It's a cover-up

We are on the move... And people know it

Here are a couple of sneaky shots from the new office space where Bemzers have relocated. Everyone's excited but it still needs a little loving...

That looks like Lisa closest to us, then Sara hunched in front of her computer, then Emma I think, and finally Ben.

There's a space waiting to be filled... But what a space! 

And very big thank you goes out to Swedish Fixa och Dona, Åtta Små Plommon, Tingelings, Jane's Dreams, Lillasystern Liten, Home Grooming and Hus & Hem for sharing in our excitement about our new Inspiration Store. Grand opening tomorrow 11 am. See you there!

Pssst! Along with the opening there's going to be an event open to all you Bemzers not near enough to Stockholm to take part in the festivities. Tune back in tomorrow before 11!

Design-It-Yourself: Christmas - Part III: twigs and branches

Part III of our Design-It-Yourself: Christmas series is all about bringing the outdoors in. These beautiful and inspirational ideas come at minimal cost, always appreciated at this bank breaking time of year, yet are still dazzling and classy.

 

Spraypaint a branch white and use it to hang your stockings. Great for those of us without a hearth to welcome jolly ol' St Nick. 

This branch hasn't even been painted yet adorned with some colorful baubles and hung over the dining table and it's suddenly a breathtaking centerpiece. This idea can be used anywhere in the house that needs a little Christmas love. 

Here's an ideal idea for those of you going for a more contemporary Christmas.

These little paper decorations give the potted twigs a wonderful homey feel. just cut out scraps of beautiful paper and hang using ribbon. The kids could help you with this!

Coming up in part IV: the ever traditional wreath. And don't forget to check out parts I and II for more design-it-yourself Christmas ideas.

New Beginnings

I've posted about the upcoming Bemz move to the new office space on Odengatan 22; an office space which will also contain our exciting new Bemz Inspiration Store (grand opening this Thursday). To celebrate the move, as well as our leap from the cyber world to the real world, we have a few surprises in store, you know, to turn things up a notch or two. Everyone likes a party! However, today we got a surprise of our own:

Our customer services manager Tina (left) was asked for her hand in marriage on bended knee yesterday. Oh those Bemzers, they do like to stick to the Bemz flow. Btw, pay no heed to the mess, the physical move is taking place today... The offices are normally spotless. Promise ;)

To Tina and new beginnings! And stay tuned - tomorrow I'll announce another event worth celebrating.

Video inspiration - room make-over

Here's a video of a room being changed around to achieve different looks. I think it's great to see how one room can be given a real facelift just by changing the slipcovers and tweaking a few other details. (Btw, the prices are in Swedish Crowns and no longer up-to-date!)

Moodboards con't - the Bemz Inspiration Store

I did a post about the use of moodboards back in October. When I was last in Sweden, Katarina showed me the moodboards for the Bemz Inspiration Store and I thought it may be helpful to see a project go from moodboard to reality. Here is the moodboard and what Katarina had to say:

C: Why did you start with a moodboard for this project?

K: To be sure all those involved in the project were on the same page with regards to vision and thoughts. Words can sometimes be ambiguous. Images are clearer. For example, the word modern can have so many different meanings attached to it whereas the image helps set the tone.

C: Do you always use moodboards (if so, why?)

K: If I need to involve a variety of people in a project, a moodboard is a great way to ensure consistency throughout. There are so many different routes one could set off on when starting out on a project- a moodboard provides that ideal reference point from which decisions can stem as well as a resource to go back to in order to ensure you are on the right track. So, if time allows for it, I start with a moodboard. It also helps ensure nothing falls between the cracks.

C: Tell us a bit about the moodboard you've put together for the Inspiration Store.

We wanted to emphasize the industrial nature of the room. In doing so, we also wanted to highlight the traditional craftsmanship that goes into the manufacturing of Bemz covers. Our fabrics are printed and dyed at a well established plant in Borås, sewn in Lithuania, pattern designs are drawn up in stockholm ..etc. We'll eventually put pictures up in the Inspiration Store from Rydboholms textile factory for example, to further highlight the craftsmanship background. On the moodboard you may be able to pick out a few DIY relevant items such as a measuring tape, cans of paint, fabric rolls... The idea behind this being the customer's own involvement. Changing sofa covers is one of the things you can do yourself. We decided not to show our Lifestyles (other than the image) in the shop as we don't want it to be about staging- we want it to have more of a studio feel. We definitely wanted to avoid it looking like a furniture shop or an interior design business.

C: How hard is it to go from moodboard to reality?

K: Much easier than without the moodboard actually. We are too many cooks, and everyone has favorites and hangups - so it's best to have something concrete we all need to stick to. A beautiful result is not enough - there is a function, a vision and a process behind it too that makes it work. We all need to go back to the moodboard to ensure we are on track, especially when there are so many beautiful things to choose from out there!

C: And finally, how is the project coming along?

K: Super. The actual room is ready. New concrete floors, freshly painted walls with shelves and racks of the same color. Ceiling lamps are up. The new swatch table and an upcycled marble cutting table in place. We're just waiting on signs, bags, the new products, etc..

The Bemz Inspiration Store opens to the public on December 3rd at 11 a.m.

Design-It-Yourself: Christmas - Part II: candles

Part II in our Design-It-Yourself: Christmas series and we're tackling candles head-on. The aim of this series is to provide you with enough ideas and inspiration to be able to put your personal stamp on your Christmas. They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I'm letting the pictures do a lot of the talking here.

Candles are such an integral part of Christmas decorating. You cannot have too many and they really make the atmosphere. I love those glass baubles holding tea lights hanging over the table. In Sweden, home of Bemz, candles are a way of getting through the dark winter months. I say there's something to be learned from that!

