Jen Sievers | Artist

It is my absolute pleasure to introduce you to my old mate, Jen Sievers. Jen and I worked together in a design and marketing firm back in the day. I knew she was a super talented graphic designer, but what I've recently discovered is that she is an amazing artist too.

From a young age Jen always loved to paint and draw. She started her career with a fine arts degree, and went on to work for 15 years as a graphic designer. Jen's 'Big Magic' moment happened when she and her husband moved out to a semi-rural house in the foothills of the Waitakeres. It was spring time and the beauty of her surroundings inspired Jen to pick up her paintbrush again. Working four days a week as a designer, Jen spends as much time as possible in her studio on Friday through Sunday, and in the evenings (when she's not chasing her beautiful wee toddler around).

Jen paints contemporary abstracts that are fresh, whimsical and drenched in colour. Her aim is to capture movement, draw the viewer in and evoke joy and emotion. I think it's safe to say that she has achieved that, don't you?

You can find some of Jen's acrylic on large canvases at Endemic World, and she may be introducing some of her work in print form too in the near future.

She also has a number of her pieces available on Society6, from prints to tote bags to cushions, and more.

As well as her large canvases, Jen creates small wood blocks that can sit on a bookshelf or be hung on the wall. For more details and to keep up with all the happenings and new work, make sure you follow Jen on Facebook and Instagram. I know I'm excited to see what's next for this fantastic artist.

Ezibuy Home

Dael & I had fun recently perusing the latest Ezibuy Home catalogue, have you seen it yet? They do a great job at providing the latest looks at very reasonable prices. We chose the following items to try in my home (the hanging chair was particularly popular with my kids and animals): Gilly hanging chair | blush velvet cushion | Alberda basket set | Zamora mug set

Pod Chairs and Picnic Rugs

Summer is here, and our Bibby + Brady shop stocks two of the coolest products for relaxing in style. Super popular, our Middle Eastern picnic rugs have been re-stocked with some brand new designs. The traditional patterns are in a hardwearing polyester material, together with the tarpaulin base, these rugs will last you many years. Choose between a massive 2 x 3m or an even bigger 2 x 4m size to comfortable fit two families (or more) on, then roll up and throw in the back of your car for the next picnic.

photo: Sarah Horn

Our hanging pod chairs come in five different styles and are made from synthetic rattan, making them suitable for outdoor as well as indoor use. They are the most comfortable chairs, and once you're in, you may find it hard to leave.

Let me inspire you...

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If you love the look of these two amazing products, get in quick to ensure delivery before the big day. I have one of each, and they are two of my most favourite, and most used pieces. You can find our contact details here.

Tinkered By | Building Brighter Futures

I love hearing how businesses are born and the Tinkered by story is an especially inspiring one. Australian sisters, Rachael Steadman and Kate Boston, had a vision to create a business together that was both fulfilling to them, as well as being a 'force for good'. With Rachael living in Western Australia and Kate in Kenya, the pair created a sustainable brand that brings superior handmade products to consumers, while having a positive impact on the artisans behind the products.

Artisan businesses in the developing world struggle to gain access to a global market where they can sell their goods. Tinkered by is committed to helping their artisans in East Africa to grow their businesses. They source all of the handmade products and work directly with the beautiful people that create them.

This is positive in so many ways... providing work and growing businesses, empowering women, helping families, cultural sustainability, connecting communities, and brighter futures for many. There's a wide range of products available, all beautiful and you know that each piece is unique. The jewellery is lovingly crafted using raw or recycled materials and each piece comes with a 'story of note'.

You can shop for beautiful homewares and accessories and know that you're not only receiving an amazing product, but also giving back to a community at the same time.

The rugs are also works of art. Raw wool is spun by hand and then dyed in barrels of boiling water over a fire. Dried in the sun it is then woven into beautiful thick woollen carpets with a gorgeous thick texture. The rugs are durable, hard wearing and naturally stain resistant due to the lanolin in the raw wool. Custom-made you can choose your design, colours, and size to suit your home and create a wonderful story that you are very much a part of. You will be guided through the process and have plenty of input.

I am completely taken with the range of Tinkered by toys. My favourites are the beautiful dolls, but the motorbikes and tractors made from wire and bottle tops are so clever!

If this business model has inspired you, Tinkered by has recently launched an extension to their business - the opportunity to become an Ambassador. You can create your own flexible business by marketing and selling the Tinkered by collection at in-home "Trunk Shows". These are parties where you can share the background stories and sell the quality products in a fun, no-pressure setting. As an ambassador you can choose when and where to sell and how much time you want to invest, so it is completely flexible with your lifestyle. This opportunity is currently open to Australian women, but Tinkered by hope to extend it to include New Zealanders in the near future. If you're interested to know more check out the website or drop them an email.

Square Inch | Smart Small Spaces

I love working with small spaces and often feature them on the blog and Facebook page. There are some fantastic and creative ways to furnish and decorate them, and they definitely encourage you to only have those possession that you love, and to avoid clutter. With the price of houses these days becoming increasingly unaffordable, smaller homes could arguably be more affordable too.

Some others who agree with this are the owners of the exciting new business, Square Inch. Susan and John Frear think it makes sense to live in smaller spaces as the quarter acre dream becomes an unrealistic goal for many New Zealanders. Living in tiny flats in London and Tokyo didn't affect the couple's quality of life. Their spaces were well thought out and designed to squeeze a lot of living into little space, and they were filled with functional furniture that made the size of the space irrelevant.

Back in New Zealand, Susan and John decided it was time to reframe what comfortable living looks like, and in the process take some of the financial pressure off home owners. They wanted to bring multifunctional furniture pieces to the New Zealand market that would address our basic living needs - comfort, safety, plenty of storage, pieces that would allow us to work, sleep, eat, and entertain, all while looking stylish.

Limber 3 Seater

The first Square Inch product range is from young New York designer, Efe Kababulut, who previously worked for BoConcept. When furnishing his first New York apartment Efe was underwhelmed by his options, so decided to design his own range. The range includes sofa beds that are stylish as a sofa, comfortable as a bed (no hard metal bars to interrupt sleep), and offer additional storage.

Empire Sleeper Sofa

As interior designers, Dael and I (Bibby + Brady) are always looking for good looking sofa beds, and in the past have struggled to find any that are comfortable and look good, so we are thrilled with the Square Inch range. A lot of our clients have spare rooms that work as offices or media rooms, but need to function as spare rooms when guests stay overnight, and the Square Inch sofa beds are also perfect for holiday homes.

Transformer

It's not just sofa beds on offer, there are chaises and chairs that fold down to single beds; side tables that can turn into shelving units; entertainment units that can double as a desk... and many of the pieces are designed to work together. Various wood finishes and fabric options are available so you can customise your furniture to suit your home.

Puzzle Bookcase

The Square Inch vision is to help everyone live large, no matter what space they have. All their products are stored in Auckland and can be delivered nationwide within 2-10 days. The products are flatpacked which makes delivery easier, and allows installation in the room they're destined for - no more nasty surprises when you can't get the furniture through the door!

Chelsea Side Table

Lego Side Table

While most of us are accustomed to internet shopping, if you find buying online a challenge or have any questions Susan is more than happy to answer them. To find out more visit the Square Inch website, and keep up to date with all the news on their Facebook and Instagram pages. If you're quick you can take advantage of the special offer - 15% OFF ALL SOFA BEDS - which runs until 19th July 2015. Go on... think smart and make the most of every square inch you have!

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