Happy New Year all! We are kicking off the year with a little bit of inspiration from our team with our latest Seek / Inspire / Create round up. We’ve been enjoying a mix of getting out and about and staying indoors reading and crafting.
Sisterhood Camp – Laura Pashby (deputy editor)
Flickering flames, frosted fronds and watery winter light… I recently spent a magical weekend at fforest for the Sisterhood Winter Retreat. There was inspiration a-plenty, in the form of workshops, demonstrations and talks from: Erin Allison Claire, Catherine Frawley, Emma Rice, Cathy Jolliffe and Louisa Thomsen-Brits, to name but a few.
We enjoyed relaxed breakfasts, nurturing lunches, irresistible snacks, and, in the evening, fabulous feasts in a setting arranged to perfection by Sisterhood’s stylist, Hannah Bullivant. We slept cocooned and cosy, and woke up in a landscape transformed into a vision of Narnia, as Winter put on a display of sparkling frost that turned the whole site into a wonderland.
The next Sisterhood retreat is in June and you can find out more here.
Decorating with spring bulbs – Olivia Williams (brand and advertising manager)
“Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience” – Ralph W. Emerson
There’s something utterly magical about the anticipation of Spring that gets us through these first months of the year. Those very early signs of new life are such a welcome treat after months of dark days and bare branches. It’s hard to be patient and await those days though! The house often feels so bare without the merriment of Christmas, so dotting spring bulbs about in pots and other cute containers is the perfect way of reminding yourself that Spring is not far off.
Ford House, Norfolk – Caroline Rowland (editor)
Even in the depths of winter, a trip to the British coast is always a welcome treat. Bright, crisp walks on the beach followed by a cosy pub lunch, exploring quaint villages before heading back to your holiday cottage for a hearty dinner – perfect! We did just that recently when we spent a few days at the beautiful Ford House in Docking, Norfolk. The house is dreamy – a huge kitchen table to gather round, right next to the Aga, a cosy living room with a wood-burner and a roll top bath for that essential end-of-the-day soak. Owner Amanda couldn’t have been more welcoming and the surrounding area offers so much, you’ll find it hard to fit everything in!
Check out Ford House’s new website here and some more images from my stay here.
Design Museum – Catherine Binnie (marketing and distribution manager)
Last month I visited the Design Museum, which had just re-opened in its new home in Kensington. The building – formerly the Commonwealth Institute – has been beautifully restored. It’s interior, designed by John Pawson, is a minimalists’ dream; high vaulted ceilings and huge expanses of oak, marble and concrete. The permanent exhibition showcases the iconic design ranging from furniture, to fashion, technology, to the stalwarts of domestic home (Kenwood mixer, anyone?). It’s free to visit, and also has a fab café and shop, where I spent far too much money… (I love a museum shop).
Design Museum, 224 – 238 Kensington High Street, London, W8 6A
Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekbäck – Kath Webber (sub editor)
Now is the time to truly embrace hygge, as the longest weeks of winter stretch ahead of us here in the northern hemisphere. While we stay home, snuggling on the sofa I recommend nothing more than a nice blanket (this one is from West Elm), a hot brew and a good book! Wolf Winter by Swedish author Cecilia Ekbäck indulges our Scandinavian obsession- albeit with a historic edge. Set 300 years ago in Swedish Lapland, Wolf Winter is a novel that wallows in Nordic noir. When a family move from Finland to a remote settlement at Blackåsen mountain, they don’t know what awaits them. Murder, intrigue, Sami culture, a mysterious priest and a whiff of the occult make this a gripping winter read- particularly if, like me, you love languorous descriptions of the myriad states of snowy weather. Sublime.
Catching the knitting bug – Caroline Rowland (editor)
It’s been years since I’ve picked up a pair of knitting needles. I recently gave crochet a go, but it didn’t go so well, so I was somewhat apprehensive as I assumed I might have the same trouble. But seeing as quite a few of my fellow 91 team are a dab hand with a ball of yarn, they inspired me to give it another go! Armed with everything I needed inside my We Are Knitters kit and youtube at my side, I dived into my first blanket project, and turns out, I just love it! There is definitely more knitting on the horizon for 2017! So why not follow suit and give a new craft a go this year?! We’d love to hear what you are making!
And don’t forget to share your snaps on Instagram with our hashtag #seekinspirecreate. it can be anything from a fab place or shop you’ve visited, an inspiring read, your latest craft or decorating project or a delicious cake you’ve made! Check out the feed to get inspired, there’s over 2000 images on there now and we love seeing what you are up to!
