Bay Tree Decor

Three girls, a candle and a coffee shop. This is the best way to describe last Saturday morning/afternoon. Oh, and add endless chats, laughter, amazing brunch and decor to the mix and you have a pretty good time!

I met up with Tamzin from Femmegypsy and Ali from Seams and Silhouettes at the new Forest Hill Shopping centre in the middle of nowhere (ha, really, it is on the outskirts of Pretoria) to check out the newly opened Bay Tree Decor.

Now let me tell you about this mall - it is bigger and more confusing than an airport with time indicators of how long it will take you to reach a certain point. No lies, there was a sign that noted that I am still a whole minute's walk away from the toilet. Firstly, this mall is your best friend if you want to get fit, but secondly, it is your worst enemy if you have a weak bladder. It took me a little while to find the shop, but once I found it, I was right at home. I adore the French style decor that this little shop has to offer and if I could redo my entire house, it would be a combination of Parkhurst meets quaint French village.

When I walked into the store, the beautiful quilts first caught my eye. I am a little obsessed with quilts - the hours of work that went into it, the metres of fabric. It is a true art form that not too many people appreciate.

I also met franchise owner Ruth, who opened the second shop in the country. Bay Tree Decor was started by Alan and Yvonne Pearce five years ago in Pietermaritzburg. On their website, they describe their shop as a marriage between a passion for home decor and a talent for producing high-quality handcrafted and painted furniture. See these headboards in the pictures below? It is their own handcrafted creations. I am in awe.

Now, what made this place supergreat is that it is not only a decor shop, but it is also a coffee shop! We were treated to a delicious menu, and I settled for the french toast (there is a definite theme here) with nutella! Nutella rules the world, just so you know. Ali opted for the same, while Tam enjoyed a scrambled egg brekkie. It was beyond delicious. Beyond!

After breakfast we prodded around and smelled all the amazing candles, tried the creams, oohed and aahed over the pitchers, jars and jugs. We all wished that we could take the entire store home.  

I will definitely be popping in again for a delicious breakfast, or perhaps even a High Tea with some friends. Thank you Ali and Tamzin for making this a very special morning!