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Exciting news here at Kim Bensing Design. Lancôme Paris recently asked me to design a luxurious little book to help re-launch their 1967 vintage fragrance, Climat, named for the novel by french author, André Maurois.
The sought after fragrance will be unveiled exclusively at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York, tomorrow! The perfumes of the original collection were released in elegant, transparent bottles designed in the early 1960’s by one of the founders of the house of Lancôme, George Delhomme. Saks Fifth Avenue has a very close relationship to this fragrance and it’s original debut, explaining the exclusivity.
The elegant sales tool, below, romantically illustrates the essence of the fragrance and also educates the Lancôme Team about it’s history. Page through the book design here. Or scroll down to see each individual page.
Contact Kim Bensing Design to help “unveil” your business or product to the world.
The countdown is on for Valentines day, my second favorite holiday of the year. So in honour of St. Valentine, I am sharing inspirations, tales, ideas, and images of My True Loves. Soak them in & celebrate these weeks of waiting, sentimentally.
To begin, it’s certainly not cheating if I am in love with a font, or twenty. Here’s one I desire. It’s called Desire, and it’s designed by lettering artist Charles Borges de Oliveira. With hundreds of ligatures and alternates, the sky’s the limit.Yippee.
“Always choose the right font.” People notice even though they don’t realize it. Heirloom’s –The Art of Marriage– Wedding Suite created for Stephanie and Clayton Kissel and their wedding at Fonthill Castle, told their true love story, with text.
This font is Absinthe. It’s just perfect.
I was recently asked to become a founding member and designer for an elite group of specialists, the Bucks County Event Specialists. We are all award-winning Bucks County Artisans, creating together and inspiring each other, to elevate upcoming special events. So whatever your event, holiday party, birthday, anniversary brunch, wedding, backyard picnic…let us help you elevate. Follow us on facebook.
*Design
*Illustration
*Invitations
*Calligraphy
*Photography
*Printing
*Florals
*Favors
*Make-up
*Music
*Culinary
Welcome back to Creating Heirlooms Blog. I had a wonderful summer enjoying my three children. I hope all of you made many lasting heirloom memories as well.
The creation of “Sweet Dreams” (two darling antique twin beds) was one of my artsy summertime activities. It was fun vintaging these two very precious pieces of art worth saving. For help shopping for, purchasing and incorporating personal Vintage Pieces & Heirloom Creations into your own home, talk or text Kim @ Heirloom.
I am not sure what prompted this, my desire for a pretty laundry room, or the nearing of Mother’s Day, but I recently decided to give this little room of ours a much deserved facelift. Most of you know we live in a 19th century farmhouse in PA, so prior to the redesign, laundry was not such a great experience in our home. Baskets teetered on an ENORMOUS wash sink that just didn’t fit the room, and there was absolutely nothing to look at while washing and folding clothes, day after day, hour after hour.
One day this spring I decided to change all that. After I forced my loving husband to agree with me (the toughest obstacle of all), we ripped out the gargantuan sink and faucet and patched the holes. Next we mixed up a bunch of old white paint left over from other jobs and just got to painting, praying I had just enough to cover the walls. I did. Then we bought a little bit of white base trim and covered some old glue that was all around the bottom of the wall to make it disappear.
We kept the same washer and dryer, as an upgrade was not necessary quite yet, but needed to hide the old pipes behind them, so I bought a shabby chic valance and draped it across a wrought iron curtain rod I had lying around, and attached it to a shelf. Presto…pipes gone, but still easily accessible.
We added a pegged shelf from another room, to hold memories and vintage laundry items I’ve been collecting. One of the items I’ve collected is an antique ironing board which I propped against the wall. Next to it I added an old white window that I found in my barn. I grabbed several christening dresses I have acquired from family and hung them on antique baby hangers. The linen dress on the far left adorned every child on my mom’s side of the family since 1927. All 3 of my children were baptised in this precious heirloom. But the main focus of my new room is a small sepia photograph of my mother pushing a bike at the age of 2. She sits centered above the ironing board right in the middle of “our new room”. Since I lost her 21 years ago this May, it’s nice to see her every day now. She certainly makes doing laundry much less of a chore.
This mother’s day week find your least favorite room and give it new life. Use your imagination and your Heirlooms, instead of your wallet. Total cost of renovation. $15 for wood trim, $50 for 2 white valances and $8 for a basket hook. All the rest came from upcycling and repositioning.
Antique ironing board framed by my collection of sepia children in white dresses, including mom, above ironing board.
An old window and a linen curtain hang next to my collection of sepia children in white dresses.
Find a stylish book to prop, grab a little lamp, and take a glass bowl and fill it with laundry detergent, then add a little tin scooper. This adds a fresh linen scent to the room, naturally. I just reach up and grab soap powder.
Found this great oval bucket one day and couldn’t pass it up. Paired it with an embroidered laundry bag I’ve had for decades. It was probably my mom’s.
