HOT BRANDS COOL PLACES FASHION CULTURE LIFESTYLE
The H ome Issue MARCH 2011
EDITOR’S LETTER Welcome to our latest Home issue, if you are looking for inspiration for your home or garden this spring we review a wonderful collection of books; the magnificent Great Gardens of Italy by Monty Don & Derry Moore, the imaginative Creative Walls by Geraldine James and the discerning Pale & Interesting by Atlanta Bartlett and Dave Coote. Once again in this issue we also have a fascinating collection of inspiring interviews. We talk to: Amy Galper, Founder of Buddha Nose Ltd, Lynne Marcus, Founder of Lynne Marcus Garden Design , June Summerill and Bernadette Bishop, Founders of Summerill & Bishop Tina Malhame and Judith Clutterbuck- Founders of Women Like Us We also have a fabulous collection of ideas and suggestions for your home from our listed companies. Thank you to all our contributors, we hope you love it too! www.hotbrandscoolplaces.com Picture Credits: Front Cover Image Extracted from ‘Great Gardens of Italy’ by Monty Don & Derry Moore which is published on Friday 18th March by Quadrille (£25, hardback). Full details about the book can be found at http://quadrille.co.uk . Monty’s forthcoming television series, Monty Don’s Italian Gardens, starts on Tuesday 5th April on BBC2. Photography © Derry Moore http://www.derrymoore.com/ 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. The views and opinions expressed by interviewees and other contributors are theirs alone and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of Hot Brands Cool Places.
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DESIGNERS GUILD Established in 1970 by Tricia Guild, Designers Guild designs and wholesales furnishing fabrics, wall coverings, upholstery, bed and bath collections as well as a complete range of rugs and home accessories throughout Europe and worldwide. The company also produce collections and distribute for The Royal Collection Fabric and Wallpaper, Jasper Conran and William Yeoward and distribute worldwide for Ralph Lauren fabric and wallpaper. www.designersguild.com
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REVIEW Coincides with Monty Don’s forthcoming primetime BBC series in which he visits the great gardens of Italy Synopsis: The gardens of Italy rank amongst the great treasures of the world. They have influenced and inspired almost every landscape designer and architect since the Renaissance yet they are not isolated historical artifacts. A garden is always a living, evolving entity that tells a thousand stories about the people that made it as well as the plants that occupy it. Above all, great gardens become a celebration of man’s creative need to work with nature. This book is a personal exploration of Italy’s legendary gardens. Over thirty are featured, including some that are very well known as well as others that might not be on many people’s obvious list. Few people have travelled more widely and have a more passionately practical engagement with gardening than Monty Don. Through captivating text and outstanding photography, Monty and Derry invite the reader to accompany them on their tour around Italy. Their underlying message is that to appreciate a garden fully you must also know something of the food grown and eaten in the area, of the politics, religion and weather of the region, and of the dreams for the garden’s future as well as the glories of its past. Each garden is placed in the context of its surrounding landscape and the lives of those who made it and who tend it today. Far more than an inventory of interesting plants or classical designs, this book leads the reader through a truly stunning odyssey of the breadth and magnificence of Italian gardens, always engaging, occasionally provocative and utterly mesmerising. The Author and Photographer Monty Don first appeared on television in 1989 on This Morning and has worked continually on television since, including the lead presenting role on Channel 4’s Real Gardens, Fork to Fork, and Lost Gardens. For five years Monty presented BBC2’s Gardener’s World as well as many travel programmes, the most recent of which was Around the World in Eighty Gardens. He has recently fronted My Dream Farm for Channel 4 and MasterCraft on BBC2 – and due for transmission on BBC1 this autumn is a look into Monty’s family past in genealogy programme Who Do You Think You Are? Monty is the author of eleven books, two co-authored with his wife Sarah, and currently writes a weekly column in the Daily Mail. Derry Moore began his professional career in 1971. In 2005 his portraiture was the focus of a retrospective at the National Portrait Gallery. Amongst others, he has photographed Sir John Gielgud, Rudolf Nureyev, Alan Bennett and David Bowie. photographs have been reproduced in Architectural Digest, and Men’s Vogue.
Derry has published over a dozen books including Evening Ragas, Inside the House of Lords, Notting Hill, A Gardener’s Life, Rooms, The Sir John Soane Museum and, most recently, In House. Derry’s work is in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York and the National Portrait Gallery, London. Images: Extracted from ‘Great Gardens of Italy’ by Monty Don & Derry Moore which is published on Friday 18th March by Quadrille (£25, hardback). Full details about the book can be found at http://quadrille.co.uk . Monty’s forthcoming television series, Monty Don’s Italian Gardens, starts on Tuesday 5th April on BBC2. Photography © Derry Moore http://www.derrymoore.com/ Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict This is an absolutely beautiful book, the photography is stunning, capturing the most evocative and wonderful images of gardens across Italy. There is probably no better person to describe the gardens than Monty Don, who is painstaking in wanting to describe the beauty and splendour of each garden. This book is also so much more than just a description of the gardens, it is also set in the context of the local environment, or other occasions that happened along the way.
“Before I left Rita gave me lunch. I record it for you in every detail because it was - eaten outside on a patio by the now cloudless bay with Vesuvius dramatically present…..as good a meal that I have ever known, and a meal, with commonplace ingredients, which could not possibly be replicated anywhere in the world save within ten miles of that garden” If you love Italian gardens you will be totally entranced by this book, a perfect companion to the forthcoming television series, we loved it! Highly Recommended!
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PRIMROSE AND PLUM Primrose & Plum - We believe a home is put together with love. It’s not the walls that surround us but the people in it. It’s where we can really express ourselves, whatever our taste or mood. At Primrose & Plum, we are continually searching for high quality, beautiful home accessories which offer something a little different.We’ve got lots of lovely things to make your home bright and vibrant this Spring. www.primroseandplum.co.uk
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JOHN JONES John Jones design and hand make bespoke frames and mirrors for homeowners, interior designers, artists and galleries around the world. Projects range from a single frame to the artwork collection of the six storey Ralph Lauren flagship store in Paris. www.johnjones.co.uk
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Hot Brands Cool Places spoke with Amy Galper, Founder of Buddha Nose Ltd for an exclusive interview 1. You founded your business in 2004, how has it evolved over time? Since 2004 there have been some great milestones that have helped mark the brand’s growth and exposure. I am particularly proud of having secured the USDA organic seal, which recognizes Buddha Nose products as being over 95% certified organic according to the US National Organic Program. It’s quite a difficult and stringent seal to acquire, and I feel really proud having Buddha Nose carry it. Another exciting evolution is Buddha Nose’s growth globally. The brand is now distributed in Japan, Russia, Canada, and available in select yoga studios in Germany and Holland. I am really thrilled to add Unlisted London to my list of International partnerships, as they make the products available to their exclusive clientele. When you are selecting products, or partners what makes you know they will fit with your brand? We have to be on the same page – and share an understanding and experience of what we think beauty and wellness means. We also need to share a passion for educating our clients and customers about healthier living, organic lifestyle and mind-body practices. For example, Unlisted is a great partner because they have built an amazing company based on well-being, and building community.
INTERVIEW
You encourage your clients to “be still and breathe”. What benefits does this bring to people? To find a moment to be still during the mad rush of our daily lives is precious – and we need to take advantage of it, and make time to find it. Stillness forces us to slow down, reconnect, recharge and remind us of how our minds and bodies are inextricably linked. I had a meditation teacher once say if every single person in the world could just sit still for 5 minutes once every day, there would much more peace. What do you love about running your own company? What advice would you give to someone thinking of starting their own business in 2011? The best part of running my own company is being able to call the shots – setting my own schedule, designing my days, my weeks. I also love working creatively, and as a business owner thinking creatively is essential – I am often asked to think outside the box, and I love those kinds of challenges. Advice to someone starting their business? Be fearless! Listen to your gut and go for it. When you are travelling, what do you always take with you? My travel essentials are: Lip balm Buddha Nose I Booster Salve hand Sanitzer A little bottle of jojoba oil blended with Lavender, Rose and Frankincense oils What are your plans and hopes for 2011? 2011 is already off to an amazing start! Having kicked it off with Unlisted in London has really given us some great energy. I hope to continue expanding internationally, launching some new products and sharing Buddha Nose with more and more people! Information about Buddha Nose Ltd www.buddhanose.co.uk Information about Unlisted London http://www.unlistedlondon.com/
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LINLEY Linley: luxuriously indulgent gifts; imaginative designs; meticulous detailing; unique pieces the perfect place for all your gift shopping. www.davidlinley.com
IDYLL HOME At Idyll Home we love to find new and unique products from around the world. We sell an eclectic and stylish mix of furniture, home and garden accessories and where we can try to find recycled and reclaimed products. www.idyllhome.co.uk
Hot Brands Cool Places spoke with Lynne Marcus, Founder of Lynne Marcus Garden Design for an exclusive interview
INTERVIEW
The Garden Designer
