Young designers

Posted on February 23, 2012 by Julia

It’s been a while since I posted so a big sorry to those of you who have let me know you’ve missed me!

A really busy Christmas season for Sujiivana followed by lots of interesting research in to new products to bring you all.  As you know, we’re really keen on ethical trading here at Sujiivana and we always like to bring you stuff you won’t find around on the High Street. So, we’re naturally delighted to be working with a few young British designers to bring some of their great work to market.

Stag Mug by Lisa Bliss – RRP £10 at www.sujiivana.co.uk

also available in yellow

Lisa has a degree in Textiles from Norwich University College of Arts where she specialised in Print Making.  She takes her inspiration from regular museum visits where she can often be found in the natural history section with her sketch book.  She has also used this Stag design to create stunning wallpaper and cushions in her debut collection.  We love her work and I’m sure we’ll all be seeing a lot more of her!

‘Milly’ Cushion by Amy Brocklehurst – RRP £40 at www.sujiivana.co.uk

other dogs available in bleached & natural linen

Amy graduated from Loughborough University with a degree in Printed Textiles and her debut collection “Cherry Hog” (cockney rhyming slang for dog) is influenced by antique collectibles and her family heritage.

‘Oh La La’ Picture by Victoria Hall – RRP £30 at www.sujiivana.co.uk

more (including t-towel & oven gloves) from the Cluck Cluck range on-line

Victoria studied painting at University of Northumbria, followed by an M.A. at Chelsea College of Art & Design in London.  Living in Suffolk with her young family, she takes her inspiration from the hens and cockerels she and her children love to keep.  All products in the range are made and sourced in Suffolk.

We hope you love these fresh new designs as much as we do and help support the exciting new designers launching their careers by passing this post on.

Bye for now, and hopefully I won’t leave it so long until the next post!

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Supporting Breast Cancer Care

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Julia

We’re proud to be supporting Breast Cancer Care with donations on all sales of some of our pink products*.

Shockingly, one person is diagnosed with breast cancer every 10 minutes in the UK and Breast Cancer Care wants to be there for each and every one of them, but they can’t do that without our help.  All of the money raised through the sales of our fantastic pink products will be used by Breast Cancer Care to fund their free services for anyone affected by breast cancer.

Here is a sneak preview of our pink products.  Treat yourself or show that very special woman how much you care!

Our best-selling Archie Grand Notebook – great as a stocking-filler:

Shopaholic Blank Notebook - RRP £9.95 (£1.00 donation)

The super cute Silhouette Mug Range in pink – our favourite way to enjoy a cuppa:

Pink Silhouette Mugs - RRP £8.95 (£1.00 donation)

The lovely hand embroidered cotton photo album with re-cycled paper.  Perfect for your baby girls first pictures or scrapbook and kind to the environment too:

Pink Baby Ele Photo Album - RRP £19.95 (donation 10%)

A blow the budget gift for a very special lady and a whopping donation of £16 to our favourite charity:

Pink 100% Baby Alpaca Throw - RRP £160 (10% donation)

And, to keep her warm our beautiful baby alpaca scarf in Cerise/DancingFlame/Camel:

Pink 100% Baby Alpaca Scarf - RRP £64.95 (10% donation)

These gorgeous cushions are made from cotton and the design is printed by hand using wooden blocks:

Pink Serafina Cotton Cushion - RRP £19.95 (10% donation)

Finally, the matching double bedspread to achieve your country cottage look:

Pink Serafina Bedspread - RRP £129.95 (10% donation)

If you can’t see anything pink here that you like, take a look at the Breast Cancer Care shop for more shopping ideas that will help support the thousands of people dealing with breast cancer right now.

We’ll be adding more pink items and will keep you up-to-date as we do but, in the meantime, please support this worthwhile charity and forward this to your friends, post it on your Facebook page, Tweet it….we don’t mind, just pass it on!

All the best,

Posted in News, Special Offers, Uncategorized | Tagged , , |

French Inspiration

Posted on July 30, 2011 by Julia

Hello Everyone.

