Absolutely Home Spring 2019

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S P R I N G 2 0 1 9

INSPIRING S PAC E S

SPRING 2019

Beautiful homes and sophisticated designs

£4.99

OVER THE LOOM

Weaving with Margo Selby

ART DECO Get the 1930s look

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LUCI N DA SAN FORD

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299 Munster Road, Fulham, London, SW6 6BJ 020 7381 1880 • tilesandbeyond.com

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SPRING 2019

34 DESIGN 29 CREATIVE REVIEW News from the design world

30 THE TOP TEN

All the best monochrome pieces

INSIDER

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14 CALENDAR

Diary dates for the coming season

16 NEWS

Snippets from the interiors industry

18 CHIHULY IN KEW

Glass artist Dale Chihuly brings his installations to Kew Gardens

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34 MARGO SELBY

Meeting the inspiring weaver

42 MAGIC CIRCUS Beautiful globe lighting

46 RETRO LIVING Upholstery with Anna Burles

51 ART DECO

The eternal style inspiration

52 CHALK DESIGNS

How architecture influenced jewellery

55 THE LEGACY

Denby Pottery's British tradition

COVER CRAIGANDROSE.COM

SPRING 2019 ï‚ž HOME

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EDITOR

Pendle Harte

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EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Flora Thomas

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EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

Nancy Alsop, Pearl Boyd, Helen Brown

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GROUP SALES DIRECTOR

Craig Davies

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GROUP SALES MANAGER

Anabela Koleci

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ART DIRECTOR

Phil Couzens

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SENIOR DESIGNERS

Pawel Kuba

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MID-WEIGHT DESIGNER

Rebecca Noonan

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DIGITAL MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Oltian Ruci

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MARKETING MANAGER

Lucie Pearce

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FINANCE DIRECTOR

Jerrie Koleci

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DIRECTORS

Greg Hughes, Alexandra Hunter, James Fuschillo

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PUBLISHING DIRECTOR

Sherif Shaltout

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PA TO DIRECTORS

30 LIVING 58 FAMILY LIFE

Touring Lucinda Sanford's beautiful home

INSPIRE

67 LIVING CORAL

90 HENRIETTA HOTEL

70 KITCHEN SOLUTIONS

97 DESIGN DESTINATIONS

Pantone's shade of the year Upgrading on a budget

86 NURSERY TRENDS Rooms for stylish tots

Award-winning hotel design

The Methuen Arms, Corsham

98 MY STYLE

John Swannell's moodboard

Eva Lehoczky

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For advertising enquiries please call 020 3397 8706 or email: craig@zest-media.com Subscriptions are available simply by emailing eva@zest-media.com. For editorial enquiries please email pendle@zest-media.com

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FROM THE

EDITOR

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pring is here, the clocks have gone forward and the light is sharper and more joyful.

Everything seems more optimistic and this issue of Home is as colourful as the new season.

For one thing, we're celebrating coral, or Living Coral, as Pantone refers to its colour of the year. This pinky-orange shade has supplanted the more insipid and altogether safer Millennial Pink with its all-out, unapologetic brightness. In the spirit of colour confidence, we met weaver Margo Selby, who insists that she does try to achieve minimalist looks but just doesn't have it in her. In her Whitstable studio she produces beautiful, intricate woven pieces that span blankets, scarves and cushions as well as framed art pieces – and her work is licensed to countless brands too. Not only is she a hugely talented weaver but she's a canny businesswoman – and she's also great company. Also in this issue we meet interior designer Lucinda Sanford, whose natural sense of style combined with a practical approach to create her own brilliantly designed and highly covetable family home. Plus we look at upgrading your kitchen in a weekend, displaying flowers and rethinking your whole colourscheme.

We hope you enjoy the magazine.

Pendle Harte

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Things we like this month

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1 Accessories in Living Coral page 67 2 New neutral paints; page 16 3 Denby Pottery; page 55 4 All things stripey; page 45 5 Monochrome wallpaper page 30 6 Earrings inspired by buildings. Yes really; page 52

HOME  SPRING 2019

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We’re turning 10, join us to celebrate!

REGISTER FOR FREE clerkenwelldesignweek.com #CDW2019 #CDW10

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NEWS • PEOPLE • DESIGN • EVENTS

INSIDER N E W S 16

C H I H U LY I N K E W 18

VIBIA.COM

D I A R Y DAT E S 14

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A D AT E W I T H

DESIGN Art fairs, festivals and events for your calendar

By H E L E N B R OW N

SMOKE AND MIRRORS From 11 April W E L LC O M E C O L L EC T I O N

Smoke and Mirrors: The Psychology of Magic is the first exhibition of its kind to focus on the relationship between magic and psychology. Through spirit photography and magic props, the exhibition will seek the truth about deception, ask how suggestion affects our senses and consider what it is that makes us believe in magic.

183 Euston Road, NW1;

FR ANZ WEST Ongoing TAT E M O D E R N Ironic, irreverent, yet profoundly philosophical, Franz West was a key figure of European art in the late 20th century, bringing punk aesthetic into the pristine spaces of art galleries. Visitors to this major retrospective will be able to handle replicas of his Passstücke (Adaptives) – papiermâché pieces made to be picked up and moved.

They were a turning point in the relationship between art and its audience.

Bankside, SE1; tate.org.uk

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PLAKATENTWURF (DIE ALUSKULPTUR) © ESTATE FRANZ WEST, © ARCHIV FRANZ WEST

COURTESY OF THE BRITISH LIBRARY

wellcomecollection.org

BRICK WO N D E R S Ongoing HORNIMAN MUSEUM

From an ancient Egyptian pyramid and the Old London Bridge to the natural wonder of a coral reef and the modern marvel of the international space station, Brick Wonders invites you to discover amazing structures from around the world made entirely from LEGO®. 100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23; horniman.ac.uk

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I N S I D E R | WHAT’S ON

FO R B I D D E N FRUIT Ongoing S O U T H P L AC E H O T E L

South Place Hotel has teamed up with the brilliant Lynnie Z in an exhibition showcasing the artist’s work portraying beguiling muses and femme fatales. Forbidden Fruit depicts women from the perspective of the female gaze, empowered, mystically-alluring and implicitly sensuous.

3 South Place, EC2M;

© MARK ALLAN

southplacehotel.com

I T ’ S ( N OT ) O N LY R O C K ’ N ’ R O LL

B E V E R LY FISHMAN

From 4 April BARBICAN

From 3 April RONCHINI GALLERY

For the first time in 15 years, American artist Beverly Fishman returns to London with all new works inspired by parallels drawn between pharmaceuticals and art. Fishman’s vivid geometric reliefs are representative of how pharmaceutical companies utilise aesthetic appeal in their products.

22 Dering Street, W1S;

Mark Allan has spent over 30 years in music and entertainment photography, working with major artists such as Bowie, Britney Spears, Tina Turner and Gorillaz amongst others. This diverse exhibition showcases some of Allan’s most striking prints from across the years and features one section specifically dedicated to some of the world’s most renowned conductors. Silk Street, EC2Y;

ronchinigallery.com

barbican.org

CLERKENWELL DESIGN WEEK 21 - 23 May VA R I O U S L O C AT I O N S

Celebrating its 10th year, the awardwinning CDW brings together over 300 exciting brands from the international design community These are the highlights. clerkenwelldesignweek.com

ARTE

MONTBEL

ERCOL

Timber collection arte-international.com

Danielle Armchair montbel.it

Von collection ercol.com

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I N S I D E R | NEWS Compiled by

PENDLE HARTE

I N T H E N E WS U P DAT E S F R O M T H E I N D U S T R Y

GREY SCALE

POT HEAD

MYLANDS

FERM LIVING

Mylands, the world’s oldest family-owned paint manufacturer, has launched a new Greys & Neutrals paint palette, an exquisite collection of 24 subtle architectural shades, which expands the Londonbased paint maker’s collection to more than 170 colours. mylands.com

Ferm Living’s Hourglass Pots are elegantly crafted to give plants an elevate position. Position them on the floor or on a table, inside or outside, and dsiplay your plants in style. From £87.90 connox.co.uk

MAGIC LAMPS ALEXANDER JOSEPH

SOFT TOUCH

If you hate unsightly wires, these lamps are the solution. Working with a team of British designers and artisan craftsmen, inventor Mark Robinson has developed the ultimate cordless lamp, featuring specialist patented battery cells for longer life. The ceramic and glass bodies are all hand-made by master craftsmen in small workshops, and the finished product is 100% British. alexanderjoseph.co.uk

B R I T I S H B L A N K E T C O M PA N Y Brother and sister team Joe and Bethan John from Somerset are proud of their quality blankets woven at traditional woollen mills in the British Isles. Each one is hand-picked for its quality, style and versatility. thebritishblanketcompany.com

ELECTRIC BLUE HARRIS & HARRIS

The Wharf Lighting collection is the latest addition to the growing Harris & Harris product range, designed in house by the Harris & Harris studio. It fuses classic glass elements with minimal metal work to produce a sophisticated yet playful lighting range with a focus on craftsmanship and quality. harrisharrislondon.co.uk

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Room for new ideas. bulthaup b Solitaire

Discover all the possibilities with bulthaup b Solitaire at: bulthaup Mayfair 37 Wigmore Street London, W1U 1PP Tel. 020 7495 3663 www.mayfair.bulthaup.com

bulthaup Holland Park 142 – 144 Holland Park Avenue London, W11 4UE Tel. 020 7822 2800 www.hollandpark.bulthaup.com

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Dale Chihuly’s beautiful glass pieces go on show around Kew Gardens this month.

HOME has a preview Words E V E H E R B E R T

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major exhibition of work by one of the world’s most celebrated contemporary glass artists comes to Kew Gardens this month. Seattle-based glass artist Dale Chihuly’s impressive luminous artworks go on display in a perfect marriage of art, science, and nature. Famous worldwide for his dazzling coloured glass sculptures, Chihuly’s work has been exhibited in an incredible 240 museums around the world over the course of his 50-year career.

As well as glass, Chihuly uses paint, charcoal, graphite, neon, ice and Polyvitro to explore possibilities and realise his vision.

At Kew, Chihuly’s artworks will truly sing – unrestrained bursts of colour commanding a space of luscious greenery, showing visitors one of London’s few UNESCO world heritage sites in an entirely different way; its rolling vistas and ornate glasshouses transformed into a contemporary outdoor gallery space like no other.

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I N S I D E R | SPOTLIGHT

HOME ž SPRING 2019

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I N S I D E R | SPOTLIGHT

A reverie of form, colour, and light, Chihuly’s exquisite artworks are often described as exaggerated celebrations of what is found in nature. As the most biodiverse postcode on the planet, Kew’s breathtaking landscape is the ideal home for such work. Visitors will make discoveries in their own time as they explore the gardens, experiencing surprise and wonder at what they find – graceful, luminous colour juxtaposed with the solid earthiness of nature. A total of 32 art installations will be situated across the gardens in a wide variety of locations.

Kew’s Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art (the world’s only gallery dedicated to botanical art), will host 12 bodies of work developed over 40 years, as well as a film detailing Chihuly’s creative process. Visitors to the gallery will experience the expressive lines and abstract forms of Chihuly’s Drawings, as well as the Rotolo series - the most technically challenging work Chihuly and his team have ever created, and Seaforms, delicate undulating forms that conjure underwater life, among others.

Other stunning locations for the artworks include the ornate Waterlily House, and the resplendent Palm House lake. The iconic

Temperate House will be home to a brand new, specially designed sculpture, inspired by the cathedral-like space, as well as nine other installations.

Artist Dale Chihuly says: “I am honoured to bring my work once again to Kew, with its magnificent landscape and extraordinary glasshouses--structures which have always captivated me. How do you describe a beautiful building like the Palm House or the Temperate House? We are planning something special for the centre of the newly-restored Temperate House and I’m excited to see it come to fruition.”

Graceful, luminous colour juxtaposed with the solid earthiness of nature C H I H U LY AT K E W REFLECTIONS ON NATURE 13 April – 27 October 2019 kew.org

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Replacing beautiful timber windows and doors, beautifully

The Decorative Antiques & Textiles

FAIR

ANTIQUES AND 20th CENTURY DESIGN FOR INTERIOR DECORATION THREE TIMES A YEAR IN BATTERSEA PARK, LONDON

SPRING

9-14 April 2019

AUTUMN

1-6 October April 2019

WINTER

21-26 January 2020 decorativefair.com +44 (0)20 7616 9327

Bring the outdoors in

www.ayrtonbespoke.com

020 8877 8920 enquiries@ayrtonbespoke.com

406 Merton Road, Wandsworth, London SW18 5AD 61- 63 Tottenham Lane, Crouch End, London N8 9BE New South East London Showroom (Opens October) 18 Forest Hill Road, East Dulwich, London SE22 0RR

Use this advert as a complimentary ticket for two / AH

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I N S I D E R | NEWS Compiled by

PENDLE HARTE

I N T H E N E WS U P DAT E S F R O M T H E I N D U S T R Y MATCH UPS FA R R O W & B A L L X

BLOOMSBURY SHADES

T H E R U G C O M PA N Y New to the collection of rugs in Farrow and Ball shades is this carefully devised Portobello Pink rug that comes in three different textures, all handloomed in Nepal. therugcompany.com

AN N I E S LOAN Annie Sloan's collaboration with Charleston has resulted in three colours inspired by the incredible home of the Bloomsbury group. highly decorated rooms within the British farmhouse: Rodmell, Firle and Tilton. anniesloan.com

POTTERY POLITICS B R E X I T WA R E

STATEMENT PIECE

Hard, soft or scrambled? Brexitware is a collection of ceramics launched soon after the 2016 referendum.

What are EU having for breakfast?

Egg cup pair, £21 brexitware.com

BELLA FREUD /G I LLIAN WE AR I N G Bella Freud and Gillian Wearing came together to work on pieces inspired

by Suff ragist leader Millicent Fawcett and her campaign, from which partial profits are donated to the Fawcett Society. Why not treat yourself to a Suff ragette City teapot? plinth.uk.com

FLOCK FABRIC ERCO L X FLO C K Ercol has teamed up with forward-thinking British textile brand, Flock, to create a collection of limited-edition chairs.

Showcasing two brand-new fabric designs on ercol’s award-winning Marino chair, the range will be available to buy at Heals in spring. £1,995. ercol.com

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I N S I D E R | BOOKS

BOOK CLUB Five of the best new interiors tomes

Words P E N D L E H A R T E

PA LLET ST Y LE Pallet Style captures the growing trend for DIY furniture made from wooden pallets, one of the most searched for items on Pinterest. An introductory section explains the different kinds of standard pallets – many of which can be sourced for free as they are so readily available. Full instructions for deconstructing a pallet are provided, together with ideas on how to source them. So, whether you want to make something in a weekend or embark on a more complex bespoke piece for your home, these projects are stylish and sustainable, from Scandi-influenced urban apartments to rustic retreats. £20, kylebooks.com

W E AV I N G Weaving is a centuries-old craft with a fascinating history, and one that continues to evolve.

It is being revitalized today by designers, artists and modern craftspeople all over the

N O R TH E R N CO M FO R T world: from wall-hangings and carpets to art installations and technological tours-de-force.

Weaving – Contemporary Makers on the Loom presents a survey of this vibrant revival, with profiles of over twenty contemporary weavers. Author Katie Treggiden’s essays explore the craft’s relationship with themes such as emancipation, migration and new technologies. £30, ludion.be

K ITC H E N LI V I N G Kitchen Living delves into the space where we now spend most of our time, lookgin at current technology and trends that have allowed these spaces to become more experimental. From kitchen designers to food writers to photographers, this is a voyage through the kitchen interiors that inspire the people who have made food their life. Draw inspiration and learn life hacks on how subtle touches can create mighty solutions. £40, gestalten.com

Scandinavian design and creativity are synonymous with cozy homes and architecture that combine style with tradition, indoors with outdoors, natural materials with rich colors, and playfulness with clarity.

Northern Comfort – The Nordic Art of Creative Living brings together the people, endeavors, and ideas that best embody this way of life, focusing on interior design while also venturing into the outdoors, the kitchen, and the atelier. £40, gestalten.com

M I D - C E N T U RY

M O D E R N LI V I N G

Written by Keith Stephenson and Mark Hampshire from Mini Moderns, the renowned interiors brand which specialises in applied pattern across a varied range of products, this is a comprehensive guide to mid-century pattern and style. It's a beautifully photographed book in which Keith and Mark delve into the cornerstones of mid-century style and share their secrets on how to bring together the things you love to create your own look. They also include inspirational case studies, to demonstrate particular looks such as Beatnik Beach House and Scandi Rustic to Ocean Blue and Studio Townhouse.. £20, octopusbooks.co.uk

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Design Details Mat ter Complete your Home with Finishing touches that are any thing but ordinary Shop our full range of products and colours at www.dowsingandreynolds.com

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www.castrads.com Book a home consultation or visit one of our showrooms for bespoke heating Cast iron radiators hand made in England UK stores in Chelsea, Wimbledon & Manchester +44 (0) 20 3397 7295 | +44 (0) 161 439 9350

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D E S I G N | NEWS

CREATIVE

SOUND BITE RUAR K AU D I O

New from Ruark is the super stylish R5 High Fidelity Music System which not only looks fantastic but offers the ultimate in sound quality too. Encased in luxurious walnut or soft grey lacquer, the R5 has wifi and bluetooth for streaming as well as a cd player, dab radio and endless input and output ports. £999; ruarkaudio.com

R E V I E W Updates from the industry Compiled by

PENDLE HARTE

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GLASS ART CURIOUSA & CURIOUSA

The slick new Tor Light

by Curiousa & Curiousa is hand-blown in Derbyshire without moulds, making every piece unique. It has a refined look with modern sweeping lines combined with a bold yet natural colour palette. curiuosa.co.uk

PR I NT WO R K CELIA BIRTWELL X B LEN DWORTH

Blendworth Interiors have collaborated with Celia Birtwell, taking inspiration from her extensive archive and lovingly interpreting her fashion prints into fabric designs for interiors.

Designs include large-scale retro florals, abstract animal prints and whimsical geometrics, all suitable for drapery and upholstery.

CABINET LOVE LIGNE ROSET

Combining elegance, sobriety and finishing details, LIgne Roset's Estampe TV cabinet/media storage unit is marked out by fronts and sides in sawn oak, doors and drawers with slimmed-down edges and rounded corners, and a fixed linoleum-covered upper top. From £2,954 ligne-roset.com

blendworth.co.uk

IN THE FRAME BORZALINO

Past and present, tradition and innovation combine in the Ayton sofa by Borzalino. The austerity of the frame inspired by Nordic geometry of the '50s fades into the informal comfort of a contemporary seat and backrest.

Ayton is composed of different types of seats and shelves for endless combinations to make it easy to fit any space. archello.com

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B L ACK & WHITE

HELL YEAH Tulibee's Yay knitted blanket expresses as much joy as is possible with it limited colourscheme. £79

10 of the best...

Monochrome pieces

tubilee.co.uk

COMPILED BY PENDLE HARTE

MARBLE EFFECT

The Jaspéro collection is handcrafted in an atelier in Aubagne, in the South of France. Each soup plate is unique; £27. caravane.co.uk

FUNKY TOWN

STRAIGHT UP

Claybrook Studio's Semaphore Enterprise tiles are made from servicable porcelain that's suited to areas with heavy wear. £39 per m2. claybrookstudio.co.uk

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The Baked Tile Company's London Funk Collection adds personality to a room.

Pictured is the Metropolitan tile in black and antique white, £54 per m2. bakedtiles.co.uk

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D E S I G N | TREND HOT PLATE

Caravane's Neroli crockery is stylishly monochrome with a beautiful, handfinished feel. From £15 caravane.co.uk

TOWN HOUSE Decoville's intriguing Amsterdam neutral wallpaper repeats endless Dutch canal houses in shades of grey. We could stare at it forever, £150 decoville.co.uk

A STITCH IN TIME

Caravane's Segaya cushion, £70 is one of a super stylish selection at our current favourite interiors store, Caravane in Coal Drops Yard. caravane.co.uk

SOFT WEAVE

This hand-woven Sakuro wool throw by Margo Selby combines several patterns to create a complex and beautiful weave. margoselby.com

LINE UP

White Black Grey's Geometric tile coasters will keep you entertained for hours creating patterns. whiteblackgrey.co.uk

HUNG UP

Rume's simple yet stylish Caravaggio pendant lamp comes in black and white in a variety of finishes. £310 rume.co.uk

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B E S P O K E

WARDROBES

DRESSING ROOMS

BOOKCASES

WYNDHAM Celebrating 15 years in fine craftsmanship and design

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F U R N I T U R E

CINEMA ROOMS

STUDIES

STORAGE SOLUTIONS

WWW.WYNDHAMDESIGN.COM

0208 899 6609 C H I S W I C K PA R K L O N D O N W 4

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D E S I G N | PROFILE

FRUIT OF O THE LOOM Margo Selby’s woven fabrics are characterised by their intricate patterns, strong colours and bold designs. HOME visits her in her Whitstable studio Words P E N D L E H A R T E

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eaving is having a moment. Tate Modern’s recent show of Anni Albers’ work threw weaving, and particularly women weavers, into the spotlight and Margo Selby is one of the UK’s best and most successful weavers.

