Jewish News Interiors Supplement 959

INTERIORS

Jewish

SUPPLEMENT

14 July 2016

Edited by Brigit Grant

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The Jewish News 14 July 2016

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INTERIORS Unit from West Elm

THE

STYLIST INSIDER

Alex Galbinski gets to nose around the houses of women who transform other people’s homes Emma Gurner, Folds Inside (www.foldsinside.com)

Vases and bowls from Folds Inside

love being creative and I try to get on the same wavelength as the client, but they come to me because they “ Ilike what I do and my style,” she says. “My personal style tends to be a cocktail of Scandinavian simplicity with touches of bold, original elements. ”

Rug by Eva Sonaike Cupboards from Ikea, painted

Emma has lived in her family house in Whetstone for six years. It is where she co-founded her online interiors store Folds Inside three years ago with business partner Suzi Philip and it helps showcase the best of the vintage-inspired goods the pair sell. Starting off as an assistant to a photographer, Emma, who studied art and design at Middlesex and Manchester universities, used to visit what she describes as “the most incredible homes”.

Becoming a stylist herself, the 42-year-old mother-of-two saw her future in the interiors industry, gained experience at BBC Good Homes and Ideal Home magazines and did a course at the KLC School of Design. She gets requests from people to style their homes, and her jobs range from advising on what furniture to take to a new home to room plans and extensions, finishing touches and electrics and flooring.

Enchanted Wood wallpaper

by Hibou Home

Deer head from Graham & Green

Magnetic paint

ESSENTIAL TIPS WHEN DESIGNING YOUR OWN ROOM SCHEME: 1 Create a mood board of materials you

will be using to help you visualise how the elements will work together, such as floor, fabric, paint wallpaper etc.

Chair by Ikea

2 Include pieces that you love in your

scheme, such as a piece of art, sculpture or item of furniture. This could be the starting point to inspiring you and will give your scheme a personal depth and character.

3 Don’t listen to all your friends giving you different advice as it could end up even more confusing and no one knows what you like better than you do!

Cupboard from Ikea

Amy Caplan, Studio 7, amy@studio7.london; www.facebook.com/Studio7-386813838177779 Amy Caplan had her work cut out when she moved into her new home in Finchley.

Heavily pregnant with her third child, she began trying to make the house into a home for her husband and children. Luckily, Amy has a postgraduate diploma in interior design and architecture from the KLC School of Design in Chelsea Harbour.

Afterwards, Amy, 36, bagged herself a job as an assistant designer with a company in Belsize Park, before going onto M&Y Interiors as a designer. She now runs Studio 7 with friend Didi Stoppelman, who used to work for Kelly Hoppen, as a response to all the people who would ask them: ‘Can you help me with…?’

But she stresses that their prices are affordable. “A lot of people can’t afford to move and, after extending their home, can’t then spend £3-4,000 on an interior designer,” she explains. “We thought there must be a way of creating a more accessible interior design consultancy who charge by the hour.”

The pair help people with choosing paint colour up to a whole redesign and floor plans. “We have no loyalty to any company, but have lots of contacts and trade discounts that can be passed onto our clients,” she adds. “We can source good bits that are not crazy prices. Anyone can have nice things.”

Wallpaper by Matthew Williamson for Osborne & Little

Desk from Ikea

Drawers from Atkin and Thyme

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14 July 2016 The Jewish News

Wallpaper by digital print company photowall.co.uk

ESSENTIAL TIPS WHEN DESIGNING YOUR OWN ROOM SCHEME:

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Pictures – originals by Gillian Lawson

1 Mix high end pieces with high street/

lower end items. Buy one or two ‘wow’ investment pieces and the other items will be carried by them.

2 If you're renovating, make your doorways

and openings as high as possible. This will give the illusion of space and make your ceilings look higher.

3 Accessorising should be a lifetime’s work.

Collecting bits gradually from holidays, outings and general living will make your home reflect your style and family much more than buying generic items all in one go. But remember... less is more.

Bed from Barker & Stonehouse

Cushions from H&M

Vintage light from Alfies Antique Market

Freddy Antell (07958 533 774, thefredm@yahoo.co.uk) When my teacup leaves a mark on interior designer Freddy Antell’s lovely wooden kitchen table, she laughs. “Don’t worry”, she says, “with two boys and a dog, I can’t be precious about anything.”

Indeed, her family never know what colour they will come home to find the walls or position of the furniture – which she often adapts or sells.

“I always, always, change things around and I try things out,” says Freddy, 45, who was born in Scotland and lived in Israel from the age of 10 until she came to the UK to study.

Training in fine art photography at Central St Martin’s – “I became fascinated by the spaces that people occupy and how we inhabit them” – Freddy later did an interior decorating course at KLC. She has herself taught an interiors course at LJCC. She describes her style as “very eclectic; a combination of vintage and contemporary” but concedes that “it changes quite a lot”. She favours a lot of brass and a mix of metals in the kitchen and bedrooms and says you can personalise many things, for example using different handles, different lights. “It’s just paint.”

best part of the job, she says, is creating somewhere that people enjoy. “I love making it “ The look good and personalising it for people, making them feel at home, and happy in their space.

Bookcase by Pierre Vandel bought at auction

Table by Raft

Looking for Art?

ESSENTIAL TIPS WHEN DESIGNING YOUR OWN ROOM SCHEME: 1 Don’t be afraid to mix it up. I love to

combine mid-century modern furniture with 70s brass as well as some contemporary pieces – keeping it connected via a colour or theme. Eclectic and fresh!

Mishegas print by artist friend Zohar Flax

Price: £395

Vintage chair recovered in Christopher Farr fabric If you love a funky wallpaper but

2 worry it may be too much, don’t!

Commit to it by using it in a small room, or just put it on the ceiling. is key and must never be 3 Lighting underestimated. I recommend using at least six (preferably eight) sources of light in any given room. You can mix up the styles too – there’s no need to be too prescriptive.

71 The Broadway Mill Hill London NW7 3BU

T: 0800 690 6000 www.mylivingroom.com

”

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The Jewish News 14 July 2016

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INTERIORS

A MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BUYING PROPERTY IS A SEISMIC MOMENT. Unlike the purchase of a car which is really great at the time, a house or a flat becomes the focus of your world from the second you open the door and, in part, defines you as a person.

Remember how you felt when you got your first set of house keys? That expression on your face is the one Nigel Sears likes to see and not just because he has made a sale. Having worked through the years when estate agents were demonised, he – along with his partner Helen Bladon-Reid – know that their job is all about understanding the needs and tastes of their clients and finding a property that ticks all the boxes. As an independent firm of estate agents, Bladon Sears have also learnt to specialise, notably in the area their clients want to sell from or reside within.

“Whether selling, letting or buying, we know our local expertise work in your favour,” says the dashing and affable Nigel. “If you are selling, we will work with you to agree a marketing plan to suit the needs of your property, designed to achieve the best possible price for your home.

“We will consider every aspect of the transaction, working within the timescales available and in relation to the market conditions in the area.

One of the main benefits of selling your property

through Bladon Sears is that the details of your home will be published online, reaching not only local buyers, but also regional and national home movers.”

Established in 1990, Nigel and Helen have more than 40 years’ experience in selling properties around Edgware and have been credited as Fellows of the National Association of Estate Agents.

Proud of their competitive commission rates, delivered on a no sale, no fee basis, the real joy of Bladon Sears is they are the sort of agents one enjoys spending time with and, when you consider how long it takes to find and complete on a property, that is very important.

Spending a day with Nigel Sears, viewing doesn’t feel like a chore at all and, as we visited houses and flats to suit a first-time buyer, family on the move and empty-nesters keen to downsize, it was interesting to see how enthusiastic the sellers were to see him just to say hello.

“You do build a relationship with clients, and many of them return to us during the various stages of their lives,” says Nigel.

He is particularly sensitive to the needs of a first-time buyer as he knows how to manage expectations and show affordable choices.

Although the property we viewed on the day was snapped up, a peruse of Bladon Sears website reveals another gem. And there are many.

Whether buying or selling you need the right team, as Brigit Grant discovers while meeting estate agent Nigel Sears

PERFECTLY SITUATED In Windsor Avenue, we saw an equally suitable three-bedroom family home (£675,000) with a really welcoming sunny pale yellow hallway and a TV room with French doors on to the garden.

The house, which is immaculate, has a garage with a shared drive and, once again for catchmentkeen lookers, it is ideally located for junior schools, places of worship, parks and is within the eruv.

FAMILY HOME For a home to suit a young family, we visited an outstanding fully detached newly-refurbished three-bedroom house with a garage and off-street parking in Wolmer Gardens for £699,950.

Refurbishments, which include rewiring, CCTV cameras to front and rear, re-plastering, fresh decoration, stripped and varnished floors and newly-laid carpets, make for a really fabulous home, particularly as there is a beautiful landscaped rear garden. Any family could just move straight in,but it’s worth noting there is also room to extend and, for parents keen to get into the catchment area for Rosh Pinah and Beit Shvidler primary schools, it is ideal.

EASY LIVING Finally, for those looking to downsize or swap their stairs for something more manageable, Nigel recommended a visit to Dudley House (£420,000) to see a really spacious two-bedroom ground floor set between Edgware and Canons Park that was recently refurbished. With a new modern kitchen, new bathroom, two WCs, communal gardens and a garage en bloc, it is certainly worth a viewing. And definitely with Nigel!

FIRST-TIME BUYER A three-bedroom maisonette with a guide price of £309,950 is available where Edgwarebury Lane meets Hale Lane.

We are all familiar with the lingo but, for interested parties, the maisonette is well-proportioned, with each room being of a favourable size and it has recently been updated.

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14 July 2016 The Jewish News

LOST IN SPACE “Do not tidy up before she comes,” warns my husband.

He is not referring to a cleaner, but rather to Nikki Glantz, clutter clearer extraordinaire.

For Nikki, owner of Clutter Clear London (soon to be renamed Precious Space), is perNikki Glantz haps the British equivalent of Marie Kondo, who can transform an overfilled space into one in which you can breathe and find joy.

Joy is a word Nikki uses a lot. “Does it still bring you joy?” she asks, when I am reluctant to part with something that is no longer useful. “If not, acknowledge its former worth and say goodbye.”

I had asked Nikki to help me sort out my overstuffed office; a box room that is my dumping ground for books I want to read, paperwork, newspapers (old), stationery and a chest of drawers filled with all sorts of paraphernalia including batteries, old phones and pens (“you won’t need to buy any more pens for a long time,” Nikki laughs).

Then there are files. Lever arch files full of old bank statements (“why aren’t you looking at them online?” asks Nikki, who shows me an app on her phone that lets her log straight into her account), old journalism notes and press cuttings.

Clutter is oppressive and it can get you down. It is with a heavy heart that I have been going into the

office and each time I do, I have felt guilty for not transforming it into a space of which to be proud.

But with Nikki, within 10 minutes, we had discarded most of the press cuttings and started on the overfilled drawers.

“Keeping things like old birthday cards or – like you have – all your press cuttings is a type of narcissism. Why not look through them, acknowledge them and any joy they gave you and say goodbye,” she advises.

“We have to question why we feel the need to keep everything. We don’t need to hold onto all the physical objects that remind us of an experience – we have the memories themselves,” she says. “A clearer home is a clearer mind.”

