This time, one lucky entrant would win a Heart Hall Storage Bench – Single Seat, and the response was incredible so firstly, a huge thank you to EVERYONE who entered! We’ve decided that we are going to extend some special offers to all our Facebook followers, to say thank you – so keep your eyes peeled!

But, before that, there is the matter of revealing the lucky winner. So, without further ado, everyone here at The Orchard would like to say a massive CONGRATULATIONS to…

Purpose of the Role

Assist with the day to day running of The Orchard Home & Gifts e-commerce operation. Providing end to end support including; pick, pack and dispatch of customer orders, stock control, general light warehousing duties and ad-hoc support of customer services and marketing. Ensuring the smooth running of retail operations, which consistently converts into high customer satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities

Pick, pack and dispatch of customer orders

Assist with Goods In processes

Assist with management of stock control

Manage product images for use on the web and within marketing material

Manage press product requests, ensuring product/images are delivered in a timely manner and logged

Assist with uploading product images/descriptions on stock control system and website

Assist with product photography

Help plan, implement and manage marketing initiatives via web and email

Assist with customer service enquiries, both via telephone and email

General administrative support

Skills Required

Common sense and enthusiasm

Excellent organizational skills

Excellent time management

Solution driven

Good customer-facing communication skills are essential as you will be dealing directly with members of the public on the telephone and via email.
Keen interest in retail and ecommerce
Good knowledge of Microsoft Office

Excellent written and spoken English

Competent understanding of online platforms e.g. Google,Twitter, Facebook, etc

Hours of Employment

Part Time – 20 hours per week (subject to change)

Monday – Friday

Location

Oadby, Leicestershire

How to apply

Deadline for applications is April 2^nd  2013

Email your CV & covering letter to Laura Marlowe: laura@theorchardhomeandgifts.com

Or post your application to:

Laura Marlowe

The Orchard Home and Gifts

Unit 7 Iliffe House

12 Iliffe Avenue

Oadby

Leicester

LE2 5LS

Must be available to start work from Early May 2013

All of the images are also available on our Pinterest page (in higher quality for more detailed inspection).

The Orchard

But, no matter how many festive periods we drag ourselves through, no matter how many showrooms we open, our first priority is still Shabby Chic! So, we thought we would share some tips on how to ‘get the look’, as a new year treat for everybody.

Our French Brocante Dining Table and Chairs (Chairs available soon)

Anything can be shabby chic. Big furniture, small accessories – it’s all possible. The best thing is, there are no concrete rules. Distressing, for example, is a sliding scale dependent on taste. Almost any colour can be used, especially when creating an original, unique statement piece.

As well as providing shabby chic pieces, we love seeing people’s own (re)creations. The internet is awash with guides and tips as to how existing items can be transformed.

We’ve created a Pinterest board with some really useful and imaginative ideas. Have a look and see what you come up with!

The Orchard

As well as the scores of orders being despatched from The Orchard HQ, we’ve also (perhaps more excitingly) taken receivership of some stock which we weren’t expecting until a couple of weeks down the line – we must have been good this year!

We were gutted when our Reclaimed Wood 5 Hook Plaque sold out a couple of weeks ago, so to have them back a fortnight early is great news for us – and you! One of, if not our best seller of 2012, this new batch has arrived in plenty of time to make them fantastic Christmas gifts for the home.

We sell a number of reclaimed items like this plaque, and another one has come back into stock recently. We have been out of stock of our Reclaimed Wood Apple Crates in small and medium for a while, but we can finally once again offer them in their best state – as a Wooden Apple Crate – Set Of 3!

Also back in stock are;

Last time around, they sold out in a flash, which unfortunately meant we had a number of customers who were unable to get their hands on one. So, with the power of hindsight, we have ordered LOTS more this time.

Plenty of options in terms of sizes, dependent on how many photos you wish to display. The antique cream painted frames are lightly distressed to amplify their antique charm, whereas the limewash finish of the natural wood options ensures they are lovely and rustic.

Each frame can be hung horizontally or vertically, making the frames as versatile as they are pretty.

