In the shop this week: The Old Oak's Last Dream print by Missemai

Five years ago, out of the blue, Mia-Louise, the designer behind Missemai, emailed me to ask whether I would be interested in having her handmade prints on BODIE and FOU.

I opened the attachments and felt in love with the delicate drawings and amount of details found in each of her prints. They were the first series of art prints we had in our collection which has grown a lot and has now gorgeous B&W art prints, prints for children, to say I love you, etc....

The Old Oak's Last Dream art print was an instant success and still is at Christmas time because of their wintery theme but also during the Summer as a beautiful, wedding gift.

Over a series of four handmade black & white illustrations, MisseMai Prints depict with beautiful details and attention, the enchanting story of friendship and the mesmerizing world of little angels, luxurious flowers, beautiful birds and other magical creatures, based on the story of The Snow Queen. Capturing the dramatic feelings found in Fairy Tales, from magical creatures to wonderful landscapes and sweet, kind heroes, each print brings a bit of magic into today’s hectic world.

PS: You can find the Heima cast iron candlestick here (it's gorgeous!)

Photo: François Kong Styling: Karine Kong

BODIE and FOU Christmas Guide {Stylish, practical gifts for the hostess with the mostest!}

I never really enjoy cooking but je suis une gourmande (I love food) and I've always loved having friends around for diner. As I'm getting older, I'm slowly learning to appreciate the creative and relaxing side of cooking and at weekends, once Mila is off to her Performing Arts classes, I have just about 2 hours for myself before it's time to pick her up. 

Two hours which recently I have chosen to spend in the kitchen, baking the banana cake (see on page 30 of our catalogue) or other goodies because when the weather is cold and gloomy, there is no better feeling on Sunday afternoon to hang out with your friends and family around a cup of tea, eating a gorgeous cake you've made the day before...pure bliss

 

Bugatti Volo toaster: £165 | Rob Ryan plates: £28 for a set of 4 | Milk & sugar pourers: £45 | Herb stand: £31.99 | EAT metal red letters: £139.99 | Cork trivet: £14.50 | Jacqueline Morabito La Petite Epicerie: from £8.99 only | Familia cup: £12.50 | Familia mug: £15

 

(C) Photo: François Kong Styling: Karine Kong

Black & White

 

 

1. Stilinspiration 2. Slyadnev  3. Anoukb 4. Bodieandfou

En noir & blanc: chic, stylish, unique gifts with a wow factor!

A little stock update on our B&W goodies....The black leather shopper bag is now out of stock but will be back in stock in December stock. Only one Batgirl print left in stock (more in about 10 days) .
We are running very low on the Feathers print, this set of votive candles (great value for £9.50 I think) and the black Tropezienne tote bag in 5" (the 8" straps will be back in stock in 2012).

 

Wings racer back: £16.50  | MT masking tape: from £3 | Cluster light: £295 | Feathers print: £42 |

Plumber bag for him: £310 | Le Chat print: £42 | Happy Dog print: £42 | Rubber washing up bowl: £54 |  Set of votive candles: £9.50 | Eva Solo Tea Maker: £69

Weekend styling

I love simple things at home, things that don't shout, objects that are beautiful and have integrity like these wooden bowls I found at the Columbia Road flower market...and I love white at home. 

I think it comes from the need to feel that I'm in my own little bubble when I'm à la maison, like I'm on holidays, surrounded by people and things I love.

I've always loved the simplicity of these handmade, white ceramic decorations and used the Ex-voto one on our workspace shot for the catalogue.
The cross below has been on our mantelpiece in the lounge for a while, waiting for me to be added onto our family moodboard but as I'm looking at the shots below we took over the weekend, I think it would actually look great on a typeface background like the paper bag from MERCI and of course, they can be temporarily used on the Christmas tree.

PS: the book below was from the Maison Martin Margiela exhibition last year where I took Mila.

 

Photo: François Kong Styling: Karine Kong

Lucy Chadwick/The Selby for Zara...very cool

You are loved...