Her work spans large-scale commissions and major licenses as well as an ongoing stream of one-off, hand-woven pieces. She is both a talented maker and a savvy entrepreneur.

Having started her business 15 years ago, straight out of college with a large floor loom taking up a lot of space in her bedroom in Willesden, she now manages a serious business from a studio in Whitstable. She produces designs for companies ranging from Osborne and Little to the Royal Opera House, via the London Transport Museum and Bert Frank, while continuing to weave her own blankets, scarves and lengths of fabric for framing. Her colourful, graphic patterns have a strong signature that’s immediately identifiable, even in the vast variety of her output – and her dedication to the craft is enormous.

She’s also hugely friendly and fun. Welcoming me to her studio, she is clearly loved by her employees, all of whom, she insists, must spend some time on the loom every week. It’s fundamental for her that the business won’t lost sight of its roots in hand weaving. Because

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it all started with technique. It was a fascination with making fabric, though not specifically woven fabric, that interested her at first.

She tells me: “My family have always had a tradition of women making textiles at home.

My granny taught me crochet, knitting and cross-stitch. I was interested from a young age, so when I found out I could do a degree in textiles I thought that was really exciting.”

Weaving didn’t immediately appeal because of what she assumed would be a restrictive method. “You do have to be very disciplined and follow a lot of rules and I’m not really like that, but somehow that discipline gives me a big sense of security and my work a lot of structure. I’m very mathematical. I like it to make sense and be ordered and have a structure. I don’t like designs that are too organic.”

The loom, she explains, was essentially the first computer. It works to a binary formula; designs are drawn on paper in the form of grids representing different squares of pattern, warp or weft. Working a loom all depends on the complex threading of it, with the warp thread on the loom and the weft thread going through it.

But what is it actually like, sitting at a loom and weaving? “It’s very meditative, rhythmic, you can get lost in it.” Do you have to count? Is it forgiving or are mistakes rectifiable? “There is some counting,” she admits. “But yes, you

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D E S I G N | PROFILE

can unpick it.” She encourages me to have a go and it’s quite physical: first you pull the beater towards you and push it back, then you push the foot pedal and throw the shuttle carrying the weft thread through the warp structure, and then repeat: pull the beater again and so on. It’s a rhythm and I can imagine continuing happily for some time, once you’re in the swing of it. What I can’t imagine, however, is conceiving of a pattern and working out how to thread the loom to create it. “One of the most difficult things when you’re learning is to have an idea in your head and translate it to the loom. I have found that as long as the vision is really clear then the result is successful. Understanding pattern and graphic design has become an important part of the business.” Mills can do more complex patterning with jaquard looms, while Selby’s own main loom has 24 shafts that can be lifted differently, to create separate weaves side by side. When working with a mill, she will provide them with a sketch created in Illustrator, and then instruct them to apply certain weaves. “So I can combine my work on the handloom with the industrial.

Some people think of manufacturing as a dirty word, but for me, the mills are run by amazing craftspeople with many years of experience in developing techniques.”

Margo runs weaving workshops for complete beginners as well as more experienced weavers, not because she needs to fill her weekends with weaving but because she

wants to keep the craft alive, and because she just loves it. “It’s a bit of a dying craft, it’s a slow process and one that’s easy for people to forget so we feel like we’re keeping it alive.”

She also mentors younger weavers through a Crafts Council scheme.

While Margo Selby fabric has become a staple in the interiors industry, it was accessories that came first for her. In fact, she wasn’t particularly interested in what the fabric would be used for at first – all she cared about was making different fabrics and patterns, experimenting with threading the loom to get different results. “I thought I wasn’t going to worry about the end use, I’d just make pieces,” she says, and though her first pieces did become scarves, that was mostly because of the simplicity of the scarf size and shape.

Today she makes fragments of cloth that are designed to be framed as art pieces; last year she held a solo exhibition of them. “I feel as though I’m painting with yarn, exploring how colours and threads react to one another when I place them together. I’m fascinated by the process of blending yarns on the loom rather than dyeing them.”

It wasn’t until she started being approached by people asking her to apply her fabrics for interiors that she began to think about using them. She started with headboards and soon people began commissioning for hotels and bigger projects, and she started to think about making fabrics that were more suited

I LOVE EXPLORING HOW COLOURS AND THREADS REACT TO ONE ANOTHER WHEN I PLACE THEM TOGETHER

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to that. Durability is hugely important for upholstery and interiors fabrics. “We have just made our first rug out of recycled bottles. It’s a wool imitation and it feels nicer than some of our wools,” she says with enthusiasm. That was woven in India, though she uses mills in the UK wherever possible. “I’d like to see more decorative cloth woven here,” she says. “The decorative mills I know of make gorgeous silks, but not durable ones, nothing you could use for upholstery. Even in India weaving is in decline. It’s rare to find weavers under 50 now.”

How does she approach commissions? Her signature style is so strong, and yet it has been incorporated into pieces by so many different brands. “If you continue to make things yourself, no matter how many things you try your signature will stay strong. You can’t get away from it really. I like to have texture on texture, pattern on pattern, little stripes on little stripes. I guess I’m a maximalist. I try hard to do neutral, but my neutrals have about 12 colours in them.”

Ultimately, she simply enjoys working with yarn, any construction of yarn. What next for Margo Selby? Predictably, it’s all about the looms. “This year, I want the looms to be working all the time,” she says. margoselby.com

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D E S I G N | FOCUS

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SIXTIES SILKS Home admires Richard Allan London’s new collection of prints and scarves Words R O S I E R E Y N O L D S

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ichard Allan’s use of colour and pattern was a defining hallmark of the 1960s and 70s art and fashion scene in London. His boldly printed scarves amassed a cult status and celebrity following, and in his first year of trading Richard sold over 50,000. The unique and daring prints nod to the decorative and graphic Art Nouveau style, a movement characterised by innovation rather than tradition.

His daughter, Cate Allan, set herself the task of finding every single design her father made in order to build up an archive. Fusing her own artistic vision with her father’s, Cate has created

a range of updated designs which feature in a collection of six limited edition prints and silk scarves, all in unique colourways.

The resulting collection is a modern and fresh update that retains Richard Allan’s signature aesthetic. Each design belongs to a series of 100, all hand printed on museum grade paper and of exceptional quality. The works are all framed in either black, white, gilt or silver, measuring 79 cm x 81 cm and costing £990, whilst unframed prints cost £750 each. The Richard Allan London seal is embossed on each of the prints and all are made in the UK. richardallenlondon.co.uk

1. Elegance: The cascading effect of ribbons on ballet shoes and the delicate nature of dance.

2. Elsa: An artist who collaborated with Richard, Elsa is a cheerful tribute.

3. Dotty: Vintage pop art is the inspiration behind this particular print.

4. Aster: An Iris and an Aster are combined to create a beautiful and contemporary floral pattern.

5. Zen: Calmness, continuity and regeneration are depicted by the cascading willows and tranquil water.

6. Hepworth: A tribute to the infamous sculptor.

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HOME swoons over Marie-Lise Féry’s dreamy Magic Circus Editions

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In the manner of Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, she blends together elegance, humour and unexpected details

ith Pop-Up, Marie-Lise Féry takes us on journey through a fantastic world full of references.

For her third collection, the Lyon-based designer is diving into the hedonism of the 1970s.

Her view of the period is both ironic and vivacious, offering a subtle, yet showy perspective: are these eye-shaped lamps looking at us? Is the reflective surface of the glass really a distorting mirror showing us the narcissism of the time? With the slender and elegant lines calling attention to every little detail, Marie-Lise Féry creates contemporary designs with the trademark “retrofor-tomorrow” approach, which has earned Magic Circus Éditions its name in the lighting industry since its foundation in 2015.

The Pop-Up pieces consist of between one and three domes of lacquered brass (in pistachio, pink, light blue, dark blue and lemon), each attached to a brass stem (gold or slatecoloured), highlighting the delicate shape of the mouth-blown glass. Floor lamps and table lamps stand on a Carrara marble base.

Finishes include a hallmark stamped on each

Circus Editions lamps question the changeable status of objects – between function and aesthetic, balance and lightness, drama and reverie.

Magic Circus Éditions founder Marie-Lise Féry was born in Paris. After studying art business, she moved to New Yorko.

Fascinated by the city’s architecture, she found an endless source of inspiration in the Big Apple’s monumental décors. Returning to France, based herself in Lyon, where she opened an antiques gallery named Un Château en Espagne, and started telling her own stories through objects she gleaned here and there. A way for her to perpetuate her mother’s motto: “Objects with a soul will always find their place”. Since 2015, the year she established Magic Circus Éditions, she has moved on to lighting as a means of telling her stories, bringing the magic of the show into home interiors. With her love for the theatre, the circus, turn-ofthe-century cabarets and music halls, MarieLise Féry imagines each new original creation as a way to stage her vision. In the manner of Wes Anderson in Grand Budapest Hotel, blending together elegance, humour and unexpected details, her designs never fail to surprise. Like magic lanterns – precursors to modern-day cinema –, Marie- Lise Féry creates a succession of illusions, with immense, lightweight compositions conjuring silent references. Attentive to the look of her pieces both in daylight and at night, Marie-Lise Féry takes us on a journey through space (from outside to inside) and time (from yesterday to today).

piece to identify it. Like jewellery, each handcrafted item tells the story of the very best European artisans who shaped it. The fine glass craftsmanship, paired with brass, resonates with earlier creations by Magic Circus Éditions.

Drawing on the heritage of urban landscapes, shifting our perspectives by playing on scale and use, using lighting to tell stories, Magic Circus Éditions creates beautifully hand-crafted pieces from weightless and playful designs, offering an alternative perspective on everyday objects and inventing 21st-century vintage. Each collection draws from a singular inspiration: early street lights for Collection 01, the Far East for Collection 02 and the glossy polychrome allure of the 70s for her latest collection: Pop-Up. Magic

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new houses | extensions | refurbishments | basement excavations | swimming pools

LO N DO N | LOS A N G E LES

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16/11/2018 16:13

D E S I G N | TREND BOHEMIA DESIGN Bohemia White Cotton Scribble Stripe Blanket £145 bohemiadesign.co.uk

MADE.COM Manhattan Kids Stripe Shade, £25 made.com

ORIGINAL BTC Circle Line Drop Pendant, Blue, £219 chaplins.co.uk

MARGO SELBY Hastings double duvet cover, £90 margoselby.com

ARTHOUSE Silk road stripe wallpaper in terracotta, £16.99 per roll brewershome.co.uk

E A R N YO U R

STRIPES

MADE.COM Keana vase made.com

Embrace the two-tone trend

By P E N D L E H A R T E

CARPETRIGHT Westmoreland Twist Carpet In Zebra Stripe, £7.99 per m2 carpetright.co.uk

CONTENT BY TERENCE CONRAN Painted Stripe Quilt Set, £65 dunelm.com

BEAUMONDE Rainbow striped cotton throw, £51 beaumonde.co.uk

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Something Old, Something New Anna Burles and Retro Living launch a collection of reinvented and reupholstered classic pieces.

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nterior designer Anna Burles from Run For The Hills has just completed a super cool and creative collaboration with Malcolm Russell of vintage store Retro Living. The duo have come together to curate a range of beautifully restored and collectable furniture pieces; reupholstered, reinvented and restyled using a selection of fashion forward fabrics and finishes selected by Anna.

Retro Living is a haven for mid-century design, ranging from renowned designers such as Niels Moller, Arne Jacobson, Dyrlund and Hans Wegner. Each object is personally chosen

by Malcolm Russell, who founded the store.

Anna Burles runs award-winning boutique interior design studio Run For The Hills, specialising in the design of highly original and conceptual commercial and residential spaces. Her interiors are full of individuality, innovative surprises and hidden creative touches, styling modern and traditional spaces in conceptual ways, devising exciting schemes full of creative touches and artfully juxtaposing eclectic finds, vintage classics and

The 1930s armchairs are finished in gorgeous patterns and colours antique s with modern next generation design and high street gems. Her client list includes well-known and stylish private individuals, music stars and well-known hospitality and retail brands. She even designed for the Queen during the Coronation Festival. She runs the business with her artist and graphic designer husband, Chris (aka “Dex”) and they also specialise in hospitality design, including concepting a new Boutique Cinema, Bar & Cafe in Bath, and Kricket’s new restaurant at the iconic Television Centre. On the residential side, they are currently refurbishing a huge, light-filled large apartment within an iconic shorefront grand hotel in Nice and styling the London home of pop star Ellie Goulding, with whom Anna’s worked for many years.

Anna and Malcolm’s first collection includes a range of 1930s Deco-style armchairs by Jindrich Halabala, finished in a gorgeous suite of patterns and colours from fabric company Arley House and Linwood textiles. Also available is a range of single armchairs and pairs, all beautifully restored and re-upholstered in fabrics shot through with Anna’s trademark style, restored with care by Malcolm and his team of artisans.

RETRO LIVING 7a Church Street, London NW8 retroliving.co.uk

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D E S I G N | TREND ATKIN AND THYME Toledo console table, £349 atkinandthyme.co.uk

NISI LIVING Diamante acrylic tumber, £12 nisiliving.co.uk

JONATHAN ADLER Malachite vases, £198 jonathanadler.com

BAR CRAFT Art Deco brass finish cocktail shaker, £19.99 ocado.com

SWOON EDITIONS Ziggy sideboard, £649 swooneditions.com

THE GIFTED FEW Light green arch vase, £39.95 thegiftedfew.cm

DECO DELIGHTS

Art Deco is always in style.

Here are some contemporary pieces

By P E N D L E H A R T E

ROSS & BROWN Gold round mirror with black frame, £144 rossandbrownhome.co.uk

MINIFORMS Celia sideboard, £3,160 gomodern.co.uk

THE FRENCH BEDROOM COMPANY Peacock gold fire screen, £140 frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk

BETHAN GRAY Jade Shamsian Nizwa cabinet, £9,420 wagreen.co.uk

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HOME quizzes architect and jeweller Malaika Carr about the interaction between buildings and bling

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Q: How did you start incorporating architectural elements into jewellery design?

A: Having studied architecture, my mind has been trained to see things in a particular way. I tend to see buildings as a puzzle, a series of components that can be broken down. I extract these components and start forming shapes. I rotate, dissect and adapt the elements until they start to look like something that can be worn.

Q: Which came first, architecture or jewellery design?

A: Architecture came before the jewels – it was only while studying for my masters in architecture that I realised I wanted to design jewellery. I used the modelling techniques and skills that I learnt at university to start testing jewellery ideas.

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Q: What is it about Ricardo Bofill that translates into jewellery?

A: I discovered Ricardo Bofill’s building, Walden 7, on a trip to Barcleona and really admired its boldness. I was amazed by the volume, the intimate balconies, the imaginative use of colour, materials and sculptural forms – and I instantly saw shapes that I started sketching which later translated to the collection Shaped Objects. I was heavily influenced by curves, vertical lines in the tiles and colour palette.

Q: Which other architects are you interested in?

A: I love the work at the practice I am currently working at, Michaelis Boyd (not just being biased). I really enjoy the projects I work on. I am also really into Studio Ashby’s work – I love what she has done to her husband Charlie Casely Hayford’s shop and their new home. I also adore Carlo Scarpa’s work and I used his works as inspiration to my Arco pieces which are made from precious metals.

Q: Which materials do you like to work with?

A: I am known for using walnut, acrylic and formica. The walnut forms the structure and gives it a rich warm texture, and this contrasts with acrylic, which adds a pop of colour to animate the piece. I think the two work well together as a material palette. I have more recently started to use sterling silver to experiment with more threedimensional pieces.

Q: In your own work as an architect, are you thinking about jewellery?

A: In some ways yes: the skills of designing a piece of jewellery and, say, a joinery piece are totally transferrable. I like details and try to bring this into the architectural spaces I work with.

Q: And can you describe your signature style?

A: Chalk is known for its bright bold statement pieces that elevate a look. I like to think Chalk is unique, eclectic and contemporary. thechalkhouse.com

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B R I D G I N G T H E G A P B E T W E E N C A R P E N T RY A N D I N T E R I O R D E S I G N

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D E S I G N | ICONS

The Legacy D E N BY P OT T E RY Words

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D DENBY’S CURRENT HALO COLLECTION

The strength and quality of Derbyshire clay led to the formation of Denby Pottery

enby Pottery is a British institution. Everyone will find Denby pieces that remind them of their grandparents’ houses and their parents’ homes – while the new collections continue to build on the brand’s heritage to produce stylish pieces for contemporary homes.

In 1809, entrepreneur William Bourne discovered the strength and quality of Derbyshire clay and set up a factory employing local craftsmen, naming it after the village of its base and kicked off the tradition of jollying, fettling and handcrafting.

Over the years, Denby developed secret glaze recipes that when fired to the right temperatures give each piece its unique and durable surface. The Majolica glaze is over 100 years old. In the 1920s, as the nation emerged from the darkness of the wartime years, the vibrant Electric Blue glaze captured the cheerfulness of peacetime. More recently, Denby’s designers have reflected its captivating glaze effect in modern designs including Halo and Praline.

Into the 1940s, wartime restrictions meant that Denby ran out of all other glazes apart from Utility Brown, which was aptly named as craftsmen rallied together and filled the

CHEVRON, 1960S

kilns with practical teapots, rum bottles for the navy and even telegraphic insulators and battery jars to aid the war effort.

In the 1950s designer Tibor Reich, the son of a Hungarian ribbon manufacturer, created eclectic designs for Denby which graced the inside of No 10 Downing Street and Concorde, putting Denby firmly on the design map. Tibor’s pottery was often described as ‘Picasso-like’ and had its admirers and critics.

Tibor also advised on colour and patterns for several of Denby’s other ranges at that time.

The Chevron collection, produced between 1962 and 1978, was an outstanding success in Britain and USA. Denby’s Natural Canvas collection, launched in 2016, takes inspiration and pays homage to Chevron and is every bit as alluring for a modern audience. It is made at Denby’s original pottery in Derbyshire, still made by skilled artisans using high quality, locally sourced clay. Each unique piece is individually and expertly glazed to give warmth as well as prevent chipping for enhanced durability and lasting appeal.

Denby’s current ranges Halo and Azure really come to life in the kiln. With tiny particles of glaze, exacting temperatures and a little specialist know-how, Denby continues to create pottery works of art. denbypottery.com TIBOR REICH FOR DENBY, 1950S

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HOME tours interior designer Lucinda Sandford’s stylish Fulham home Interview P E N D L E H A R T E

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Q: When did you move into your house and what was it like when you bought it?

A: We moved in to the top half 5 years ago and then we started the basement dig and ground floor.

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Q: What did you do to change it?

A: We structurally changed this Victorian terrace to create more space and light into the home. The whole home has been entirely reworked. As an interior designer and master builder, I believe in fully integrating the design and build from start to finish. We dug to the basement that follows the footprint of the house and extended into the side return and converted the loft. We also rearranged the internal layout, in place of the usual two rooms on either side of the front door we enlarged the existing sitting room and turned what remained of the second reception room into an L-shaped entrance hall, installing a run of cupboards at the far end. I added two floor-to-ceiling glazed

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| HOUSE | INTERIORS LD I VEISNI G N TOUR

panels in the wall that separated the new sitting room from the entrance hall and positioned the staircase which would normally be opposite the front door around the corner of the L-shape and opposite the new glazed door that leads into the sitting room. All of this was done to avoid the dark tunnel effect typical of a Victorian terraced house.

Q: Is that gloss paint in your sitting room?

A: The paint is certainly gloss. I wanted to use a deep red for the sitting room but in gloss not matt, which is an unusual choice.

I wanted to add additional visual interest.

My husband and painter thought I was mad for choosing red gloss but in the end they were won over. The interesting part of the design was doing the matt cornice with a contract. The paint is Dulux’s Red Stallion 1 gloss.

Q: We notice the internal glass doors they are beautiful and a clever way of dividing spaces. Tell us your thoughts on them?

A: I don’t think open plan really works in life but I like spaces to connect and also that you can see from one room to another little invitations in Q: Your kitchen has been extended.

What was it like originally? What did you change?

A: To create this bright family kitchen, we dug down to lower the floor and used glass panels and doors to embrace a new staircase and sitting room. We went for a traditional look in the kitchen and used antique mirrored tiles for the splashbacks on both sides of the kitchen, a modern splashback would have been too clinical.

Q: There is lots of pattern everywhere, and a striking wallpapered corridor.

What are your thoughts on making patterns work?

A: I think the world has been stuck the world of boring neutrals for far too long. I am all about colour and patterns – I believe heavy patterns are far better for hiding the effects of daily life and they are perfect for homes with children. I am a big believer that people should have more fun with patterns and layering them up. I love using patterns in a home, patterns and florals are a great way to create interest and charm, as well as to zone areas and make people smile.

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I think the world has been stuck the world of boring neutrals for far too long. I am all about colour and patterns Q: Your business is more than traditional interior design, involving builds and potentially planning applications. Can you explain how you work?

A: “Master Builder” is what describes Lucinda Sanford best – we take a house from concept to construction to completion. We are the masters of combining all the elements needed to make a property and turn it into a home. We can oversee the entire process – submit the planning, oversee the engineers and the surveyors, and tie everything together. We have covered a range of London properties – I loved working on a new build apartment in Marylebone that was extremely modern in design.

Q: How did you start out?

A: I have a long history of loving buildings and interiors; I can remember more about my school friends’ houses and the school interiors, than anything I learnt inside them. During university at St Andrews, I worked at Farmore Interiors and this grew my passion for interiors – and I was inspired by the women who ran these businesses and how hard they worked. I also gained work experience with Nina Campbell, who will always be an inspiration. Following St Andrews, I was lucky enough to work for the Royal Household in the ceremonial office – this offered opportunity to learn all the details to make every minute of every event during a state occasion perfect; a great training ground for learning how to mobilise tradesman in my future career.

A stint in Lady Bamford’s marketing department was a learning curve. She has an amazing eye for detail and style in Bamford and Daylesford, and especially how simple materials and colours can make for a sensational design. Between these jobs I was busy doing up a first flat which I sold to move onto a next property.These properties gained attention and people started asking for help to do up their own

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homes. The key thing that people wanted was the ability to help them at the very beginning and offer more than just a pure interior design service.

Q: Can you describe your signature style?

A: At the heart of my design is enthusiasm for a good layout. I am a complete layout addict, which is where the business’s architectural arm comes in. I love nothing more than working and reworking floorplans to make them suit each family.

Even my own work still amazes me: despite the number of terraced houses I have worked on, they always end up with different layouts to suit their different owners. You may need to tweak your house, update it and edit it but when you design a house, its bone structure should stand the test of time. It’s easy for clients to get lost in their current moment and forget the future.

Designing a home for babies won’t stand the test of time: children are children/teens and young adults for longer than they are babies. A key part of the work we do is the decoration, not the soft furnishing but the painting and architectural joinery.

Q: Where do people go wrong with their interiors?

A: I always tell clients they don’t need to be ashamed and hide a radiator, a speaker or a television – we are all allowed to keep warm, listen to music and watch television.

We always look at practicality and real life, a home should be a home and that means a real reflection of the people who live there and how they live in it. I often challenge my clients with their choices and I have a practical approach that they appreciate. I do not believe that homes should be overstyled. Also, I love colour. There is a place for neutrality, but colour and pattern are something that people are really missing out on. I just love the combination of different patterns and materials.

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L I V I N G | PROMOTION

Lofty ambition Are you using your loft wisely?

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T If you’re serious about using the space you will need a strong, dependable loft ladder

he loft may not be the prettiest room in the house but it could become one of your favourites.

The loft is a forgotten about room. They are left unfinished and often designed to just facilitate your water tank. Some people never venture into them. However, even a small loft space can offer large storage space potential once fully utilised. The useable space in the loft can be as much as the length of your house, by about half the width. That’s a lot of space available right now, under your roof!

The great thing about any loft is that it can be a completely private storage area. House guests aren’t going to accidentally wander into your loft so the focus can be on a practical space that doesn’t need to look pretty.

Step one to using your loft for storage is access. If you’re serious about using the space you will need a strong dependable quality loft ladder with a guarantee. The cheaper models will give basic access but if you plan on using the ladder more than a few times a year you’ll need something designed to be used on a regular basis.

The next essential step is to put down flooring. An OSB floor can be installed in a day, you don’t need to floor the entire area, just the middle walkway. You have now turned your loft into a useable storage room with a foldaway loft ladder for access in one evening for less than £2,000.

These next tips are taking a basic loft storage

area into a much more functional space: Lights: there are two ways of doing this, installing a plug in the loft or using battery LED lights. LED lights can be installed by anyone and work straight away However, as you start to use the space more you may see the value of getting an electrician to install power sockets for operating vacuum cleaners, laminating machines, etc.

Shelving: this is the next stage in creating your modern storage space. It turns your bare bones space into an organised storage room.

Boxes and bags: its best to use sealable plastic boxes or bags (not bin bags) to protect your items.

A FEW DO’S AND DON’TS • Don’t put anything on your insulation, if the insulation gets compressed it’s not as effective.

• Don’t step on insulation, the ceiling boards underneath can’t support any weight.

• Do use vacuum storage bags.

Lofts can have higher moister content than the rest of the house.

• Do consider a little stool if you plan to spend a lot of time organising in the loft.

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WHO WE ARE

With many years of specialist experience in Loft conversions and House extensions, LLAC is your leading expert in property renovation and maintenance.

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE • Loft conversions • House extensions • Full Refurbishments

CONTACT US TODAY FOR A FREE DESIGN CONSULTATION & ESTIMATE 0203 797 6454 info@llac.co.uk llac.co.uk London Lofts & Construction Ltd. The Chocolate factory Unit C303 5 Clarendon Road, N22 6XJ

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L I V I N G | COLOUR ANNIE SLOAN Chalk paint, £19.95 per litre anniesloan.com

COPENHAGEN GLASS COLLECTION Rowan large glass pendant light, £469.60 bespokelights.co.uk

KNOLL Wassilly lounge chair, £2,052 conranshop.co.uk

ANTHOLOGY FIVE Punched coffee table in orange, £525 anthologyfive.com

URBANARA Sontra cashmere blanket, £199 urbanara.co.uk

LIVING CORAL

NORMAN COPENHAGEN Cap table lamp, £315 skandium.com

Give your interiors an update with Pantone’s colour of the year LIGNE ROSET

By P E N D L E H A R T E

Coral Ruche sofa, £794 chaplins.co.uk

JULIETTES INTERIORS Modern Italian Velvet Armchair, £3,976 juliettesinteriors.co.uk

ADICO Portuguese 5008 chair, £125 conranchop.co.uk

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L I V I N G | COLOUR FOCUS

CONFIDENT COLOUR Home discusses colour with Anderson, founder of W.A. Green Zoe Anderson, Words R O S I E R E Y N O L D S

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oe Anderson, founder of W.A.Green, remarks on the growing move consumers are making from decorating their homes with subdued greys and comfortable whites in favour of bold, statement colours.

This expanding trend gives you the freedom to enhance a pre-existing design scheme or simply accentuate your personal style.

W.A.Green’s philosophy on design is playful, yet their recommended approach to how colours are used is based upon a concrete understanding of what works and what doesn’t.

Bold colours have until recently been a choice amongst artists and designers. Zoe predicts that consumers will become braver with their colour palette; combinations such as pink and yellow, lilac and lime and blue and orange will become commonplace features in the home.

A room’s purpose is a key consideration because certain colours and shades can have a noticeable effect on your mood. If you want to create a relaxing living room, then pinks, greens and darker hues are perfect because of their calming and grounding effect. Yellows and blues are a better choice for your kitchen and bathroom because they are energising and inspire positivity.

The amount of natural light that enters your room throughout the day is another factor to consider, as this can really alter a colour’s appearance. Accommodate for less natural light by choosing darker colours, as these thrive in shadier spaces and create a feeling of cosiness. Extra warmth and balance can be added through clever lighting and a colourful accent; sofa cushions are a great way to add a pop of colour. Larger, brighter rooms are ideal for light shades because the natural sunlight keeps it crisp and fresh instead of washing it out.

Zoe gives some general tips on how to use colour in the household. Colour blocking is an excellent way to add depth and interest to a room; a great way to do this would be to pair a bright colour with a more subtle one. Many are opting for a boldly painted ceiling, a different way to create openness and drama, if you have the space to carry it. You could also paint your fireplace in a bold pink or purple, as this will surely make a statement.

YELLOW plifting and cheerful, yellow is a perfect accent colour for your home.

Painthouse’s pick is Orlando Yellow; a subtle mustard hue within a bright sunshine yellow is a lovely choice for someone wanting an energising lift in their home.

U

B LU E elieved to be the first colour synthetically made into pigment by the Egyptians, blue can arguably be heralded as the world’s most popular shade.

Wisdom, luxury and power are implied through deeper shades of blue, making it a perfect choice for your living room. Aria Blue is Painthouse’s choice; modern and vibrant, this shade is a fresh option for 2019.

B

G REEN ousehold horticulture was and will remain a highly popular trend. The colour itself has also had a renewal, with the shades Elvis Green and Kamilla Green being two of Painthouses’ firm favourites. If the mood of a room is something you are considering, green should not be overlooked, especially if tranquility is the mood you want to create.

According to Zoe, green is “a very versatile colour… you can decorate an entire room with greens and have contrast, drama, richness, and balance.”

h

PIN K f one had to pick the defining colour of 2018, Millennial Pick would be the most likely option. W.A.Green predict that pink’s popularity will continue in 2019, and Painthouse have selected the rosy-hued Ida Pink as their key colour. Dustier roses are the perfect pinks because they remain contemporary and playful whilst avoiding appearing sickly sweet.

B

OR ANG E lamboyant, inspiring, energetic and vibrant are words one would pair with this colour. Reggie Orange is Painthouse’s fiery pick. Incredibly dramatic, Zoe advises to save orange as an accent colour to avoid it dominating your room. Perhaps use orange as a smaller feature colour in your office to spark creativity.

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W. A .G R E E N 10 Charlotte Road, London EC2A 3DH; 020 7729 8599 wagreen.co.uk

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THE POWER OF PAINT ANNIE SLOAN

The iconic Haws watering can hasn't changed since John Haws designed it in East London in 1886. Cleverly conceived to prevent spillages when pouring, the shape remains unrivalled as the most practical and stylish model around.

It comes in a range of colours as well as the classic copper. £50 haws.co.uk

K I TC H EN QUICK FIX CAN'T AFFORD A NEW K I T C H E N ? U P G R A D E YO U R EXISTING ONE WITH THESE SIMPLE YET FIXES

TILE COUNSEL BERT AND MAY

A new tiled splashback creates an instand kitchen update. Bert and May's Pink Pradena tile is a great choice for the kitchen. The warm pink softens the geometric pattern and the natural pigments make it a delight to live with. bertandmay.com 70

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L I V I N G | IN THE KITCHEN

THE FLOOR CARPETRIGHT

If you're snooty about vinyl flooring, you're missing out.

This stylish, bright floor is slip-resistant and easy to wipe clean, it works with underfloor heating and it's extremely affordable. So not only is it versatile, hardwearing and durable, but the shades in Carpetright's True Colours range are bold, contemporary and sure to update your kitchen simply and quickly. carpetright.co.uk

NEW DOORS

SHELVES STRING

String is simple to assemble, shelves can be easily repositioned. and shelves of different depths can be combined in the same unit for the ultimate in flexibility. skandium.com

TAPS ABODE

PLYKEA

Upgrade your tap for an instant style update that will transfor the entire kitchen. Abode's Althia single lever tap looks great in a range of finishes, is easy to install and has a luxe feel. abodedesigns.co.uk

Bored of your Ikea units? Don't replace the kitchen, just add Plykea's ply or formica doors, drawer fronts and worktops to the existing carcass to create the look of a bespoke handmade plywood kitchen for a fraction of the cost. plykea.com

THE WORKTOP LUNDHS

A new worktop will create a luxe feel and Lundhs Emerald is a classic choice. The intense color sits well with strippedback modern designs and is also neutral enough to blend with environments that are more traditional. lundhsrealstone.com

LIGHTS ORIGINAL BTC

Clever task lighting will improve your kitchen's functionality as well as update its look. These pitched wall lights offer a concentrated light source just where you need it. originalbtc.com HOME ď‚ž SPRING 2019

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International: +353 (0)93 38055 enquiry@stira.ie www.stira.com

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L I V I N G | ACCESSORIES

SO FRESH & SO CLEAN

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1 0 0 % N AT U R A L TINCTURE

Angelika Davenport founded Tincture after being appalled by the overpowering fumes of chemical cleaning products. She set about creating a range of household cleaners using 100% natural ingredients, fragrant botanical essences and antimicrobial silver. The spray bottles are recyclable and refills come in glass. tincturelondon.com

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BIG ZERO ECOVER

Looking for greener alternatives to traditional cleaning products? Here are five key brands putting eco-consciousness first

The grandmamma of eco cleaning, Ecover pioneered the use of phosphate-free detergents before it became a cause célèbre and has publicly committed to trialling new biodegradable packaging by 2020.

The new Zero range contains no fragrances – ideal for allergy-sufferers and those with sensitive skin. ecover.com

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ESSENTIAL SCENTS W I LT O N

Wilton creates laundry products that smell as good as fine fragrance, so it’s out with synthesised scents and in with essential oils like cedar and jasmine.

The results are life-changingly good – and with every sniff of your marvelloussmelling sheets, you can smile as you remember Wilton uses eco-friendly formulations. wiltonlondon.co.uk

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KIWI CLEANER ASHLEY & CO

This New Zealand brand has made waves over the course of a decade, producing everything from body wash and home fragrance to all-purpose cleaner. Using scents such as kaffir lime, clove and lotus leaf inspired by founder Jackie Ashley’s childhood in Hong Kong, products are refined yet use biodegradable, natural astringents that won’t leave harmful residues. ashleyandco.co

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FORMULA ONE TA N G E N T

Founder David Samuelsson uses a single scent source for each fragrance – waxing lyrical about his hunt for the perfect cut-tulip aroma, for instance – and even caters for specific classes of laundry with specialised (and eco-friendly, of course) denim wash, delicate wash and sportswash formulas. tangentgc.com

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SLEEP TIGHT LOAF

Loaf's Smoothie bed takes the classic French bed and gives it a midcentury makeover. It comes in lovely light oak with a sandblasted finish and there's plenty of space for underbed storage. £995 for the king size. loaf.com

NIGHT WAT C H I M P R O V E YO U R S L E E P WITH THESE BEDROOM UPGRADES

SHEET MUSIC RISE AND FALL

Rise and Fall's sustainable cotton bedlinen is super soft and comfortable, whether in the 100 or 400 thread count versions. The whole range is reasonable priced too. riseandfall.co 74

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L I V I N G | BEDROOM T H E L O W D O W N

PI L L OWS

SPRING FORWARD HERDY SLEEP

The herdysleep mattress blends the most natural fibres with advanced pocket spring technology for the ultimate night’s sleep. Hand-crafted in the UK using traditional techniques, over 100 years of expertise goes into every lovingly made luxury mattress. herdysleep.com

BESPOKE NANU

Nanu's pillows are designed according to your size and sleeping position, to provide the optimum in comfort and support.

We love ours. £35 nanusleep.co.uk

COMFORT PURE URBAN COLLECTIVE

WOOL

Urban Collective cotton/linen blend bedsheets promise to deliver the linen look with a softer feel, if that's possible.

The duvet covers, sheets and pillowcases are designed to improve with use. We love the set in Keepsake Lilac, pictured. urbancollective.com

HERDY SLEEP

Supportive, soft and quick to bounce back, a wool pillow draws moisture away from the skin for a steady temperature. It’s also naturally dust mite free. £69 herdysleep.com

LOVE LINEN CARAVANE

The beauty of Caravane's Selena bedlinen collection lies in its exceptional craftsmanship. These are fine linen fibres, harvested and woven in Europe and dyed using a special piece-dyeing technique that creates unique shades and ensures that no two pieces are ever exactly the same.

The range comes in a vast array of shades for mixing and matching. caravane.co.uk

GOOSE DOWN SOAK & SLEEP

Both supportive and soft , Soak & Sleep's Ultimate Hungarian goose down pillow is rated by Which? and delivers all the comfort you could ever want. £80 soakandsleep.com HOME  SPRING 2019

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Enhancing the kerb appeal of the finest homes for over 30 years London Door Company has become synonymous with beautiful, handcrafted doors, that not only add value to our clients’ properties but are also exceptionally secure, providing total peace of mind. Each door is specified and installed by experienced, time-served craftsmen using the highest quality materials, including premium locking systems and exquisite ironmongery.

For a FREE brochure or a design appointment visit LONDONDOOR.CO.UK or call 0845 646 0690 BATTERSEA SHOWROOM 153 St Johns Hill, London SW11 1TQ

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PENGE SHOWROOM 67 High Street, Penge SE20 7HW

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L I V I N G | BAKING

Daily bread

Making your own sourdough is satisfying and sustainable.

But learn to love the mess Words P E N D L E H A R T E

W

hat could be more satisfying than a fresh loaf of crispy, fragrant sourdough? Don’t we all have a fantasy version of ourselves where we are effortlessly removing perfectly cooked, springy loaves from our domestic ovens, feeling capable and connected to the earth, part of a long-standing human tradition? It’s not hard to understand why an interest in baking bread is something that often dawns on people trying to find new meaning in their lives, while focusing on sourdough has countless benefits for gut health. And as a hobby, breadmaking fulfills a variety of needs. It occupies time, it’s creative, there’s lots of scope for variety and improvement. There’s even quite a lot of kit that you can acquire. What’s not to like?

Well there is quite a lot not to like actually.

Getting the starter right is the very first thing you need to do, and while the instructions are simple – as any enthusiast will tell you repeatedly – this fertile mix of flour and water is needy and messy. Regular top-ups require the scooping out of some of it and throwing it away, and any resulting drips will instantly turn into cement needing to be scraped vigorously off the countertop/floor. The starter will sit unattractively in a kilner jar, bubbling ominously, until the temperature becomes too warm or too cold, when it might give up the ghost. Your best bet is to have several on the

Once you have a thriving starter, breadmaking is a rhythm

go at once, lining the shelves of your dream kitchen not with pretty jars of colourful pulses but with growing (possibly overflowing) bacteria with a mind of its own.

But it is all worth it. Once you have a thriving starter (it take about five days), breadmaking is a rhythm that may or may not fit with your existing routine. Sourdough takes longer to rise than yeast-based dough, so it can be left overnight and then proved again – you’ll need to get to know your timings and your kitchen’s warm and cold spots. Anyone obsessed with lovely empty surfaces might not appreciate baskets of dough covered with comedy shower caps carefully placed on windowledges and strategic spots near radiators, but breadmaking is a labour of love. You’ll learn to love the thin dusting of flour that will inevitably cover your kitchen, as well as the new sounds your oven will make as it comes to terms with its highest setting. But the taste, and the gut benefits, make it all worth it.

SOURDOUGH KIT YOU WILL NEED…

NETHERTON FOUNDRY DOME AND CLOCHE This is an oven-within-an-oven that creates an intensely hot space in which your bread can thrive and achieve the perfect crust. netherton-foundry.co.uk

KILNER JARS Lots of these. It’s worth having more than one starter on the go.

PROVING BASKETS TIP: cover them with shower caps; it’s more sustainable than clingfilm.

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E A S Y

E AT S We road test five meal delivery services Words CA R LY G L E N D I N N I N G AND HELEN BARON

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Abel & Cole ON THE MENU Organic food suppliers Abel & Cole refresh their seasonal recipe box menu with 15 new options each week. I’m offered nine different categories including ‘foodie’, ‘speedy’ and ‘light’ but opt for veggie. There’s six recipes to choose from and a further three that are vegan. They all look great, but could be a bit limited if I decide to eat plantbased all week as I sometimes do.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX Everything I need to cook three different meals is delivered to my door early on a Monday morning and I love having my weekend freed up by not having to do a big grocery shop. I unpack all of the ingredients for: Coconut & Tomato Lentil Curry; Roast Squash, Walnut & Feta Couscous; and Lentil & Mushroom Cottage Pie. There’s quite a lot of packaging, but Abel & Cole reassure me that everything is recyclable and returnable to them.

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L I V I N G | AT HOME

THE RESULT? I really enjoy cooking something new without having to plan it. The recipes themselves are easy to follow and don’t require chef-level cooking skills. Each one takes me around 40 mins to an hour to cook, which feels quite long after a day in the office so another time I might try something from their ‘speedy’ section. Ingredients are all seasonal and fresh. The veggie meals I cooked were wholesome and healthy, and tasted delicious. The recipes were things I tend to make myself (curries and cottage pie etc), so it might have been nice to see something different. I found the portions to be quite generous, which is great if you’re sharing your meals with little ones. from £6 a meal ableandcole.co.uk

Mindful Chef ON THE MENU Touted as the recipe box if you’re trying to eat healthily, I’m excited to see that the menu from the Mindful Chef is 100% gluten and dairy-free as well as being nutritionist-approved. There are 16 recipes to choose from each week, under the categories of ‘protein-packed’, ‘balanced’, ‘pescatarian’ and ‘plant-based’. As I’m eating vegan this week, I choose from the six options in the latter.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX It’s great to receive my box on Sunday, a day of the week I definitely don’t feel like putting too much thought into cooking. I’ve chosen two meals: Lentil Moussaka & Creamy Coconut Bechamel and Hawaiian-Style Poke With Crispy Tofu. Again there’s a lot of packaging, but you can return everything to Mindful Chef to be reused / recycled every four weeks.

THE RESULT? Both of my meals took about half an hour to 40 mins to make (although they do offer 15 min options). They were quite simple, although the poke bowl required you to cut the carrots into ribbons, which may have been a faff if I didn’t use my blender. Unfortunately I was missing sesame oil to fry the tofu, something I didn’t have on hand in my cupboard and one step in the moussaka recipe was omitted, although it wasn’t difficult to figure out.

Mindful Chef source their award-winning produce from local suppliers and I was really impressed with the quality of the ingredients. I also loved how their plant-based options were a bit different (I wouldn’t usually cook a poke bowl and the moussaka was topped with coconut yoghurt bechamel with nutritional yeast flakes). from £4 a meal. mindfulchef.com

By Ruby ON THE MENU Founded by a chef and a gourmet food shop owner, ByRuby delivers healthy and convenient frozen food with absolutely no additives or preservatives to your door. I’m excited to choose from over 40 meals, with plenty of vegetarian, vegan, dairy and gluten-free dishes and options under 400 calories. You can also order for one person or two, which is great for reducing food waste.

“I love having my weekend freed by not having to do a weekly shop”

WHAT’S IN THE BOX My frozen meals are delivered packed in ‘WoolCool’, which is 100% biodegradable and compostable, releasing valuable nitrates back into the soil.

THE RESULT? ByRuby offers the luxury of a home-cooked meal without having to do any of the work. The meals taste amazing and hearty and all you need to do is take them out of the freezer and pop them straight in the microwave or oven. from £3.50 for a side dish byruby.co.uk

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L I V I N G | STYLE

Adding a little floral decoration at home needn’t take up lots of time or cost the earth

A SELECTION OF GLASS JARS AND A GERANIUM PLANTED IN AN OLD PAINT KETTLE.

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hen our little shop on Columbia Road first opened, little did we know that we’d expand after the first year and move across the street to an old upholstery workshop. With more floor space and a small backyard we were now able to stock the kind of items that felt right for visitors to the flower market as well as larger salvaged objects that our existing customers hankered after.

They loved the large 8-, 10- and 15-litre vintage preserve jars for flowers. They wanted original washtubs for olive trees and Japanese maples. They asked for galvanized metal troughs and reclaimed water tanks and landscape gardeners sought out unconventional items for their clients’ gardens.

We use a variety of ceramics and terracotta in the shop – anything from Victorian plant pots to cast-off cooking vessels – their worn surfaces and textures look fabulous with flowers and greenery.

Look out for old flour bins, casserole dishes and baking trays at vintage fairs and thrift shops – all look beautiful when planted up. Yellow and green glazed confit pots

FLOWER FA I RY The founder of Columbia Road’s Mason & Painter advises on styling plants and flowers with ceramics, glass, metal and reclaimed objects Words and images M I C H E L L E M A S O N

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L I V I N G | STYLE

TERRACOTTA POTS, STILL CAKED IN EARTH, DISPLAYED WITH A STAGHORN FERN AND AN OLD PAIR OF LEATHER BOOTS ECHOING THE SAME WARM, EARTHY TONES.

ELEGANTLY ARCHED LOVE-LIES-BLEEDING AND POPPY HEADS IN A GREEN-GLAZED POT

THE COPPER POTSWERE WERE ONCE USED TO COOK OVER OPEN FIRES AND HAVE AN INTERESTING COMBINATION OF DARK, SMOKY COLOURS AND GREEN VERDIGRIS TARNISH. GALVANIZED BUCKETS WITH HANDLES MAKE FANTASTIC HANGING PLANTERS.

were commonly used in France to cook duck or goose. The pots were then buried up to the glazed line in cool cellars to preserve the confit in the days before refrigeration.

Adding a little floral decoration at home needn’t take up lots of time or cost the earth, if anything at all. A little bit of imagination and resourcefulness and you can create small posies, single stem arrangements and interesting looks with cuttings in jars, recycled glass bottles, even a pretty drinking glass from your kitchen cupboard.

Experiment with fallen leaves and twigs from the park, cuttings from a friend’s garden or allotment, shoots from potted plants, flowers from the market or window box herbs.

Anything goes.

If you enjoy collecting reclaimed ceramics, plant pots or metal containers chances are you’re already using them as planters.

I personally can’t resist the graphics and typography on old tubs, tins and boxes and have a least a dozen planted up with succulents, ferns, hostas or spring bulbs at any one time. Metal tubs can easily be picked up from junk shops and antique fairs and make great outdoor and indoor planters. To guarantee good drainage it’s good practice to drill or hammer several holes in the base before planting. Galvanized buckets, troughs, water tanks, food tins and olive harvest baskets make ideal containers. These look great teamed with vintage metal garden furniture – ours have often come from old French cafés – complete with several layers of paint and faded sherbet colours they create a lovely setting for patio plants and serve as a reminder of sunny Riviera holidays.

Old flour bins, casserole dishes and baking trays all look beautiful when planted up

FLOWER MARKET Extract taken from Flower Market: Botanical Style at Home by Michelle Mason, published

by Pimpernel Press at £20, pimpernelpress.com

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L I V I N G | ACCESSORIES

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D E A D LY G A M E MAFIA

Based on the classic role-playing strategy game, this strikingly illustrated card game pitches between 7 and 24 players against each other in solving a murder. It's a kill or be killed situation. £14.99 laurenceking.com

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DON ’T FORGET A N D Y WA R H O L' S M E M O R Y

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Put your brain to the test by matching pairs of authentic colours used by Andy Warhol on his iconic soup can prints. The Andy Warhol Memory Game from Galison belongs next to your favorite art books. £17.99 wordery.com

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O N T H E B OA R D L AC RO IX BAC KGAM M O N

New to the family of board games

by Christian Lacroix is a stylish backgammon set. The case folds out to reveal the game board, decorated in two-tone shading. The same pink and blue shading is also used on the 30 wooden checkers and dice. £46 abramsandchronicle.co.uk

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P UZ Z L E A R T F R A N K L LOY D W R I G H T P U Z Z L E

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The Frank Lloyd Wright Imperial Hotel Peacock Rug 500 Piece Foil Puzzle brings shiny new glamour to the rug design. Gold foil embellishments bring the luxurious deco era back to life, piece by piece. Galison puzzles are packaged in matte-finish sturdy boxes. galsion.com

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ROLL WITH IT PERUDO

This classic family game is fun for all ages. Noble Macmillan's leather bound cups and matching dice come in an array of colours, from tangerine to ivory. The luxury set is made in Spain, using the finest calfskin leather; your initials can be embossed. £110 noblemacmillan.com

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Nursery

STYLE

DREAM ON SHNUGGLE

OUR PI C K OF T H E M O N T H’S BEST ACC ESSO R I ES Words H E L E N B A R O N

Lasting value is all too rare in Babytown, as little ones will insist on outgrowing everything you buy for them.

Happily, Shnuggle’s stylishly understated Air Bedside Crib converts to an equally attractive standalone cot, ensuring years and years of use. Clever. £319.95 for crib, conversion kit and mattress; shnuggle.com

SWING TIME BOOBOO It’s certainly not cheap, but this swing sofa is dreamy enough to justify its price tag. Crafted from steel, aluminium and synthetic (i.e. easy to maintain) leather, it’s sure to become your little one’s favourite spot for a soothing bedtime story. £5,504; pamono.co.uk

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L I V I N G | FAMILY

SIDE BY SIDE PPUURRFFLO LO Keep Keepyour yournewborn newbornsafe, safe,snug snug and andwithin withineasy easyreach reachwith with the thePurAir PurAir‘Keep ‘KeepMe MeClose’ Close’ Breathable BreathableBedside BedsideCrib.

Crib.HeightHeightadjustable adjustableand anddesigned designedfor foreasy easy maintenance maintenance––even eventhe themattress mattress is ismachine-washable, machine-washable,which whichis is little littleshort shortof ofaalife-saver life-saver––it’s it’saa new newmama’s mama’sbest bestfriend. friend.£199; £199; purflo.com purflo.com

DOMESTIC BLISS A clever spin on the traditional doll’s house, this modern iteration is modular, so kids can comfigure it however they like. It comes with all the furniture and is made from natural materials, so it’s sustainable as well as great fun – ideal for budding architects. £149; bobbyrabbitkids.co.uk

5 OF THE BEST

M O N E Y B OX E S A LITTLE LOVELY COMPANY Peacock money bank, €4.95; alittlelovelycompany.nl

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MAMAS & PAPAS Ellery Elephant money box, £16; mamasandpapas.com

F O C U S

BY KLIP KLAP

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P L A N TOY S

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SIEBENSACHEN Miss Monnipenni piggy bank, €78,90; designandmaison.com

4 RED CANDY Stegosaurus money bank, £29.90; redcandy.co.uk

5 ATOMIC SODA Porcelain piggy bank, £25; lexception.com

hen Pia Lauritsen was shopping around for a playmat for her children, she didn’t expect not to be able to find what she was after. She also didn’t anticipate creating a thriving brand out of her disappointment. But that’s exactly what happened, and the result is By Klip Klap.

Lauritsen’s great idea was not just to design her own play mat, but to go one step further and create a multifunctional design object: the KK 3 Fold. This deceptively simple piece of furniture is effectively a robustly crafted folding cushion that can be used variously as a mat, a bench, a sofa or even a guest bed. By reconfiguring its constituent parts, effectively folding it in different ways, you can change its form and thus its uses.

What’s more, it’s stylish. Available in a range of colours and suitably hardwearing fabrics, the KK 3 Fold is beautifully Scandinavian. Since the launch of the first collection in 2011, the range has grown to encompass variants on the original design plus kids chairs and sofas and some truly stunning wooden daybeds. Versatile furniture that can be reworked to suit your home in the space of a moment? Yes please. byklipklap.com

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NEWS • PEOPLE • DESIGN • EVENTS

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S E R V I C E HOME takes a look around the beautiful Henrietta Hotel, designed

by Dorothée Meilichzon

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I N S P I R E | HOTEL DESIGN

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orothée Meilichzon is the founder of global design agency Chzon and winner of 2015’s Designer of the Year title at Maison & Objet. She and Chzon have worked on more than 30 projects In Paris, London, Ibiza, Basel, Monaco and New York, from interior architecture to the design of furniture and all graphic elements.

Henrietta Hotel was their first London hotel. “My first inspiration for the hotel was the street itself. I always try to start from the neighborhood. On Henrietta Street, buildings are very traditional: flat but with a variety of roof shapes and windows that are very rich and different from each other. It reminded me of those amazing door frames you find in Milan apartments.”

So, inspired by the architectural elements, she designed giant bed headboards featuring a mixture of elements including mirrors, fabric panels with fabrics from Rubelli or hand -painted patterns. Also all doors have glass panels above them on top of them. Meilichzon designed patterned carpets for the bedrooms inspired by the shape of the Mosaique Casson,

MOST DESIGNS ARE INSPIRED BY ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES

and all skirtings are white carrara marble.

Four different colour families make each room different. Brass bedside lights are integrated with bedside tables and elements from the 1970s can be seen in a little armchair designed

by Meilichzon and inspired by Pierre Paulin’s work.

In the bathrooms, the basin areas were conceived as fountains, with two large pieces of granite cut into shapes inspired by Henrietta Street buildings.The floors are more traditional, with black and white octagonal tiles and cabochons. henriettahotel.com

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R E N A I S SA N C E M A N Alastair Hendy – writer, chef, photographer, shopkeeper and architectural restorer – has carved a life out of his obsession with the below-stairs aesthetic and meticulous attention to detail Words N A N CY A L S O P

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lastair Hendy is a man about whom superlatives are dropped liberally and whose career has been so multifaceted that he defies pigeonholing w ith aplomb. Neale Whitaker, one-time editor of Vogue Living, once eulogised: ‘Bearing in mind that a word doesn’t exist to describe what he does, and in a publishing world that prefers its talent to have one definable skill, Alastair Hendy, the writer-cum-cook-cum-stylistcum-photographer-cum-designer could best be described as a human magazine.’

Today, he continues to work as a photographer; has scooped a myriad of covetable awards for his food and travel writing; and offers style consultancy to brands, including M&S and, formatively, Carluccio’s (where he also worked as a chef) in the 1980s. ‘I wear many hats,’ he says. ‘Life should be like that – one feeds another, and creativity is broadened, boundaries becoming more fluid the more you do.’ But despite his dizzying existence – lived between Shoreditch and East Sussex – it is as the man who breathed life into a formerly ramshackle Tudor house in Hastings, his hometown, that he has earned a truly captivated following, as well as thanks to the world he has created in AG Hendy and Co Homestores.

‘I saw this house on the market, a house that had been on my radar over the years,’ he

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explains. ‘It was really just for a nose around, as I’d no intention of buying a beamy nookywooky Tudor house. In truth I’d always thought them a bit naff, as my experience had been of the pub variety, decked out with horsebrasses and all woodwork slapped with black paint.’ Yet it was the first, and the last, house he looked at. ‘My London flat is large spaces, concrete and steel, and this was the opposite: intimate rooms, wood, lime-plaster. It spoke to me straight away, as there were direct similarities: an honesty of materials, of structure – a parallel narrative.’

Quite contrary to the vogue for buying period houses and then kitting them out with modern conveniences, Hendy did precisely

the opposite: to remove contemporary interlopers and restore faithfully what had been buried under 500 years worth of tinkering, rebuilding and amendment. It must, I venture, have been both thrilling and daunting. ‘I was totally unfazed,’ he counters. ‘I love a new challenge. You do have to go through years of deconstruction, mess and mayhem, before the ‘set-dressing’, the easy bit, happens. After the completion of major structural repairs, came the removing of the ugliness, the jarring additions, and to putting in the things that reflected the true character of the house.

The narrative took hold, and it became more autobiographical, drawing on memories of childhood, challenging the conventions of traditional Tudor restoration make-overs.’

The key, he advises, when it comes to such a monumental labour of love is to be wilful.

‘Never believe that the ‘expert’ is right or knows best, or indeed understands what you want; keep your vision on track; and remain curious. One visitor on an open day remarked to her friend “It’s been done up, but not doneup”. Yes! I thought. That’s exactly it. Another – which made me laugh – was when a plumber took a call outside the house to report back to his boss, not thinking I could hear every word, saying “It’s like something you go see on a school trip”. Bless him.’

In truth, although grating modern additions have been stripped away, the house remains markedly more luxurious than its original incumbents would have found it. ‘We have electricity, running hot water, baths, central heating and – wait for it – under-floor heating in the kitchen,’ assures Hendy. ‘The pleasure of the past occupying the present is the pleasure of illusion. The house is a living skeuomorph, it mimics the past and fools many into believing they’re stepping into a Tudor times when they are so not. There’s not even a stick of Tudor furniture. Because it doesn’t have any obvious modern trappings – it feels unworldly, unrelated to today’s living. Yet it’s totally in sync with everything we need and crave. Bar a telly!’

It is a creation that has garnered a legion of fans, some of whom regard a stay as something bordering on pilgrimage, particularly at Christmas, when Hendy hosts open days, at which regulars return year after year, keen for their annual fix. The house is, I suggest, something more than the sum of its aged parts; it is the creation of narrative that makes it really

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magical, not dissimilarly to Dennis Severs extraordinary Spitalfields home. Hendy agrees.

‘Severs was a storyteller. I think I too am a storyteller. David Bowie, my childhood hero, was a storyteller – each album took on a new persona and told a new story. I think I do that with houses – live, breath and reinvent myself with each project. It’s all make-believe but done with meticulous care. You feel connected to and wed with the past and story you’ve concocted. Everyone loves a dream.’

Hendy’s busy brain, however, was not content with one restoration project; when a shop in Hastings Old Town that had been badly neglected and criminally ‘modernised’ with laminates and linoleum was going cheap, he saw potential. After a painstaking and expensive renaissance, in 2011 he opened A G Hendy and Co, a homeware store which, incomparably, makes something beautiful of the below stairs aesthetic, selling exquisite brushes, pans, and domestic implements for the home. ‘There’s a poetry in the everyday,’ he explains. ‘The unashamed elegance of the domestic has been my go-to all my life: from the scrubbed tables and creamware of belowstairs in country houses – not forgetting their drab painted cupboards, shelved pantries, exposed pipework and batteries of scullery sinks. I am told I go too far, and get scalded for admiring the utilitarian of Hitler’s bunker – all concrete with galvanised conduit, 1940s work lights and metal desks. But it works. As a child I’d visit St Francis asylum in Haywards Heath – to talk to the patients – and took in the Vic-

torian institutional architecture; my boarding school was Victorian and I spent much time in its large kitchen, cooking the staff supper at the age of 10. I’m below-stairs born and bred. Give me an old tap and a massive sink and I’m in heaven.’

The less is more approach combined with the historical is, he says, minimalism grownup. His shop is a living nod to the past, the yearned-for traditional family-run department store. ‘It is a bit like a storybook. Its dust jacket is the dark frontage and windows, opening into paragraphs of rooms that weave a narrative. Seeing customers place their purchases on the counter for wrapping, it’s as though they’ve been on a journey and these are their tales.’

There’s much more than just products for sale, like a 1930s Handy Hints page for a monthly illustrated practical tip on how to make light work of chores and repairs, their make-do-and-mend philosophy a breath of fresh air in today’s throw-away world, and encapsulating all that is charming about Hendy’s meticulously, beautifully created world, whose slogan – ‘A G Hendy & Co for goods that cannot be hoped for elsewhere’ – could not be more apt.

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TREEHOUSE HARDWOOD FLOORING

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his Georgian pub with rooms may be owned by a brewery but it’s far more stylish than that makes it sound. All painted in stylish shades of darks and neutrals, it’s beautiful yet unfussy and not over-designed, with an authentic feel. The bar downstairs, all stripped floorboards and mismatched tables, is busy with locals, while the restaurant is more formal. This is somewhere that appeals to its community as well as to visitors, which gives it a lively vibe.

THE AREA

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orsham is a pretty town with a charming high street; stately home Corsham Court lies behind the Methuen Arms and its beautiful landscaped grounds, populated by peacocks and – in spring – tiny lambs, make a lovely spot for walking. We’re only eight miles from Bath and the countryside around here is green and lush. Look out for Poldark locations.

his is a foodie destination and award-winning head chef Leigh Evans runs an ambitious kitchen.

Highlights of our dinner included a halibut dish that was served in the style of deconstructed sushi with coconut rice wrapped in nori, crab and seafood broth, while traditional fish and chips from the pub menu was high class.

Breakfast is impressive: homemade granola and pastries as well as flawless poached egg, smashed avocado and sourdough.

design

By

Pendle Harte

D E S T I N AT I O N S

I N S P I R E | TRAVEL

THE METHUEN ARMS CORSHAM, W I LT S H I R E

THE ROOM

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ushroom-coloured walls, a vast fourposter bed, a state-ofthe-art bathroom with roll-top bath and a lovely view of Corsham’s pretty high street makes our room cosy and stylish.

Carpets are deep and curtains are thick; a Roberts radio, 100 Acres products and fluffy bathrobes create a luxe feel.

ROOMS FROM £140 2 High Street, Corsham, Wiltshire SN13 0HB 01249 717 060 themethuenarms.com

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My Style P H OTO G R A P H E R J O H N S WA N N E L L S H A R E S H I S I N S P I R AT I O N S johnswannell.com

MY FAVOURITE PHOTOGRAPH FROM THE EXHIBITION...

The picture of my wife Marianne on the beach in Long Island is very special. We used to rent a house there every September when all the New Yorkers had gone. The morning and evening light was always magical, and I took this picture when the beach was empty.

MY FAVOURITE HOLIDAY DESTINATION...

Venice is the most magical place on earth. The first time I went there I just couldn’t believe that this beautiful city had no roads and was built on wooden posts over 400 years ago. The place has a mystery of its own and its own special smell - there’s no other city like it.

MY ST YLE ICON IS ...

MY FAVOURITE BUILDING IS...

Gaudi’s Cathedral in Barcelona is just awe-inspiring. It is hard to believe that a human being designed and built this wonderful building - it is almost like it’s from another planet.

David Bowie. I remember being in the nightclub Tramp with David Bailey when I used to work for him, and David Bowie and Mick Jagger were at the next table. Bailey knew them both so started chatting; I was in awe.

MY FAVOURITE PIECE OF ART...

Burn Jones’ Love Among The Ruins is one of the most beautiful images. The Pre-Raphaelites were not very fashionable when I first discovered them, but as a fashion photographer I used to copy some of the poses he created with his models. His work was so seductive, I just got hooked on it.

A selection of John Swannell’s images of famous British faces including Sir Elton John, Darcey Bussell and Joan Collins DBE is now on display at Le Caprice. 20 limited edition signed prints of each photograph will be available to purchase exclusively at Le Caprice, for £950 each.

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