Let There Be Light!

Blog by Philippa Rosselli

When thinking about the decoration of your home it’s important to remember to include your garden into the mix. Even if you don’t have green fingers there are always ways to dress up your garden that don’t take up too much time or energy, and any garden no matter what size or style can benefit from the addition of a few lighting features. Just like an accessory to a room, lighting can be the perfect finishing touch a garden needs to make it special.

Now that summer has arrived and (fingers crossed!) the weather is bright and beautiful the time has come to adorn our gardens with lighting and turn them into the magical havens we’ve all been dreaming of when the sun goes down. Whether you’re looking to revamp your garden into a welcoming setting for BBQs and other social gatherings or if you’re looking to create a more permanent feature piece for your garden, there’s an abundance of styles and lighting features to choose from.

A few new lighting additions is the easiest way to update your garden,  if candles and fairy lights are your thing or you’re looking for a quaint new porch light, these little finishing touches are just right to show off your signature style in a quick and easy way.

This lantern from the Charles Edwards exterior lighting collection is a contemporary way to add a little old-fashioned English romance to your garden. The bulb and frosted tube combination means that you’ll get that flickering candle effect without having to relight every time there’s a gust of wind!

One of The White Company’s bestsellers this summer are these beautiful Bistro Bulb Fairy Lights. Fairy lights are a beloved home and garden accessory, creating a warm and cosy feel to any surrounding area. These lights are particularly great as the oversized bulb creates more of a retro style, forming the atmosphere of a quaint Italian bistro or perhaps a 1950’s American funfair. Whether you want to hang them on a trellis or in a tree, they’re adaptable to any garden and any style, and are a great last minute addition for any party decorations.

Retrouvius currently has some wonderful indoor and outdoor lighting features, but my particular favourite for a porch feature is this charming Painted Copper Lantern.

Painted on the glass sides are charming seaside landscapes that are the perfect welcoming accessory for every seaside lover or fan of the quaint and quirky. This little porch lamp could be the ideal piece to add a little beach-fun and nostalgia to your home.

If you live in a flat or terrace with perhaps just a rooftop or small space to work with, there are still countless ways to make your outdoor area the most sought after space in your home.

This John Cullen Lighting design uses lighting around the edge to create the illusion of a spacious area whilst using candles and table lighting to make a cosy and inviting atmosphere, making it the perfect place for social events.

The same goes for this lovely al fresco seating area using Collingwood Lighting. Three wall lights throw warm light up and down the wall highlighting the attractive brickwork and the foliage in front.

Summer isn’t the only season your garden should be getting all dressed up for though. Incorporating permanent light features into your garden is a fantastic way to make a statement all year round. Turning a garden into your own personal haven means that you can have your very own beautiful landscape painting to enjoy all to yourself.

If you’re lucky enough to have a gorgeous pond or water feature in your back garden then it’s the perfect canvas for some dramatic lighting. John Cullen Lighting shows how to use lights to highlight a water feature and its surrounding shrubbery. The glow and shadows these lights created by bouncing off of its partnered bush adds a level of contemporary sophistication to a garden.

If you love gardening and have a prized plant, you can use a lighting feature to show off your marvellous creations!

Putting a light next to the plant immediately draws your eye to it making it the feature piece in your garden. You can use this effect to display your plant proudly or to achieve a beautifully dramatic statement with the lighting creating a striking shadow effect on the house wall.

Although a lighting fixture is a great way to show off your garden and all its wild wonders, you might also want to consider finding a light fixture that is the main feature of a garden itself.

This beautiful piece from Artemide is a lovely contemporary way to include lighting into your garden. It can be left to stand alone like in the picture above, perhaps on a patio or decking area, or you might want to integrate it into a flowerbed. A few of these pieces would be the perfect addition simply dotted around in an overflowing wild garden.

Your garden can be the perfect canvas to play around with adventurous and beautiful lighting, and it’s the perfect way to inject a bit of luxury without a complete overhaul. From elegant, contemporary pieces to fun and romantic, adding a little light into your garden could give it the burst of life it’s been looking for!

 

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On reflection

The thing that I appreciate most about summer is the beautiful light. I have been making the most of the last few weeks enjoying the fabulous scenery that is scattered with enchanting summer rays. It has got me thinking about different materials that play with light in a space, and I have gathered together some of my favourite examples of furnishings that have attractive reflective surfaces.

 

I could never grow bored looking at the enchanting glass pear drops that hang from this table light.

 Arctic Pear Table Lamp by Ochre

 

 The ‘seeds’ that fall from this gorgeous chandelier almost look like raindrops, each one acting as a magnifying lens.

 Seed Cloud, round 112 buds, by Ochre

 

These lovely large glass orbs reflect the light around them, and draw your attention in.

Bubbles Glass Orb Pendant from Anthropologie

 

Glass vessels that hold water are a beautiful table piece, and offer a playful refracted image of whatever they behold.

LSA Umberto Vase from John Lewis

 

Glass perfume bottles can be a charming ornament in the bedroom that twinkle in the last of the evening light.

Early 20th Century Perfume Bottle from Alfies Antique Market

 

This brilliant wallpaper is a 3D foil that can be used to create great effects with some clever lighting.

Beware The Moon – Quantum Foam Wallpaper from Rockett St George

These contemporary arched mirrors create the illusion of an entrance, and will really open up a space.

Panorami Mirrors for Secondome, designed by Zaven

 

John Soane is famous for having used convex circular mirrors in his London town house to create a tour de l’oeil, magnifying viewpoints and making spaces look larger.

Little Black Framed Convex Mirror from Rockett St George

 

I love the glamorous ambiance created by using this antique mirror as a headboard. You can find some fantastic antique mirrors at Lassco. 

 

These garden tea light holders are lovely. The glass vessels emit a pretty flicker of candle light.

Hanging Teardrop Votive by Garden Trading from Not on the high street. 

 

This gorgeous lantern creates a warm glow, perfect for a garden dinner party.

Antique Style French Lantern by The Flower Studio from Not on the High Street

Reflective materials and multi faceted surfaces can be a great way to play with light in a space; to create illusions of scale and splendour, or simply to make a room feel more dynamic.

This blog first appeared on the Cambridge Evening News website.

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Beat the clock – as featured in Cambridge News

As we prepare to turn back the clocks it’s the perfect time to brighten up your home and beat the winter blues before they even start! Victoria Harrison of Angel + Blume shows you a few simple updates to make sure your home makes the most of every last bit of winter sunshine to remain bright, light and welcoming over the next few months.

(This article first appeared in Cambridge News)

Rather than bemoan the lack of natural sunlight, see it as the perfect excuse to splash out on some new lighting. A cheerful table lamp will create a warm and welcoming glow so dot them around your living room,  bedroom and hallway.

Mirrored furniture like this beautiful chest of drawers  by Graham and Green will catch every last little bit of sunshine, helping to bounce light around the room and instantly brighten up a dull corner.

Rich velvet textures are perfect for the winter months, but you don’t have to pick a dark shade. This bright pink chair combines the cosiness of velvet with a mood lifting colour pop which will beat any hint of winter gloom.

A soft, inviting rug will instantly warm up your living room, but pick a soft cream shade and you will still get a bright and airy feel. Combine it with floor cushions or a luxury beanbag like this one from The White Company for cosy winter lounging.

And finally, The White Company are the master of winter whites, so follow their example and make your bed cosy and inviting by piling it high with layers of soft white and cream throws and cushions to create a light, bright nest.

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Lighten Up For Summer – as featured in Velvet magazine

Our latest design article is now out in Velvet magazine but don’t worry if you missed it, you can read it here!

The clocks have gone forward, the evenings are lightening up and summer is on the horizon. There’s nothing better than shaking off the winter gloom and getting your house ready for the summer months. Victoria Harrison shares some simple tips to make your home lighter and brighter.

