HOT BRANDS COOL PLACES TRAVEL CULTURE LIFESTYLE
Spring Living
APRIL 2017
EDITOR’S LETTER With this beautiful Spring weather arriving, now is the perfect time to rejuvenate our homes and gardens and look at ways of adding new accessories, or a beautiful piece of furniture. In this issue we have wonderful ideas for every room in your house. We also have a feature on how to Spring Clean in Style. We also have inspiring interviews with: Christian Gotter, the GROHE UK General Manager Brontë Aurell, owner of London’s ScandiKitchen, author of Scandikitchen: The Essence of Hygge In our book reviews this month we have a wonderful selection of creative and inspiring books full of activities for all the family. Until the next time….. www.hotbrandscoolplaces.com https://twitter.com/Hotbrands Picture Credits: Cover image courtesy of Loaf - Loaf.com / 0845 459 9937 Other images throughout the magazine supplied by the various companies, or publishers featured. Please Note All information about products and services are supplied to us by the individual organizations, or agencies acting on their behalf. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that all information is accurate, it may be subject to change. Please check with individual organizations for the latest information about all events, products, or news items. Inclusion in this magazine does not imply endorsement by Hot Brands Cool Places. Hot Brands Cool Places does not accept responsibility for the content of any external site.
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DESIGNERS GUILD This season, our collections take inspiration from some of the finest and most enduring art forms in the world – Majolica ceramics and the coloured glass of Murano. Majolica is a distinctive type of tin glazed earthenware, which began its life in the potteries of the Italian Renaissance in the 16th century. www.designersguild.com
ROBERT WELCH Robert Welch Designs is well known for the exceptional design, quality and functionality of its products. With 60 years of industry experience and award winning products from the inhouse design team, Robert Welch offers a unique range of cutlery, kitchen knives, utensils and tableware. www.robertwelch.com/
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GO MODERN Luxurious contemporary design Go Modern offers the very best in contemporary furniture, from classic to cutting edge. Our luxury outdoor designs include leading brands Manutti, TribĂš, Point and Missoni Home, with a range of new designs for spring/summer 2017. www.gomodern.co.uk
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LSA INTERNATIONAL Innovative design and quality craftsmanship are the hallmarks of LSA International. The London based brand is recognised as one of the world’s foremost producers of decorative accessories, tableware and barware. LSA International products are selected by some of the world’s top retailers, interior designers, stylists, restaurateurs, sommeliers and mixologists. www.lsa-international.com
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THE PAPER PARTNERSHIP The Paper Partnership is made up by a creative studio and tightly knit team, who all share a passion for luxury wallpaper. The offices are nestled in the heart of the Sussex countryside. The studio uses traditional painting and printmaking techniques to create original designs, alongside the latest CAD technology. www.thepaperpartnership.co.uk
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LOAF Brit-brand Loaf makes laid-back furniture for people to kick-off their shoes and lead happier, more relaxed lives. The homeware brand has made it their mission to encourage people to enjoy their homes more. With two showrooms in London and an online shop, Loaf has got every room of the home covered with insanely comfy, handmade beds, sofas, furniture and accessories for Loafers. www.loaf.com
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GROHE GROHE is Europe’s largest and the world’s leading single-brand manufacturer and supplier of beautiful sanitary fittings, including taps for the bathroom and kitchen, showers from thermostatic mixer to electric, concealed valves and WC systems. GROHE’s products incorporate the brand’s innovative technologies, and many are award-winning. www.grohe.com/uk
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Hot Brands Cool Places spoke with Christian Gรถtter, GROHE UK General Manager for an exclusive interview
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What inspires GROHE design? Innovative and beautiful design is fundamental to GROHE. The award-winning GROHE Design Team, based in Germany, uses many different sources as inspiration behind their designs - from the world around us, to exhibitions we attend, to speaking to our customer base. We also pay attention to global trends that influence the UK- for example the growing desire for individualised design in the home. Therefore we introduced a variety of new finishes and sizing options on some of our most popular mixer lines, such as our newly designed Essence range which is available in a variety of on-trend colours from Cool Sunrise to Hard Graphite. What are your recent biggest product launches? 2017 is an exciting year for GROHE with many new product launches, previewed at the world’s leading bathroom fair, ISH, in March. Our hero launch was the unique GROHE Sense and Sense Guard - a revolutionary new app-controlled product that helps to prevent water damage in the home. GROHE Sense is designed to detect leaks or abnormal levels of humidity, immediately alerting you through your mobile device and allowing you to remotely shut off the water supply to prevent flooding. We also launched a new concealed version of the popular push button volume control SmartControl shower system, featuring a brand new Smartbox three-way diverter. The easy-to-install Smartbox can be combined with various design choices including glass and chrome trims and new two-jet showerheads for a sleek and stylish bathroom. In addition, we unveiled our new Ceramics category, launching three core ranges Bau, Euro and Cube later this year. The ranges are designed to offer a one stop solution for a perfectly matching and functioning bathroom. The ranges have been designed to complement some of GROHE’s most popular mixer lines, therefore providing a complete bathroom solution in terms of both looks and how the products work together. What role does technology play in the bathroom and will it become more widespread? GROHE will continue to develop technologies that improve water experiences for our customers. Products with advanced user recognition features will become more common, such as voice activation, and app control has already made its way into the bathroom.
