Country & Town Interiors 2018 by Country & Town House Magazine

2018

The Finest

INTERIOR DESIGNERS

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Contents Regulars 10 12 168

EDITOR’S LETTER CONTRIBUTORS INDEX

Features 14

MADE IN ENGLAND Thomas Chippendale was born 300 years ago. With over 50 events this year to celebrate, Sue Crewe hopes the furniture-maker will at last take his place among the pantheon of design heroes PERFECTLY GROUNDED Kate Crockett examines how the interior design touch can help us feel better connected with our surroundings BLOSSOMING FORTUNE All hail the return of chintz! Amy Bradford charts how the look has fallen in and out of fashion HUMAN HANDS Craft has taken its rightful crown as the king of bespoke luxury. Arabella Youens talks to the designers who couldn’t live without commissioning craftsmen for their interiors projects THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS The defining list of the names you need in your little black book of design

Kitchens & Bathrooms

Fabric, Walls & Design Services

108

Furniture & Accessories

132

Finishing Touches

158

Outside Spaces

ON THE COVER A London town house, interiors by Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam. Photograph by Simon Upton

Editor Carole Annett Editor-in-Chief Lucy Cleland Chief Copy Editor Emma Love Sub Editors Belinda Bamber, Chloe Smith, Imogen Agnew Retail Editor Rosalyn Wikeley Creative Direction & Production Parm Bhamra Junior Production Designer Samuel Thomas Online Editor Rebecca Cox Digital Assistant Clementina Jackson Junior Online Writer Bella Lewis Technical Manager Hannah Johnson Marketing Manager Gemma Cowley Senior Account Manager Felicity Reid Sales Executive Olivia Milligan Credit Controller Penny Burles Sales & Office Manager Daisy Orr-Ewing Associate Publisher Maya Monro-Somerville Finance Director Jill Newey Publisher Julia Carrick Managing Director Jeremy Isaac

countryandtownhouse.co.uk/interiorsguide

Copyright © 2018 Country & Town House Ltd. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. All prices are correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change. While every care is taken to ensure all information is correct at the time of going to press, it is subject to change, and Country & Town House Ltd. takes no responsibility for omissions or errors. Country & Town House, Studio 2, 115 Harwood Road, London SW6 4QL, +44 (0)20 7384 9011

PHOTOS: JANE TOWERS, AT FBC LONDON; TIM MURRAY

Directory

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Editor’s Letter 14

ere it is. The first edition of Country & Town Interiors. A celebration of interior designers at the top of their game, and a showcase for the warp and weft of their trade – furniture, fabrics, lighting and decorative objects. We hope you enjoy using the book as a slightly more traditional search tool for finding the right designer for a project or simply to be inspired by the beautiful pages. Choosing just 50 interior designers from the vast wealth of talent available has induced a few more wrinkles. We enlisted the help of friends whose lives are immersed in design – Annoushka Ducas, MBE, jewellery designer, entrepreneur and founder of Links of London, Jo Stella-Sawicka, whose portfolio includes the critically-acclaimed Frieze Masters and Frieze Sculpture, and Olga Polizzi, design director of luxury group Rocco Forte Hotels and owner of Hotel Tresanton and Hotel Endsleigh. These 50 interior designers give us a mood board of different styles and personalities. What they share, in spades, is commitment, knowhow and a passion for creating beautiful spaces. They each work in different ways. Some with the help of an extended team and others with just one partner or even alone. Some love a flourish of pattern and texture and others make their mark with a more restrained imprint in projects ranging from country house cosiness and urban opulence to pared-back minimalist chic in family houses, private clubs, hotels and even superyachts for discerning global clients. You’ll also find thoughtful writing that touches everyone interested in design. Sue Crewe dusts off the history of Thomas Chippendale, commonly regarded as our leading cabinet-maker of the 18th century and whose 300th anniversary it is this year. Amy Bradford reflects on our enduring love affair with chintz. Kate Crockett explains how architects and designers make us feel connected and cosseted in unfamiliar spaces, and Arabella Youens focuses on how designers support and champion artisan crafts. Thank you to everyone who appears in our inaugural edition. It’s always good to be first.

PHOTOS: THOMAS CHIPPENDALE © HAREWOOD HOUSE TRUST/ PAUL BARKER; SANDERSON; TURNER POCOCK

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TH E PAN EL

ANNOUSHKA DUCAS Founder of luxury jewellery brand Annoushka

OLGA POLIZZI

JO STELLA-SAWICKA

Director of Design at Rocco Forte Hotels

Annoushka Ducas MBE is a British jewellery designer, creative director and entrepreneur. She founded Links of London, followed later by her eponymous jewellery business Annoushka. ‘I have been very fortunate to have been surrounded by lovely things all my life – my great-grandmother was painted by Dalí and my grandfather was a renowned collector of Russian art. My mother was a collector too with an eclectic taste and, inevitably, I have a keen interest in a number of decorating styles.’

Artistic Director of Frieze

Olga Polilzzi is Director of Design of the Rocco Forte group of hotels, and so intrinsically understands how fundamental and integral design is. ‘I have been planning and designing hotels for over 30 years. From my own small ones in the West Country; Tresanton and Endsleigh, to larger very glamorous hotels in Rome, Berlin and London. I continue to learn with every new job and I am inspired by fresh ideas from other designers whom I have chosen to work with me on new projects.’

Jo Stella-Sawicka is Artistic Director of Frieze and the critically acclaimed Frieze Masters. Last year she launched London’s most significant public exhibition of outdoor art – Frieze Sculpture at Regent’s Park. ‘In my job, I’m lucky to work with the most incredible architects, artists and designers and be surrounded by beautiful things. When it comes to my own home, I’m very much led by the fact that it should be a reflection of my family and our interests rather than a manifestation of trends.’

SUE CREWE

AMY BRADFORD

KATE CROCKETT

ARABELLA YOUENS

EMMA LOVE

Money no object – what would you buy for your home? A state-of-the-art greenhouse. Where would you love to live and why? I’m lucky enough to live most of the time on the mouth of a river in Cumbria, but when it’s cold and wet I retreat to my small flat in Notting Hill and there isn’t anywhere else I’d rather be. Whose home would you most like to visit? The Dalai Lama’s.

Money no object – what would you buy for your home? A Plain English kitchen with a butler sink. What style is your house? It’s a tall Victorian building that I’ve decorated in understated (some say ‘sludgy’) colours, with a mix of mid-century design and antiques. What’s the oldest piece of furniture you own? An 18th-century wooden armchair that belonged to my grandmother.

Money no object – what would you buy for your home? I’d have a bespoke library created in my study, crafted by Japanese architect and designer Sou Fujimoto. What’s your most recent purchase? An antique French frame for a family painting, from the wonderful Lacy Gallery in Notting Hill. Whose home would you most like to visit? I’d love to peep inside David Attenborough’s.

Money no object – what would you buy for your home? Any of Ravilious’ landscapes of chalk downlands. Where would you love to live and why? I oscillate between dreaming about owning a Dorset farmhouse in the hills that roll down to the sea, or a house on the edge of an Italian borgo. What style is your house? Edwardian on the outside, chaos (generally) on the inside.

Money no object – what would you buy for your home? Hand-painted wallpaper by de Gournay. What’s the oldest piece of furniture you own and your most recent purchase? I’ve had an old wooden trunk for years which is full of keepsakes. My most recent purchase was Little Greene paint for my front door. Whose home would you most like to visit? From a design point of view, Ilse Crawford’s.

ILLUSTRATION: SAMUEL THOMAS

CONTRIBUTORS

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MADE IN ENGLAND

Sue Crewe hopes the 300th anniversary of furniture maker Thomas Chippendale will put him rightfully in the pantheon of true heroes

e is often described as ‘the Shakespeare of English furniture makers’, his influence has permeated all corners of the globe and his name is a generic term, yet until this year, Thomas Chippendale, as a man, a genius and a brilliant innovator, has received a fraction of the recognition and honour that the Bard has rightly been accorded. This June marks the 300th anniversary of Thomas Chippendale’s birth and his tercentenary is being celebrated nationwide with over 50 events. Little is known of his early life other than that he was born in the town of Otley in Yorkshire, the only son of a man who was involved in the timber trade and carpentry. Of his personal life we only know that he was married twice and had 12 children of whom just four survived to adulthood. By the time he was 30 he had moved to London and six years later had established a large workshop in St Martin’s Lane called The Cabinet and Upholstery Warehouse. He had also acquired a financial partner and records suggest they employed as many as 50 craftsmen. His next step was the one that brought him international recognition – he published a book of his furniture designs. These days anyone and everyone who has anything to sell brings out a beautiful, glossy brochure or launches a website to advertise their products, but in 1754 it was a bold and somewhat risky venture. He invited subscribers to contribute to the cost of ‘The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director’ in return for a discount on the published volume. It consisted of 160 beautifully engraved designs for every type of furniture, from beds

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PHOTOS: © HAREWOOD HOUSE TRUST/ PAUL BARKER; © MATTHEW LLOYD

CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE PAGE: The Diana and Minerva Commode, 1773 at Harewood House; Geraldine Pilgrim’s Their Most Obedient Servant, 2018; Harewood House State Bedroom

PHOTOS: © HAREWOOD HOUSE TRUST/ PAUL BARKER; © MATTHEW LLOYD

Chippendale’s cash flow was not helped by his patrons’ reluctance to pay his bills and there exist several letters in his own hand imploring payment

to picture frames in the ‘Gothic’, ‘Chinese’ and ‘Modern Taste’ – the latter refers to the Rococo style. The Director was an immediate success; it sold to craftsmen in the furniture trade as well as to architects and members of the aristocracy. It undoubtedly launched his career and all of Chippendale’s known documented furniture commissions date from its publication. Not that this success made him wealthy – he was often on the brink of bankruptcy. Tim Gosling, one of Britain’s most respected furniture designers of today and someone who first became aware of Chippendale at the tender age of five in his grandfather’s library, is in awe of the man’s prodigious talent and output. ‘I constantly reference The Director – in particular if we are making a piece in the Chinese Chippendale idiom.’ Gosling also understands why Chippendale had such financial worries. ‘A workshop has to have a full order book if the wages are to be paid, but the designer also has to be promoting himself and drumming up business, and the two things are incompatible. It was ever thus, even Robert Adam was declared bankrupt and had to be bailed out by the then government’. Chippendale’s cash flow was not helped by his patrons’ reluctance to pay his bills and there exist several letters in his own hand imploring payment. One of his clients, Sir Richard Knatchbull, for whom he supplied furniture for a decade, wrote, ‘I receive my rents once a year so I pay my tradesmen’s bills once a year’. Possibly Chippendale’s most important and costly commission was at Harewood House for Sir Edwin Lascelles, a Yorkshire landowner. Harewood was designed and built by John Carr of York and Robert Adam, and Chippendale was engaged

to furnish the mansion and supply the complex wall treatments with elaborate giltwood mirrors and associated carving. Harewood contains the most expensive piece of furniture ever created by the Chippendale firm; the State Bed cost £400 for the frame, furnishings and mattresses and is a truly magnificent piece. Another fabulous piece at Harewood is The Diana and Minerva marquetry commode that is displayed in an innovative mirrored stand so that visitors can examine the extraordinary craftsmanship and artistry involved in its creation. The original invoice for this piece shows that it cost £86 in 1773; the not dissimilar Harrington commode by Chippendale sold in 2010 at Sotheby’s for £3.79m. Alongside the Chippendale-focused exhibition at Harewood House, which is incidentally only seven miles from Otley, the Yorkshire town of his birth, is a project entitled Their Most Obedient Servant, created by Geraldine Pilgrim. Her brief was to remind everyone that even the most spectacular work of gilded furniture starts life as a tree. Geraldine is an artist who works across theatre and the visual arts and one of her most arresting works is in the courtyard at Harewood – a huge tree that appears to grow through the cobbles and mattress base of a four-poster bed. Since embarking on the commission, Geraldine says she has ‘fallen in love with Thomas Chippendale’. It breaks her heart that he was always so strapped for cash because her research has led her to perceive him as a man of great warmth, energy and generosity. Let’s hope that this year of celebration will elevate Thomas Chippendale, the son of a country carpenter whose influence is as strong today as it ever was, to the pantheon of true heroes. n chippendale300.co.uk

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PERFECTLY GROUNDED

In a tech-driven and often virtual world, the touch of the interior designer has enormous power to (re)connect us with the space around us, says Kate Crockett

ost of us have experienced it: that feeling when you arrive in a place – somewhere new, unfamiliar, perhaps overseas – a place where you know no one, but where you feel, instinctively, often instantly, at home. I was pondering this while in Tokyo recently – a city that can feel like one of the most alienating places in the world. I was staying in the new Hoshinoya Tokyo hotel, in a tower, in the business heart, and yet, somehow, its designer, Rie Azuma, had managed to create a space in which I felt entirely at ease. What was it that was having this effect on me? My Japanese is rusty – so it wasn’t a shared verbal language, it had to be a visual one: the thoughtful space planning – the way shoji and fabric screens transformed spaces into cosy corners to hide with a book – and the materials: cypress wood, bamboo, soft tatami matting that squished

under foot everywhere I went (having given up my shoes at the entrance); the diffused lighting; the intriguing artefacts. Layer upon layer, texture upon texture of authentic, natural materials, so perfectly ‘untouched’ in their appearance that they could only have come from the hand of an artisan. The cumulative effect was supremely comfortable and unexpectedly comforting. ‘Every space should invite and inspire,’ says Susie Atkinson, a London-based interior designer skilled at crafting interiors in which you feel instantly at home. Unbeknown to you, she’s very likely to have worked her magic on you when you’ve fallen straight into relaxation mode at The Queen’s Club or Babington House. ‘Our considerations are to create a space that is sympathetic to the architecture of the building, or room, or even the surrounding, and that all materials, where possible, are natural.’ Atkinson loves wood, stone, brick, brass, bronze and steel, softened with plenty of linens, cotton, silks and wools – ‘to build a space that has a balance of texture, and that is what creates atmosphere’. There was so much wood involved with one of her most recent

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CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE PAGE: Designer Rie Azuma uses texture and diffused light to create a comfortable and cosseting ambience at Hoshinoya Tokyo hotel; Susie Atkinson chooses natural materials that are sympathetic to a building and surrounding landscape as here in a Sussex barn project; Joyce Wang’s lightness of touch can be seen at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

‘Every space should invite and inspire. Our considerations are to create a space that is sympathetic to the architecture of the building, or room, and that all materials, where possible, are natural’

projects – an oak barn in the Sussex countryside, with a green-oak exterior slowly weathering to pale grey, oak floors, painted tulip wood cladding inside, wooden dining chairs and table – that Atkinson chose leathered granite for the kitchen work surfaces to add a cooler texture. ‘With its slightly reflective qualities, it brings light to some of the darker corners,’ she explains. Architectural and textural materials are used to great effect by London and Hong Kong-based designer Joyce Wang, whose interiors ooze with a sense of place. Her most recent work in London – at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park – embraces the setting with a lightness of touch in her choice

of colours, detailing and materials. In the suites, feather motifs are hand-painted on silk wallpaper and accentuated with copper leaf; in room corridors, horse-hair ceiling lights reference Hyde Park’s equestrian heritage. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, a three-storey family residence Wang recently created in Shanghai is intense, with wood-grain concrete, Corten steel and walnut timber. Wang describes using a ‘raw and honest material palette’; the resulting interior is bold and dramatic. Geometric graphic patterns are created on flooring as one material joins another: for example, where the travertine floor of the dining room meets the wooden slatted floor of the bedrooms, or the burnt-orange carpet in the living room. Combined with clever screening of spaces, Wang achieves not just intimacy but a tangible sense of connection to the locale; a home is unmistakably embedded in its environment. The same is true of the new Pavilion suites, recently unveiled at The Berkeley in London, where architect and designer André Fu has created two exceptionally intimate suites, which also just happen to have 270-degree panoramas of the rooftops of London. In the wrong hands, the Crescent Pavilion and Grand Pavilion – built atop two previously underutilised terraces – would be goldfish bowls. But crafted in Fu’s vision, they are

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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Cocooning comfort by André Fu in the Grand Pavilion suite at The Berkeley; mineralemerald colours prevail in the new suite

remarkable spaces where natural daylight takes centre stage, connecting the guest with the urban landscape – including a surprising aspect on St Paul’s Church, Knightsbridge – while also cocooning them and providing privacy. And what a cocoon. There are nooks to discover, an abundance of low seating, daybeds and occasional chairs. ‘It was my desire to create something that has [...] space to flow, but also has lots of little private spaces to be,’ explains Fu. The ‘in-between’ tones of his colour palette radiate serenity and humanity, particularly in the twobedroom Grand Pavilion, with its mineral-emerald fabrics, re-sawn oak cladding in warm-grey gloss lacquer, and an intricate wall-covering, with hand-embroidered raindrops in grey, ivory and mauve – the lingering touch of the artist. In the bathroom, book-matched leaves of solid warm-grey Baltic marble unfurl on every surface around a free-standing stone tub. The result is luxurious and enveloping. Such a dramatic use of marble is increasingly a feature of residential interiors too, says Jason Cherrington, managing director of stone specialists Lapicida. ‘And there has been a real swing back towards colour,’ he notes, ‘particularly warmer marbles.’ For one recent project

in London, Cherrington’s team used five shades of vein-cut travertine, cut from different quarries in Tuscany, to create an immersive, elemental space. The veins of graduating colour create the feeling that one is descending deep into the Earth through millennia of geological time. How appropriate that the scheme was conceived for an underground pool room. It doesn’t come much more earthy than the 200-million-year-old fossilised tree trunks Cherrington has currently knocking around in his Harrogate workshop. These extremely hard but brittle pieces, sourced from Madagascar and Indonesia, will be hand-crafted into perfectly formed, petrified-wood basins, each utterly unique. I saw something similar recently at the revamped Ventana Big Sur in California: fossilised-wood stump tables by Palecek, with highly polished tops revealing natural-crystals encrusted between the growth rings. Not only were they beautiful, but also a thoughtful reflection on the fact that the hotel is surrounded by magnificent coastal redwoods, all hundreds of years old. Both objects are just the kind of collectable likely to catch the eye of Axel Vervoordt, the in-demand Belgian designer, art collector and antique dealer, who is renowned for his intuition for colours and materials. His enigmatic interiors are authentic, sophisticated and cosy, evoking an overwhelming feeling of intensity, whether you are staying in one of the 29 new rooms in the new wing of the Bayerischer Hof in Munich (a rare chance to experience his work), or flicking through a portfolio of his private projects. Even a photograph can provoke a deep sense of connection. See for yourself: the residences pictured, created for European clients, were based on the Japanese aesthetic concept of wabi – that beauty is found in imperfection and authenticity. They are deceptively simple, yet through them we are instantly more grounded in the world around us. That is the pinnacle of the designer’s skill. ‘I have always been interested in beauty found in nature’s artistry,’ Vervoordt says. ‘It’s also a matter of respect and love for the material; like respect for the Earth and for the simple things that we are surrounded by. When you pay respect to these things your life gets more interesting.’n susieatkinson.com; joycewang.com; afso.net; lapicida.com; axel-vervoordt.com

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BLOSSOMING FORTUNE

After two decades in the doldrums, chintz is making a triumphant return. But there’s more to this fabric than meets the eye, says Amy Bradford

t is now over 20 years since Swedish home giant Ikea exhorted us to ‘chuck out your chintz’. Television adverts showing British housewives excitedly throwing away floral-print lampshades, sofas and curtains purported to usher in a new era of spare, Scandinavian-inspired interiors. The campaign – which coincided with the decline of Laura Ashley, champion of sprigged florals since the 1970s – dealt a meaningful blow to chintz’s image, condemning it as dated and overdone. But the tide always turns. As traditionally influenced interiors return to favour, ‘ultramodern’ doesn’t seem quite so modern any more. Bold prints and comfortable homeliness are in. You only have to study style guru Hamish Bowles’ recently launched Vogue Living collection for fabric firm Schumacher, replete with romantic Cecil Beaton-esque chintzes, to sense the new mood. Schumacher says its ‘modern take on English country’ heralds ‘a return to proper decorating’. Chintz is back.

For some, of course, it never went away. Heritage textile brands like Jean Monro and Bennison Fabrics say that chintz designs continued to sell well even when their fashion status was at a low. Colefax & Fowler – whose classic Bowood and Fuchsia prints are based on 18th-century and Regency chintzes – is now feeling sufficiently confident to launch a collection of country florals this April. Sanderson, meanwhile, has just unveiled its Vintage Cushion Collection, featuring Vintage Chelsea, a classic chintz designed in 1960 and updated in modern colourways. Refreshes of colour and scale are key to the chintz revival, helping it to fit neatly into the burgeoning trend for contemporary florals. ‘Chintz’s renewed popularity is part of the return to multicoloured design,’ says Rebecca Craig, head of design at Sanderson. ‘We are seeing prints being increased in scale for greater impact and coloured with dark grounds on rich linens and velvets. Used in rooms with darker walls, these have a much more modern feel.’ At Zoffany, head of design Peter Gomez is updating the genre with a new variation

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CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE PAGE: Sanderson Vintage cushion collection; Bennison Fabrics; Chintz from Hamish Bowles’ Vogue Living collection for Schumacher; House of Hackney; Zoffany’s modern interpretation

on the Rose Absolute pattern, ‘blown up and printed onto wool to create an abstract floral’. And at Blendworth Interiors, creative director Emma Mawston has masterminded the Library collection, a new twist on historical designs, which includes the vibrantly chintzy Jessica print. ‘We’ve gone for rich golds and turquoise on dark navy grounds, rather than the traditional whites and creams,’ she says. Like her industry colleagues, Mawston is bullish about chintz’s prospects. ‘It sits well with the trend for re-upholstering vintage furniture, as the desire for something original or “heirloom” increases. Chintz is one of the most adaptable styles there is.’ If we are to really embrace chintz for the 21st century, though, we need to dispel a few myths about it. First, although the term is now used almost exclusively to describe a country floral print, it initially meant something quite different. ‘Chintz was originally a woodblockprinted, painted or stained calico produced in India from the 1600s,’ explains textile expert Christopher Moore, aka The Toile Man. The name ‘chintz’ derives from the Hindi word ‘chheent’, meaning ‘splattered’, revealing that what was significant about it was the print technique rather than a particular pattern. To a modern eye, early chintzes are surprisingly gutsy, sometimes verging on the abstract. A design from 1720 in the V&A Museum features exotic, spiky blooms and

trailing leaves in bright red and blue. Birds and stripes were other common motifs. The finish of early chintzes was also important. They would be buffed to a glazed finish, making them resistant to dirt and wear. Although this may seem like a minor detail, in fact it was crucial in cementing the popularity of chintz in British country houses. Slip covers made of the fabric became popular during the 19th century as an easy, practical way to update antique furniture, while simultaneously protecting its fragile upholstery. One of the best surviving examples of this kind of interior is at Brodsworth Hall in South Yorkshire, now owned by English Heritage, whose large collection of chintzes dates back to the 1860s. COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 21

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BELOW: Blendworth Jessica fabric from the Library collection at Blendworth RIGHT: Sanderson vintage cushion

The Victorians were obsessed with flowers – to the extent that they developed a richly symbolic language for them – and their taste in chintz reflects this

Houses like Brodsworth are where the flounced chair skirts and shabby-chic drapery now commonly associated with chintz started life. They also mark the beginnings of the link between chintz and naturalistic rose and peony prints. The Victorians were obsessed with flowers – to the extent that they developed a richly symbolic language for them – and their taste in chintz reflects this. It was blowzily romantic and rendered in soft, feminine colours. The style appealed to the American heiresses, such as Nancy Lancaster, who married into aristocratic families from the late 19th century onwards. For them, chintz was quintessentially English. New York-born interior decorator Elsie de Wolfe turned florals into a craze for urbanites, too, using them in her design for the Colony Club on Madison Avenue in 1907. She was

immediately nicknamed ‘the chintz lady’. The trend set in motion by the Victorians and de Wolfe has continued, with peaks and troughs, ever since. Chintz suited the muted strain of Modernism that prevailed in British homes during the 1920s and 30s, rubbing along comfortably with Art Deco curves. After WWII, the general population never wholeheartedly embraced ‘Post-War Modern’, with its outlandish shapes influenced by atomic science; a contemporary sofa might still be adulterated with floral cushions. By 1973, chintz was riding the crest of a wave and Colefax & Fowler had opened The Chintz Shop on London’s Ebury Street, dedicated entirely to its much-loved florals. So what happened to provoke the anti-chintz movement? ‘In the 1980s, we rather overdid it,’ says Christina Strutt, founder of Cabbages & Roses. Her collection of faded linen fabrics nods to chintz and will be joined by a range of glazed florals later this year. ‘It became the shoulder pad of interiors – all the frills and flounces of that decade were just overwhelming. However, I still believe that if you inject humour, the chintziest of chintzes can work anywhere from a city apartment to a stately home.’ Christopher Moore agrees: ‘Chintz became twee because the designs being used were copies of copies, and everyone thought it had to be blowsy roses or nothing at all.’ An expert at reviving historical designs for the modern age, he is decorating his new home with chintz textiles. ‘I’m mad about it,’ he enthuses. ‘It’s such a classic that it works in many different contexts.’ Perhaps the final word should go to Gillian Newberry, founder of Bennison Fabrics; ‘The pretty-pretty look definitely needed a kick up the backside, but still, many English houses would seem alien without chintz,’ she argues. ‘Used in a considered way, it makes a bold statement for today.’ n

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Large Positano Lamp TA0009.BR

VAUGHAN 020 7349 4600 uk-sales@vaughandesigns.com vaughandesigns.com

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NEW STORE

Westfield White City

OPENING MAY 2018 Our newest London store will showcase the very best in design,

from lighting and furniture to home accessories and bedlinen

WHERE DESIGN LIVES

www.heals.com

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HUMAN HANDS

As tastemakers with roving eyes for talent, interior designers are responsible for connecting their clients’ appetite for highly-crafted, bespoke pieces with expert, British-based makers, finds Arabella Youens

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

early 50 years ago, the Crafts Advisory Committee, later re-named the Crafts Council, was founded to advise the government on the needs of the artist craftsmen and to promote nationwide interest in their wares. Since then, a number of initiatives and platforms have spawned to demonstrate the vast wealth of talent found along the length and breadth of Britain. Today, it’s estimated that craft skills make a £3.4bn contribution to the UK economy. More than a century after the Arts and Crafts movement was founded, there is, among those who appreciate fine art and design, an increasing appetite for a return to the principles that the movement embraced: to turn the home into a work of art. As champions of decorative skills and artisanal crafts, interior designers have long been at the helm of supporting this. Chief among them is the Earl of Snowdon, who, for over 30 years, has showcased bespoke furniture, interiors, collectable pieces and accessories made by a network of master craftsmen in Linley, his Pimlico Road showroom.