Like we say, these frames are a sure bet to sell out, despite our hoarding of them! Get your orders in quickly to ensure you receive your new photo frame(s) in time for Christmas.

All images can be found over at our Pinterest page.

The Orchard

Full of brilliantly classy and stylish leather sofas and chairs, the Vintage Leather collection makes us here at The Orchard think of great old films. And our fondness for Scandinavian style and appeal is met by the rustic, industrial charm of the Distressed Pine pieces.

As always, all of our images can also be found via our Pinterest page. Lots of activity here at The Orchard recently!

Downton Abbey

Downton Abbey has become one of the country’s most staggeringly successful programmes of recent years, quickly establishing itself as a flagship title of ITV. The meticulously designed show has been praised for its attention to detail, in terms of props and locations, and it seems people can’t get enough of the vintage style on display.

Grand, classical, traditional, ornate; all keywords when describing the aesthetic appeal of Downton. They are also, coincidentally, keywords which you can find throughout The Orchard’s products!

Recently concluding its third series, Downton Abbey has been snapped up and televised in over 100 countries across the world since its inception just over two years ago. Nominations and awards have quickly followed, pocketing Emmys and Golden Globes (amongst many others), as well as Bafta Craft Awards for sound and directing. The first season even broke a Guinness World Record for the most critically well-received show in the world. Hordes of fans ensure viewing figures gravitate around the 9m mark, cementing the widespread popularity of everything classically vintage.

All of which led us to thinking…a hugely popular programme which features furniture, interiors and trends similar to those of The Orchard – let’s see if we can show how we can help our customers create their own little slice of Downton! A dash of baroque styling, a splash of antique white paint, a flourish of vintage; whether its transforming an entire room, or a subtle addition to a space, we have plenty of options for you. Downton Abbey is off our screens until Christmas, but hopefully we can help you fill the void until its return.

And don’t just take our word for it! We recently had two of our products featured in The Times as part of their Downton Abbey inspired ‘Bricks & Mortar’ section…

Downton Abbey’s return cannot come soon enough for us here at The Orchard. Be sure to check out all of the photos in the blog on our Pinterest profile too!

Downton Abbey mentioned.

So it seems logical that when the two collide, they produce ‘Scandi Chic’! Combining the rustic of Shabby with the nordic of Scandi to make something very, very Chic.

The look is characterised by the clean, straight wooden lines and white or neutral tones of Scandinavia, coupled with the rustic-inspired furniture and vintage-esque interior accessories which have become Shabby Chic hallmarks. Simplicity is key to achieving the image.

Traditionally Scandinavian flourishes, such as wicker, glass and natural soft furnishings, can be incorporated. Wicker especially is extremely versatile, both in how it is used as well as where in the home.

We have always placed ourselves within the Shabby Chic bracket, and no less so do we see elements of Scandi Chic in many of the products we sell. We even have a cast iron decorative Stag’s Head!

Most of these items are tasters of much larger collections and ranges. We are constantly updating our products, and our website, so head over to the website and have a nosy through our Scandi Chic offerings.

Also, all of the images from this blog entry, and all of the others, are available on our Pinterest profile. Feel free to browse our boards!

http://pinterest.com/theorchardhome/

We have a number of lamps (including some newbies, exciting) which we love. Lamps shouldn’t just light up all your other lovelies – they should be lovely too! We are also especially pleased to announce that one of our favourite EVER products, which has proved extremely popular with customers, is back in stock! Our Blue Wash Table Lamp is a striking, pretty shabby chic fixture, and we are absolutely delighted to have some more.

Before this lamp, we didn’t really ‘do’ lighting. But the success and popularity of the Blue Wash Table Lamp (coupled with our appreciation of how nice it is) convinced us to get some more. So, we had a look around, and luckily for us the table lamp is having something of a resurgence in popularity, meaning we were able to find some really nice, rustic looking lamps. We love them all!

With the evenings (and afternoons, sadly) showing signs of darkening earlier day by day, now’s the perfect time to light up your home with one of these beautiful new lamps.

The Orchard