Alexander Francis Finding Inspiration on Pinterest

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We’ve recently joined Pinterest, and we love it!

Pinning all of our daily inspirations, our dream home images, photos from our lovely customers to gardening ideas.

We’d love you to take part and repin our images – but also if you are a customer feel free to add to our Customer Photos Board.

These are some of the images that we love at the moment. Bright, fun and inspiring colours and ideas!

With lots of beautiful photos, garden inspirations, colour trend examples and customer photos there is plenty to keep you pinning for more.

 

AF Furniture Photoshoot

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It was time for a new photo-shoot and a launch of our new range. So this weekend we got all our gear together, delivered our new furniture, made a pack lunch for us all and spent all day taking lovely photos.

 

 

 

 

 

We won’t share any of the new range with you just yet, but we have some little snippets of what the space was like and all the lovely colours that surrounded us.

 

New photos and our new beautiful range will be loaded soon!

 

 

 

 

How to create the perfect Al Fresco Dining Experience in 5 simple tips

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Are you looking to design an outdoor dining space this year? It’s all the range. If you haven’t got a garden, then don’t worry it is still possible. Have a roof terrace or a veranda?

Here are some things for you to try:

1. You can grow your own herbs on a wall mounted herb garden, this saves space for your dining table and chairs but also creates a lovely display.

Source: Casa Sugar

2. Perhaps place an outdoor mirror on the wall facing outwards to create an illusion of space and a focal point for your seating area.

Source: Apartment Therapy

 

 

 

 

3. A chandelier above the table becomes a lovely centre piece and brings the indoors out.

Or you could even make your own chandelier for a more contemporary finish. Like this one made from jars.

 

4. Choose your furniture wisely. How big is your space? How many chairs can you fit on your terrace? Do you want it to be a romantic experience or an area where you can entertain your friends and family. For a contemporary finish paint a show stopping wall that will create a feel of an indoor space.

This dining set is from our Sicilia Range and has a great storage area in the centre of the table, perfect for cooling your bottle of champagne!

 

 

 

 

5. Candles and lighting create a great atmosphere for a romantic evening. Perhaps add a little table feature for Valentines Day. If you're not a fan of red, go for a classic white decor or for purple flowers.

Happy Dining!

Spring Fair 2012 Inspirations

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We thought we would share some of our favourite Spring Fair photos with you as well as what we loved and what we would buy…

So many of the stands had lovely displays, very imaginative and inspiring.

This is a great idea as wallpaper – use newspaper – why not?!

Equally the displays before every Hall where also very engaging and innovative.

Things we like…

We love these coca cola trunk boxes.

We think these lights are fab! We’re loving the industrial feel this year – especially as we’re thinking about styling our new studios in this style.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This hanging metal frame, that looks like a bed frame, is a brilliant idea for pegging images and inspiration up on your wall. Also, the cactus’s are a little garden delight in this bowl – perfect for adding a touch of green without having to care for it much. And notice how the light is illuminating this little habitat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re also looking for some new exciting storage solutions and we loved this cabinet. Could be used as pigeonholes for all the staff!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a lovely design too, the drawers pull out as if they were suitcases!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These vibrant vases are a great colourful display that depict the scratch colour palette as explained in our post on colour trends.

That’s all from us and what we loved at Spring Fair if you visited and would like to share your thoughts and inspirations we would love to hear from you.

Spring Fair at the NEC and WGSN 2012/13 Trends

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The team at Alexander Francis drove up to the NEC on Sunday to visit the Spring Fair. Feeling apprehensive about the snow but excited about our ventures and what we may find, we arrived in time good  for the Home Trends – Winter 2012/2013 Seminar. Though we felt absolutely shattered by the end of the day (after approximately 4 hours of walking), we were excited over all of our photos and conversations with traders and designers.
Here we are now, back at the office and wanting to share our notes from our first seminar with you.
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The WGSN Trends 2012/13 Interiors inspiration and colour
Ali Morris from WGSN revealed their three trends for 2012/13 examples of which could be seen at The Trend Bar and the Trend Box.
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1. Radical Neutrality

Looking at how you can balance a radical but yet neutral attitude; an attitude that involves dedication and focus to achieve something that is perfect in moderation and within reason. This trend is subtle and clever, clean harmonious.
Less is more.  Using materials that are perfect for each design, silent and trustworthy. Textures are soft and smooth and inviting to the touch.

Colour-blocking techniques rendered in paint, veneer, glass, plastic, resin, wool or suede.  Radical neutrality is the new minimalism.

Sourced from Moco loco. Kopiad – a Swedish Company called Box it Design.
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2. Hyperculture
In this new age which we live in we are surrounded by multicultural happenings, issues, relations, no culture stands alone. Cultures are based on nationality or ethnicity, religion or belief, sports or music, youth or age and within this cultural understanding is vast and complex.
Innovative pattern, with motifs made up of elements of north, south, east and west, all in vibrant juxtapositions. Patterns become mixed up and become a rather radical mix of historical and modern, think manner mansion with website brand logos. Street art becomes intermingled with classical fine art. This clashing of cultures, layering of design is playful, vibrant and provocative.

