Essential Store Japan....

Essential Store Japan

As a child we spent a fair bit of time at antique fairs and shops. My parents are big collectors of ceramics and glassware and we were often on a hunt in some far off town for another piece of Honiton pottery. When I was little I have to be honest I found it a little dull, I would rather be playing ,but there were some huge antiques shops that were mazes spread over a few floors of big dusty ex-factories. These buildings were fun and I just loved exploring the curios with my sister and choosing which shiny things we would buy for our houses when we were 'older'.

Now i am 'older' I find myself drawn to these places once again, with the addition of charity shops, and can spend hours  browsing without buying, just imagining where i would put that Victorian chair, Matisse print or beautiful glass paper weight, and fingering through the teaspoons and old wooden handled bread knives. The magic hasn't gone , I am transported back to the Narnia of my youth where anything is possible.

When I saw these pictures of the Essential Store in Japan my curiosity was instantly awakened....  what is in those cabinets? what was that ceramic hand used for and who would give up that cute little tree, and most importantly how can i get one of those sets of bells hanging in the window..... and that blue and black painting....... and oh my.... the title of that book on the desk!!!! haha

Store: General Store, California

General Store :Hanging Planter - TW workshop

General Store: Simple linen napkin

General Store: Hanging Sun Basket

Carved Salad Bowl

Olo Fragrances

Getting Clear book

Sunray Arch

I have a bit of an obsession with General Store and I haven't even visited their 'Bricks n Mortar' stores in California. They always have a beautiful inspiring array of handmade and found objects from Californian Artists (and a few from further afield) which can be found via their webpage General Store.

In their Words....

General Store is an arbiter of beautifully well-imagined works from the creative minds of many inspiring craftsmen, bringing thoughtful, functional design to our local community and abroad. 

With encouragement from friends and neighbors in the Outer Sunset neighborhood of San Francisco, our first store was founded in 2009 as a collaboration between Serena Mitnik-Miller and Mason St. Peter. In 2012, we opened our second location in Los Angeles with our friends Hannah Henderson and John Moore, as a natural step in growing our family and adding to our offering of visionaries and creatives. 

In keeping with the community and landscape, our San Francisco store features a warm and welcoming garden gathering space. Our Venice location's ample interior volume will hold a place in your imagination long after you’ve left us....

I urge you to check out the General store here and if you wish Hannah and Johns Home tour here

Camomile : Childrens bedding

As any mama will know children's bedding is a hard thing to buy. The market is full of Pink and blue, princesses and trains, and although there is nothing wrong with these, I have succumbed myself, I was so happy when I found Camomile !!

camomile is a london based company set up by mother and daughter team Helen and Daniela Boleto, who have both previously worked in the fashion industry, and it shows. The colours are muted, the fabric and cuts stunning!!

All the designs and colours work really well together, which is great as pieces are sold seperatly and can be mixed and matched as you so wish!! I personally love the Hand quilted blanket in 'Golden' and the floral rings pillow case

My visit to Anthopologie, Bath

Hemisphere Hook From Anthopologie

A couple of weeks ago I took a day off work to go to Bath to explore the new-ish Anthopologie shop. I have been admiring Anthopologie's web store for some years but not living near London had never actually been, and after finding out there was a store in the next town had to pay a visit...

It was a dangerous mission. Saving to buy a new house and going to look at home furnishings are not compatible!!  Typically I was actually blown away and could have come away with so much, but I resisted and just brought the Hemisphere Hook above.

It is a beautiful hook, and is so much bigger in person :)

My only regret is that I didn't buy the matching knobs... even though I don't have anywhere to actually put them, one day I may!!

Other favourites of the day were the Crystal bar Hook and The Small Copper Plated colander, and the way above my budget, Petal Perch serving Board

Copper Plated Colander

Crystal bar Hook

Petal Perch Serving Plate

'My Nest'..... Vanessa and her Vintage store HoneyWood Vintage

Vanessa From HoneyWood Vintage shares her beautiful Vintage store with us

I am so excited to re-introduce you guys to Vanessa from HoneyWood Vintage. I have a bit of a crush on Vanessa and her impeccable tastes and have featured her home, her peacock chairs and snips of her home many times... so i thought it was about time I featured her beautiful store and Interviewed the lady herself....

So Hi Vanessa......