A sparkler in a pomegranate - brilliantly festive! The beauty of using candles is that it really does not require a lot of added input on your part. Simply group them in different ways, ensuring they are warming every corner of the house with their soft glow and you will easily, and inexpensively, add the needed seasonal wow factor to your home.

Use cake plates, bowls, colander, trays to hold the candles then jazz it up by grouping them with baubles, fake snow, homemade snowflakes, bits of evergreen, Christmas foliage and other festive decorations.

Use spray glue to add some lovely cedar greens to your candle holder or decorate with a few twigs and bring a little of the outdoors in.

I love this idea of putting candles inside small logs. These birch logs are particularly characterful as they are thin, have beautiful mottled bark with frequent knots from the branches.

If you want to create a centerpiece for your table, take inspiration from the traditional Christmas wreath. Combine real or fake winter foliage and sprays of berries and wrap them around wire. Place them on a decorative wooden tray or platter to display in the middle of your table. Add candles or tea lights to give it all a cheery glow (you can even use battery-operated tea light to keep it safe for little fingers).

Photos c/o Livingetc and Better Homes & Gardens 

Coming up in part III: some great ideas using branches and twigs. Watch this space.

Very limited edition IKEA furniture

My colleague, Sara, sent me this link this morning. What a great start to the week! Have a close look at the picture to the left and tell me if you notice anything unusual about it...

Ivar shelving. Check. Lack table. Check. Klippan sofa. Check. It's all IKEA furniture. So what's the hitch you ask? This is official IKEA furniture, produced by IKEA in 1/6th scale for a doll's house! Apparently, it is made for IKEA staff only but was bought on eBay by blogger Nat from Milkshake a la Mode, a blog about dolls, video games and life in Japan. Nat obviously takes her doll's house very seriously - check out those accessories! I wonder if she baked those little mini cookies? Amazing.

"This klippan is so roomy!"

Included in the purchase was a paper pattern for making your own new slipcover for the Klippan sofa. Something for Bemz perhaps?

Even the dolls love the Poäng armchair (although I would perhaps get a cover for them in Prisma Stripe- Moss Green to add a little color and tie in with the cushions on the sofa).

My daughter has a doll's house but none of her dollies are nearly as cool or as fashionable as that gaggle of girls. Well done Nat!

The ultimate tree house

Check out this home made of whole trees. Not only is it super eco-friendly, it's also architect designed and most importantly, beautiful. Architect and 'inventor' of Whole Trees Architecture, Mr. Gundersen uses small-diameter trees as rafters and framing in his airy structures, and big trees felled by wind, disease or insects as powerful columns and curving beams.

First of all, a whole, unmilled tree can support 50 percent more weight than the largest piece of lumber milled from the same tree so these whole trees are more efficient. Secondly, when the trees are left whole, they sequester carbon, a ton and a half  for every ton of wood to be exact. Compare that with producing a ton of steel which releases two to five tons of carbon. Thirdly, these passive solar structures also need very little or no supplemental heat.

And if all that weren't enough, Gundersen's method is even beneficial to the forest as taking small trees from a crowded stand allows the remaining plants get more light, air and nutrients.

Find out more about this project through the New York Times or via Inhabitat. 

Photos by Paul Kelley for The New York Times

Bemz Inspiration Store

Pssst! That's Lesley in the brown dress, chatting to visiting press... Thanks Sara for the photo!

Oh happy day! The news is out: yesterday, a press meet was held at the soon-to-be Bemz offices on Odengatan 22 in Stockholm, Sweden. Any of you following us on Facebook will know that there was something special to be launched in conjunction within this new location. 

With today's social media firmly entrenched, communication is instantaneous and the leap from secret to press took about a nanosecond. The secret is no more: Bemz will be opening the first ever Inspiration Store!

What's an Inspiration Store you ask? It's a place to get ideas, advice and, like it says on the tin, inspiration. Many of our customers have told us that they get stuck at the final stages of the buying process. They can't decide on a fabric, or feel daunted by making a choice online for such a large piece of furniture as a sofa, or are unsure of how the fabric color will work with the rest of the decor in the room in question. Sound familiar?

Have no fear, the Bemz Inspiration Store is here. The goal is not to sell products but rather deepen our relationship with you, the customer. We all need a little hand-holding at times and this gives you the opportunity to drop in, see the products first hand, get advice and ideas from our experts as well as have your questions answered. The Inspiration Store will not sell sofa covers but we can happily help you place an order.

There are a few fun activities in line with this launch (official opening is Dec 3), as well as some proper pictures to come. Watch this space!

Trend alert: pompoms

Photo left: PomPom bedding; Right: PomPom Organic Throw

Just to be clear, I'm talking pompom trimmings not the "Gimme a B!" cheerleader kind. This trend is playfully stylish and adds a bit of fun and devil-may-care attitude to everyday accessories. 

Photo left: PomPom trimmed umbrella; Right: PomPom scented candle

Spurred on by the hot craft trend that is on-going, these little guys are ones you can add yourself if you are looking to give something that personal touch, that a little bit of je ne sais quoi.

Photo: Karlstad chaise longue with Bemz cover

Instead of a frill, use pompoms to finish of a lampshade, a skirt or why not a sofa? As in the photo above, where a Karlstad chaise longue in Bolster Stripe- Unbleached Linen and cushions in Prisma Stripe Eggshell Blue, Gustavian Flowers Dusty Rose and Aubergine Panama cotton are beautifully finished off with an aubergine pompom trim.