NEW Kantha Cushions and Quilts for Spring 2012

It's finally started to feel like Winter is making way for Spring. This is a great time to start thinking about all those improvements you want to make around the home and bring the place back to life after the darkness of Winter!

To get you started, how about making a few small changes to your home decor? All it takes is a few brightly coloured cushions or a quilt to spruce up a sofa or bed.

We think you'll like our new colours for Spring!

NEW Kantha Cushions for Spring 2012

NEW Vintage Kantha Quilts

They can all be found on our website right now. Enjoy!

Pantone Colour Report Spring 2012

Back in September 2011, the Pantone Color Institute revealed the top ten colours you should be wearing this Spring. Somehow, I missed this news release, so now, in the midst of the cold, miserable (and windy!) start to 2012, we can take some solace in dreaming about warmer and brighter days of colour to come.

The Pantone Colour Report is put together for Spring and Autumn after Fashion Week in New York, and although it’s more in the name of fashion, these colours inevitably get filtered down into home interiors and home décor.

Pantone Colours for Spring 2012

We think the choices look fab, the brights are a burst of colour for Spring and the gentle hues and pastels are calming and subtle for a more relaxed palette.

What’s your favourite? Personally, I love Tangerine Tango (don’t you just love that name?), the pretty pastel of Sweet Lilac and the vibrancy of Cockatoo.

Here’s our take on the Spring 2012 colour palette. Looks like we’re on trend with our colour range this season!

Raja and Rani's Pantone Spring 2012 Palette

By the way, Tangerine Tango is Pantone’s Colour of the Year for 2012. Why was it chosen? Who knows....maybe we’re in for a more vibrant, warm, energetic 2012?

Images from left to right:

Vintage Kantha Silk Shawl
Vintage Kantha Cushion
Detail from Vintage Kantha Quilt
Vintage Kantha Quilt
Vintage Kantha Quilt
Vintage Kantha Silk Shawl
Detail from Vintage Kantha Silk Shawl

Goodbye 2011!

Phew, what a year it's been! The best way to capture it was to create a collage of the last 12 months in the world of Raja and Rani. We've come a long way this year, from the adventure in India at the beginning of 2011, to sourcing the first collection, meeting our suppliers, creating the website, anxiously waiting for the stock to arrive, getting our products stocked in London shops, and finishing off the year with Christmas shopping events and pop up shops. 

Goodbye 2011!

We've had a fantastic year, it's been a lot of hard work but fun too, here's to a jam-packed 2012 full of new ideas, inspiration and of course new and exciting Raja and Rani products!

A special "thank you" to all our friends and family who have helped us along the way.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas

We are packaging up and sending off all those last minute gifts and purchases in the mad rush for Christmas!

We would like to wish all our customers, colleagues and friends that we have made along the way in starting up Raja and Rani this year, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Look out for special promotions and new products in 2012!

The Lost Music of Rajasthan

Many of India's old traditions and cultures are being lost in the race to become part of the fast moving modern world. I watched this documentary today about the dying art of traditional Rajasthani music and how a small group of people are getting involved to save the music and the musicians, before they are lost forever.

Highlights include snippets from Jodhpur RIFF 2011 (Rajasthan International Folk Festival), which attracts music lovers from all across the globe as well as famous music celebrities such as Mick Jagger.

Well worth a watch - we even spotted a few artisans in the programme that we befriended whilst on my travels in Rajasthan!

The next Jodhpur RIFF takes place between 26th - 30th October 2012. See images from this year's event here.

Had a busy weekend taking a look at the venues for this week's Raja and Rani shopping events. 

Firstly we stopped by 3 Fournier Street, the location for this weekend's The Laundry Room Pop Up. The venue look's fabulous, an Georgian townhouse right in the heart of Spitalfields. We've dropped off a selection of our vintage kantha quilts, silk scarves, shawls and embroidered cushions which will be available to buy on Saturday 3rd - Sunday 4th December.  3 Fournier Street is the location of decorative artist and designer Marianna Kennedy's space, you can see more images of this unique location in this World of Interiors article.

Notting Hill was our second stop, to see the 20th Century Theatre, the location for the Notting Hill Design Fair, starting this Thursday 1st December. Set in a prime location, we'll be there for 3 days selling our fabulous vintage collection to shoppers looking for alternative gifts this Christmas! Better get a move on selecting goodies for this one....

Notting Hill is calling…….

Lovely vintage kantha cushions

We'll be at the Notting Hill Design Fair for 3 days next week, selling our Kantha quilts, cushions, and luxurious silk scarves and shawls, all handcrafted from vintage sari fabrics. The perfect place to start shopping for your Christmas gifts!

There'll be lots of other designers there too, selling jewellery, handmade cards, hand thrown tableware, unusual children's toys and much more!

If that wasn't enough, Hummingbird Bakery and Rococo Pod have scrummy cakes and coffee on offer whilst you shop for your Christmas gifts.

Forgot shopping on the boring high street, this is going to be a lot more fun! See you there!

Notting Hill Design Fair, 20th Century Theatre: Thursday 1st December 12-8pm, Friday 2nd December 10-7pm and Saturday 3rd December 10-6pm.