ASAP54 | Finding Inspiration In Everyday Life

Wearing - Reiss Sweatshirt | Watch c/o Skagen | Paul Smith Ring | Wallet c/o Trove

I've always been interested in how + why things are made (you can read more about my thoughts on this subject here). Maybe it started with LEGO as a kid, but I love to find the reasons why things are designed in a certain way, and for what purpose. It was while at uni my obsession with colour, pattern and shape started. We would research into up-and-coming trends away from fashion; social, environmental, art, transport, agriculture, architecture, niche groups...you name it. My mind was constantly filled with whizzing thoughts, trying to figure out what on earth I'd just seen or read.

"You can find inspiration in everything...and if you can't, look again".

Paul Smith

ASAP54 is an app that fits into these sentiments perfectly – blending the world of pattern, colour and clothing all into one. The ASAP54 app helps you discover new items of clothing + brands, simply by uploading any photography. All you do is upload an image of something inspiring, and the app will search for products which match the colours and patterns within your image.

The ASAP54 team have challenged me and several other bloggers to discover how much inspiration we can find in our everyday lives. We were told to look all all things none-fashion, then use the app to see what items we could find. I'll report back soon to show you the results from using the app, it's been pretty fun so far.

Thanks for reading + Merry Christmas to you all!

Mat

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Pattern Personality with Thou Swell

(via Domaine) 

Hey friends, it's Kevin from Thou Swell. While Mat's away I'm stopping by to offer some decorating tips to make mixing patterns a less daunting endeavor. It's easy to stick to solids and simple color palettes when decorating, but mixing patterns and textures can make a space feel more personal and inviting, though presents a more challenging task! Use these tips to simplify the process, and you'll be a pro when it comes to adding personality to your space.

(via Home Adore)

Start with the floor. When layering two rugs, it's best to only pick one with a pattern. Keep the solid rug on the bottom, and add a pattern with a smaller one. In the photo above, a large jute area rug sets the stage for a small Kilim rug with a bold pattern. If you'd like large-scale pattern, go for a Persian or Oriental rug. 

(via Coco & Kelley)

Adding a solid color will tie all the patterns together. Find a common hue or complementary color within the patterns you're using and add a solid in this color family. Don't go matchy-matchy, but adding a solid will keep things cohesive. In the photo above, blue throws complement the red in all the throw pillows. 

(via Thou Swell)

Patterns can be small and intricate, or big and bold. Layer small scale patterns with bigger ones to keep them from competing. Different scales with provide a bit of contrast to distinguish patterns as separate decor elements. 

I hope these three tricks demystify the pattern pairing process, and leave you confident to add more punch to your space! 

Thanks to Kevin from Thou Swell for today's post - You can follow him on Twitter here.

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GIVEAWAY - tuktuk AW13 Shirt

For this week's giveaway I've teamed up with shirting specialists tutktuk, who are offering a Buckets & Spades reader the chance to win a shirt from their AW13 collection! You can choose from either the awesome navy + blue Floral Print Shirt or tuktuk's take on a Classic Work Shirt in maroon corduroy, both worth £59.

tuktuk make shirts and they make them seriously well. Inspiration for their designs comes from the diverse culture of South Asia, from the vibrant colours and scents to traditional patterns and music. As well as shirts they also carry a range of accessories, bags, small leather goods, music and artwork. You may remember me featuring tuktuk's Banana Print Shirt on the blog in August, which we spotted it on our recent trip to Brighton.

To win one of two AW13 tuktuk shirts all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below, if you're having any troubles with the Rafflecopter just post a comment below stating shirt you like and how you follow Buckets & Spades. The more ways you enter, the more chances of winning.  Remember, if you follow my blog you can enter this giveaway daily! This giveaway is open worldwide, good all around.

Good luck everyone!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Reef Footwear - Surf + Turf

Another post on the trainer front today, this time coming from the Surfwear aficionados and all round easy-living folk at Reef* clothing. Reef is a proper blast from the past for me, they're a brand that I was always aware of when I was growing up and even something I wore without realising.

