I came across these new illustrations today whilst on my way to work.  They were all around the Redchurch street area.  Funny how I now call it ‘art’ rather than graffiti, I think it becomes art when it is a commissioned piece; which a lot of these are.  I really like the one below (on Chance Street, E1) where they have used a mixture of paint and paper to create a montage effect; birds and tropical flowers are so popular in fashion and interiors  – paradise trend.  Almost every building in this area has wall art now, something that many people still find hard to appreciate.  Personally, I like it.  I think it suits the area and above all it’s so colorful.  I know a lot depends on the quality of the piece but generally they’re all of a pretty high standard.

Redchurch street itself is changing so quickly.  My husband used to have his office there about 5 years ago before the likes of Shoreditch House and the Boundry, now you can’t move for Galleries, cafes, uber cool clothes shops and wall art.  It’s great, I love seeing the area change.  It’s going to be crazy there in a few weeks during London Design Festival with the Shoreditch Triangle.

There is just under two weeks to go until John Lewis unveil their new Stratford store, but as you might expect from an Olympic site shop, this is going to something completely different… Image credits: Clements Riberio, ercol cabinet; Bottles Blue cushion, James Joyce; Ikat print cushion,  Ikat Broadstripe chaise, Seattle Chaise, Adras Indigo all Ptolemy Mann;

There are many elements that make this new Home store exciting including collaborations with designers that are completely new to John Lewis.  One that I am really excited about is the vintage boutique brand, Pedlars.  As well as their signiture pieces, they will be offering reconditioned 1950s telephones, original London bus blinds, vintage 1960s bread baking tins sourced from the Hovis factory, along with 1960s lamps, maps, and globes.

Customers will also see a new focus on design-led, directional products, particularly in furniture and lighting.  One particular designer lighting brand will be Design House Stockholm, a firm favourite of mine, you might know them for their ever popular and gorgeously stylish Nordic Light.

There will be a section dedicated cushions, wallpaper and fabric by Jocelyn Warner, a new dining range from Bethan Gray for John Lewis, and fabrics from Mulberry Home.  The area will see a new installation by the renowned stylist Emma Davidge, her concept is inspired by Tibetan flags, and uses long drops of John Lewis fabric to create a breath-taking entrance to the Home floor showcasing the array of fabrics available.

Other collaborations include Original BTC and Modernica, as well as designers Clements Ribeiro, James Joyce and Ptolomy Mann (images above).

Another service will be from Image library guru, Getty, where customers can customise a range of art and photography to suit their own requirements – altering the print size and frames to suit their taste.

Finally, there will be a Home Design service offering customers a design consultation in-store or at home.  Customers will also be able to pick-up swatches and samples, browse interiors magazines and books, and speak to one of their interior design-qualified home designers.

The official opening will be on September 13th 2011
John Lewis

Here are a few pieces from Romo’s Somerford Ticking collection which are available from September 2011.  Use the cushions on a neutral sofa to add detail or on painted furnitrure as in the picture below.
Click here to see further collections from Romo.

For three days (29th – 31st  July) the Southbank Centre, London was taken back in time and revamped into the Southbank Vintage Festival, a Vintage by Hemingway production. Queen Elizabeth Hall, Royal Festival Hall, the Purcell Rooms and the BFI were all taken over, set dressed and transformed.  Wayne & Gerardine Hemingway & the Hemingway Design Team created the Vintage Festival with the aim to commemorate the history of British Creativity – an authentic celebration of the music, fashion, art, design, film and food of the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

‘Vintage at Southbank Centre is a glamorous and cool antidote to festivals in a field, the emphasis being on head-turning style. Whether your thing is swing, rockabilly, mod, soul, funk, disco, ska, film, art of design, or if you just want to dress up and get an authentic make-over for a day.  Vintage at Southbank Centre is a sensual delight, a big dressing-up box, a collectors dream and a joyous creative feast’ - Wayne Hemingway

When I arrived at the Southbank Vintage Festival I was met by crowds dressed head to toe in glamourous vintage clothing – instantly making the atmosphere special. Royal Festival Hall was my first destination, with all six levels transformed to showcase the best vintage clothing, art, design and musical talent. Once inside I found myself drawn to the Creative Workshops area – especially to the Mollie Makes stand; a new magazine that focuses on all things craft; making, collecting and thrifting. When I stopped by textile talent Scrapiana was teaching students how to make cute strawberry pin cushions. I also stopped by the St Bride Foundation Print Workshop who were teaching specialist letterpress printing to the public, using traditional techniques and machinery.

My personal highlight of the festival had to be the Vintage marketplace, as one of the free areas, this pop-up high street was a big attraction with tourists and celebrities a like.  Nestled just below the London Eye, the marketplace was packed with the finest purveyors of vintage clothes, accesories, homewares, records and music memrobilia selling their wares. My first stop was to the Crown Paint Tea Room to see the new Crown Vintage inspired paints, exclusive to Homebase.  The tea room was beautifully decorated with floral tablecloths, bunting and delicious cakes and tea courtesy of Jam and Tea.  Crown Vintage paints have been created in association with Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway – inspired by the five decades of British cool – fitting in perfectly with the Vintage Festival.  My favourite colours are the Pencil Skirt Grey from the 40s collection, and the Pin-Up Pink from the 50s collection and Beatnik Blue from the 60s collection. After admiring the treats on offer at the tea room, I went on to scout out the best vintage interiors talent on offer. Below are a few images of what I found:

1940′s Imperial cigarette cabinet and 1940s Shell petrol pump cabinet – both by Black & Perry

1930s Factory machinist light by Metro Retro. Polished aluminium spotlight on tripod stand, 1950s polished steel factory chest – both by Objectify.

Alvar Aalto model 44 chair from Fire Fly House. 1960s Twin childs desk from Objectify

It’s hard to believe we’re in the middle of June with the recent dismal weather we’ve been having in Blighty. So when the sun finally came out this weekend, I decided I’d make the most of it and spend some time in the garden. In my garden there is a small patio area which is used for an outdoor seating area, and a kitchen garden with herbs. The patio is fairly packed with wooden planters, a rusted old bench, and plenty of the same old terracotta pots.. oh, and a garden gnome! It’s undoubtably a lovely area but it lacks in colour and character. I wanted to make changes that 1, wouldn’t cost too much, 2, would add colour and 3, would be quick and easy!

My first quick fix was to update the wood and wrought iron bench, which I sanded down then painted in a sky blue, outdoor gloss paint. Next on my list was the boring planters for the various herbs and flowers. I raided the garden and greenhouse – collecting lots of different shapes and sizes of terracotta pots to paint. I sealed the insides of all the pots before painting them in different colours. So as not to waste paint I had several 250 ml tester pots made up in my selected colours at Homebase – they only cost £2.50 and they go a long way. I chose bright colours with the intention of using contrasting coloured flowers for each pot. Once all the painted pots are dry I will mix them into groupings with different pots already on the patio.

Apart from the terracotta pots I wanted to find other planters that would add further interest – first stop, my local charity and antique shops. I was in luck and found a gorgeous old green metal watering-can which is now a planter for fresh mint. I was also hoping to come across a couple crates or wine boxes with interesting type or design, that I could line and use as a planter, but I wasn’t so lucky this time. From looking online, I’ve seen that Not On The High Street offer a fabulous crate which can be personalized with font and colour – click here to view.

Below are the images of my days work in the garden…