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GROHE offers various products which can be controlled via a simple app on your phone such as the Sensia Arena shower toilet, Aquasymphony shower with light, music and steam functions, and the new GROHE Sense. App control allows the user to easily personalise their bathroom experience by allowing them to choose their preferred settings and remember them each time. The smart home will also be able to make resource management really efficient without affecting the user– saving water and energy without impacting on product performance and enjoyment. How does GROHE deal with the issue of sustainability in the home? Consumers are becoming increasingly aware that the products they use impact the environment and therefore products that conserve resources without limiting performance will be key. GROHE is committed to the issue of sustainability and we regularly win awards highlighting this, such as the Green Good Design Award and top rankings in the German Sustainability Award. Many of GROHE’s products incorporate energy and water saving technology. This includes GROHE EcoJoy, which reduces water consumption without compromising product enjoyment, and SilkMove ES which reduces energy wastage by ensuring only cold water is used when the mixer lever is in the middle position. In the kitchen, our eco-friendly solutions include the GROHE Blue Home water system which delivers filtered and chilled still, semi and sparkling water on tap, while cutting down on carbon emissions compared to bottled water. What will be the key trends in the bathroom over the next 12 months? The finish of your products will remain an important trend that can completely transform a space, from metallic shades, including the popular rose-gold colour, to marble effect. There is also a growing trend towards transforming the bathroom into a personal spa or sanctuary, and this means that wellness products are becoming more popular. GROHE offers the luxurious AquaSymphony oversized head shower, which features additional functions such as music, steam and chromotherapy for ultimate wellbeing. www.grohe.com/uk
LITTLE LUCY WILLOW Beautiful children’s furniture collections by Little Lucy Willow, handmade to order in the UK. Timeless designs in perfect pastels, for girls and boys, toddlers or teens. To view our exclusive collections, plus luxury children’s bedding, decor and accessories, visit www.littlelucywillow.co.uk
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DUSK LIGHTING We are contemporary lighting specialists with a leading range of modern lights available online and in our Exeter showroom/warehouse. At Dusk customer happiness is the bottom line. With customer home and project design ambitions at its core, Dusk provides contemporary lighting solutions, technical expertise and exemplary product support. www.dusklights.co.uk
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THE HEADBOARD WORKSHOP The Headboard Workshop started making headboards 30 years ago in a garage in London. They were all made to order, all in customers own material and always delivered on time. THW have come a long way since then, but their principles remain the same; made to order headboards, beds, ottomans & chairs, backed up by outstanding service. The team design, develop and make all of their products in their factory in Wales. www.theheadboardworkshop.co.uk
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THE NATURAL RUG COMPANY The Natural Rug Company retail made to measure rugs made from Sisal, Seagrass, Coir, Jute and Wool finished with a Cotton, Linen, Leather or Suede border. Details can be seen on our website: www.naturalrugcompany.co.uk
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THE FOOTSTOOL WORKSHOP The Footstool Workshop are an experienced team of skilled craftsmen, designers and upholsterers, having been in the furniture business for over 20 years. Whether you want something to sit on, to rest your weary feet on, to stack your magazines on, to use as storage or just to look beautiful to fill a large space, TFW have loads of gorgeous products to choose from. www.thefootstoolworkshop.co.uk
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Spring Cleaning in Style 18
