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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Pretty Useful

When it comes to de-cluttering we often think of having to bid a sad farewell to much loved items that are taking up space, or ditching that hefty stack of ‘things’ that are gathering dust that we can’t bear to throw away just yet. But actually, we can de-clutter in a way that skirts around having to make some Sophie’s choice kind of decisions, where you can keep almost everything as well as decorating your home by replacing a pile for stuff with a beautiful home accessory or storage unit. I’ve selected some gloriously nifty accessories that’ll show you can have style and substance.

‘Three Copper Trunks’ from Barker and Stonehouse

In my household, no matter how much we tidy and detox the house there is always a never-ending accumulation of things lying around and forming piles, all of which unfortunately is needed and can’t be tossed away. So instead of having unsightly clutter everywhere, purchasing something like these copper trunks is the perfect solution. On the outside they can be used as a feature or decorative piece in a room, but on the inside they can be filled with you secret stash of clutter!

A beautiful log burning fireplace can really capture the eye when entering a room, and there is no need for your log storage to be any different. This log holder from Cox & Cox acts almost as a frame, turning a pile of logs into something of an art piece.

‘Iron Log Holder’ from Cox & Cox

The same can also be said for your fruit and veg! You can add an instant pop of colour to you kitchen or pantry by using something like these wire baskets. Not only are they an easy and useful storage solution but they’re also a nice, simple attractive piece to give your kitchen a splash of character.

‘Wire Tier Basket’ from Cox & Cox

If you’re tired of seeing food packaging littering your kitchen, a few nifty jars and pots will sort that right out! For displaying teabags or whatever you fancy in a sweet way this Graham and Green jar with a pretty bear feature on top is rather lovely.

‘Glass Pot with Bear’ from Graham and Green

For more of a contemporary style, these jars from Skandium are just the ticket. These Palet storage jar were originally designed by Michael Bang in 1969 for Holmegaad, which have been relaunched this year in new colours and sizes. They’ll make a fantastic edition to a modern style kitchen.

‘Palet Storage Jars’ from Skandium

Baskets can be used for just about anything, socks, magazines, towels or even laundry, and whatever your style there’s always something to suit you. I love these two wicker baskets from Graham and Green and Rockett St George, both are super stylish and suitable for all sorts of storage needs.

‘Wicker Baskets’ from Graham and Green

‘Sequin and Wicker Baskets’ from Rockett St George

For something with a little humour, as well as a handy aspect, this adorable post holder from Anthropologie is ideal. It’s a sweet and easy way to add some character to a hallway or side table whilst still be useful.

‘Dachshund Letter Holder’ from Anthropologie

‘Wooden Crate Bathroom Cabinet’ from Not on the High Street

This crate style storage unit is ideal if you’re into the industrial style, it’ll work perfectly for storing anything you can think of! For an interesting look, buy two and use one vertically and the other horizontally to not only create an attractive feature in your home but utilise the storage space.

There’s so many amazing storage and organiser solutions out there that even the worst culprits will be able to turn their hoarder’s hell into a clutter-less haven!

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Urban inspiration

By Leonie Walker

Recently I have come across several designs that take inspiration from urban living and city landscapes, offerings some refreshingly original design motifs and patterns.

One example is Timorous Beasties fantastic Toile collection. Unlike traditional French toile designs of charming pastoral scenes, Beasties’ toiles offer a contemporary twist on the French classic. Their wallpaper and fabric motifs display a surprising and honest depiction of city life. Iconic cityscapes, park life, crime scenes, promenading and rude boys are just a few of the engaging narratives that take place in these designs. There are differing toiles for London, New York, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and each with its own feel and cityscape.

The New York Toile

The London Toile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Glasgow Toile

 

The Edinburgh Toile

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another example of urban themed decor is Marimekko’s new Siirtolapuutarha range. Made up of a selection of crockery and textiles, the pieces have a lovely illustrative design motif that eludes to cityscapes and urban living. Sure enough, the design for this range is inspired by city life, in particular small city gardens. The word siirtolapuutarha is a Finnish term that refers to small community plots of land in the city that are used for gardens and allotments. Each piece tells a different part of the siirtolapuurtarha story, from ‘a morsel of nature in the urban jungle’ to the ‘tiny gardens tucked into the nooks of urban life’ – Marimekko.

Siirtolapuutarha bowl, available at Skandium

 

Oiva Siirtolapuutarha coffee cup, available from Nord

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Siirtolapuutarha plate, available from Skandium

 

Siirtolapuutarha red coated cotton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So you need look no further than out onto the street to find something new to be inspired by.

