Hints, Tips - Always Good to Have Feedback

When I am at the Caernafon shop I am constantly talking to customers about there wants and needs and take this on board when out buying stock. We see this as important in find out what customer's are looking for.

We are always trying to solve practical problems and rediscover items that are missing in people's homes. A great example of this is the doorstops. We found that they were a lost concept or had simply fallen out of fashion, but that didn't stop people needing them it just made them harder to find in shops or online, especially in country style designs.

Another great example of what we try and do is see if a product can be used in a creative way such as the cream metal towel rail doubling up as a scarf and bag hanger in the bedroom, or hooks as necklace ad jewellery hangers instead of simply coats and tea towels.

Lets not forget the metal vintage plaque can also be fantastic individual magnetic notice boards when you pop some of your favourite magnets on. Personalise for friends birthdays and for different rooms.

Creativity is a wonderful thing and trying to solve practical problems with shabby chic country style accessories is what we strive to achieve.

I would love to see if you have done anything innovative with our products, maybe you have used a cream mug hook as a stylish jewellery hanger? Please feel free to let me know and maybe you can inspire others xxxxx

60 Minute Makeover

NEWS FLASH - NEWS FLASH - NEWS FLASH -NEWS FLASH -NEWS FLASH - NEWS FLASH

Touches is to appear on the ITV hit programme 60 Minute Makeover, it's being filmed this month and will feature our Shabby Chic Lamp Table (this is a really lovely product) for a romantic vintage style bedroom its a perfect bedside but is also versatile enough to use as a lamp table in the living room or as a plant or telephone stand in the hallway. So keep your eyes peeled for us over the next few weeks and lets see what the 60 Minute Makeover Designer has in store for this great little table, who knows they might give me some ideas for the shop in Caernarfon....

Moorish & Spanish Wall Art

This is set to be big this year, inspired by Moorish and Spanish art and architecture, the Moorish Mirror and the Spanish Arch are wall mounted pieces of art that are steel welded, hand finished with an aged metal coating.

The Moorish Mirror has a central mirror to create the illusion of a window, so you can discover a secret garden. This stunning feature really does inspire a Moroccan look and bring a stunning piece of art to any garden or home.

The Spanish Arch is designed to inspire a traditional church window art effect. Attached to ant wall it becomes a feature in its own right or inspire plants to grow and weave around it for a sleeping beauty castle look.

Stunning gift and versatile, use in the home or the garden.

PS.Also looks fantastic on a living room, bedroom, bathroom or hallway wall for an unusual and inexpensive wall statement.

Coast & Country Magazine Feature

Check out the latest Coast and Country Magazine and you will see your favourite Touches Home Interiors appearing as a fantastic feature. Talking about country style doorstops, lighting, practical accessories, white french style shabby chic furniture and ways to create romantic bedrooms, creative offices, country kitchens and vintage style living rooms.

http://www.coastandcountrymagazine.co.uk/

scrummy strawberries - alfresco dining

Alfreco Dining? Summer Dinner Party? Afternoon Tea?

Dining this summer couldn't be more delicious with the latest hot new trend of scrummy sumptuous strawberries. These delicious fruits are featuring everywhere in fashion and in home ware and why not? They are after all one of summers best loved treats. So inspired, we would like to introduce our latest range of tie back seat pads, cushions and coated cloth.

The vibrant strawberry design is set over a pale powder blue on the seat pads and the coated cloth (that can be cut to size by the metre so you get the exact measurements you want). The cushions have the same strawberry design on the front and the back has a vibrant complimenting line design with the strawberry design folded over and finished off with a lovely large covered button.

The acrylic cloth is perfect for indoor and outdoor use, with a thin acrylic layer it can withstand common spills and stains and be solved with a quick wipe and its as good as new. Its also great for making blinds to match the decor. Perfect for a country kitchen.

So come on and invite some summer strawberries into your decor.

Its fun, friendly, clean and fresh and perfect for all your summer dining xxx

Door Stops - Rustic Leather Animals

Rustic Leather Doorstops

Just a quick blog to show you these adorable faded, rustic distressed leather animal doorstops. With soft suede bellies and strong, movable features they are as much ornamental as they are practical. With three strong designs, elephant, turtle & rabbit, they are a perfect gift for the animal lover that you know xxx

Cream Orchid Fabric - Scalloped Sheer Voile

Sheer Cream Orchid Fabric

This fabric I just have to tell you about, in the Chester shop we just couldn't get enough in! With scalloped edges and stunning subtle orchid design running through the sheer cream voile its beautiful for hanging around a bed, at windows or as a really delicate table cloth. It really is stunning. Perfect for bedrooms, bathrooms and living rooms for a really chic, shabby chic light finish. Simply stunning!

Also to complete the look, the orchid lamp shade matches the fabric perfectly.

Country Style Coated Fabric

Country Style Coated Fabric

It's the type of find you are so glad you found and wonder how you ever lived without it. Lightly waxed, its protective coating can be wiped clean time and time again. It can be washed every now and then to refresh, simply pop in the washing machine on 30oc and after a cool iron it looks like new (and it still retains its water resisting qualities). As it can be cut by the metre it means there's no wastage so can be made to fit any table, blind, covering chairs, memo boards...... perfectly.

So with a variety of country style designs ranging from classic linen to summertime strawberries and romantic hearts it really it's perfect for co-ordinating kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and alfresco dining or as a great table cloth for a summers picnic.

My mum bought this material as a table cloth and has loved it ever since (she's a mother of five children and always mopping up a spillage), she found that unlike many oil clothes this material is only lightly coated so it retains a real linen quality to the appearance and it's only on touch that you can tell it has a protective coating. (she was also amazed that when wine was spilt on the cloth, it sat on the surface and mopped up easily without any indication it was ever there).

This was a eureka moment of home preservation for her and promptly bought more to cover the chairs and make blinds as well.

So come and take a look at the lovely designs we have, trust me there worth it xx

Such a Perfect Gift - For Yourself!

A Vintage Inspired Jewellery Box

Just a thought but have you treated yourself this Easter? Well if the answer is no (and I suspect it might be) take a peak at this lovely vintage inspired jewellery box. Made from wood and finished with a cream paint and aged beautiful bird and stamp motif this vintage jewellery box comes complete with individual storage compartments. Its perfect for keeping treasures and jewels and looks stunning adorning your bedroom on any dressing table or chest. With a touch of nostalgic scroll, it will evoke memories of riffling through your mother's (and grand mother's) jewels as a child. Really is a perfect gift - for yourself!!!!

Why have Chocolate Eggs when there's Cupcake Pj's?

Cupcakes Cupcake - yum yum yum

Yes, why have chocolate eggs this Easter when we have cupcake pyjamas available. They don't just last half an hour and leave you a little bit more hyperactive. In fact with cupcake pyjamas you will want to snuggle up in bed, maybe after removing your cupcake dressing gown, popping it on a cupcake padded hanger and hanging on a cupcake hook. Thus leaving you to fall into a cupcake slumber snuggled up to your cupcake hot water bottle - yummy inspiring treat xxxx

Happy Easter

Happy happy Easter to all my lovely bloggers.

Hoping you all have big, exciting Easter plans weather they involve a special egg hunt, kicking back and relaxing with family and friends or simply snuggling up in your favourite chair and mooching on the Internet, reading a book and nibbling on a tasty chocolate egg! (if you are mooching online don't forget to pop into Touches and get up to date with our latest accessories and inspiration).

Have a really lovely time and keep your eyes peeled for the bunny!!!

Love

Kati 'the Easter fairy'

xxxxxx

french bathroom accessories

French Bathroom Accessories

Creating the perfect french style bathroom can be quite easy. It's basically down to light, natural, rustic tones; mixed linen textures and french style bathroom accessories. You can really open up a room and create the illusion of a bigger space by simply applying light tones to the walls. Drape light linen curtains to the windows, hanging them so they drop to the floor creates an airy effect. Add an old style chair in the corner, a traditional french style rattan chair or a country style stool would be perfect. Then go to town on the accessories.

Whilst subtlety is the key, detail is also as importance. Simple cream, white accessories are great as they are subtle enough to keep the style and look but also detailed enough to create the wow factor once noticed. There are many options to chose from based on the size of the room. If your short of space then a wall mounted cream toilet roll holder would be ideal, but if you have ample space an want to add a bit of an unusual wow factor then a free standing toilet roll holder is perfect.

