Yelo

At the recent World Architecture Day I spotted a man in a great pair of yellow trousers - they really stood out in the sea of black and grey worn by everyone else. Later on I was introduced to Andy Parsons of Yelo Architects and heard that he always wears an item of yellow clothing. By coincidence we met again and he was in one of his yellow shirts - what struck me was, that unlike some architects who wear colour as a moniker, Andy wears his with style.

 I thought it would be interesting to talk to him about his style and relationship with the colour yellow - so I googled yellow architect and found Yelo Architects - easy! And clever - by dropping an l and the w, he's created a great word somewhere between yell and hello, that really reflects the values of the colour. The human eye process yellow before other colours in the spectrum, due to the amount of light reflected and when paired with black, as in Yelo Architects' logo, is the easiest colour to read. We associate yellow with hope cheer and vitality - it is a joyful colour, just like the word Yelo.   

Andy started wearing yellow at college and it has now become an integral part of his professional identity. It is an exact shade of yellow that he chooses, almost Process Yellow, and he's lucky because he can wear it. It is also the Giallo Fly colour from Ferrari - very clean yellow, sharp and fresh.

I have used a similar yellow to highlight the entrance to a building and also reception desks - just like Andy's trousers, it really stands out and attracts our attention from a distance.          

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.

Finchley Memorial Hospital

It's been a really busy summer with two residential projects and my involvement with the redevelopment of Finchley Memorial Hospital. I love these first pictures of the finished hospital building taken by Benedict Luxmore, I think they really show the spirit of the architecture by Murphy Philipps Architects.

The greens of the colour palette I developed were inspired by the hospital's setting within a proposed health campus of therapy gardens, community gardens and playing fields; the gardens will be part of phase two to be completed next year. I have selected the levels of green to provide a sense of calm and reassurance while inspiring feelings of hope, renewal and rejuvenation.  

Green has traditionally been associated with hospitals. It is especially used in operating theatres where surgeons are carrying out close work involving red blood - to look away towards a level of green allows the eye to rest and refocus.

Black Wedding

I knew when I received the invite above, that my niece's wedding would be stylish. The black and white theme followed through all the wedding stationary, table sttings, cake.....

and to these wonderful boxes to take a cup cake away in....

The colour black exudes sophistication and style; beloved of luxury brands for their logos, it is one of the most important colours in the fashion world.  

Exquisite Exhibitions

I've visited two exquisite fashion exhibition's recently, the Christian Louboutin retrospective at  the Design Museum and the Hermes Leather Forever exhibition at The Royal Academy's 6 Burlington Gardens.

In both exhibitions the curation is as exciting as the exhibits; at the  Christian Louboutin, curated by Donna Loveday, the special effects included projected images and films as well as fairground carousels.

But the hologram of Dita Von Teese was completely mesmerising.

At the Hermes exhibition the effects included red sand, leather strap curtains and beautiful exhibition cabinets.Curation - Alexandra Plat, Scenography

The two exhibitions brilliantly draw the visitor into the world of these luxury brands and their breathtaking accessories - taking you on a journey into their world. 

With both brands the colour red is indelible; for Louboutin it is the signature lipstick red soles to all his shoes, and with Hermes its the intense orange red for its packaging and branding. These powerful reds both elude to luxury, but to me Louboutin's red is about sexual danger and the Hermes red is about the richness of heritage.  

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!