Dubbed ‘interior couture’ by one evangelist, artisan-led solutions are important because they guarantee stand-out and esoteric results for their clients. Decorative artist Hughie Turner is one such talent. His skills in ‘faux finishes’, that is marbling, wood graining and his signature ‘linen finish’, is an art that was last popular in the 70s and early 80s but is currently witnessing something of a revival today – with the right clients. ‘People are increasingly appreciating how boring flat paint is. Our role isn’t to create something showy, it’s about adding a bit of elegance and life to walls – fabrics, papers and pictures do the rest in a room,’ he says. For Nick Crean, who chairs the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust – the charity that champions excellence in British craftsmanship – craftsmanship is what gives a space its personality and character. ‘Next time you are admiring someone’s home,’ he says, ‘look at all the architectural details, the fireplaces and the architraves, the rugs, the furniture, the cushions and even the colour of the walls. Just as craftsmanship has defined Britain’s cultural heritage over centuries, so it defines a home and the lives of those that live in it.’ COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 25

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PHOTOS: SHANNON TOFTS

Interior design by Tim Gosling with specialist work in gold leaf

TIM GOSLING

Furniture designer and inveterate collector Tim Gosling has a roving eye for wellmade things and regularly commissions British craftsmen to make bespoke pieces for his clients. The practice has built up a name for designing iconic works that push the boundaries of both traditional and new materials using both historic and contemporary techniques. ‘Other countries have a good base for craftsmanship, but I don’t think it’s as well-rounded and accessible as it is in the UK,’ he believes. ‘We’re not afraid to break the boundaries of design and innovation.’ He credits the evolving role of museums in the past 20 years with bringing the public, artists and craftsmen closer together through the introduction of interactive workshops and patrons’ circles. ‘That sense of the country as a whole being a living museum means that it’s important to pass on learnt knowledge and practices so future generations can benefit from them,’ he says. ‘And we, as interior designers, play a pivotal role in keeping these skills alive and present.’

Porcelain vessels with gold lustre by Jane Towers, at FBC London

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PHOTOS: SHANNON TOFTS

NATALIA MIYAR

One of the key threads that runs through Natalia Miyar’s work is the use and celebration of contemporary craft. In a recent London project, she combined 19th-century antiques with modern craft by British makers working in glass, ceramics, metal and wood. ‘Craft is so important,’ says Natalia. ‘Each and every piece I use should have a story which contributes to the narrative of the overall scheme. Machine-made things are too perfect and lack energy, whereas I’ve always intuitively been drawn to pieces that are handmade and tactile. But it’s more than that. The real luxury today is having something made for you.’ Like many, Natalia turns to social media to seek out individual artisans. ‘Instagram is a marvellous shop window that gives a platform for young crafts people.’ One such search led her to Harry Morgan. Known for his unusual marrying of materials and experimental approach to traditional processes, the designer creates pieces, such as tables, which have ‘an ephemeral quality’, says Natalia.

Blue Corner by Harry Morgan, 2016

FIONA BARRATT-CAMPBELL

Designer decorator Fiona Barratt-Campbell is known for her particular passion for contemporary ceramics which she likes to use in projects to give them ‘a pulse and a heartbeat’. Her Pimlico Road store, FBC London, shows off a range of decorative pieces by ceramicists Tessa Eastman, Jane Towers and Zsolt Jozsef Simon, among others. She credits her childhood in the wilds of Northumberland for bestowing her with a love and respect for British heritage and craftsmanship. ‘But it’s also in my DNA. My grandfather, property developer Sir Lawrie Barratt, founded one of the largest residential property development companies in the UK in 1958 and continues to be my greatest inspiration.’ The textures, shapes, colour and structure of the landscape of Northumberland, alongside the quiet affinity with clay and the processes that ceramicists use, led her to work with ceramics artists from the very start of FBC London. ‘As a designer, I believe it’s crucial to nurture and mentor young emerging talent as much as possible,’ she adds. While the industry continues to grow and becomes ever more competitive with designers under pressure to develop bigger and more elaborate works than ever before, it’s important, however, not to get side-tracked by trends and focus instead on skill and timelessness. For Fiona, ceramics and accessories are a ‘fusion of artisanal couture – where passion, innovation and skill meld to reveal the intrinsic beauty of a material through handcraftsmanship’. n COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 27

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Lightning Rölakan Täcke, Skytts. Scandinavia (1800-1825) 68cm x 202cm

Detail shown

TEXTILE ART Exhibition at Cox London, 194 Ebury Street, SW1W 8UP From 25th June 2018 www.fransesdesign.com

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T H E

F I N E S T

INTERIOR DESIGNERS Whether designing a superyacht, a five-star hotel, a Georgian manor house or a London apartment, these names are at the top of their game

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THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

BEATA HEUMAN

A Swedish-born, London-based interior designer who worked for Nicky Haslam at NH Design before setting up on her own in 2013, Beata Heuman is one to watch. Over the last five years, she has established her own distinct style, often using lots of linen and natural materials, and a simple palette interspersed with pops of bright colour and pattern (she also has a small product range, which includes gorgeous ‘Palm Drop’ print fabric and ‘Marbleized’ wallpaper). Interests include African tribal art (‘I fell in love with an antique Fante flag from the Kingdom of Dahomey at the Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair in Battersea,’ she enthuses) and books on American pre mid-century decorating. ‘The balance of our designs exists in the marriage of quirky, traditional details paired with a Scandinavian sensibility,’ says Beata who has just completed the new Farm Girl Café restaurant in Chelsea, a full refurbishment of a listed cottage in Sussex and a pied à terre in West London. ‘It’s about creating spaces that people love being in’. beataheuman.com

Inspired in equal measure by the English country style of the 1960s and 70s – and from historical interiors of every period – Ben Pentreath’s decorating schemes combine classical details with bold colour and contemporary fabrics. His background is in art history (he studied at the University of Edinburgh before attending the Prince of Wales’ Institute of Architecture) and he worked with the Prince’s Foundation before setting up his own architectural and interior design studio in 2004 (since then his royal connections have continued: the designer was enlisted to revamp Will and Kate’s Kensington Palace apartment); he is currently working on various private houses in the Cotswolds, a central London apartment and a family home in Notting Hill. He is also known for Pentreath & Hall, the Lamb’s Conduit Street shop he set up with designer and decorative artist Bridie Hall which sells furniture, lighting, glassware and home objects. benpentreath.com

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PHOTOS: SIMON BEVAN

BEN PENTREATH

BROOSK SAIB

PHOTOS: SIMON BEVAN

CARDEN CUNIETTI

Audrey Carden and Eleanora Cunietti met at a London antiques fair when they were both scouting for pieces for clients. Their first business venture together was the Carden Cunietti interiors shop in Notting Hill; since 2008 they have been concentrating solely on their interior design practice. ‘People probably think of our interiors as textured with splashes of colour and featuring furniture from different eras,’ reveals Audrey, of the duo’s defining factors. ‘We always emphasise comfort when it comes to sofas and dining chairs. And mixing light sources, including vintage pieces, is definitely part of our vision.’ Continuing projects range from a French chalet to a penthouse in Santa Monica, but they have also recently completed their first major commercial commission: The Apartment at Bicester Village. carden-cunietti.com

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Growing up as a teenager in London, Iraqi-born Broosk Saib spent his spare time trawling Portobello Market for antiques. He studied interior design at the American College, before setting up his showroom in 1985; eight years later he decided that his home was a far better showcase for his interiors and since then, clients wanting his bespoke, consultancy service visit by appointment. ‘A room should be functional and practical, and there should be an element of theatre; a stage set designed around the client and their lives,’ he says. ‘I also think lighting can make or break a room.’ He is inspired by classic design and architecture, and often veers towards using ‘lots of reds and blues’ and ‘natural materials like wood, semi-precious stones and metals’. broosk.com

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THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

CHARLES BATESON

Charles Bateson cites nine years spent working for Ashley Hicks as his greatest design inspiration. Certainly it stood him in good stead when it came to starting his own practice more than two decades ago. Known for his ‘classic contemporary’ tone, Charles’ residential projects range from a turreted house on an estate overlooking Loch Ness in Scotland to a new build in Provence. Convex mirrors are a trademark touch (he has his own collection of mirrors and lamps), as are favourite materials such as Verre Eglomise and other deep-etched decorative glass panels, stone and marble marquetry (lately, he has also started incorporating more wrought-iron). Bespoke, built-in and freestanding furniture is mostly designed in house. Bateson also goes to a huge effort to ensure that clients enjoy the process – surely one of the reasons why so many return. charlesbateson.com

Former Fox Linton design director Dennis Irvine set up on his own in 2015. Since then his studio has tackled numerous luxury hotels such as The Wellesley in Knightsbridge (think embossed leather wall panels, bespoke lighting and fashion photography from the Vogue archives) and Jumby Bay, a private island off the coast of Antigua where he recently designed the restaurant and private dining rooms. The rest of his time is spent on high-end, super-prime residences. All his interiors are characterised by a tasteful tone (Dennis calls it ‘enduring elegance’), rich textures and one-off pieces of furniture. His current headline project is Langley House, a Grade II-listed Palladian mansion in Buckinghamshire which opens this summer as a hotel. ‘The overall design will encompass modern sensibilities and an understated feel,’ says Dennis. dennisirvinestudio.com

DO DESIGN

Co-founded by couple Sarah Daniels and Jon O’Dwyer eight years ago (the pair were previously both directors at Richard Daniels Design), DO Design specialises in hotel interiors but takes on a few select residential commissions too. ‘It’s so important for a hotel to feel homely and equally our residential clients often want their homes to have that feeling of luxury you get in a hotel, so the two complement each other nicely,’ comments Sarah who avoids high fashion trends in favour of long-lasting, timeless designs. The pair work on the initial concepts together, then split roles: Jon focuses more on the interior architecture and master planning while Sarah concentrates on developing the furnishings. ‘We love to combine surfaces such as wood, metal, stone, linen and wool,’ she says. ‘We’re not ones for high shine and flamboyant luxe. The materials we use are clean and unobtrusive, in other words – easy on the eye.’ dodesignstudio.co.uk

PHOTO: PHILLIP SINDEN

DENNIS IRVINE

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PHOTO: PHILLIP SINDEN

DOUGLAS MACKIE ‘Textiles are the lifeblood of a project; the architecture and furniture are the structure,’ says Douglas Mackie whose striking interiors always feature plenty of colour and form. Custom-made fabrics from French textile atelier Toyine Sellers and American weaver Sam Kasten crop up in all projects (‘the glorious colours and extraordinary textures enhance our work every time,’ elaborates Douglas) and he sources furniture from different periods ‘with the purpose of creating a considered balance within each room’. The combination of artwork, sculpture and artefacts is also key, and an instinctive part of what he does is help clients curate their objects in unexpected ways. They also make a good starting point for a decorative scheme: ‘it varies with every situation but having two great items of furniture and artwork that a client loves, is a wonderful way of informing the direction of a space’. douglasmackie.com

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EBBA THOTT London-based Swedish designer Ebba Thott is co-founder of Sigmar, a multidisciplinary company comprised of a shop that specialises in 20th-century design (run by her business partner, Danish furniture expert Nina Hertig) and a studio. As you’d expect, modern 20thcentury design is a staple throughout her interiors but the real objective for Ebba is always to achieve cohesion. ‘I hope that I can help bring harmony to someone’s space, by creating balance for the senses; everything matters from light to touch,’ she says. By which she means making a home feel tied together, often by subtly weaving in echoing patterns in certain places for that hard-to-achieve lived-in feel. She also has her own collection of paints, Damo, based on a broad grey scale, which are often requested by clients (the hues work particularly well with dark woods). The result is schemes that are considered and ultra calming. sigmarlondon.com

EMMA SIMSHILDITCH ‘A fresh take on the English country house look’ is how Emma Sims-Hilditch describes her design ethos which centres around creating beautifully calm, elegant homes. Paint palettes are often muted (the blue-grey tones of Farrow & Ball’s Pigeon and Neptune’s Moss are favourites), paired with fabrics by the likes of de Le Cuona and GP & J Baker. She loves Belgian design (in particular the work of Axel Vervoordt) and considers creating light and shade as one of the most important principles of her schemes. After a spell working in film production with Ridley Scott, she began making curtains and soft furnishings from home, before officially launching her business in 2009. Based in the Cotswolds, in a restored Grade II former inn, she is currently working on a private estate outside London which involves restoring a former school house, a woodman’s cottage, a bespoke gun room and an ice cream parlour. simshilditch.com

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PHOTO: PETR KREJCI

THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

FIONA BARRATTCAMPBELL

Neutral palettes layered with texture to create interest: that’s Fiona Barratt-Campbell’s style in a nutshell. ‘I like to use lots of different surfaces: reclaimed wood, polished concrete, cast metals, woven leather... Then I add colour through accessories and antiques, particularly 20th century pieces,’ says Fiona, who launched Fiona Barratt Interiors in 2006 and snagged Richard Branson’s lodge in Verbier as her first commission. A recent full-scale residential redevelopment in Moscow, which involved turning a concrete shell into a family apartment, was kitted out with a bespoke contemporary FBC London kitchen and contrasting old-world silk rugs and a curated art collection. Right now, she has 16 projects on the go, from a Georgian terrace to a waterfront penthouse apartment. fionabarrattinteriors.com

PHOTO: PETR KREJCI

FLORA SOAMES

With an art background and ten years as creative director of Talisman under her belt, it’s no wonder that Flora Soames’ interiors are shaped by her ‘love of beautiful things’ and an ‘identifiable stamp of colour and pattern’. The great-granddaughter of Winston Churchill, Flora counts the whimsical nature of the Bloomsbury Group and decorators such as Nancy Lancaster and John Fowler among her many influences. ‘A client’s furniture, art, textiles and accessories constantly inspire us,’ confirms Flora, who has just completed the renovation of an Oxfordshire farmhouse and the redesign of the private dining room at Wiltons restaurant in Mayfair. Her own growing collection of antique textiles can also drive a project and she is launching her own range of fabrics later this year. ‘Whether it is a weave, embroidered fabric, chintz or velvet, fabrics contribute to the vital patina that we are looking to achieve in our interiors.’ florasoames.com

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THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

GAIL TAYLOR & SHEILA EL HADERY A diffusion arm of Taylor Howes, th2 was launched by Gail Taylor, Sheila El Hadery and Karen Howes in 2005 as a more accessible design service, delivered in super quick time with an affordable price tag. A year ago, they took the concept one step further with the launch of th2Studio, an online venture offering fully designed rooms, furniture and accessories at the click of a button. In general, creative and managing director Gail favours natural timbers, warm wools and crisp linens to give a room an organic undertone, plus a soothing colour palette. From the company’s base at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, the team has not long completed a family mews house and a sky-high apartment in a cutting-edge development, both in London. They have also converted an old office just off the King’s Road into a home set furnished in new pieces from th2studio. ‘It’s great to show what we are doing to a wider market so we are using it as a pop-up for a limited period.’ th2designs.co.uk

13 GAVIN HOUGHTON A chance conversation at a dinner party with the owner of a Jacobean house in Suffolk who was looking to give it an update, led to this former art director turning to interior design (he had already done a stint at David Collins Studio). That was ten years ago and since then he has honed his English country style to a tee. ‘I love a room to be eclectic, with a slightly bohemian edge, so it feels as if it has grown over time,’ explains Gavin whose roll call of influences include the Bloomsbury Group and David Hicks. ‘I’m not interested in beige or metallics but I use a huge mix of fabrics. If I look around the studio now, I’m working with stripes, vintage florals and silk damasks of every hue.’ He also loves the colour green (‘it always seems to appear somehow’) and counts a house in Oxford and a converted barn in Bordeaux among his ongoing projects. gavinhoughton.co.uk

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THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

HILL HOUSE Founded by friends Jenny Weiss and Helen Bygraves 20 years ago, Surrey-based Hill House Interiors was a natural extension of their work in the property sector, styling show houses for small, niche developers. These days, their signature look is elegant with an underlying hint of glamour: think a grey and cream palette with splashes of colour and dramatic finishing touches – anything from a crystal chandelier over a dining table in a Chelsea townhouse to Art Deco mirrored detailing in a home in Poole. ‘We are big advocators of bespoke cabinetry – investing extra into essential feature pieces does make all the difference to the overall aesthetic,’ comment the duo who are just wrapping up on a private residence in the Bahamas. ‘We’re experts at creating really tonal, understated interiors though we recently worked on a scheme where the client’s favourite colour was fuchsia, which we really made pop against shades of electric blue.’ hillhouseinteriors.com

JOANNA WOOD ‘An interior has to be comfortable and it has to be practical,’ sums up Joanna Wood of her design philosophy. The founder of one of the largest residential interior design companies in London who set up her own practice from her spare bedroom after a spell in the interiors department at Asprey, Joanna is as at ease working on a contemporary penthouse as a 17th-century stately home or Swiss chalet. ‘We learn as much about the client as possible, how they live, how they entertain, and then translate their ideas into reality,’ she continues. Joanna has done work for The Crown Estate, and for The All England Tennis Club at Wimbledon; runs a retail shop with a furniture showroom in Belgravia; and has three design companies to her name: Phillips & Wood bespoke lighting, Lewis & Wood fabrics and wallpapers, and Lawson Wood bespoke furniture. joannawood.com

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JULIETTE BYRNE Juliette Byrne’s Chelseabased consultancy has established a reputation for creating classic contemporary interiors individually tailored to clients’ requirements. ‘We work on each project in a holistic way, from the full refurbishment through to the final turnkey touches,’ says Juliette, who likes to blend existing pieces with new, antique and bespoke furniture. She often commissions artwork, specifically butterfly boxes. ‘The piece comprises a perspex box with individually chosen feather butterflies in colours coordinated with the interior. It gives an ethereal quality and clients love it.’ Juliette names one of her most memorable residences as a double basement new-build house in Chelsea which went on to win an International Property Award for best single unit in London. juliettebyrne.com

K&H DESIGN This relatively young design studio is already becoming known for its exceptional, personalised level of attention to detail – whether it’s designing a bronze oak leaf chandelier with a client’s initials tucked inside or having sofas made to the exact leg and back lengths of its owners. Co-founded three years ago by Katie Glaister, who has a background in the prime central London residential market, and Henry MillerRobinson, who previously worked in commercial construction, theirs is an unusually broad design consultancy offering. ‘For some clients we start with an empty space, reconfigure it and fill it with everything that is new to them; for others we love to curate, sifting through past treasures, re-framing art, re-grouping accessories and combining old furniture items with new,’ says Katie. The pair work a lot with patinated mirrors to direct light around a space, and engage specialist artisans, such as straw marquetry experts, where possible. ‘You will notice that we tend to work with a small base palette, usually less is more. There is so much choice but a designer’s skill is to narrow it down.’ kandhdesign.co.uk

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KAREN HOWES It has been 25 years and more than a thousand completed projects since Karen Howes co-founded Taylor Howes (she took over as sole director in 2011). Her aim, whether working on a family office in Abu Dhabi or a thatched new-build in the Cotswolds, is always to ‘deliver interiors that don’t just look spectacular but which function brilliantly on a day-to-day level as well’. The studio has become synonymous with always injecting a dash of colour into rooms, especially sumptuous, jewel-like tones. ‘2017 was the year of emerald green. We’re now in a blue phase, using a cross section of shades,’ comments Karen whose opinion is so respected that artisans and design houses regularly ask for her feedback on their new collections. Several collaborations are in the pipeline this year, including a dining table with Davidson and a wallpaper with de Gournay. Her design rules? ‘Space planning is key and if you change one thing, it can change everything.’ taylorhowes.co.uk

PHOTOS: MEL YATES

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THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

KATHARINE POOLEY Everyone from Mohamed Al Fayed to Alexandra Tolstoy has sought out Katharine Pooley’s impeccably chic design eye. Inspired by the East meets West aesthetic, her soft, tonal decorating schemes often mix warm metallics with shades such as ivory, coral blush and celadon. ‘These colours are best used when combined with specialist plaster finishes, shells and skins, and textured natural fabrics,’ says Katharine who oversees a studio of 45 designers and architects. ‘My favourite finishes include gesso, agate, shagreen and mother of pearl.’ Last autumn she published a book, Journey by Design, which featured one of her most memorable houses to date: a large villa in Kuwait inspired by her client’s antiques and relics, which she complemented with one-off pieces sourced in Asia. She has a flagship showroom in Doha and a growing roster of clients in the US and t he Middle East. katharinepooley.com

21 KEECH GREEN

Michael Keech and Graham Green met at Ralph Lauren, where they launched the Home Collection. They founded Keech Green in 2002. Their vibe – glamorous and restrained – is often described as nodding towards Art Deco but really they can adapt to any brief, pairing traditional fabrics with modern artwork, say, or branching out to superyachts. They take a very hands-on approach, designing nearly all the furniture and lighting and sourcing unusual finishes. Current projects include a new-build country house in Yorkshire, an apartment in Geneva and a Georgian-style house in Hampstead. They are shortly relocating to Linley, Belgravia, for an exciting new collaboration. keechgreen.com

PHOTOS: MEL YATES

KELLY HOPPEN

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‘My style is timeless, textural and chic,’ says Kelly Hoppen of her trademark palette of soft neutral tones. ‘It has evolved over the years, but the fusion of East meets West will always be at the core of my design philosophy and underpins all of my work.’ This means clients (who include everyone from Gwyneth Paltrow to the Beckhams) can expect clean, precise lines layered with opulent materials. ‘Harmony has to be the key word for an interior designer, and as our lives become increasingly hectic, we’ve never needed this more in our homes. It’s not necessarily Eastern-style pieces or accessories that make a home “East meets West”, it is more creating that feeling of tranquility,’ continues Kelly, who was awarded an OBE for services to interior design in 2009. ‘For me, a room isn’t complete without an Eastern sense of balance. You should walk into a room and it should just feel right.’ Clients can choose between Kelly Hoppen Couture for a bespoke design or the more accessible Studio Hoppen. kellyhoppen.com

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MARIA SPEAKE When Maria Speake and Adam Hills set up architectural salvage and design company Retrouvius 25 years ago, their sole purpose was to give new life to unwanted, discarded materials. These days the business is split into two: a Kensal Green warehouse where reclaimed stock (Persian rugs, oak chests, marble-topped tables) is sold, and a sister design studio led by Maria which undertakes all kinds of projects (the studio has just completed the penthouse at the new Television Centre at White City, in collaboration with designer Bella Freud). What’s brilliant about Retrouvius’ interiors is that salvaged materials always feature in some form, perhaps in a stone panel for the bathroom behind a roll-top bath, etched glass panels and antique floor tiles or sliding 1930s copper-framed windows. Carefully considered and well executed, the results are always spot on. retrouvius.com

MARTIN BRUDNIZKI From Dean Street Townhouse and The Ivy to Cecconi’s in West Hollywood, Swedish-born Martin Brudnizki is behind some of the glitziest restaurants, hotels and private members’ clubs, both in the capital and worldwide. He established his studio in 2000 and now oversees a team of more than 70 interior, lighting and product designers and art consultants across London and New York. In 2015, he also set up And Objects, a separate product design studio through which he has collaborated with the likes of Porta Romana and George Smith. Pivotal career projects over the years have included Soho Beach House Miami (one of his first US commissions), The Academicians’ Room at The Royal Academy of Arts and, most recently, the new-look Annabel’s, which has an Oriental-inspired lounge, a Mexican bar and a Garden of Eden room and terrace. ‘The overall look is incredibly rich, vivid and over the top,’ says Martin who counts everything from ‘a sharp bead detailing in an historic house to the painterly clash of colours in a modernist painting’ as inspiration. He also takes on a very small percentage of residences, the latest of which is Madison Square Park Tower, an apartment development in New York’s Flat Iron district that completes this year. mbds.com

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THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

MARTIN HULBERT The award-winning designer of hotels such as Coworth Park, Chewton Glen and The Grove, where he has just returned to refresh the Glasshouse restaurant and the drawing rooms, Martin Hulbert has more than 25 years’ experience in the interiors industry. For the last 13 he has worked with business partner Jay Grierson and between them, they take on projects of all budgets and sizes, across the residential and commercial sectors. He defines his interiors as ‘highly considered; not just about the visible but the invisible. Design that is authentic and contains an element of wit to humanise a space’. Expect a curated mix of old and new: a contemporary leather dining chair paired with an antique dining table, say, or placing a plexiglass console in a traditional Georgian house. martinhulbertdesign.com

PHOTOS: JAMES MCDONALD

MARTIN KEMP

A former creative director of Candy & Candy who set up his own studio six years ago, Martin Kemp has worked on high-profile projects ranging from a Grade I-listed mansion in Mayfair to a modern bachelor pad in Monaco, a polo club in Saint Tropez to a private jet. ‘Our DNA is probably to do with having an eye for detail and the level of finish,’ he says, recalling his childhood home as ‘memorable for its dramatic colour, eclectic furnishings and diverse artworks The studio focuses mainly on the super-prime residential market and has just completed Clarges, a significant new development overlooking Green Park which comprises flats, a spa and a showstopper lobby. A home needs to be comfortable emotionally and psychologically, as well as physically,’ concludes Martin. ‘You need to walk into your home and feel instantly at ease.’ martinkempdesign.com

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THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

MONIQUE AND STAFFAN TOLLGARD

Inchbald-educated husband and wife team Monique and Staffan Tollgard met while working on a film set and now put their storytelling experience to good use in interiors. ‘We are telling the story of a client through their home, using the language of design,’ explains Monique. ‘What is the hero piece of each room? How do light and shade work to create atmosphere?’ Over the years the company has expanded so now she heads up the interior design side of things while Staffan focuses on product design and sourcing furniture and lighting for their store. The pair are always looking to identify the ‘Rödatråden’ (red thread) in a room design – meaning the core essence or creative DNA. ‘The spark can come from an architectural detail, a family heirloom, or a collection of art but each project holds a unique red thread,’ says Monique. tollgard.co.uk

NATALIA MIYAR A former Miami-based architect who spent five years as design director at Helen Green Design before setting up on her own in 2016, Natalia Miyar is known for her confident use of colour and texture, and creating a balance between practicality and beauty. ‘Materiality is at the heart of my designs and we use a lot of stone and metal in our projects,’ she confirms. Add to that cut-velvets for upholstery, deeply grained woods, lustrous gemstones and raffia wallcoverings and the result is effortlessly luxurious interiors. Miyar has an international client base – at the moment she is criss-crossing the globe between London, Manhattan, Ibiza and Kenya – and finds stimulation in travel. ‘The contrasting landscapes of the different places I’ve lived in resonate strongly with me and feed into my work.’ nataliamiyar.com