Sorry for the lack of posts recently but I’ve been busy, busy with the on-line shop and several more successful events in LK Bennett stores around the South of England.  Thank you so much for the huge number of comments and positive feedback on my posts to-date, it’s motivated me to pull my finger out and get on with more.

I’ve had a  couple of trips to South West France recently and have come back in love with the area and truly inspired by it.  This isn’t really about interior design but I thought I’d share some of my inspirations with you and the picture of Collioure I took below really captures the beautiful Mediterranean colours and architecture.  Actually, the Sujiivana logo isn’t far off this colour scheme and it really is a ‘beautiful life’ soaking up the sun and indulging in the excellent produce of the region.

Apart from interior design, I guess my other passion is for great food and you can’t get much better than France for this.  The market at Collioure was a sensory explosion of colours, sounds, smells and of course, tastes.

You can see what a wonderful picnic we must have had, I only wish I’d had my Horace the Pig Cheeseboard to use to serve it all on!

So, moving on from food (shame) to places and Le Trésor, a little Chambre d’Hôtes in the quiet backwater of Sonnac sur l’Hers, run by a young English couple, Tilly & Will.  I hate the term ‘shabby-chic’ but can’t find one that better expresses rustic, vintage French style and Tilly & Will cleverly mix this with a modern, boutique styling and some great luxury finishes like good towels and toiletries.

Tilly also served up a nice evening meal which was much appreciated after a long journey. I do think they would have loved our Sujiivana Sparkling Silver Tea-Lights which would have given a stunning finish to their simple but lovely dining room.

In our second visit to the Languedoc-Roussillion region we were completely bowled over by Domain St. Hilaire, 15 mins from the coast (and the oysters!!) and close to Pézanas.  Again, another English couple who took over the vineyard several years ago and are turning out some pretty decent wines along with probably the best Chambre d’Hotes I’ve ever stayed in.  Anne and Jonathan are delightful and have created a beautiful home and really make you feel exceptionally welcome.  The bathrooms were everything I love, big and classically modern and again, great toiletries and towels. The bedrooms and rest of the house were filled with an abundance of tasteful antiques and classic styling.  I can’t wait to go back!!

Breakfast on the terrace by the pool was amazing but, of course, I always think of Sujiivana and our gorgeous table linen would have really complimented Anne’s terrific style.

So, its au revoir from me and I hope you’ve enjoyed a little taste of the Languedoc Roussillon and that you’ll find a few accessories at Sujiivana to help you create your own little slice of the Mediterranean.

Posted in Interior Design | Tagged , , , , , |

July Free Shipping Offer

Posted on June 30, 2011 by Julia

Due to the success of the June Free Shipping, we’ll be continuing the offer for the Archie Grand Notebooks

and adding our gorgeous Linen Scarves


These scarves are the perfect accompaniment to a summer outfit and great to throw in your suitcase for holidays.

Wear around the shoulders for effortless chic or over your bikini bottoms as a mini-skirt sarong. Sexy!

At £16.95, including delivery they are truly a bargain summer essential

*while stock lasts – ‘free shipping’ items will be despatched by Royal Mail Standard 2nd class delivery – normal terms and conditions apply

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A4 Distressed Frames in Stock

Posted on June 22, 2011 by Julia

We’ve been out of stock of our best-selling A4 Antique Distressed Frames for some time but many of you will be pleased to hear that they arrived with us yesterday. Fresh from their ocean journey from CapeTown and proudly supporting the homeless who collect the reclaimed wood, we know that, like us, you love them because they are gorgeous but also for their environmental and sustainable credentials.

As we’ve had so many requests for them, we’ve been working over-time to get them live on the site.

In the same shipment are stacks more of the A5 frames and, don’t forget, these frames look their best when displayed with a mix and match of various sizes and colours.

You may also have noticed that, following popular demand, we’ve added a simple Facebook ‘Like’ and ‘Tweet’ button to each post so that you can share the news you think your friends would like to hear.  We’ve done the same with the RSS feed for those of you who would like to follow the posts we don’t always share by email.

As always, happy shopping!

