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Guest Post: Colourful Chiang Mai Dragon Decor
Hello! I’m Jessica with Arcadian Lighting, which is a wonderful online source for beautiful and affordable ceiling lights, wall sconces, and other lighting fixtures! I’m delighted to be guest posting on Live Like the Boy today because I’d like to share a collection of striking interiors that feature Chiang Mai dragons. This vibrant pattern was designed in the 1920s as an Art Deco block print, and was loosely based on colourful Thai artwork. The intricate designs and brilliant colours certainly add a lot of energy to a room. I hope you enjoy!
A single piece of furniture re-upholstered in Chiang Mai fabric can really transform a room. This cozy setee makes a a bold focal point in this dining room.
The elegant blue and white colour palette in this bathroom is simply lovely. An ornate mirror frame and modern wall sconces fit in perfectly with such an active wallpaper.
A charming pair of Chiang Mai fabric lamp shades pick up on the organic shapes of the framed botanical prints. The bright pops of colour are just what an all-white room needs.
This rustic, modern living room features a beige colour palette that creates a wonderful canvas for brightly patterned pillows and throws. The Chiang Mai patterns contrast beautifully with the black and white geometric pillows.
These classic Louis style dining chairs were given new life thanks to a crisp white paint color and Chiang Mai pattern. Such an unexpected touch adds a brilliant twist to this kitchen table.
The Chiang Mai curtains add brilliant personality to this elegant living room. A classic ceiling light gives the room a bit of sparkle, as well.
The Chiang Mai ottomans are the perfect pieces to complete this bright and airy living room. The blue and white fabrics throughout the room create a chic, cohesive interior design.
A vintage table lamp and lime green headboard blend beautifully in this elegant guest room. The bright oranges and greens from the Chiang Mai wallpaper add a definite pop of cheery colour.†Images†1†|†2†|†3†|†4†|†5†|†6†|†7†|†8
What do you think of Chiang Mai patterns? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to stop by our site for a brilliant pendant light or wall sconce to brighten your home!
Me & Me Shop: Harp Ceramics
Consider any glamorous entrance and you will generally think of a beautifully tiled space that you can clatter your heels along. Why do we all obsess about carpets and laminate floors when the humble, nay ancient art of tiling is one of the most practical and exciting floor coverings we have?!
Sharon Jackson runs the fantastically bulging shop of delights; Harp Ceramics in Colne, Lancashire. A door on the corner flanked by towers of mosaic opens into a surprisingly large shop that boasts quite simply the best collection of tiles you will find in the area. With everything you can imagine from glossy ceramics, matt printed terracotta, jewel-like glass and even stainless steel mosaics there is quite simply something to suit all tastes. 
There is a common misconception that independent shops like this carry lines that demand a weighty price tag but its not the case, in fact at Harp Ceramics your money will go much further than in most of the well known DIY warehouses, a fact that keeps people coming back!
The biggest thing you will notice in this shop is the smile on proprietor Sharon’s face, gleaming to greet each person who walks through the door, this is a shop built on experience. With a husband as a tiler and years of travelling across Europe (Valencia was Sharon’s favourite) to learn everything there is to know about tiles and tiling you don’t just come here for the look but also for the advice too. Whether you need to know about the best adhesive to use or how to get a particular style, Sharon will effervesce with advice.
I had a great chat (and a strong brew) with Sharon:
1) Why and when did you start your ‘shop’, how long has it been running?
We’re just celebrating our 5th birthday! How time flies, we moved premises from the shop next door because this is a better more practical space for us but yes the business has been running for 5 years. I think it was up and running in our brains (Sharon and husband Paul) for a couple of years before that though! The amount of research we did before hand gave us a great wealth of experience.
2) Have you changed what you sell over the past year?
With changing technology and trends there is always something new to deal with. We try and give people what they want but will also keep up to date with the very latest advances in the world of tiling. The latest range from Laura Ashley for example has been popular because of the vintage style that everyone seems to be looking for.
3) In terms of retail and dealing directly with the public what has been your biggest surprise?
I’ve worked in retail management for a number of years so that side of things was already under my belt but dealing with our trade customers is great, the blokes that come in first thing ahead of their days work are always chipper and fun. Admittedly they do question my tiling knowledge sometimes but I know my stuff so they get as good as they give!
4) Do you have a style ethos in your shop or a particular style that you are trying to portray?
I’d love to say yes but with so many ranges things can get excitedly full in here. I always try and create little zones of tiling to demonstrate how tiles can be used best but we do little mock-ups of tile setups if we don’t have it on a proper display.
5) Where do you get your inspiration for the styling of your shop?
The tiles pretty much dictate the style of the shop but we do visit other shops to see how others do things. Inspiration comes from funny places but practicality is also a big factor because of course the tiles are generally speaking very fragile.
6) Is there a business in the same sector as yours that you aspire to be like? for example, is there another shop that inspires the way you present your shop?
We started our shop to offer something different and to fill the gap in the market for someone selling tiles with the knowledge and expertise and the passion not simply a warehouse stacking it high and selling it cheap! Expertise saves money in our experience and nobody can deny a bargain.
