Side Kicks

Side tables are a really useful piece of furniture to have in your home, especially in your living space. Not only do they offer a practical elements, they can have so much style as well. I’ve pulled together some fun and glamorous side tables that can give you an idea of how you might like to change up your home or add in some new pieces.

French House White and Elm Hand-painted Round Lamp Table’ from Angel & Boho

This simple, French style table from Angel & Boho offers a simple but charming effect for a relaxed and low-key room, a perfect canvas to pair with some exciting and colourful accessories.  Side tables are a great way to introduce a particular style, especially antique and vintage ideas. This piece from West Elm is a mid-century design, which would look beautiful paired with an antique sofa or armchair in the same style. The golden magazine rack adds both a pretty feature as well as some 21^st century practicality.

‘Mid-century Magazine Side Table’ from West Elm

If you want to inject a touch of high-end glamour to your living space, a glitzy side table may be just the ticket. Julian Chichester always has some exciting and beautiful designs, and this Penn side table is no different. Its unusual shape will make it an eye-catching feature in any room.

‘Penn Side Table’ from Julian Chichester

Choose to go really contemporary with this hexagonal side table from Skandium. The geometric almost avant-garde design would really make a statement in a contemporary setting.

‘Slit Side Table Hexagon by Hay’ from Skandium

 

‘Liberty Side Table’ from Tom Faulkner

This gorgeous piece is from Tom Faulkner and has a modern, Art Deco feel to it. The glass top shows off the table’s legs, and gives the whole look a sophisticated, grand look.

If you want to bring the glamour, minus the price tag, there are loads of less expensive pieces available. These marble top side tables from Swoon Editions make fantastic little add-ons to a glam living space, and would go hand-in-hand with some sumptuous velvets.

Wooden  ‘Pearl Side Tables’ from Swoon Editions

These side table were originally design in metal, but have been altered to wooden form. The curved bases give them a unique look and would give any room a big dose of character.

‘Wooden Side Table by Vitra’ from Skandium

Keeping with the wood theme, this little piece from Swoon Editions is super sweet, and a really versatile design that can work with a lot of different schemes and styles. The arched legs give the simple design a lovely bit of character.

‘Oscar Side Table’ from Swoon Editions

Finally, for some real eclectic fun, this face side table from Rockett St George will really get people talking. It’s a great idea if you want to add some excitement into a scheme without it losing its glamorous feel.

‘Faces Side Table’ from Rockett St George

With endless styles, sizes, shapes and colours, side tables are a great way to revamp your living space and experiment with ideas, and maybe finding some new favourite pieces.

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A Clutter-Free Life

Whether it’s a big or small problem, our constant need for more storage space seems to be never-ending! Unless ultra-minimalism is your thing or you’ve completely conquered the hoarder’s curse then it’s quite likely that often you find yourself with piles of things all around your house; be it books, clothes or just general clutter, it always seems to be accumulating.

Sometimes it’s a simple case of needing a few more boxes or baskets to help house your overflowing tendencies or maybe you’re in need of a storage unit or a piece of furniture that can accommodate your needs. Either way we’ve found some marvellous storage solutions that aren’t just about utility but look stunning as well, all just waiting to be your storage saviour!

For a simple design with an industrial style, a piece like this super convenient unit from Graham and Green is a great idea. Its open style makes it decorative as well as functional and would look lovely in a contemporary designed home.

‘Zoe Pigeon Hole Storage’ and ‘Mekon Baskets in Black’ from Graham and Green

The Mekon baskets are also a fantastic storage solution, they come in a set of three in various sizes and are very versatile meaning you can keep all sorts in them and they’ll look great on display as well.

Another small but handy storage idea comes from Lombok, this beautiful bone inlay box is exquisite and would look perfect used as a jewellery box or located on a coffee or occasional table.

‘Siri Small Bone Inlay Box’ from Lombok

Alternatively if you’re looking for something a little more robust these crate-style storage boxes from Loaf are a brilliant idea. Their rustic style can be adapted to multiple design schemes, plus the handy chalkboard front means you aren’t stuck with a mislabelled box when it’s function changes.

‘Pomme Wooden Storage Crates’ from Loaf

For a more permanent, larger solution to your storage troubles investing in a large, sustainable bookcase or storage unit is the way to go. For the ultimate contemporary style head straight over to Ligne Roset. Their designs are breathtakingly gorgeous as well as practical, not only will they solve your clutter problems but they’ll add heaps of style to your home.

‘Book & Look’ from Ligne Roset

‘Cuts’ from Ligne Roset

If you don’t have a lot of floor space at your disposal you needn’t compromise on style, in fact there are some fantastic shelves around that look amazing and won’t break the bank or take up an excessive amount of space. Twentytwentyone are a brilliant shop that sell some amazing contemporary pieces, and this shelving unit is just one of them. It’s the perfect place to store all your extra things and by placing a few ornaments on some of the shelves it will become a lovely feature piece in the room.

‘Royal System’ from Twentytwentyone

Another wonderful design from Twentytwentyone is this stylish valet piece. It will make a great bathroom or bedroom companion without taking up too much space and is deal for keeping everyday things on like towels.