As I am writing this we have been experiencing some wonderful sunny days. As joyous as it is to escape to the coast, or country, or simply spending more time outside, spring is a perfect time to clear out your clutter. After the murky evenings of winter it’s time to let the light in and see what has been accumulated through the winter months. In our normal busy lives there never seems enough time to stop and review what we really want or need in our homes. If you move frequently it is even worse as often clutter gets moved from one location to another, and once boxed it conveniently disappears from sight and ends up in a loft or garage, marked “To Sort” It also takes a level of motivation and dedication to even start to address spring cleaning. The secret is to be prepared, every thing from the right cleaning products, to locations where you can take things to recycle, and choosing the right time to undertake the task. To make it more enjoyable put on your favourite music, have some treats available and take regular breaks. Also identify what you want to do yourself and where you can use support, particularly in time-consuming tasks like cleaning windows, gardening, cleaning the car. Initially take time to just review what you need to do, and be realistic about what you can achieve in the time available. There is nothing worse than pulling everything out in an attempt to de-clutter only to run out of time or energy. At first it may mean tidying, cleaning and throwing away accumulated rubbish, returning items to their right homes and creating a sense of order which may take much longer than you anticipate. Outside the grass may need cutting, new bedding plants bought, and arranging to have the windows cleaned. Buying fresh spring flowers and investing in new accessories can immediately make a home feel rejuvenated. This is a great starting point before you delve deeper into areas that need a more concentrated effort to clear. Once you have created a feeling of calm, take one small area, a drawer, or shelf, or a collection of paperwork and deal with it completely before moving on to the next area. Our possessions are very personal to us, and we all have different reasons why we want to keep things, but there are many ways to manage this from creative storage solutions to taking photographs of items, to memory books and boxes. When sorting clutter have in the back of your mind the following: • • • • • •
have I used this in the last 3-6 months? am I likely to use this in the next 3-6 months? can I sell it? can I donate it to someone? can I recycle it? do I love it and really want to keep it?
As families grow, so does the opportunity for even more clutter to accumulate, trying to create a philosophy of creating a home for everything, and ending each day being prepared and ready for the next is a useful discipline for everyone. Above all cleaning should be about creating a happy and harmonious home, putting a smile back on treasured possessions and creating a sense of well-being. 19
UNIQUEWORKS Treat yourself to some beautiful Uniqueworks Handmade Furniture. Expertly crafted at our small workshops in Pembrokeshire, we use the most delightful hardwoods from British trees such as cherry, elm or oak. Our classic furniture looks and feels gorgeous and will last a lifetime. www.uniqueworks.co.uk
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TREASURE TROVE The Treasure Trove is a place you can find shabby chic and vintage furniture with a unique style. With Free UK Delivery, explore our online shop to see what treasures you can find for your home www.thetreasuretrove.co.uk
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ELLA JAMES Shop at http://www.ellajames.co.uk/ for pretty gifts and inspiration - a gorgeous selection of delightful gifts and items for the home. www.ellajames.co.uk
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GLAZEBROOK & CO. Glazebrook & Co. Classic Cutlery for modern living. Finest Stainless Steel designs with alternative dishwasher safe Cream and Black Handle Knives. A perfect wedding gift. For more information visit: www.glazebrook.com Email: sales@glazebrook.com or Tel: 020 7731 7135 Free Sample Service. Delivery Worldwide
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Hot Brands Cool Places spoke with Brontë Aurell, owner of London’s ScandiKitchen, author of ScandiKitchen: The Essence of Hygge for an exclusive interview What was the inspiration behind ScandiKitchen? Back when we started, there were no real Scandinavian places to speak of in the UK. There was a few Swedish places dotted around the place, some Danish and Norwegian cultural places – but no Scandinavian. We decided to make one – being a Swede and a Dane – and a place where we could introduce our food heritage to nonScandies. A place where everybody was welcome and where we could make good food with love from Scandinavia. A simple place with food from home – food the way we actually eat it in Scandinavia. How has the business developed? On day one, we had our first daughter, Astrid. It wasn’t quite