A doyenne of the interior design scene, Nina Campbell has been in business for more than 50 years so it’s no wonder that her vast portfolio of projects ranges from an apartment in Rome to a hotel in Germany that was built by Queen Victoria’s daughter, via an English country retreat. Some of the most interesting can soon be seen in her new book Nina Campbell Interior Design: Elegance and Ease (out in September), alongside case studies of her own properties. ‘The key thing is that a house has to be suitable for someone’s lifestyle. It’s got to be comfortable and welcoming,’ she explains of her schemes which often feature upholstery fabrics such as chenille, linens and velvets. ‘As American interior decorator Elsie de Wolfe used to say, suitability, practicality and proportion are the three abiding words to work through.’ Nina has just finished a huge house in Maine, complete with a pool house and party house. ‘We really let rip; there’s a super glamorous room, just with a bar in it, with violet lacquered walls and a silver ceiling.’ ninacampbellinteriors.com

PHOTOS: DANIELLA CESAREI; SIMON BROWN

NINA CAMPBELL

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PHOTOS: DANIELLA CESAREI; SIMON BROWN

NOOR CHARCHAFCHI Former aviation finance lawyer Noor Charchafchi made the leap to interior design seven years ago after renovating several properties with her husband. Now she excels in opulent yet understated residences. Subtle inlays of brass, sumptuous fabrics and textured finishes appear throughout her work. ‘We often find that clients prefer to use a neutral base and then play with colour in their accent pieces but I also love using bold hues on larger items of furniture and joinery,’ she explains, naming her mother’s cousin, the late Zaha Hadid as a design hero. When she and her team aren’t busy with private commissions, they work with developments such as the Berkeley Group’s Chelsea Vista Bridge apartments and Yara Capital’s student housing in Lewisham. A furniture collection is in the pipeline for next year. celineestates.com

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THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

PAOLO MOSCHINO FOR NICHOLAS HASLAM

Italian-born Paolo Moschino bought Nicholas Haslam in 1995 and immediately set about putting his own European ‘classic with a twist’ stamp on the business, which is comprised of an extensive fabric and furniture collection and a design studio. The latter is headed up by Philip Vergeylen and, under his guidance, elegant schemes often juxtapose modern and antique pieces across the eras to create interiors with bags of personality. ‘The maxim that good pieces will work together is also true for furniture; you can put an 18th-century commode alongside two 1950s armchairs and it will look great if each item has integrity,’ says Paolo. The pair champion natural fabrics, such as Belgian linens, and items such as books and art that ‘make a house sing.’ No concept is ever repeated and every project – whether a home in the Caribbean or a refit of a superyacht – is built around the objectives of the client. nicholashaslam.com

‘Get the architecture correct first; it’s pointless decorating something that is badly planned or badly proportioned,’ says interior designer Philip Hooper who has led a decorating team at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler for the last 17 years. ‘As a trained architect I would never embark on a project where I had not had some element of control over the details and layouts.’ Philip, who has a team of five, works on around ten projects at once, all at various stages (at the moment these include a house in Philadelphia and a small estate in Norfolk). What unites them all is the ‘common thread of comfort’: ‘whether you’re working in an 18th-century idiom, a modernist home or on some place in the tropics, it’s always about having somewhere comfortable to sit. You need a light to read by, a place to put your feet up and a table for a drink.’ sibylcolefax.com

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PHOTOS: ADAM FRIEDBERG

PHILIP HOOPER

RITA KONIG It’s never easy following in a mother’s footsteps (especially when the mother in question is Nina Campbell) but over the last 16 years Rita Konig has channelled her own style. This involves decorating by instinct, layering colours and textures together to create a pretty, relaxed look. ‘I love a wall crammed with pictures. I also love a good clash – I’m not a fan of matchy-matchy fabrics,’ says Rita who spent six years living in New York before moving back to London in 2012. ‘A room should make you want to come in, sit down and stay a while.’ When she’s not working on interiors she runs one-day design workshops from her home and offers advice on ‘Rita Says’, part of her website, which covers everything from must-have products to tips on lighting. ritakonig.com

PHOTOS: ADAM FRIEDBERG

ROBERT ANGELL

A former creative director at David Collins Studio, Robert Angell set up his own practice eight years ago. Passionate about design history, he takes a ‘white box approach’ to each project, starting with a clean slate and then creating sketches and moodboards that build up colour, form and light (his design references are modernists such as Philip Johnson and Mies van der Rohe). He designs nearly every aspect himself, from the carpets to the upholstery fabrics, lighting and wall treatments. ‘This allows both scale and proportion to be exploited in harmony with their surroundings, creating a cohesive well thought through design,’ he says, describing his overall mood as ‘modern yet timeless’. Eighty per cent of his time is spent on commercial projects, the latest of which are a flagship restaurant in New York’s Hudson Yards, a new spa space for The Savoy and bedrooms at the Belmond Grand St Petersburg. robertangelldesigninternational.com

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THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

ROBERT KIME ‘Carpets are my favourite place to start; when it comes to decorating a room, everything must start with a carpet,’ insists Robert Kime, an antiques dealer turned decorator who counts the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Beaufort among his most aristocratic clients. He outlines his design philosophy as combining a ‘relaxed mood with an elaborate mix of antique treasures’ and is equally passionate about textiles, wallpapers, lighting and furniture – all of which he designs and sells at his London showroom. This year, new fabrics include ‘Karsamba’, a woven design inspired by an early 19th-century Anatolian hanging and ‘Turin’, a print based on a 17th-century Piedmontese panel. One of his most memorable past commissions, he says, was Wraxall Manor because ‘the history of the house and the overall process was wonderful’. He has recently completed new suites at The Gunton Arms, a traditional pub with rooms in Norfolk. robertkime.com

35 ROGER JONES When Roger Jones joined Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler nearly 25 years ago he was head of the antiques department. That was until clients who came to rely on Roger for advice on the buying and placing of antiques started asking for his help decorating their homes too (he still has overall responsibility for the antiques department). Today, all his projects follow the same guiding principle: ‘to have regard for the architecture and a client’s way of life’. He works with three design assistants on commissions from houses in Connecticut to Kuwait, private members’ clubs to sailing yachts. His schemes are calm and unfussy (‘most of my projects seem to have a room with blue walls,’ he quips), but what he finds most rewarding is ‘working on houses that have some age, some history to them, and dealing with them in a sympathetic way but making them relevant to modern life’. sibylcolefax.com

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36 18/04/2018 15:35

VEEDON FLEECE

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THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

ROSE UNIACKE Trained furniture restorer, gilder and a specialist in paint and lacquer, Rose Uniacke sets out to design ‘uncluttered, rigorously edited spaces with a relaxed warmth and sense of serenity’. And it’s a pared-down, harmonious look she has perfected for her starry clients who include the screenwriter Peter Morgan and Jo Malone. ‘Every project is completely different but I always start with the architecture – the essence of the physical space is so important. Details really make the design, be they complex or simple in nature,’ says Rose who has recently finished the restoration of an Aesthetic Movement Artist’s Studio by EW Godwin in Chelsea and the Belmond Royal Scotsman with carriages inspired by the Highlands landscape. She also has a collection of furniture, lighting and accessories, named RU Editions, and has just launched her first fabric collection, RU Fabric. roseuniacke.com

SALVESEN GRAHAM Having met at university, Nicole Salvesen and Mary Graham teamed up in 2013 to set up their own practice, specialising in elegant interiors with a contemporary kick. The duo love colour (‘at the moment we are particularly enjoying pinks and greens ,’ says Mary) and are so inspired by the ‘elegance of Georgian England’ that they have launched a range of upholstered furniture with David Seyfried, which alludes to the simplicity of Georgian proportions. They go to great lengths to ensure that the design process is enjoyable for clients, whether it’s the owner of a Alpine chalet or a members’ club in Mayfair. salvesengraham.com

SERENA WILLIAMS ELLIS

Core to Serena Williams Ellis’ approach is her penchant for mixing not matching, whether it’s high-gloss walls with a salvaged French limestone floor or pairing pretty and ‘ugly’ colours together – dusky pink and soft grey, say, or ochre and moss green. Since she began her career 25 years ago (she worked for Christie’s Fine Art Auctioneers), projects have swung the design spectrum from privately owned historic houses to yachts and contemporary chalets. ‘I always like a strong architectural element to build on – if it’s not there I create it,’ says Serena whose ‘old meets new, simple but quirky’ style is determined by everything from 18th-century English design to the Orient. She encourages clients to create their own lookbook with images from magazines so she can find out what they are attracted to, ‘and just as importantly, what they are not’. Commissions range from a single item of bespoke furniture to entire houses. serenawilliamsellisltd.co.uk

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SIMON RAWLINGS Creative director at David Collins Studio for more than a decade, Simon Rawlings and his team are behind some of the most high-profile hospitality and commercial spaces, both globally and in the UK, including the Corbin & King restaurants and, most recently, the first stage of Harrods’ two-year food hall transformation. The studio designs just a few private homes at a time, plus residential developments and show homes but, says Rawlings, creatively it’s ‘the heart and soul’ of the business. They also invest a huge amount of time developing, prototyping, sourcing and creating unique finishes with specialist artisans. Rawlings specifies his style as ‘obsessively tailored eclecticism’, by which he means having a near-obsession with ‘texture, colour and pattern detail, while ensuring harmony is struck with the right balance and tonal variation’. davidcollins.com

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SOPHIE ELBORNE With creative director Sophie Elborne at the helm, Kitesgrove, a five-year-old studio that encompasses interior design and project management, is behind some of London’s smartest residences including an apartment within Battersea Power Station, and three homes in a renovated 7,000 sq/ft building in South Kensington – all of which sold within five months of launching to market. She describes her interiors as ‘inviting, comfortable and multilayered. Our designs whisper rather than shout’. Great emphasis is placed on making spaces feel as good as they look: think materials such as reclaimed wood, un-dyed linens and raw metals. At the moment she is splitting her time between a penthouse in Knightsbridge, designed with an art collector in mind, and the renovation of a Georgian family home in Chelsea. kitesgrove.com

An in-demand designer with almost 25 years’ experience who eschews the fashionable in favour of bringing a room to life with ‘exquisite colours, furniture or a favourite family heirloom’. Susie Atkinson’s inviting decorating schemes are all about the balance: ‘I love handblocked wallpapers, and hand-gathered curtains, and use these where I can. Perhaps most of all I like to combine mid-century lighting with antique furniture and a few quirky accessories to bring a bit of character and humour to a space,’ she says. Favoured materials include wool, silks, leather and antique mirroring or brass to add warmth and, as well as taking into account the architecture, she will always consider ‘the direction of light, which has a significant effect on the colour palette’. Her roll call of diverse, high-profile projects includes Babington House and Dean Street Townhouse, Queen’s Club London, and the new Beaverbrook hotel in Surrey, but right now, it’s a beach house in the Caribbean and a 1930s boat that she’s most excited about. ‘I have always wanted to do a beach house and a boat, so I’m thrilled.’ susieatkinson.com

PHOTOS: JULIAN ABRAMS

SUSIE ATKINSON

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THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

SUZY HOODLESS Suzy Hoodless is behind the communal spaces at one of this year’s most anticipated new developments in the Capital: the Television Centre at White City. ‘The aim was to be inspired by the building and its history, but not slavishly driven by the 1950s roots; the look is mid-century with the best of European contemporary design,’ says Suzy. She explains her aesthetic as ‘discerning and design-led, an alchemy of styles and periods’, and has an instinct for which colours and materials are right for a space. Other recent projects include converting an artist’s studio in Chelsea into a family home and a five-storey townhouse in Kensington where there are unexpected surprises such as a panelled dining room with parquet flooring that conceals a hidden bar. suzyhoodless.com

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TARA BERNERD

PHOTOS: JULIAN ABRAMS

An international powerhouse whose handsome style draws on modern architecture to lend an industrial edge to her designs. ‘There is always, I think, a sense of approachable luxury within what we do, whether that’s in a hotel in Hong Kong or a private chalet in Gstaad,’ she says. ‘For me, design is a layered process; starting first with the layouts and space planning before building up to the final touches, such as art and dressing.’ She cut her teeth working for Philippe Starck at his property company YOO before setting up on her own 16 years ago. A large part of her time is spent on commercial projects but she is finding increasing crossovers with residential commissions. ‘We are finding more and more that people want their homes to be like hotels and their hotels to be like homes,’ she continues. ‘Ultimately, as designers we want to create spaces that people embrace and enjoy.’ tarabernerd.com

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TIFFANY DUGGAN Before Tiffany Duggan set up her studio six years ago she did stints painting sets for the theatre and as an interior stylist – both of which feed into her eclectic decorating schemes, which she describes as fusing ‘a little old and new, a touch of the unexpected and a bit of drama’. She gravitates towards a base of moody, muted tones, adding the odd pop of bright colour and punchy pattern. ‘I also think there should be just a little humour in any room,’ she says. Interests vary wildly from the Hollywood Regency movement to the romance of country houses, the boho ‘jungalow’ vibe to anything with a Moorish hook. She is currently working on a period property in Hampstead, a pied à terre in Marylebone and a holiday home in Ibiza. Her first homeware collection is in the works too, due out later this year. studioduggan.com

45 TIM GOSLING ‘I need to know why a building or house is the way it is, to understand the original intention of the architect,’ says Tim Gosling, whose portfolio is a mix of private and commercial commissions and includes The Goring hotel and numerous superyachts. ‘My favourite periods are Art Deco and Regency. That may sound like an odd span, but it is 1830 and 1930 – a hundred years difference and a cultural explosion of ideas and design details.’ Tim founded his studio in 2005 after 18 years as director at Linley and has a reputation for clean-cut sophisticated interiors. He loves using vellum (‘such a remarkable material; you can dye it, stain it, print on it,’) and straw work for its refraction and luminosity. This autumn, he is organising an exhibition at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour with the Furniture Makers’ Company to showcase bespoke furniture. tgosling.com

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TIM MURRAY Founded by the late Helen Green in 2002 and known for elegant interiors and neutral colour palettes that veer towards soft rather than sterile, the studio is now headed up by creative director Tim Murray – a firm believer that the location, architecture and how the client wishes to use their property are the primary defining factors of an interior. Proportion is also key: ‘My team and I all have a deeply ingrained appreciation for proportion and as such it is the foundation of all good design. An empty room can feel right when well proportioned. It can equally feel uncomfortable if its proportions are wrong,’ says Tim, who is also passionate about joinery detailing. ‘For instance, a stunning study, library or bookshelves that are the statement pieces of an interior.’ The studio is also renowned for luxury hotel design. helengreendesign.com

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THE FINEST 50 INTERIOR DESIGNERS

TOM BARTLETT A contemporary architecture and design practice with an affection for heritage buildings, Tom Bartlett’s Clerkenwell-based Waldo Works is known for combining simple geometrics and a strong use of colour. ‘We like to be rigorous about what we do so we try and make sure every decision is linked back to an original design idea or story,’ says Tom of his sensibly academic approach. ‘It actually makes designing easier because it narrows your choice and you are not entirely dealing with decisions that are solely based on aesthetics – which can be very objective.’ Projects range from The Laslett hotel in Notting Hill to Cara Delevingne’s London pad and a set of rooms for a castle in Austria, but whatever he’s working on, Tom’s intention is to create ‘spaces and places that are a little unexpected’. waldoworks.com

TURNER POCOCK

Self-confessed ‘colourists who adore pattern, texture and warmth’, Bunny Turner and Emma Pocock co-founded their design studio in 2007. ‘These days a client is unlikely to come to us if they want all neutrals but we very much pride ourselves on making someone’s house their home,’ says Emma. ‘We love blues, greens and pops of yellow and coral but we try not to be complacent and push ourselves to move out of our comfort zone by experimenting with new palettes.’ The pair work between London and Geneva, meaning they are ideally placed for both their European and UK client base. turnerpocock.co.uk

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50 With a background as an art historian and experience working for Sotheby’s and the Guggenheim in Venice, it’s no wonder that art plays a central role in Virginia White’s interiors (she also worked for designer John Stefanidis before starting her own company 17 years ago). She likes to design a space as a whole, rather than room by room and has a tendency towards light walls (Farrow & Ball’s Slipper Satin is a favourite), natural floors and accent colours brought in with furniture or art. ‘Having not long ago finished a project in Finland, I find Scandinavian design is such an immense influence on creating modern and easy to live with interiors,’ reflects Virginia who also has her own collection of fabrics, wallpapers and furniture, and often advises on purchasing art. She works on three or four projects in parallel, often for longstanding clients. virginiawhite.co.uk

PHOTOS: COLIN HAMPDEN-WHITE

VIRGINIA WHITE

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LIVING LIFE OUTSIDE Cloisters Seat Timeless Design Handcrafted in Oak

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Interior design and decorative consultants – working collaboratively with exceptionally talented artisans and craftsmen. We interpret and deliver fabulous and individual design solutions for our clients.

MARGIT WITTIG bespoke lamp in a London hallway developed with K&H Design. As well as making figurative sculptures, she has applied sculptural form and her artist’s eye to creating unique lamps, sophisticated occasional furniture and artistic objects. Based in London, shipping worldwide. margitwittig.com

JOHN BOYD TEXTILES weaving since 1837 using the original historic looms. Horsehair fabrics are used mainly for upholstery as shown here on the arm of this bespoke sofa bed by K&H Design. This exclusive English fabric is highly regarded for its quality, durability, natural fire resistance and acoustic properties. Used for commercial and residential projects on wallcoverings, screens, lampshades, walling and acoustic speakers. johnboydtextiles.co.uk

RUPERT BEVAN alcove installation in a drawing room designed by K&H Design featuring mirrored and antiqued hand-blown glass panels with heavily foxed edges, set within a patina brass frame and trim with decorative studs. Their glass is designed and custom made specifically for each project and given a unique patina, earning them a reputation as supplier of the finest antiqued mirror glass in the industry. rupertbevan.com

EBONY AND CO American white oak custom finish flooring fitted for a gaming room designed by K&H Design. Ebony & Co are driven by a single ambition: to create unique luxury wood environments by finding, carefully sourcing and milling the world’s best wood. ebonyandco.com

SMC is the leading distributor for MELJAC in the UK, delivering bespoke solutions for prime residential projects. For this switch plate K&H Design selected the Bronze Médaille Foncé finish to support their bespoke hand rail solution. SMC has over 25 year’s experience providing expertise for audio visual, networking and bespoke integration services. smc-uk.com

SAMARKAND DESIGN sources vintage textiles from around the world to create beautiful and distinctive home accessories. K&H Design chose a vintage silk saree for the lampshades in this Oxfordshire library, part of the collection of shibori tie dyed silk and a range of hand block-printed cotton voiles. A fully bespoke service is available. samarkanddesign.com

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K&H DESIGN commissioned specialist decorators to paint their bespoke-designed American Folk Art inspired shoe cupboard. Gio Ponti style chairs add the urban touch whilst the charming 1960s stone sculpture flanked by Napoleon III pique fleurs complete the look. Practical and beautiful.

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS The heart of the home and where you begin and end your day calls for a mix of function, comfort and great good looks

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Cool greys and marble make Mark Wilkinsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s timeless New England kitchen with hand-painted bespoke cabinetry and touches of satin nickel an instant classic. mwf.com

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

C.P. HART

Britain’s leading luxury bathroom designer and retailer

Thanks to continuing close collaborations, some of the world’s most exciting manufacturers choose C.P. Hart exclusively to reveal new designs in Britain

C.P. Hart Newnham Terrace Hercules Road London SE1 7DR +44 (0)20 7902 5250 cphart.co.uk

nnovation and inspiration are at the heart of all that C.P. Hart does. As Britain’s leading bathroom designer and retailer, C.P. Hart is consistently challenging the industry to take a fresh look at bathroom design. It was established in 1937 by Charles Percival Hart, who was later joined by his sons, Tom and John. Since those early years that were spent supplying bathroom sanitaryware, plumbing products and tiles to South East London, C.P. Hart has been responsible for launching market leading and innovative products – household names like Duravit were first sourced by the Hart family. Thanks to continuing close collaborations, some of the world’s most exciting manufacturers and designers still choose C.P. Hart exclusively to reveal new designs in Britain. The borough of Lambeth houses the company’s flagship showroom, spread through the railway arches under Waterloo station. The extraordinary space was designed for use both as a showcase for the widest possible collection of products and as an inspirational meeting place for trade professionals

and their clients, led by architects and interior designers. Inspirational galleries run alongside a shared working space to encourage collaboration and partnership and the showroom displays the country’s largest collections of bathroom products. From John Hart’s innovative Waterloo shower valve in 1992, which went on to become the biggest selling valve of the decade, to the popular classic collection, the London range, C.P. Hart understands the needs of the bathroom market like no other. Even after all these years, the products in these collections continue to be highly sought-after. The company’s most recent product launches, such as the Dama collection by Italian manufacturer Artelinea, represent C.P. Hart’s desire to humanise the bathroom. Dama’s bathroom vanity unit, crafted from natural wood and Dualite glass, is a prime example of how C.P. Hart likes to blur the lines between bedroom and bathroom. Meanwhile, the introduction of Crittal-style shower enclosures by Matki and Drench pays homage to the industrial vintage trend for utilitarian designs with fine detailing and luxurious finishes. C.P. Hart’s main customer focus has always been on trade professionals and end consumers, supplying bathrooms to discerning clients across Britain. More recently, the company has been building its business with institutional clients with noteworthy developments like the German Gymnasium, The Department Store and bespoke projects like the Ham Yard Hotel, and collaborating with leading designers as well as manufacturers. C.P. Hart now has 14 showrooms, mostly in the South East but with a strategy to expand nationwide. The Manchester showroom on Deansgate will soon be followed by additional regional showrooms and design centres. The business is privately owned by Richard Reynolds and Kevin Ohle, serial home improvement sector entrepreneurs. ‘C.P. Hart has huge growth potential. What excites us most about it is its unerring commitment to design quality and the potential to take a wonderful British brand and grow it, here and potentially overseas. Online retailing has led us to embrace a whole new way of doing business and we believe it is a wonderful new channel to aid our expansion. Our website makes it so much easier for customers to gather information and ideas – and to trade online if they want to. But nothing quite beats the look and feel of a showroom visit in our view,’ says Reynolds. There is no doubt that C.P. Hart will continue to be at the forefront of British bathroom design.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The Cielo Arcadia collection is the perfect blend of geometric lines and organic curves; the Drench shower enclosure encapsulates the Industrial Vintage trend with its Crittall-style frame: the popular London collection is crafted in the UK

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

CATCHPOLE & RYE Designers and manufacturers of luxury bathrooms that stand the test of time

‘T

o create something original, you must first fully understand the past’ – this is the maxim behind bathroom company Catchpole & Rye, a major player in the industry and one of the UK’s most prestigious brands. It explains perfectly how it was born out of a love for British and French antique bath and sanitaryware. Founder and MD of Catchpole & Rye Tony O’Donnell started the company by enamelling cast-iron baths. Quite quickly he began visiting France to buy antique sanitary and bathware (many pieces, such as the impressive canopy baths which came from stately homes or castles, were from the UK). These antiques would otherwise have been discarded but he recognised their beauty and history and carefully restored them to their former glory. Many of the timeless cast-iron and bateau baths that the company makes today are replicas of the original antiques that it still holds. Catchpole & Rye produces much of its cast-iron bath collection at a foundry in Kent – meaning that it can react faster to customer requirements and show them first-hand how an order is progressing (many like to receive photos of their freshly painted cistern or bespoke metal bath finish). The baths are poured using the same techniques that have been employed for the past 100 years. For

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: The Sentinel glass shower; Le Vingt-Neuf in a polished finish; The Empress double basin on frame; The Solheim bath filler in brushed brass

Catchpole & Rye 282-284 Fulham Road London SW10 9EW +44 (0)20 7351 0940 catchpoleandrye.com

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It takes a highly skilled polisher a whole week to hand-polish one of the cast-iron baths to achieve its signature glimmering sheen

example, the original Bain de Bateau bath was made over 120 years ago, but the design and methods used to produce the bath today remain unchanged. The company invests time and effort into employing and training local craftsmen to produce the highest standards possible and many of the pieces are finished by hand. It takes a highly skilled polisher a whole week to hand-polish one of the cast-iron baths to achieve its signature glimmering sheen. Catchpole & Rye is fully equipped to offer a bespoke and customisation service for customers, from casting emblems, names or logos onto baths or cisterns to even designing and manufacturing an Art Deco-inspired bath for a specific project. The company also offers a full design service, as well as site visits to ensure a beautifully designed bathroom. Although many of the products are classed as classic in style, the variety of marble and stones on offer, and different types of metal finishes, mean that they complement nearly all types of design schemes (the freestanding Copper Bateau bath, for instance, looks wonderfully contemporary when paired with some concealed or modern taps). As well as tapping into new design trends, Catchpole & Rye is setting them: this year they have added a number of new products to the collection including the Le Vingt-Neuf bath, its largest double-ended bath to date, which was designed in response to customers asking for a bath that they could properly lie down in. Other new products include The Solheim Lever Tap, The Empress Double on Frame and The Sentinel Shower, an innovative freestanding shower and glass enclosure. Catchpole & Rye’s showrooms are larger than most and each one displays the full collection – a real help when customers are looking for bathroom inspiration. Having said that, it’s hard to truly understand what it means to own a Catchpole & Rye bath until the first time you take the plunge. COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 67

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

MARTIN MOORE

Bespoke, classic, beautifully constructed English kitchens

Martin Moore understands that no two families are the same, so no two kitchens should be either: every project is bespoke

Martin Moore 176 Westbourne Grove London W11 2RW +44 (0)1619 282643 martinmoore.com

artin Moore has been designing and building beautiful kitchens for more than four decades, creating classic English furniture for traditional and contemporary homes since 1975. It all began when Martin and his wife Barbara bought a Victorian house in need of renovation and wanted a kitchen that would complement its period surroundings. Martin, a design engineer, set to work designing and making the furniture that would suit their family life. This passion became a business and today the company has eight showrooms across Britain (the newest opened in north Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Muswell Hill in April this year), undertaking commissions for kitchens, and other projects throughout the home, in Britain and Europe. From the very beginning, designs drew inspiration from the elegant symmetry and proportions found in the work of neo-classical masters such as Inigo Jones. Individual, ageless and beautifully constructed from the highest quality materials, a Martin Moore kitchen is a contemporary classic, designed to transcend fashion. The company understands that no two

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Custom Martin Moore paint completes the project; a super-organised, relaxed family space

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families are the same, so no two kitchens should be either. Every project is bespoke and design themes are intended to be inspirational rather than prescriptive. For instance, The Modernist is contemporary but contains references to the past; New Classic has generous work surfaces that are perfectly suited to today’s open-plan living; and the recently launched New Deco Kitchen takes ‘classic contemporary’ into a different realm. The latter also marks an important milestone in the company’s journey as it’s the first kitchen to be wholly designed by Richard Moore, the second generation to work in the family business. Though inspired by 20th-century design, Richard’s New Deco Kitchen is very much a kitchen for the 21st century, incorporating ‘floating’ freestanding pieces and clever shadow lines in all the cabinetry. Modern framing replaces traditional cornices and doors are either flush or simply framed without beading, while materials such as marble, limestone and veneered timbers are used for cladding and inset panels. Recent projects include a church assembly hall with a towering roof, cast iron spans and clerestory window lines, that has been repurposed into a home. Commissioned by a client who knows food, cooks brilliantly and likes nothing better than to entertain, the Martin Moore kitchen brings the eye back down to ground level with warm tones, natural materials and the unmistakable look of real furniture, built on a grand scale in response to the setting. In contrast, the owners of a large family home in the country wanted furniture that was designed for a particular task or zone, giving the kitchen a calm air even when cooking for large gatherings, and has distinct areas for socialising, relaxing and dining, in addition to cooking. The style and proportions of Martin Moore’s Architectural collection suit the room perfectly. The clean, sleek lines are accentuated by long elevations and built-in cupboards in a combination of natural oak and hand-painted finishes. Whatever the style of property, Martin Moore makes furniture that not only fulfils its function perfectly, but is individually tailored to each client’s home and lifestyle.

