Friday 9 September 2011

Birdwatch

“A flock of birds before my eyes, what will be my next surprise…?”

I have had that sweet little phrase in my head since I first heard one of my very best friends say it, in almost a whisper as she sighted a flock of doves flying overhead, when we were eight years old. It is one of those things that just stuck in my head, and every time I see a flock of birds, I can’t help but whisper those words, secretly hoping for a lovely surprise to come my way! I close my eyes and imagine what the surprise could be. My better half shakes his head every time I do it…I am sure he’s thinking, “Excellent, what am I supposed to come up with now?!”

In truth, I have developed a slight birdie obsession, albeit a healthy one. I love birds. Not to have one as a pet (I once had a yellow ring neck parrot called Cheeky and he made my adolescence a noisy one with endless chirping and squawking that he has put me off the idea for a lifetime), but rather fancy incorporating birds into the home to add a whimsical feel. There’s a bit of a history behind my bird obsession.

I have recently had a baby. Her name is Lola and she is 3 months old and absolutely perfect. The first item that I ever bought for my growing bean was a stunning cotton blanket last year in Australia by a brand called Morgan & Finch. The blanket is beige and white and has little birds all over it. 


The blanket has spent most of its life slung over the couch in our living room, in case a chilly evening in front of the telly would call for the blankets’ debut. In truth, I love the blanket so much, it’s quirky but subtle print a sweet addition to my pale living room pallet, that I am afraid to use it in case something should happen to it! But recently the blanket was moved it to its rightful place: over the back of my feeding chair in Lola’s bedroom, as I find I do get a little chilly when attending to those cringe-worthy middle of the night feeds. As I shrug it over my shoulders each evening, I am inspired to seek out quirky bird inspiration. 

I just love this painting of birds sitting on a wire by My Thought Bubble. I have often thought about putting paintbrush to wall to give the wall above our couch a quirky facelift, but have not quite worked up the courage. I’ll leave it to the artists for now…


Birds add a quirky and feminine touch to the bedroom. Carefully placed stencilled birds onto the wall behind the bed or pretty bird printed bed linen, along with a few vintage pieces, add a touch of old world charm and gives the room a very feminine feel.
      Homeklondike

Birds are being incorporated more and more into upholstery, decorative accessories and unique wall décor due to the soft, romantic and whimsical feel they add to a room. I found this bronze wall piece by Pottery Barn which is lovely placed either inside or outside.


Add a touch of whimsy to your home with soft and pretty bird water colours by artist Amber Alexander

 
These beautiful and colourful paintings by Linnea Tobias are a little bolder and will make a pretty addition to a vintage style bedroom. 


This stunning piece is by photographer Max Wranger. He captures these flying birds beautifully in this image, and the colours are soft yet the piece is bold enough to make a statement above a mantelpiece in a foyer, or placed on a large wall in the living room. 


This pretty ink and watercolour bird painting was created by Little Doodles. I love the soft colours, dainty lines and the little touch of humour.


Wallpaper is somewhat old fashioned, though designers have reinvented the wheel by offering those who are looking to add a bit of bold to their homes a huge selection of designs to suit any style. I love the wallpaper below with little birds on branches by Louise Body Wallpapers. With this design, however, I would cover just a small wall, around a fire place would be cute to break it up a little, so as not to overwhelm the room.


I recently found these lovely little cut-outs of sweet little birds on the blog Rebecca’s Misc. A nice idea to print onto textured card and hang from ribbons in a child’s bedroom.




Speaking of children’s bedrooms, I recently made this mobile to hang in the centre of my daughter’s bed. I thought it would be a fun and pretty item for her to gaze at before she falls asleep. The birds were kindly made by a friend of mine and I had searched for ways to use them. I have hung them from ribbons attached to an old branch I found while walking in our local park. My other half stripped the bark, sanded the wood down to make it smooth and created the cross for me to hang the birds from. The ribbons are adorned with buttons, bows and little flowers. What do you think?



I hope the next flock of birds you discover will bring you a beautiful surprise. In the meantime, have fun incorporating these fluffy friends into your home!

H x

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