supposed to happen on the day, but it did. So, we took it easy and got through the first day while just seeing how things could work and learn how to run on our own (with a baby in tow). We deliberately did not ask for investors, so we never felt pressured to perform during this first very tough period of trading! A year or so into our little venture, things really took off and Scandinavian food started to become popular. So, the business has now organically grown from being a café and shop to a Deli, a UK/EU wide webshop, an own label range, wholesaler, brand agent and even supermarket supplier – and authors of four books. We may still have only one café, but we decided to focus on what we set out to do: help further the Scandinavian food cultures in the UK. We felt this could be best done by reaching to many channels at once. We now have 25 people working with us across two sites – and we have some big plans in place for the next few years. What advice would you have for someone wanting to set up their own business? If it was easy, everyone would do it. It is not easy. There are a lot of times when you have to trust your gut – so learn to listen to it and more importantly, when not to. Also, make sure you always watch the pennies – even if you have investors, knowing how to get through tough times is important. Lastly, employ experts who know more than you. One of the first top level positions we filled was a Financial Controller part time – who was probably far too experienced for our little operation, but is still the best decision we ever made. Your latest book is Scandikitchen: The Essence of Hygge, what are the key messages? Hygge is a word from my culture. We are ALL about hygge. A Dane will use the word 10-15 ties a day to describe any situation about being present. It means to appreciate the moment you’re in, while you’re in it. It has little to do with woolly socks and blankets and candles – it truly is a place where you validate that you’re having a nice simply by acknowledging it while you’re in it. 24
The key message is about remembering to leave your phone in the other room, about taking time to sit down and be together with friends and family. Being present with people you care about, sharing food and moments. Of course, a lot of the time when we share food and the moment, it is something sweet we share – so the book has a selection of favorite recipes from my books in there, too. What is your next project? For ScandiKitchen, we’re looking to expand this year – we finally feel ready to take on more cafes. I’m working on two new book projects too, so watch this space. If you were creating a perfect meal for a dinner with friends and family what would be on the menu? It’s no big surprise that it would be something Scandinavian! I think a nice big Smörgåsbord is one of the loveliest ways to enjoy a meal with friends and family. Lots of delicious tapas sized dishes on the table, all enjoyed over a period of 3-4 hours. Slow eating, lots of talking and definitely lots of hygge. You start with the pickled herring, move onto fish dishes, then sliced meats and pâté before finishing with the warm dishes and then cheese…and cake. A few shots of Aquavit in there can loosen the conversation a bit. Truly a great way to lunch with friends and family. http://www.scandikitchen.co.uk/ ScandiKitchen: The Essence of Hygge - Bronte Aurell Synopsis: Discover the essence of hygge as revealed by Brontë Aurell, Danish owner of London’s ScandiKitchen in this honest and thoughtful guide, which also features some of her favorite recipes from her books, The Scandi Kitchen and Fika & Hygge, to help you enjoy a “hyggelig” time. Explained in 12 entertaining chapters interspersed with recipes, you will learn first about the origins of the word hygge (old Norse) and then how to embrace it with essays on: Hygge and the Basics, Hygge and Happiness, Hygge and Sharing, Hygge and Baking, Hygge and Darkness, Hygge and Light, Hygge and Time, Hygge and Stress, Hygge and Soul, Hygge and Nature, Hygge and Stuff, and Hygge and Your Home. Hygge is a completely psychological and emotional state of being. Whether it’s going for a long walk or baking and sharing a cake with friends, when you carve a pocket of time in your day, hygge can often be found. Remembering to appreciate and experience the moment will help you find your very own hygge. https://www.amazon.co.uk/ Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict We absolutely loved this delightful book, full of wisdom and warmth and coupled with delicious recipes this is perfect companion for anyone who wants to create a sense of hygge in their lives. Highly Recommended!
