Powdered Pastels

Pastel ceramics - inspiration from Nelly Rodi

Spring's been here for a while and we've had some beautiful bright days, so I'm a bit late with this observation on the season's pastel trend.

Usually I steer clear of colours that are too sweet but there is a powdery feel to this year's colours that gives them a sophistication. They look great when worn with attitude as above from & Other Stories or below from Net a Porter

These spongy, neoprene style fabrics, give a very modern edge to these powered shades - so desirable!

My current mood board

Normally by February I start dreaming of pastels and this coming spring's colours are beautiful. However the mood board in my studio is still reflecting the weather outside due to the relentless rain and howling wind. Since December I've removed the black and introduced greys to work back with my navy and indigo palette - so the mood is lifting a bit. But there are some lovely things on my board......

My friend Kate just gave me this gorgeous hot water bottle, as I have no heating yet in my new flat. It's so lovely though, that I'm keeping it at my studio until my building work stops. By Jules Hogan, she got it from Not On The High Street and it'll look fabulous with my crumpled grey, linen sheets from H&M 

The other fabrics on my board that I'm hoping to introduce into my interior scheme are from Eleanor Pritchard - I love this whole mix of pattern and texture......

So until spring arrives and my building works complete, this is my inspiration.

London Design Week

 Things I loved at last week's design shows.......

Louise Wilkinson's exquisitely naive fine bone china at Tent

these wonderfully considered utility products from Turner and Harper at Design Junction

and the beautiful upholstery fabrics from Eleanor Pritchard, also at Design Junction

Farrow & Ball new colours

I recently attended the launch of Farrow & Ball's new colours, pictured here are my two favourites"Mole's Breadth" above, and "Stiffkey Blue" below.

World Interior News asked me to write up my take on all the new colours - you can read it here:-
http://www.wantoday.com/interiorsblog/farrow-balls-new-colours-for-2013/

A life less ordinary

One of my favourite shops in Brighton is the i gigi General Store. So when the owner's Zoe Ellison and Alex Legendre bought out their book, a life less ordinary, I just had to get a copy.

It is full of beautiful images from their store, homes and personal inspiration. The store opened 10 years ago, and it's interior and products have always concentrated on an intense neutral colour palette. There is always a wonderful mix of old and new, lots of layering of texture and colour levels.

As Zoe and Alex say in the book "We love to reclaim old things and put them in a modern space. Such places offer a story and a history, and bring a sense of individuality." It is interesting to see how this has translated through into their own homes. Very inspirational!

Maison Martin Margiela with H&M

I've just had the most fabulous shopping experience! I was very excited about the Maison Martin Margiela collaboration with H&M but unfortunately I wasn't working in London on 14th November, so had to risk ordering from the website. Anyway I ordered the deconstructed pump with removed heel.......

OMG!!!! Gorgeous white on white printed shoe box and labelling, printed cotton shoe bag and the deconstructed shoes. One pair of all leather black pumps with removed heels to wear as a necklace!

Such attention to detail, beautifully packaged, wonderfully designed, just the best shopping experience I've had in years - wouldn't it be great to feel this spoilt all the time!

Navy Blue

 As anyone who knows me will know I love navy blue. So when Sarah from 8th Day Design sent me the link to the Nothing But Navy Shop I was so excited. I got in touch with Gemma Kay Waggett of Nothing But Navy, who said "I decided to start the brand because of my love of the colour navy and my understanding that it is also the favourite colour of many individuals"

These pictures were from their most recent event at Material Lab for London Design Week. The Nothing But Navy brand is a series of pop up shops and the website store - The whole concept is about fabulous navy merchandise - heaven!

Why do I love navy? There are the known associations with reason, trust and competence but its navy's affinity to thought and reason that attract me most. When I look at French Navy - saturated blue with a tint of mauve coming through - my thought processes become energised and this encourages my creativity. Whereas when I look at intense inky or slightly green tinged navy, this evokes a sense of calm in me - the more logical thought. Either way they encourage me to loose myself and dream.

London Design Shows

The recent London design shows were the best I've seen in a long time - here are some of my favourite finds.

 Julie Kouamo's hauntingly romantic wallpaper - Exotic Vine from her new Bangou Collection at 100% Design.

Bethan Gray's elegant and beautifully crafted 'Brogue' leather -topped, solid wood tables at Design Junction.

Flaster  concrete tiles at SuperBrands, I adore how traditional tile designs have been reinterpreted in a truly modern way. I had seen these tiles previously in Liberty's - gorgeous.

And finally, this completely brilliant concrete design from The Sculpture House at Design Junction

  formed of cut concrete paving blocks, the reassembled textured pieces resemble a stunning luxury carpet.

Clerkenwell Design Week

Here are some of my highlights from Clerkenwell Design Week

 I love these mirrors from Haidee Drew they would look great in a dressing room or hall.

And I found these Chool seats ingenious - when you sit on the seat, the body of the chair slowly drops down and the back moves up. A neat cube shape when not in use, but really comfortable to sit in - great for a reception area.

Finally how marvelous to see the BarberOsgerby Olympic Torch prototype and developments at Vitra - Stunning!

Saigon Markets

It seems this year has been all about travel, I've just returned from Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon as most locals still call it. Fast, exciting, chaotic - an amasing 10 million people live here and 6 million ride scooters and motorbikes, as a result there is a massive market for crash helmets - they come in every colour and design.

In fact there is a massive choice of everything in the amazing markets....from food to flowers to more hats!

Clerkenwell Design Week

It was Clerkenwell Design Week this week and what really interested me is how designer/makers are relooking at tradition, taking the best of it and producing something knew and thought provoking in reponse.

The House Of Hackney have 'reworked traditional homewares for a new generation'; their Dalston Rose range of soft furnishings, wallpaper and home accessories have mixed ombre effects with an antique rose print to recreate a contempory antidote to the years of minimalism we've seen in home interiors. Just devine!

Brighton based Sean Dare of Dare Studio has designed this trully modern winged chair, Sean's clean lines have updated this furnishing classic into a wonderfully contemporary piece. The return of the winged chair seems just right now; the acoustic qualities gained through the design are brilliantly for blocking out mobile phones and other annoying modern day noises. 

Sludgy Colours

Illustration by Alexander Wells / theartworksinc.com 

It's unusual for me to be drawn to muddy or sludgy colours but I saw this illustration by Alexander Wells in the FT last weekend; it's a fabulous illustration that worked especially well with the pink newsprint paper. I kept the illustration on my desk and it's influenced my colour choices this week.

On Wednesday, while taking a break from giving a seminar on Colour at The Fashion Retail Academy, I popped into Paperchase as I love stationary...dissaster! I ended up buying these beautiful little boxes of stationery from East Of India all in natural taupe shades. I'll never use them - they're too beautiful!

The People's Prints

I finished the week being fascinated by this great menwear fashion spread, styled and photographed by Damian Foxe in How To Spend It. I love this magazine, it's so far from everyday reality, it's style on another level.

Porcelain by Paola Navone

 I often look at the Cos Stores website, I love their clothes, but also the 'Things' section, where I found these really beautiful porcelain plates.

Designed by Paola Navone, the full collection can be found here Reichenbach . I adore these!