You changed career to something completely different, what prompted you to choose garden design? I wanted to be in a creative field, where you control the whole design process and implementation. As a garden designer, you get to be the architect and the interior designer so you combine form, geometry and structure with the ‘soft furnishings’ - that is the tapestry of planting. Also, it is constantly changing, you can’t stand still, you have to keep on top of developments in new materials and new cultivars etc , so there is a constant learning curve and always another solution and another client with a different set of needs. Oh yes and I love gardens. What would your advice be for someone who wanted to create a room in their garden? The concept was first coined by the father of modern garden design - John Brookes, more than forty years ago in his book ‘The Room Outside’, which simply means that no matter what size garden you have, you can make it a useable extension of your home. I would first need to interpret what someone meant by ‘creating a room in their garden’ because most gardens have many rooms - eg lobby or courtyard, passage, dining room and perhaps outdoor kitchen, lounge, play room etc. If the perceived understanding of a ‘room outside’ is an urban courtyard, then the design should make best use of the light, space and create privacy. Materials, colours, plants and furnishings should be selected to best echo the interior of the home to create a seamless effect inside out. Does planting follow trends like fashion, if so what does Spring/Summer 11 look like? Yes, planting does follow a trend, for example grasses, ferns and herbaceous planting alongside clipped box and yew have replaced big shrubs for sometime now. Then at one time, there was the fashion for tree fern and olives - both of which have stepped back to their rightful places now - which is carefully placing them in appropriate schemes. It is too early to know the trend for spring and summer 2011 as this traditionally becomes apparent at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which isn’t until the end of May, but looking at what the nurseries are bringing onto the market, there are some sumptuous colours out there, so I’m sure we will see them. What is your favourite part of a garden design project? My favourite part of design project has to b,e when I present the Concept Plan for the first time and the client loves it, so you know you have interpreted and realised their hopes for their garden. Secondly it has to be when it is built, planted and growing and exceeds the client’s expectations. Going forward do you have any unfulfilled ambitions? I’d love to do a show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. It’s a bit like the Oscars and like the Oscars it isn’t a ‘final triumphe’, but professionally a beginning. There can’t be many garden designers at the top of their game who either haven’t done it or don’t want to do it. Yes, I just need a sponsor who wants to benefit from a share in the huge chunk of BBC airtime and press coverage and knows we can get gold. If you could visit anywhere for inspiration where would you go? Actually I get inspiration from all sorts of places and things - often little things. I have been lucky enough to travel quite a bit all over the world, so have ‘banked’ many images from the folds of paddy fields to sweeping banks of Agapanthus. I love Italy, France, Spain and Morocco, which are great for visiting gardens, but I guess what I would like to do is to make the time for a tour of RHS Open gardens in my own country. Information about Lynne Marcus Garden Design http://www.lynnemarcus.com/
COULSON MACLEOD Handmade with love in the UK, Coulson Macleod’s signature style is distressed typography combined with vintage-looking frames and printed onto solid limestone, oak, reclaimed Victorian roof timbers, cotton canvas and recycled paper. http://www.coulsonmacleod.com/
FUNKY OLIVE Funky Olive has a unique collection of beautiful handmade accessories and inspired gifts for You and Your Home this Spring. Simply Quote ‘HBCL’ when you place your Telephone Order to receive 10% off & free P&P. www.funkyolive.co.uk
REVIEW CREATIVE WALLS by Geraldine James Synopsis: Any wall is perfect for display, whatever its size, shape or style. In this inspirational guide, Geraldine James, veteran collector of all things beautiful, shows ways to organize and display your valuables to celebrate their uniqueness and your creativity. A collection of fans, teapots or clocks will illuminate a little corner, whereas a teenager’s bedroom will transform instantly when hoarded football memorabilia makes the leap from the floor to the wall in a bold, clever arrangement. Look for unusual spaces and items: line up a series of themed prints above a picture rail, set heaps of floral china plates in grand style above the fireplace or simply add a mirror into a display to instantly create another in its image. Chapter by chapter, discover how to arrange virtually anything from scratch, rearrange the collections you treasure to best effect and begin a journey into colour, texture and themes to create elegant displays that give a home character and charm. From a memory wall of sepia family photographs to witty collections of kitsch art, this clever guide shows how to create a look that will bring any space to life. http://www.cicobooks.com/books/bookdetails.php?isbn=9781907563157 Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict If you have ever been challenged by your collections you will love this book, a wonderful cornucopia of ideas and suggestions to help you organize collections into inspiring displays of treasured items. ‘A wall is a beautiful blank canvas’ which Geraldine sees as a ‘great big opportunity’ As the author suggests, ‘My paints are virtually anything I can find, or hang, or lean against that wallphotographs, art, ceramics, carvings, obscure curios discovered in bottom drawers, gorgeous objets unearthed in unlikely flea markets’ As well as organizing displays for adults Geraldine also has some fabulous ideas for children’s and student collections. We loved the design and style of this book, an art work in its own right, full of imagination and inspiration. Highly Recommended!