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IN THE LINEN CUPBOARD Indulge in pure luxury. In the Linen Cupboard is a small individual British company sourcing the most beautiful linens from Eygpt and Italy. Table linens, bed linens and monogrammed towels are made to specification in England from a huge variety of colours and designs. Perfect presents and beautiful accessories for your home. www.inthelinencupboard.co.uk / enquiries@inthelinencupboard.co.uk
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THE GREAT ENGLISH OUTDOORS www.greatenglish.co.uk is an online shop with a soul. We are specialists in hand made leather goods, old and new Welsh wool blankets and textiles; offering for sale a range of ethical tailored clothing and a collection of useful but beautiful home and gardening accessories. Take a visual tour of our shop with our You Tube clip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8kvX0XsSLA
WHITE RABBIT ENGLAND White Rabbit England is a luxury childrens’ brand founded in 2001 by sisters Charlotte Thompson and Victoria Sullivan. We design and manufacture lighting and interiors for the nursery and special gifts for little ones. Our award winning White Rabbit lamp represents perfectly the uniqueness and quality of both the design and manufacture of everything we do to create heirlooms of the future. “Designed by us, made for you, keep forever” www.whiterabbitengland.com
LINLEY In the company’s 30th year – and after many requests from our clients – we have developed the Savile Furniture Collection which is borne of the same crafted tradition normally used by LINLEY but ‘tailored’ rather than bespoke. Each piece has been configured to meet many spaces, from an office studio to an open plan penthouse.’ LINLEY. www.davidlinley.com
CHH DESIGN Caroline’s exclusive, limited edition designs are entirely hand painted hand have a vibrancy and exuberance that is unique. Each piece from her range is guaranteed to bring the joy of Spring into the home, and, in its luxurious gift box, make an original and stunning birthday or wedding present. www.chh-design.com
DANGLY HEARTS Dangly Hearts is run by husband and wife team, Linzi and Jason, in the New Forest. They design and make beautiful heart themed textiles using UK sourced cotton and linen with appliquĂŠ and free machine embroidery decoration. Most items can be personalised making them perfect gifts for special occasions. www.danglyhearts.co.uk
REVIEWS Here is a collection of delightful books to inspire your crafting and spring living. Make It With Air-Dry Clay -Fay De Winter 20 fantastic projects for modelling, sculpting, and craft Synopsis: Make 20 beautiful, professional and easy-to-make projects with air dry clay, which works like traditional clay but without the need of a fire or oven bake. Delve into the world of air-dry clay crafting with 20 beautiful, easy-tomake projects that are suitable for all skill levels. Air-dry clay looks, feels, and performs like traditional clay but requires no oven bake or fire. So you can create professional-looking ceramics in your own kitchen without the need for a kiln. In no time you can create beautiful homewares and jewellery that will be sure to impress. https://www.searchpress.com/book/9781782215165/make-it-with-air-dryclay Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict We love this beautifully illustrated and easy to use book. Each project comes with step-by-step photos and detailed, easy-to-follow instructions. The book also includes instructions for all the core techniques, plus traceable templates. This is perfect for family crafting. The Watercolour Flower Artist’s Bible - Claire Waite Brown An essential reference for the practising artist Synopsis: An extensive and essential guide to painting flowers in watercolour, with step-by-step illustrated instructions and tips for the more advanced painter. The new edition of the essential guide to painting watercolour flowers, which has sold over 180,000 copies worldwide. A perfect, portable size for readers to keep handy in the studio and reference often The Watercolour Flower Artist’s Bible makes the learning process simple and fun for beginning painters, as well as providing useful tips for more advanced artists. https://www.searchpress.com/book/9781782213970/the-watercolourflower-artist-s-bible Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict This book is absolutely exquisite, the illustrations are so beautiful, any new or experienced artist cannot fail to be inspired. There are more than 100 step-by-step sequences and diagrams inside, demonstrating how to paint a wide range of flowers from delicate bluebells and daisies, to intricate hyacinths, roses and lilies.
