Romantic Reveries, Volume Trois

Morning Coffee Musings

Summer is finally here! Though, depending on when you’re reading this, it might have been and gone. Either way, we’ve had une soleil de plomb as the French might say!

With the summer holidays just around the corner, we’ve themed this edition of Romantic Reveries around the joys of summer. From a day out with the children to something delicious to drink to wedding outfits, we’ve got you covered! We’ve also got a lovely Sunday Brunch lined up with interiors stylist and blogger Sharon Hornsby of @Hornsby_Style where we chat about how she’s spending summer with her family.

At the French Bedroom Company, the butterfly effect Covid caused has led to longer lead times than we would like. A combination of material shortages, short staffed factory teams, busy ports, a shortage of shipping containers you name it – our team, and our customers have faced it this year. On top of this, we had stock on the Ever Given – yes, the ship that got stuck in the Suez Canal and made international news. Our approach has been to be open and honest, and thankfully you’ve been very patient and understanding. The next few months look better and we’re excited to be receiving in many new bed designs very soon.

I’ve been designing more new Love Story French beds, so there will be a wider range of colours to choose from in August (spoiler alert: pale pink and moleskin brown will be making an appearance!). We’ve been planning and buying for Christmas too and now we can’t wait to show you.

For our summer holiday, we’re hoping to escape for some family fun in Corfu. Our children love the sea, so we like to sail around the island watching the sea sparkle blue and green under the mountains, waving to other families playing on the shoreline. The old Venetian fortresses, medieval lanes, French-style arcade and the grand Palace of St. Michael and St. George always give me new interior inspiration. 

School’s out!

Sunday Discoveries

Discover; Fantastic Beasts

Ignite imaginations at the Natural History Museum with the Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature Exhibition. Explore how real animals have inspired mythical beasts, including those created by JK Rowling. Perfect for a day out with the children.

Libate; Chamomile Honey Whiskey Sour

An indulgent drink for sultry summer evenings in the garden with friends. Enjoy the ritual of creating this libation, from creating your own chamomile simple syrup to the straining of the liquid into a glamourous coupe glass.

Read; Find Me Among Them

[Editor’s choice] I’ll be reading this beautiful book with my daughter. It’s an anthology by 11 teenage girls from Stratford London, and they explore topics of race, identity and equality through stories. It’s as lovely on the inside as it is on the outside.

J’Adore: Summer Dresses

This summer is set to be full of so much joy! And one of the benefits of the UK opening up is that we can wear outfits once again, whether it’s a wedding, a garden party or a date, we’re sharing some summer dress favourites that we can’t wait to wear.

For a wedding – The Star Embellished Midi Dress from Self Portrait is a gorgeously ruffled, embroidered, sequined tulle number, perfect for dancing the night away celebrating love.

For a garden party – It has to be florals! We love this short, floral printed dress from Sandro. It has a V neck, romantically layered ruffles and an asymmetrical hem.

For a day out with kids – Practical but oh so stylish, the Printed Chiffon Scarf Dress from maje features flowing sleeves, a V neck and smocking at the waist. The shape and the print are just stunning.

For more is more – Perhaps you’ve got a date. Or a black-tie event. Or you just want a dress to feel good in. This fuchsia tulle maxi dress by Angelika Jozefczyk is everything.  

Brunch with Friends: Sharon Hornsby of @hornsby_style

We’re sitting down for brunch today with interior stylist, blogger and serial renovator, Sharon Hornsby. Currently in the throes of her fourth home renovation, we dragged her away from DIY to talk all things summer and family.  

Describe your perfect Sunday

My perfect Sunday in the summer would be spent with my family starting the day eating breakfast outside in the sunshine, going for a swim, playing cards together in the shade at the hottest part of the day and then all preparing a BBQ together and sitting outside all evening drinking and chatting. In the autumn I love nothing more than us all cosying up together on the sofas, after taking the dog for a long walk, watching a film in front of the woodburner after having roast dinner with all the trimmings... So I guess for a perfect Sunday, I just need my family and good food and drink!

What’s your favourite family memory?

My favourite family memories are being on holiday. We are lucky to have visited some fabulous places thanks to Jim’s job; some of my favourites are New York, Barbados, Dubai, Mallorca and Paris.

Do you have any exciting plans for the summer holidays with the kids?

Sadly we have had to cancel our summer holiday this year! we are planning on having some days out, and we are lucky enough to only live 20 minutes from the beach so we will be taking picnics and the BBQ down to the beach in the evening as often as we can.

How do you prepare your home for the summer holidays?

I love it when the kids are on summer holidays and have a pretty much open-door policy for their friends. I love the house being filled with teenagers (crazy I know!!) We try and make the outside area in the garden really nice for the summer, so they can spend time out there and we have a projector we set up so they can watch films outside with their friends. 

With the kids back at home, what helps you relax after a busy day?

I like nothing more than sitting with a good book and a gin and tonic in the evening and usually find between 6 and 7 I get an hour to myself which is lovely.

Follow Sharon on Instagram here (her 1920’s home is to die for) and check out her website here.

Your Afternoon Blog Post Omnibus

Planning a wedding? We’ve collated the 10 best bridal suites in the UK to inspire you, including a royal suite in an Irish castle, and art deco style turret conversion and opulent suite in a Victorian manor house.

We talked about summer bed linen trends and how a new set of fresh sheets has the power to transform your room.

If a trip across the channel is off the cards this year, you can still enjoy the taste of France with the best of the UK’s French patisseries. Whether it’s a flaky croissant to enjoy with your morning coffee or a colourful macaroon with your afternoon tea, you’re sure to find some delights in our blog post.  

And last but not least, we’ve offered some tips for your home office come guest room, as multipurpose rooms can be tricky to navigate!

See you next time!

Words by the FBC girls.

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