What inspired you to open Honeywood Vintage?
When I opened the store I was doing a lot of business online and I kept getting requests from customers to come try on items and see the pieces I was selling in person. I didn’t want people coming to my house so in the back of my mind I had started fantasizing about a small space where I could work, take appointments with clients and showcase my collection. It also seemed like all of my time was spent at home in front of the computer and I was very isolated not to mention the house was super cluttered with vintage clothing and textiles.

Why did you choose the building /area?
Honestly price, I had lived in Northeast Los Angeles on the boarder of Eagle Rock and Highland Park for a while and I was watching the change happening in Highland Park. I really wanted to get into the neighborhood before the rents skyrocketed. It’s a very creative, eclectic, and quickly gentrifying neighborhood, lot’s of artists, musicians (Jackson Brown is from Highland Park) and creative types as well as being a very culturally diverse area.. We feel very blessed to be where we are. I really couldn’t imagine being anywhere else other than the desert…

How would you describe the style/vibe of the store?
The vibe of the store is definitely an extension of our own personal styles, 1970s Ethnic bohemian mixed with a Rock n Roll vibe. We love anything that is Artisan created, Mexican hand embroidery, Indian Block Prints, 70s handmade leather, Native American jewelry and textiles. Charlie (my boyfriend/partner)  is a musician and has a pretty deep history in Rock and Roll so there are a lot of vintage Rock t-shirts, motorcycle boots, a few guitars and records as well. It’s very romantic with lots of textures and patterns but it also has a southwestern/desert vibe. There is a feminine and masculine energy which is a nice balance. A lot of our customers come to shop but end up hanging out for hours which is really cool, we love that people dig the vibe and feel really comfortable here. We’ve been told the shop is kind of a mix between Joshua Tree and Laurel Canyon in the 70s.

What is the inspiration behind the name?
People ask that all of the time and that’s a hard question to answer! It seemed like a good combination between hard and soft. I could have imagined a little western town years ago, named Honeywood.

What are your 5 favorite products?
Hmmmmmm, that’s a hard one! Like any die hard Bohemian woman at heart I am a sucker for vintage Indian Dresses, I have been obsessed with them since high school they always sell fast and I struggle because I want to keep them all! I also live in Calamity Pass Trading Co braid wraps (whose home was featured on Moon to Moon here) , I sell out of them and we generally have a waiting list. We are really in love with a brand we recently started carrying out of Joshua Tree called Totally Blown , they are a conceptual clothing company that distresses their one-of–a-kind pieces with shotguns. I am also so proud to carry my close friend Stormie’s beaded pieces, I have been obsessed with her Native American beadwork for years and years and we are honored to carry her pieces in our store. Last but not least we are pretty proud of our own creations my one-of-a-kind Honeywood overnighter carpet bags made from vintage woven textiles and Charlie’s hats, Lone Hawk @lonehawkhats

What’s next for Honeywood?
For over a decade, Honeywood has carried curated bohemian vintage and always will but we are very excited to be branding and making our own one-of-a-kind items, like the bags. Incorporating vintage handmade elements with luxury one-of-a-kind products is rewarding and has been a very organic progression for us. It’s also been VERY rewarding to move away from 3rd party online sites and be able to function autonomously as Honeywoodvintage.com. I also plan to launch my own line of handmade dresses this year as well so stay tuned!

 Vanessa's Collaborations with Free People and Lone Hawk hats

You recently Collaborated with Free People, do you have any future projects you would like to share? 
Yes! I am thrilled about Free People carrying my bags, it’s pretty cool to be recognized on that level. It has really given me confidence to push my boundaries as a designer and produce on a larger scale. Producing quantity while making one-of-a-kind pieces is a big challenge but one that I love and I am familiar with.

Honeywood is also the home of Charlie’s brand of hats “Lone Hawk” @lonehawkhats which has grown amazingly fast. Nine months ago he received a request from a friend in a successful rock band and Lone Hawk was off and running. Lone Hawk has quickly developed a loyal following of musicians and entertainers. Charlie picks only the finest old vintage hats and carefully and lovingly reshapes, restyles and puts his own vibe on them purely by hand so that every piece is one of a kind and of the highest quality. It’s been a really great blend, incorporating some of the textiles and bohemian elements of Honeywood into the hats.

HoneyWood Vintage Overnighter bags and Lone Hawk hats

If you had the choice of traveling back in time to shop for furnishing for your home or Honeywood what decade ?
I think London in the late 60s early 70s must have been amazing! The music, the fashion, Biba, Zandra Rhodes, all of the textures and patterns. I can only imagine how amazing Portobello Market must have been! One of my favorite movies of all time is Performance (1970) with Mick Jagger and Anita Pallenberg, the art direction and wardrobe is to die for! Decadent and rich but relaxed and unstaged.

