The neighborhood encompassing Bermondsey Street and Borough High Street is the home of Hello!Lucky's London studio, located at the historic Leathermarket building. Just steps away from our studio, we absolutely adore the Garrison Pub for its gorgeous, vintage style and its incredible gastro-pub-style food. Also on Bermondsey Street: the headquarters and London retail outlet of Terra Plana, a wonderful design studio that creates stylish, environmentally sustainable shoes and boots created from recycled materials. And of course there is the Fashion & Textile Museum, currently exhibiting Peacocks & Pinstripes: A Snapshot of Masculine Style. We also adore Holly & Lil, the couture dog accessory designer that also happens to stock Hello!Lucky's letterpress printed greeting cards. And finally, there is the historic Borough Market, home of the juiciest organic produce and gourmet fare in London.
Real Wedding: Shauna and Jeff
We were honestly blown away by wedding of Shauna and Jeff's wedding at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin last August. (Shauna is a designer at Hello!Lucky and was kind enough to invite us!). What inspired us most were all of the thoughtful, lovely, personal details -- it made for an incredibly fun, happy, and beautiful celebration.
Shauna wore a beautiful beaded cocktail dress which her grandmother had worn her own 1953 wedding. Jeff walked down the aisle to Johnny Cash's Walk the Line (possibly the most romantic song ever!), and guests received lovely (and much-needed!) vintage handkerchiefs to dry their eyes. Post-ceremony, we all indulged in "Hitched Hooch," a delicious, peachy cocktail that Jeff concocted to pay homage to his Texas roots (coasters with a cowboy boot stitch motif spelled out the recipe!).
The reception dinner was held in a rustic, cozy dining hall with an open kitchen which allowed us to see the chefs at work. The exquisite food and wine were all local and organic (Shauna and Jeff are both devoted foodies, and Jeff is a wine buyer at Andronico's Market). The centerpieces and flowers were designed by Mary Lois Hare (at Loop Flowers) and included local, seasonal flowers of yellows, creams, browns and oranges displayed in blue glass mason jars collected from the local flea market.
Shauna designed her own gorgeous, vintage-fabric-inspired wedding invitations, save the dates, and day-of stationery, which were (of course!) letterpress printed by Hello!Lucky. (Her invitation and related stationery are available for purchase here.). Shauna's photographer was the talented Marla Aufmuth
It was a truly special and unforgettable day. Congratulations, Shauna and Jeff!
Letter from London: King's Road
Despite becoming more dominated by chain stores recently, we still love visiting King's Road in Chelsea to check out some of our favorite shops in London. This week, the post-Christmas sales were on, making the treasure hunt even more fun (especially from those of us who are earning in the North American peso!).
Couverture, which is soon making the move to Notting Hill, always has wonderful home decor and a great children's section. We loved this tea cozy as well as their vintage-inspired patterned ottomans. They also carry these fabulous wool lemon pillows by the Jonathan Adler.
We love pouring through the wallpaper pattern books at Osborne & Little -- they always strike the perfect balance between vintage elegance and contemporary style. We covet every single pattern in their Vintage collection!
Cath Kidston is always good for some sweet, kistchy pieces. We love her textiles, in particular these cheery oven gloves and mits. Her books are a great resource for those looking for ideas for using vintage fabrics for creative DIY projects.
A newcomer we noticed on the block is lovely brasserie Napket. The restaurant's design combines warm lighting, natural wood, and vintage pieces like this witty fork chandelier. Offering "snob food" (with tongue firmly in cheek!) the ambiance is hip and earthy - reminded us of Craft, one of our favorite places to dine in NYC.
And then, of course, there is Designers Guild, which always offers a feast of fabulous design. We especially love their children's section.