Synthetics are mixed with naturals. Soft and hard materials are associated in innovative new ways.
Hyperculture mixes multiple cultures, times and techniques in endlessly inspiring combinations.

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3. Eco-hedonism
We are always striving towards becoming more sustainable and ecological, though this is more a necessity now than a choice. Everything must be created with the greater ecological good in mind. This trend focuses on the natural beauty of nature  and what can be created and appreciated when natural materials are involved. Highlighting the integrity and spirit that comes with raw materials.

Think of rough-hewn stone and wood, hand-wrought metals, minerals and natural fibres. Organic shapes that are directly inspired from nature.  Weathered qualities and reclaimed materials, with particularly tactile textures.

Patterns are delicate and refined and appear to have been created by the weather: sun, rain, fog, ice and snow seem to have worn or created motifs into and onto materials.

Eco-hedonism expresses the nature of the seasons, and the beauty that lies outdoors.

 

 

Photos Sourced from the Trend Bar, Hall 6

 

Updating your garden for 2012′s latest lifestyle trends

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This year many of us are feeling the cuts and partly for this reason, as well as the fact that we are trying to do our best for the environment, many are leaning towards growing their own vegetables, collecting rain water and thinking carefully about which plants attract birds and butterflies. We are slowly edging towards a greener lifestyle. And so what better way to promote this further than by updating your garden to match this new way of living.

Rethink the structure of your garden, what do you want to achieve? More butterflies? Plant some colourful and fragrant flowers. More birds? Add some berry plants and a lovely bird box that can become a feature in your garden.You can try something like this lovely bird box chandelier, which not only becomes a great feature but also brings the interior of your home out – a key trend this season.

The National Wildlife Federation have a lovely ‘how to’ page on their website so that you can make your own.

On trend this year is adding ornamental trees or shrubs with foliage and colourful blooms to create a lovely focal point for your garden. Look at trees such as Japanese maple, dwarf Korean lilac, or even a weeping cherry tree work well planted among annuals and perennials within a large container.

This pot is alive with colour and texture from flowers to foliage with lovely daisies creating height and becoming the bright focal point.

A. Gerbera daisy (‘Festival Orange’)
B. Creeping Jenny
C. Verbena ‘Superbena Burgundy’

The photo of the lovely rose tree pictures a rattan planter that matches our furniture sets. This is perfect for that modern touch matched with an ornamental tree. Depending on your colour palette you can choose specific flowers to match. So if you were going for the Vanity Palette for example, you would go for pink roses.

 

 

If you don’t have a garden or want to create a little haven in your home this is a brilliant idea. We’ve already seen top interior designers feature these as well as noticing them at trade shows.

 

 

 

These jars are a brilliant idea and something everyone can do. You can even add dry vibrant flowers to match your cushions and to add a sense of this year’s colour trends.

 

 

Highlights of INTERIORS UK

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Below are just a few highlights of our visit to INTERIORS UK – the things that caught our eye and that inspired us.

This caught our eye with its natural palette of greens and browns.

These gorgeous little treats caught our eye almost more than the product did!

We loved the fake bookcase and the hunter’s lodge feel to this set up of The Original Book Works Ltd.

The Design Village, the creative hub of Interiors, was one of the best parts of the show, with lots of new and exciting talent.

Peter Bullock’s shoes were a success with many having their shoes reworked and accesorised.

We had a little chat with these guys called JAILmake who create lovely innovative designs and products that interact with and shape different environments.

Revamp your Garden for Spring

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Spring is the best time to revamp your garden as well as being the first season to start planting. Plan ahead, think about your early spring blooms as well as what you would like to appear in the summer .

You can plant bulbs in early spring which will bloom in time for summer, a few colourful examples are cannas, calla lilies and the pineapple lily.

Some more popular annuals for summer are cosmos, marigolds, begonias, verbena, fuchsia, geranium, and hollyhocks.

If you’re not a keen gardener don’t ignore adding any plants as they add interest but also help break up the space. Like your privacy? Then consider plants along the borders of your garden – these not only stop onlookers but also create a false sense of space.

If you feel like completely redesigning your garden space approach it as you would when redecorating a room in your house. Think about the walls, the floor, the colour scheme – are you going for a contemporary or a traditional feel? Create textures, combine different materials and play on rough and smooth surfaces for example, as discussed for the Vanity palette within our previous post on colour trends. Perhaps some concrete surfaces combined with charcoal grey fencing.

This creates a bold statement and would be perfect as a backdrop for your favourite contemporary furniture. If you don’t fancy the fencing you could consider some fabric textures such as in this garden:

Team these with some greenery and some fuchsias to blend in with the Vanity palette. This can be within the plants or with some cushions and covers. Have a look at our collection of specialised outdoor cushions.

Bring the inside out by mirroring the shades in your house and creating a luxurious and comfortable outdoor setting that flows throughout your home.

Colour Trends 2012 Revealed

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This weekend our team went off to INTERIORS UK, spending their time going to seminars and finding out the latest trends, so that we can be up to date for all our lovely customers.