We clear out some barely working headphones, mobile phone boxes, business cards (“you can find people’s details online”) and other miscellaneous items that have not been used in years. This allows room for a dedicated wrapping paper drawer, complete with scissors, sellotape and greetings cards.

As mother-of-two Nikki, 45, says on her website: “I come to this work with the passion to enable others to enjoy a clear and ordered space.”

But for all her efficiency – even ruthlessness – at clearing out things that suck the energy out of a room, Nikki is in no way judgemental. A former social worker for more than 20 years who has worked with Holocaust survivors, Nikki had one client who was very disorganised and hoarded, among other things, lots of papers. “I helped her to find important financial and legal documents and we cleared so much along the way,” she says.

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Alex Galbinski saw the light [and the bottom of several over-stuffed drawers] when a ‘declutterer’ came to call...

This was Nikki’s first time helping someone clear their home and, over the years, she has worked with friends and clients to become a trusted name to help people breathe new life into their space.

Aside from helping people clear clutter in all sorts of rooms, including kitchens, bedrooms, and offices, she also designs people’s spaces, including kitchens and lofts that are in the planning stages.

She begins with a consultation to find out what changes her client wants to see and then puts together a package to help them achieve that.

She will look at your home – either to reorganise its current state or to redesign it in line with architect’s plans – and may even suggest storage solutions to design or buy. She’ll sit with you as you go through your possessions and, working in threehour slots, be the gentle reminder that, actually, you don’t need to keep whatever it is you think you do.

You might think you have a good eye for design and can clear your own clutter, so why pay someone like Nikki to come to your house. Well, as I can attest, clearing stuff is not necessarily something one actually does make time for. “I have an eye for space and I love making people’s lives better by making their home a better environment,” she says.

Nikki also organised my kitchen cupboards/ drawers, turning one drawer of kitchen utensils into a dedicated space for neatly-labelled spices.

“Thank you,” mouths my husband to Nikki as she prepares to leave, taking bags of my things to be delivered to the charity shop the following day.

• Nikki Glantz can be contacted on 07979 693931 and http://clutterclearlondon.co.uk

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Before…

After…Things in the stationery drawer can be found

Sorting through books takes time but frees up space

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The Jewish News 14 July 2016

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INTERIORS

SHOW

STOPPER Steve Bailey meets a woman who knows how to make you buy a home

LORAINE CHASSELS TUCKS A SMALL NAKED MAN UNDER HER ARM AND USHERS ME INTO THE NEXT ROOM AT HER AWARD-WINNING INTERIOR DESIGN STUDIO...

The sheer amount of furniture is breathtaking.

Silk sofas. Ornate Chinese horses. Vintage photographs in large silver frames. Mirrors by the hundred. Relief carvings of the Buddha. Lamps made of everything from driftwood to hi-tech chrome. Silvered chests of drawers. Even a ‘Le Corbusier’ chaise longue. “You can have that in black leather or real pony hide,” Loraine explains helpfully.

And on it goes, room after room, thousands of items of furniture – and every single piece earning its keep.

“Clients visit my studio so that I can get a handle on their taste,” explains Loraine. “What kind of things excite or interest them? What takes their eye as we walk around?

“Contemporary, modern, eclectic, traditional… a Kandinsky painting? Or a Rococo chair? It’s a clue to their ‘gravitational pull’ – what floats their boat, design-wise.”

The ornamental naked man is placed on a prominent shelf – he’s due to appear in a photoshoot next week – as the tour continues.

“It’s a candy box of interior design,” she says.

“A strawberry truffle on the left, a chocolate fondant on the right... Anything you like? We’ve got it in seven colours and five sizes. And do you want it for the weekend?!”

She has an infectious sense of joy for the job – and a crusading zeal for the benefits of hiring an interior designer. If you thought it was an indulgence, think again.

“It’s like I’m a client’s furniture buddy,” she says, “and we’re embarking on an adventure together... a new experience which is going to be good. Because I’m going to stop them impulse-buying that sofaas-big-as-a-bus which will never fit in their room.

I’m going to help them make all the right decisions and open their eyes to a new and exciting world of interior possibilities.”

“Design-wise, having a sense of the complete picture is vital. People pick a gorgeous rug in one place, a great mirror in another, a chair somewhere else, thinking they’re designing a racehorse – but in fact, they’re building a camel. You need a much more ‘holistic’ approach.

“A good designer has a vision of the completed body – not just an ear, an eye or a foot.

And that body should be a supermodel. I need to get her perfectly turned out, ready to strut down the catwalk and looking like a million dollars – without spending a milllion dollars!”

Price is a key selling point for Loraine. During 20-plus years in the business, her Glasgow-based company XS Interiors has tackled jobs in London and across the world – everything from stately homes to city penthouses and budget housing developments aimed at the first-time buyer marker.

Cost control has become a speciality.

“Why pay exorbitant London rates when you could have the job done for a fraction of the price?” she says. “A number of our clients buy a return air ticket to Scotland – and see that small investment recouped many times over in the final bill.”

Design prices start at a modest £395 per room for a package that includes a consultation at Loraine’s studio, full interior design including layouts and colour schemes, detailed pricing for all

the components involved and a computer-generated story-board illustrating the furniture selected.

And although a personal visit to her studio is ideal, it’s not a deal-breaker. Loraine regularly works ‘off plan’ – completing the designs from scale drawings when she’s never seen the actual room.

“You’d be surprised at the relatively modest outlay involved sometimes,” says Loraine. “Even if you have champagne tastes but a lemonade pocket-book, we can usually work something out... We’re a ‘can do’ business – not a ‘can talk’ business.”

