My highlights
One of my favourite personal memories from the last year is our family holiday to Puglia, Italy, it was a holiday like no other. We stayed in a beautiful trullo (a traditional dry-stone building with a conical roof, unique to Puglia.)
We lost ourselves in the slow-paced, slow-food way of Italian life and spent some fantastic quality time as family. It was there that the muse inspired me and when I returned, we launched our stunning Dreaming Spires Four-Poster Bed, styled with olive branches directly from Italy!
How to forget our sublime photoshoot earlier this year, showcasing our new collections at a grade one listed early Georgian stately home just outside Brighton, including some gorgeous emperor beds.
It was a divine location, dripping with architectural features, and perfect for our Royalcore theme. Our Love Story Carved Viscount Bed was the star of the shoot, and of our hearts.
Not to be missed, the redecoration we undertook of our front bedroom in early spring was incredibly satisfying and, with the help of the FB team, so much fun!
We transformed the room from dark and sultry to fresh and bright with plenty of elbow grease and a beautiful, vintage inspired wallpaper print in pale pink and oatmeal, by Morris & Co – you’ll see it in lots of the upcoming photoshoots!
Just recently we went on a rare buying trip abroad to… Paris. Where else?
It was a hugely fun and successful trip marking the beginning of an exciting new relationship, a new furniture collection, and the discovery of delicious canelé. (Read on to find out more about these tasty treats).
The business
Looking back over the last year from a professional viewpoint, I am so proud of our customer service team. They continued to go above and beyond to ensure customers felt they could buy from us despite the difficult economic climate. They continued offering an interior design service to help our customers put together their dream room scheme. So when life seemed difficult outside their front door, they had a cosy and well-considered sanctuary within their homes, to enjoy with their loved ones - both two legged and four legged!
It’s been another year of such highs and lows; difficult trading conditions, increased interest rates, and an increased cost of living. And that’s just at home. The war in Ukraine affected us both as a business and as individuals.
Since 2019, we have worked with a talented team who live and work in western Ukraine. They built our beautiful website and run a lot of our IT projects. They are an integral part of French Bedroom family. To us, our IT team aren’t just faraway work partners. They are people we’ve known for years, who we talk and joke with regularly; they are people we care tremendously about. The war has touched us all deeply.
There was no question that we would support our team in Ukraine in any way we could, to stand by them in their hour of need, to continue working with them, and paying bills that feed their families.
So here at French Bedroom, we stand with Ukraine. We actively support business in Ukraine, and despite the current war, our wonderful Ukrainian-based developers are continuing to keep our website running behind the scenes.
The Ukrainian spirit is spurred on by human connection, by what we can do when we consolidate our strength and really care for each other.
Never before has human connection been more important. Never before has our ‘Love Story’ collection been so aptly named.
Our Love Story Collection, Your Love Affair.
We place huge emphasis on sustainability and are firm believers in buying something once; a product that's built to last not just in the style stakes, but from one generation to another. That doesn’t mean you can’t have versatility too; we know our customers are stylish and savvy, and like to change their looks with the trends as they evolve.
So, with this in mind, our three new Love Story beds are designed in muted tones for a neutral palette; pale pink silk, fawn linen, ivory velvet. These colours form the base for myriad design schemes over the years. We know our customers might want a geometric wallpaper one year, ditsy floral curtains the next, or botanical tree of life show-stopping bed linen, all of which will coordinate perfectly with the Love Story collection beds.
What will the next 12 months hold? Some exciting brand partnerships, a plethora of new furniture designs (I currently have 6 bed designs on my drawing board), a whole new collection of furniture (spoiler alert: called Avenue Montaigne), plus an FB magazine advertising campaign – watch this space!
Sunday Discoveries
WEAR
Hush
We have a soft-spot for this female founded and led clothing company, whose mission is to provide women with clothes that allow them to feel their best every day. Their focus on high quality and sustainability together with style speaks to our core. Then there’s this dress. How could we not fall in love?
Desmond and Dempsey
We adore Desmond and Dempsey’s latest summer collection, created by their customers. How, you ask? Customers shared their summer memories, and D&D make it into a print. Several dreamy and daring summer prints. All of which we love. Our favourite is the Summer Dusk slip nightie, evocative of pink-tinged summer sunsets on the beach.
EAT
As mentioned on our recent whirlwind trip to Paris, we were recommended the delicious canelé French pastry not only for its taste, but because it is reminiscent of the beautiful, fluted legs on our French-style beds! This rum and vanilla flavoured pastry has a thick caramelised crust and a soft custard centre. It’s a little mouthful of heaven.
RELAX
100% natural, cruelty free, and vegan. This Works are doing things right. This natural roll-on sleep aid is made with lavender, camomile and vetiver. Gently roll on your pulse points to ease you towards a restful sleep. It also works wonderfully as a tension reliever for stressful moments during the day.
BRUNCH WITH... LYNDSEY
This month we are chatting with interiors-obsessed Lyndsey @journey_to_our_clayton_corner. She enjoys sharing her home and renovation projects ‘in tiny squares’, and we love it too.
Describe your perfect Sunday
"My perfect Sunday would be waking up to the sound of the birds, sunlight through my window whilst snuggled under the duvet, Followed by a slow start, the smell of a Sunday roast cooking in the oven, surrounded by loved ones. Finishing the day in the garden with a good old book and a nice candle lit hot lavender bubble bath before bed."
What’s your preferred sleeping position?
"On my front, face down in copious amounts of cushions, while star fishing across my husband (much to his dismay!) A girl’s got to do what a girl’s got to do, is my defense."
How do you take your coffee?
Coffee- I don’t like even the smell of coffee! I think the smell of my maths teacher’s breath whilst barking equations across the classroom at me put me off. I do occasionally drink decaf tea, but I have to be in the mood. I’m the kind of person who just ‘scares’ the teabag, which means leaving it in for approximately 2 seconds! Strange I know, but it makes me feel more of an adult holding a brew! Hot choccy, cream and marshmallows is my guilty pleasure.
Do you have a work best friend?
Yes, we talk most days! We love a good mother’s meeting and putting the world to rights, and instantly feel better afterwards.
What makes you feel at peace?
Knowing I do my best to provide for my family whilst ensuring they are happy, healthy and safe. I also find peace in the little things. My day starts by making the bed; my husband has come to accept that as soon as he gets out of it the sheets are straightened and the throw and (lots of) cushions are replaced. If I don’t make the bed, I can’t start my day! Then before bed the pots have to be washed and put away.
Blog Post Omnibus
As always, we have been busy bringing you our favourite blog topics this month. We spoke about How to style a Jubilee theme at home, answered the question What is a French Bed? (hint: the answer is more nuanced than you might think) and explored the link between sustainability and your mattress choice.