This article first appeared on the Cambridge Evening News website.

 

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Bringing the outside in

I always get excited about this time of year when sitting outdoors becomes an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, and wild flowers start to appear in the garden. As garden flowers make for such a nice display, it would seem a shame not to make the most of them. Decorating with flowers can be an effective and inexpensive way to offer an additional burst of life, colour and scent into a room. I have put together a few examples of imaginative ways to display your garden plants and flowers, even if only a single stem!

The Bowl Shelf, a new component of the innovative String shelving series, is made of plastic with three compartments and is perfect for displaying and growing plants indoors!

The Bowl Shelf, along with other ‘String’ components can be found at www.skandium.com, at £90 per unit.

This charming Hanging Blume Tube by Rowen & Wren is a great way to make an attractive flower display with a single stem.

Available at www.notonthehighstreet.com, at £14 for a set of two.

Here is another simple way to display a single flower. Two Vintage Style Mini Bottles by The Flower Studio, from www.notonthehighstreet, £8.99.

The Woolly Pocket company do a great range of breathable table and wall planters, which are suitable for indoors and available in a variety of colours.

www.woollypocket.co.uk, £15.99 for a table planter.

Woolly Pocket’s breathable wall planters are particularly fun, and allow you to create indoor living plant walls. I recommend you take a look at their online inspiration gallery, where they showcase many inventive ways to have indoor wall gardens.

www.woollypocket.co.uk, £29.99 for one unit.

This quirky, unconventional Light bulb Vase by London Garden Trading makes for a striking flower display, from www.notonthehighstreet.com, £12.95.

These Two Metallic Plant Pots from Rocket St George would be a stylish way to display your garden plants. Available at www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk, £45 for a set of two.

So make the most of this spring, and bring the outside in.

This blog first appeared on the Cambridge Evening News website.

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Let’s tesselate

Geometrically inspired designs are a current theme in interiors, including a pleasing inclination towards tessellation.  For those who don’t know, tessellation is a distinct type of pattern where one shape is repeated without any gap or overlap when placed side by side. These sorts of patterns often appear in interiors, and their appealing geometric qualities often result in an interesting and cohesive design. Here are a few examples for you to enjoy.

The work of fabric designer, Eleanor Pritchard is characterised by bold geometric and graphic reversible patterns making use of inky tones and sharp accents.  Her focus on geometry means that several of her designs have beautiful tessellating patterns.

This grey cushion shows the ‘Northerly’ range, made up of a repeated stepped shape. £96

The ‘Easterly’ range is the same pattern as above but with a striking retro yellow and grey palette. £230

Pritchard’s beautiful ‘Quail’s egg’ design is made up of a repeated double triangle bow shape.  £230

Cushions from top, ‘Easterly’, ‘425 Line’ and ‘quail’s egg’. £96 each

The hexagonal ‘Pov candleholder’ by Menu is cool and quirky, and as a tessellating shape it can be built up to form a larger pattern on your wall.

Available from Skandium. £30

Using the same shape, Merve Kahraman has designed this extraordinary ‘ Diplopia Monochrome’ table, and goes a step further by emphasising the 3D cube optical illusion. This stereographic effect is produced through combining different shades of marble.

Contact Merve Kahraman for prices.

Iconic chair company, Vitra, have recently brought out the ‘Maharam pillows’ range, designed by Hella Jongerius. This includes a selection using the classic tessellating Hound’s tooth check, but with a colourful twist!

In pink…

Moss…

Cocoa…

And in Lemon.

Available at Skandium. £130 each

Tiles tessellate by nature and ceramic company, Made a Mano play to this by incorporating the tessellating theme into some of there designs. One example is the Komon Natura Viceversa, which Inspired by Japanese small decorations, is made up of an isosceles triangle repeatedly rotated.

Contact Made a Mano for prices

The folded forms of origami and sculpted paper often come from repeat patterns of one shape to form a structure, which can be very simple or rather complex as is shown by the two examples of folded light pendants below.

‘Kami, white paper pendant shade’ from Habitat. £60

‘Luci, red fabric geometric shaped pendant shade’ from Habitat. £20

 

This blog first appeared on the Cambridge Evening News website.

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Windswept

Autumn is my preferred time of year because of its dynamic celestial weather and my enhanced appreciation for cosy interiors. The recent blustery winds and bright rains have reminded me of some of my favourite designers that have used this to inspire their designs for the home.

