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Monthly Archives: March 2011

Repro designer furniture

On March 31st, 2011 by .

Being able to afford designer furniture is not something many of us can do, especially in these tough times. Happily there is now an answer: Interior Addict have been running for around two years, selling high quality designer reproductions online. Two weeks ago they opened their very first showroom, on Commercial Street, Shoreditch.

“For some people, furniture is just a tool: a functional object to sit on, eat at or sleep in. But that’s not how we see things. You see, we’re addicts… Interior Addicts. We’re not just passionate about furniture design from the likes of Arne Jacobsen, Joseph Hoffman, Le Corbusier and Charles Eames… we’re absolutely, positively and utterly addicted to it.”

Selling only the finest reproduction pieces inspired by their favourite classic designers, they have our whole range available to buy on their website. Shoreditch is a beautiful area of London known for being a design hub, so why not make a day of it?

File Name: Charles Eames Style Rar Rocking Chair.jpg
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Product Name: Charles Eames Style Rar Rocking Chair
Description: * reproduction inspired by Charles Eames’ signature rocking chair * hard fibreglass shell * number of colours available * rounded profile designed to fit the human body * dimensions: width 46cm * depth 58cm * height 66cm
Price: £189

File Name: Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Style Barcelona Sofa 2 Seat.jpg
Caption Details
Product Name: Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe Style Barcelona Sofa 2 Seat
Description: * reproduction in the style of the classic Barcelona design * high quality specifications as per the original * functional and pure in geometric form * a classic example of Bauhaus design * available semi aniline, aniline leather * a number of colours * 12mm, 304 highly polished stainless steels * dimensions: width 130cm * depth 75 cm * height 76cm
Price: £729

File Name: Eileen Gray Style Bibendum Chair.jpg
Caption Details
Product Name: Eileen Gray Style Bibendum Chair
Description: * reproduction in the style of Eileen Gray’s striking design * tubular cushions upholstered in Italian leather * highly polished base * dimensions : width 93cm * depth 84cm * height 74cm.
Price: £499

File Name: Arne Jacobsen Style Egg Chair – Red.jpg
Caption Details
Product Name: Arne Jacobsen Style Egg Chair – Red
Description: # Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair reproduction # high spec as per the original design # available semi aniline, full aniline or danish wool (whats this) # cast aluminium base, with tilt and swivel mechanism # egg chairs hand stitched, no sewing line down the back ! # Height: 107 cm highest point * Depth:79 cm* Width :86 cm Widest Point
Price: £599

File Name: Verner Panton Style Side Chair – Fibreglass.jpg
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Product Name: Verner Panton Style Side Chair – Fibreglass
Description: * reproduction influenced by Panton’s playful and exciting original * commercial quality fibre glass * various vibrant colours * dimensions: Width 47cm * Depth 52cm * Height * 84cm. Seat height is 41cm.
Price: £95

File Name: Charles Eames Style Dar Dining Chair.jpg
Caption Details
Product Name: Charles Eames Style Dar Dining Chair
Description: Charles Eames Style DAR Dining Chair This high-quality reproduction is created in the style of Charles Eames’ DAR Dining Chair and is a stylish addition to not just the dining room but any room of your home. The rounded profile of the seat contrasts starkly with the thin and angular legs to create a striking piece. Charles Eames Style DAR Dining Chair features a sumptuous seat shell that conforms to the body’s shape with graceful armrest. Dimension: H: 81 * W:46 * D:53 cm # reproduced in the style of Eames’ classic DAR Dining Chair # rounded profile of the seat contrasts starkly with the angular legs to create a striking piece # stylish addition to any room in the home # sumptuous seat shell that conforms to the shape of the human body # dimensions: height: 81cm * width: 46cm * depth 53cm
Price: £189

File Name: Arne Jacobsen Style 3103 Chair.jpg
Caption Details
Product Name: Arne Jacobsen Style 3103 Chair
Description: Arne Jacobsen styke 3103 chairs, Walnut “3103″ chairs orginally designed by Arne Jacobsen. Constructed from molded plywood with desirable walnut veneer, this design classic is also known as the “Hammer” Chair. Dimensions : width 46cm * height 77cm * depth 45cm Seat height 44 cm * real walnut veneer plywood * stainless steel base * designer iconic dining chair * dimensions : width 46cm * height 77cm * depth 45cm * seat height 44 cm REPRODUCTION
Price: £129

Posted under Furniture

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Royal Wedding shoot

On March 29th, 2011 by .