The unique structure of her company is the vital secret to low prices. It’s effectively six different operations under the same roof. The interior design business holds a massive store of furniture which not only provides inspiration for visiting clients, it also furnishes show homes for a string of blue-chip property developers who employ Loraine’s services.

Afterwards, pre-hired furniture is sold off at reduced prices – meaning there are countless bargains to be had. In addition, the studio also

operates as a ‘furniture store’ for the general public and other designers. Oh and there’s a thriving ‘hire’ operation renting furniture to TV and film production companies. Not to mention a ‘pimp your home for a fast sale’ business which re-vamps your house with beautiful furniture and fittings to guarantee it looks amazing when the estate agents are showing people around.

“It’s just the way things have developed over the years,” said Loraine. “But we’re now the most prolific interior design company in Scotland.”

Loraine even acts as a ‘ghost designer’ for some of the big names in interiors who take on projects – then subcontract the work to her.

“I won’t mention names,” she said, “but I’ve designed for multimillion pound properties without ever seeing the house. It’s a regular event, in fact and the clients don’t even know I’ve done the work.”

Whoever dubbed Loraine ‘the designer’s designer’ spoke truer than they knew.... www.xsinteriors.com 0141 942 0519

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14 July 2016 The Jewish News

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BLADON SEARS EDGWARE, MIDDLESEX A 3 bedroom duplex maisonette located above the shops on Hale Lane. Modern kitchen and bathroom.

Convenient spot. Guest WC. Sole Agents.

For sale or to rent £309,950 / £1,450 pm

020 8958 1822

BROADFIELDS AVENUE, EDGWARE

HIGHVIEW GARDENS, EDGWARE

Within the Eruv, a large 3 bedroom semi detached family home.

Guest WC, TV room.

Off street parking.

Delightful garden.

Freehold £633,500

A particularly large 2 bedroom semi detached bungalow in need of some modernisation.

Garage. Sole Agents.

Excellent potential.

Freehold £550,000

EDGWARE, MIDDLESEX

EDGWARE, MIDDLESEX

Set on prominent corner position, impressive and substantial 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom, 3 reception room family home. Within the Eruv. Carriage driveway.

Garage. Sole Agents.

Freehold.

SOLD JULY 2016

A spacious 4 bedroom, 4 reception room detached family home moments from town centre. 100ft rear garden. Garage with off street parking. Utility room. Viewing a must.

Sole Agents.

Freehold £850,000

WOLMER GARDENS, EDGWARE An attractive fully detached 3 bedroom, 2 reception room family home. Kitchen/diner.

Guest WC. Pretty garden. Garage. Off street parking.

Freehold £699,950

STRATTON CLOSE, EDGWARE Recently refurbished, 2 bedroom ground floor flat.

Modern kitchen, bathroom and guest WC. Excellent storage. Communal gardens. Garage. Sole Agents.

Share of Freehold £420,000

Website: www.bladonsears.co.uk

updated daily

WINDSOR AVENUE, EDGWARE Excellent location.

3 bedroom extended semi detached house.

TV room, pretty rear garden. Garage.

Within the Eruv.

Sole Agents.

Freehold £675,000

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The Jewish News 14 July 2016

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INTERIORS

ENRICHING THE

KITCHEN and, as the winner of the ‘Innovation through Technology’ Hertfordshire Business award, Cameo Kitchens is the right company to take on such an enormous job. A unique blend of kitchen design specialist and online appliance retailer, Cameo ensures you get the best quality and advice because they rely on recommendations and referrals from satisfied customers.

Unlike many so-called experts, some of Cameo’s staff have been in the business since the 1970s and with that many years of combined experience in design and installation, they are able to create the dream kitchen you have always wanted. Here are some tips from Cameo to get you thinking and planning...

W

hen it comes to creating a new look for the hub of the house, it is not something you want to do alone. Designing kitchens is an intimidating task that requires expert guidance

GREY KITCHENS White has been popular for a long time, but grey is becoming the colour of choice because it takes away the starkness of white and fashion trends, with paint manufacturers such as Farrow & Ball producing great grey colours. Grey looks smart as a contrast to other colours, but also mixes well with materials such as wood and there is a distinct trend towards matt and satin

finishes rather than glossy.

Another trend at the moment is for handleless kitchens or a mixture of both, with invariably a mixture of materials.

NEW INNOVATIONS IN ISLAND DESIGN With the arrival of effective compact and downdraft extraction systems, island cooking is now a lot simpler as you no longer have to overcome the large barrier of an extraction unit. As a result, we are building bigger and bigger islands, which allow people to be much more sociable and face their family and friends while cooking, as opposed to having their backs to them.

The trend is for islands to be on a variety of different levels and feature different materials, with the thickness of the worktops creating an interesting design feature and becoming part of the feel of the kitchen.

SPLASHBACKS Forget about splashback tiles or glass bricks.

Now manufacturers such as Opticolour and Deco Glaze are producing a wide variety of colours of toughened glass, which can be templated and installed after the kitchen is fitted.

This method can complement the kitchen by colour matching to pick feature units. In Cameo’s showroom, for example, there is a kitchen featuring grey shelving and yellow glass.”

TILES The days of tiled kitchen worktops are long gone for both practical and hygiene reasons.

Tiles are almost exclusively now used as feature elements of a kitchen design, with materials such as porcelain very popular. Tiles are primarily used on the floor, with larger tiles of up to 600mm square, using colours such as whites, creams, blacks and greys and natural stones such as limestone. Glass is very popular to create a wow factor in your kitchen, with fashionable paint finishes that complement a material such as slate or porcelain from a feature wall and create texture in a kitchen design.