Posted in News, Uncategorized |

New arrivals… summer dining

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Julia

Yes, more new items to tempt you in the Sujiivana dining category.  We know you love the Sarisha mango wood bowls so we’re bringing you more in the range but in slightly more manageable sizes!

First on the podium is the gorgeous Basheera Painted Bowl.  We’ve taken these to a couple of shows recently and you’ve been biting our hands off for them – hence the delay in bringing them to you online!  They are handcrafted from sustainable mango wood and the durable cream paint finish is food safe.  The detailed groove on the exterior makes these wooden bowls so tactile we just love them.  They are perfect salad bowls, shown here with our matching mango wood salad servers, but look great as fruit bowls too.

Second up are the equally beautiful Bimbi Wooden Bowls. Again, they are handmade from sustainable mango wood and come with either a painted cream or blue exterior or a natural finish.  Buy one or two of the same colour or mix them up for added interest. They’re not just great as nibble bowls – they also look fantastic in your bedroom or bathroom holding your nic-nacs.

Team both these products with our recycled Laksha glass tumblers and Jeevika Carafe for great patio style!  Oh, and they perfectly match the stylish Arushi Candle Holders if you want to really push the boat out.  Style and excellent eco credentials to boot!

Finally, all you need is a throw or two to snuggle up with as the day gets cooler and what better than the perfectly co-ordinated Halland throws.

Halland Throws

Now sit back and enjoy with a glass or two of a fine, chilled, Vouvray…perfect!!

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June Free Shipping Offer

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Julia

Postage and packing is free on our fun Archie Grand Blank Notebooks this month

Choose here from a selection of ‘tongue-in-cheek’ titles guaranteed to raise a smile

Free shipping* on all Archie Grand notebooks only – now until 30th June 2011

*while stock lasts – notebooks will be despatched by Royal Mail Standard 2nd class delivery – normal terms and conditions apply

Posted in Special Offers | Tagged , , , |

Coastal Cottages

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Julia

We only have to look at our favourite Home & Design magazines to see that the coastal cottage look is one that never dates and blue really is on trend for this season!  It’s a particularly great look for the summer, with fresh whites and blues complimented by lots of interesting textures such as hessian, rope, jute and, of course, lots of distressed wood.  And you don’t need to live near the sea to go for this look either – your friends will feel like they are on holiday whenever they visit you!

So, if you’ve been forward thinking enough to go for a neutral, natural colour scheme for your sofas and walls (Laura Ashley do a lovely ‘Cotton White’ for walls) then a few well chosen accessories could soon achieve the desired result.   My heavy red silk and jute curtains are replaced with linen/voile tie-tops that let in loads of light and move beautifully in the breeze, creating that cool but casual romantic chic. Velvet cushions are replaced with relaxed linen (see our gorgeous Lappland range) and the odd, well placed, design piece.  Our ‘new and exclusive‘ blue Hedgerow Ruffle Cushions from young, cutting edge designer Lorna Syson, do just the trick adding texture and interest.  Sling a cotton throw or two over your armchairs and sofas and you are almost there (the Halland Throws below go beautifully).  Take a look below at the great colour combinations.

Voilà, your room is now looking totally different.  This look does require distressed wood – polished chrome or black picture frames just won’t do!  Perfect for achieving the right effect are our Luna Frames in whites, naturals, cream and blues.  Mix them up for that ‘texture’ we keep banging on about.

Finally, a few finishing touches.  Spend some time on the beach with the kids, it’s amazing what you can find, from lovely pebbles and shells to driftwood, and you can soon add some treasured memories and a really personal style with your collected artefacts.  Add a little quirkiness with some handmade pieces from our Beach Hut or Seaside collections by Julia Davey.  The large jugs are lovely with fresh or dried flowers in them and the coasters and trinket boxes can really finish the look.

So, there you go, a quick and easy way to transform your room and just as easy to change back again if you want something cosier for winter.

For more inspiration and great products check-out our Coastal Cottages Collection or take a look at my rather amateurish You Tube video (taken on my iphone just prior to a recent event).

Whatever you do, have fun and let me know how it goes.