Harp Ceramics is at 263 North Valley Road Colne, Lancashire BB8 9DR
you can call them on: 01282 870968
Or like their page on FACEBOOK
H & M : Home & MMmmmm
Don’t look now, have you seen that ‘emo’ in the corner? Well he? she? THEY (it was the hair, too ambiguous) are probably decked out in H&M’s finest because they are the go to high street store for awkward teens. With clothes that have enough trend to be cool but enough simplicity to placate the ever changing attitudes of any style of teen H&M are so popular because they are cheap and cheerful enough to be budget friendly but without falling into the trap of being a budget brand.
A little bit like my recent post about Zara, the homewares section of H&M is often overlooked in favour of its clothes but H&M are small fry in comparison to the monolithic collections of Zara. They do however trump Zara in some ways, the small collection means that the pieces are well chosen and will co-ordinate quite easily, no design prowess needed.
I saw 50s Kitsch n Vintage and Tropical Pastels in the items on offer and chose a few items, what do you think? Do you like a splash of colour?
The Goggomobile
If anyone knows more about this van please let me know, I believe it to be a Goggomobile possibly model T-400. I’ve sort of fallen in love with the little guy and would love to ride around in one so please get in touch if you know anything about it.
Quentin Blake: A Practical Lick
Its not often you get to lick a piece of design or artwork that you love!
If you are of a similar age to me (26) I presume you will have been brought up on the great Roald Dahl books with their Quentin Blake illustrations, with my snotty nose and dungarees I would rifle through the pages soaking up the story and admiring the doodle styled imagery that accompanied the stories. Well now there is a collection of postage stamps from Royal Mail dedicated to the work of Quentin Blake. You could cheer up a loved one with an old fashioned love letter and a Fantastic Mr Fox stamp on the envelope. the only question that remains is who are you writing to?
Dan Mackey: Time for Tea?
My wonderful world of twitter often lands interesting people in front of me and its extra exciting when those people are artists, crafters, designers or anyone really with shared interests. Dan Mackey appeared on my radar simply through idle chat and seeming like a nice guy (I have no time for horrid people) then I discovered his passion.
When someone develops a passion or a sustained interest they really shine and excel in that area, the feeling of satisfaction is a driving force unsurpassed in the human emotions.
Dan Mackey is a graphic designer at the start of his career but judging by the steps he has taken so far he is on an incredible journey!! Pouncing on current affairs and turning them on their head Dan has created some simple, refreshing designs. In a world of “plastics” (in terms of people personalities and materials) Dan champions the power of paper and cardboard. Its amazing what you can do with print and a bit of hand action! The real standout pieces of Dan’s work for me are the Royal Wedding teapot and cup that can be downloaded, printed and constructed (free design for the masses!) and also the collection of Olympic themed papercrafts that he, Dan is currently working on!
I spoke with Dan about his work:
- What inspires you?
I enjoy creating colourful, feel good design that appeals to a wide audience. I look out for good uses of typography and graphic design in most situations, from food packaging to shopfronts.I find paper craft inspiring and how you can create something really unique and inexpensive reasonably simply. The whole concept of putting a template online for anyone to have a go at I think is great and you don’t need to have any sort of design skills to print, cut out and glue together something cool!- Where do you produce your work? ie home, studio, office
At the moment I work for in house marketing for a construction company where I enjoy creating identities and branding. I am given a lot of scope to produce really varied work in all sorts of media and it’s nice that it is functional and gets seen publicly
Out of office is when I do all sorts of personal projects in my spare time such as poster, t-shirts and papercraft pieces.- How is your work produced? ie the process, traditional or modern construction techniques?
I prefer hands on methods of design and anything that produces a tactile outcome. I think that creating something that someone can see how it’s made is refreshing and I like the naivety in it’s appearance. I usually work in Illustrator and vectors which suit my style of design.
- What are you working on at the moment?
I’m currently still working on a few mock ups for free paper crafts for the London Olympics. My Paper tea set I created for the Royal wedding got alot of positive feedback so if I get anything near that I’ll be happy!
Lenneke Wispelwey: hard pastel divinity
Glassware is a bit like art, a bit like wallpaper or the difference between a silk shirt and well any old shirt. We don’t neeeeed glass for our beverages but it sure makes for a more luxurious way of doing things and if you don’t agree then I imagine you drink your wine out of a mug!
Lenneke Wispelwey produces ceramics which err on the side of glass, the gloss and the pattern have the feeling of cut glass. We normally think of glass as being clear but the pretty opaque pastel ceramics produced by Lenneke Wispelwey throw us back to the ‘milk glass’ that reached its height of popularity in the 50s, ask your mum or your grandma if you don’t believe me. 
There is a majesty and a real glamour in the designs of the vessels but in a way which is graphic, the emphasised facets in the glass give the various vessels a contemporary feel. Put the pink vases against a concrete clad wall surrounded by glass and steel and it won’t fade away or look anything other than fantastic but put it on your scrubbed top pine table surrounded by chintz and it blends as though it was born in the era of its inspiration. It is a rarity to find something so adaptable and ready for the challenge but when you find it, its very special. So if you’re a secret wino who drinks from a mug at least pretend to be cool and drink your wine out of a super cool Lenneke Wispelwey ceramic cup.