It’s been a weird few weeks, I went through quite a low and uninspiring stage recently as I felt as if the cold weather was never going to end. I find it so hard to be creative when you are feeling like that but now that Spring is on the way I seem to have found a new enthusiasm.

We have our Royal wedding job next week, shooting at a country house in Buckinghamshire and I can’t wait!  Below are the finished results.  We were going to sell the feature to a magazine (layout below) but we were a bit late shooting it and missed the deadline.  Instead, it was featured by Channel 4, My Deco and Your Wedding. It was such a fun shoot, my dear friend Jemma Watts took the photos and the cakes were all made by the very talented Kate at Pat-A-Cake, Pat-A-Cake.  Search for ‘Summer Garden Party’ to see the full range of images.



The set-up for the Royal Wedding shoot!

The next shoot is for The California Shutter Company which has been a long time in the planning. We are lucky as we have such a lovely location house.  I have shot here many times before and the owner (who is a stylist herself) is so accomodating.

We finished filming last week for 3M and are really happy with the video.

And then its off to Biarritz to visit my sister!!! Can’t wait!

Posted under My Styling Diary

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London Design week 2011 – trend watch

On March 28th, 2011 by .

We wanted to share with you our findings from London Design Week and show you the emerging trends for 2011…

Romo-  Zinc – Miami inspired; exuberant, art deco, colourful madness, graphic printed velvets, carnival silks and punchy geometrics. Zinc Textiles

Villa Nova – delicate feminine spring patterns, Villa Nova

Kirkby Design – geometic patterns, velvets – textured fabrics, Kirkby Design

Zoffany -  beautiful wallpapers created using drypoint intaglio. Very classic and elegant patterns. http://www.zoffany.com/pages/new_collections/

Élitis at Abbot and Boyd - ethnic and tribal prints, earthy tones, bright contrasting colours – yellow, Elitis.

Harleqiuin – Spring, bright, floral, repetitive patterns, Harlequin

Porta Romana – unusual and quirky lighting – love the Faceted Lamps, Porta Romana

Créations Métaphores -  urban environment and chic landscapes were the source of inspiration – balances of softness and metallic chain elements -  http://www.creations-metaphores.com/en/metaphores/nouveautes.htm

Houlés – beautiful brightly coloured passementerie

Lelievre – strong, contrasting colours, balancing gentle graphics and naive floral motifs – http://www.lelievre.eu/index.php?mod=nouvellescollections

Brunschwig & Fils – classic and contemporary

Gastón y daniela – kahastan fabric – tribal colourful. http://www.gastonydaniela.com/MenuFront/2880742242210/en/Nuevos-Estampados-2011

Posted under Design post, Furniture, Interior Styling, Livingroom, Paint/fabric/wallpaper, Trend Stories

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Clever Designs by Wedgewood

On March 28th, 2011 by .

Whilst flipping through a recent issue of Belle Australia magazine, I was truly impressed by the clever advertising campaign by Wedgewood (below). Through the use of fashion styling alongside an arrangement of their classic and distinct pieces, they have shown that dining and serving ware can be statement pieces for your home.Images courtesy of Belle Magazine Australia, November 2010 Issue and Designer Rugs.com

In other Wedgewood news:

To celebrate their 250th anniversary tour, Wedgewood partnered with Australian company Designer Rugs to produce this range of exclusive handmade rugs. I love how their classical designs have been reinvented whilst keeping true to the Wedgewood iconic style.

See the full range at Designer Rugs.com

Posted under Home accessories, Secondary featured

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A Guide to Shabby Chic Furniture Painting

On March 28th, 2011 by .

As the saying goes “make do and mend!” I’m a firm believer in up-cycling tired & unwanted furniture, rather than buying new.  With a little bit of graft – probably a lot of sanding – you can customize your own unique piece of furniture.  As a guide here is a sideboard I recently up-cycled for a client.

how to shabby chic - sideboard ready to be upcycled

Once you have your chosen piece of furniture, you will need to prep the surfaces to be painted. First be sure to remove any handles, hinges or metalwork. You’re now ready to start stripping the paint or varnish, to do this I tend to use sandpaper or Nitromors. I find both methods are equally effective and take the same amount of time, but when working with heavy detail Nitromors is best. Nitromors is a chemical substance that removes paint, varnish and skin, so do be careful and wear protective clothing & work in a well ventilated area.

Once the item has been stripped and sanded, get rid of any dust by wiping it down with warm water – allow to dry.  A little tip for you; in my photo you will see my dog Ted happily snoozing, make sure when painting that animals stay well away! Their hair will get into the paint and on to your furniture – not a good look!  I also avoid painting outside on a sunny day as bugs find the gleam of the fresh wet paint extremely inviting. Once they bugs have landed they don’t come off without a little help.. this will leave marks.

how to shabby chic

Primer.. I don’t always use primer but depending on the condition of the wood it is sometimes necessary.  This particular sideboard is in a good condition, so instead of a primer I will be apply two coats of white.  I like to use Farrow & Ball paints; for this sideboard I am using Matchstick White as an undercoat, and an Eggshell Pavilion Grey for the topcoat (oil-based eggshells or matt paints are best as a water-based paint won’t sand as well).  When applying the paint always go in the direction of the wood grain, keeping minimal paint on the paintbrush & with nice thin layer.  It’s quality, not quantity.

how to shabby chic -

Allow each layer of paint to dry properly before adding the next.  This photo is after one layer of Matchstick White. Keep applying even layers.

how to shabby chic -

This sideboard has now had two layers of Matchstick White and two layers of Pavilion grey. I added in some standard black paint to darken the Pavilion grey as it was paler than my client wanted. I tend to leave the piece to thoroughly dry for a minimum of 24 hours before distressing.  Some people do not like the distressed look, so you could always leave it as above and just add a varnish or wax to protect the paint.

how to shabby chic

When distressing the furniture, there are so many routes and degrees of “aging” that you can do.  As this piece is a commission I’ve been asked to not go too crazy, just highlight on areas where, wear and tear would occur. For instance this would be on raised areas, edges, around drawers, handles & the top of detailing. To distress I use 180 grit sandpaper, the trick is to sand in one direction repeatedly. If you want to create extra damage and bruise the furniture, use metal chain or the edge of metal tools to beat the furniture.  I don’t do this often as I feel it’s fairly sacrilege & most often the antiques I paint are well used and slightly battered.

how to shabby chic - the finished result

Once you’re content with the finish, you can either leave as is, or add a coat of beeswax or varnish. This will help protect the wood, but don’t be too overzealous as an overly shiny varnish will not look authentic and shabby chic!

If you have any questions or want further tips, please do not hesitate to email me.


Posted under Craft ideas, Design post, Furniture, Storage, Vintage

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Events – Country Living Spring Fair

On March 24th, 2011 by .

Celebrating it’s 20th Spring Fair, Country Living has assembled 400 independent retailers, designers, makers and small producers from across the UK to showcase the best of British design & craftsmanship. Apart from Fair Favourites there will be over 123 New Faces – a section exclusively for first-time exhibitors. Hands-on workshops and advice from experts in the lifestyle theatre, make this fair a must go! The Spring Fair started on the 23rd March and runs until to the 27th March. To book tickets online please visit here.

Posted under Events, Home accessories

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Going Vintage – a guide to some of the best furniture fairs

On March 22nd, 2011 by .

Going Vintage – this months guide to the best furniture fairs.

Vintage is set to remain high on the style agenda this year, and although there are many vintage inspired designs on the market, for the real deal your best bet is to head down to a vintage market or fair. So for those after some unique home decor, here’s a selection of some of the best vintage furniture finds on offer.

1) Those on a budget will love the Vintage Furniture Flea, which showcases affordable vintage furniture, homewares and fabrics from the ’20s through to the ’80s. Expect to find mid century stalwarts, such as G-Plan and Ercol amongst an eclectic mix of delights from over 45 hand picked traders.

27 March 2011, York Hall, Old Ford Road, London

2) Spring is here and if you’re like me, and you like nothing more than bargain hunting in the sun, head down to Sunbury Antiques Market - the largest & longest running bi-monthly market in the country. Dating back to 1979, the market has over 700 stalls serving up a feast of rare gems and one-off pieces. 29 March 2O11, Kempton Park Racecourse, East Sunbury on Thames, Middlesex

3) itslovelinessincreases pop up shop is run by the author, stylist, designer, and gardener Ros Badger. Using her extensive design and styling experience, she has carefully selected a diverse range of unexpected objets d’art, antique furniture, textiles and lighting, vintage clothes, jewellery and paintings. Run from her beautiful home in Herne Hill, this is one pop up not to be missed, 79 Holmdene Avenue, London. http://www.rosbadger.com/

Posted under Design post, Events, Furniture, Lighting, Paint/fabric/wallpaper, Vintage

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TREND: Lime Green & Citrus Green

On March 21st, 2011 by .

Bring the bright colours of summer into your home with the latest zesty limes & citrus  greens; a big trend for 2010 & 2011.

Both vivacious and cool, the two tones will keep your scheme looking fresh and dynamic.  From your childs bedroom to the living room or the kitchen, this statement look will work in any room . Either add small accessories like cushions and vases or make an impact with a stylish feature chair or sofa. We’ve picked some of our favourite products to get you started straight away, it couldn’t be easier!

Posted under Design post, Furniture, Home accessories, Interior Styling, Livingroom, Paint/fabric/wallpaper, Trend Stories

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Craft: Make a button lampshade

On March 19th, 2011 by .

Create an individual lampshade using spare buttons. If you have a lampbase that you love but haven’t found a shade to suit it then this project is a great solution. When lit the lampshade will cast button shaped patterns around the room and using semi transparent coloured buttons will create a really colourful light. Use an eclectic mix of shapes and sized buttons and select colours that complement each other or use mother of pearl buttons to create a beautiful vintage feel. This can also be created with beads, glass ones will look especially impressive when the lamp is lit!   You can also use this idea to decorate a larger freestanding lamp.

To make this lampshade, you will need…

-Table lamp
-Old metal frame lampshade
-Collection of buttons various sizes
-Wire and cutters

-Remove the fabric cover from your lampshade.
-Sort the buttons into groups by size, the buttons will graduate from small to large as they move down the lampshade but you can create any formation.
-Cut a long length of wire, wrap several times around the bottom edge of the frame make sure the wire is secure.
-Thread some of the larger buttons onto the wire, gradually using the smaller buttons until you have reached the top edge of the lampshade frame. -Pull the wire taught and wrap around the top edge.
-Thread the smaller buttons onto the wire, increasing the size of buttons until you have reached the bottom edge,
-wrap the wire to secure. Repeat this process until you have covered the whole lamp.

Please send us your pictures of the finished article and we will post them on the site!

Posted under Craft ideas, Home accessories, Paint/fabric/wallpaper, Vintage

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Quick kitchen updates

On March 17th, 2011 by .

After much deliberation we have finally decided to update our kitchen but rather than spending thousands on a new refit; we will simply make some small changes that will give the impression of a totally new design.

The blue cupboard doors are now white white gloss, the tatty vinyl floor has been exchanged for large stone tiles and the very chintzy wall tiles have been replaced with ‘old school’ white rectangular ones.  The image on the right shows them in a bathroom, and they are often seen in industrial kitchens, schools and cafés.  I chose this particular style as the design is timeless; I know that in five years time the they will still work within our scheme.

We are also thinking about a glass splashback (image on the left) but can’t decide on the colour? I am tempted to go for a clear glass as I am not a big fan of colour in kitchens.  The tiles and Splashback are both from The Tile Depot (one of the UK’s largest tile and wooden floor companies).   If you are thinking about a new kitchen or bathroom take a look at their website as they are surprisingly affordable.  My tiles were just 59 pence each!  I will post you more updates as we go along, including a before and after pic…

Posted under Bathrooms, Kitchens

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