My mum would buy me big baggy t-shirts and patterned shorts from Reef and other skate/surf brands, to make sure I looked the part when I was pretending to be a skater. Ok technically she chose the wrong sport in surfwear but the thought was sweet. It worked too, I felt like the coolest 11 year old on the block, off I went with my surf's-up-dude clothing, rollerblades and my 5-strong crew of pals, ready to conquer the local skatepark. It was meant to be all about the skating but I was never that good at it. I did a lot of standing around, trying to look aloof in the hope that someone would think, "hey he's pretty cool." That's all I wanted but in reality it didn't work, an 11 year old Northern kid can try and look like Weezer till the cows come home, but never going to happen.

Fast forward a few years and it turns out Reef are still producing really wearable casual surf clothing. As well as both men's and women's apparel the brand have shifted focus onto their footwear. With styles ranging from simple canvas lace-ups and slip-on deck shoes to the Hawaiian print Cruisers, the more refined full grain leather Reef Cloudbreak and even trying their hand at a smarter alternative with the Reef Kudu desert boot. Above are a few of my favourite styles from their current AW range, you can just tell their insoles would be a dream to walk on.

For more information visit Reef.com

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Ayame @ Present

Where would we be without socks? We would have wet, cold feet for a start but I feel a damn sight better off knowing that I can pull on a decent pair of colourful socks whenever I need to.

Japanese brand Ayame do some of the best looking ones around and their Sock Monkeys are the bomb.

Available at Present.

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Goods by Goodhood

Serious cool 6-piece collection which marks the second series of Goods by Goodhood. The second drop features multi-print coach jackets, reversible bucket hats, screen printed button down pyramid shirts and soft cotton logo tees. Their online store features on my search history so much so that it probably should be my homepage and the second installment for me this feels like a natural progression from the first collection. And to seal the deal it's all Made in UK.

Weekend Bucket List

Purpose and Form - A new Design and Architecture blog.
The nicest looking hostel you're ever likely to see.
Colourful Irish Sporting Flags by Caman and co.
Currently saving for these Red Wing Chukkas, £7 and counting...
A look around Weavers Door of Liverpool.

This week has been a bit slow one and I'm increasingly worrying about how the bills are going to get paid. These things happen when you're working freelance so if you're in a similar position and struggling with self doubt check out this article on Creative Boom. Enjoy your weekend folks, what's on the cards?

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A Colourful Winter by Florent Tanet

A Colourful Winter is a project by young Parisian designer and photographer Florent Tanet. I really enjoy still life work based around using everyday objects as the subjects, so along with this, his latest project entitled Fishing is another one I recommend checking out. Shape and form is a brilliant thing.

The bonus of A Colourful Winter is that when the project is over it can all be bended up to make one giant smoothie. Back of the net!

Check out more of Florent Tanet's work here.

The winner of the Hertz Supercar Giveaway is...Issy Goode! Thank you to everyone who entered. I've got  a couple more giveaways planned in for next month.

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Jacket Required SS 14 - Part 1

Victoria House at Bloomsbury Square, London houses menswear trade show Jacket Required and early this month I decided to take the big hike down from the North West to check it out for myself. It was a great chance to connect with some guys in the industry and actually put names to faces, especially the ones I've been chatting to online for years.

I bloody love menswear, as we all know and going to a trade show is basically the ultimate tease. It gives you a chance to see what your favorite brands have been working on for SS14 and also a  platform to discover new ones. Notable favourites included - Burtonwode's ace silky pajamas and underwear, Levi's Vintage Clothing and Made & Crafted's offerings were as mad as a box of snakes but totally genius, which is another reason why I love Levi's so much, Ebbets' baseball caps and a new discovery Realm & Empire. Fascinating story behind their collection and history and lovely people too. The floral pattern on the shirt above was taken from a piece of wallpaper found in a building that was bombed in WW1. Plus they've produced their own ale, what's not to like?!

I won't start to dissect the collections one-by-one as we'd be here all day, I'll leave the images to do the talking. Jacket Required SS 14 - Part 2 coming next week, I've got plenty more good stuff to share.

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