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

McCARRON & CO Furniture makers redefining bespoke

M McCarron & Co 84 Fulham Road London, SW3 6HR +44 (0)20 7584 5736 mccarronandco.com

cCarron & Co was established in 2009 by Andy McCarron and six colleagues, who combined a wealth of experience with a burning ambition. Having worked together for more than 20 years, they set up McCarron & Co to fuse traditional design and techniques such as veneering and marquetry, with a contemporary aesthetic. Their restless desire to find new materials, try new techniques and create future classics continues to drive the company. This has created an ethos that embraces change and evolution built on a strong foundation of values. Its design and service are second to none, and its furniture is in high demand from interior designers and architects as well as clients throughout Britain and Europe. In 2010, McCarron & Co opened its first showroom and workshop in Bromham, Wiltshire; the second followed in Chelsea five years ago and, in 2016, a third showroom was opened in Notting Hill. Today, the focus is on growing the business, while continuing to push the boundaries of its bespoke product (which includes branching out into the world of furniture for superyachts). In a

market where people are moving away from a disposable buying culture and instead looking for investment pieces, the company is perfectly placed to remain one step ahead of the competition through the level of detailing that goes into each product and the overall customer experience. Every McCarron & Co product is custom-made at its workshops in Wiltshire, from a burnished wood console with metal inlay details to a square panelled in-frame kitchen. One current key collection is the striking Albemarle range, which has been lauded as a new modern classic and can be seen at the Notting Hill showroom. Tapping into the continuing trend for brushed metal detailing, and with a wonderfully symmetrical design, it is a truly inspirational new style of cabinetry. This brushed metal effect detailing is one of McCarron & Co’s strengths, which it offers along with leather, fabric and any furniture colour the client can dream up (popular colours for painted kitchens at the moment include light green and sage green). In fact, the company prides itself on being able to offer a solution to any brief, even a piece of furniture that the team may not have made before. McCarron & Co enjoys designing and fitting individual rooms as much as creating one-off items of furniture. And a whole house assignment makes for a singularly satisfying project, which may encompass a wine room, library, dressing rooms and kitchens. One recent client, who commissioned the company for such a project, said afterwards: ‘McCarron & Co executed the brief with an incredibly high level of expertise and craftsmanship. It was key that they were able to work with both the in-house and on-site teams, which they did throughout, ensuring that everything ran effectively. Their attention to detail was flawless, resulting in a beautiful, stylish home.’ A telling testimonial about a bespoke furniture company whose pieces are conceived with imagination, designed with enthusiasm and built with dedication.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Simplicity was key for this Holland Park town house kitchen; geometric laser-cut bronze panels adding drama and unique detailing to a painted ash kitchen; the Hampton range works equally well in urban and country settings

‘McCarron & Co executed the brief with an incredibly high level of expertise and craftsmanship. Their attention to detail was flawless, resulting in a beautiful, stylish home’ COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 71

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

MOWLEM & CO

Designing bespoke kitchens for a quarter of a century

Eighty per cent of clients come to Mowlem through personal recommendation – an impressive statistic virtually unheard of in the bespoke kitchen industry

Mowlem & Co 555 King’s Road London SW6 2EB +44 (0)20 7610 6626 mowlemandco.com

owlem & Co has been crafting bespoke kitchens and furniture for more than 25 years. Founded in Newcastle-upon-Tyne by Gary Mowlem, the company has become widely known for its high level of design, attention to detail and customer service that begins with an initial sketch and continues through to the installation. The design team enjoy genuine creative freedom, allowing them to meet the most exacting of requirements in the most inspired way possible. This is one of the many reasons Mowlem & Co is a favourite with interior designers and architects, who know they can trust the company to deliver a top quality, unique kitchen every time, that is in keeping with the house and clients’ style (in fact, 80 per cent of clients come to the company through personal recommendation – an impressive statistic which is virtually unheard of in the bespoke kitchen industry). Every element of Mowlem & Co’s awardwinning work is constructed and finished using carefully selected materials. Traditional, hand-crafted techniques are combined with the latest state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment

and computer systems in the company’s vast Newcastle factory to produce aesthetically beautiful furniture that is also impeccably functional. And, rather than branch out into other areas of joinery, the company has grown its expertise and knowledge over the years by focusing entirely on kitchens, bedroom furniture and media units. The company presses all the veneered doors and book matches nearly all elements themselves (pairing up adjoining surfaces so they mirror each other); they also make all their own doors (except for those in the ‘Parapan’ kitchen) and construct the made-to-measure carcasses in house. Mowlem & Co has a showroom in Newcastle, and the flagship store in London. Design director Jane Stewart has been integral in developing the brand to its current position and has consistently set trends in the bespoke kitchen industry by offering clients something original. Always at the forefront of design innovation, the company is not constrained by what’s available from suppliers and instead uses the newest fittings and finishes available. For instance, the addition of liquid metal paint finishes which have been in development for the last 18 months. They are also constantly on the lookout for the latest handle designs and incorporate the newest appliance models that manufacturers have to offer. The kitchen collection includes ‘Virtuoso’, a design that effortlessly blends the traditional with the contemporary through timeless Shakerstyle furniture hand-painted in Farrow & Ball’s Railings, island worktops in raw concrete and a Carrara Gioia marble splashback; ‘Connoisseur’, a bold design with a double height island and the mix of a flat veneer finish in Palladium Stained Oak with worktops in Frosty Carrina and smoked glass elements and ‘Arcadian’, an open-plan scheme with a cosy dining booth and breakfast bar. For Mowlem & Co it has never been about how many cabinets are sold; instead the company gets satisfaction from taking a client through the design and installation process as smoothly as possible and seeing them enjoy the seamless service and quality of the final product.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Beautifully proportioned unframed cabinetry honours the high ceilings and generous dimensions of the space; the bespoke ‘Heritage’ handpainted oak kitchen features the top of a reclaimed butcher’s block

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

POGGENPOHL Pioneering kitchen design since 1892

A Poggenpohl UK 100 London Road St Albans Hertfordshire, AL1 1NX +44 (0)1727 738100 poggenpohl.com

s the world’s oldest kitchen brand, Poggenpohl has put its stamp on generations of modern kitchens. Since being founded in 1892 by German Friedemir Poggenpohl, it has not only garnered a reputation for precision engineered, contemporary kitchens but also world firsts. Consistently at the forefront of innovation, the company produced the first solid wood kitchen – which single-handedly shaped the aesthetic of fitted kitchens – as well as the first white lacquer furniture and the first island kitchen. More recent ranges include the unstructured +Modo which features glass-fronted drawers and open shelves that can be used to showcase china, glassware and serving dishes; the minimalist +Segmento with handle-less cupboards and worktops so thin they appear to float above the units beneath (they can still hold the heaviest pots and pans and stand up to a lifetime of use); and the award-winning P’7350, designed in collaboration with Studio F.A. Porsche, which emphasises both the horizontal and vertical lines of the kitchen’s architecture.

At Poggenpohl no two kitchens are ever the same. All ranges are made to measure and everything from worktops to handles, cabinet finishes to interior fixings, can be personally selected. These include an integrated plinth level vacuum cleaner and intelligent storage solutions for everything from bottles to spice jars, bags of flour to fresh bread. There are showrooms throughout the UK where the latest kitchens are on display and experienced designers are on hand to help customers (or their architects and interior designers) create a fully tailored space that works best for each individual’s needs and lifestyle. This level of service continues through to the installation (where each customer is allocated a designated installation manager who will organise associated tradesmen) and aftercare. Once installed, customers are visited at home by a member of the team who will arrange a professional cleaning service for the new kitchen and demonstrate the basic functions of the new appliances (if purchased from Poggenpohl). Famed for being made from the highest quality materials, Poggenpohl’s kitchens are built to last. Combining beautiful design with an emphasis on high performance and function, the company prides itself on creating spaces where people can cook and entertain with confidence – something which is particularly important when you consider the current trend for open plan living. As part of this trend, island units which double up as a low-level divide between the living and kitchen areas, have become increasingly popular. Poggenpohl’s kitchen designers can advise on how to make the most of these islands, suggesting features such as a breakfast bar, extra storage or cooking devices (an induction wok or teppanyaki plate are particularly interesting additions that encourage social interaction while cooking) that result in them becoming truly multi-functional. And for those who like to entertain, an island becomes the bar and buffet at the heart of a party. Looking to the future, Poggenpohl continues to push the boundaries of design, introducing new finishes and flexible kitchen solutions, just as the company has done for the last 126 years.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Poggenpohl â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;s +Modo, +Segmento and detail from the +Modo design

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

ROSSANA

Producing cutting-edge, contemporary kitchens as functional art forms

I Rossana 17 Duke Street London W1U 1Dl +44 (0)20 7167 4717 rossana.uk.com

magine if, when the time came to move house, you could take your dream kitchen with you rather than having to invest in a new one. In other words, imagine if you could keep one kitchen for life. That was exactly the idea behind the revolutionary Portatilé kitchen concept from Italian lifestyle brand Rossana, which can be assembled and re-assembled many times to meet the owner’s evolving needs. This is not the first time that Rossana has changed the way we think about kitchens. Founded by industrial engineer Fulvio Brembilla in 1953 and named after his wife, the company has a record of producing ground-breaking kitchen concepts that combine engineering with the best high-end design. In 1968 Rossana collaborated with Giancarlo Iliprandi on a new range that set an industry

benchmark for innovation and quality. It was considered so cutting-edge that in 1972 the company was invited to exhibit in an exhibition at MOMA in New York, titled ‘Italy, Changing Domestic Landscape’. The exhibition featured the now iconic Isola design and gave visitors a chance to peer into the future, introducing a new way of perceiving the domestic environment. Rossana has worked with Italy’s most prominent international names in design (including Michele De Lucchi, Tito Agnoli and Rodolfo Dordoni) making it a respected partner for architectural projects and homes all over the world. Last year marked another milestone for the company, when it linked the domestic environment to art once again with the launch of the K-In, K-Out kitchen series at London’s Saatchi Gallery. Designed by Massimo

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: K-In, K-Out; DC10; HT50; W75

Castagna, these are indoor and outdoor kitchens, which although visibly identical, are built very differently to ensure maximum performance depending on their environment. The K works beautifully as an art form, appearing to magically float, thanks to the dramatic overhang on the highly burnished steel supporting plinth. This stunning effect is further emphasised when the islandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s surfaces electronically slide open, modifying its form and proportions, whilst simultaneously revealing its function. Internal carcasses come in materials such as oak and olive wood and tonal metal finishes differ between the indoor and outdoor versions. For the indoor, burnished brass and nickel; for the outdoor, an aluminium truss framework features storage in stainless steel. Doors, panels and sliding tops are all made

from natural stone, utilising an advanced manufacturing technique to reduce weight. When closed, the K becomes an impressive sculptural element, adding visual appeal to its surroundings. In open mode, its form and proportions are altered with work surfaces sliding to reveal a bespoke stone sink and client-specified cooking facilities. For Rossana, kitchens are not just seen as practical cooking spaces, but exceptional pieces of sculptural art with an underlying function. Attention to detail is a priority, as is sourcing beautifully crafted materials that are robust and long-lasting. Rossana continues to design and develop the most dynamic and exciting range of contemporary modular kitchens available using only the most exclusive materials and finishes.

For Rossana, kitchens are not just seen as practical cooking spaces, but exceptional pieces of sculptural art with an underlying function

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

SIEMATIC

An industry leader in kitchen design

family-run company in its third generation, German manufacturer and industry leader SieMatic revolutionised the concept of the kitchen. In the 1960s it invented the first handleless kitchen, the SieMatic 60, which had flexible cupboard configuration and several groundbreaking functions. Since then, the company has gained an international reputation for kitchens with innovative, high quality design, elegance and a high level of functionality. There are exclusive SieMatic showrooms and retail specialists in more than 70 countries, including 43 studios in the UK, each of which showcases the company’s three style collections that appeal to all tastes: Urban, Classic and Pure. Inspired by the idea of cities that are constantly in motion, the on-trend Urban style collection is all about unconventional contrasts between carefully selected objects and standalone units. In other words, a kitchen that doesn’t necessarily look like a fitted kitchen: it might feature open shelving for a more personal look and modular furniture, such as the newly interpreted SieMatic 29 freestanding sideboard with striking, sloped side panels and distinctive silhouette, which fits harmoniously into an open-plan scheme. While the Classic style collection reflects the world of timeless design with its handfinished materials such as gloss ebony walnut and polished nickel, the Pure collection gives the minimalist kitchen completely new contours. Developed with Berlin architecture and design team Kinzo, the range anticipates new trends with a contrasting colour scheme – matte black textured lacquer, plus two light grey toned wood laminate finishes – aimed at a younger customer. Another characteristic feature is the two centimetre frame that surrounds the integrated elements, creating a wide range of design and configuration options so that the kitchen appears like an individual sculpture within its surrounding architecture.

Since it was established in 1929, the company has been on a quest for perfection, developing and designing concepts that continue to re-interpret the world of kitchens. Take, for instance, the unique patented ‘multimatic tracking’ system in the cabinet carcass and inside the door which allows for ‘at-home customisation’ and maximising storage space by up to 30 per cent – a key consideration in kitchens. The company has invested in employing interior designers trained at their academy, who complete an extensive training programme on topics such as anthropometrics, ergonomics, technical planning and interior architecture to ensure that they are constantly one step ahead of the rest of the kitchen design world. SieMatic kitchens, which start at £25,000, are designed to last more than 30 years. Service at the international studios is second to none (the nearest studio can easily be found by searching on the company’s website) so that clients can be assured that a design professional will guide them through the process from start to finish, while considering the interior architecture and design of the room as a whole – not just the kitchen furniture. From handle-less cupboards with a refined, architectural frame to carefully considered colours and finishes, this forward-thinking manufacturer remains at the forefront of kitchen design.

Since 1960, SieMatic has gained an international reputation for kitchens with innovative, high quality design, elegance and a high level of functionality SieMatic Uk 5300 Lakeside Cheadle Royal Business Park Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 3GP +44 (0)1612 466010 siematic.com

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The SieMatic Pure Collection, shown in Onyx Oak and Sterling Grey laminate

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

SMALLBONE OF DEVIZES

First on the list for British furniture design

Building upon its British roots, Smallbone’s rapidly evolving and diverse portfolio has seen its stock rising as a directional, international luxury lifestyle brand

Smallbone of Devizes 6/7 Thurloe Place London SW7 2RX +44 (0)20 7589 5998 smallbone.co.uk

ith its bespoke fitted cabinetry gracing the world’s most luxurious addresses, this global purveyor of handmade furniture continues to go from strength to strength. It has been yet another thrilling and industrious year from the Wiltshire-based brand, with a raft of projects in some of the most desirable international developments and exciting new product launches for the whole house. Building upon its British roots, Smallbone of Devizes’ rapidly evolving and diverse portfolio of immaculately executed designs has seen its stock rising as a directional, international luxury lifestyle brand. Its significant growth in the UK market is matched by an impressive rise in overseas sales. It is an evolution that was recently recognised when its parent company, Canburg, was listed 28th in the Sunday Times HSBC International Fast Track 200 for export. Major international projects featuring Smallbone interiors are taking centre stage. Across the Atlantic, leading architects and developers have a keen appetite for Smallbone’s visionary and contemporary designs and for the

decades of heritage and craftsmanship that have shaped the company. This, coupled with its distinct brand of Britishness, has cemented Smallbone’s name as the most desirable in the US luxury market. Smallbone’s US success includes residences in New York’s top-flight developments, from One57 New York’s Central Park Tower and Walker Tower to 210 West 77th Street. Here, Smallbone’s covetable kitchens, elegant bedrooms, wine rooms, libraries and dressing rooms have added substantial value to these headline-hitting buildings, and contributed to the breaking of Manhattan residential real estate price records. In the Arabian Gulf, clients include the top-end developer Emaar, which has used Smallbone cabinetry in numerous rooms. The strong fusion of British hand-made products with design kudos ensures that Smallbone is the name of choice for renowned architects and designers, including the visionary Bill Sofield and Jean Nouvel, whose recently opened Abu Dhabi Louvre was met with critical acclaim. Since its inception in 1978, Smallbone has been an innovator. It was instrumental in the kitchen’s evolution from a space solely for cooking to the inclusive entertainment hub of the home. Approaching its 40th birthday, Smallbone has been even busier rolling out an elegant new showroom network, which will be spearheaded by the opening of refreshed flagship spaces in London’s Knightsbridge and New York City’s Soho in 2018. This launch will be complemented by an extension of its product line to include new, bespoke whole home solutions and collaborations with some of the most exciting names in fashion and design, including menswear designer Paul Helbers. With each piece still produced in the same Wiltshire workshop and inscribed with the name of the joiner who created it, Smallbone’s exciting future is still informed by its past. The workshop is set within the honeyed hills of Devizes where, from the Bronze Age onwards, locals carved the outlines of horses into the chalky faces of the rolling downlands. Those mythical symbols are referenced in Smallbone’s beautiful logo, which traces the outline of a horse’s head. The message is clear: this British trailblazer may be leading the charge, but it isn’t about to forget its roots.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Smallbone is a global purveyor of British cabinetry whose designs can be seen in the most prestigious addresses both in the UK and overseas. They are currently celebrating 40 years of craftsmanship and design

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS

WEST ONE BATHROOMS Celebrating 40 years of supplying and designing luxury bathrooms

Such is the quality of the products that the fittings and accessories supplied in 1978 are still available today

West One Bathrooms +44 (0)333 011 3333 westonebathrooms.com

est One Bathrooms has long been regarded as Europe’s most illustrious and innovative supplier of bespoke bathrooms. The company first started trading in the 1970s, selling baths and sanitaryware to the trade, but soon supplied notable projects across all sectors, including the bathroom fixtures for film sets such as James Bond’s Diamonds are Forever. The official launch was in Mayfair in 1978 – a time when luxury bathrooms were an untapped market in London and the Middle East and there was no other showroom like it. Such is the quality of the products that the fittings and accessories supplied then are still available and over the years, the company has expanded to ten showrooms across London and the South East. Today, West One Bathrooms is still familyrun by Duncan and Kevin Waters, with the third generation also in the company. This year marks a milestone for the company as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. To mark the occasion and following a complete refurbishment of its

2,325 sq/ft space, the Wandsworth showroom in Garratt Lane is being relaunched as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ displaying the very latest products from multiple global suppliers. In addition to this, a series of consumer events from master classes to design classes and exciting new launches will be rolled out. West One Bathrooms has one of the most extensive product offerings in the UK market, with the ability to source products from over 750 international suppliers. Keeping a keen eye on the latest design trends ensures a constant supply of new and exciting ranges is introduced – from Ann Sacks’ Art Deco Paire tiles that marry the beauty of stone with a brass decorative inlay to a technologically advanced Wet System by Wall & Decò. Current bathroom trends include a revival of geometrics in product design – as seen in the faceted Bijoux collection by apaiser, which is designed in collaboration with Kelly Hoppen – and the GEOM brassware collection from West One Bathrooms. Industrial shower screens, which are often teamed with metro tiles and black brassware, also continue to be hugely popular. From the beginning, the ethos of the company has always been to deliver this wide selection of products paired with a tailored design service and exceptional advice. Almost anything is possible and they will go out of their way to make clients’ dreams a reality: those who are finding it difficult to visualise their finished bathroom can pay a visit to the Clerkenwell showroom which has a 4D virtual reality theatre that can demonstrate what a new bathroom will look like before it becomes a reality. Customer experience is an important driving factor and knowledgeable staff are on hand to help ensure that all clients, from consumer to architects, designers and developers, are guaranteed to receive the finest products and care. After all, as Head of Design, Louise Ashdown, says, ‘You start the day and end the day in the bathroom so it needs to be a space where you can find sanctuary’.

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FABRICS, WALLS & DESIGN SERVICES Tone, texture, colour and print are the elements that make your house your home and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s often a good idea to get some professional advice

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Be bold in your colour choices with Farrow & Ballâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Setting Plaster and Lichen in Estate Emulsion, ÂŁ45 for 2.5l. farrow-ball.com

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FABRIC, WALLS & DESIGN SERVICES

COLEFAX AND FOWLER A design studio with a unique heritage, producing timeless, elegant fabrics and wallpapers

enowned worldwide as a British company with a long-standing reputation for the finest fabrics and wallpapers, Colefax and Fowler’s heritage dates back to the 1930s, when Lady Colefax began creating interiors for her well-connected circle of friends. In 1938 her design services became so in demand that she teamed up with the rising star of interior decorating, John Fowler. Having developed his skills in the studio of Peter Jones, where he mastered techniques such as painting chinoiserie wallpaper by hand, John’s decorative flair ensured Colefax and Fowler’s continuing reputation for beautifully fashioned draperies. In 1948 the company was bought by American heiress Nancy Lancaster, whose impressive social standing elevated the company into a grand new era. A few years later she bought Haseley Court in Oxfordshire, which she and John restored and decorated in the English country house style for which Colefax and Fowler has been celebrated ever since. Their first off-the-shelf fabric collections launched in 1973, with wallpapers following almost a decade later, making the company’s style accessible to a wider market. These first collections included the Bowood and Fuchsia chintz patterns that

ABOVE: Curtains in pink/blue Cassius; chair in tomato aqua Malone Check; cushion in pale aqua Byram RIGHT: Spring/Summer 2018 collection

Colefax and Fowler 110 Fulham Road London SW3 6HU +44 (0)20 7244 7427 colefax.com

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have remained in production ever since. In 1986 David Green was appointed chief executive and under his guidance Colefax and Fowler acquired not only US textile firms Cowtan and Tout, but also fabric brand Larsen, British textile brand Jane Churchill, French fabric house Manuel Canovas and British furniture maker Kingcome Sofas. Since then, Colefax and Fowler has been known for its exemplary design, quality of materials, attention to detail and collaboration with the best manufacturers in the world – part of the reason the company’s confidential client list includes royalty and celebrities. The design studio’s highly experienced and creative designers are dedicated to the brand and relish

ABOVE: Chair in red Jocasta velvet; cushion in blue Farina LEFT: Blind in old blue Honeysuckle Garden; lining in leaf Seaweed

What sets Colefax and Fowler apart is its unique heritage and the way the design studio has evolved its philosophy over the years

the entire design process, from the initial concept to the finished fabrics and wallpapers. What sets Colefax and Fowler apart from the competition is its unique heritage and the way the design studio has evolved its philosophy over the years. Today, timeless elegance continues to define the company’s essentially English aesthetic. Their fabrics and wallpapers are characterised by sophisticated designs, created using advanced printing and weaving techniques in subtle colours. Annual collections always feature striking prints, silk and linen embroideries, luxurious velvets and weaves, and a beautiful series of decorative and textured wallpapers. Last year’s range, for instance, combined Indienne influences with rich shades set on herringbone and linens, new checks and stripes (for an understated country look) and wallpapers reenvisioned with silk effects to evoke the sumptuous impression of wall-mounted textiles. This spring, new fabrics feature beautiful florals and elegant foliage rendered in classic prints and embroideries. These include Constance, whose garden roses epitomise country style; uplifting Eloise, with its hydrangea blossoms; Mereworth, depicting rhododendrons at their height; and the delicate tracery of fronds and ferns in Osmunda. It’s a spring showcase of design excellence elevated to the highest order. COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 87

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FABRIC, WALLS & DESIGN SERVICES

FARROW & BALL Creating richly pigmented paint and handcrafted wallpaper in Dorset since 1946

hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an exact science to producing premium paint. And for Farrow & Ball, that means combining only the finest quality ingredients and richest pigments to give its carefully curated palette that distinctive depth and long-lasting finish. Deepening from subtle neutrals to dark inky hues, its collection of 132 paint colours is intelligently designed to ensure each colour sits beautifully alone or as a scheme. Founded in Dorset in 1946 by local pioneers John Farrow and Richard Ball, Farrow & Ball has grown from a post-war business supplying paint to the Ford Motor Company and the War Office, to a global maker of paint and wallpaper â&#x20AC;&#x201C; transforming modern and traditional homes, both large and small, across the world. The company has always had a pioneering spirit: from the beginning, the laboratory used cutting-edge methods for testing the colour and performance of both its paint and wallpaper, and in 2010 the bold decision was made to move the entire range to an eco-friendly water base. Integral to Farrow & Ball paint is the high level of titanium dioxide; a bright white pigment that gives each shade their exceptional durability and coverage. The complex blend of up to five pigments, which are sourced from Europe, India and China, not only give the wonderful depth of colour that the company is known for but also means that the paint

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Pelt Modern Eggshell and Arsenic Modern Eggshell (above); walls in Green Smoke Estate Emulsion and India Yellow Modern Emulsion, woodwork in Green Smoke Estate Eggshell and India Yellow Modern Eggshell (above right); Brassica Estate Emulsion and Stone Blue Estate Emulsion (bottom right); the Dorset paint factory (right)

Farrow & Ball +44 (0)1202 876141 farrow-ball.com

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Farrow & Ball combines only the finest quality ingredients and richest pigments to give its carefully curated palette that distinctive depth

responds to all types of light: the same colour can feel bright in the morning sun, warm in the afternoon light or cocooning as dusk falls. Low odour and eco-friendly, a water base makes it easy to apply and ensures that it dries in just two hours. Modern homes are revealing a move towards surprising colour combinations, with the idea that two hues can be applied in equal measure, rather than one being an accent to another. Brilliant jewel tones like vibrant India Yellow and calmer Green Smoke are liberating homes, creating rooms that are filled with fun and optimism. The British brand has also noted that while many paint their walls in rich colour, ceilings, floors and trims are often overlooked. Farrow & Ball hopes to inspire others to think creatively of each room as a whole. It might be reimagining ceilings with a striking coat of Full Gloss that draws the eye up to reclaim this fifth wall, or adding colour to the most unexpected of places â&#x20AC;&#x201C; perhaps on the underside of a freestanding bath or on the risers of a staircase. Rather than painting a coat of bright white on ceilings and trims, each Farrow & Ball colour has its own complementary white to subtly balance a scheme for a more considered feel. Produced with both artisanal methods and technological precision, Farrow & Ball paint and paper bring homes to life through the richness of colour, play of light and tactility of finish. COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 89

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GEORGE SPENCER DESIGNS A leading British fabric house, specialising in sophisticated textural weaves

Over the years, George Spencer Designs has become a notable British fabric house and a go-to resource for the interior design industry

George Spencer Designs 310-311 Design Centre East Chelsea Harbour London SW10 0XF +44 (0)20 7584 3003 georgespencer.com

ounded nearly 80 years ago by interior designer and antiques dealer George Spencer Churchill, the company was originally an interior design business. George Spencer Designs was bought in 1986 by interior designer Sally Metcalfe, who took the company in a new direction when she introduced her own collections of hand-blocked wallpaper, trimmings and fabrics. Over the years the company has become a notable British fabric house and a go-to resource for the interior design industry. It regularly launches its own collections as well as representing a few carefully chosen names from Europe, Australia and the USA. Following Sally’s retirement, George Spencer Designs moved to Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour in 2017. George Spencer Designs has a hallmark style of its own: luxurious and sophisticated, the emphasis is on natural organic fibres, textural weaves and craft mills. The collection is comprised of curtain and upholstery fabrics, wallcoverings (including ‘Japan’, a collaboration with Neisha Crosland, which features four intensely detailed, soft and subtle patterns that are intended to be used as a backdrop rather than a feature design), classic trimmings and braids. The fabrics – linens, velvets, cottons, mohair and silk – come in a colour palette that ranges from textural neutrals to bold hues and designs for feature

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Images left and centre show a selection of plain and patterned fabrics and wallcovering from George Spencer Designs; image right shows Hamptons Linen

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upholstery and curtaining. The idea is that different tones coordinate and harmonise without matching exactly, to create a look that derives from the English country house tradition, but is made fresh, modern and relevant for interiors today. Not about fashion, but very much on trend, the fabrics are quietly brilliant, with distinctive textures and colours that often nod to a 20th-century vintage feel. The wallpapers are block-printed by hand in designs that vary from elegant, single colours to elaborate, large-scale eight-shade patterns. There are eight collections of trimmings including fringes, decorative cords and braids, tassels and button tufts, which are all made in the UK. Everything comes in a range of house colours but customised colours are also available to special order. New fabric designs this year include Fern, an exuberant modern botanical; Kea, a heavy, textured weave linen with colourways inspired by natural rock formations; Linen Velvets, with a weighty handle and plush finish; Amadea, a modern take on a traditional paisley; and Hamptons Linen, which comes in gently faded colours and a vintage finish inspired by seaside living. Alongside the in-house collections, George Spencer Designs also represents a few carefully chosen international fabric and wallpaper houses which share the same feel and ethos, such as Zak & Fox, Maison C and Paris Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;AprĂ¨s Midi. The newest introductions include Aux Abris, a New York-based boutique design studio that specialises in fine wallcoverings printed on grass cloth, raw silk, canvas, woven Japanese paper and other distinctive textures; and Pavoni, Europeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most innovative leather producer, which creates specialist leathers for upholstery, flooring, wall panelling and many other applications. All collections share the same exceptional craftsmanship and quality, and classic contemporary feel.