 

Update curtains to let the sunshine in

This is a simple update which makes a huge difference. Heavy drapes are lovely and cosy in the winter but for summer you need light, airy voiles and sheer fabrics to allow the sunshine to pour in. Update yours to make the most of those long summer evenings; if you need a bit more privacy you can always hang a blind behind the voiles. Invite the sunshine in by ensuring your windows are sparkling clean; scrub the frames inside and out to get rid of winter grime and polish the glass with a water and vinegar solution to make them gleam. Finally, declutter window frames to make sure that nothing is blocking the light; move ornaments, vases and photo frames to a shelf and keep windowsills nice and clear.

 

Switch things around

In the summer you don’t need extra layers under your feet, so store heavy rugs away until autumn. With endless feet traipsing in and out from the garden it’s much more practical to have simple floorboards which can be swept clean. Banish heavy cushions and throws to a cupboard as well and lighten up for the summer months with soft and silky fabrics. Bright cheerful colours will give your house a lift, so indulge your home with zingy fabrics and cheery patterns. Think about reshuffling the furniture in your room to breathe a bit of life and fresh air into the space. In the winter we tend to group chairs close together and huddle around the fireplace or TV but in the summer months it’s nice to rearrange your furniture so you can sit in your favourite chair and look at the view out of the window rather than the TV screen. It’s the perfect time to declutter your living space too; in the winter we tend to gather our belongings around us, but summer is the perfect time to tidy up, store away unused items and make a fresh start.

 

Reflect the light

Reflect all that lovely summery light around your room with a large sparkling mirror. If you have recessed walls or dark corners a mirror is a great way to bounce light back into the room. Glass vases and candlesticks are good when it comes to adding extra sparkle too. I love mirrored furniture, but if you just want to update a few accessories rather than buy new furniture then mirrored lamp bases and photo frames are a good way of brightening up a scheme. Bunches of fresh cut flowers are the simplest way of bringing the outdoors in and they are a brilliant and inexpensive decorating staple throughout the summer. Even just a couple of blooms in a small votive will cheer up a room and add a layer of summer scent. Finally, small tea lights in mirrored or glass jars will add a cheerful glow to those lovely long summer evenings.

This article first appeared in Velvet magazine – issue 47 – May 2011.

Image credits: The White Company, The Contemporary Home, Jan Constantine, Dunelm Mill

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Exclusive photos of Terence Conran’s London apartment

So, as previously mentioned, on a gloriously sunny evening last week, Angel + Blume were at Terence Conran’s London apartment, sipping wine on the roof terrace and admiring the spectacular views across the Capitol. It’s a hard life, but someone’s got to do it. We were invited to a party to celebrate the relaunch of Conran.com and the 3rd birthday of mydeco.com and we made the most of the opportunity to take a sneak peek around the home of Conran, a global design icon, and take these exclusive photos.  Don’t say we’re not good to you.

If you want an aeroplane suspended from  your roof, and you’re Terence Conran, you get an aeroplane suspended from your roof. Fabulous.

The rooftop conservatory leading  on to an outside balcony. The perfect place for a cool glass of wine on a balmy summers evening.

The view from the balcony – yes that’s the London Eye in the centre and on the right is The Shard, London’s newest addition to the skyline.

I love this model of tower bridge, complete with classic cars waiting to cross.

How does a design legend tidy up rolls of drawings? In a classic wicker basket for casually styled storage of course.

How stylish is this simple arrangement of white ceramics against a crisp white wall. Just about perfect in my book.

The vaulted ceiling and sliding glass doors on both sides flood the apartment with light and on a hot day the doors can fold back to allow a cool breeze through.

The lower floor of the duplex apartment is also open to the glass ceiling above, so the whole apartment is full of light and feels airy and spacious. The perfect city base for a design icon. Thank you Terence for letting us see behind the scenes!

Images: Victoria Harrison

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