Collaborations

I love supporting other local, female led businesses, especially ones that so deeply align with my own values. Next up in the interior series is a shoot I did at The Secret Cabin at Seacliff using my latest cushion collection. To browse my latest cushion collection click here.  Tucked away in the wild woodland at Seacliff, nestled amongst Scottish Elm trees, roaming pheasants and climbing ivy, sits The Secret Cabin. A lot of people say East Lothian is full of magic and Seacliff has to be one of the hot spots.

The cabin itself is very compact and cosy and is full of beautiful features and thoughtful touches. The bed is bespoke made, it’s made from wood that was washed up on the shore after a storm (literally the coolest thing ever), there are repurposed stained glass panels in the garden and you can sit and watch all the birds feed from bed. It’s the total dream. There is also a tiny stove called “The Hobbit” which gets the place nice and toasty. Being a Lord of The Rings nerd this really was the icing on the cake for me! My partner and I were lucky to spend a weekend here pre lockdown and we both came away feeling so refreshed. From the beach at Seacliff you can look straight out to the infamous Bass Rock, which over the warmer months of the year is home to the worlds largest gannet colony. If you look to your left on the beach you’ll see Tantallon Castle, a 600 year old castle set upon the cliffs. Beautiful, mysterious and otherworldly.

I have been brought up in the countryside and have been living in the country for pretty much most of my life. I love raw wood, wild woodland and salty sea air (it’s a wonder I ever left the cabin to be honest.) It’s my dream home, and Jules absolutely loved it too (it’s dog friendly!)  This shoot was all about the country vibes, I imagined my perfect weekend, cosying up by the fire with some fizz after having a long walk with my dog through the wild woods and a dip in the sea. So grab a cuppa, get comfortable and enjoy some laid back, cosy country styling. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below. Oh, and if you want to experience the Secret Cabin at Seacliff for yourself, check out their website here.

And a big shout out to all the local businesses I featured in this shoot in order of appearance

The Secret Cabin at Seacliff www.thesecretcabin.co.uk

Edinburgh Castle Photo Print by local photographer folkenrose www.folkenrose.co.uk

NB Samphire Gin from local distiller NB Gin www.nbdistillery.com

Vintage champagne glasses from local vintage and antique shop Lovage and Lace www.lovageandlace.com

Fresh flowers from local florist The Petal Shoppe www.thepetalshoppe.com

Handmade firebellows by local bellow maker Devlin Jones www.firebellows.co.uk

I was lucky enough to work with the amazing photographer, Tina Sorensen, on a collaborative photoshoot for show casing the latest pillows I had created. The pillows are made using a combination of recycled, vintage fur and luxurious velvet remnants purchased from local interior shops.

The local interior shops I buy my remnants from are run by badass female babes and are within 18 miles of my workshop which keeps my fabric miles low and fabric out of landfill.

Now, back to the photoshoot….. I brought along a car full of props to Tina’s cosy studio in Dalkeith, where we worked together to style different lifestyle shots for each of the pillows. Tina had her own stash of eclectic props but my favourite has to be her antique tan leather sofa, which she bought in the Highlands a few years ago. All I had in mind were a couple of pins from Pinterest of old, dilapidated grand mansion houses with super boujee (is that how you spell that?!) furniture and furnishings. The shoot really was just a natural progression of us trying different props and textures to capture different moods with my collection of recycled fur & velvet pillows. We wanted to capture both a soft and a bold aesthetic with the images to show how versatile these recycled fur & velvet pillows can be.

Tina has such a brilliant eye for detail, she’s also a complete BABE with an amazing sense of humour and I’m very lucky that she has become one of my good friends. (Tina, love ya gal!) Check out more of her work on her website here www.tinasorensenphotography.co.uk and follow her on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/tinasorensenphotography/

It’s such a joy to be able to transform something that’s been unloved and forgotten in a wardrobe into a beautiful, tactile, comforting piece that can be treasured daily. I’ll be adding more velvet and fur pillows to my online shop on 14th November 2020, keep an eye on my Instagram stories in the next week for sneak peaks of what’s to come. www.instagram.com/milliescottstudio.

If you would like to find out more about remodelling your vintage fur, please get in touch with me.

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing how we styled my recycled fur & velvet pillows. Let me know what you think in the comments below!

As it’s Second Hand September this month I thought I would share a photoshoot I styled back in the autumn of 2017, which was done using almost entirely second hand garments and accessories. All of the garments used for this shoot were preloved/second hand except the dusky pink satin skirt which I made as a sample using old fabric, the brown tights and the buckled boots. Everything else is preloved. The shoot was inspired by the stunning handmade hair combs made by vintage and antique shop Lovage & Lace. Helen, who is the co owner of Lovage & Lace (and also my lovely mum!) makes the hair combs using vintage and antique jewellery she collects from all over the UK. Each comb is uniquely created, due to using vintage items no two are the same, each vintage treasure is hand wired onto a new comb/tiara/hair pin base. You can buy her hair combs online or get in touch with Helen for a custom made piece at www.lovageandlace.com.

For the styling, I saw the lady as someone who had accidentally ended up in the future, having herself come from the early 1900s. I imagined her to be a debutant who ran away from home and she had packed all her loveliest things. We wanted to keep the vintage aesthetic but keep it softly, I absolutely love what Suzi did with the make up and hair. The rich earthy tones on the lids and eyes go perfectly with the garments and the natural backdrops and yet still ooze glamour. Photographer Jade has such an amazing eye for detail and Zoe the model was so lovely and braved the chill air! Enjoy x

Handmade hair pieces are by Lovage & Lace www.lovageandlace.com

Photography by Jade Starmore www.towzietyke.com

Hair and MUA Suzanne Christi www.suzannechristimakeupartistry.com

Model Zoe Gilchrist www.superiormodelmanagement.com

Styling by me www.milliescottstudio.co.uk