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FABRIC, WALLS & DESIGN SERVICES

HELEN GREEN DESIGN Delivering sophisticated yet liveable residential interior design

F Helen Green Design 29 Milner Street London SW3 2QD +44 (0)20 7352 3344 helengreendesign.com

ounded by the late Helen Green in 2002, Helen Green Design is one of Britain’s most respected interior design practices. From the beginning, Helen’s name swiftly became synonymous with the creation of high quality interiors and throughout her career she sought to maintain a level of perfection and sustainability; designs that would inspire, yet remain timeless in a modern world and most importantly, be much loved for years to come. It was this ambition and desire to retain such high standards that is greatly admired by her peers and the design world. Over the last 16 years, the studio has garnered a reputation for creating sophisticated yet liveable interior schemes for private clients, including prestigious developments and projects in the five-star international hotel market. The company now encompasses interior design, interior architectural design and bespoke British-made furniture and accessories. The firm principally specialises in residential projects; recently these have included private clients’ townhouses and penthouse apartments in super-prime London locations, as well

as extensive country estates. In the international field, commissions range from hotels in Barbados to a chalet in Val D’Isère and a recently completed family residence in Australia. Helen Green Design Studio is currently working with clients on a penthouse in St Petersburg and a hotel in China, as well as exploring new opportunities on the French Riviera. ‘I’m particularly excited to help realise the client’s vision for a luxurious and tranquil interior,’ says Creative Director Tim Murray, who joined the company in 2016 and has more than 18 years’ experience in the interior design field. The designers within the team work collaboratively to ensure that Helen Green Design is constantly evolving creatively with an eye on tomorrow’s trends, while also remaining artistically flexible to meet client needs. For Tim, London itself is a constant source of design inspiration. ‘It is a truly global city with design styles and cultures from every corner of the world, all condensed and interacting together,’ he says, emphasising that the client is at the heart of every interior and the studio acts as the conduit for their vision and needs. ‘Their input is what elevates projects from good to exceptional.’ Each project is individually tailored to provide creative solutions for the way a client wants to live and the studio strives to always deliver exceptionally high levels of personal service. The team commission the best artists and craftsmen in their fields to realise its designs, all of whom share their passion for quality. This June, the Knightsbridge studio and showroom relaunches after a significant refurbishment and will serve as a creative hub and showcase for the makers. Work by the winning artists of the Lynn PainterStainers Prize will also be exhibited. Another way the studio nurtures talent is through the Helen Green Design Foundation, which aims to encourage young designers to realise their ambition by offering an annual place for one candidate on the Interior Decoration course at The Inchbald School of Design (along with the possibility of an internship at the practice on completion). It’s just one part of the future vision of this successful interior design practice.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The ethereal palette in the bedroom is centred around the blue tones and ivory textures; the strong architectural lines define the space in the open plan living/dining room; the asymmetrical joinery piece was designed with subtle sophistication in mind

Over the last 16 years, Helen Green Design has garnered a reputation for creating sophisticated yet liveable interior schemes COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 93

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FABRIC, WALLS & DESIGN SERVICES

MARTIN KEMP DESIGN

Unique creative solutions for extraordinary spaces, delivered with the highest attention to detail

W Martin Kemp Design Greencoat House Francis Street London SW1P 1DH +44 (0)20 7183 3885 martinkempdesign.com

hen it comes to lavish interiors – for elegant country homes, dynamic apartments, grand city developments, sparkling yachts or sophisticated private jets – Martin Kemp Design Limited (MKD) is the studio that discerning clients go to for something special. Martin Kemp founded the company in 2012 and by taking a hands-on approach, the studio quickly became a highly creative environment producing some of the world’s finest design solutions for the most challenging spaces. His focus is largely on the super-prime residential market but the studio also embraces high-end retail, office and restaurant design. Proud of its leading take on British originality, MKD sets out to dismiss any idea of a ‘house style’, preferring instead to look for open-minded

design solutions in which the client acts as the catalyst. Whether designing architectural or interior elements, the MKD team can embrace any look, from floral country chic to highly decorative elegance or fluid modernity. ‘We are privileged to have worked on some of the world’s most extraordinary homes,’ says Martin, who has become globally recognised for attracting aspirational individuals and families seeking an extraordinary service. Clients have come to expect a rigorous eye for detail in all facets of design and an extremely high level of sophistication and finish. They also appreciate the studio’s highly considered attention to smaller details, whether working on a Grade I-listed mansion in Europe or a minimalist concrete structure in South America. ‘From the view out of a secondary

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Private London residence formal living; private London residence informal living; an apartment in New York City; private London residence formal entrance lobby

window to a small quirk on the edge of a piece of furniture, our buildings show a level of craftsmanship which is thought long gone – quality is paramount,’ explains Martin, who frequently collaborates with leading artists and artisans such as Haberdashery and Bill Cleyndert. While MKD is in demand from an in-theknow elite, the company prides itself on working without ego. Discreet and charming, Martin values his humble Welsh origins and keeps his feet planted firmly on the ground, even as he works on some of the world’s most dazzling and expensive properties. ‘Clients seem reassured by our values and ethics,’ he says. ‘We disguise the locations of their projects, refuse to divulge costs and never disclose their identities. Revealing such details would be intrusive to the client, so we keep them completely private.’ As well as private homes, recent projects

have included a spectacular apartment within Monaco’s Hermitage hotel, London’s 77 Mayfair development, the St Tropez Polo Club suites and members’ area, plus two private jets. Future plans include developing a range of high-end products (‘they will be the modern epitome of British design,’ reveals Martin) but ultimately the studio strives to maintain a strong sense of integrity, an approachable personality and a business philosophy that’s about always being respectful, polite, flexible and accommodating. Modern in its thinking but classically versed, MKD works as a family in the creative process, a relationship in which they are keen to include their clients. Inspired by unconventional thinking, the team challenges perceptions of how things are seen, adding bold design twists to create distinctive, memorable and everlasting homes.

‘Clients seem reassured by our values and ethics. We disguise the locations of their projects, refuse to divulge costs and never disclose their identities’

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FABRIC, WALLS & DESIGN SERVICES

MORRIS & CO

Beautifully crafted fabrics and wallpapers keeping the legacy of William Morris alive

New interpretations of William Morris patterns are handpainted to maintain the charm of the originals

Morris & Co Style Library Design Centre Chelsea Harbour London SW10 0XE +44 (0)20 3903 3700 stylelibrary.com

nterest in William Morris has never been greater than in recent years. A leading light of the Arts & Crafts movement and the most successful textile and wallpaper designer of his day, he pursued the age-old craft of block-printing wallpapers and fabrics; set up his own tapestry-weaving and handknotted carpet workshops; and dominated stained-glass manufacture in Britain in the second half of the 19th century. As custodians of William Morris’ original company, Morris & Co takes inspiration from the archive and all aspects of William’s life and work to create collections that feature new wallcoverings and fabrics alongside his classic designs. All collections are created in Morris & Co’s dedicated design studio, where new interpretations of patterns are hand-painted to maintain the charm of the originals (the company owns many of William Morris’ handprinted wallpaper and fabric samples, and can still produce wallpapers to order using his hand-blocks). For instance, when William Morris originally designed the Acanthus wallpaper

in 1875, he was constrained to design within the scale of a wooden hand-block so the repeat had an almost grid-like effect. Recently, this was repainted in fine detail to capture of original artistry but improve the flow of the design. As well as being something of a British treasure, the company enjoys international success, especially in Japan and Sweden. One of the most popular collections launched in the last few years was Pure Morris, in 2016. Born from a visit to the archive where the team discovered monochromatic patterns and wallpapers printed using different techniques such as cut glass and metallic inks, the collection presented his iconic designs in a pared-back, neutral palette. Building on its success, this summer sees the launch of ‘North’ and ‘Kindred’, two collections of printed fabrics, embroideries, weaves and wallpapers, inspired by William Morris’ travels to Iceland. Reflecting the colours and descriptions of Iceland’s flora and fauna found in William Morris’ travel journal, archive designs have been carefully reworked with gentle mica finishes and metallic highlights sitting alongside fine embroidery, juxtaposed with chunky textures. A neutral Pure Morris palette of White Clover, Stormy Grey, Flax and Linen is used throughout both collections, accented with subtle tones such as Horned Poppy, Faded Sea Pink and the dramatic Black Ink. Morris & Co is into the fourth series of the Archive range: Archive IV, named ‘The Collector’, explores William Morris’ collection of Persian carpets and global textiles and the influence it had on his work. The company also has an extended programme of licensing goods and works with carefully selected partners on bedlinen, rugs, room fragrance, toiletries, crockery and giftware to name a few. Last December marked one of the most exciting collaborations so far: a capsule fashion collection with Loewe, based on four Morris & Co prints. In all collaborations and collections, the company strives to uphold William Morris’ original aesthetic and fulfil his legacy, ensuring that his beautifully crafted designs continue to be appreciated today.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Pure Acorn wallpaper in ecru/pewter from the Pure Morris collection; Montreal wallpaper in forest/teal, armchair fabric in Bellflowers Weave in wheat, Bellflowers wallpaper in linen/cream (in background) all from Archive IV â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Collector. Elite Emulsion Paint in Ink by Zoffany

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NINA CAMPBELL The doyenne of interior design

Beginning her design career at the age of 19, Nina Campbell became known for her unmistakeably rich colour palette

Nina Campbell 9 Walton Street London SW3 2JD +44 (0)20 7225 1011 ninacampbell.com

ina Campbell is one of the country’s most respected interior designers with a roll call of clients that includes the rich, the famous and the royal. Beginning her design career at the age of 19, Nina worked as an assistant to John Fowler at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler. She became known for her unmistakeably rich colour palette, which caught the eye of club owner Mark Birley. He asked her to redecorate Annabel’s, his famous private members’ club, which marked the beginning of a long-lasting relationship. They joined forces once again in 1970, when they opened Campbell & Birley, a shop in London specialising in ‘unashamed luxury’. Here, Nina introduced her signature ‘hearts’ design, a motif that is still available on a range of bone china today. In 1972, Nina set up her own business, Nina Campbell Ltd, where one of her first commissions was to decorate the monumental Cullen House in Banffshire, Scotland. There followed, in 1984, the opening of Nina’s shop and design studio in London’s Knightsbridge. Here she continued with her

fabric printing and expanded her business into the wider decorative arena: the Britishmade Nina Campbell Furniture collection. This encompasses metal and wooden pieces, upholstery and lighting and remains a hugely important part of the brand. In 1990, Nina launched the first of what was to become her annual fabric, wallpaper and trimming collections, internationally distributed by Osborne & Little. The brand might be a veteran of luxury British interiors, but by evolving with its clients and adopting new techniques to create modern twists on traditional classics, Nina Campbell is as relevant today as it ever has been. Her proven philosophy is to design houses that are not only beautiful but functional so that they work for the client’s lifestyle (she is constantly asking them questions such as do they have dogs, do they entertain, do they have children etc). Her attention to detail is second to none. In the past, Nina has enjoyed commissions from names such as Rod Stewart and the Duke and Duchess of York, who asked her to decorate Sunninghill Park, their marital home, and today she continues to attract a colourful list of exclusive clients. In recent years, Nina was commissioned to design the interiors for The World, the largest luxurious residential sea liner on the planet. Other international projects have included the Schloss Hotel in Switzerland, a chalet in Gstaad and a five-house project in Maine with a bowling alley and nightclub. Her latest book, featuring eight new projects, will be published by Rizzoli in September. On top of this, Nina Campbell is not shy of a collaboration. She has designed carpets for Stark, a finish of paint for Smallbone of Devizes and a collection of outdoor endurance fabrics with Summit. Plus, following on from a capsule collection with American painted furniture makers Oomph, their entire range is now available at her second London showroom in the prestigious Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour. The space provides clients with a further opportunity to view her latest collections and consult with her expert interior design team.

PHOTOS: SIMON BROWN © CICO BOOKS

FABRIC, WALLS & DESIGN SERVICES

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PHOTOS: SIMON BROWN © CICO BOOKS

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Wallpaper: Marguerite by Nina Campbell for Osborne & Little from Nina’s Les Rêves collection. Sofa: Chipin Bench by Nina Campbell Furniture upholstered in Loulou by Nina Campbell for Osborne & Little from the Les Rêves collection; Nina Campbell-designed London apartment

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FABRIC, WALLS & DESIGN SERVICES

PAOLO MOSCHINO FOR NICHOLAS HASLAM An interior design studio with a sublime collection of furniture and fabrics

hen Italian political science graduate Paolo Moschino came to London at the age of 23, little did he think he would end up as one of the most prominent names in the design world. It all began when he started running an interiors shop for Nicholas Haslam â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he took ownership of it in 1995 and has since grown Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam to offer high-end furniture, lighting, fabrics, antiques and accessories to discerning customers and the design industry worldwide. The company also has three retail showrooms, including one in Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, and a design studio which has been headed up by Belgian interior designer Philip Vergeylen since 2011. (The pairâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s working relationship dates back far earlier, to when they designed their first apartment together, around 20 years ago.) The style of Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam has evolved over time. Initially grounded in the principles of English design, the duo have brought a continental flair to the company and today they design homes for clients all over the world. Current projects include a home in Portofino, a hunting lodge in Scotland and a new hotel in the South of

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam is grounded in English design with added continental flair, as evidenced in these interiors

Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam 10-14 Holbein Place London SW1W 8NL +44 (0)20 7730 8623 nicholashaslam.com

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‘Architecture takes a lot of effort, should be perfect and look perfect; interior design takes an equal amount of effort, should be perfect but never look perfect’

France. Starting a new project is always the most exciting challenge and great importance is given to understanding a client’s lifestyle from the very beginning, thinking about how they will live and use a space. Is it going to be a cosy family home that’s not precious, for instance? Or do they need a very formal house with plenty of space for entertaining? ‘Our mantra is architecture takes a lot of effort, should be perfect and look perfect; interior design takes an equal amount of effort, should be perfect but never look perfect,’ says Paolo. ‘Perfection in architecture is beautiful but in interior design it can be sterile and lack personality’, adds Philip. ‘What we like in interiors is some order with an unexpected twist. We try to avoid rooms that look staged and are always looking for an element of surprise and humour.’ Their product philosophy is about reinventing the classics rather than following trends. The couple believe good design stands the test of time, so new products are often rooted in iconic designs from the past and inspired by a range of styles from the 16th century to the present day. For example, they recently launched a collection of 1970s-inspired rattan furniture and accessories, with the aim of taking rattan out of the conservatory and into more formal spaces, such as the sitting room. All products, including their extensive collection of signature fabrics, are made from the finest craftsmanship, quality and materials, reflecting the close working relationships they have developed over the years with craftsmen who are the best in their fields. It’s this reputation for excellent quality, together with close client relationships, that attracts widespread loyalty. ‘We have been working with many of our clients for years and we don’t think of them as clients but more like old friends,’ concludes Paolo. COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 101

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FABRIC, WALLS & DESIGN SERVICES

PDP LONDON

A global architectural and interior design studio, delivering high-profile projects from offices in London and Hong Kong

or almost 25 years, architectural practice PDP London has been pivotal in shaping the London landscape. From delivering hotels such as 45 Park Lane, in collaboration with The Office of Thierry W Despont, to grand scale developments like Chelsea Barracks and Lillie Square; and from the Ivy Chelsea Garden restaurant on the King’s Road to helping to define the prime residential portfolio in Covent Garden for Capco (including The Southampton, The Beecham, 4 Henrietta Street, 14-15 King Street), this is a studio working with some of the most high profile properties and impeccable addresses in the capital. PDP London produces progressive and design-orientated architecture, firmly rooted in quality and excellence, every time. The story began in a converted school in Belgravia when Paul Davis & Partners was formed by a small group (the company was rebranded as PDP London in 2015) wishing to push the boundaries and bring a fresh approach to architecture – one that was based on following a rigorous design process to produce beautiful, bespoke solutions for clients, rather than working to an imposed in-house style. After success in delivering prime residential interiors in the capital (such as 3-10 Grosvenor Crescent with Helen Green Design), PDP London started to export this brand of architecture and design internationally. In 2004, they began by working with Grosvenor to re-envision the ethos and quality of the residential brand in Hong Kong, mainland China and Japan. In 2010, PDP London opened an office in Hong Kong. Over the years, the team has delivered both residential and commercial concepts for the world’s finest interior designers – such as Linley, Helen Green, 1508 and Nicky Haslam – and through the knowledge it has gained, last year PDP London developed its own small but thriving interior design

studio. Combining a background that stems from technical excellence with the experience of producing detailed construction packages, the interior design studio is going from strength to strength. The team is now proudly designing and delivering both architecture and interiors for myriad projects – something which streamlines the delivery process for clients and sets the practice apart from others in the industry – both in London and further afield. PDP London continues to collaborate with other leading designers across all disciplines, from landscape design to furniture production and art, in the delivery of both contemporary buildings and sensitive restorations of the London vernacular, in prestigious, unique and historic settings. The result is timeless designs of a lasting quality that are creatively tailored to each client’s needs. As PDP London looks to the future, it has recently secured its first exciting project in Cuba, which it is developing from Madrid and is exploring the possibility of moving to new premises in one of the capital’s most exciting creative hubs – marking the beginning of the next chapter for this highly prestigious international practice.

PDP London produces progressive and design-orientated architecture, firmly rooted in quality and excellence, every time

PDP London The Old School House 178 Ebury Street London SW1W 8UP +44 (0)20 7730 1178 pdplondon.com

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Apartment. Happy Valley, Hong Kong

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FABRIC, WALLS & DESIGN SERVICES

RIGBY & RIGBY

An award-winning international super-prime design consultancy creating world-class residences

aunched as part of the £2.1bn familyrun Rigby Group, Rigby & Rigby is an international super-prime design consultancy, based in London – the design capital of the world – but also working on projects in Europe, Asia and the Americas. The company is known for developing unrivalled residences and stunning commercial spaces, designed for luxury lifestyles, in some of the world’s most exclusive locations. Rigby & Rigby’s all-round offering encompasses an award-winning RIBA architectural studio, a construction company and renowned interior design studio, which is supported by a comprehensive concierge property aftercare service. As a respected residential developer, the company has earned a reputation for delivering carefully considered homes with authentic, intelligent and holistic designs bespoke to each client’s needs. Whether it’s a contemporary lateral clifftop home overlooking one of the world’s most stunning beaches or the sensitive restoration of a classically elegant townhouse, Rigby & Rigby designs for style, character, luxury and comfort. Recent noteworthy projects include an 11,000 sq/ft office and residential scheme in Mayfair; a 17,500 sq/ft house in Kensington; three 6,000

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Rigby & Rigby’s RIBA architectural studio balances a light-filled, contemporary extension with traditional, period architecture; the bespoke kitchen from Rigby & Rigby’s award-winning Mayfair apartment; the subterranean pool at Rigby & Rigby’s award-winning, £40 million Knightsbridge church restoration; an innovative, vertical stacking car lift which transports the client’s vehicles and showcases them as a piece of art in a glazed, beautifully lit space

Rigby & Rigby 80 Brook Street London W1K 5EG +44 (0)20 3418 0446 rigbyandrigby.com

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As a respected residential developer, Rigby & Rigby has earned a reputation for delivering carefully considered homes with authentic, intelligent and holistic designs

sq/ft houses in Knightsbridge and a 12,000 sq/ft grade II-listed church conversion and accompanying annexe with a subterranean connection in Knightsbridge. Rigby & Rigby regularly collaborates with world-class architects and designers. The company has just been appointed to work on developing a £100m private residence in Knightsbridge. The six-floor super home will be connected below ground by three subterranean levels which will include a cinema, gym, pool, yoga room, staff quarters and a state-of-the-art car lift with number plate recognition to transport the client’s vehicles to a temperature and humiditycontrolled lower basement level. Extensive landscaped roof gardens will provide an oasis of calm and relaxation in the heart of superprime London. The company has also been retained to design and develop a striking 17,500 sq/ft interpretation of the traditional Georgianstyle mansion on a large country estate with extensive woodland. A modern take on the classic Georgian architectural style, the three-level property (which replaces an existing bungalow) will strike a balance between contemporary finishes and the more traditional cornicing, picture rails and architraves of the period. The property will include a swimming pool, cinema and bespoke entertainment space and dance floor, a wine store and tasting room and a self-contained guest apartment over the garage, which will be connected to the house by a glazed lobby. Rigby & Rigby is committed to using the finest handcrafted materials, cutting-edge technology and unparalleled attention to detail. They regularly partner with leading industry specialists and brands to ensure the very best solutions are found and implemented for their discerning clients. The focus is on key research and development to produce considered and intelligent interior spaces that feel right, function perfectly and look extraordinary. Whatever the client’s needs, Rigby & Rigby delivers every project from concept to completion with impeccable execution and superlative style, to the same rigorous high standards every single time. COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 105

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FABRIC, WALLS & DESIGN SERVICES

THIBAUT

Designing colourful wallcoverings and fabrics since 1886

Renowned in the industry as a trailblazer for colourful wallcoverings, Thibaut counts the likes of the Obamas as fans

Thibaut 2nd Floor South Dome Chelsea Harbour Design Centre London SW10 0XE +44 (0)20 7737 6555 thibautdesign.com

rom acidic greens to tangerine orange, one of the biggest interior trends of the season is the return of bright colours and bold hues. And no one is more in tune with this vibrant look for the home than Thibaut (pronounced Tee-Bo), one of the oldest continually operating design houses in the United States. Renowned in the industry as a trailblazer for colourful wallcoverings and exquisite fabrics, the company counts the likes of the Obamas (they chose Thibaut’s wallpaper for The White House) and international interior designers such as Henrietta Spencer Churchill, as fans. Most recently, Thibaut launched Dynasty, a collection of wallpaper and fabrics (print, embroidered and woven), all inspired by the elegance of Asian culture. A fresh interpretation of chinoiserie with a modern twist, patterns in the range include blossoming cherry trees and exotic, large-scale flora; an architectural bamboo trellis and intricate lattice weave; and scenic toiles with lush tree and pagoda detailing. Set to be equally visually striking is the forthcoming Indienne-influenced,

painterly Palampore collection of print and woven fabrics by Anna French (Thibaut acquired the luxury brand, which specialises in wallcoverings, fabrics, embroideries and Scottish lace, in 2007). The studio uses a variety of methods to create its fashion-forward designs, from state-of-the-art technology to simple hand-painting techniques. Patterns may originate from an antique document, sketch or commissioned artwork but what unites them is that each has a distinctly vivid Thibaut signature palette that conjures up the feeling of a sunny Californian lifestyle. Alongside the florals, geometrics and damask patterns, Thibaut has a vast selection of ecofriendly grasscloth wallcoverings and embossed vinyl textures – both staples in the 1970s which are now making a comeback and are in demand from interior designers for the walls of the most sophisticated London homes. These handcrafted wallcoverings include woven jute, seagrass, raffia, extra fine sisal, and natural corks with printed metallic. Over the last few years, Thibaut has also expanded its offering of performance fabrics. Created specifically for family-friendly living, they are woven to meet or exceed heavy-duty requirements for upholstery and provide clients with a solution that is durable, breathable and stainresistant. They are constantly experimenting with fresh, new ideas: the design and marketing teams work closely together to respond to the directions of the upper-end of the interiors market, combining their creative vision with the needs of today’s home owner. And since it is not limited by the capabilities of its own manufacturing facility, Thibaut uses myriad printing and weaving techniques, and mills all over the world – meaning the colour and design options are virtually endless. Whether a client is looking for a smart shoji fabric panel in red and blue, a playful jellyfish bloom wallpaper in coral and turquoise or a hot pink ikat stripe linen, at Thibaut, there really is a colour and pattern to suit everyone. The future is looking bright.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Grasscloth collection; Dynasty collection; Summerhouse collection

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The perfect blend of glamour and style creates the ultimate guest bedroom in an ocean side apartment in Sandbanks, designed by th2designs.co.uk

FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a mid-century magpie, a contemporary look lover or an heirloom aesthete, these companies have got you covered

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FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

CHAMBER FURNITURE Bespoke kitchens and furniture, designed to maximise space

C Chamber Furniture The Old Timber Yard London Road Halstead, Kent TN14 7DZ +44 (0)1959 532553 chamberfurniture.co.uk

reating handcrafted bespoke kitchens and furniture that are as unique as the homes they’re designed for is what makes Chamber Furniture a name to know in the industry. A family business, established in 1994, this discerning designer and manufacturer combines the best of traditional craftsmanship with beautiful materials and the latest in digital technology. The result is custom-built furniture suitable for every room in the home. Everything is handmade to the customer’s specifications in Chamber Furniture’s state-ofthe-art factory in Kent. (Along with the stunning oak-clad showroom, it’s in the heart of the countryside, just 35 minutes’ train journey from central London.) In fact, there are no standard cupboard sizes or specific ranges since the company feels this can be restrictive. Instead,

the emphasis is on the choice of aesthetic, whether it’s traditional, contemporary, rustic or minimalist. Hardwoods such as oak, walnut, maple or ash can be hand-sprayed, burnished and lacquered, or hand-painted, so the design options are limitless. The company’s simple philosophy is that commissioning custom-built furniture should be a joy for the client, from start to finish. Every project, regardless of scale – it can be one room or an entire house – is welcomed and treated with equal enthusiasm and care. The team relishes devising alternative layouts and coming up with original and resourceful ideas and solutions, so that what starts out as a new kitchen project often escalates to a complete re-design, so happy are customers with the advice they’re given. As a mid-sized company, Chamber Furniture has the scope and ability to execute projects on

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: An earthy mixture of colour and textures throughout this open plan space beautifully complements the walnut stained kitchen; a floating media centre provides endless concealed storage and a distinct pop of colour to this inviting children’s playroom; this stunning metallic copper finish is teamed with an expanse of beautifully grained natural oak for a real statement Island

a large scale and regularly collaborates with property developers and architects. Indeed, scale and proportion are at the heart of everything the company does, taking particular pride in their talent for maximising space. One example of this is the way they’ve tapped into the ‘broken-plan living’ trend, a compromise between traditional home layout and open-plan living. A brilliant broken-plan design is all about clever use of space, creating distinct living zones by means of split levels, room dividers and flexible, semi-permanent partitions such as moveable bookcases or screens. The company is also seeing a high demand for bold statement colours that suit both contemporary and classic homes, from dark inky blues to lush forest greens. ‘The drama of a bold, strong colour teamed with crisp white marble worktops evokes a super-sleek, impressive and timeless colour combination,’ says Scott Nicholson, managing director and head designer. ‘Simply mix additional materials and textures into the flooring or, for a decadent touch, add a metallic finish with copper, brass or pewter to your island, with a pedestal base or full island sides and back. Coordinate your accent colours with sleek handles to tie the theme together and soften with an inviting wooden or stone floor.’ New room displays will soon be added to the already extensive showroom, including a floor-to-ceiling wine storage cabinet, a bedroom and fully concealed kitchen with bi-fold retractable doors and secret door to a utility area. Such innovative new designs ensure this forwardthinking company remains one step ahead.

