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Feature
I don't know about you lovely people but I am so delighted that this brilliant country has stuck to all the efforts and plans and thankfully this week marks the opening up of our wonderful restaurants, bars, cafes, shops and so many other social distinations we have missed being able to go to.
We can finally gather around the table, with a menu and a glass of something cold and refreshing in our hands and interact in a way we have been hard-wired to do for so long but unable to do, for so long.
It is also my Birthday on the 19th so we are heading out for a treat dinner with some great mates and I cannot wait to be around the table, eating, drinking, chatting and probably being asked to leave because they are trying to close up!
This provides the perfect segue to talk about some of our favourite places to visit and experience a really spoiling treat together. It could be a date, a celebration, an overnight stay or a really good coffee. We have put together our favourite places to visit for that first and much deserved treat.
1. The Dormy House - For an overnight treat
'A Bit Like Home But Better'...is how this stunning country house hotel describes itself. I have been lucky enough to visit here for a night (what feels like years ago now) and they really do create understated luxury so well. There are corners and tucked away seating spots to snuggle up with a coffee and the papers next to a roaring fire. There are decks outside bathed in sunshine for the brighter days, but it is the feeling of intimacy and style that makes this place so special. The food is exceptional, the ambience they manage to create in each area is different but so comfortable and the overall experience is one of being ultimately spoilt. Plus they have sister hotels and the stunning town of Broadway to explore, not to mention the most breathtaking rolling countryside of the Cotswolds.
2. Rudding Park - For a stylish spa experience
This would have to be in the list of places to treat yourself having collaborated with the wonderful team at Rudding on their bespoke afternoon tea service, however the hotel provides so many areas of enjoyment and I have to say the spa and the surrounding areas to relax are absolutely incredible. There is style at every turn, no details have been left out and it is the ultimate place to go and be pampered.
As a tea lover, for me, Claridges in London's Mayfair is the ultimate treat as far as afternoon tea goes. It is the epitome of sophistication, luxury and British elegance. The tea and afternoon treats are famous the world over and to walk through the doors and be treated to an experience in this wonderful established hotel is nothing short of spectacular. It would certainly be the ultimate treat to visit here after the last 14 months!
4. Sushi Samba - The ultimate blow out
I used to live in London and will always love it for its bright lights, bustling streets and its vast array of choice when it comes to glamorous spots for dinner. This restaurant is simply everything that London stands for...cool, diverse, stylish and when it comes to a treat, one of the ultimate places to visit. Located in London's Heron Tower, you will wonder if you have arrived at a restaurant or a night club. To top off a day wandering the wonderful streets of our beloved capital city, Sushi Samba has got to be one of the most remarkable places to go. The food is next-level in flavour and diversity, yet the interiors are wild, fun and so inviting. Enjoy a quick trip in the lift to take you to this world and hold on tight for an experience you will not forget.
Whether it is brunch, lunch, dinner or just a takeaway coffee and a walk with a friend, we really hope you all manage to get out and about in some way and create a moment, however big or small, to mark this positive time of change towards better days.
Love Jo x
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Design
Throwing the spotlight on our final pattern from the new Balance Collection, I wanted to give you an insight into how the Zighy design came about...
A little On 'Zighy'
Inspired by a trip to Zighy Bay, Oman, this design draws on my passion for geometric pattern, whilst evoking the beautiful skies we were treated to daily on our 5 day trip away. Zighy is a curved Bay that is framed by a dramatic moutain range backdrop which casts the most epic early evening light and shadows. I was lucky enough to design this pattern from our hut on the beach whilst looking at this stunning sight.
The jagged rock formations and sheer scale of the bay was so inspiring to be surrounded in for a whole 5 days. I wanted to bring their forms into the designs whilst sticking to the Jo D house style of symmetry and geometric balance.
On leaving this place I felt so calm and balanced, it is also where the name for the entire Balance Collection came from.