LIGHTING Lighting is a very important element of kitchen design, which is often overlooked. The way you light your kitchen has practical benefits but can also allow you to change the mood and the ambience of the room. Lighting concealed within welldesigned units can offer illuminated work surfaces without shadow by allowing the light to fall in front of you while you are working, not behind, and so helping you to prepare and cook food. But it can also enable you to change the tone and brightness of the kitchen to suit the occasion for a kitchen supper or bring some clarity to a girlie lunch. www.cameokitchens.co.uk, 0333 222 1487

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14 July 2016 The Jewish News

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ARTON REQUEST

A painting speaks a thousand words – and Jo Goldberg has mastered most of them, finds Brigit Grant

W

hen you have been holding a paintbrush since the age of five and producing artwork that belies your years, the question of what to do for a living is redundant.

But life isn’t that simple and, as Van Gogh and Modigliani would testify, a career as an artist is rarely easy or profitable. Jo Goldberg knows all of this, but once she realised her natural place is in front of a canvas, she was determined to make a success of it – and that is what is happening.

Her work on a variety of themes now hangs in restaurants and in the private homes of clients for whom she has created bespoke paintings. And now with a growing list of private commissions ranging from pet portraits to landscapes, she is now able to work less as an advertising executive to boost the coffers.

Like so many artists Jo, who grew up in Hatch End, is reluctant to describe her personal style, preferring it to be evaluated by an audience but, when the question is asked, she reveals: “My painting style is figurative but not completely realistic. I keep it expressive, so that part of ‘me’ goes into the work. I like to describe it as

‘observational’; whether it’s a portrait, a landscape or one of my antique objects, I just love to pick out interesting details that can go unnoticed.”

As a graduate of London’s celebrated Slade School of Fine Art where Lucian Freud taught, Jo learnt from the best.

“I like to generate a presence in my work,” she says, adding: “I think art is there to enhance and evoke, so I’ll always have this in my mind as I paint.”

Free of the pretentions that are common to so many artists, she is happy to take on commissions of all kinds.

“I have had very specific requests such as a large series of London landmarks for a restaurant in Leicester Square and most recently, a colleague’s friend who was turning 40 wanted me to do a painting as a birthday present. It was a painting of her – a single mother – and the two children she had through IVF. I knew immediately that there was a really special bond between them and when my colleague gave her the painting, she cried and said it was the best gift she had ever been given. I was so touched by this response. To move someone with your art is what it is all about.”

Painting people and capturing the “sense of spirit and presence contained within a person’s face” is a passion of Jo’s.

“I enjoy looking for subtle details that I know will really distinguish the character and persona of the subject. It can come from the whole face or even just a light speck in the eyes; it’s a great pleasure to be able to capture and inject something that perhaps photography can’t.”

Although people rank highly on her list of favourite subjects, animals are up there too and she has just been commissioned to a painting for a client who has requested a portrait of a close friend’s dog who is about to pass away.

“It’s very sad, but knowing I can provide a visual memory and touch someone with my art is an amazingly fulfilling feeling,” says Jo. Although the idea of posing for a portrait may

available and if it is from life, it will be five to seven sittings of three hours – but with some breaks.”

For those who recall Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters in which actor Max Von Sydow plays an artist who flies into a rage when asked to paint to size, there will no such problems with Jo. “I will create something to any size and have made paintings up to 8ft sq in the past! And I also do murals, mainly for children’s bedrooms, so I can literally make the wall into a painting.”

As Jo’s art is visually priceless, it seems rude to ask what she charges but, with bespoke portraits starting at £1,000, she is well within many budgets and the finished work is so much more impressive than another set of family photographs.

Currently working from her flat in east London, she is about to move north-west. “Much more convenient for clients,” says the artist who hopes to see her work adorning the walls of boutique hotels or your house very soon. sound like a commitment for the subject, Jo works mainly from photographs.

“I will try to meet the subject first if they are

To contact Jo Goldberg, call 07957 146798 or visit jogoldberg.com

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The Jewish News 14 July 2016

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INTERIORS

THERE IS NOTHING LIKE having architectural elements in your house that allow your indoor living to expand and blend with the outdoor space. Large, sliding glass windows or doors dispense with the separation between indoors and outdoors completely – and although we live in a country where the weather regularly disappoints, letting in the light in (even if it’s grey) opens up your house.

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his son, Robert, who took over the day-to-day leaves the factory until it has been thoroughly running in 1997 and built up their wide cuschecked over.” tomer base, which ranges from homeowners When it comes to installation, Swan believes wanting a full house of windows or a conservain causing minimum disruption while working in tory installation, to local builders and housing your school, office or home. The staff always developments. All their designs are bespoke to leave your property clean and tidy, removing you and your property in timber, aluminium or old windows and installation debris when they uPVC, to ensure that the result will not only finish, which is unusual for any workmen. complement your building and home, but also And you can forget about pushy salesmen, your lifestyle. as Swan Windows has a very relaxed approach.

With a background in the window industry “We believe our product sells itself,” says supplying directly Robert. “When to the trade as you call us out for well as installers, an appointment, Swan pays close there is absolutely attention to purno pressure. We chase of materials, will come out to manufacturing your office at a process and time to suit you, recruitment of discuss your highly skilled requirements and labour, so it can then send a no provide the best obligation quote. quality at an We guarantee not affordable price. to take up more of “We make sure your time than you Fabulous windows that bring the outside inside every detail is want, and we will correct before we tell you as much as start to manufacture doors, windows or archiyou want to know.” You can even go and visit tectural glass structures, as checking all measits showroom at Beesons Yard, Bury Lane, urements makes for a smooth installation,” Rickmansworth, or call 01923 720 792 for an says Robert. ”Our highly-skilled craftsmen use instant quote. So if you want your windows to the highest quality materials to ensure that the be a talking point outside and inside Swan finish of your product is perfect, so nothing Windows & Son will be able to help.