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FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

THE CONRAN SHOP A destination lifestyle store for iconic designs and collectibles, beautiful homeware and accessories

‘I

always thought that The Conran Shop should be filled with the very best and most interesting products and furniture from the four corners of the world, all chosen with the same pair of eyes,’ says Sir Terence Conran of the game-changing store he founded in London in 1973, which is now a globally leading lifestyle retailer. ‘I wanted it to be a shop that sold classic, modern furniture for a more informed generation, such as Eames, Bauhaus originals and Mies van der Rohe, alongside fine glassware and china, beautiful handmade rugs and the very best French cookware. It was my dream store – modern, exciting and sophisticated, taking me right back to when Habitat first opened in 1964.’ With such a firm design philosophy at its core, it’s no wonder that The Conran Shop now has ten successful stores across the world (in London, Paris and Japan) and a defined ‘Conran DNA’ built around colours, materiality, pattern, form and a simple approach to functionality which is carefully updated each season. The Conran Shop curates iconic design pieces from a selection of the world’s best brands; from classics by the likes of Vitra and Knoll, through to tomorrow’s collectibles from new generation designers. Customers can find something for every occasion, whether they are

The Conran Shop 020 7589 7401 conranshop.com

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Conran graphic pattern; the original Conran Shop in the Michelin Building; Jader Almeida collection; Beetle chair Jabana collection; The Conran Shop in Paris

looking to decorate a room or a whole home, buy a gift or stock up on beauty essentials. This year, there is a determined focus on growing their own brand and exclusive product offering – especially in the areas of furniture, textiles and dining. The Conran Shop’s in-house design department often works together with external designers who are experts in their individual fields, including Gabriel Tan, Samuel Wilkinson and Daniel Schofield. The team also works closely with the buying department to develop products that fit carefully with the Conran DNA, while ensuring there is longevity to what is being produced. Current exclusive collaborations feature a special-edition Snoopy table lamp by Achille Castiglioni; the Beetle dining and lounge chair

designed by GamFratesi for Gubi in Jabana fabric; and the walnut wood and brass stem Jardim side table by young Brazilian designer Jader Almeida. For SS18, key trends include ‘Global Villa’, inspired by the Italian modernist casa and marble foyers of Bombay’s Art Deco buildings which translates to darker woods, tanned leathers, refined detailing and a palette of neutrals highlighted with yellow, rust and blue; ‘Modern Plantation’, influenced by garden rooms and the continued resurgence of house plants but also the colour green itself; and ‘Cap Moderne’, which takes its cues from the holiday destinations of midcentury artists and designers. The Conran Shop is a place for living and shopping, dedicated to providing an unbeatable experience both in-store and increasingly online (the digital journal on the website also offers plenty of interior ideas, advice and inspiration). From the original iconic store in the historic Michelin Building in Chelsea and the store on fashionable Marylebone High Street, to France’s Paris location on Rue du Bac, The Conran Shop buildings and environments are diverse, creative and considerately curated to inspire customers with collections that reflect the way we live today.

The ‘Conran DNA’ is built around materiality, pattern, form and a simple approach to functionality which is carefully updated each season

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FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

COZE

Online merchants of the finest linen and household textiles

passion for textiles that can trace itself back four generations lies at the heart of the family-run fine linen brand Coze. Directors Ben and Dan Roston’s great-grandfather opened one of the first textile businesses in London’s East End; their father Richard set up the umbrella company that now contains Coze after supplying pillows, duvets, towels and bed linen to many of the UK’s most famous five-star establishments, including The Dorchester and The Ritz in London. Ben and Dan spotted a gap in the market for customers to purchase hotel quality linens for their homes and last year, Coze was born. ‘The five-star hotels we supply always put comfort and feel at the top of their requirements,’ says Ben. ‘Our linens, which include high quality cotton sheets and plush feather and down pillows, are not only inviting in style but entirely natural and breathable, allowing your body temperature to self-regulate for the best night’s sleep.’ Placing the customer first and concentrating on service, product and pricing has seen the company quickly grow to 50 members of staff with a turnover of approximately £12m per annum. But it’s still very much a family firm, determined to offer the very best products. Coze launched with a limited range, but already new linens are being

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Pyrenean duck down pillows; 10 per cent cotton bed linen from 220 to 600 thread count; Merino wool and cashmere blankets and throws; Turkish made 600 and 700 gsm towels

Coze Elstree Distribution Park Borehamwood Hertfordshire WD6 1RU +44 (0)20 3866 3939 cozelinen.com

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Coze prides itself on its traceable ‘seed to sheet process’ and can follow the raw materials all the way from the farmers planting the cotton seeds to the final product

sampled and there are collaborations with several top hotels, spas and interior designers in the pipeline. Coze prides itself on its traceable ‘seed to sheet process’, and can follow the raw materials from the farmers planting the cotton seeds to the final product that the customer buys – rare in these days of mass consumerism. The company has been working with cotton farmers in the Bay of Bengal for four generations (India has invested heavily in cotton production over the last few decades and is developing the best varieties with the longest staple fibres). The cotton is handpicked which means only the best flowering buds are harvested. The purest fibres are spun on site, on state-ofthe-art machines that produce the highest quality yarn, woven in various thread counts on looms and finished using 12 stitches per inch to ensure a durable product. To put this in perspective, most industry standard hems only have eight to ten stitches per inch. Duvets and pillows are filled with Pyrenean duck down, the best in the world and the reason why Coze is committed to its long-standing partners in the foothills of the Pyrenean mountain region. Towelling is made in the Aegean region of Turkey, where they traditionally use a longer fibre, meaning fewer joins and a softer, stronger product overall. Their wool blankets are made in a Yorkshire mill dating back to 1783, skilfully woven to capture pockets of insulation, making them light in weight but comfortingly indulgent. As Coze is online only, they provide a free swatch service for clients so they can feel the fabrics for themselves (personalised embroidered linens are available). The swatches come with an information booklet explaining their story as well as the product. ‘Coze is a genuine labour of love for me,’ says Ben, ‘and I believe that this is reflected in the customer experience and product.’ So when they hear that their pillows have helped customers conquer chronic back pain or have given clients the best night’s sleep in years, the family feels that their mission of service, quality and artisanship has been accomplished. COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 115

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FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

DRAPER LONDON

Beautifully modern bedlinen for the ultimate night’s sleep

raper London is on a mission to make bedlinen simple and stylishly modern. It was launched two years ago by Stephanie Betts, founder of luxury bedding company Josephine Home, after she realised that the brand’s social media followers were a surprising 50:50 split of men and women. It is a modern, gender neutral online brand that aims to deliver similar quality at a more affordable price – and as a result, provides the ultimate sleep experience. Tapping into the current shift towards clean-lined ‘bedscapes’ – beds that look inviting as well as being easy to pull together – Draper London’s mindful consumerism values are aligned with a new generation of shoppers who invest time in researching the best possible products before buying. Bedlinen is used every day and owned for years, so for Draper London, it needs not just to be able to stand the test of time but also to give those using it a sense of joy. Inspiration for the designs comes from Savile Row tailoring in the 1960s and this is clearly evident in the brand’s considered balance of a very soft and silky 300 thread count Egyptian cotton percale fabric and trademark understated grosgrain trim. It’s no wonder that luxury

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Draper London’s mini chunky throws; a bed made up in Draper London linen at Masseria Monopoli; super-fluffy Egyptian cotton bath linen; luxurious, crisp bedlinen with a navy grosgrain trim

Draper London +44 (0)1635 200800 draperlondon.com

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It’s no wonder that luxury columnist Lucia van der Post once called Draper London ‘the Chanel No. 5 of bedlinen’

columnist Lucia van der Post once called it ‘the Chanel No 5 of bedlinen’. Integrity and craftsmanship are at the core of the company, and there is a focus on the smallest of details: neat stitching, a French tail on the duvet covers which tucks under the mattress (meaning no fiddly buttons), high quality yarns and generosity of sizes, including a deeper than average fit for fitted sheets. Everything – from the pillow cases to the throws and fluffy towels – has been designed in-house in England and is therefore unique to Draper London. Years were spent on development and testing by laundry experts who assessed for technical performance. Above all, the products are made in Europe, so there is complete control of quality and finish (the first linen mill used by the company was also the supplier for Pope John Paul II). This year, the company is adding dressing gowns, a striped Regatta range and new monogram styles to the collection, all designed and made with the same DNA as the bedlinen, plus a game-changing system that will revolutionise how bedlinen is stored and organised. International clients range from Hollywood royalty to pop stars, five-star hotels, such as the Mandarin Oriental in London and Hong Kong, to private individuals with homes in Malibu and The Hamptons. Nothing is more rewarding for Stephanie and the team than when they hear happy stories about how children have fallen asleep more easily when the brand’s bedlinen is on the bed, adults who feel more rested in the morning or customers who say they will now buy ‘only Draper London’. With a unique heritage rooted in British craftsmanship and production in Europe, Draper London stands out for its fresh approach to luxury and an aesthetic which appeals to both women and men.

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FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

GEORG JENSEN Celebrating the centenary of Henning Koppel’s birth with a new collection of timeless designs

W Georg Jensen 89 Mount Street London W1K 2SR +44 (0)20 7499 6541 georgjensen.com

ith a history that spans more than 100 years, Danish lifestyle brand Georg Jensen represents quality craftsmanship and timeless design throughout its range of products, from hollowware and watches to jewellery and home accessories. The philosophy of Georg Jensen himself was to create pieces that possessed both functionality and beauty; his artisanal silversmith skills combined with his ability to identify and support creative talent was the foundation on which he built Georg Jensen in Copenhagen in 1904. Georg Jensen’s style – serene flowing forms inspired by nature and enriched with sculpted ornamentation – embraced the Art Nouveau period. During his life, all the artists and craftsmen working at his silversmith were influenced by this aesthetic. And sometimes, especially in the case of Johan Rohde, the influence went both ways. All of the products of the early years fell within the framework of one recognisable look, identified as the ‘Georg Jensen style’. Unusually though, all the artists and craftsmen were not only encouraged to have free

reign in their work, but were also fully credited with their own designs. The Georg Jensen style underwent many modifications until his death, and even more so afterwards, but the basic characteristics of his ideas are still visible today. The most important task for the brand is to continue to leverage Georg Jensen’s principles and translate these into new designs. Many products by Georg Jensen and his early associates are still manufactured alongside the work of younger more contemporary designers (some of the better-known names of the past century and today include Johan Rohde, Harald Nielsen, Henning Koppel, Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe and Zaha Hadid). Throughout 2018, the brand is celebrating the centenary year of Henning Koppel’s birth with a new collection for the home, Koppel 100, which showcases his vision and reinforces his legacy as a pioneer of mid-century Scandinavian design. Henning Koppel was known for a kind of free-thinking functionalism, fusing utility and beauty in his paredback designs, which included everyday objects for the home, watches, clocks, jewellery and sculptural silver masterpieces. While his take on Modernism was crisp and minimalist, many of his pieces revealed soft, organic curves that became trademarks of his nature-inspired designs. Koppel 100 stems from Henning Koppel’s original sketches which have been developed to complete and complement the existing Koppel collections. It includes the iconic Wave Bowl in a new size, crafted in stainless steel; a series of spherical candle Hurricanes for indoor and outdoor use; new steel and stoneware vases that reveal Henning Koppel’s sense of colour; and his classic cutlery design, Caravel, re-issued as a black PVD-coated version. Georg Jensen has also introduced a crystal and silver carafe and glasses set as a tribute to Henning Koppel’s iconic pitchers which are regarded as a masterpiece of contemporary design. The fact that products by Henning Koppel and others under the brand’s umbrella remain as relevant today as they were then is a testament to their status as design classics – and Georg Jensen himself.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Koppel Pitcher 992, Pitcher 978 and Pitcher 1052; Koppel Hurricanes in small, medium and large; Koppel Caravel cutlery in black PVD

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FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

HALCYON DAYS Exquisite enamelware and beautiful gifts designed to last a lifetime

H Halcyon Days 27 Royal Exchange London EC3V 3LP +44 (0)20 3725 8001 halcyondays.co.uk

alcyon Days began life in 1950 as a small antiques shop specialising in 17th-century enamelware. At the time, the art of enamelling on copper, which had flourished in the 18th century, was mostly just reserved for utility items such as saucepans. The shop set about reviving this artisan craft and the renowned Halcyon Days enamel box was born. Since its establishment, the company has been awarded all three Royal Warrants to the British Royal Household as Suppliers of Objets d’Art – one of only 14 companies in the world to do so. In recent years, Chairman and CEO Pamela Harper has steered the company towards growth and allowed it to branch out into other sectors: today, while enamelware is still at its core, other luxury accessories such as English fine bone china tea sets, dinnerware, candles, trinket trays and silk products have all been successfully introduced. Her wealth of industry knowledge, creative encouragement and drive to support British manufacturing ensures that the company employs highly skilled master

artists to make the products entirely by hand using traditional techniques in its Stoke-on-Trent and Wolverhampton factories. It is also looking to the future by training the next generation through apprenticeship schemes with QEST, The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust. New products this year include several Royal Wedding themed collections in commemoration of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s upcoming marriage. ‘Wedding Ribbons’ is a pair of specially designed, handcrafted enamel boxes and range of fine bone china pieces all depicting illustrative details on a Jacaranda blue and violet stripe pattern background; peonies with a knotted ribbon frame the royal couple’s names and initials. ‘A Very Special Relationship’ is a variety of enamelware and fine bone china with a joyful design that combines the Union Jack flag and the Star Spangled banner. The fine bone china ‘Antler Trellis’ range, which was created in collaboration with one of Scotland’s finest estates, Gordon Castle, has also just been launched in midnight blue. From afar, the designs appear to show a golden trellis but up close, uniformed antlers can be seen. And the ‘Castle of Mey’ floral fine bone china collection, which is inspired by the much-loved holiday home of the late Queen Mother and produced in collaboration with The Castle and Gardens of Mey Trust, is being extended. It will include a striking, diamond-shaped design available in lemon yellow, mint green, rose, lavender and sky blue.

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Since it was established, Halcyon Days has been awarded all three Royal Warrants as Suppliers of Objets d’Art – one of only 14 companies in the world to do so

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Leopard and Tiger coasters and Tiger cup and saucer; ceremonial Indian elephant Prestige enamel box; Antler Trellis Tea For One in midnight; Wedding Ribbons limited edition enamel box; Parterre mug; teacups in the Halcyon Days factory in Stoke-on-Trent

Halcyon Days also has an exceptional bespoke gifting service and can create the perfect tailor-made present for a landmark anniversary, significant birthday or any other momentous occasion. Already made to the highest standards, adding a bespoke design to these beautiful enamel boxes or English fine bone china sets creates a gift that is not only personal but also tells a story of true British craftsmanship. Past bespoke requests for clients include wedding guests’ initials monogrammed onto enamel boxes to be used in place of table cards, tableware with hand gilded family crests, teaware featuring a clan’s tartan and much more. Exquisite pieces, made to mark every important milestone. COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 121

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FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

JAMB

The finest antique and reproduction fireplaces and lighting

O Jamb 95-97 Pimlico Road London SW1W 8PH +44 (0)20 7730 2122 jamb.co.uk

nce an antique is sold it’s gone forever but a faithful reproduction continues its design life: that was the inspiration behind antiques dealer Will Fisher’s decision to set up Jamb 17 ago. He began by creating a reproduction collection from antique lighting and chimneypieces that he had once owned; in 2004, Will’s wife Charlotte joined him and together they have continued to grow the business. Today the lighting collection is comprised of more than 100 designs and the company is renowned as the go-to destination for leading architects and interior designers looking for the finest quality antique fireplaces, reproduction fireplaces and lighting, all in the English country house aesthetic. Antique fireplaces form the backbone of the

business and Jamb has a reputation for having the most extensive reclaimed antique fireplace collection in the UK. This includes period pieces from the 17th, 18th and 19th-centuries that recall the work of Britain’s finest architects such as Inigo Jones, William Kent and John Nash. Clients can make an appointment to view the 200 antique chimneypieces at the company’s warehouse, which is a former tank factory on the outskirts of London. The constantly changing Pimlico Road showroom can also be visited to see fireplaces, foundry-made grates, lighting, garden ornaments and furniture. Jamb is fastidious to historical detail, leading to the purest of designs and having these important antique fireplaces in the company’s possession enables the highly skilled craftsmen at the workshop to create replicas with an unparalleled level of historical accuracy.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: George IV lantern; Milton chimneypiece with Jacob grate; Lattice globe lantern (all reproductions)

Through research and unique manufacturing techniques, the company is also able to ensure the highest quality of design and craftsmanship. The company is regularly involved in outstanding restoration and new build projects. Jamb also takes on commissions for clients who make use of its knowledge and extensive library of drawings and moulds to create the perfect, bespoke piece to the best proportions. Bespoke fireplace commissions range from creating an entire collection of one off mantels for a Neoclassical mansion, to the demands of designing and building a unique Gothic centrepiece for a chĂ˘teau in France. Currently, Jamb is making many reproduction fireplace designs in wonderful Italian marbles, from Breche Violette to Bardiglio, as well as stones from the oldest English quarries.

When it comes to reproduction lighting, a globe lantern is still the Jamb signature piece yet there are more than 100 designs in the lantern collection, all of which stem from antique originals. The recent Hanbury collection for instance, which has been hugely popular since it launched last year, is a group of small, versatile wall and hanging lights inspired by the 1920s industrial age. All Jamb lanterns are made with meticulous attention to detail; ensuring the gauge of the frame is as one would expect to find on an antique. Jamb continues to work in the lost wax method which ensures castings are continuously accurate and true to the original. In all reproductions, Jamb strives to create a finish which replicates that of an antique.

Today, Jamb is comprised of more than 100 designs and is the go-to for the finest antique fireplaces, reproduction fireplaces and reproduction antique lighting

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FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

NEPTUNE

Beautiful furniture and homeware design underpinned by simplicity

All Neptune products are underpinned by technical excellence and skill, made from high-quality materials to create an enduring kind of elegance that stands the test of time

Neptune +44 (0)1793 427426 neptune.com

n 1996, John Sims-Hilditch and Giles Redman founded Neptune while sitting at their kitchen table, stitching together a hammock. Today, the company has evolved into a British lifestyle brand with 30 stores across the UK and Europe with a reputation for beautiful furniture and homeware design. Unsurprisingly perhaps, considering where the pair were when they came up with the idea for the business, Neptune’s four kitchen collections are an integral part of the company’s offering. Take Suffolk, for example, a timeless collection that encompasses a kitchen and a range of freestanding furniture. Inspired by the Shaker principles of excellent craftsmanship and simplicity, it was originally designed in 2008 but has recently been refreshed. However, this wasn’t a case of going back to square one. Eighty per cent of Suffolk remains unchanged: the foundations, engineering and core are part of Suffolk’s DNA, and it wasn’t the DNA that they needed to tweak. John and Giles have always maintained that the way something works is as important as how it looks, so the team always think through every last design detail and never stop trying to improve a product, finding ways that could make people’s lives a little easier.

Made from North American oak and tulipwood, the natural timber kitchen is designed to compliment any style of home and interior, from country to contemporary. The overall aesthetic has been carefully fine-tuned so new elements include ‘Charlecote’, a freestanding island with an open base that gives it a lighter look (designed with the Suffolk collection in mind, it can be paired just as well with any of Neptune’s other kitchens) and cabinet accessories. Ranging from knife blocks in seasoned oak to drawer dividers in quartz, every element that the accessories are fitted with complement one another. Building on its strong design foundations, this gentle spring update sees the kitchen being pared back even more. It is now minimal the whole way through – as true Shaker style should be. The palette too, has altered slightly: now cabinets come in a calming ‘Driftwood’ colour as standard (complemented with a silver birch interior); there is also a bespoke paint service so if clients prefer an alternative hue they can choose from Neptune’s classic palette. All Neptune’s products are crucially underpinned by technical excellence and skill, made from high-quality materials to create an enduring kind of elegance that can stand the test of time. Therefore, as has always been the case with Suffolk, the kitchen cabinets are made with a groove construction (this means that the top, back and floor panels are slotted into the side panels using pre-machined grooves – the best way to get total accuracy and structural integrity) and tried-and-tested joinery. Bespoke cabinetry is also possible in the company’s Wiltshire workshop, whether customers want an entirely new cabinet designed from scratch or modified dimensions of existing designs. All kitchens also come with a lifetime guarantee when they’re installed by one of the company’s certified fitters. It’s just one aspect of the excellent customer service – which, together with thoroughly good design that lasts a lifetime – is at the heart of Neptune.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Suffolk drawer accessories: knife blocks, quartz dividing prisms and oak drawer dividers; Suffolk kitchen painted in Driftwood, Charlecote three drawer island painted in Driftwood, Byron pendant (large), Lavenham mirror

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FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

PETER REED

Luxury linens handcrafted since 1861, with unrivalled heritage, craftsmanship and quality

P Peter Reed Butterworth Mill Lomeshaye Lancashire BB9 6RT +44 (0)1282 616069 peterreed.com

eter Reed represents the pinnacle of English linen making, with a peerless reputation for quality based on 150 years of heritage and craftsmanship. For generations its bedding has been hand-crafted from the highest grade cottons. The story began in 1861, when Peter Reed and his son, William, embarked on an original strategy in their quest to manufacture Britain’s highest quality bed linen on the slopes of Pendle Hill, Lancashire. Instead of weaving the cloth locally, they decided to import the finest woven fabrics from Italian master artisanal mills, enabling them to

concentrate their own craftsmen’s work on the high-end skills of cutting, sewing, hemming, embroidering and finishing. The combination of the world’s best cotton with the most impeccable British craftsmanship was a formula for success, eagerly appreciated by a wealthy Victorian middle class. Then, as now, Peter Reed trades that priceless commodity – a luxurious and easeful sleep. A sleep fit for royalty in fact, as was confirmed in 2008, when the company was granted a Royal Warrant. Peter Reed is no longer a family-run company, but that early idealism still drives it, and its bed linens are still made among the Lancashire hills. While the rest of the world embraces mass production, Peter Reed offers a personalised service. Customers are able to create their own unique bedding using artwork, such as a family crest, a digital design created by a graphic artist, a photograph of an architectural feature, a swatch of fabric or a child’s drawing. In consultation with Peter Reed’s design team almost anything can be referenced or recreated in embroidery. All designs can be made in any bed size, sheeting fabric, thread count and almost any thread colour – selected from hundreds in the Peter Reed library – and made within three weeks. Monogrammed towels are also available to match. There are no minimums – no order is too small (or too large). Perfect for any hope chest or first home, the bridal and wedding range is regally sumptuous in its texture and appearance. The collection incorporates traditional embroidery and cording, intricate piping and a stylish, detailed finish. The designs are romantic and graceful and applied to beautiful duvet and pillow sets. The Greek Key collection has a ‘genderneutral’ appeal. The pillows and duvet set feature a bold, interlocking design that borders a crisp white surface and a dark, brooding underside. The set would be perfectly accessorised by the addition of dark grey quilting or a luxurious dark grey Greek Key-adorned cashmere throw.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Peter Reed bridal collection – perfect for a new bride or the first home; a modern take on Peter Reed’s traditional Greek Key embroidery; bespoke monogramming

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FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

SAVOIR BEDS Tailor-made beds make Savoir the world’s most luxurious sleeping system

avoir Beds is widely regarded as the world’s most luxurious sleeping system. First created in 1905 for The Savoy hotel in London, the bespoke beds have become almost as legendary as the stars who have slept in them, which include Winston Churchill, Marilyn Monroe, Elton John and Madonna. A Savoir bed can be made to any size or shape and each one is created individually at Savoir’s London bedworks or at its site in Wales. Every bed is hand-crafted from the highest quality natural materials, including long, curled Latin American horse tail, Mongolian cashmere and British lamb’s wool, to the exact size, shape, tension and finish requested. One craftsman makes each mattress and, like an artist, signs the label on each completed job. The relaxation that Savoir provides is all the more pleasurable for being personalised. In a hectic, high-tech world, real comfort is a natural and achievable aspiration. People indulge in cars, home cinemas and holidays but the bed in which we spend a third of our lives is often overlooked, and to our detriment – a good night’s sleep is the fundamental pillar upon which our health and wellbeing depends. The Savoir experience starts at any of its showrooms, which are around the world, from London and Paris to New York and Shanghai, with plans to open more in Europe, US and Asia in 2018. Each showroom has skilled consultants

Savoir Beds 1 Old Oak Lane London NW10 6UD +44 (0)20 7493 4444 savoirbeds.co.uk

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Max 01 bed; Felix bed with Gherardo di Giovanni del Fora, 1444/5–1497. The Combat of Love and Chastity (detail), probably 1475-1500; crafting a Savoir bed; Savoy 01 bed

who will help provide the perfect support and will design a bed to each customer’s own style. They will literally take the measurements of customers as well as advising on fabric, bespoke headboards and an almost unlimited choice of upholstery. Every year Savoir collaborates with designers to create an innovative range of beds. These have included Sacha Walckhoff, Philip Gorrivan, LV Yongzhong, Nicky Haslam and Virginia White. In 2017 Savoir collaborated with New York fabric and interior designer, Madeline Weinrib, Korean lifestyle designer, Teo Yang, and Paris-based artist, Arik Levy.

