Romantic Reveries, Volume 40

March has been unseasonally springlike, the lighter days, rolling blue skies and warmer temperatures were a welcomed backdrop to our spring/summer photoshoot campaigns. The hero of which included the arrival of our newest bed launch, and the seventh in our bestselling Love Story Collection: the Love Story Cocoon Linen Bed.

My team and I designed the Cocoon beds with comfort and luxury in mind. Taking inspiration from an antique porter’s chair, with its wingback headboard to hammock weary heads and create a cocooning environment away from the hustle and bustle of the home outside your bedroom sanctuary.

We styled the bed with our new linen poppy bedspread which I discovered in Lake Como last year. The design mirrors a piece of art with the poppies in bloom in a way that only patience and mother nature can create.  The linen has such a luxury aesthetic and handle; it’s a product I am proud to share with you all (and can’t wait to have on my own bed!)  The Sunday before the shoot serendipity struck as our local florist was giving away poppies that were ‘past their sell by date’, their petals delicately open like butterfly wings, distinctly mimicking the bedspread artwork.

Along with the bed, our New In page also includes the new Love Story Oatmeal Linen Bench and the Love Story 3-Drawer Nightstand, designed with graceful curves akin to an antique piece I found in a French market last spring.  We have five new collections in the pipeline as we approach our 20-year anniversary in 2026. What a difference a year can make! 

This year began with plenty of inspiration from antique fairs local and afar.  Antique fairs are such a friendly and welcoming place, meeting artisans and being surrounded by likeminded creatives and designers who share my excitement for material and craft.  

In May we will be launching a collection of new own-brand bed linen with matching accessories.  The fabric designs are unapologetically feminine, with nods to whimsical nostalgia in quality yarns and finishing. Embracing the Nostalgia-core trend means styling for less ‘new’ and instead embracing a more ‘lived in’ aesthetic. 2025 will see interiors leaning more towards a bygone era when times were simpler and possessions were treasured.  Spaces that make us feel at home, rested, and conjure nostalgic emotions.  Think pinks and greens, nostalgic ditsy floral pattern and print, piping, ruffles and stripes with tinges of retro yellow and lilac.

Outside the office, I’ve been focused on family, with trips to London, we took our son to Madame Tussauds, and I had a mum-and-daughter evening at Devil Wears Prada. Thanks to the unmissable weather we’ve been exploring new walks, including a rather bonkers yet brilliant Sunday walk exploring Sussex Camel fields, who knew!

March is a month I reflect on all the wonderful women in my life, with International Women’s Day #IWD and Mother’s Day.  As I did last year, I am offering a monthly mentoring session for a whole year to help an aspiring woman with her career or business, to enter see LinkedIn or Instagram.

For the women that French Bedroom cares for, and who needed a little more than a thought, we have made donations to two charities close to our hearts this year, one to 4Louis and another to Pancreatic Cancer UK.

Looking ahead, as March turns to April and the Easter weekends are upon us, take time to think about your home and how ready you feel to host, or to retreat. Are you planning Sunday socialising, or simply escaping to a sanctuary of one’s own?

Those little changes you can make now, will curate your Easter nest, without the last-minute rush as the key calendar moments arrive, so you can sit back and enjoy a chocolate (or two) and all the glorious flowers finally springing up.

Happy Spring!

Sunday Discoveries

Brunch With Lisa

Why did you start your own business?

Rather unexpectedly, I found myself out of work during the 2020 lockdown. After a few weeks of panic, one morning I sat on my living room floor with giant sheets of paper and marker pens, mapping out my interests and skills to see if I could come up with any business ideas. On the list was my lifelong love for France and home interiors - and, as they say, the rest is history!

What did you do prior to having your own business?

Who do you admire and why?

Strong women who defy convention inspire me, and Coco Chanel is the first to come to mind. Becoming a female entrepreneur in the early 1900s without a wealthy background, she built an iconic brand that has endured for over a century. Beyond founding the little black dress, she also pioneered the concept of minimalism in the home - what an incredible achievement to start two trends that have never gone out of fashion.

Describe your perfect Sunday

Ooh, my perfect Sunday has to be in spring - it’s my favourite season. After a relaxing start with my husband, enjoying croissants and espresso in our beautiful garden under the morning sunshine, we would go for a countryside walk, followed by a traditional Sunday roast accompanied by a glass of wine, which, of course, has to be something French. We’d finish the day with an evening in front of the wood burner. The simple things are often the best.

What do you love most about French style?