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14 July 2016 The Jewish News

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FURNITURE ENVY Do you look through magazines drooling at all the stunning designer furniture you could never afford and then trudge off to make do with high street retailers? Louisa Walters says there are options out there – you just need to know where to go HYDE HOUSE offers bespoke handmade furniture at really competitive prices. You end up with a piece of furniture that is the exact design, size and finish of your choosing, made to a high quality that will stand the test of time. You can also have bespoke fret work, taking the design to a whole other level.

Hyde House also offers monogramming for children’s rooms and nurseries.

The talent behind all this is Joanna Hauptman.

She trained as a graphic designer and spent many years working in high end fashion, flitting between Harper’s Bazaar, Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Harvey Nichols. Once she started building her own house, Joanna felt that there was a lack of affordable bespoke furniture. She set up Hyde House with a partner who is a third generation furniture craftsman.

Joanna is inspired by fashion, architecture, art, texture, colour and the world around us. She travels extensively, which helps in terms of aesthetics and experiencing different hotels, furniture and schemes. “I love the innovative designs that are coming out of California, which has an amazing array of contemporary and design-forward interior shops,” she says.

Hyde House works to each client’s specification and does home visits to advise and measure.

It also offers an interior design consultancy service. www.hydehouse.co.uk

MY LIVING ROOM in Mill Hill is a shop that supplies lighting and offers an interior design service as well as furniture. The team has a background in decorating and furnishing high-end residential property developments, so they are well-schooled in bringing a room to life.

The shop is an Aladdin’s cave of both branded and bespoke items, ranging from signature pieces to silk wall rugs with Hebrew calligraphy. There are items from all over the world, including funky Mickey Mouse and Louis Vuitton paintings from an artist in LA, which are shipped all the way to Mill Hill Broadway.

These are incredibly popular and clients go crazy for them.

The shop also has a good range of inexpensive knickknacks, including ridged glass cotton wool jars, which are inexpensive and add glamour, style and that interior design feel to any bathroom, bedroom or dressing room.

Everyone who enters the shop remarks on the carpet.

It is a product called TekSilk, which is exceptionally hard wearing and exceedingly soft and luxurious to walk on; clients often remove their shoes on entering the shop just to feel how great it is beneath their feet.

“Our clients love that they are purchasing something they won’t see at their friends’ houses,” says studio manager Amy-Fleur Simmons. “One of my favourite items at the moment is our Serip table lamp. Made in Portugal, this is a glass and bronze sculpture and lamp which sparkles beautifully at night.” www.mylivingroom.com

MAC+WOOD is an online furniture business. Not having a showroom enables the company to keep prices down, and as it ships all over the UK and Europe, there is no logical place to have a showroom anyway.

It all began when graphic designer Marcel Cowan struggled to find a statement kitchen table that would add warmth and drama to his new contemporary, streamlined kitchen. He wanted the table to be the hub of the home, big enough to seat the extended family, hard wearing and great looking. A tall order, so he designed his own. Realising he had hit on a style that others related to, he established Mac+Wood, adding new designs and extending the material and finish options to help it grow into an online business. All pieces are made to order and customers can change the sizes and see a sample of the wood before production starts.

“As our furniture designs and material choices were born out of fulfilling a real need, we understand the homes our pieces will go into and how they will be used,” he says.

Mac+Wood has just designed a 24-person board table for a corporate client that is a mix of reclaimed wood and bronzed copper tops, but its original signature table has proved to be the most popular design. Recently, the company made one with a reclaimed wood dark finish top with brushed stainless steel frame and matching benches and another in ash grey wood. “It is a great product to work with and it looks fantastic,” says Marcel, who is currently working on an aged copper table top, which is going to be a very special piece indeed. www.macandwood.co.uk

64 Watling Street, Radlett, WD7 7NP Tel: 01923 850444 | Fax: 01923 850456 Email: sales@radlettpremierbathrooms.co.uk www.radlettpremierbathrooms.co.uk

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INTERIORS

KNICK

KNACKS

Debra Barnes picks out the newest and best knick-knacks around to brighten your home on a budget Venetian Glass Knobs Fitting some new knobs on drawers, cupboards or doors is a great way of freshening up interiors with minimum cost and effort. Anthropologie has a large selection from £4.95, including these made from Venetian glass. www.anthropologie.com

Faux Flowers The new generation of faux flowers are so lifelike and very reasonably priced. Graham and Green does a large selection, including these beautiful ranunculus, sold individually at £6.95 per stem. www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

Russell & Son Landscaping

French Chef’s Salt And Pepper Set How cute are these £6.95 tin can salt and pepper shakers?! www.dotcomgiftshop.com

Anchovies Tin A quirky pink ‘anchovies’ tin perfect for storing bits and bobs for £3.95. Available in mackerel, octopus and sardines too! www.dotcomgiftshop.com Set of two Rustic Craft Tape Measure Storage Crates Give your craft supplies a beautiful home in these rustic craft storage crates, £35. These are best used for your bigger crafting goodies, like spare fabric and canvas, as the large crate is 40 x 30 x 12cm and the small crate is 35 x 25 x 9cm. The beauty is in the details, such as the rustic wood finish and ruler design. www.dotcomgiftshop.com

Creating that perfect garden for you Call today for a free quotation

0208 5183388 enquiries@russellandson.com

| 07736 670531

62 Albermarle Gardens, Ilford, Essex 1G2 6DL

www.russellandson.com

Scented Candles and Reed Diffusers Not knowing what fairy dust smells like, I have to say that this bestselling range by Lily-Flame reminds me of the smell of baby girls after bathtime..... delicious. Fairy Dust Reed Diffuser from John Lewis, £20. Ever popular Yankee Candle has a new collection for summer called Riviera Escape with four fragrances, including Olive & Thyme and Sea Salt & Sage which you can get at its huge new shop in Brent Cross. Small jar candles from £8.99.