This year Savoir has launched an exclusive collaboration with The National Gallery in London which takes art in interiors to another level. Classic bed designs become the perfect canvases for any portrait owned by the gallery, enabling clients to have the work of the world’s greatest artists upholstered onto the headboard and base of a Savoir bed. Every design is personally approved by The National Gallery to guarantee its integrity, ensuring clients receive their own truly unique masterpiece. Savoir also makes beds for private aircrafts and superyachts and the team will visit boatyards to make the necessary templates for the perfect fit. They even crafted and installed a circular bed to rotate at the touch of an iPad screen, to enable the client to change the view from fireplace to the countryside outside. Without correct support, muscles tire and REM sleep – the most restorative, moodenhancing part of the sleep cycle – is disrupted because people toss and turn to relieve pressure points. Savoir ensures its beds deliver the right support to every individual. After a good night’s sleep on a Savoir, devotees awake refreshed and recharged, mentally alert and physically rested, ready for the day ahead. A Savoir bed is an investment that will pay off morning after morning and vastly improve quality of life.

Every bed is handcrafted from the highest quality natural materials, including Latin American horse tail, Mongolian cashmere and British lamb’s wool, to the exact size, shape, tension and finish requested

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FURNITURE & ACCESSORIES

SOHO HOME

The Soho House interiors collection: shoppable designs inspired by the private members’ clubs

rom the laid-back country look of Soho Farmhouse in Oxfordshire to the city townhouses such as Soho House Barcelona and Soho House New York, each of the Soho House private members’ clubs has its own individual style and a unique sense of place. Over the years, founder Nick Jones had been repeatedly asked by members where they could find furniture and other pieces from the Houses. It was the natural next step when the company launched its own interiors brand in 2016, giving members and non-members alike the chance to bring the House home. The collections from Soho Home – which include everything from tableware and textiles to vintage pieces – comprises products that are either used in, or inspired by, Houses around the world. For instance, all the Soho Home crockery, cutlery and bedding is used in the Houses which means it is hotel-grade quality, not just designed to look beautiful but made to last – a factor which is at the forefront of all the interior brand’s designs. The bestselling Barwell Crystal range of champagne coupes, highball glasses and more, can be found in all the Houses. Soho Home has two exclusive collections of floral

Soho Home sohohome.com

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Cosy bed; headboard cushion; Heythrop basket; Charles armchair; House dinnerware; House bath linen; Barwell crystal

print china made by the iconic British pottery Burleigh: House Burleigh, in black and white, and Hibiscus Burleigh in green and white, used at The Ned. A selection of Soho Home furniture is handmade by legendary furniture company George Smith in the north of England, just as it is in the Houses (the Belgian linen Loft Sofa, for example, can be seen in the cabins at Soho Farmhouse and there is a vast 39ft Chesterfield in the social space at Soho House New York). The in-house Soho House design team is known for setting trends but also transcending them, responding to the history of the

buildings that the Houses are situated in. It’s an approach that translates to the Soho Home products too. The attention to detail is incredible: nothing is produced that the team isn’t absolutely in love with and delivering an excellent experience to members, guests and customers is the primary goal. In February, Soho Home launched the Dean Street Collection which celebrates Dean Street Townhouse and 76 Dean Street. Their opulent-yet-cosy rooms inspired the embellished textiles, vintage-style lamps and comfy velvet armchairs that make up the range. Key pieces include the ribbed velvet Percy chair, seen at the end of the beds in Dean Street Townhouse, and the Margot footstool, which appears across many of the Houses. Their latest launch is The Ned Collection, with products based on the design and history of The Ned – a hotel and members’ club from the Soho House and Sydell Groups – set in the historic Midland Bank building in the heart of the City. The standout item is the Cosy bed (inspired by those in the first class cabins on the Titanic), with an option to add a headboard cushion in William Morris fabric. Whether you prefer a relaxed country aesthetic or slick city style, shopping the Soho Home collection is a simple way to recreate the Soho House look at home.

The attention to detail is incredible: nothing is produced that the Soho House team isn’t absolutely in love with

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Add interest to your surfaces with Caesarstoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quartz surface in 6131 Bianco Drift, from approx. ÂŁ300 per sq/m. caesarstone.co.uk

FINISHING TOUCHES

These are the icing on the design cake, so choosing the right fixtures, fittings, finishes and soft furnishings is crucial

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AMY KENT BESPOKE RUGS

A beautiful collection of unique rugs handmade in India and Kathmandu

espoke, beautifully made rugs that don’t cost a fortune: that was the idea behind Amy Kent’s decision to set up her own rug company in 2005. Her first collection was borne out of the hundreds of photographs she took at the Chelsea Flower Show that year (one of her most popular motifs today is a palm leaf, spotted in a pot plant at the show) and since then she has been inspired by all kinds of everyday patterns, from street railings to bicycle spokes and a stained glass window at her grandparents’ house. Design concept in place, Amy booked a flight to India and travelled around Varanasi meeting carpet-making companies until she found a husband and wife team, who she has been working with ever since. From the dyeing and washing of the wool and silk yarns to the

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Cobbles, 100 knots per sq/inch, wool and art silk; Cirrus, 150 knots per sq/inch, part of ‘Art on Rugs’ collection (sofa by Talisman Bespoke); Stars, flatweave, wool and art silk; Zig Zags, flatweave, wool and art silk

Amy Kent Bespoke Rugs +44 (0)7979 594651 amykent.co.uk

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‘Two of the biggest regrets people have,’ says Amy Kent, ‘are not going big enough and not being brave enough in terms of colour or design’

knotting, trimming and finishing of the rugs, the entire making process is done by hand using celebrated, age-old techniques. Each made-to-order rug is a work of art, quite literally in some cases, as Amy is interested in exploring the crossover between the art world and interiors industry. Last year she collaborated with her sister, the artist Lucy Kent, in a series called ‘Art on Rugs’ where ten rugs were each based on a different abstract painting. Amy has several other artist collaborations in the pipeline: she is launching a new abstract ‘Art on Rugs’ series with painter Marcus Hodge at Decorex in September and is also working with Jane Bristowe on a range of rugs based on animal lithographs. In the past, Amy’s rugs have been exhibited at Grandy Art gallery in Fulham, where they hung on the walls among the artworks. Much of Amy’s time is spent visiting clients at home around London and the home counties, helping them choose not only the rug design that suits their surroundings by seeing the collection in situ, but also the colours and size (two of the biggest regrets people have, says Amy, are not going big enough and not being brave enough in terms of colour or design). All the designs can be adapted, whether a client is after a square rug, round rug or runner. Following the site visit, Amy sends a computer mock-up of the design in the colours chosen and a CGI of how the bespoke rug would look like in the actual space. ‘We have always been extremely happy with the rugs and the outstanding personal service that Amy provides,’ says Oliver Bea Design, one of the many interior design companies that sources Amy’s rugs for clients. ‘I really like the Amy Kent range of designs and it’s great to have the flexibility to adapt the colours if necessary. Our clients are always very happy with the exceptional quality of the final product.’ An Amy Kent bespoke rug can become a statement piece as the pivotal part of a room, and works seamlessly with the rest of the interior to add warmth and texture. COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 135

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CHARLES EDWARDS

A renowned antiques dealer whose lighting designs take inspiration from the 19th and 20th centuries

Today, Charles Edwards boasts an exclusive, evergrowing collection of more than 400 lanterns and lights and is considered one of the leading manufacturers

Charles Edwards 582 King’s Road London SW6 2DY +44 (0)20 7736 8490 charlesedwards.com

harles Edwards has been an antiques dealer since the 1960s when he opened his first shop in Kensington. He later relocated to Notting Hill and then to the King’s Road, where he continued to build up a reputation for selling decorative objects, furniture and lighting. At the time, the King’s Road was well known for its antiques shops and Charles Edwards became a go-to destination for leading interior designers from London and the US (the company has since expanded, adding two more London showrooms). Yet it was a chance conversation with designer David Easton, and an agreement to replicate one of his lanterns, that dramatically changed the course of the business. Today, Charles Edwards boasts an exclusive, ever-growing collection of more than 400 lanterns and lights, and is considered

a leading manufacturer of lighting inspired by English, French and American models from the 19th and 20th centuries. The company is currently developing new products for the collection, influenced by original English Victorian and French neoclassical lights. Whether a single crystal pendant or a complete lantern, Charles is continually rescuing well-designed lighting fixtures from obscurity, which are then redeveloped to modern standards and transformed by his design team into beautiful lights that meet international electrical regulations. Everything is handmade to order in brass and finished to clients’ specifications at the company’s workshop in Wimbledon. Any lights in the collection can be custom-sized; alternatively, bespoke lighting can be created from scratch (technical drawings and 3D models are submitted to clients for approval prior to production). The company is committed to having the full collection up to energy efficiency standards, which means that all lights are compatible with LED bulbs, dimmers and lighting controls. Charles Edwards counts English Heritage, the National Trust, A-listers such as Gwyneth Paltrow (she has their star lanterns above her stairs) and notable interior designers among its clients. As LA-based interior designer David Netto has said in the past: ‘There are quite a few good-looking traditional lighting options out there, but fixtures from Charles Edwards are in a class by themselves. They have the character and grace I am always looking to put into my projects, and there is an aura of inevitability about them – like a treasured found object that was already there, around which the room sprang up.’ The company is a huge supporter of the conservation of historic British houses and over the years has worked on several restorations and specially commissioned projects, including Charles Darwin’s house in Kent and Kensington Palace, where a new loggia commemorated Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee. Not one for following trends, Charles believes that that good quality and well-made lights, furniture and home accessories should last for generations. It’s this philosophy, together with unique designs and attentive customer service, that makes the company so special. As Charles says, ‘We pride ourselves on our ability to turn your expectations into reality.’

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Alabaster Dish Style, Large Hanging Studded Tole Shade Light painted Hale Navy gloss and unlacquered pewter; Hanging Clover Lantern in an English converted barn; Jumbo Hanging Hexagonal Treaty Port Lantern in Nickel and Paint with Hexagonal Treaty Port Canopy

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FINISHING TOUCHES

DAVID HUNT LIGHTING

Original lighting, designed and manufactured in the Cotswolds for more than a century

What sets David Hunt Lighting apart are the company’s bespoke design capabilities. Team members are given up to 12 months’ training to gain the necessary skills

David Hunt Lighting +44 (0)1295 672628 davidhuntlighting.co.uk

ne of the UK’s longest surviving lighting manufacturers, David Hunt Lighting dates back to the 1890s, when it was a family business founded in Birmingham. In the 1960s David Hunt built on this legacy, laying the foundations for the brand’s ethos: beautifully crafted lighting made in the Cotswolds. Today the company is best-known for designing and manufacturing original lighting products from its Shipston workshop. These lights cross the design spectrum from classic to contemporary and incorporate a range of colours and finishing techniques suitable for all styles of interior. Inspired by her Cotswolds surroundings, creative director Hollie Moreland begins the design process with sketches or watercolours based on shape and texture. These become the foundation of prototypes that are developed by product manager Stephen Hillman. ‘Steve will bring the practicalities of how the fitting will work with the electrics. Without Steve, my drawings

are just designs on the page,’ says Hollie. Each item is handmade from robust materials such as resin, brass or metal, and finished using traditional techniques. What sets David Hunt Lighting apart is the company’s bespoke design capability. The team – 30 creative individuals, each given up to 12 months’ training to gain the necessary skills – has refined its manufacturing processes over many years and is able to re-create the illusion of almost any finish on any surface, such as the impressive hand-stitched leather Saddler range or the hugely successful Antler range, based closely on its original form. ‘We wanted to make the Antler as lifelike as possible,’ says Steve. ‘Eventually we stumbled on wood stains as the best way to re-create the colour of an antler.’ New collections are launched annually, and each year is an experiment in introducing fresh trends while exploring exciting and original new colours and finishes. The Hyde Collection, for instance, is a contemporary design with a nostalgic nod to mid-century modern composition. Made with the finest brass framework in a sophisticated butter finish and completed with hand-spun metal shades, the lighting is available in four colourways as standard: Arctic White, Pebble, Smoke Blue and Black. (The paints used are solvent-free, water-based and meet exacting environmental standards.) However, these colours are not limited, they are simply an idea. David Hunt Lighting can create a bespoke finish for Hyde designs, even changing the metal shade from butter brass to a subtle chrome, on request. ‘Our paint palette can be applied to any paint finish, which gives the customer endless possibilities,’ explains Hollie. The visual identity of David Hunt Lighting is what makes it distinctively different from other lighting brands. Each lighting piece reveals the imagination and enthusiasm of the workshop team, on a daily basis. And it is this originality, combined with the simplicity and longevity of the designs, that effortlessly complements their proud Cotswold heritage.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Hyde pendant in Arctic White; Hyde pendant and wall light

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FINISHING TOUCHES

DEIRDRE DYSON

Creating original painterly carpets and rugs, hand-knotted in Nepal

eirdre Dyson has long been known for her nature-inspired carpet designs where colour is key, but this year’s Horizons collection plays with scale in an unprecedented way. Seascape is an impressive seven metres wide while the colours of cool skies have been hand-knotted in a combination of Tibetan wool and Chinese silk for five-metre wide Skyscape, which has proved so popular with interior designers that several have asked to buy it straight off the gallery wall. ‘As a painter, my primary focus is on colour – it provides both depth and atmosphere, which also applies to my carpet designs,’ says Deirdre. ‘For my new collection I concentrate on the changeover from one shade to another. Part of the impact of looking at the sky and the sea is their scale – so I wanted to represent them as truly as possible by creating carpets on a large scale. My amazing team in Nepal hand-knotted the two huge carpets on a single loom, which involved several craftspeople at once.’ Alongside the annual themed collection, which is launched at Maison et Objet in Paris, Deirdre produces individual, tailor-made designs and receives commissions from around the world. Size, shape and colourway are all customisable, and this year, Deirdre and her small studio team have already worked on several bespoke commissions for developments such as Battersea Power Station. The attention to detail in the design process is mirrored in the production, with each rug made to an exacting, heirloom quality. Deirdre’s original concepts, drawings and paintings are accurately reproduced digitally,

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Deirdre Dyson Dusk, Seascape, Skyscape and Rivulets carpets, all hand-knotted in Tibetan wool and Chinese silk

Deirdre Dyson 554 King’s Road London SW6 2DZ +44 (0)20 7384 4464 deirdredyson.com

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Deirdre Dyson has a close working relationship with the artisans who create her carpets, which enables her to meet with them regularly and talk through new ideas and technical possibilities

which allows her to visualise the designs before they are produced and ensures that the carpets are as close as possible to the original artwork. The Nepalese weavers first create an intricately detailed, coloured ‘map’ of the designs (the colours are selected from more than 5,000) which is then printed full-size and hung over the top of the loom for each worker to follow. It is painstaking work: 100 hand stitches make up the size of a postage stamp. Deirdre has a close working relationship with the artisans who create her carpets, which enables her to meet with them regularly and talk through new ideas and technical possibilities. The studio is extremely proud that its carpets help the communities in Nepal and support the ancient skill of hand-knotting. Deirdre’s work is now permanently exhibited in a dedicated interior design space in Paris, allowing the company’s growing French client base to see her products in a lifestyle context. In London, the Timothy Hatton-designed gallery on the King’s Road continues to enable clients to view carpets in a contemporary and architectural space that opens their minds to new possibilities such as carpets as wall art. When pieces like Seascape are hung on the wall they can be viewed as artwork in themselves. Whether displayed on the floor or the wall, Deirdre’s rugs and carpets are central elements in any scheme, and without doubt a piece to enjoy for life.

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GRAND DESIGN BLINDS Specialists in custom-made shaped blinds for even the most challenging types of glazing

T Grand Design Blinds +44 (0)1491 839746 granddesignblinds.com

owering glazed gables, asymmetric windows, lantern lights, glass boxes and giant bi-folds all make impressive statements as part of a contemporary building but can be very tricky to screen – which is where Grand Design Blinds, the leading expert in shaped blinds and shading for the most unusual areas of glass, comes in. The company was set up by blinds specialist Jonathan Pelly-Fry (a founding director of Appeal Blinds Ltd which focused on conservatory shading) in 2012. Inspired by the dramatic glazing of modern seaside houses in Cornwall, he began developing responses to their unique screening requirements. Joined by his son Nick as Design Director in 2014, they now run the business together, offering high-tech solutions to architects, designers and private clients worldwide. Grand Design Blinds makes and installs blinds everywhere from public buildings such as Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons and Worcester College,

Oxford to private homes, boats and even shepherds’ huts. By definition, each project is bespoke and needs a one-off response that is tailored to suit both the individual needs of the customer and the geometry of the glazing in question. This is what interests Jonathan and Nick the most – when they have to adapt existing products or come up with entirely new systems. It’s the ability to do this that sets the firm apart from other blind companies who have rigid parameters that they will not stray beyond. The pair are passionate about contemporary architecture (often where shaped glazing is to be found), but also love working with old buildings which present a unique set of challenges. A project last year, in partnership with Softroom Architects for Eurostar’s Business Premier Lounge in Paris, was one such challenge. The 1860s Gare du Nord has large arched windows across the façade and the designer was looking to create a contemporary interior look without compromising the historic setting. Grand Design Blinds devised a motorised roller blind solution which was cut precisely to the shape of the arches: these blinds retract discreetly into a cassette, offering shade when needed, yet appearing as part of the building when not in use. All blinds are handmade to order in the UK and Grand Design Blinds offers a wide selection of fabrics and colours, as well as custom powder-coating in any RAL colour, if required. The company is constantly researching and innovating, and this year is able to provide extra-wide roller blinds to cover spans of glazing with a single blind. This system can be up to eight metres tall and over 30m wide if required, something which until now has not been possible. These blinds are ideal for a set of sliding doors as they run in a track down either side so will not blow around in a breeze. Grand Design Blinds offers many different types of blinds which, combined with specialist materials and automated operating systems, allows them to create shading solutions for the most extraordinary locations.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Electric Duette ® pleated blinds at a private residence, Wimbledon; electric Duette ® pleated blinds at a private residence, Berkshire; electric roller blinds, Eurostar Business Premier Lounge, Paris

By definition, each project is bespoke and needs a one-off response that is tailored to suit both the needs of the customer and the geometry of the glazing in question

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JØTUL

The finest hand-crafted Norwegian stoves and fireplaces

Jøtul UK Ltd +44 (0)1527 506010 jotul.com

ne of the world’s oldest producers of stoves, inserts and fireplaces, the Jøtul Group has built on its proud Norwegian craft heritage to keep customers from the cold for the last 165 years. A coherent link between past and present, the timeless look of the stoves is based on both traditional Norwegian cast iron craftsmanship and functional, modern design, to ensure the products integrate with the architectural qualities of living spaces today. All Jøtul products are handmade in Norway using only the best available materials and, while beauty is in the eye of the beholder, good design is definitely more than meets the eye: at Jøtul, there is a strong belief that form should follow function. There is also a real emphasis on product durability. In fact, this unmatched durability is the main reason Jøtul offers the longest warranty on the market and its F602 is the most sold and copied fireplace in history. Aside from producing stoves that are both durable and beautiful, clean combustion is of great importance to Jøtul. At the global forefront of environmentally-conscious fireplace technology,

almost every Jøtul model is certified with an Ecolabel, an EU identification that aims to reduce the environmental impact of energyrelated products throughout their lifecycle, and all have A or A+ ratings. Selected models are also DEFRA exempt, which allows them to burn within the UK’s smoke control areas and makes burning wood in both rural and city settings possible. Jøtul’s passion for design and determination to manufacture the very best stoves and fireplaces is driven by its discerning customers and their appreciation for the products (which can be purchased through an extensive dealership network). Client satisfaction is the motivation behind it all and to that end the company has plans to enhance user experience by devising products with simpler controls. It was also with the customer in mind that in 2005 the Jøtul Group bought Danish wood-burning stove designer and manufacturer Scan, expanding its portfolio. Founded in Odense in 1978, Scan has cultivated a new tradition of producing iconic interior design-led stoves that are inspired by the possibilities created by technology, yet deeply rooted in functionalism. These contemporary striking designs not only expanded the style offering for Jøtul, but as Scan’s unique Clean Burn combustion system makes them technological fore-runners and standard setters for high efficiency, low CO2 emissions and wood consumption, the complete ethos of the business mirrored those of Jøtul perfectly. This successful combination of styles, eye for detail, commitment to improvement and production of the finest quality stoves is a winning formula. Jøtul also shares its expertise and knowledge through guides and know-hows, so customers can be assured of a lifetime’s source of warmth and comfort from their stove or fireplace. In the end, whichever product customers choose, Jøtul stands for award-winning, long-lasting design – not least because it has ancient Norwegian customs and culture infused into its DNA.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Jøtul F305LL in white enamel (also available in black and short leg options); Scan 83-1 in glossy red (available in six additional colours and trim options); Scan 66-5 in white with ‘S’ Base (also offered in black or dusty green and other base options)

All Jøtul products are handmade in Norway using only the best available materials and, while beauty is in the eye of the beholder, good design is definitely more than meets the eye COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 145

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LAPICIDA

The game-changing tile and stone specialist

For Lapicida, importance of quality is valued above all else – whether that means the superiority of the stone, or the excellent customer service and craftsmanship

Lapicida St James Park Knaresborough Harrogate HG5 8PJ +44 (0)1423 400100 lapicida.com

eading UK stone specialist Lapicida is renowned for its natural stone, marble and reclaimed floors. Founded by Jason Cherrington in 1987, the Harrogate-based company started out making slate floor tiles before gradually expanding into other custom flooring using stone from around the world. Since the beginning Lapicida has always been on a quest to source the finest examples of antique materials, and the highest-grade stone and tiles. Today, the company boasts one of the finest reclaimed stone collections in the world including, for instance, its Antique Reclaimed Flag, an 18th-century English sandstone which has been brushed and milled to give an even thickness of stone for indoor use (this ensures not only an easier installation but the ability to use the stone with underfloor heating). And this centuries-old flooring material is firmly on trend once again with designers exploring colour, texture and decoration, mixing the traditional with the contemporary to emphasise the opulence of natural materials. Geometrics and trompe l’oeil designs are among today’s key styles – just as much at home in modern architectural settings as in stately mansions.

Enhancing this collection of stone are Lapicida’s other exceptional manmade surfaces: ceramics, sintered stone, quartz and a growing range of new generation and natural finish porcelains. One of the most complete collections of surfaces available, it includes exclusive products such as ‘Illusion’ porcelain floor and wall tiles where the random patterns of shells, veins and mineral nuances, which make natural stone so intriguing, have been recreated in both look and feel (the likeness is so great that it’s almost impossible to distinguish Illusion porcelain from the genuine stone). The company has also been working with a leading porcelain manufacturer to develop a perfect lookalike for ancient limestone, resulting in the brilliant new Villasse collection. Ultra-durable, with a completely predictable performance, porcelain is easy to lay and virtually maintenance-free. For Lapicida, importance of quality is valued above all else – whether that means the superiority of the stone and tiles selected, or the excellent customer service and craftsmanship. Working with architects, interior designers, retailers and private clients across the UK, Europe and US, the company is at the forefront of the stone and tile industry. Its Harrogate workshops are renowned for bespoke design and manufacturing, marrying state-of-the-art processes with traditional stonemasonry techniques. Six years ago the company bought its own CNC machines to manufacture stone bathtubs and basins (this was previously outsourced to Italy). Then, a year later, it invested in a cutting-edge five-axis CNC shaping machine, which allowed an unprecedented level of accuracy and detail. The talented team of stonemasons work with natural stone and manmade surfaces, expertly crafting tiles, slabs and intricate stone floors for both interior and exterior applications. The company has already collaborated with the likes of Bethan Gray, Lara Bohinc and Anouska Hempel and now has its own architecturally inspired signature Erosion collection of decorative objects (made on the five-axis CNC machine) that push the boundaries of these remarkable ancient materials even further.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Villasse porcelain in Ash; genuine antique English reclaimed sandstone

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LOOMAH

Elegant custom-made carpets and rugs delivered with a bespoke design service

Today Loomah’s client base is as diverse as its design scope, with a portfolio that includes Madonna’s London residence and the Savoy Hotel

Loomah Bespoke Carpets & Rugs 592 King’s Road London SW6 2DX +44 (0)20 7371 9955 loomah.com

ounded in 2001 by husband and wife Andrew and Natalie Cotgrove, Loomah is at the forefront of traditional and contemporary luxury carpet and rug design. Andrew cut his teeth in the industry when, aged 19, he joined a specialist carpet company and ran the contract for designing and supplying the carpets for the public areas of the, then just-opened, Lanesborough Hotel. He quickly developed a passion for exquisite handmade carpets and went on to found Loomah with his wife Natalie. Their vision was to create a brand focused on delivering an exceptional personal design service. Now with a showroom in the heart of London’s King’s Road, and with over 30 years’ experience, Loomah is renowned for its service and quality. Today its client base is as diverse as Loomah’s design scope, with a portfolio that includes Madonna’s London residence, a villa for the Emir of Qatar in Cannes and the Savoy Hotel. Loomah’s design service offers a personalised customer experience, attention to detail, and a team that always goes the extra mile to ensure the end product is the ultimate in design and quality.

