Pillow Me (Featured Shop)

Hello and welcome back to another drool worthy post here at TECD. 

This time, I have an irresistible store that prides itself in showcasing handmade products that belong to a tradition and heritage that has taken the design world by storm. Can you imagine my sheer delight to see Kilims, Suzannis and Ikats all under one roof????? Yes, "PILLOW ME" is a store in Eskisehir (Turkey) that retails via Etsy and is a one stop store to get your share of this gorgeousness.

Burak Hepguzel, is the Owner and Designer for the brand "Pillow Me". Pillow me was started as a hobby to feed Burak's love for all things vintage, handmade and bohemian. But once on the job she says, "the joy of being able to sell things having a soul and an identity, is very rewarding." It's a family owned business and it's Burak's 4 member team that keeps things rolling at Pillow Me.

So as to get a better understanding of the product line, I asked Burak to share a little more about the products and the process. Talking about the process Burak says," As for the kilim pillows, we gather handwoven old kilims, most of them are 20 to 70 years old. They are then cut and sewn into pillows depending on the design. When the kilim or suzani comes to us, it excites me. Because of the handmade nature of the product, each Kilim and Suzani is unique. Designs may be similar but not the same. The most exciting thing about Kilims is that they are organic - handwoven from wool and colored with natural dyes (from plants, insects etc.)" 

Going on to explain about the Suzanis and Ikats, Burak says,"Suzanis and Ikats being totally handmade, the process is very long. It takes 3 days for handwoven Ikat fabrics to a couple of weeks for the Suzannis depending on the design".

The art form of Kilims, Suzanis and Ikats  has been kept alive by stores like Pillow Me in their own way, only to be enjoyed by folks like us the world over. Pillow Me ships to most countries. Check out the entire product line of Pillow Me right here. I'd like to thank Burak for her time and prompt response to my queries in putting this post together for you'll. I wish her all the very best with the Pillow Me venture.

You'll take care and visit me back here at TECD for more on decor, food and photography coming your way this holiday season. 

Images: Courtesy Pillow Me 

The Shilvocks - A Couple with a Green thumb (Garden Tour)

Based in Warwickshire (UK), the residence of Michael and Neena Shilvock is an intimate abode that strongly resonates the couples love for travel and the outdoors. You'll have been introduced to Neena (an obstetrician and gynecologist by profession) as the creative mind behind Caprilicious Jewelry line and has been featured here. Neena  and Michael have been gracious in inviting us to take a tour of their lovely garden and share with us their gorgeous home filled with travel treasures. They share their home with their boy cat, Harold. And I must tell you'll that serendipity played a huge role, in being able to bring this beautiful home to you'll.

Armed with foresight and a vision of what they wanted their home to be,the Shilvocks have truly made every effort to make it their nest. Neena says,"The house was in a lovely spot, but very dated and dilapidated when we first bought it ten years ago - little by little we remodeled, reshaped, extended and redecorated, and filled the house with our own personalities - to the extent that we ripped up the carpets and the roof - and most of what was in between and redid them - it reflects our personalities now." 

The house is set in a sprawling English garden flaunting a burst of color at every corner of the landscape. The Shilvocks eagerly await for Spring and Summer to stay outdoors and tend to their garden. In Neena's own words,"We just love it. I had a garden in our previous house landscaped, and I realized that it isn't so hard to do with a bit of knowledge - it's all about finding the right plants for the right spot and sourcing them - the internet has made life so easy - we can spend a whole day in the summertime pottering around in the garden."

The Asian inspired statue (affectionately known as Kwannie - Kwan Yin) sits pretty by Neena's pool and is one of the many gifts that she cherishes given by her wonderful husband Michael.

The garden is sprinkled with bistro style seating so as to be able to enjoy English tea or share a conversation with a friend. 

Interesting garden decor from Spain and pots painted in indigo, add to the charm and whimsical feel of the garden. The antlers left behind by the previous owners, has been creatively used by Neena for hanging bird cages. A sign that says "Flizvos" - the sound of the surf on the shore - in Greek evokes fond memories of their many visits to Greece .

A close up of the kaleidoscope of colors from the Shilvocks garden. 

Are we ready to move inside and take a peek????

The Shilvocks describe their style as ," Eclectic and colorful, sometimes quirky and kitschy,  and at times seriously into antiques." Their prized antique possession that Neena and Michael love is an 18th century Mahogany French headboard.

The Shilvocks are not afraid to use color. Their home can be rightly said to be a "well traveled home", as their globe trotting trophies adorn every corner of their space. Neena loves collecting plates from every place that she travels to and has created a colorful collage of plates in the dining area.

Neena's grandmom's ivory lace box occupies a place of pride along with a gallery wall that displays Tram to the castle in Vienna, a Minakari inlay and the St Basil's square.

Tanjore  painting by Muthu Navaneetham

Neena  says, "I'm sure my roots are visible all over the house, but I am married to an Englishman and we have tried to integrate the two cultures and add little bits from our travels. It would be so easy to furnish the house to completely reflect my roots. We go to India a lot, but have to stop ourselves from buying a whole load of things there, beautiful as they are - we are - or we attempt to be, internationalists - and don't want to overwhelm our living space with any one culture to the exclusion of others." 

And finally their fur ball Harold (look at that face - are we in love ????)

Warwickshire has some harsh winters. The picture in the upper left hand corner makes us appreciate the effort the Shilvocks put in year after year into their garden of Eden so that it comes alive every spring and summer. Neena shares with us,"We love spending the summer in our house - that's when the garden comes into it's own. Once we have cleared up the dead leaves at the end of autumn, and planted out next springs bulbs, we take a holiday and go somewhere in Europe that would have been too hot in the summer." 

Neena's library and studio where she creates fascinating and one -of-a-kind jewelry line for Caprilicious Jewelry.

When asked what the Shilvocks do to entertain themselves when the garden and pool are closed for winter, Neena admits that they miss gardening but are kept busy as, "We read a lot, snuggle up in front of the telly with Harold, our 18 year old cat, watch movies late into the night, I make jewelry, we entertain friends - winter is filled with warmth and coziness, gaajar halwa and mince pies, cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg. 

We go to India to see my mother in Bangalore in January, and then spring is here - a bit of clearing up the winter debris in the garden, and another quick foray into Europe, before the heat of summer starts up - and we are ready to start the garden up again."

A couple with a green thumb and an insatiable desire to travel and experience all cultures. I would like to thank the Shilvocks for welcoming us into their lovely home and garden.Wishing Neena and Michael all the very best for the future!!!!!  

I was very excited to do this feature as it was my debut home/garden tour. Hope you'll enjoyed the feature as much as I had fun putting it together.

Take care and stay tuned for a delicious recipe coming up in "On the Plate" segment.  

Images : Courtesy  Mohan Kakade, Photo-editing Sruthi Singh.