Friday Guest Blog Interview: Ish & Chi!

Happy Friday, everyone! I’m delighted to share a favorite blog today that encompasses all things home and fashion design. Viv, from Ish & Chi, shares her crafty know-how, decorating ideas, beautiful style and fashion favorites — and it’s wonderfully enchanting to read.

I could not introduce her better than sharing the sweetest ‘about me’ collage she assembled for her site:

Her home decorating style is classy yet casual, evoking that cozy-and-comfortable feeling while introducing just the right amount of modern patterns and prints to keep her rooms fresh and chic. You’ll love her house tour entwined with each of Viv’s answers to PDB’s four interview questions.

And so let’s jump right in, because I am thrilled to take a moment to pick Viv’s brain on some of her favorite trends, how she defines her ‘design style’ and a sneak peek at her fantastic home (where she’s put all of her fabulous creativity and style to good use!)

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{PDB Interview with Viv of Ish and Chi}

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What inspires your design style?

I’m inspired by so many things. I am a very visual person and so I get inspiration from just about everything I see in my environment as well as the many blogs I love to visit. There are so many talented and ‘real’ people out there with such an eye from design it is impossible to not be inspired by them. I am also naturally inspired by the different seasons. During summer I find I dress my home (and myself) in bright, fun colours and then during winter it is all about soft colours and textures. I am also inspired by fashion photography, not so much by the trends but the way in which colour, patterns, texture of the fabrics (even though I can’t feel them I can imagine what they would feel like) and light are combined to create a beautiful image.

What do you love most about what you do?

What are your favorite design trends?

I try not to follow trends and do what I personally love but I suppose it is difficult to not be influenced by them. If I were to pick a few they would be:

– Wallpaper: I love the different colours and patterns and that you can change the impact of a room with wallpaper. My son’s room is my most favourite room in our house. I could stare at his wallpaper all day I just love it so much. I have recently started thinking about mixing wallpaper with patterned fabrics. I think it can be tricky to get it right without looking as though each pattern is trying to compete with each other.

– Painted floorboards: I am a little obsessed with white painted floorboards at the moment. I don’t think I could do it in my own home because I love seeing the detail of the wood in our floorboards but I adore looking at white painted floorboards and the way in which furniture appears to ‘float’ on them.

– Feminine curves and shapes, for example I love curved headboards with tufting but also geometric patterns in fabrics, rugs, furniture.

– Revival style: I am really enjoying the mid-century style furniture on the market at the moment. It makes me want to throw out all my furniture and start again! Okay not really but I do like them.

What are three design suggestions that you would like to offer our readers?

{1} I think people should ultimately create a home that they can feel very relaxed living in. I recommend decorating slowly and collecting things found during your travels, given as gifts or pieces that are sentimental to you. I think it is lovely to look at a person’s home that isn’t just following a trend but telling their ‘story’ through the pieces they surround themselves with.

{2.} Reuse what you already own if you can. Think of new ways of using your existing furniture rather than just throwing it out and starting again. I know how tempting it can be! Consider recovering old furniture in modern fabrics to breathe new life into them or moving furniture around to achieve a different look or function. I think pieces that have travelled with you for many years can add beautiful character to a home. Adding wallpaper to the back of a display cabinet or bookcase can keep things fresh too.

{3} If you have an unused corner or space in your home think of ways in which to make good use of it. Perhaps you can pop a desk there for your crafting projects or a cabinet to store wrapping paper, cards, ribbons all those bits and pieces we collect and need but never really have a good spot to stash them. Our garage had an unused section which we found ourselves using as a dumping ground for bits and pieces. We already have a lot of storage space under the house so we didn’t need to use this space but we did because, well, we were lazy and the space was available! Instead, we turned it into another room which is now my studio. I use it to work on orders for my store but also for any other crafting projects I work on. My suggestion is to think about the way in which you live and make your home help you achieve that.

Thank you, Viv!

PS: if you love her blog, you will adore her crafty creations in her Etsy and MadeIt stores (especially if you’re an Amy Butler, Tanya Whelan or Heather Bailey fan!)

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Images in this interview are credited to Viv of Ish and Chi.