A big thank you to Vanessa for taking the time out to talk to Moon to Moon.

Images sourced from Honeywood Vintage Instagram 

and Apartment Therapy

Shop: Maude Interiors

Maude interiors is a faboulous online store focusing on eclectic home furnishings from across the globe, owner Nicola is one of those lucky people with a real eye for beauty, that gets to travel the globe sourcing stunning textiles and trinkets to sell.... so envious!

I have asked Nicola from Maude to tell us at Moon to Moon a little bit more about the company and herself and her inspiration for opening Maud...

"The name Maud interiors came about because Maud is my family nickname.  

My background is in corporate marketing and PR, however I have always wanted my own interiors store and three years ago I decided that the time was right to pursue my dream.  We have been online for two and a half years and hope one day to have a bricks and mortar store too.  

The inspiration for the online boutique comes from my love of textiles, colour and design, inherited from my mother an art lecturer, my love of travel inherited from my father, who was always travelling on business to exotic places and my childhood years living in the Middle East.  I travel and source products for the store and aim to work with fair trade organisations, small family run businesses,  social enterprises and designer/makers. "

Maude Interiors: Handira Blanket

It was tough to choose but below I have picked out my 4 favourite items from Maude's online store.

Handira

Handira (pictured above) are Moroccan Wedding blankets that are hand made for future brides to be worn as shawls on their wedding days. They are really heavy blankets and are perfect for the winter months to be used as blankets over the bed.... your certainly wont get cold toes with one of these. Each one is different so you really are getting a unique , hand crafted piece of art work with each handira.

Vintage Abha Hand Embroidered Cushion

I am a total sucker for an Indian Textile, especially if it contains mirrors. These beautiful Hand embroidered Abha cushions are no exception. These vintage, cushion comprises hand embroidered fragments repurposed from traditional tunic bodices and cuffs, they are also backed in Velvet.... Divine!

I love these warm copper meditation bowls. Each one was handcrafted by Tambat coppersmiths in Pune, India. Each indentation is created by a technique called ‘Matharkaam’.   It is a highly skilled craft, carried out with specially profiled beating hammers, which requires strength, dexterity and keen hand-eye coordination.

Perfect for floating flowers or candles in as a table centre piece or as mediation aid. I can imagine the warm glow would be stunning when it contains tea lights

Large Bonakele Basket

These Large Bonakele baskets are great to store kids toys in, rather than shiny predictable plastic storage little fingers love these rougher natural baskets. Each basket is handmade in Swaziland from indigenous and renewable grasses. they come in a variety of different colours. I really love the electric yellow

About Maude

The name Maud interiors came about because Maud is my family nickname.  My background is in corporate marketing and PR, however I have always wanted my own interiors store and three years ago I decided that the time was right to pursue my dream.  We have been online for two and a half years and hope one day to have a bricks and mortar store too.  The inspiration for the online boutique comes from my love of textiles, colour and design, inherited from my mother an art lecturer, my love of travel inherited from my father, who was always travelling on business to exotic places and my childhood years living in the Middle East.  I travel and source products for the store and aim to work with fair trade organisations, small family run businesses,  social enterprises and designer/makers.

Shop : The Silk Road

The Silk Road: Online Shop of World Treasures

Mirrored Cushion/pillow from the Desert Collection

Tharu Spike Necklace,  Yak Bells and Camel Tassles

The Silk Roads on-line store opening last month was eagerly anticipated by all their Instagram followers. The store owned by friends Lou and Rachel is full of beautiful, and very reasonably priced, bounty from their many travels abroad.

On my first visit to the Silk Road I bagged myself a pair of beautiful Om spoons that were handcrafted by metal work artisans of Patan, Nepal and a really stunning Tharu Spike collar (I had wanted one of these for ages) and I am already have my eye on some of the beautiful textiles, especially the Rann of Kutch Wall Hanging.... so hands off! :)

Rachel is currently wowing instagram followers of her travel in Iran with her daughter Luna and her beautiful pregnant bump........  and giving me major wanderlust!... and awe.... walking to the corner shop was a mission when I was pregnant!

 I cant wait to see what global treasures she comes home with.

I urge you to check out the Silk Road for yourselves here

Bohemian Children's textiles