Marmite was invented in the late 19th century, when German scientist Justus von Liebig found out that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten. Who would have thought that this extract would achieve such impressive status today in the UK, Australia and New Zealand?
Marmite is to the UK, what Warhol’s Campbell's Soup Cans are to the US. To celebrate the iconic Marmite brand, these Pop Art inspired printed box canvases and framed prints have been produced, ready to spread out onto your wall. The depiction is retro, but the colou...View more
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Posted by Emily Peck, Editor, ACHICA Living
December 17th, 2011
As the king of quirky interiors, Jonathan Adler has a New York store that has long been an address in the black book of international interioristas in the know. As he launches his first UK store in London’s Sloane Square, we find out his top tips for dressing your table this Christmas. And not a faux sprig of holly in sight...
The table settings set the mood. I’m really into a bit of surrealism, such as adding in random ceramic animals to the table, as they just put everyone into a really fun mood. Don’t be afraid...View more
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Posted by Pip McCormac
December 16th, 2011
Hang out these beautifully embroidered stockings on Christmas Eve to make one of the best-loved Christmas traditions even more special. Make one for each member of the family—they're sure to be treasured for years to come. These instructions are for the Christmas tree design.
Materials (to make one stocking)
Piece of felt or boiled wool, approx. 211⁄4 x 231⁄2 in. (54 x 60cm)
Piece of contrasting felt, 91⁄2 x 63⁄4 in...
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Posted by Emma Morton Turner, Interiors Stylist and Writer
December 16th, 2011
My idea of a successful Christmas shopping trip is walking to my office at the bottom of the garden and ordering everything online, but it can still be an arduous task finding the right pressie for garden-minded friends. So to help you, I’ve trawled through the internet and come up with my top 10 gifts for gardeners. I would love any of these (must send a link to all my family members!) and I hope they inspire you too...
1. Kitchen Garden with shelf from ...View more
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Posted by Zia Allaway, Garden Expert, ACHICA Living
December 15th, 2011
This year here at ACHICA Living, we’re refusing to dig out the same tired old baubles, cover everything in red gold and green, and have the same identikit Christmas as everyone else. But that doesn’t mean we’re embracing the hot pink or black trees that interiors magazines have been pushing the last few years – they may look great on the page but don’t translate into festive fun at home. Instead we’re thinking of some other ways to decorate, the emphasis being on humour and wit, slightl...View more
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Posted by Pip McCormac
December 13th, 2011
ACHICA Living catches up with designers Antony and Richard Joseph, creators of colourful, contemporary kitchenware that’s internationally acclaimed for its award-winning form and function.
Before Antony and Richard worked their design magic, who knew a chopping board could be such a style icon?! But they didn't design just any old chopping board, but the Index Steel Chopping Board. Each board is colour coded and has its own index-style illustration tab, indicating which food type it should be used for, to avoid cross contamination of d...View more
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Posted by Emily Peck, Editor, ACHICA Living
December 12th, 2011
If you’ve made your decorations (see our how to here) and would like a real tree to hang them from, you may be wondering what type to buy. To help you, I asked my friend Simon Maughan, who, together with his father Pete, owns Frenchay Christmas Tree farm just outside Bristol.
'You have a choice of the popular non-dro...
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Posted by Zia Allaway, Garden Expert, ACHICA Living
December 10th, 2011
Step inside this modernist new-build in a traditional Suffolk market town, owned by Jane and David Webb. The state-of-the-art home stands between a row of period properties and makes a stunning impression. 'Our previous home was furnished in a classic way, but we had very modern plans for this place,' says Jane, a former dress shop owner, who started the new build with her husband David in 2008, with a modular timber-framed home by Baufritz and he...View more
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Posted by Emily Peck, Editor, ACHICA Living
December 8th, 2011
Make this fabulous Christmas garland with a few pine cones, cinnamon sticks, seasonal fruit and bits and pieces from your garden. It not only looks beautiful, but has a delicious scent too. When the Christmas chaos of shopping, card-writing, and parties just gets too much, I like to hide away, listen to some mellow festive tunes, and do something creative.
So if you’ve watched Kirsty Allsop’s attempts to get crafty on TV and thought you’d like to have a go too, try this easy Christmas garland, which I made in just a couple of hours last ...View more
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Posted by Zia Allaway, Garden Expert, ACHICA Living
December 8th, 2011
Hold the front door! Doorsteps are back! There was a time when doorstops seemed a bit stuffy and superfluous, but those days are long gone. These days the quirkier the home accessory (within reason of course) the better. Check out these darling doorstop and bookend characters from Dora Designs. They're fun to look at and what's more, practical too. And the best bit is there's not a hint of
creepy taxidermy in sight. I think this is as close I'll ever get to owning a household pet.
Dora Designs, founded by Angela Stevens, is now in its 20th year and has rec...View more
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Posted by Emily Peck, Editor, ACHICA Living
December 8th, 2011
