A day In Copenhagen

So, I have recently visited Copenhagen again, one thing is for sure it may be a small city but this place is full of quirky charm, in it's relaxed surroundings you can enjoy a day of shopping, eating and trend researching. My main purpose here was to visit the trade shows for the up and coming SS14 clothing trends, in-between spotting the newest styles i had a couple of hours to explore what else Copenhagen had to offer and give you some hints and tips to help you on your way if you are visiting the city, here goes...

The main shopping street in Copenhagen is called the Stroget which runs just across the road from Tivoli Gardens (amusement park - well worth a look) up until the Nyhavn water front. If you are doing a brisk walk without stopping it will take you around 20-25 minutes to walk the street, however there is plenty to stop and see so squeeze in a couple of hours if you are planning on seeing what the shops have to offer.

Nyhavn is a beautiful waterfront where the boats come in, there is a line of Restaurants running alongside it, in the Summer you can enjoy your meal outside under the sun or the stars and watch the world go by.

At the front of the Nyhavn you can join a boat tour around Copenhagen which is a perfect trip if the sun is out.

Typical shops you can expect to find in Copenhagen which you may recognise if you are from the UK are; H&M, Vera Moda, Jack & Jones, Topshop and Urban Outfitters. As well as some other fantastic shops stocking Danish brands. The ones to look out for are; Monki, which stocks affordable fashionable clothing, you will find this right at the beginning of the Stroget (near Tivoli end) and another just down the side street opposite Illum department store. Another trendy store for mens wear and ladies wear is called Weekday which stocks Cheap Monday brand and often has a sale on where you can pick up a bargain, this is located almost in the middle of the shopping street. Finally, If you are familiar with Vera Moda then you will recognise the accessories concession Pieces which has it's own stand alone store, there are a few of these located down the Stroget.
One of the greatest things for me about H&M in Copenhagen is that it has a home section where you can pick up a quirky piece for your home, it is definitely worth a look.

Cushion Cover in H&M

Dinner set in H&M

If you are stopping for a light bite or just want to get out of the Sun and rest your feet, then the perfect place to eat is called the Royal Smushi cafe. Situated just before Illum department store (from Tivoli end) you will see a shop called Royal Copenhagen, next to this is an archway, go through this and you will see the quirkiest cafe in Copenhagen, and if you are a cake lover then this place is definitely for you, i dare you to try and eat it all!

The outdoor space for the cafe, with quaint tables and chairs, cute green parasol's and a blanket in-case you get cold.

Inside is decorated with drawings, art and beautiful lighting and furniture, you will not be able to take your eyes away from the walls!

Art wall drawing in the Royal Smushi Cafe

You will not be hungry after a slice of cake this size! For more information and menus on this cafe visit their website: Royal Smushi Cafe

After a stop at this amazing Cafe head up the street to Illum take a left turn, and walk for around 10 minutes, just before you get to the round tower of Copenhagen you will come across a shop on your right called Plint, if you love quirky home ware accessories then you need to step inside this shop! After a trip to an interiors trade fair a year ago i became familiar with a a Danish brand called Rice. They stock funky, fun and functional products and support Global projects. You can find a stockist near you by visiting their website: Rice Or take a look at the stores online shop: Plint

A selection of home ware from Plint.

Next, carry on until you reach the round tower of Copenhagen, and prepare to do a small workout! The tower's walk to the top consists of a steep ramp (no stairs or lift) which is 209m long and spirals the tower 7.5 times, when you finally get to the top and catch your breath you can take in the view of Copenhagen.

...And finally, it seemed only right to include some inspirational images from the trade fairs that i snapped throughout the day.

Design exhibition at the CIFF show at the Bella Centre location.

Images from the Converse stand at Terminal 2 show

Converse brands outdoor space

I liked the way that this book had been sculpted.

My favorite kind of Retro interior lights on on of the stands bars.

Retro radio

Neon lights

It didn't seem right to not have a photo of a bike as there are literally thousands of them in Copenhagen. In Copenhagen you either walk or get a bike which you can hire around the city, it is the best way to get around and see everything quickly and easily and you can burn off some calories too!

However my favorite way to get around would be using one of these old Fiat's!

That's it for now i hope that you have enjoyed my piece on Copenhagen, and once again i hope that i have inspired you in someway.

Vicky
xxx

Up & coming interior trends

Hello!

After recent visits to a number of antique fairs and country manors i have collected a huge range of inspirational photographs which have contributed to my mood board below (very bottom). I was in London this week at a Stylesight trend seminar for Spring/Summer 2015 at the London fashion retail academy. For those of you that have never heard of Stylesight it is a unique organization that forecasts trends for clothing and interiors, they have a huge dedicated team around the globe that are constantly on the look out for up and coming trends and always gathering inspiration from catwalks, music and studying the day to day life of us human beings to determine what the next big thing is going to be. If you are creative minded you will understand that you have to look further afield and all around you to discover trends, i have taken the ideas from the seminar and linked it together with my own research to create a board of up and coming trends for interior and home...enjoy!

