Welcome to our 24th Romantic Reverie, our third year! I so enjoy chatting to you about the inside secrets from behind the scenes at French Bedroom (and the family moments of chaos and happiness behind my own front door!).
This month sees the launch of our new collection: Celine & Clemence. Hand-made in Indonesia using traditional artisanal techniques, the pieces are carved from indigenous fast-growing mahogany from plantations specifically planted for furniture. The designs are sun-bleached for a paler finish, and the result is a raw and natural finish with the grain of the wood beautifully showcased, for a refined French farmhouse feel. It’s the ideal choice for those who love natural, hand-crafted furniture and materials that lend rustic elegance to existing décor.
The Easter bunny came to visit us during our ski holiday to the French Alps. Being so late in the season, we ventured high into the mountains to ski to relish in the final snow. We stayed in a little village without cars, just a perennially decorated Christmas tree, fairly lights and music spilling from lampposts - a magical winter scene and we were lucky enough to get 18cm of fresh snow whilst there, dusting the tops of the pine trees and wooden buildings.
We took the ski train from London, a new route for us and one I highly recommend – great fun for the children, without the hassle or pollution of flying, plus we got a full seven days of skiing in. Both children loved skiing, and although we’d not been in four years, they whizzed down the slopes (Jacobi snow-ploughing vertically down the reds!), meanwhile Layla’s diamante-studded goggles were the eye-catching talk of her group (thank you to Hobby Craft and a few hours of creative fun). We enjoyed plenty of French cooking, raclettes, fondues, crêpes, and of course my favourite canelé cake!
Back home it’s that time of year when summer dresses are creeping back into my wardrobe, I have my eye on a few from Love Shack Fancy – their floaty cotton dresses with pretty lace and smocking always lure me in! All we need is a spot of warmer weather - twenty degrees is my barometer of a warm day and my cue to bring out the summer dresses! The garden is already bursting with summer colour with the flowers in full bloom. There are only a couple of weeks each year when everything overlaps, from camellias, magnolia, wisteria, and our beautiful peony tree, on sunnier days it’s a haven of colour to come home to. Although the rain (and hail) of late hasn’t been so kind to the gentle petals!
With a month filled with three bank holidays, I hope you have some fun and exciting plans to look forward to with family and friends – we’re calling it the month of double Sundays which means more time in pyjamas and of course, in bed! We are so excited to meet our customers, friends and followers at Chelsea Flower Show, if you’re planning a trip Chelsea Flower Show in May, do come and say hello, we’re at the end of Eastern Avenue, behind the Rock Bank Restaurant. (We also have some gorgeous new floral shoulder bags to give away each day too.)
Whether you’re celebrating the Coronation, or using the days off to get away somewhere warm and welcoming, I wish you a marvellous May.
VISIT
Chelsea Flower Show, now in its 110th year will be open to the public from Tuesday 23rd to Saturday 27th May. You can expect cutting edge horticulture design and visionary gardens by world-class garden designers. On our stand you can expect floral upholstered items, Love Story furniture, chandeliers, accessories, and of course flowers! Plus, a sneak peek at our new Gustavian Collection. Do come and say hello! We will be towards the end of Eastern Avenue, behind the RockBank Restaurant – we can’t wait to meet you and show you the new pieces we’ve been having fun designing!
BUY
The dresses we’ll be wearing at the Chelsea Flower Show are inspired by my favourite brand Love Shack Fancy.
Floaty, floral, and feminine with a hint of nostalgic romance they’re a dream to wear and bring out the girly and pretty in everyone who wears them.
You may recognise the fabric from one of our exclusive upholstered beds…
TREAT
We’re delighted to be launching our new fragrance collection at Chelsea Flower Show. The collection comprises five candles and five diffusers, inspired by the scents from rooms in a French Chateau. Each scent perfectly captures the floral notes (geranium, rose, honeysuckle and jasmine) with the garden scents (lemon, fig, grass and rosemary) and culinary giants (tomato, parsley and clove leaf), all in our signature Windsor Garden packaging.
