On My Design Bench Archives

Custom Made Lampshades

The choice of cushions and lampshades can really make an impact in your interior and choosing the right one can sometimes be tricky. At Blake & Taylor we offer a full Interior Design Service, with custom made lampshades being our speciality! We can transform any shade for you into a beautiful standout creation. If you have an old frame that simply needs recovering or you need a completely new one we are here to help. Empire, square, drum, bell, pagoda, rectangle or oval. Whatever the shape or size we can help. If you have either your own fabric or [...]

Blake and Taylor2019-09-03T12:20:11+00:007 August 2019|Blog, Lampshades, On My Design Bench|

Custom Made Cushions

We are making a few new exciting changes to Blake & Taylor at the moment and one of them is adding a whole new range of beautiful custom made cushions to the store. I am really pleased to be able to share with you some of these stunning designs using the best quality fabrics. I have always loved playing around with pattern and textures in this way. The addition of a gorgeous custom made cushion to a room can really elevate it from ordinary to extraordinary. Best of all, exclusive Blake & Taylor cushions include a soft duck feather insert. [...]

Blake and Taylor2019-09-03T12:15:34+00:0011 July 2019|Blog, Cushions, On My Design Bench|

Dash & Albert Stair Runner

This week I want to show you the installation of this gorgeous Dash & Albert stair runner for one of my lovely clients. The Dash & Albert range is suitable for practically any area in your home indoor or out. I love the fact that they are ethically produced, eco friendly, handmade, child and pet friendly! They come in a fabulous range of colours, patterns and textures and the founder Annie Selke has collaborated with some of the best artists and designers in the business to produce exclusive collections. Take a look at this stunning runner from the Bunny Williams [...]

Blake and Taylor2019-09-03T12:06:35+00:005 July 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

Pear Frame Makeover

I have been wanting to transform this old pear frame ever since I launched the Chalk Furniture Paint colour, Sage. I have always thought this would be the perfect hue to enhance this old painting and be a great way to use some of the Soft Black Wax to bring out that beautiful foliage carving detail. Pear Frame Makeover Materials Used: Methylated Spirit Rags 25mm Round Synthetic Brush Painters no leak masking tape Blake & Taylor Soft Black Wax Blake & Taylor Chalk Furniture Paint Sage Green Click here to watch the frame makeover. Step 1 Clean the frame using [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-05-22T16:25:58+00:0013 May 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

Chair Makeover

Here is the next project that has arrived on my design bench, a chair makeover! You might not believe it, but this fabulous chair frame is not an antique! The gorgeous wooden frame with beautifully carved floral detail was designed and crafted overseas. This chair was commissioned by one of my client's for their bedroom (another project that I am involved with for this clients bedroom - see On my Design Bench' 8 January 2019.)Yes, you all know how enamored I am with antiques; how I like to imagine the stories that weathered old items would tell. However, in this [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-05-14T03:55:25+00:0013 May 2019|Blog, Furniture, On My Design Bench|

Doll House Makeover

One of the very first blog posts to ever make it on the Blake & Taylor website was of a custom painted doll's house for a customer. It was such a treat to bring new life to an item that was made with quality in mind. Similar to our own homes, the foundation may have been built to last generations but the decorating needs a spruce up every few years. On today's blog post, we walk you through how we freshened up a recent doll's house that was brought into the shop by a customer who was inspired to give [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-04-11T05:33:08+00:0011 April 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

Oilskin Shoppers

If you are heading out to a local market or taking a walk through some beachside shops, one of our Oilskin Shoppers is the perfect accessory that is both beautiful and functional. Featuring a duck egg blue and white floral pattern on an oilskin cloth, each bag is lined with vintage French cotton floral fabric. The straps of the bag are made from woven linen and are the wide enough to make this bag comfortable to wear, even when full of little treasures. One of the best parts of this bag is how easy it is to care for. Simply [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-04-11T05:44:09+00:0025 March 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

Wicker Basket Makeover

Materials 2 x Wicker baskets Blake & Taylor Chalk Paint French Linen and New White Blake & Taylor Clear Top Coat Satin Finish Blake & Taylor 25mm flat brush Blake & Taylor 25mm Round Brush These wicker baskets were in need of a lift with some new colour and so I decided to use some French Linen for the main body with a New White trim using the 25mm flat brush. Soon after starting I changed my mind, as I often do, and decided the New White trim just wasn’t working for me. If you find the same thing happening [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-03-04T13:45:46+00:003 March 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

Dyeing Fabric With Blake & Taylor Chalk Furniture Paint

My Chalk Furniture Paint has so many possibilities when it comes to painting different surfaces. I have shown you in previous blog posts how to paint cushion covers, leather shoes and how to stencil fabric but did you know you could actually dye pieces of fabric with my Chalk Furniture Paint? Yes really you can make up a dye bath and throw your fabric straight in! Materials Blake & Taylor Chalk Furniture Paint – Colour of your choice Fabric – I used a 70 x 70 cotton tea towel. Large metal tub or something similar. The container must be [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-02-28T01:55:23+00:0021 February 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

String Lampshade Makeover

It is not just myself who likes to be creative and bring old unloved pieces back to life. One of my staff, Kerena, recently completed this lampshade makeover using chunky natural string purchased from here in the store. The original lampshade has undergone two makeovers now. The first transformation was done using Blake & Taylor Chalk Furniture Paint in Blush Pink. As lovely as the colour was, Kerena decided it was time for a change and it needed a more natural rustic look to compliment her vintage ceramic base. Armed with just a few materials and an hour or so [...]

Ellie Ramsay2019-02-28T01:48:40+00:0019 February 2019|Blog, On My Design Bench|

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