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14 July 2016 The Jewish News

Pointe Duchess Pitcher Gorgeous stoneware jug, lace-embossed in bluegreen drip down hues, £38. It will look great on any summer table. www.anthropologie.com

Poo-Pourri Spritz the bowl before you go and no one else will ever know!

This before-you-go blend of natural essential oils creates a barrier to embarrassing bathroom odour. Available in a range of fragrances, the original is delightfully lemony. From £6.99 from Luv It, in Radlett, or various stockists online.

Folk Birds Washing Up Sponges & Language of Love Tea Towel Brighten up the most boring job of the day with these cute folk birds washing up sponges, £1.95 for a pack of three from www.dotcomgiftshop.com, then dry off with the Language of Love tea towel, £16 from www.anthropologie.com

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Ceramic Pineapple Lamp Deliciously kitsch, fun and fruity, this white ceramic pineapple table lamp, costing £35, gives off a warm glow, evoking chilled out tropical evenings. www.grahamandgreen.co.uk

Pretzel Shape Biscuit Cutter Add a quirky touch to your baking with this pretzel-shaped cookie cutter, £2.95. Even better, the spring loaded ejector means you get the perfect shaped biscuit every time! www.dotcomgiftshop.com

BLIND FAITH

If your windows need dressing, Brigit Grant recommends Flamingo (not the bird) IN A STATE OF THE ART MANSION on the corner of my road lives a man with no blinds.

It’s a house that attracts attention for its design but, more importantly, because of the cinema-sized window in the main bedroom that faces the street. Suffice it to say that cars have been known to lower their speed while driving by. It isn’t until you see a house without blinds and curtains that you realise just how important they are. Not just for avoiding exposure or hiding behind, but because they can change the way light works in a room and provide the finishing touch that unifies a theme. As with all structural or decorative elements in your house, you can go out on a limb and buy your blinds off the shelf, but if you really want to get it right (and we’re talking about measuring different sized- windows and doors) you need Flamingo Blinds, one of London’s oldest and most reliable blind businesses.

Thirty years of furnishing properties in north London has made it an expert in its field and, having left its original base in Winchmore Hill in 2008 for larger premises in Potters Bar, it now has its factory unit on-site.

From initially supplying blinds to domestic customers, Flamingo has expanded into the commercial market and now also specialises in motorised products, such as awnings, curtain tracks and all manner of internal blinds for shops, restaurants and hair salons.

HOB Salons are clients, along with Planet Organic, Harvey Nichols, McDonald`s and even the great chef Yotam Ottolenghi, who got the company to make the exterior blinds for his restaurants. Flamingo director Eric Bradman could talk blinds and awnings all day, but he did reveal the most popular kind. “Currently it is plantation shutters where the increase in sales is constant,“ he said, while giving a nod to battery-operated roller and Duo blinds. “Curtains are making a comeback too,” he added. Perhaps my neighbour will take note of the new trend.

Flamingo Blinds supplies external awnings and all manner of internal blinds for homes, shops and restaurants

For more information from very helpful experts, visit www.flamingoblinds.co.uk or call 01707 649 137

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INTERIORS

TURN EAST FOR

INSPIRATION The W Residence penthouse

Raizel Druxman meets the designers transforming Israeli neighborhoods

ONE WOULD HARDLY THINK OF JERUSALEM and Old Jaffa as fast-paced urban neighborhoods. They typically conjure up images of cobblestone roads, church bells ringing, prayer calls from mosques, tourists gathering at the Western Wall, the shouts of shuk sellers trying to outprice each other, and old men playing cards on the stoops of small, dome-shaped homes that line the horizon.

However, these ancient cities, rich with history and tradition, are quickly evolving into urban metropolises of art, culture, and hightech start-ups. Home designers are utilising this transformation to create stunning homes that reflect the developing modernity and the unique flair of Israeli culture.

Jerusalem Design is a company that was founded by two Israelis, Chezi Spero and Yoav Ehrenhalt, who wanted to see the city in which they grew up flourish. “For us, there is a personal component, in that we’re getting to rebuild Jerusalem,” Spero explains, “which means a lot to us, because this is where we grew up.”

A more minimalistic culture, Jerusalem is somewhat monochromatic and many of the houses in the city centre are quite old.

“It’s called the city of gold and in many old paintings, Jerusalem is depicted as a neighborhood of golden-domed houses,” says Spero. “But that’s not what it looks like anymore. We want to make Jerusalem beautiful again and create a culture of nice homes, both interior and exterior.”

One of the ways Jerusalem Design is helping people transform their old homes is by creating a new culture in the design business.

“Not everyone can afford high end, but everyone deserves high quality,” says Spero. “We are bringing that sense of quality to Jerusalem, even when you don’t spend millions of dollars.”

According to Spero, the first questions you need to ask when designing your home are: what is the house is being used for and who by? “Sometimes people end up using their space for storage instead of living in it. Plan ahead and ask yourself how you want the house to function.”

Another issue to consider is what floor plan works best for your lifestyle. “An open-floor plan gives you more actual space, but separating the space into definable rooms can create a feeling of more space,” Spero said. In urban planning in particular, bedroom sizes are important to consider. “If it’s a holiday home, make the rooms a little smaller so you can maximise the living space, where you are likely to be spending the most time,” Spero advises.

The smallest details sometimes make the biggest difference.

“Placing hooks in specific spots, using small niches to reduce clutter and even how you angle the floor tiles can make the space feel bigger. Windows are often overlooked as an element of design. Explore with colours on your windows and in the design in general. There is an abundance of beautiful underutilised colours in the world.”