Bye for now,

Posted in Interior Design | Tagged , , , , , , , , |

Spring is in the air…

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Julia

Phoebe 'Spring Madness'

Yes, Spring is well underway and we’re feeling as energised as Phoebe the Labradoodle on her early morning walk. We’ve had a glorious start to the Sujiivana website earlier this year so a big thanks to all of those who have supported us, both in buying and also with kind and encouraging words.

We have been so busy it’s been difficult to find time to bring you all the exciting news.  A big thank you to the young ladies of Broughton for sharing their Pamper Night with us at The Crown in Broughton last week and we’re looking forward to our L.K.Bennett event on the 22nd April in Cambridge - hope you can join us!

Well, we’re learning fast that you can’t rest on your laurels and we’ve been working hard on bringing you lots of lovely Spring and Summer products.

Oooh, and whilst we’re talking of Spring, Easter is fast approaching and if you are looking for a healthy alternative Easter gift, how about Mildred the Hen, our gorgeous cheese board?  She’s getting broody and needs a family of her own but is willing to adopt! We’ll send her with an Easter Egg for all orders on or before 3pm on the 21st April 2011.

Mildred the Hen

Benjamin Bunny Egg Cosy has just arrived too.  He’s gorgeous, hand made in England from lovely oatmeal cotton and fully lined with red stripe linen. He has a hand stitched brown nose and a pretty ribbon neck tie.  The kids will love him…the big ones too!

Benjamin Egg Cosies

Benjamin Egg Cosies

And so what’s inspiring us for our Summer Collection?  Well, we’re told vintage is ‘on trend’ and that’s lucky as we love vintage here at Sujiivana.  We’re always influenced by traditional and hand-crafted materials and this season we’ll be bringing you a look reminiscent of childhood summers spent at the British seaside.  Yes, lots of washed blues toned with natural stone and hessian and, of course, lot’s of lovely wooden products.

Halland Throws

Sujiivana - Halland Throws

These gorgeous cotton throws will be perfect for keeping the chill off as dusk falls and you can’t bear to go indoors.  I’ll be setting one aside for nights round the fire-pit. By the way, we’re working on a ‘Sale’ category for the website but you may be interested to know of big reductions in the Alpaca Wool Collection if you fancy a more snuggly alternative!

Of course, Sujiivana best-selling Luna Frames really compliment this look and we’ve just had a new shipment arrive so have been busy taking loads more photographs for the site.

We were also lucky enough to be introduced to the talented Lorna Syson who has received much press coverage for her gorgeous Hedgerow cushions. Lorna has kindly made them in an exclusive colour-ways for Sujiivana, especially for our Summer look. Catch a sneak preview of the unfinished collection…

Sujiivana Summer

Finally (for now), a recent meeting with the lovely Julia Davey means we’ll be bringing you more in the Seaside range but also another new and stunning design which we’ll be proudly launching very soon to tie-in beautifully with our summer theme.  What an inspiring meeting that was and a brilliant idea of Julia’s to meet in the V & A …if you haven’t tried it, it’s a must for all you lovers of design history and, of course, the café serves great tea and cakes. (Shame they don’t have Julia’s teapots and cups to serve them in!)

So lots to keep us busy and you excited!

Great chatting to you and more news soon but, in the meantime, Happy Easter to you all and don’t forget Mildred and Benjamin!

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Sujiivana at L.K.Bennett Cambridge 23rd April

Posted on March 15, 2011 by Julia

We’re really excited and very proud to have been invited to hold an event at our favourite shoe and fashion store, L.K.Bennett in Cambridge.

Visit L.K.Bennett – Grand Arcade, Cambridge

on Saturday 23rd April 2011

10% off all Sujiivana purchases and orders on the day

plus

a discount card for your first Sujiivana on-line purchase

and

purchase from both Sujiivana and L.K.Bennett on the day  to receive a wonderful

bracelet gift worth £50.00*

*while stocks last

Cambridge is a lovely place to enjoy an Easter break with punting, the amazing college tours, fantastic shopping in The Grand Arcade and surrounds, the Fitzwilliam Museum and great bars and restaurants.

Come in and say hello and be the first to view some of our new season, exclusive home accessories and gifts.



Posted in Events, News, Special Offers |