Her Indoors

To follow on from my post about Lyon & Turnbull and buying quirky and interesting pieces of furniture at auction, it seemed obvious to post a story about a home where the owners are completely committed to 1950′s, retro style furniture and home ware. Known as The Vintage Vendors, Ian Hughes and Helen Monaghan have furnished their Edinburgh apartment with Mid-Century pieces, down to the last tea spoon.

The sofa came from a shop called Bra Bohag which specialises in mid-century furniture. A favourite shop of Ian and Helen’s, in Edinburgh’s Easter Road. Flea markets, Ebay and Vintage Fairs are all equally favoured hunting grounds as well.

However after ten years of collecting, their flat is now bulging at the seams. They sell their overspill at the regular vintage fairs that Helen organises at the Spoon Cafe in Edinburgh’s Nicholson St, called a ‘Spoonful of Vintage’you will find an amazing selection of 1950′s fashion, home ware, and accessories. The next date is Saturday 3rd March, 11am-5pm. Helen arranges them seasonally, one in June, one in October and one in December too.

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If anyone else out there has not given a second thought to Christmas shopping either (oops!) they could do a lot worse than go to Context Interiors. An Edinburgh based home and giftware company, suddenly taking Hong Kong by storm. Doug photographed their beautiful apartment in Greenhill a couple of years ago.

They had a little shop in Morningside then. While we have been contentedly carrying on our lives in Gullane, photographing the odd house and wondering what to do with our garden building, they have set up a second shop in Edinburgh’s Old Town and moved to and set up a third shop in Hong Kong!! Hang on…what about sleeping? Going for walks??

Their range is really beautiful – a little bit of Edinburgh that can be shipped around the world at the click of a mouse. They have collaborated on some products with iconic Edinburgh illustartor Iain McIntosh whose work you will recognise from the novels of Alexander MacCall Smith.

Iain also, very kindly, created the beautiful logo for the Gullane based charity, the Teapot Trust that provides Art Therapy for children in hospital.

Don’t forget that Christmas is not just about presents. Of course we all enjoy buying lovely things for family and friends, but amongst extended family or colleagues, why not think about agreeing to donate to favourite charities instead?

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Beautiful shoot in the latest 25 Beautiful Homes of the family home of Carl and Emma Morenikeji, owners of wonderful salvaged furniture and homeware company, Scaramanga. What I love about their furniture is that it could work well in so many different styles of homes – vintage obviously always looks good in a period property, but salvaged and one off pieces are also great for adding individuality to modern homes. They are based in Fife and a delight to visit, either in person or virtually…

I just so wish I needed some furniture…!

For me the star pieces from Scaramanga are the distressed, colourful pieces that Carl finds on buying trips to India, but he also stocks mid-century British and all sorts of vintage bits and pieces.

I am loving the this Coca Cola truck for sale at the moment…

Do have a good look, I think it is so important to find storage solutions that are not from Ikea, much as I love anything Swedish, you do not want a whole house full of it!

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