HELEN TURKINGTON Helen Turkington Fabrics London Luxury fabrics available direct to the consumer. Renowned interior designer Helen Turkington also has a store, Helen Turkington Fabrics based in St. Johns Hill, Battersea/Clapham, SW11 1TG. 0207 2289435 http://www.helenturkington.co.uk/
REVIEW Pale & Interesting by Atlanta Bartlett & Dave Coote Synopsis: In Pale & Interesting, stylist Atlanta Bartlett and designer Dave Coote reveal their passion for decorating with a muted palette of subtle shades and monochrome effects. The look combines their creative approach with the reality of busy family life, resulting in a stylish yet comfortable home that’s easy to live in and easy on the eye. Pale & Interesting starts by taking a look at the design philosophy behind the look: Keep it Simple, Keep it Relaxed and Keep it Real. Next, in Putting It All Together, Atlanta and Dave map out the key elements of the look: Shades of Pale; Texture & Form; Mixing it Up; Waste Not, Want Not and Collecting. Finally, in The Rooms, Atlanta and Dave take a tour throughout the home, revealing how easy and enjoyable it is to live with chalky pastels, earthy natural tones, understated neutrals and muted vintage shades. Pale & Interesting shows how to tap into the look and draw on your own individual taste to create a fresh, light and airy home thats a joy to live in, every single day http://www.rylandpeters.com/books/bookdetails.php?isbn=9781849751124 Hot Brands Cool Places Verdict This is a wonderfully calming book, and as the authors suggest, ‘Think of soft and unobtrusive colours that gently calm the senses.’ This book is full of beautiful examples of the use of subtle and muted colours. The first part of the book explores the theory behind Pale & Interesting and then how to put it all together, through examining the colour and textures of the palette and ways of gathering items for your home without making it look cluttered. The final section takes each room and applies the Pale & Interesting approach to every room with beautiful and uplifting examples of how to create stylish yet comfortable family rooms. If you are looking for inspiring and new ways of creating a welcoming home, look no further! Highly Recommended!
THE SLEEP ROOM The Sleep Room offers quality and stylish beds, mattresses and accessories online, that won’t burn a hole in your pocket. Their ethos is to provide a hassle-free experience that includes reliable delivery, good value and a comfortable night’s sleep. The Sleep Room’s collection of beds range from the contemporary, through to more classic styles and even inter-changeable designs for kids. The Sleep Room: www.thesleeproom.com / 0845 459 9937
Hot Brands Cool Places chatted with June Summerill & Bernadette Bishop, Founders of Summerill & Bishop for an exclusive interview
INTERVIEW
You have been in business together since 1994, what is the secret of a good working relationship between friends? A strong friendship, supported by mutual trust & respect. What still excites you about buying items for your shop? Changing with the seasons - aiming to be consistent without being repetitive. Obviously always looking for new talent/artists How have the tastes in kitchen and tableware changed since you started in business? It’s a cooler look now, less pattern. Simplicity with spot colours to ring the changes. What advantages has setting up an online shop given you? We reach a wider audience and apart from people being able to order from us from far off places – it entices people into the shop. We also to offer an online wedding gift list service too so that people can buy gifts directly from our website without having to call us or visit the shop.
