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 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

‘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

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…

In putting together a collective of some of my favourite Eco fabrics, I’ve convinced myself that I need more fabric in my life!One of the great things about buying textiles for the home is their versatility. Adding instant colour and comfort, cushions and covers can be used to create a look of laid back luxury, and moved from room to room, depending on your mood. Alternatively, upholstering is a clever way to update worn out, or mismatched furniture, and give a room a new visual dynamic.

Aside from their green credentials, (and the fact that they would make my home look infinitely better), for me, this eclectic collection of fabrics share a real feel of design authenticity and quality, often found lacking in more conventionally made textiles. ‘

http://www.rajboori.com/

http://www.lesindiennes.com/

http://www.vanessaarbuthnottfabrics.co.uk/

http://www.showpony.co.uk/

I especially adore seeing the colour when paired with rich greys, whites, or a pop of turquoise. It can be both fun but also very chic and stylish. Below are some beautiful inspirations of how to dab your space with this fresh colour, whatever the season.

Image 1:
Stunning use of colour – photography by Stephanie Williams
Kimberley Lewis’ ‘Sierra’ wallpapers in Cadmium – tying grey and yellow together in the best way!

Image 2:
Spotted: One sunny sided door at Nordicrooms.net
‘Citrus Wishing Buds’ Note Card, by the lovely and creative Kate at Birdcage Cards

Image 3:
Pride of plates – a gorgeous wall collection seen at Décor Amor
Venus chair in aptly named colour ‘Goldilocks’, available from Freedom

Image 4
HeartFish Press cute ‘Smile’ poster series
‘Lemonade Storm’ poster available from Etsy

‘Bird in Flight’ wall panel available at http://www.freedom.com.au Actress Olivia Wilde’s bedroom wallpaper featured in June ’09 InStyle Magazine

Clever card cut-outs seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/hnxing/

French Bluebird Linen Cushion available through http://www.etsy.com/shop/JolieMarche?ref=seller_info

For those with a love of pattern, although I’m probably a tad biased, the Charlston lot (images above) were a great example of how to transform ordinary pieces of furniture into objects they wanted to surround themselves with. Believing that the enjoyment of beautiful objects was one of life’s chief pleasures, Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant used the entire house as their canvas, painting walls, fireplaces, door panels and furniture – often sourced from local auction houses and junk shops.

A slightly less ambitious and more streamlined approach would be to simply coat your chosen piece of furniture in one solid colour, white of course being the fail-safe option. However if you’re working with an already fairly neutral décor, I’d be temped to use this as an opportunity to bring in a splash of colour and liven up an otherwise subdued space.

For those that don’t have the time or inclination to pick up a brush, there are those that will customise your beloved but dilapidated furniture for you. Companies such as Ghost Furniture (www.ghostfurniture.co.uk) can transform even the most mundane looking item into something quirky and beautiful.

Lou Rota’s work (www.lourota.com/) is another great example of how to rework some magic into second hand items – reflecting her passion for the natural world and deep-seated recycling ethic, Lou’s eclectic range uses collage and decoupage to transform unloved objects into highly desirable home-wares.