Secret Garden Embroidery - Sophie Simpson 15 projects for your stitching pleasure Synopsis: Step into Miranda Merriweather’s magnificent secret garden, where lucky clovers grow in spades and the towering tulips reach six feet tall. This whimsical collection of botanical-inspired needlework projects will take you from budding novice to confident stitcher as you explore a variety of simple counted embroidery techniques. Bursting with colour and filled with designs to suit a range of abilities, you needn’t be greenfingered to recreate a slice of this magical rural retreat in your own home. Projects are design-led, practical and colourful, and many can be completed within a weekend. The style is light and folksy but still retains What Delilah Did’s signature pared-down and stylish aesthetic. Materials are high quality, with an emphasis on texture and sophisticated colours. Florals play a large part, but are beautiful and modern rather than flouncy, ranging from folky to botanical in style. https://www.searchpress.com/book/9781910231180/secret-gardenembroidery Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict This book is adorable, there are fifteen projects, but this delightful book is also about exploring a magical secret garden and being inspired to create your own special designs using simple embroidery techniques. Modern Vintage Style - Emily Chalmers Synopsis: In Modern Vintage Style, Emily Chalmers—interiors stylist and owner of hip boutique Caravan—shows how using vintage items in a contemporary context can introduce humor, flair, and personality to any home. Think antique and brand new, machine-made and handcrafted, shiny smooth and distressed, plastic and porcelain, all mixed up in a fresh, original way. Decorating should be fun and inspiring, so there are no style diktats; no “this-must-go-with-that”. Modern vintage is all about trusting your instincts and taste and using a bit of imagination in seeking out the right items to create a perfect balance of old and new http://www.rylandpeters.com/modern-vintage-style-9781849758024 Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict In the first section of the book, Inspirations, Emily offers up imaginative and varied examples of furniture, lighting, textiles, decorating, and collections & display. In the second section, Style, she shows you exactly how to pull the look together, applying her decorating philosophy so you can cook & eat, live, sleep, and bathe. With stunning photography by Debi Treloar this is a wonderful source of inspiration for anyone looking to create their own Modern Vintage Style.
How to Grow Stuff – Alice Vincent Synopsis: The essential guide to the simple art of growing stuff. Feeling green-fingered but not sure where to start? This book is for you. Growing stuff - herbs, veg, salad, flowers and plants - is fun and pretty easy. You just need some practical knowledge - all in this book - and a bit of space - a window ledge, pot or plot of soil. Then, have fun growing: basil, mint, parsley, rosemary, chillies, courgettes, rocket, tomatoes, geraniums, pansies, lavender, osteospurmum, daffodils, hyacinths, muscari, tulips, succulents, aloe vera, money plants, maidenhair ferns and oxalis. If you have no outside space at all, you can grow everything here inside too... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01NCS0Q66/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=14 91930547&sr=8-1&keywords=How+to+Grow+Stuff+–+Alice+Vincent Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict We loved this book, full of really easy to understand instructions. It’s a perfect guide for anyone looking to start their own collection of easy to grow herbs, flowers and succulents. The American Dream pop to the present (Published in association with The British Museum) Stephen Coppel, Catherine Daunt Synopsis: A comprehensive survey of post-1960 American printmaking, published to accompany the first major UK exhibition on the subject at the British Museum ‘The American Dream: From Pop to present’ presents an overview of the development of American printmaking since 1960, paying particular attention to key figures such as Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol. The 1960s was a period of change in the production, marketing and consumption of prints and the medium attracted a new generation of artists whose attitude towards making art had been conditioned by the monumentality and bold, eye-catching nature of popular imagery in postwar America, from advertising billboards to drive-in movies. Artists used to working on large canvases and huge sculptures created prints of an unprecedented ambition, scale and boldness in state-of-the-art workshops newly established on both the East and West coasts. h t t p s : // w w w. t h a m e s a n d h u d s o n . c o m / T h e _ A m e r i c a n _ Dream/9780500292822 Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict Fully illustrated with more than 200 key works by almost 70 artists together with informative commentaries on the prints and biographies of the artists, this book is a wonderful companion to the current exhibition at The British Museum.
RED HEN Red Hen’s collection of quirky and unusual gifts along with stylish accessories for the home are all available at: www.redhentrading.co.uk
SCARLET & ARGENT Never leaving our family, the Hainsworth Mill story is intricately woven throughout 230 years of history across 7 generations. Scarlet and Argent connects our family to your own through our blankets, throws and finishing touches. Woven with generations of skill, dedication and knowledge, they are the perfect foundation for your own family memories. www.scarletandargent.co.uk
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