This year, I had two massive coup de coeur and I cant tell you how happy I am to have both of them as part of our collection because they are the kind of designs that I find hugely inspiring and beautiful. The first one was the the Pigmée collection (and if you haven't seen this post, please read to understand how special this collection is) and the second one was the beautiful wall stickers by Shanna Murray, whose work was on my radar since last year so it makes me really happy to work with her this year. 

So this morning, I've finally put the 'You are loved' wall sticker on Mila's grey wall (painted with down pipe by Farrow & Ball) and found the perfect place for this beautiful, handmade garland by Pigmee. I can't tell you how beautiful everything look, it just changed the whole atmosphere in Mila's room...

And of course, she is totally in love with her Pigmee and now wants the medium she is holding and a large one for Christmas to have a family which is perfect because I'd rather she has these beautiful, handmade dolls in her bedroom than some of the colourful, plasticky stuff she has been given.

I promised her to take her ice-skatting in Westfield so I'll take better pictures later on but I just wanted to share these quickly with you....Have  a great Saturday

PS: The gorgeous grey tutu was a present from a designer and will be in stock in the boutique next year.

Beautiful iPad slipcase

During the BODIE and FOU Catalogue photoshoot, François shot a sample of the iPad slipcase, Clare had sent me. Unfortunately, the production times were too long to get the stock on time for Christmas so instead we sourced this gorgeous leather iPad slipcase in grey which fits perfectly in our even more gorgeous leather bag for him.

When I was little, my Dad was saying to me that if you have good tools to work with, then you will do a good job, so with these, your man is going to do an EXCELLENT job!

Batgirl with Feathers...

Ouiiiiii, the Feathers print and Batgirl print are back in stock and we even have a few of the Batgirl in gold...I'm going to try to take more photos over the weekend. In the meantime, here are a few photos to show you how they look in my home or chez two of my favourite blogs....

(C) 1 & 2 Chez Moi |  2 Chez Weekday Carnival | 3 Chez Vosges Paris

De gauche a droite...{By Sophie}

From this striking photo taken by Vee Speers to this very cute Wings racer back t-shirts

In the shop this week: the leather shopper bag

I raved about this bag several times since Elodie and I found it during my last Parisian trip and I will keep going on about it because I absolutely love it!

As a regular air traveler who somehow manages to pack light (clothes wise) but not so light (on the techie side), I have been longing for a large, spacious bag that could fit everything too fragile or valuable to be stored in my check-in luggage.
My hand luggage basics often include: my laptop, camera, i-phone, urbanears headphones and La Trop or mini sac (if I manage to squeeze my La Trop in my checked-luggage) + if I'm lucky, I will get a few bits & bobs that a 6 years old will throw in the mix...
Yes there is the ugly wheelie suitcase solution but it's not me. I much prefer having a big, fashion bag on my shoulder and this one ticks all the boxes.
Simple, practical and beautiful, this leather shopper bag embodies the Parisian style of
Emmanuelle Alt, Editor of the French VOGUE and the quality of the leather is fab. The black one has a beautiful matte leather while the gold version (currently being shot by Living Etc magazine for their March issue) is more shiny.

Photo 1: (C) François Kong Stylism: Karine Kong Photo 2: B&F catalogue

Favourite winter candle & inspiring packaging

Have you noticing how different and inspiring packaging can be when you travel abroad? Coming from an advertising background, I've always been attracted by B&W, graphic art prints and packaging and I find it really fascinating to see how typography and graphics are used to enhance the look of a plain wall at home or a simple box.
When I'm in NYC, I love going to go Dean and Deluca and in London, my favourite spot was the Deli around the corner Chez Christophe which sadly has closed down and been replaced by Raouls (I don't like Raouls) and Daylesford organic cafe in Notting Hill.
Yesterday, we were discussing the idea of a BODIE and FOU scented candles collection and while I love the idea, we would only do it if we could find the right supplier. I.e a company that could make quality candles with real wax and not this paraffine malaki candles you get everywhere nowadays. Until we come up with our own range, by favourite winter candle is the Amber scented candle by Cote Bastide which has a very seductive and addictive musk fragrance and I love the candles and packaging by Le Labo  (see below)

 

 

 Images: 1 & 2. 3.

wire storage basket

BODIE and FOU Christmas Guide {Uber cool gifts for men up to £50}

Gosh, I love putting these men gift guides together! Check out the previous one for his pad and below uber cool, stylish gifts for men up to £50. Bring on Christmas!

 

Doodle calendar 2012: £27 | Bat print: £42 | Type map in sheer slate: £43 (available for the UK, Ireland, France, USA, Australia and New-Zealand) | Red pesto jar: £8 | Tapenade jar: £8 | Whisky glasses: £35.50 exclusively available from BODIE and FOU | BEST SELLER! Set of 2 Cognac glasses (gift-boxed): £35.50 - Buy 2 sets for £65 | Eva Solo Pizza cutter: £34 | TRIM phone: £36 | Plattan headphones: £50

BODIE and FOU Christmas Guide {Stylish gifts under £30 for her or his}

I'm so excited! I have been informed by Pilkington Bedwell that the BODIE and FOU Catalogue iPad App will be available on the Itunes store (but it will be free) in about a week! I don't know I may be the only one to get super excited but I think it's pretty cool to have an App.
Anyway today, I'm taking you browsing through gifts under £30 and if you have missed our previous gift guides, you can see them all here

Eva Solo Drip-Free shaker: £25 | Mr & Mrs Hang up hooks: £22 | Rubber vase (available in several colours): £22 | Rob Ryan plates: £28 for a set of 4 | Digital wine thermometer: £22.50 | Just Do it tea towel: £12.50 | Wire letter tray: £15 | Leather notebook (limited stock): £15.31 | Box of 10 masking tapes: £28.50 | STAR t-shirt: £19.50

BODIE and FOU Christmas Guide {Chic French gifts with a 'je ne sais quoi!"

We just received gorgeous scented candles and bodycare beautifully packaged from Cote Bastide. Sadly, due to the high volume of orders the linen apron is now sold out but will be back in 2012. In the meantime, you can indulge in some beautiful, chic and stylish gifts we sourced in France like this leather shopper bag (high on my wishlist to go to New-Zealand!)

 

From top left: Linen apron: £48 | ceramic soap dish: £24 | ceramic decorations: £20 each (gorgeous!) | Leather shopper bag: £180 | Linen bag: £60 | Tomatoes jar by Jacqueline Morabito: £12.50 | Handmade ceramic hearts (set of 3): £80 by Jacqueline Morabito | Rose scented candle: £34 | Salt form Guerande: £8.99 | Silver plated beaker: £30.50

B&W feathers

Here is one of the shots I did with François over the weekend around the Feathers print

and the cluster light. 

(C) François Kong Stylism: Karine Kong

How to make an entrance

I've been searching for a cool way to jazz up our plain hallway for months...The space got better since we took the carpet off and painted the stairs in white but it's still missing something...
An oversized Norm 69 pendant light may well just be the answer!

(C) Images via here

Wouldn't this make just the perfect Saturday afternoon in?

I had a great afternoon, styling some goodies from the boutique that he shot and now I'm making pancakes for Mila and her friend Clara.
Thanks to Nicole, an amazing food photographer (the shot from our Wine tasting/Fashion evening next week is from her), I discovered Call Me Cupcake! - a gorgeous blog with stunning photos and recipes (perfect combo). Wouldn't it be perfect to end the day with a few of these warm, cookies!?

J'ai passé un chouette apres-midi, faisant des petites mise-en-scene avec des objets de la boutique qu'il photographié aet maintenant je fais des crepes pour Mila et sa copine Clara.

Grace a Nicole, une photographe food géniale (la photo de notre Wine tasting/Fashion evening la semaine prochaine est d'elle),j'ai découvert Call Me Cupcake! un blog absolument canon avec des photos superbes et des recettes. Est ce que ce ne serait pas merveilleux de finir l'apres-midi avec quelques cookies comme cela, bien chauds!?

Little creative projects for the weekend

A couple of weeks ago, I posted this creative project to make an advent calendar out of bird clothes pegs. This weekend, you could make these pretty wings out of newspapers and a thin cardboard sheet (the one you get in your husband's new shirts would be perfect).
Alternatively, you can create this gorgeous garland out of washi masking tape. 
Have a great, inspiring weekend

 

via Pinterest

Happy thoughts for the weekend

MT masking tapes | Clip on light | Paris map print | Plexiglas picture frame | Hanging slate heart |  Mima Le Chat print | Rabbit lamp |

What are you up to this weekend?

Tonight, we are off to a dinner party at my friend's place. Emma is Swedish, gorgeous, has three beautiful girls, a full time job and still manage to run on a weekly basis. Each time I see her, I feel inspired!
Mila will stay there for a sleepover. I don't know if it is a city thing, because I don't remember having so many playdates and sleepovers when I was young, growing up in the countryside but I think it's great for the girls to have so many playdates and sleepovers. It can only improve their social skills and independence.
My brother is now back in London so on Saturday, we are going to do some photos together on Saturday. I'm very excited because our last shoot together was for the catalogue this Summer when we shot this workspace.
And now that the black matte masking tape and pastels one are back in stock, I'm gonna gave a bit of fun at home doing more moodboards like these two I made above.

This week, I loved this Gold montage,

I can't wait for this exciting Wine tasting/fashion night, will be fun to meet everyone and I hope you can join in,

and I felt very very inspired by all these stylist jobs. It is one course that I would love to take!
Have a great weekend

BODIE and FOU Christmas Guide {Amazing gifts for amazing women}

The trickiest things when it comes to get great Christmas gifts is finding something for a man and that's why these Cognac glasses or whisky glasses are our best-sellers. Once you've found a great gift for men, it's a lot easier to give the same gift to all the men in your life (husbands, brothers, fathers, etc).

The other difficult thing for a man who does not like shopping, is finding THE present that is going to make the love of his life happy and not going to land him in the dog house...
So here is a selection of gifts for her we put together for men and if your man is not spending enough time browsing our collection, easy...just put everything you like in your BODIE and FOU Wishlist and email it to him.

 The Old Last Dream print by Missemai - a beautiful handmade print | La Tropezienne tote leather bag - our best-seller! (women prefer the tan by far so unless she specifically says she wants the black one, go for the tan version) | Clare Vivier iPad slipcase | inspiring books by PAUMES (yes they are in Japanese, no she may not speak Japanese but you're missing the point...they are goldmine of inspiration and creativity) | Tribeca lamp (gorgeous!) | Shanna Murray wall sticker (preferably one with a loving message like this one or that one) | Leather shopper bag (great style if she likes Parisian fashion!) | Life is rubbish without you print: £40 but if you really know your girl well, check out our whole collection of art prints (Mima Le Chat, Typed love, Quintessentially are very popular)

My styling job for BODIE and FOU

Last Summer, I went to France to shoot the BODIE and FOU Christmas catalogue with François (behind-the-scene photos I took here). We had one week to do a few shots which we did at my parents' place and thanks God for that, because my mum is a bit of hoarder and she had every single thing I had forgotten to pack (string, cellotape, industrial shelving, wooden planks), you name it, she had it!
I styled four shots (front cover, page 5, page 23 and page 28) and while I enjoyed every minute of it, I found there was a massive difference in styling a few things in my home to achieve a pretty look and styling a shot for the catalogue (let's say more pressure!)
However, my favourite styling job was by far, the workspace one, probably because it is very close to how I would style my own creative space at home, mixing inspiring images from magazines with more personal things like photos from Mila.
Doing a job I love, I'm a firm believer that is very important to surround ourself at work with things that are going to inspire us and bring you a little happiness so I also put a little pink artwork together to feature what Mila once told me: "Maman, tu es la reine des bisous" (Mummy, you're the Queen of kisses).
This workspace has a soft industrial vibe, inspired by the new House Doctor DK but also, all these beautiful images I collect on Pinterest and we had such an amazing response that it looks like we will do another catalogue and this, will become a regular feature (Yippee!).
Maybe we can have some guest contributors...
Below, top image is the shot finished and then coming altogether for the catalogue

 

On the desk: Industrial table lamp | Owl vase |  Mima Le Chat print | Ceramic heart | Paris map printPaumes books | Bird clothes pegs used as paper clips | hanging heart (on the wall) |

On the shelf: Clip on light | roll of Scrapwood wallpaper | wire letter tray and then the stool (the trestles are from Ikea).

De gauche a droite...{by Sophie}

SO cute! :-)

Nelly The Elephant art print

BODIE and FOU Christmas guide {Gifts for lovers}

Deborah shared this adorable Marcel the shell with shoes video on Facebook this morning...it's adorable..."Guess why I'm smiling all the time...because it's worth it!

I'm afraid no In the shop this week post today. Instead, here is a Christmas gift guide on  romantic, stylish gifts for those you love.

I know my mum will love this set of hearts as she collects hearts and hang them all around her bedroom door and she loved the two sets of Rob Ryan plates

Guys: if you read this...The Paris map print (also available in blue here) + a weekend away in Paris would be a fabulous Christmas gift! Just saying...

 

Typed love print: £35 | Love Letters print: £35 | Decorative hearts: £15 | Love Apartments in Paris by Paumes: £20.50 | He Loves me print: £32 | Rob Ryan Four Season plates: £28 | Shanna Murray wall sticker: £32.50 | Paris map print: £45

BODIE and FOU Christmas guide {Gifts for his pad}

I'm having a great time putting these mini Christmas guides of gifts for men.
I think secretly I'm itching to revamp a man's pad...until then, here are a few gifts ideas to inject style in his pad if you're itching too...

From top left:  Armadillo breadbin: £79.99 | One Must Dash print: £35 | Black Hang lamp: £145 | Whisky glasses (set of 2): £35.50 | Just Do It tea towel (I love it!): £12.50 | Soft bath towel: £52.50 | Industrial table lamp: £184.99 | TRIM phone: £36 | Bat print: £42 | red pesto jar: £8 | tapenade jar: £8 | Plattan headphones: £50

Mila's bedroom: little update

These past two weekends, I have been working on Mila's bedroom, finishing off what I never got around to finish first time around before the photoshoot with Editions PAUMES. 

The photos aren't great but by the time I was done painting, it was too dark to take any nice photos so I've just taken these very quickly this morning...

I'm done with the room yet but it's getting there...Changes included:

- Moving the Nelly print from the wall to the shelves to clear the space so I can add this beautiful "You are loved" sticker by Shanna Murray

- Displaying her new Miss Doudou red, a gift from Julie the designer behind Kayatine

- Replacing the old brass handle doors by newwhite ceramic handles

- Re-painting the white walls with washable paint

- Painting the inside of her cupboard in bubblegum pink (more pics later)

- Replacing Friends of Violet poster by Mima Le Chat art print

- Playing with Pigmée garland until I find the right spot

and finally putting her 4 years old clothes away....It's actually a bit tricky to let go of things that reminds me of her first years as a toddler so we took some to the charity shop and kept my favourite ones in a box...

 

 

BODIE and FOU Christmas guide: {Stocking fillers}

Here is the first BODIE and FOU Christmas guide with gorgeous stocking fillers under £20

 

From top left: red pesto jar: £8 | tapenade jar: £8 | MT masking tape: from £3 a roll | Shanna Murray wall sticker: from £15 | leather notebook: £15.31 | Style bible by Edition PAUMES: £20.50 | Decorative hearts: £15 | Bird clothes pegs: £12.50 for a box of 25 | set of 3 votive candles: £9.50 | Sir Doudou Grey or Miss Doudou grey: £19.99 | Cork trivet: £14.50