Here is the collection of linen christening dresses. Some from my side, some from Mike’s. The one on the left has been passed down in my family since 1927, and christened my grandfather, my 3 children and almost every cousin and aunt and uncle in between. Antique laundry beater hangs alongside.
Pretty basket hook from Lowes.
Make sure it’s sturdy enough for everyday use.
Above the pegged shelf I have an assortment of things I just pulled from places around my home. Vintage sewing spools plopped in a cream crock, a little white McCoy pitcher with flowers, a vintage comb and brush holder and a book I love about New England design. Above all is a framed vintage school photo passed to me from my mother’s sister. The pretty white vase came from the salvation army shop, and I placed scrub brushes inside.
This wooden yellow table (now work surface) was just the right narrow width for the space. This, I found a long time ago at the Habitat for Humanity Re-sale store. It was a steal. I “repurposed pottery barn baskets” which were once lined in red checkered fabric and used in my children’s playroom, a gift from my mother-in-law. Now they store, plastic bags, rags and detergent under the table very neatly.
Found a wrought iron curtain rod and attached it to the shelf with a white eye-hook. Draped the valances to hide the ugly pipes and knobs. Who wants to see that!
A wrought iron candle holder from my uncle’s farmhouse. Incidentally, my mother’s brother.
I took a glass bowl from my kitchen and filled it with detergent, then found a old tin cup to scoop soap into the machine. The tin cup came from my mom.
And old lantern I had lying around, a framed piece of art from a neighbor and the framed photograph I had commissioned of the 1927 vintage christening gown sit on this shelf, along with dryer sheets tucked into a basket for easy access. I use the little lamp for all-day lighting. It provides a nice glow.
I love it anytime people take a design “jump” and really create something fabulous. As I was recently asked to help with a business card design, I got the bug and went on a “creative quest”. I want to share with you some innovative business cards, hoping that you will find something in your life that needs a little “re-invention”. Just go for it already! Life is too short to be boring.
This would be great for a drycleaner, housekeeper, or someone who makes smelly cheese.
Versital set for a printer by Joseph Parra
Round cards are just fun and memorable.
Minimal design that gets the point across well, by Luke Elliott
I love this for a hair colorist OR an actor/actress.
This could work for prop rental or home stagers.
Just cool.
Try printing on unique materials.
– Award-winning, CUSTOM DESIGNED STORY INVITATIONS, & Businss Cards for EVERY EVENT –
It’s Easter, my favorite week of the year. As I watch the birds outside my studio perch on limbs with brand new buds, I anxiously prepare for our Annual Vintage Easter Brunch. Each year I try some new ideas, simple cakes, lavender cookies, and a little luxurious outdoor table art. We live in the Northeast, so we can’t always rely on the weather to cooperate, but we try our best to set a few pretty tables outside, just in case we get lucky!
I am obsessed, by the way, with this artform, so I studied the internet for some great examples for you. You can also see them on my new pinterest board which will be continuously updated, Outdoor Tables.
Here are some simple ideas that do NOT need to be reserved for weddings and big events. Try some of these the next time your best friend is coming over for lemonade, or when your kids invite a few friends for backyard soccer. Lovely ideas when the neighbors stop by with a new bottle of wine. And remember, don’t buy anything, instead use vintage tablecloths from your grandmother, buckets from your shed, pretty vintage glasses from a consignment shop, and any pretty plates you pick up! Place your table in an unexpected spot and enjoy.
Take note of the bucket of flowers off to the side and the mix matched chairs –
all colorful and perfectly positioned in this lovely orange grove above.
I think this table is stunning. Fun bird houses dangling from trees.
You can use a giant curtain and just throw it over any old table.
I just love lime, so this image above spoke to me.
I could not take my eyes off this table and natural lattice. Dangle a little chandelier, and you are all set.
This is colorful and fun. Just hang some paper butterflies or birds above your table of cakes.
Every afternoon should look like this.
My favorite place.
Above I love the big benches and the huge vase of water and greens.
Simple and easy. Enjoy Easter and Passover, a little bit outside if you can!
– Award-winning, CUSTOM DESIGNED STORY INVITATIONS for EVERY EVENT –
Everyday I read blogs and surf the virtual world in search of creative intervention. Then I do one of two things, purchase or use exceptionally cool things or reblog their coolness!
Designs for the Body
PANTALUNA – right here in Frenchtown, NJ
Each design collages reclaimed 100% cotton t-shirts into a distinctive, comfortable American made wearable work of art. Yoga pants and skirts are exceptional.
Pantaluna site!
Designs for the Wall
Shanna Murray – illustrated decals.
Love these for your own homemade chalkboards
Shanna Murray site!
Designs for the Future
A new IMAGE capturing site getting lots of buzz. I launched my pinterest page a few weeks ago and find I don’t really know what I did without it! “Pin” everything you love from the internet on your personal “boards” so you can access it later.
Pinterest is an online pinboard.
Organize and share things you love.
See Kim’s Pins!