A free standing towel rail is perfect for not only adding the much sought french style but is also perfect as a clothes rail to keep them off the floor when discarded. The free standing towel rail comes in a strong cream painted iron, with three good sized rails and a lovely scrolled design shelf at the base. perfect for keeping lotion, potions, slippers......... it also looks fantastically rustic french when perched next to the stool or rattan chair.

Adding french bathroom style vintage metal signs and plaques only enhances the look. Popping a blue bathroom sign or ladies powder room sign on the door or a collection of them on a wall really makes a statement. This looks fantastic in a really good sized bathroom or simply lean one or two of them on widow Sile's or on the sink if your short of space.

Then adding a bit of vintage glamour, glass and mirror the bathroom is transformed. Adding a vintage etched glass soap dispenser or free standing glass soap dish adds a touch of nostalgia. A diamond mirror really lifts light into the room and gives it that final vintage glamorous french touch.

Hope this helps, if you have any questions or are looking for inspiration for your own bathroom then please feel free to contact me (if you have a picture of the area you want to transform this would be great). I'm more than happy to help you.

Love

Kati xxx

traditional garden games - summer fun

As the summer feel almost a glimpse away and with Easter approaching fast maybe its time to get some family fun into the garden. We are proud to introduce our latest collection from The Traditional Garden Games Company. This company have introduced a range of good quality, hard wearing traditional games and activities for all the family to enjoy.

If you want to encourage your children or grand children to indulge in a little outdoor activity then these products are fantastic. How about organising a family game of traditional boules, or traditional skittles to show off your under arm skills.

A giant game of snakes and ladders with hidden tasks, where you don't just play the game, you become part of the game moving up and down the snakes and ladders on a giant 3 meter square PVC board. Test your precision skills with a traditional game of lawn darts or the old favourite '4 in a row'.

A great game for the grand children is teaching them the skills and etiquette of crochet. these lovely wooden sets come in both full size croquet and children's size croquet sets. The full croquet size set is also fantastic for a cheeky afternoon with friends and pimms.

My personal favourite has to be the ultimate sports day set. This one for me has the highlights of the traditional sports day. Compete for 1st 2nd and 3rd place in this highly entertaining

box set of the egg and spoon race, the sack race, the three legged race and running race. Complete with a start and finish line this traditional games sports day box set has it all for a truly memorable days fun and entertainment......... maybe a few prizes for the winners is in order xxxx

Have fun xxxxxxxxxxx

all things white and beautiful

elegant and simple to achieve, this years hottest home interior look is still focused on the white shabby chic, clean style white painted furniture look. Whether in the bedroom, bathroom, office or lounge this style evokes a sense of romance, peace and shabby chic tranquil indulgence.

For a bedroom use with pastel tones to create a romantic, vintage inspired feel.

The lounge, mix with linen and stone tones, rattan baskets, textured cushions and throws for a versatile, warm, relaxed look.

Within an office, use as a base and lift with some bold reds and blues to inspire creativity.

Use in the kitchen with warm wood tones to create a really country style look and feel, incorporating fresh soft furnishings combined with browns and fresh spring green's.

If you like the shabby chic furniture I this blog and would like to see more from the range then click here. xx

country style doormats

country style doormats - yes, these fantastic shabby chic style doormats are great for keeping your home clean and free from mud and debris. with a variety of different styles and designs its easy to slot them into your home, matching them to existing deco and brightening up the house. a lovely welcome doormat greets guests and visitors, while a shabby chic vibrant pink and green or green and brown doormat screams creativity. what about a fun bay tree design doormat or a fun potted sunflowers doormat? a flamboyant flurry of country flowers? or a cast iron oval one for a spot of garden elegance? finally before you make your choice, consider a multi purpose wooden doormat with a shoe and shoe brush attached.

More welcoming doormats available in our store, so come and take a look xx

www.touches-interiors.co.uk

spring has sprung - the garden has to be done!!

Spring Has Arrived!

Yes it's finally beginning to happen, Spring is showing signs of arriving. As I looked out of the french doors yesterday it really was refreshing to see snow drops, daffs and tulips peeping out of the ground. It also highlighted just how high the grass has grown and how much freedom we have given the bushes and hedges around, a little pruning and hacking is desperately required (a weekend task for the lovely Gary I'm thinking).

