana
via Botta 8
20135, Milano


A proud, innovative and diverse British manufacturer, SCP create lovingly made upholstery, furniture, accessories, lighting, textiles and rugs. At a specially organised British manufacturing mecca in Milan, Spazio Botta in Porta Romana, SCP present their 2011 collection.
On show are new product designs by Terence Woodgate, Matthew Hilton, Donna Wilson, Lee Kirkbride, PearsonLloyd, Kay+Stemmer, Gareth Neal, Rich Brilliant Willing and Silvain Willenz. Also previewing is SCP’s latest collaboration with Donna Wilson, a new range of Welsh woven textiles entitled Bora Da, alongside an expanded Rug Collection that features new hand-loomed designs and colourways.
In Milan, SCP also launch their second publication, SCP Issue Number
Two, a thirty-page newspaper designed by Farrow Design, featuring newly commissioned photography by John Ross and Pelle Crépin, with styling by Despina Curtis.
SCP are a complex and diverse British manufacturer who work with
wonderfully talented craftsmen and woman from all across Britain, Europe and now also in India. SCP blend talent and tradition to produce elegant pieces that live well, and live long.
SCP, 25 years in the making.

For more information please contact:
SCP Press Office
135–139 Curtain Road
London EC2A 3BX
T +44 (0) 20 7749 7393
F +44 (0) 20 7729 4224
press@scp.co.uk
www.scp.co.uk

on my shelf (2)

This morning I took a snap for you of my windowsill, I've been collecting little wooden things for a while. Don't really know what to do with them except line them up. I love multiples of things!

Ok, left to right:
1.Funny chipmunk babushka which I bought last summer in India.
2.Tall doll, which was turned on a lathe by a man outside Glasgow, and painted by me for an exhibition.  I wanted to find a small company to make them, but still can't find anyone.
3.Traditional babushka, which I think I picked up years ago in Prague. They are such beautiful things, and you can use them to put little secret keep sakes in. 
4.Little carved wood tree, bought from Thorsten van Elten (thorstenvanelten.com)when he had a shop on Warren street. 
5.Tiny green tree babushka, can't remember for the life of me where I got these three trees from.
8.9.more little traditional babushkas, I love the tiniest one, it's like a miniature skittle.
10.Rocking horse, bought in Orkney strangely enough! actually I think that's where I got those dark green trees, a tiny christmas shop in Stromness!

Ok the other side now:
11.after another chipmunk a (12.)turned bird also painted by me for the same show. 
13. Large carved tree, which are made in Erzgebirgische Germany where they also make those amazing nut crackers!
14.M15.ore babushkas
16.A dala horse which I got in copenhagen, although they are originally from Sweden, fid out about their history here: dalahorse.com/dala_horse_history.html
17.Little tree I made and painted and wrapped with wool, still really want to do something with these wooden pieces, so watch this space.
Collections of the same type of things always look really nice don't you think? 

Organic web site?!

 Just in case some of you haven't visited our web site for a while, it's turning organic and changing it's look every now and again!

 Let me know what you think. 

www.donnawilson.com

on my shelf

New feature for you where I will take a snap of what's on my shelf from time to time... every objects tells a little story.

ok from left to right.

.Flocked polystyrene ball necklace I got in New york from Kiosk, was wearing a drab grey dress , this neacklace really did the trick!! The colours are so vibrant, 3 shades of greens, yum!

.I miss your face card which I commissioned from Erin McIntyre, wanted to give it to a freind I haven't seen for ages, but I can't part with it. she does beautiful drawings.

.Yellow canary on a branch ornament, very cheap from a brickabrack sale, but I love it's colour.

.Beautiful 'holy' magazine by Henny van Nistelroy the holes look like shells and appear on the pages in strange positions throughout the magazine, genius.

.Old selotape tin that my grandma had kept art materials in, I love the fact she wrote in her destinctive hand writing what was inside, on everything!

.Vintage twins, with beautiful 2 colour packaging

.Kiehls salve, am addicted to everything kiehls.

Post card from hitherto, which sadly is no longer there, used to be my favourite shop in Glasgow, and was run by Krista Blake who was always so chatty and lovely.

.Look into my eyes faces by Bruno Munari

Small brown wren ornament, which belonged to my grandma- my favorite person :)

.Little book of photos 350 miles of an essex journey , nice pictures of the sea and buildings

.Found record sleeve, your really quite a catch, I like the title and the drawing!

.More Kiehls! very guilty pleasure of mine

and a beautiful hand made tile by Lubna Chowdhary, I wish I could time a whole room in these, they all unique with different .patterns and colours.

That's is, let me know if you need any more info I'll do another one in a little while.

bye for now x

sneak peak from our spring photo shoot

Happy Easter! last year Erin, our fantastic Studio manager, and her partner Rob came round and we painted eggs and made little wigs and hats for them to sit in the meg and mog egg cups! I'll see if I can find a pic to show you later.

I love this shot, so spring like! daffodil tea, maybe we should try it!

Olive is one of my favorite colours! poor little gingerbread man!!

Thank you Laura, and Gareth Hacker for the fantastic photography

www.garethhacker.com

I love working with Gareth!

We have more shots which we are going to use in our new catalogue later on this year, but if any press are interested please contact laura@donnawilson.com

We sailed away on a winters day.

Okay, instead of me always writing about me me me, I thought I'd share some nice things I've seen recently. Not really work related but I hope some of you will find these inspiring in some way as I have.

The theme for this post is boats, and I'm designing lots of nautical related things now. 

here are some images I find interesting, please excuse the quality- all taken on my phone.

all aboard 

 no martini's allowed, my favorite drink!!

 a cods ear believe it or not

 empty waiting rooms, strangely silently sinister

follow the moon

 a tall ship spotted at the Thames Barrier

Spring is in the air, March giveaway!

Printed on cotton in this beautiful peacock colour this cushion is a beautiful spring edition to you home. I love the papercut leaves and the folky feel of it.  I would like to give one of these to one of you, all you have to do is give a couple lines about what you like about spring. ...Winner will be announced in a couple of weeks.

For me it's the lighter evenings which means you can go on bike rides, and having fresh daffodils and flowers in the house . mmmmm

thanks, and happy spring. x

Joy of Living' at Somerset House from 15-21st March

I am proud to be a small part of the 'Joy of Living' at Somerset House from 15-21st March.  'Joy of Living 'http://www.londondesignguide.com/joyofliving/  is a charity project organised by Max Fraser. Over 100 designers are taking part to support Maggies Cancer Caring Centre. All the exhibits are for sale at the price of £250 each – until you buy one, you don't know who's work it will be.  The aim is to raise £20,000 for the Maggies Cancer Charity, so a very worth while cause. http://www.maggiescentres.org/


15 – 21 March 2011, 10am – 6pm. Great Arch Lobby at Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA