Tradition updated

I visited 100% Design this week and what really caught my attention was how some companies are working with traditional design techniques to create beautiful modern products for today.

Products from Melin tregwynt

Melin Tregwynt  is a family owned company based in Wales; they have taken the traditional Welsh weaving techniques and updated them with a modern mix of colour and pattern.

Modern mix in tradional techniques

Koji Katsuragi is a furniture maker working from his workshop in Kyushu, Japan, his designs are based on traditional English Windsor chair styles....

The chairs he designs and sells are a modern take on a classic - simple and tasteful.

Alacati, Turkey

Tas Otel, Alacati

I've just come back from spending a week in the small town of Alacati on the Cesme peninsula, south west of Izmir. I was lucky enough to stay at the Tas Otel, a renovated  120 year old greek mansion. This was the first boutique hotel to open in alacati nearly 10 years ago, now Alacati has many more small beautifully restored hotels. The owner of Tas - Ms Zeynep Ozis is a founder of the Alacati Presevation Society, this society ensures that the town does not become spoilt - there's not a plastic chair in site!

A street in Alacati

At the Tas Otel they serve the best breakfasts on the beautiful terrace overlooking the garden.

The terrace

And between 5 and 7pm they serve tea and cakes using their own produce and preserves.

Preserves fermenting in the garden

The whole hotel was just gorgeous. Inside the interior is quite simple - stone with white plaster and all woodwork glossed in the subtlest pale blue.