So with a new sense of Summer looming its the perfect time to start investing some much needed love, care and attention to the garden. To create a lovely country rustic garden there has to e an element of allowing nature to work its magic. Resisting pruning those hedges and mowing that lawn to the millimetre, you really do have to take a Lassie faire attitude and allow everything to grow, rust and evolve just that little bit longer. Incorporating garden furniture and accessories really helps you to enjoy the garden and use it to its full potential. A rustic set of tables and chairs, reminiscing of aged ceramic pots is inspirational for a little alfresco dining and a continental early morning breakfast. An aged ceramic bird bath perched on the step or a hanging heart iron bird bath encourage birds & wildlife to the garden. Pop a piece of wall art sun's, some flower planters , church window style planters, or a few aged ceramic hanging baskets onto a dull wall to really give it a wow factor.

The problem is that as soon as the sun come out, the garden manages to get inside. Do you know what I mean? Muddy feet, fresh cut grass traipsed into the house! Well why not look at a wellington boot stand, they are cast iron, can be left out doors so no wellies clogging up the hallway or base of the stairs. They can hold a set of two boots or a family size set of four. With it's central shoe scraper you don't need anything else to keep the mud away from the home. However if you don't regularly pull on your wellingtons and are after a simple but stylish shoe scraper or brush then why not look at the hedgehog shoe brush or snail shoe brush? Popping one by the door encourages family and friends to give there shos a good clean when entering the house.

So come on, while the sun is shining get out there this weekend and enjoy (I know Gary will be! wink wink x).

Ambiance Lighting......... Cream Lamps

Just a quick post to remind you that we have some lovely cream lamps in stock at the moment that are perfect for brightening up and shabby chic room. The Square Cream Lamp, Orchid Cream Lamp and the Pillar Cream Lamp are three very versatile lamps that can be used in any room around the house from the bedroom, living room to the dining room and hall.

To add a dash of neutral colour to a room why not take a look at the new Rustic Distressed Linen Lamps that come in two sightly different designs and sizes. Or maybe if you fancy making a real statement in a room the Champagne Reading Lamp is perfect for dominating a sideboard or lamp table whilst the Champagne Standard Lamp shimmers beautifully in any corner.

Lamps really are the quickest and often the cheapest way to really lift a room and create a homely ambiance.

create a home office

Inspired by an article I have just read in March's edition of Country Living I have decided to redesign my Winter cozy office at home and introduce some Spring light and style to the area. As it's the area I seem to spend most of my time I think it's only right that although there is a need for practicality its also a need for it to feel comfortable, stylish & inviting. So my first thoughts were the position of the furniture in the room. As my office is in the small room off the kitchen, it has a lot light owing to the french doors that look out onto the garden. Perfectly positioned for losing myself in creative though during the day. So with this in mind I repositioned my desk, (the cream shabby chic desk). This desk has a fantastic amount of desk top surface area which I have customised with a piece of inexpensive glass that I got from our local glass merchants to protect the surface and stuck photo's & images that I find inspiring between the glass & desk to really personalise.

As I am limited to space in the area I have the weathered oak fold away chair with a lovely linen cushion on for extra comfort. Instead of the usual industrial looking filing drawers I have used the shabby chic small boy chest for all my paper work & propped a round diamond mirror, pail for my pens, a relaxing aromatherapy candle & glass lotion dispenser filled with my favourite hand cream on the top (got to keep a bit of girly glamour close to hand).

For keeping notes I have adopted two methods, one is that I have popped up a selection of different hooks, I have added a few of the single heart hooks, the cream triple hook & a rustic grey distressed triple hook. I use these to add info sheets & files to using dog clips. I also have a selection of hanging jam pots that I use for popping in a few staple office stationary accessories such as paper clips, string, pins etc. Secondly I have a selection of notice memo boards. I use the different designs as a system of office organisation (although I'm sure it doesn't look like organisation to anyone else). I have the fabric damask pin board for all things that need dealing with urgently, the fabric memo board for tickets, show information & suppliers details & the new picture magnetic notice board for my calender, stamps, bits of inspiration that I come across etc. I also have the pink postcard vintage inspired magnetic memo board for receipts......... It really is a post modern, vintage look that I find works well and looks inspirational & intriguing.

Finally I have added a cream french clock, to inspire good time keeping, a cream pillar lamp so that it really does create an ambiance of country chic and a rattan traditional basket on the floor as a paper bin to complete the look. Add my trusted radio and away I go.............