‘Laurel Valet’ from Twentytwentyone

Storage units don’t always have to be a contemporary design, if your taste is more suited to vintage pieces there are absolutely tons of pieces on the market that will make you smile. The Old Cinema is a wonderful place that sells some stunning vintage and antique pieces, this old Zanzibar chest is a real showstopper as well a great place to store blankets, books or anything your heart desires.

‘Early 19^th Century Zanzibar Style Chest’ from The Old Cinema

I couldn’t resist putting in a mid-century piece from Alfie’s Antique Market, this ultra-sleek storage piece is Danish Teak perfection, and would look stunning located in a hallway or living room.

‘Danish Teak Shelving Unit’ from Alfie’s Antique Market

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Little gem in Canterbury

I just spotted this delicious cottage in Canterbury on the very fabulous The Modern House which looks to me to be beautifully designed with lots of attention to detail on the interiors front. I haven’t seen it myself (it could be dangerous if I do) but if you have been inside, please let me know if it as lovely as the pictures suggest.

More images and information at The Modern House.

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Stylish Lighting

This article first appeared on www.cambridge-news.co.uk

Really good lighting is crucial in all homes and once you’ve worked out what you need, there is still the tricky question of which fittings to buy. There is a bewildering range of light fittings on the market and unfortunately, an awful lot of them are, well, awful.

In order to avoid mistakes, I think it helps enormously to decide what style of fitting you prefer and then to find a small number of suppliers (two or three, but one is fine if they can provide for all your needs) and stick to them. We’ve put together a selection of different types of fittings from some of our favourite suppliers to show you what we mean.

Jim Lawrence design and manufacture some of the best light fittings around. They are fairly traditional, although with careful selection, some of their fittings work well in more contemporary homes. Here are some of their products we’d use for classic or country projects.

  

  

By contrast, more contemporary interiors normally require much simpler light fittings and I particularly like the fittings from Astro Lighting. If your own style is more for clean lines and unfussy design, these types of fittings are likely to work in your home and fit with the rest of your furnishings.

      

  
For glamorous, statement light fittings, I love these from Ochre. Made from a range of materials including glass, metals, coconut, horn strips and horsehair, they are works of art in their own right and will add more than a touch of style to any interior.

      

  

For really elegant light fittings, my first port of call would be Heathfield and Co. Their fittings work with a range of interior styles because they are classic and well designed. They also make bespoke lampshades for their lights which means you can get just the colour and fabric to fit your scheme.

  

  

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Endre Roder at the Strover Gallery

I popped in to see my great friend Lynne Strover at the Strover Gallery this morning to get a sneak preview of her upcoming exhibition and I have to say that I love the work by her new artist Endre Roder. Here are a few of the works and as ever, they are significantly better in real life. The private view is on Saturday 2 – 5pm – all friends of Angel and Blume are welcome, so she tells me – and the exhibition continues until 24th March.

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Missing rooms

Once upon a time, houses had a wealth of rooms dedicated to particular activities – rooms that rarely appear in our modern homes. We look at how to integrate these useful spaces back into our homes.

(This article first featured in Agenda magazine September 2011)

Fashions for rooms come and go as our society changes and our relationship with our homes develops. The separate dining room, for example, has seen a great demise in recent years as dining tables and sometimes a TV and sofa are incorporated into a modern family kitchen. However our basic daily needs from our home often remain the same even if it is us now using the space rather than the staff!

A butler’s pantry was traditionally a room for plates, glasses and a sink and was evident in most grand historical houses. Whilst this room might seem like an extravagance these days, if you entertain often a modern version of this can be really useful and marking out a section of your kitchen to store glassware and crockery close to a sink or dishwasher is a way of reinstating this practical space. Some modern large houses have even created a 20^th century version of this room by installing two kitchens; a residential kitchen for everyday meals and a catering kitchen for entertaining purposes.

A larder or cool room, the cool room or larder is another room that is making a bit of a comeback with more people requesting them in modern homes. Brilliant at freeing up space in a kitchen, an insulated cool room with shelves and a sink reduces the need for lots of cupboards in the main food preparation area and acts as a natural overflow for your fridge. When planning your home it may be worth going for a smaller kitchen that incorporates a decent sized larder.

A boot room may already be a familiar concept if you live in the country and undertake outdoor pursuits. Popular in historical country houses these rooms provide a heated space for wet boots, coats and clothes to dry out. They are usually fitted out with hooks along the walls and low level heating and someone returning home after a long day outdoors can walk straight into this room and remove their wet and muddy boots and clothes before entering the rest of the house. A great idea for any rural home, saving a space for this set-up is worth considering in a modern house.

A flower room is likely to appeal to all you gardeners out there. Traditionally set as the back of the house, near the gardens this room served as a practical room for storing vases and garden tools, with a sink and bench for arranging flowers. Although not many of us would have the space for this in our own home, if you have a utility room you could always set aside some space there with a separate sink for this purpose.

Whilst these rooms all sound appealing, when considering your own home, essentially you need to ask yourself, ‘how do I live in my house?’ and ‘what rooms do I need?’ But be warned, you might be surprised by the answers; I am now desperate to find space for a flower room!

