Thursday, May 1, 2014

Labor Day - Bank holiday - or really a laborious day.

It is MAY 1st!
Labor day in Europe. A bank holiday. Usually a reliable 'good-weather-day' with BBQs and lots of calmness after you have 'danced-into-the-May' the night before.

I love this day!

This year I spent it very laborious.... I registered my own website, finalized its layout and added tons of content. It is not quite finished yet. Much more needs to be done, but here we go.... a little SneakPeak.

All comments and tips are very much welcome, so please: Let me know what you think!

laniquehome.com - home 

laniquehome.com - textiles

laniquehome.com - prints

laniquehome.com - home decor

laniquehome.com - about

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Thursdays HOME DECOR IDEA: A colorful floor highlight

There is always something to upcycle, isn't there?! The tricky part is to make it look like a designer piece.
a really cute way of bringing some color AND pattern into your home, aswell as some seasonal decor is cutting scrabs of carpeting into identical pieces and arrange them to your liking. You can get those rest and end pieces in all sorts of shops that sell carpets off big rolls.
Now why identical? Cause you will have already different colors, patterns and densities of carpets and ours need something to connect all this visual info...some sort of structure that will make it harmonious.
like in this example:

Saturday, March 8, 2014

Publishing like the professionals - what if we became the taste makers?

OK.
As all of us full time, self employed creators always do I have been doubting if the way I publish and promote my new items is really the best, most efficient and (most of all) most fruitful strategy.

Having worked as an employed designer for several years BUT now recently a full-time Etsy seller (and much more serious about this business) I have come to several conclusions. I would like to discuss these with this team and hopefully in the end create something like a "work group" of people who are interested to try something new.

Due to the complexity of this topic I think I will start more then one thread, cause things might get quickly confusing.

So I would like to start off with the way we PUBLISH our products/listings here on Etsy.

>>> I started my shop off as a hobby, something to do whilst in between jobs. My shop developed "on the go", organic growth so to say. Whenever I came up with a new product I photographed and listed it. taking the "one item at a time" approach but learning about Etsy, description writing, pricing, and most of all photography at THE SAME time.

Now that I am in my third Etsy year, clear about the decision and the following consequences of wanting to do this full time, clear(er) about how I want my brand and it's image to look like and how to accomplish this look I am starting to think about PROFESSIONALISM. And with this comes efficiency and that only goes with being organized.
How do the "big players" organize their business? Well, the first thing that comes into my mind is that they all have their work time scheduled. And some strategic decision have to be made up front. Things need to done by a certain time and at the end of the deadline there is a BIG PRESENTATION.
All major labels, brands, magazines have catalogs. the entire new collection is being presented in ONE great revealing.

So this clashes with my "one item at a time" strategy. And to be honest, I have been so far reluctant to try anything else, cause it has been said so often that we want to spread our listing times. You spread the cost as well and each day some more views from new listings looks sounder than playing the "all at once" card...cause what if you chose the wrong day or time?! Or both?! Or if you are, like me in Europe but your main customer load is in the US and Australia.
Well, maybe there is never the perfect time. Something else will be always more preferable then what you are already doing.

As you might guess now, I am about to give it a try. I am preparing loads of nwe listings and saving them as drafts in order to reveal my new collection in one go. If that is all in one day, or maybe spread over two or three according to theme.... I don't know yet. I have still some uploading to do and this time to come to a decision.

But I would like what you people think. How do you proceed and have you already tried different styles?
i would really love some feedback and opinions.


As soon as I get some more free minutes (in the next few days) I will start another thread about publishing in combination with promotion (which is such a time consuming issue for all of us) and how I think Etsys treasury system is a bit "outdated", how it could be improved and how we could help each other to be less dependent from external taste makers aka. become the new taste makers ourselves.
>>>Pew, a lot of words in long sentences. Thank you for bearing with me and reading it all.

X from france,
Nic*

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Working around the mess.




As a stay-at-home-mom I have to chose between working around the mess that is accumulating every day  in order to get some work done OR work at that mess. Yesterdays choice was to get some work done. Here are the first results: My new Amsterdam canal house mirrors that will be available soon here. Which do you like best?



Amsterdam canal house mirror - LaNiqueHOME.

Amsterdam canal house mirror - LaNiqueHOME

Amsterdam canal house mirror - LaNiqueHOME

Amsterdam canal house mirror - LaNiqueHOME
Amsterdam canal house mirror - LaNiqueHOME






Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Hunting art

If you have ever been to my shop you will have seen listings like my Diamond felt coaster which is displayed on my great white, blank wall. Until recently I was very fond this wide emptiness cause it gives our busy household something clean, minimalist, uncluttered space. But now, I don't know if it is the nesting instinct of a pregnant lady... well, I WANT ART on my wall.
Something bright, abstract and BIG!

So I have been hunting the net, Pinterest and various blogs and I think I have narrowed it down to these ones (found on society6.com) :






or something like this, found on interiormagasinet, but unfortunatly without artist reference :(


Or maybe a bit more fun? like these examples:




Marker line drawings with patches of color is what I loved to do myself - once upon a time...
...which gets me thinking... maybe I should create my own? Ahhhhh, the joys of indecisive pregnancy hormones.



Tuesday, January 7, 2014

2014: Realizing that where I am is where I want to be.


I absolutely love the Christmas season, but every year in January I am glad I can start working on new projects. This year is no exception and I am pumped to work on more, non-ceramic products.

Becoming a new mom, I worried all of 2013 about not spending enough time and energy on my little business, even though I have been working every available minute. During babies nap.time, in the evenings and during his quiet play time and on weekends - life and worries in self-employment, hu?! But after having had a look on my final stats I am pleased to report that I still managed to land and fulfill 80% of orders whilst having only spent only about 30% of work time, compared to 2012.
That means my time management was real good and I prioritized right.
Being now half way through my second pregnancy I have now 20weeks left to make an even better strategic plan for 2014.
It will not be easy to handle 2babies and keep my boutique going, but I am thrilled to be where I am. Although my days are long and still never seem to have enough hours, I can't imagine having to wake my boy early, go to an office where I wonder what and how he is doing and if I get to spend a bit of quality time with him at all in the evening.
Instead I can take him into my bed at 6am and cuddle for a little while longer till it is time to face our oh so busy, but stress- and guilt-free days together.

2014 bring it on - I am ready!

P.S.: If you follow me on facebook you'll get a much closer look on a day-to-day basis.


Friday, September 27, 2013

Photo challenge No.2

I am still "cameraless" and after trying to use my cellphones more professionally...I borrowed a friends camera for a day. Great lens, but so much to handle in so little time. So here are some of my favorits: