Find the answers to all of your decorating dilemas and stay up-to-date with the latest Interior trends.

Eco Interiors:

When I think of eco, I think of recycled materials, second hand things, the outdoors, growing your own food and saving energy, It makes for innovative, fun and interesting ideas and I think it brings out the best in people. We are born into a consumerist world which pushes us to buy new products all the time, wasting resources and damaging the planet, so at a time like this making the shift to recycled products or eco friendly products and really thinking about our purchases will help improve quality of life. Interiors have become the focus as we spend more time at home, using our dining rooms having friends to dinner, making our bedrooms luxurious and concentrating on the enjoyment and reward we can get from this. We want sustainable and reliable products that will last and be functional. I have searched around for the best interior products that go with these values.

The innovative sky planter from Eco Centric, is not only a space saver but an unusual and fun way of holding plants and herbs which also holds it’s on water reservoir meaning it “self waters”.

I’m an avid cheese fan and love this board from Love Eco, which is made from the shelves reclaimed from the Old Library at Selwyn College, interesting bit of history and useful!

My previous post talked about large light bulbs making a comeback and here we have the eco friendly version from Eco Centric.

I’m loving this statement cushion made from 100% recycled plastic bottles!This “charming” Chiwawa is filled with wheat and lavender. You put it in the microwave and the heat can last for two hours.

http://www.love-eco.co.uk/products/prince-the-hot-dog

Very cool recycled tyres to use as garden planters or inside for wood or maybe magazines; available from Eco Outlet

Out to the garden we go and a couple of snazzy products to keep your garden in perfect order; a garden planner and recycled plant labels, both from Eco Outlet.

Lilly & Lime compost bucket

Garden Milk bottles from Pure Design Company

Eco paint from Ecotopia

Recycling bin from Eco Centric

Solar Fairy lights from Nigels Eco Store

Feature by Liz Danon

I have recently been working on the interior design of a pub within a very tight budget and have found that the most important thing is lighting. I’m conducting a simple experiment where you begin in the dark and just turn on those lights you actually need to get around the place without tripping over, this way you achieve just enough light to see but also a great ambiance that is natural and cosy. You could also try this at home and at the same time you’ll be saving lots of energy!

I’m a sucker for fairy lights as they are not only pretty in a gollum like “precious” way, but also versatile and very subtle. They are flattering and create the sort of glamorous effect you might get from a theatrical mirror. These orchid lights would look beautiful above the bed or around a mirror.

Something that I have noticed recently is the back to basics of interior design and in lighting, the simple use of large light bulbs on dimmers. We often shade and disguise light but with simple design elements being pushed to the forefront, the light bulb seems to have come out of the shadows.

The laser bulb, previously featured in the Christmas gift guide is still a firm favourite of mine which you can get from click shop.

The floor lamps that seem to be very i for 2010 are the brightly coloured variety, which I think you need a lot of guts to place in a room and you certainly cannot be colour shy.

And now, going slightly off track, I came across this series of unique crystal lamps by Pieke Bergmans, with Royal Leerdam Crystal and Solid Lighting.

These light bulbs have been “Infected by the dreaded Design Virus“, creating all kinds of shapes and sizes through blown glass. I love the way they seem to have naturally blobbed and formed according to their surroundings.

And finally a quick peek at another exciting designer who also sees light in a different way – Victor Bodea has created these unique cases for lights to provide a  solution to the problem of light dimmers through the sleekly designed Cache Cache lamp, which in French stands for “hidden”. It uses a zipper to control the amount and direction of light.

Feature by Elizabeth Danon

I visited the East London Design Show last weekend and it was full of fantastic last minute gift ideas for Christmas. The show is one of the largest of it’s kind in London, with over 100 independent product designers exhibiting their wares.

Here, I list my favorite products from the show:

People Will Always Need Plates - A unique tableware and textile range using technical elevations of iconic British buildings.

‘Sunhouse’ plate by People Will Always Need Plates

Let Them Eat Cake - Beautiful, tiered cake stands created from vintage china. With designs ranging from romantic to the eccentric, you will find one to suit even the most discerning gift recipient. They also provide a bespoke service – you supply them with your treasured family china, and they create your very own heirloom.

‘Blue Stripe Delight’ cake stand by Let Them Eat Cake

Plate sorting by Let Them Eat Cake

Clothkits - Making it easy to sew your own clothes and toys from scratch. A great activity for kids and adults alike. Clothkits collaborate with other well known local artists and designers, resulting in a vastly appealing collection of products to make at home.

‘House and Birds Kit’ by Clothkits

Miller Goodman- Stylish and fun, the ‘Playshapes’ range is made from 74 geometric wooden shapes, which can be endlessly arranged. When playtime is over, the shapes are stored away in their very own unbleached cotton drawstring bag.

‘PlayShapes’ by Miller Goodman

alp – alp is a design studio led by Swiss born, London based Annick L Petersen. Highlights from her homewares collection include white linen cushions with red stitched satin text, and plates with the same design. The text is inspired by Edith Piaf’s ‘La vie en rose’.

Cushions by alp

Plates by alp

Fabrications - ‘Re-think rubbish’ gift wrapping kits combine the Japanese art of ‘Furoshiki’ with vintage head scarves and fabric bows. A sustainable alternative to wrapping paper.

Gift wrapping kit by Fabrications

O_RLy?!!1

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