Images: Plain English, The White Company

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Book Club

Our new evening classes started last night at Angel and Blume (see more at www.interiordesigntalks.com) and as the subject of the first class was ‘Finding Your Style’, I chose ten of my favourite books to show a range of different interiors style to the group. These have been sitting on our meeting room table all day so I thought it was a good opportunity to share some all time Angel and Blume book favourites with you! Here are the first five, more to follow later……

 

Practically Minimal

Maggie Toy Published by Thames and Hudson ISBN 0-500-28370-2

Minimalism can be thought of as huge, bare white spaces but this book presents beautiful liveable pared down spaces that focus on light, textures and materials and it makes even an accessories junkie like me want to go home and have a good clear up. It is a truly inspiring book that presents elegant, comfortable spaces that are a triumph of form AND function and I would urge any of you that love the minimalist way of live to invest in this book – I love it and I am sure you will too.

 

Contemporary Chic

Rozemarijn de Witte Photography by Hotze Eisma

Published by Conran Octopus Limited ISBN 1-85029-925-0

I have owned this book for many years and I keep coming back to it for ideas. It is full of comfortable, relaxed, carefully thought through interiors that all have a contemporary slant but often in a period setting. I think it is a very useful book for most people undertaking a project and there are so many lovely images, there really is something for everyone.

 

Shoestring Chic

Gail Abbott with photography by Mark Scott

Published by Cico, ISBN-13:978-1588163097

Gail Abbott wrote this book from her heart and she lives and breathes the art of shabby, shoestring chic. This book is about restrained beauty, seaside influence, vintage Swedish, French antiques and understanding the style so thoroughly that pieces picked up from a charity shop, flea market or car boot sale, anywhere in the world, will look a million dollars when they installed at home.

 

Perfect English

Ros Byam Shaw with photography by Chris Tubbs

Published by Ryland Peters and Small ISBN 978-1-84597-344-5

For me, this book captures the heart of English decoration – it isn’t the perfect, beautiful decoration of Henrietta Spencer Churchill or Nina Campbell but the real look of an English home that has evolved over the years. It encompasses farmhouses, stately homes, townhouses and cottages so if you love a bit of home grown style, this book is more than worth a look.

 

 Dream Homes, 100 Inspirational Interiors (and More Dream Homes, 100  Inspirational interiors, same authors and publisher, ISBN -13: 978-1-8589-4377-0)

Andreas von Einsiedel and Johanna Thornycroft
Published by Merrell ISBN-13: 978-1-8589-4349-7

A friend of mine bought me this book a while ago and initially I thought it wouldn’t be one of my favourite as it is simply a collection of beautiful homes. However, I have to say that I have found so much inspiration for my project work and for my own home that too many pages have been torn out and a new copy has had to be purchased! A really good book if you are just starting to identify your own style and want a wide range to look at and if that still isn’t enough for you, there is the aptly titled follow-up, More Dream Homes!

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Unto This Last

I recently visited the Battersea workshop (they have two, the other is in Brick Lane) of a great little company called Unto This Last  and I was incredibly impressed with their new products, designs and colour ranges. We have recommended them in the past for schemes that have a retro feel, for children’s rooms and for quirky pieces to inject into more traditional schemes but they have so many interesting pieces on offer now that I feel we could be in touch with them more often! All their pieces are made in birch plywood which give a lovely edge detail and are made to order but with very quick lead times. They have lots of their products on display in the showroom and I would highly recommend a look when you are next passing.

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Book Club – The Vintage Modern Home

As a big fan of all things Vintage I was thrilled when this lovely book landed on my desk last week. Written by Katherine Sorrell  it is packed with gorgeous images and practical tips. As the former Associate Editor of Homes & Gardens Katherine knows her stuff and has broken the book down into chapters that focus on broad subjects such as colour, pattern and texture.

She starts the book by asking the reader to asses what they already have and to spend some time thinking about what look you can pull together from your existing possessions. A great piece of advice which we are all guilty of forgetting when rushing out to buy something new. The photos are varied and inspiring – I love this shabby chic dining room with its mix of vintage furniture and cheerful accessories.

How great is this casual arrangement of vintage signs and prints. And that fisherman’s lamp – gorgeous!

There are ideas for every room in the house and there are enough images to fill two books. This kitchen image is lovely and light and airy. It is also a perfect example of the rest of the book which aims at encouraging readers to make the most of their own space and to create a cosy, comfortable home which reflects their lifestyle, without feeling like they have to live in a magazine-styled show home.

Click to buy The Vintage Modern Home.

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Open Plan Living

We are so often asked to look at the layout and furnishing of extensions to the home and particularly to kitchen and open plan areas which can be areas that suffer from lack of light and space..

This project for a lovely family was great fun to work on and we were so pleased with the end results. These images were taken for a feature in House Beautiful magazine (see our website for more details) and really do capture the open and airy living/dining/kitchen space created by the architect.

We helped with layout, colours, furnishings, lighting and accessories and having been back to see the owners, we can report that the whole project has been a great success!

Image credits: Spike Powell Photography

 

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