One of our favourite seminars was that of Hannah Malein’s – a trend expert from Mix Global Colour Research. She revealed the four key colour palettes for 2012 and we are now revealing them to you! Just in time for you to reinvent your conservatory, lounge or patio area. Remember what we said in our last post about splashes of colour – even a cushion and a plant could be enough to stay within this season’s trends.

Colour Trends 2012

1.Epiphany

Traditional, heritage, classic domestic style, historical, rustic Italy, luxury, higher end, intricate, heirlooms. With shadowy, greyed off colours contrasting and playing with light and dark.

KEY COLOURS:

Purple: A colour with spiritual associations. Royalty, wealth, heritage, dusted, aged.

Golden Yellow: Luxury

Greys

Surface & texture: embossed, studded, Highly detailed.

 

2.Scratch

A youthful trend focusing on personal expression, customisation and new design. Think of mark making, printing, engraving. Inspiration from bold marker colours – black, red, blue, green matched with paper stationary for the neutrals – pale purple and creams.

KEY COLOURS:

Red: exciting, energising tone, but have to watch the proportions otherwise it could be too aggressive.

Blue: The most popular when it comes down to people’s favourite colour. Ideal for communication and trust.

Green & Greenish grey : A balanced, positive colour, ensures and increases visibility, reduces optical fatigue. Draws the eye to further info after red – and holds the viewer’s attention.

Black – attention grabbing, used to customise.

Surfaces and Textures: Laser-cut details and wrapped effects.

 

3.Vanity

A look that is feminine, nostalgic, rose tinted, dreamlike; Looking for an escape.

KEY COLOURS:

Three pinks – rose, pastel pink and fuchsia –feminine, romantic, caring, at ease, health, well being. – Coral/Orange Pink works well for web and logos in order to captivate because it isn’t regularly used and is therefore something a bit different.

Greys – contrast and play off pinks with a contemporary twist.

Olive Green, Rich Mustard & Petrol Blue

Textures & Surfaces: Concrete surfaces, steadies natural colours; playing on rough and smooth surfaces.

 

4.Monitor

Technology surrounds us – this trend evolved through being inspired by this and the effects that can be drawn from on screen colours. Virtual places -> real life and hyper reality. Looking at a mix of neon surreal shapes and playfulness.

KEY COLOURS:

‘A tropical cocktail of colours’

Sian, Magenta, Black

Blue & Pink – bright colours so put highlights with creamy blue to calm down.

Yellow: positive, relates to the sun – so joy & energy, a colour that can attract attention, but again be careful of proportions. Used to promote children’s products, or in leisure. Avoid yellow when wanting luxury.

The black is a very dark purple that to the viewer is just seen as black. A colour of authority, sophisticated, exclusivity, can give solitude and too much can be depressing.

Black & yellow are very strong together visually and therefore are used as warning signs.

Textures & Surfaces: Tactile, sensory, rubber, scale textures. Going for a 3D look – optical illusions, hologram paper.

When thinking about the space you would like to revamp, look at what colours you prefer, what atmosphere and style you want to create and what the room means to you. So if it is your conservatory, you might not want something too vibrant – as it is a place to relax and wind down.

You could therefore buy your favourite piece of furniture add some colour with the cushions and covers and place some very simple displays on your tables or windowsills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, look at mixing the different colours together according to the colour palettes above.

Here is one of our sofa sets with splashes of colour, with inspiration from the Vanity palette. Notice the fuchsia, the golden mustard matched with the cream and the green, see how we then contrasted with the dark colours of the sofa.

Be creative with your living spaces and go with what inspires you as well as what is on trend

Create your own Tuscany

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Now is the time to start thinking about spring and those sunny summer months – now is the time to start preparing.

Wouldn’t we all love to visit the wine growing regions of Tuscany, such as the well known Province of Chianti? Well why don’t we create our own little Chianti?

Redesign and revamp your conservatory in style. Imagine sitting amongst the olive trees, a lemony scent oozing out of the lemon groves, the vibrant colours of Italy surrounding your home.

What’s stopping you? Buy a little olive tree! Or even a lemon tree…

Buy that new sofa and chairs to enjoy the warm sunshine – after all isn’t that what a conservatory is for?

Think about what setting you would like to envisage yourself in and then pick the colours that best suit its surroundings.Tuscany is surrounded by fields of greens, yellows and reds.

It is easy enough to enrich your life and that of your home with these colours – and they don’t have to be as rich and vibrant as they are in Italy, you can just have little snippets.

Such as red pillows on your sofa or a touch of yellow off your lemon tree.

One of our customers sent us in a picture of their Tuscany 8 piece sofa set in their new conservatory – it looks lovely with that added bit of colour from the daffodils and the greenery outside.

Analyse how much space you have and think about how you can utilise the space effectively. Can you fit a large sofa as well as a table and chairs? Should you buy large plants or smaller, brighter ones. What about the lighting? Will you be lounging in the day time or having a sip of wine in the evenings?

Have a look at our Website for more inspiring designs, such as this Brown Rattan All Weather Sofa and Armchair Set from our
Tuscany range