The Bramwell Brown Blog
Meet the Content Creator and their Weather Clock - Emma
This week we are meeting Interiors Creator Emma from @thelittlestonecottage
Can you tell us about yourself?
I’m Emma and I live with my husband and son in a little cottage at the edge of the Cotswolds. I’m a creative - a stop motion animator by trade (which is why we relocated to our current home.) We are originally from the Kent countryside!
Why did you set up your account?
My account began as a documentation of our build and renovation. My husband and I built two extensions on our cottage with our own bare hands. He used to be in the construction industry which is why we were able to do this and we roped in a couple of family members for a few days here and there when we needed some more man power - adding in steel beams etc! We have also been renovating the existing cottage as we have gone along over the years. We built the largest, second extension and renovated most of our house whilst I was pregnant… Instagram was a way to document our journey!
What's your favourite room in the house and why?
My favourite room is constantly changing! I love our kitchen and dining space because I designed a really sociable space, and we spend a lot of time in there... I have made our interiors really unique to us too, and our antique butchers block is still one of my favourite pieces that I’ve incorporated into the design of our home. But saying that, we have spent a lot of time and effort in restoring much of the old stone elsewhere in the house and I love our bedroom for that reason. We also added a glass floor into this room which sits on five oak beams… which is always a talking point!
Where do you hang your Bramwell Brown Weather Clock and why?
This has been a really tough decision for us! For the moment, I have hung it in our dining room but I will be moving it to a specific space in our kitchen. We will be able to see it from the dining table as well as the kitchen. It will be in more of the heart of our home there and I love the idea that my son can sit and look at it whilst he is doing his homework in the years to come.
Can you sum your Bramwell Brown Weather Clock up in three words?
Charming, Timeless, Whimsical
Any tips for incorporating clocks into your interior design?
I think they have to be in a practical space, but yours in particular is a piece which brings together a beautiful synergy of engineering and animation; I want to be able to see it as much as I can! That’s why I’ll be moving it into our kitchen/dining space when we’re ready. I think of clocks the same way as I think about a piece of artwork or an antique piece of furniture… The main thing I ask myself is “do I REALLY love it”, the second is “do I love it here’, and if the answer is yes then I just go with it! I love contrasting old and new, and the juxtaposition between old and new materials, which will be evident if you have seen my Instagram account. I therefore love the fact that this clock is a new piece (with a traditional design) in our old cottage!
What are the big interior trends that we should be looking out for in 2020
Honestly, I have no idea! I don’t follow trends at all (and don’t even take notice of them) I just do what I like! There seems to be a lot of panelling around at the moment so I’m assuming that is on trend… but honestly I like to be true to myself with my interiors. I also find that it makes me more sustainable as I’m not buying/changing things all the time!
Finally, we love mechanical/ analogue objects; what mechanical/ analogue do you have in your home or remember from your childhood that you love(d)?
Oh there are so many things! I’m very nostalgic and remember loving my wind up music box as a little girl. But the things that will always have a special place in my heart are cameras, specifically the old analogue cameras. This digital age is convenient (and I admit I would not be the animator that I am without the current technology!) but there is something so charming about shooting with those old cameras, on film. I remember looking at the negatives, and developing the prints myself. There is just a quality to them that I believe you cannot recreate through digital SLRs. This goes not only for photography, but for film and animation too. That grainy texture that many see as ‘dated’ I see as charming and intriguing. Whether I'm looking at a still image or a moving one, it always makes me want to see more!