inspiration overload: haven workroom…
Posted in artists, creative ventures, handmade, interiors February 19th, 2010 by pia

cassandra2Cassandra’s  beautiful old home in New Zealand, as photographed by Matthew Williams.

Perhaps you are like me and are guilty of collecting fabrics upon fabrics which you want to make into a quilt but never find the time? Well, yesterday while I was reading Cassandra Ellis’ (from Haven Workroom beautiful blog, I was thrilled to find out that she is now taking orders for quilts made with your own personal collection of fabrics! It’s a wonderful idea, and Cassandra’s style and designs are stunning, she is one of the rare people I would give my pile of precious fabrics to without hesitation.

Read her original post about how she serendipitously came upon the idea here, and click here to find out about pricing (follow the link to ‘our goods’, ‘quilts’, then  ‘download pricelist’).

cassandrahome1

For those of you who are new to Cassandra’s work, let me introduce her to you. Back in 2002, Cassandra started a business called Haven Workroom in NZ. Then it was a gorgeous little store selling high-quality hand-made homewares (which sounds like my little indigo, but no doubt much, much nicer!). A little while ago, Cassandra packed her bags and moved to London and re-created Haven Workroom into an atelier making bespoke contemporary quilts as well as restoring and up-cycling vintage furniture. Cassandra’s aim is to keep artisan skills alive and relevant. Her quilts are contemporary and one-of-a-kind, made from vintage silks and cottons combining Indian, English, Asian and Eastern European textiles.

Take a look at her quilts right here.

The photos you see above and below are from Cassandra’s home back in New Zealand. I love her eclectic yet cohesive collection of homewares displayed throughout each space. It’s a home filled with soul…

ds16

haven1

Beautiful, non? Oui! But you know I was going to say that.

I don’t know about you but for me, this week’s posts about talented female artisans and their work spaces has been truly inspiring – first  it was Tracey Deep, then Harriet Goodall and now Cassandra Ellis of Haven Workroom. Be sure to check out all the links attached to each post as there is more inspiration to be had than what I have shown here.

Have a great weekend mes amis. See you on Monday!

xx

PS I am over the jetlag and flu now – yay! Thanks for all your well wishes.



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18 Comments

  1. mlle paradis says

    Thanks for a great week of posts Pia! There seem to be so many of you Antipodeans with great style and energy. You take the strength and depth of your childhoods in nature and embrace all the sophistication of the old world and come up with great things!

    February 19th, 2010 | #

  2. vintage simple says

    I just found her, too..! And I loved her story. She seems like a wonderfully warm and caring person, too, which is always an incredible bonus, no?

    Have a wonderful weekend, Pia!

    -maria

    February 19th, 2010 | #

  3. char says

    ALL the female Artisans have been so interesting to read about and see their spaces…thank you kindly for sharing.
    Have a wonderful weekend.
    Char

    February 19th, 2010 | #

  4. Lynn says

    What a great idea for those that don’t have the time. I have a quick recipe on my blog to make a ripped quilt for anyone interested and on a budget. They look awesome and take a few hours. Beautiful house and quilts.

    February 19th, 2010 | #

  5. jules @ the diversion project says

    Oui, c’est magnifique! Love this place, and do love some new (to me) blog linkage to wander through over the weekend.

    February 20th, 2010 | #

  6. Moocy says

    These images are so beautiful and inspiring. Thank you for posting this!

    February 20th, 2010 | #

  7. eva / sycamore street press says

    Her home is simply gorgeous! And yes, I am guilty of collecting fabrics with the intention of making a quilt but never having the time (let alone skills) to do so. I’ll take a look at her website!

    February 20th, 2010 | #

  8. beauty comma says

    this house is gorgeous. i think at least 50% of one’s possessions ought to be second-hand/vintage. it’s great that so many creative people work with upcycling and restoring these days.
    glad you’re feeling better – have a lovely weekend!

    February 20th, 2010 | #

  9. Lorena says

    Beautiful images, they are very inspirational… my pile of fabrics just keeps on growing too bc images that inspire just as these have done. Really enjoying your blog 🙂

    February 20th, 2010 | #

  10. sherilyn says

    I seriously just love everything you post. Thanks so much for your wonderful blog.

    February 20th, 2010 | #

  11. kirsty says

    pia – thanks for sharing a nugget of your inspiration. i visited cassandra’s blog after reading your post, and lo and behold, i found my own inspiration from cassandra’s post on how to be idle. one of my goals this year is to simply relax a little more, and her recipe of reading a magazine cover to cover in a favourite coffee shop with a good friend (who has their own magazine to read as well) was the perfect start to a weekend.

    February 21st, 2010 | #

  12. Jane Flanagan says

    I’m in love! I was coming up short on inspiration all weekend and these have hit the perfect spot. Thank you for sharing!!

    February 22nd, 2010 | #

  13. lynne says

    lovely, unpretentious comfort and style!

    February 22nd, 2010 | #

  14. Maia says

    I love the use of riding tack as decor. My mum does that too and it always makes me happy.

    February 22nd, 2010 | #

  15. judith b says

    Where to begin? Just to make us fully aware how much we missed you, you have spoiled us with all the lovely posts and images and links to the greatest blogs – can it get any better than this until your book comes out? Haven’s home, quilts and bespoke idea are killing me softly, par exemple!

    Thank you SO much, mus go and check out R’s blog now – love the logo design – you can almost hear it buzz!

    PS Must have missed the jet lag and the flu news – those long flights often pay back with some kind of a bug, don’t they?
    Stay warm and take care! Can’t wait to see where we are going tomorrow…

    February 23rd, 2010 | #

  16. Cassandra says

    Thanks for all your lovely comments – I really loved that house, mostly because of how people felt when they were in it. Maia – the saddle and crop was my sister Melody’s. When she passed away they came to me and they are of course very special. I always gave it a tap when I walked passed it – I think we need things like that in our lives don’t we and a little more real to me than a photograph of her ( although I have those too! )

    February 23rd, 2010 | #

  17. brandeye says

    very beautiful house. and quilts!

    March 5th, 2010 | #

  18. jeanne wolf says

    Thank you for sharing your wonderful world. You are an inspiration …never stop.

    October 31st, 2010 | #


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