The Stylesight trend seminar was held at the London fashion retail academy, a creative hub which was a great place for everyone to come together and discuss new trends and ideas.

With a special vintage exhibition arranged by 'Beyond Retro' of London, one of my favorite vintage shops. Beyond Retro work closely with the trends to alter and create vintage pieces for each season, they have a huge archive of vintage fabrics which they are constantly using to create new pieces with. With the huge trend for vintage and thrift at the moment this was a very fitting exhibition.

Once inside the Fashion retail academy you are immediately immersed in creativity by fashion illustrations all around the building.

The seminar proved incredibly useful, as we were talked through the trends of SS15 and given an insight into where the inspiration came from to predict the direction in which the seasons will unfold.

After recently purchasing an SLR camera as my poor iPhone cannot hold anymore photos, i have taken it to every photo opportunity with me, it has proven it's worth already! I have already taken over 800 inspirational photographs from a couple of fairs and country manors i have visited and have used some of them to link in with the trend board below.

Chatsworth House

Knebworth House - Salvo Fair

Althorp House - Princess Diana's dress exhibition

...and finally my mood board. One of the quotes i picked up from the Stylesight seminar which i loved was "Any inspiration is valid as long as you can find something new in it" Jean Paul Gaultier. I think this is a great way to work, there is inspiration in everything you just have to open your eyes to it. If you would like to know more about any of the images, products or locations above please email me at info@vickyspretties.co.uk and i will get back to you as soon as i can.

Vicky xxx

Salvo Fair at Knebworth House

I came across the Salvo Fair at Knebworth house in Hertfordshire on a trend website last year and made a mental note to visit it this year. With a love of vintage treasures and antiques, especially in interior decor this was one fair that wasn't to be missed! We went along on the Saturday which i am very glad of as i heard the weather was much better, and i must say that this fair did not disappoint! If you are a lover of interior design and get inspired by unusual items then this fair is definitely for you! With a selection of antiques and restored items, to handmade lovelies you will be sure to go away with something a little bit special. I have short listed some of my favorite items below, take a look and let me know what you think!

These old storage containers would look great on display in your home, and i love the beautiful colours they have been painted in too!

I love these lights i think they would look great in a Retro kitchen and the colours are great too, i will definitely have some of these in my house one day.

I have been looking for vintage grain sacks for a very long time, they are such lovely quality fabrics they usually cost around the £20 mark for one sack so can be quite pricey, but they are great for making cushions out of and re-upholstering old furniture, as you can see from my photos below.

I have been searching for a vintage crate for a while now, and there were tonnes of them at the fair, from old apple crates to wine crates they look great on display and look lovely as planters inside your home or in your garden.

This sink reminded me of our old art sink at school always covered in acrylic paints, that's the best thing about art, you can have fun with it and it doesn't matter if you make a mess as it is all part of the fun!

From messy to rustic these tables below would look lovely in a kitchen and would make a great focal point in your room, the best thing about these kind of items is that they are so unique you can be sure that there won't be many people with the same furniture as you!

There were a lot of old metal signs at the fair but this one in particular caught my fancy, it would look great hanging on a wall in your house as a focal point.

These old tiles were just stunning, and as a print designer a lot of inspiration can be drawn from these, there were a lot of stands selling tiles as one-offs or as a set, and they have no end of uses. You can display them amongst a set of plain tiles as a focal piece or have a few of them up on display. I was in a vintage tea shop just last week and they were using them as a centre piece to a table to put the teapots and salt and peppers on, they are just lovely!

Speaking of tea shops, there were also lots of vintage tea cups and saucers on show and i particularly liked these ceramic jugs below, I had to purchase one for myself, they are great to use as a vase with a bunch of hydrangeas in they look great!

As a lover of sewing these old reels look great on display in your sewing room, just as they are or wrapped with coloured thread or ribbons.

I absolutely adored this big bath, and i hope to have one just like this one in my house one day!

I thought this retro corner display was great and i loved the way that the colours had been put together.

I loved this shabby chic corner, and also the star fish which would look great on display in your bathroom.

As a lover of horses and shabby chic decor, these next few pieces really caught my eye, i think they are beautiful works of art.

I thought these old shoe lasts were very quirky and would look great on display in your home.

I thought these rustic numbers looked great and if you wanted to get very inventive you could make them into a giant clock!

And finally... the sun was shining and the sky was blue, there were flowers everywhere and i snapped a few!

Knebworth house what a beautiful setting for a great fair, i will definitely be visiting again soon!

I hope you enjoyed my blog, below i have listed a few of my favorite stands and supplier details from the day in-case you wanted to do a bit of your own salvo hunting!

Vicky xxx

Planet Vintage Girl www.planetvintagegirl.com

Charlotte's Yard www.charlottesyard.co.uk

Quirky Interiors www.quirkyinteriors.co.uk

The original home store www.theoriginalhomestore.co.uk (the old bath photo)

Inside Outdoors www.insideoutdoors.com (the ceramic vases photo)

Nikki Page Antiques www.nikkipageantiques.com (Shabby chic interior photo)

Beyond France www.beyondfrance.co.uk (linen grain sacks and cushions photo)