Whether for a large commercial project, yacht or residential interior, the company can supply fitted carpets or loose laid rugs in any size, shape or colour. All the carpets are made to exact room sizes and shapes, in a single piece that avoids unsightly joins. Whether it’s the opulence of an exquisite silk carpet, an intricate border design following the contours of an elaborate staircase, or re-creating treasured rugs that have worn out, every project is designed to suit the specific requirements of each interior. Loomah also offers fabulous custom machinemade carpets that can be dyed to any colour and supplied to exact room measurements in one piece without seams. Equally, the team can work with the customer to create something truly original from scratch. Whether starting from a sketch, photograph or simply an image in the buyer’s head, the in-house designers are on hand to transform ideas into bespoke designs. Each carpet and rug is tufted to exacting standards by highly skilled craftsmen. Loomah continues to push the boundaries of carpet design, experimenting with new products and techniques. This year the company is re-launching its website, to make it more accessible as a design tool for interior designers and customers. They are also collaborating with the charity Elephant Family on a collection of hand tufted wool rugs inspired by paintings by the Gond tribe from Madhya Pradesh in India. This spring a collection of original paintings will be exhibited alongside the limited edition rugs, with profits from all sales going to Elephant Family. Andrew often says that while the company’s design capability and product quality are recognised as the highest, the secret to its continual growth has been good personal service, from planning and design through to final installation and aftercare support. And it’s this exclusive design service that enables customers to create something that is truly perfect for their own unique space.

PHOTOS: DAVID CLEVELAND

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PHOTOS: DAVID CLEVELAND

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Blue Bar at The Berkeley and examples of Loomahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exquisite works include Betty, styled by Lucy Gough

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RIVIERE

Handcrafted custom rugs as original floor art

R Riviere 46 Lots Road London SW10 0QF +44 (0)20 3601 4600 riviererugs.com

iviere is a leading designer of custom handmade rugs. The company was founded in 2005 by Camilla and Leo Riviere who both have a background in art and design and an appreciation of classical and modern architecture. This background, together with their extensive travels in Europe and Asia, are both major influences that feed into their exquisite collection of 90 rug designs. For instance, several of their designs, including Moma, Rothko and Raku, take inspiration from renowned artists such as Mark Rothko, while the pattern on Nam Khong stems from the wood carving on the monks’ quarters at the Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang, Laos. Each design can be customised with a choice of colour, size, shape and material. In addition, Riviere provides a colour

matching service and a library of more than 2,000 colour poms at its showroom on Lots Road, in the heart of London’s Chelsea Design Quarter. Working closely with some of the most respected interior design practices worldwide, Riviere also offers a fully bespoke design service that gives designers the scope to create truly original, one-off pieces for their clients. Rugs from Riviere’s stunning Modern Classic, signature Geometric and understated Elemental and Abstract collections have been commissioned for some of the most valuable properties and superyachts in the world. The collections are entirely handcrafted in Riviere’s own workshops in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal and in Rajasthan. Using only the finest grade, hand-carded and hand-spun Tibetan wool and pure Chinese silk, the rugs

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: ‘Raku’, from the Abstract Collection; ‘Caumont Storm’, from the Abstract Collection (image courtesy of Zoffany); ‘Trevi’, from the Abstract Collection; ‘Itami’, from the Geometric Collection (image courtesy of Romo); ‘Madhu’, from the Transitional Collection

are hand-woven with a minimum of 100 knots per square inch (in addition to wool and silk they also use a wide range of other yarns and knot counts including mohair, nettle, linen and botanic silk). From the hand dyeing, carding and spinning of the natural yarns to the labourintensive weaving process, the creation of each rug is carried out by skilled artisans using techniques that have been passed down for generations. Although Riviere’s rugs avoid passing fashions, the beauty of customisation is that clients can adapt a design or shape to reference a trend if they wish. The last couple of years have seen a huge revival in Art Deco styling in interiors and the kind of curved furniture most commonly associated with modern minimalism or architectural spaces. This means that curved rugs are also having

a moment in the spotlight. Where furnishings have been kept to a minimum, a curved rug has more opportunity to define the style of a space, for shaped rugs tend to soften the harsh and sharp lines of a room. Both Camilla and Leo work continuously on developing new techniques in order to realise and translate their concepts into original floor art. Their latest collection, Transitional, focuses on texture and abrash (the colour variations in hand-knotted and Oriental rugs) and pushes the boundaries of custom dyeing and complex weaving to create unique pieces. Riviere’s rugs are designed to become modern classics for both contemporary and traditional schemes. Combining craftsmanship and creativity, each rug is truly original and will last for generations.

Using only the finest grade, hand-carded and hand-spun Tibetan wool and pure Chinese silks, the rugs are hand-woven with a minimum of 100 knots per square inch

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ROGER OATES DESIGN Reinventing flatweave stair runners and rugs for the 21st century

t was the chance discovery of a historic Venetian flatweave sample in the late 1980s when flatweave had become almost extinct, that inspired Roger Oates and his wife Fay to reinvent this type of narrow width flooring for the 21st-century. The company began almost 30 years ago with a single hand loom in a small studio in the market town of Ledbury. Today, with a showroom on the Eastnor Castle Estate in Herefordshire as well as Londonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chelsea, Roger Oates Design is the market leader in flatweave floorcoverings, which are highly sought-after by interior designers and homeowners across the globe. Andy Guard now takes the lead role as Head of Design, producing yearly collections that build on the heritage of the brand. The company is renowned for signature stripe stair runners and rugs. The unique flatwoven texture, vibrant designs and bold use of colour, form the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s iconic striped handwriting for floorcoverings and sets it apart from others in the industry. The collection includes statement, stripe borders and all over classic fine lines in a carefully edited colour palette ranging from quiet, sophisticated neutrals to bold, vibrant brights. A selection of the runners

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Vernon Teal; Swanson Celadon; Dart Otter; Fitzroy Black

Roger Oates Design 1 Munro Terrace Riley Street, Chelsea London SW10 0DL +44 (0)20 7351 2288 rogeroates.com

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Roger Oates Design is the market leader in flatweave floor coverings, which are highly sought-after by interior designers and homeowners across the globe

has a border design for the stairs with a complementary ‘ground’ design for landings and fitted carpets. The narrow-woven width, natural selvedge edge and supple nature makes flatweave floorcoverings ‘perfect upholstery for stairs’ as they can easily be sculptured and fitted around almost any staircase to create a smart, tailored appearance. The widths can also be joined by hand to create highly distinctive rugs of almost any dimension and wall to wall carpets for any room in the house. The current collection spans over 140 designs but for those who want an extra degree of personalisation, bespoke options including custom colours and widths are possible and the design team can work closely with clients to create something unique. The idea of staying true to the art of the handmade is intrinsic to Roger Oates Design. The British wool blend is spun and dyed in Yorkshire and the runners are woven on specially adapted traditional shuttle looms once used to produce Harris Tweed. Each loom is run by a skilled operator and the complex drafting and lifting creates the weave structure that gives the cloth its unparalleled personality and ‘hand-finished’ quality. New this year is The Gallery Collection, which was inspired by recent art exhibitions in London. The simple stripe and grid patterns of ‘Hayward & Fairfax’ rugs and carpets take their design cues from the geometric drawings of Agnes Martin, as seen at Tate Modern while ‘Switch’ (named after Switch House at Tate Modern) began as an experiment in balance. The bold, multi-width stripes in complementary tones balance one another across the asymmetric design, creating a generous pattern when joined as a rug. From simple country bolthole to smart city home, Roger Oates Design runners and rugs enhance any interior scheme, either as a standalone feature, or as a classic backdrop in a formal setting. COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 153

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RUGS OF PETWORTH

Handcrafted, one-of-a-kind rugs and carpets personally sourced from across Asia

Rugs of Petworth is rare in offering rugs and carpets that enhance and add character and soul to both period and contemporary homes

Rugs of Petworth 19 East Street, Petworth West Sussex GU28 0AB +44 (0)1798 344027 rugsofpetworth.co.uk

hen Alex Rees set up Rugs of Petworth nine years ago, his aim was to bring a fresh approach to the ancient industry of handmade carpet weaving. He opened a small shop in the historic West Sussex market town of Petworth, focusing on ‘modern classics’ – the gap between traditional, heavily patterned carpets and contemporary designer rug. The showroom offers an impressive and highly refined selection of one-of-a-kind rugs and carpets that are handcrafted at the most reputable sources in Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and India. Alex travels frequently to Asia to select each piece personally and to meet the dealers and skilled artisans, who can spend many months, sometimes years, designing, weaving and meticulously handfinishing a single piece. Alex’s respect for the history of the craft is evident in the way he carefully chooses colours, patterns and styles, knowing his discerning customers will appreciate uniqueness, craftsmanship and exceptional quality. Rugs of Petworth is rare in offering rugs and carpets that enhance and add character and soul to both period and contemporary homes. The

company has built a reputation on selling rugs of all sizes, but it is the large carpets that really steal the show. Large handmade carpets are a rare thing to find as so few looms exist that are wide enough to produce them. They are also extremely impressive, both as an item of beauty in its own right and also as part of a well put together room scheme. Rugs of Petworth stock carpets measuring up to 7m x 5m (23’ x 16’) and can source any size of carpet for particular projects. The company prides itself on a helpful approach. Alex’s staff have in-depth knowledge and understand how best to help customers find a superb rug for a room, paying close attention to the individual requirements of both client and room. Rugs of Petworth offers a personalised home appointment service in Britain, especially useful for anyone thinking of buying a large handmade carpet. This gives potential buyers the opportunity to see the piece in its real home environment meaning that they can commit confidently to their purchase. Rugs of Petworth knows that choosing a one-of-akind rug can be a challenge when it comes to colours and sizes for specific rooms, and that’s why they also work closely with interior designers to help complete their vision and find the perfect piece for a room. Within the first five years, the showroom expanded twice and Rugs of Petworth continues to grow steadily. The company aims to expand its reach while maintaining its personalised service, expertise and the small shop charm that loyal customers have come to delight in.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Fine Sultanabad carpet, hand-knotted in Afghanistan; Alex Rees in Bhadohi, India holding wool for a large carpet; classic Bhadohi carpet, hand-knotted in India

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VILLAVERDE Custom lighting designed in London, crafted in Italy

Signature Villaverde lighting includes the Luna collection, inspired by fine lines and made with Murano glass

Villaverde 618-620 King’s Road London SW6 2DU +44 (0)20 7610 9797 villaverdeltd.com

ounded by London-based Italian lighting designer Claudio Marco in 2003, Villaverde is a lighting consultancy that offers an extensive collection of beautifully handcrafted, custom lights. Claudio’s creative background in fashion and interiors, including more than 25 years’ experience working in the lighting industry, forms the foundation for Villaverde. The company prides itself on its in-house design, production in Italy and distribution worldwide. From chandeliers to table lamps and lanterns, the lighting is designed in Chelsea by a technically capable, multi-disciplinary team who offer clients an intuitive, collaborative approach. Guiding them through the process, from the initial technical drawings

to production, the team can bring the most extraordinary lighting concepts to life, ensuring that they offer the right products in the best sizes and colours for a project. It is the extensive palette of more than 100 colours (all available to feel and touch in the showroom) that makes Villaverde stand out. Certain elements – colours, materials, finishes – can be made bespoke, resulting in timeless and elegant lighting that is a true reflection of a client’s individual personality. The finest materials, such as Murano glass, crystal, metal and leather, are sourced in Italy and carefully selected not just for their appearance but for their natural qualities and almost endless possibilities. These are transformed into lighting that is delivered on time and to the highest quality, using traditional artisan techniques. They count international interior designers and architects among their client base, working closely with each of them to design the lighting for their property portfolios. Signature Villaverde lighting includes the Luna collection, inspired by fine lines and made with Murano glass; the Linea collection of lamps, influenced by hotel chic, which each come with a choice of colourful leather shades and a custom metallic inlay (the newest addition to this is the Linea Bottega, with an exclusive woven leather shade); and a series of dazzling Jewel wall lights with a Murano glass, globe-shaped base. In January, the company introduced a new version of its most striking wall lights, each re-imagined with an IP44 rating for use in the bathroom and other environments where water intrusion may occur. The company also sells a small selection of ornate mirrors and furniture. Villaverde is currently expanding its vibrant leather collections, introducing new designs, colours and textures. For instance, a statement piece, the Mondo chandelier, features silk lampshades within a hand-painted metal frame that has been wrapped in leather, while Atlante consists of a hand-painted metal frame studded with organic alabaster, creating contemporary elegance. These are the latest stunning looks and luxurious lighting designs from Villaverde that will cohesively enhance any living space and be treasured for many years to come.

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It’s all very well having a beautifully designed interior, but don’t let your exterior living let you down

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For both chilly and hot days, choose Chesneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s genius Heat Collection of Barbecue Heaters from ÂŁ2,484. chesneys.co.uk

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DAVID HARBER

Stunning sundials, water features and extraordinary sculpture for gardens and interiors

Today, David Harber’s artworks grace some of the most prestigious addresses across the world, from public spaces and luxury developments, to hotels and private gardens

David Harber Blewburton Barns Hagbourne Road Aston Upthorpe Oxfordshire OX11 9EE +44 (0)1235 859300 davidharber.com

t this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show visitors will be able to travel back through time. Not literally, of course, but by wandering through The David Harber and Savills Garden, created by garden designer Nic Howard and featuring sculptures by David, which looks at mankind’s evolving relationship with nature. From the Bronze Age to the present day, visitors will travel through a physical manifestation of evolution, with clearly defined stages of planting and a series of increasingly intricate, bespoke patterned bronze screens that reflect varying time periods, culminating in the main sculptural piece: ‘Aeon’. Cast in bronze, with a starburst at its centre that is formed of 256 goldleafed aluminium spikes, it represents the Big Bang, ‘the nano-second of creation exploding from a mass of amorphous bronze symbolising life’. David has long had a fascination with nature, and celestial movements in particular. Nearly 30 years ago, an antiques dealer friend showed him an armillary sphere sundial and he decided that he wanted to make one. So he did, producing his

first oxidised steel sundial that same day. He soon gained a reputation for sundials (one of his first commissions was from actor Jeremy Irons) and sculptures that marked time, but after several years he felt that this restricted his creativity, so decided to branch out into water features and other forms of sculpture too. Arguably scientific instruments are in his blood. He discovered that he is the direct descendant of John Blagrave, the Elizabethan mathematician and scientific instrument maker who has long been acknowledged as one of the finest ever exponents of mathematical instrument design. Following this discovery, in 2010, David created a replica of John’s design, The Mathematician Jewel, in antique bronze which was unveiled in a private room of the Science Museum. Today, his artworks grace some of the most prestigious addresses across the world, from public spaces and luxury developments, to hotels and private gardens. While he is best-known for his outdoor sculptures, his team’s knack for sensitively tailoring each project to reflect the identity of that space has also made his work popular with interior designers. His range of designs can be customised by engraving or etching, but he also relishes the chance to create bespoke, site-specific pieces for clients. Each artwork is handcrafted in his Oxfordshire workshop. One of his latest designs is Quad, commissioned as a pair as part of the exhibition Emerging Artists, held earlier this year at 45 Park Lane, and curated by Ackerman Studios and YAP Art. A limited-edition series, it consists of three quadrilateral shapes standing 2.5m high and 80cm wide, which are jaunty, angular and seemingly unstable while having a sense of poise. The sculpture, which implies a state of implausible balance, is made from mirror-polished stainless steel to reflect itself and its surroundings, and the subtle blue hues of the outer surface morph skyward. The translucent colouring has been created with unique pigments to realise a magical depth. There are two variations, each with a distinct personality that are related to each other while being resolutely individual (the idea is that they can be bought individually or a pair). Another space-defining sculpture that will beguile all who have the pleasure of viewing it.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Aeon in bronze with golden spikes; Armillary Sphere sundial in bronze

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chaise longues (single and double), armchairs, bar stools (for any bar height), swing seats, benches, stools, simple obelisks and Versailles tubs. Every design is handcrafted to order in the UK; a range of standard designs comes in black, dark green, gunmetal or white. Alternative colours are available on request. All designs, unless specified, are hot zinccoated followed by a custom-made powder coating process, giving the furniture a beautiful and durable finish. They are all suitable for both interior and exterior use and come with Sunbrella cushions. All tabletops can be supplied in granite, limestone, marble or glass. The Heveningham Collection can also be custom-made and manufactured to clients’ exact specifications in special colours and finishes. The company’s policy has not changed since it was founded more than 28 years ago and that is to offer clients the best in English craftsmanship, a high level of customer service and furniture made using only the finest quality materials throughout the manufacturing process. This ensures that everything, from the two-seater steel frame armchair to a glass console table, is both luxurious and built to last. The company also regularly undertakes bespoke commissions for individual projects. The Collections’ designs have proved extremely popular with clients throughout the UK, Europe and North America and have been selected for residences on the Côte d’Azur, as well as Tuscany, Geneva, New York, Los Angeles, Palm Beach, Palm Springs, Chicago, Toronto, Aspen and Virginia. The Heveningham Collection also features several pieces specifically for indoors, such as iron frame beds, children’s chairs and free-standing shelves – all of which remain in keeping with the simple, sophisticated look of the rest of the range. Smaller pieces in the collection include floorstanding candlesticks and a drinks trolley, which works just as well indoors by the fire as it does for summer garden parties. This is an utterly chic collection of iron furniture that fits into and complements any design style.

THE HEVENINGHAM COLLECTION Timeless, elegant iron furniture for the garden and the home

Over the years, The Heveningham Collection has become known as the ultimate in stylish, classic and highly durable iron furniture which is sought-after by discerning clients worldwide

The Heveningham Collection +44 (0)1424 838483 heveningham.co.uk

nnie Eadie began her career in the interior design industry working for Nina Campbell and John Stefanidis. One of her interior design clients was looking to source some elegant, iron garden furniture. When she couldn’t find anything suitable, she decided to create her own design and manufacturing base in England – that was in 1990 and marked the beginning of The Heveningham Collection. Over the years, the growing collection has become known as the ultimate in stylish, classic and highly durable iron furniture which is sought-after by discerning interior designers, garden designers, architects and individual clients for many of the world’s most beautiful homes, palaces, terraces, pools and five-star hotels. The latter includes the likes of The Connaught, Claridge’s, The Mandarin Oriental, Four Seasons Trinity Square and The Beaumont in London, Lime Wood in Hampshire, Sandy Lane in Barbados, The Lowell in New York and, most recently, Relais Christine in Paris. The collection is comprised of dining sets (tables can be made in bespoke sizes),

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Armchairs, stools, two-seater armchair, table with granite top, all finished in black with natural Sunbrella cushions; large Norsebury table base finished in black with limestone top

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INDIAN OCEAN Cutting-edge contemporary furniture for outdoor spaces

T Indian Ocean 155-163 Balham Hill London SW12 9DJ +44 (0)20 8675 4808 indian-ocean.co.uk

he arrival of Indian Ocean on the furniture design scene in 1990 coincided with a shift in the way we use and view our outdoor living spaces. Co-founder and managing director, Jamie Hobbs, gave up his job in the City aged 26 to start the business. At the time, his father was the Honorary Consul to Madagascar, and Jamie had acquired an insider’s view of what this island nation had to offer. After weeks of visiting factories he came across one that made beautiful oversized teak parasols. He knew instinctively and immediately that this was a unique product that would be interesting in England – and he was right. He launched as an importer of these, following up with a complementary collection of teak garden furniture and named the business Indian Ocean, in homage to its inspiration. Elegant, comfortable ‘heritage’ pieces remain part of the core collection, as does a commitment to the finest quality materials, detail and high-spec finishes. But – over 28 years on from its simple beginnings – the brand has gone higher-octane. Today, Indian Ocean designs

and produces luxurious outdoor furniture and creates design concepts for your balcony, country garden, outdoor kitchen or superyacht. Contemporary designs, including outdoor lighting and electric sunshades, now form part of the collection, which can be viewed at Indian Ocean’s two London stores (Balham and Hampstead) and at Harrods. Indian Ocean is at the forefront of design and constantly launches products to keep the collection relevant, breaking boundaries with designs that surpass the criteria for furniture that is destined for outdoors. ‘Each piece,’ says Jamie, ‘begins with our desire to combine the pleasures of tradition with excellence in design, comfort and practicality – based on how we use our outdoor spaces today. An initial concept can take up to two years to perfect: from sketch to model, then on to the sample stage before it passes the tough criteria to become part of a new collection.’ Fulfilling that criteria and new this year, the sculptural Pimlico Club Chair has solid teak tapered legs, a rounded silhouette and a formal rope design to give it a modern look. Equally striking is the powder-coated steel Olympia Sofa Collection, which has an all-weather rope frame in an elegant, hexagonal geometric pattern. All orders are dispatched from a UK warehouse by specialised delivery teams, ensuring that every aspect of the purchase process is not just a simple experience, but also a pleasurable one. Having grown its expertise in shipping overseas, just over a year ago Indian Ocean embarked on a strategy to establish a network of international representatives; their products now have a presence in New York, Cairo and the Algarve with more locations to come. Numbering 30 staff in London, Indian Ocean is small and agile enough to be able to respond in a direct and personalised way to the special requests of its time-poor A-list client base. Someone from the design and planning service can be with you in a whisper, measuring up your garden and presenting bespoke design solutions. In other words, just what the modern sophisticate needs to be at the forefront of stylish outdoor living.

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Pimlico Club Chair in taupe with white cushions and Breeze Stripe scatter cushions; Latitude sofa in taupe with Honey outdoor rug; Marina armchair in taupe with white cushions

28 years on from its simple beginnings, Indian Ocean designs and produces luxurious outdoor furniture and creates design concepts for your balcony, country garden, outdoor kitchen or superyacht COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 165

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OUTSIDE SPACES

WESTBURY GARDEN ROOMS

Celebrating 30 years as the go-to for architecturally-led designs, from orangeries to pool houses

onathan Hey started out as a self-taught builder renovating houses in the 1980s, but it wasn’t until he built his mother a conservatory for her garden flat that he had the idea for Westbury Garden Rooms – a company that provides innovative architectural solutions for relaxed living spaces that can be enjoyed all year round. Fast forward 30 years and the company, which has grown to more than 65 members of staff, specialises in glass and timber orangeries, conservatories, kitchen additions and pool houses. Key to Westbury Garden Rooms’ success is its passion for achieving perfection. From the initial consultation through to planning, manufacturing and building, right down to the final coat of paint, every step is undertaken inhouse. Westbury believes that creating a highquality, eco-friendly product is paramount: this is achieved by using Accoya®, a revolutionary sustainable timber taken only from fast-growing trees that has tremendous stability (the pine goes through a non-toxic chemical process to increase its strength and longevity), is moisture resistant and rated as having Class 1 durability. Guaranteed to last 50 years above ground and 25 years in soil, Accoya® is indigestible

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Garden rooms from £40,000: open-plan orangery to a traditional house, bringing a sense of light and space to pre-existing rooms; striking orangery extension in the London suburbs: exterior finished in Westbury Black (charcoal) and the interior in Portland Stone; beautifully finished orangery; contemporary kitchen Garden Room with glazed gable to mimic house, providing light and space

Westbury Garden Rooms 61 Lambeth Walk London SE11 6DX +44 (0)20 7091 9781 westburygardenrooms.com

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When it comes to design trends, there is a new wave of customers wanting to paint the exterior of their garden room in bolder, richer shades

to insects and virtually rot-proof. Plus – and this is a big bonus – virtually no movement in the joints means no cracks in the paintwork and with Westbury’s high-performance paint, customers won’t have to repaint their garden rooms for ten years. The knowledgeable team has found the perfect balance between the incorporation of the latest modern technologies and the values of traditional craftsmanship, hand-finishing every product with absolute attention to detail. It’s a partnership that results in outstanding design, superior quality and ease of maintenance, delivered with a highly personal service. Many customers discover Westbury Garden Rooms through recommendation and by word-of-mouth, so although the company is continuing to grow and expand, it retains a friendly, family feel. New managing director, James Upton, has been with the company for 20 years, climbing the ladder from apprentice technician to Architectural Director and now MD. He oversees all projects, providing hands-on support when it comes to complex planning applications and architectural detail. He also plans to invest in new technology and employ more experts in the field – developments that can only benefit customers, ensuring their experience is the very best it can be. When it comes to design trends, there’s a new wave of customers wanting to paint the exterior of their garden room in bolder, richer shades such as charcoal, slate grey and deep olive. Of course, white and ivory remain classic favourites but many of Westbury Garden Rooms’ customers are now choosing contemporary Westbury Black for the exterior woodwork, the deepest shade of paint the company offers. Whatever colour is selected, the paint process – which involves all products being sprayed with three coats of high-performance paint, the equivalent of 12 brush coats – is a huge part of what makes these garden rooms so unique. Long-lasting and low-maintenance, they will look beautiful for years to come, transforming an ordinary house into an extraordinary home. COUNTRYANDTOWNHOUSE.CO.UK/INTERIORSGUIDE | 167

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I N D E X

A Amy Kent Bespoke Rugs

M 134

C C.P. Hart Catchpole & Rye Chamber Furniture Charles Edwards Colefax and Fowler The Conran Shop Coze

64 66 110 136 86 112 114

D David Harber David Hunt Lighting Deirdre Dyson Draper London

160 138 140 116

F Farrow & Ball

118 90 142

H Halcyon Days Helen Green Design The Heveningham Collection

120 92 162

164

122 144

L Lapicida Loomah

Neptune Nina Campbell

124 98

P Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam PDP London Peter Reed Poggenpohl

100 102 126 74

Rigby & Rigby Riviere Rugs Roger Oates Design Rossana Rugs of Petworth

104 150 152 76 154

S Savoir Beds SieMatic Smallbone of Devizes Soho Home

128 78 80 130

Thibaut

106

J Jamb JÃ¸tul

I Indian Ocean

94 68 70 96 72

G Georg Jensen George Spencer Designs Grand Design Blinds

Martin Kemp Design Martin Moore McCarron & Co Morris & Co Mowlem & Co

146 148

Villaverde

156

W West One Bathrooms Westbury Garden Rooms

82 166

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Handcrafted in Somerset, uniquely yours...

C&TH InteriorGuideMay18.indd 1 Blackdown Shepherd Huts.indd 1

13/04/2018 09:53 24/04/2018 11:25

smallbone.co.uk +44(0)20 7589 5998

Smallbone.indd 1

A member of the Canburg Group

24/04/2018 11:24