Old Jaffa in Tel Aviv is also getting a facelift with the W Tel Aviv – Jaffa Hotel and Residences that will open next year. You may not own the penthouse in the W Residence, but you can certainly draw inspiration from renowned architects John Pawson for your own home.

Lighting is a crucial aspect to design and Pawson’s expertise in using the natural light surrounding the architecture is part of what makes his design so spectacular in creating a beautiful and functional space. “The right light makes a huge difference,” says Pawson. “‘What is light meant to do in this area?’ is the most important question to ask. If you buy a beautiful couch, but have the wrong lighting, it could look like the couch is the wrong colour,” Spero explains.

To add to the charm, the residences at The W Hotel were built within one of the 19th century buildings that once held Jaffa’s French Hospital, a hospice for the needy. Major restoration work was done to preserve the historic aspects of the property that date back to the 19th century and also include Crusader-era elements.

“Sitting above the old citadel, the penthouse will offer a unique perspective on one of the world’s oldest cities – north to modern Tel Aviv and seaward to the ancient port of Jaffa.

From this elevated location, one will be able to experience the exciting way in which the different characters and energies of these two places come together,” Pawson says with an important footnote.

“Whether your live in London, Johannesburg, California or Sydney, when it comes to redesigning your home, architectural masterpieces in Israel can provide a lot of inspiration.”

Clockwise: A Jerusalem Design home in Baka, Israeli designer Chezi Spero, a W Residence bedroom and a Jerusalem Design bathroom

www.jewishnews.co.uk

14 July 2016 The Jewish News

ON DISPLAY A

FRIEND HIDES AWAY her ceramic challah board as she thinks it’s too flashy, writes Alex Galbinski. But, as it was bought for her by close family, she feels obliged to use it.

Not so the people who buy products from Contemporary Judaica which, in the words of its founder Danya Kay, delivers ‘meaningful art for the home’.

Danya offers a modern and eclectic range of designs by Israeli and other artists and prices start from an affordable £20 for Judaica and gifts for the home. Many of her customers set up a wedding list for Judaica alongside a main list, as Natalie and Jonathan Lamb did when they got married in March.

Natalie says the items they put on their list – things for Friday night and festivals – are very pretty and not like the Judaica of old. “They’re not to be hidden away; they’re really modern so we like to have them out.”

Indeed, they proudly put on show their ‘Wedding Kiddush cup’ by Quest Collection that was used under their chuppah. “We loved it because it’s large enough that it was a real feature and looks gorgeous in our photographs. It was also lovely that the family member who bought it for us got to feel part of our ceremony.”

The couple found that family members in particular liked to buy Judaica as wedding gifts. “My grandma bought us the Crystal Infinity Shabbat Candlesticks, which are absolutely stunning and my other grandma bought us various things, including a blessing for the home and a mezuzah. It’s nice when they come round and see we are enjoying them.”

Having been given two “absolutely gorgeous” seder plates, the couple hosted the second night seder this year.

Natalie says: “I don’t think we would have done it if we hadn’t had such nice things. It was a really nice start to married life.” Visit: contemporaryjudaica.co.uk

Top:Jacquard Lace Chanukiah by Metalace Art. Above: The happy couple in Love Birds Crystal Picture Frame by Anat Mayer

Left: Crystal Infinity Candlesticks. Top: Quest Collection’s Wedding Kiddush Cup. Above: Seder Plate by Brian & Alice Bergner

AUTOMATED INTELLIGENCE

If you’re looking for security at the touch of a button and an efficient Shabbat timing device, Brigit Grant has the solution

WE MAY NOT HAVE REACHED THAT TIME when we can beam ourselves from place to place, but there are days when it feels as though we are living Star Trek. Smartphones, not so smart phones; multiple apps; flat screens, curved screens and more gizmos and

gadgets than we have room for has turned us all into wouldbe Captain Kirks venturing where no man has gone before – boldly or otherwise. Resistance is futile (to quote a Borg) as every family has become The Jetsons.

It is for that reason and the fact that there are as many technophobes as techno freaks that we need a company such as iHomes London to help us navigate our way around a new electronic age. iHomes London solves the problem of using multiple electronic devices by combining the different elements of your house into one, easyto-use interface – otherwise known as an integrated home. Home automation takes your separate audio, video, lighting, heating, security and CCTV and combines them into one intuitive user interface. Remember how cartoon space dweller George Jetson could turn everything on or off at the tap of a button? Well that will be you. On a more serious note, for those

who are shomer Shabbat and rely on timers for every aspect of their weekend, iHomes London can simplify and radically update a system so that lighting, cooking, heating and security is simplified. iHomes understands that peace of mind is priceless and have made it easy to secure a home and give you the tools to make sure it stays secure. iHomes’ integrated system allows you to view your CCTV cameras, set and unset your alarm, open and close garages, gates and doors. Best of all, if visitors arrive before you get home, a tap on your phone will save them from being stranded outside.

Its programmable lighting system will brighten your home by allowing you to easily switch lighting scenes, moving seamlessly from soft gentle lighting to a perfect cinema

experience to a bright party at the touch of a button. Imagine just settling into bed and remembering you’ve left the kitchen light on.

With the iHomes system, you don’t have to go all the way downstairs to fix it, as you just have to reach over to your interface to control all the lights in your home.

There will be no more worries about leaving your house dark and empty, with curtains wide open while you’re out for the day, on holiday or, more significantly, in synagogue during the winter months. The vacation mode will automatically close the blinds and have the lights come on to a schedule, making it seem occupied, warm and welcoming when you get in. iHomes offers the sort of whizz bang services you first saw in a sci-fi film, but they are now readily available. A chat with the company and a look through its brochure tells you iHomes is very here and now. Technology, as we would like to know it (to paraphrase Mr Spock). ihomeslondon.com or call 020 3700 0720

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