What are the trends in kitchen and tableware for 2011? A natural look. Spontaneous chic – wonderful simple hand made ceramics on rough linen or voile, mixed with dull silver cutlery and leaves in jam jars – quirky! What are your favourite ways of relaxing? June – playing the piano, reading, gardening. Dinners with friends and family. Bernadette – entertaining friends and family at home, going for long walks and visiting the Porchester Spa. Information about Summerill & Bishop www.summerillandbishop.com
FOUND HOME STORE FOUND Home Store is an eclectic collection of traditional and contemporary items for the home. Visit our shop from the comfort of your own home at www.foundhomestore. co.uk and browse our fabulous array of furniture, lighting, wall decoration, mirrors, glass and tableware, linens, soft furnishings, accessories and gifts www.foundhomestore.co.uk
ODD LTD Odd Ltd - Our wonderful Old Rockers are made in Oxfordshire, the frame from which the sofa hangs is entirely made of stainless steel, this eliminates rust and the need for painting. We dye our own canvas in several colours and offer options on the shape of the sofa, on the style of the roof, on the choice of fabrics that can be used, and on the range of accessories that we make to complement the Rocker. For full details of our range please visit our website: www.oddlimited.com
Hot Brands Cool Places spoke with Tina Malhame and Judith Clutterbuck, Founders of Women Like Us Clothing for an exclusive interview
INTERVIEW
What have been the highlights in your first year of trading? Firstly, working together in the partnership, as we come from completely different industries. Tina is an award winning designer, having been part of the first five successful years of Per Una, and working with the launch teams of Monsoon and Next. My background is in warehousing and fulfillment - obviously completely different – but a great combination to launch an online brand. Over the past year we have learnt from each other, as we face new challenges and opportunities. Secondly, meeting our customers many of whom we met at the shows we participated in last year, and finding them now coming back to our site, to re order…a second and a third time. It is a fantastic feeling when a customer realizes we have something that the High Street may not offer – well-made, well fitting, fabulous tops and tunics! What are your ambitions for 2011? We are really pleased with our first year, as we have learnt so much and in 2011 we want to build on our existing customer base and the insight that our customers have given us, to enable us to expand and reach more customers, who are not being serviced by the High Street.
You are both very busy people, how do you manage to achieve work/life balance? We both have young families, and although Women Like Us is our new baby, we still have children at home, who need our love, care and attention, and so, like many other women like us, we juggle! That’s the fun of it though, as each day is different – never a dull moment! What advice would you have for other people about starting a new business? Above all - Be passionate about your business . If you don’t love your product and your brand, how can you expect anyone else to! Try and identify the pitfalls in advance – whilst you will never think of them all, try and run the “what if” question across all areas of your business and put in place some contingencies. Be aware that the first year is a crucial one, and have sufficient funding in place, with a contingency fund, and expect the unexpected. Describe your perfect weekend. Watching the boys play a good game of rugby, and enjoying some time with family and friends, which normally involves great food! The best time is Sunday evening, when the school bags are repacked, the sports kit is clean and you can look forward to another fun filled hectic week. Information about Women Like Us: www.womenlikeusclothing.com
BALINEUM Balineum - The perfect pit-stop for a bathroom make-over, and their range of gorgeous things just keeps growing. Balineum also have a new collection of bathroom counter-top accessories and some fabulous baskets and storage solutions. Who knew the place to put your toothpaste or loo rolls could be so stylish. www.balineum.co.uk
THE NATURAL RUG COMPANY The Natural Rug Company - New Online Rug Designer where customers can design their own Crucial Trading bordered rug, price it up online and either order samples, or place the order directly on line. Special 10% discount offer for orders placed during March 2011. www.thenaturalrugcompany.com
INTRODUCING CLINIQUE PRETTY IN PRINTS Michelle Smith, renowned designer of the women’s fashion and accessories label, Milly, brings her sparkling and sophisticated style to Clinique’s newest spring collection - PRETTY IN PRINTS. Michelle has teamed up with Clinique to create a limited-edition makeup palette of essential eye, cheek and lip colours for Spring 2011. Exclusive to Clinique, the collection mixes rich browns with sweet pinks and is packaged in a sleek silver compact, adorned with a one-of-a-kind Milly print. The limited-edition PRETTY IN PRINTS compact is enclosed in a pouch designed by Michelle to showcase her signature Milly aesthetic. Michelle Smith discusses her inspiration behind the PRETTY IN PRINTS collection: Print Queen “Milly was born out of my lifelong love of fashion. My designs incorporate the couture techniques I mastered while studying and working in Paris and the bold patterns and luxe fabrics for which I am known.” Global Glamour “I design for women who want to dress in a way that is smart, sexy and glamorous. I feel this gives Milly worldwide appeal. I take inspiration from my adventures in Manhattan and Paris, and travelling the world with my young family.” NEW “PRETTY IN PINKS”. MILLY FOR CLINIQUE. SPRING 2011 Available at Clinique counters nationwide from 1 February 2011 For stockist details, telephone 0870 034 2566 To buy online, visit www.clinique.co.uk
1926 1926 Trading are the UK’s leading specialist supplier of engineered and solid wood flooring and doors. They hold large stocks of leading brand floors, these include Kahrs, Barlinek, Panaget and the exclusive Hakwood floors, all available at massively reduced prices. For further information please visit www.1926woodflooring.co.uk