First example is Marimekko and their fantastic current WeatherDiaryRange, which consists of a variety of collections. This range of fabrics, home textiles and dishes are designed using Aino-Maija Metsola’s gorgeous observational paintings and sketches of changing weather and autumnal colours, and they definitely communicate the dynamic seasonal mood. Here are a few examples.

Kuuskajaskari Fabric, by www.marimekko.com, from Skandium.  The colour scheme has been taken from the autumnal season and depicts autumn winds.

Oiva Saapaivakirja Tea Pot and Mug, by Marimekko, from Skandium.

The design captures highlights of autumnal weather patterns and colours, and evokes an image of reeds swaying in the wind.

Oiva Saapaivakirja Plate, by Marimekko, from Skandium.  This is one of several attractive plates in the Saapaivakirja collection, and was inspired by rainfalls and sunrays.

Jussaro Fabric, by Marimekko. This last example of Marimekko’s WeatherDiaryRange, gives a wonderful impression of rolling storm clouds and thunder.

Cloud – Autumn Rug, by Luke Irwin.  This stunning rug is one of a set of four cloud rugs, with one for each season. The cloud shapes for autumn are a dash more manic than the others!

De Gournay’s luxurious wall papers are always striking and dynamic and often inspired by weather.

Windswept Blossom, by De Gournay. This enchanting blossom tree captures the transition from summer to autumn perfectly.

Cranes, by De Gournay.  I love this chaotic yet elegant display of wind blown cranes.

Flying Ducks Velvet Sky, by Mulberry Home, from Lee Jofa.  Mulberry’s Duck velvet is another lovely fabric that shows an array of windblown birds, playfully ducking and diving in the sky.

On the subject of flight, Coral and Tusk have got a charming range of embroidered home accessories, many of which feature feather patterns.

Large Feather Table Runner, by Coral and Tusk.

Detailed with peregrine falcon, owl and peacock tail feathers, these embroideries have a lovely illustrated style, with gorgeous splashes of autumnal colours.

Feather Vertical Curtain Panel, by Coral and Tusk.

Cole and Son have fantastic wall coverings depicting scenes and landscapes, including a couple of great celestial designs.

Nuvole, by Cole and Son.

I always imagine this beautiful mural to be an autumnal scene, combining wonderfully energetic clouds, with glimpses of sunshine.

Macchine Volanti, by Cole and Son.

This wall paper is another wonderful sky scene with a combination of quirky flying machines demonstrating all sorts of air navigation.

We hope you all survived St Jude storm’s visit safely and are still able to enjoy the blustery autumn weather! 

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Going beyond the canvas

I am always looking for creative ways to add expression and character to my home, and more often than not I rely on artistic work to do this. On my current search for art in unusual places, I have come across a number of inspiring products that have their own painterly quality. Going beyond the canvas, I have selected a variety of furnishings that can offer unusual artistic expression to your home.

Artist Marlene Mocquet has put together these fabulous plate designs to mark the 150th anniversary of Bernardaud, French porcelain manufacturer. As one of 11 artists involved, her work is my absolute favourite. At first glance they look like an artist’s palette, but upon second glance the quirky characters start to reveal themselves.

Skandium have a beautiful range of Oiva Saapaivakirja plates by Marimekko, with a fluid paint design.

With their watery, striking colour, these Tincture glasses from Anthropologie would be a great match for the Oiva Saapaivakirja plates.

You can find this charming Colour Test glassware from Anthropologie. The carafe and glasses serve as both a pretty, but also quirky table piece.

  

French designer, Elodie Gobin uses an ecological dyeing process to create her attractive Botanic Colour cutlery.

Tiles can be a really interesting way to add personality to a space. Designer, Hilda Hellstrom, has started to produce some unique and visually stunning items using resin Jesmonite, such as these Sedimentation tiles. So keep a look out for this emerging talent.

This Upcycled Painted Highchair from The Old Cinema is a characterful example of how, with the help of sand paper and a few pots of paint, you can really personalise an old piece of furniture.

Here is another, slightly more extravagant, example of a personalised piece of painted furniture. You can get this 19th Century Window Mirror with hand painted glass panels from The Old Cinema.

I was recently overjoyed to find out that my favourite Parisian shop, Merci, has now got an online store! They stock a range of great design, from clothes to furniture. Merci recently held an exhibition of plastician artist, Aurélie Mathigot’s work called Timeless Linen. She created a limited edition of 111 exquisite coloured and embroidered linen bags. The collection is a fantastic composition of colour.

Merci do a brilliant range of coloured linen for sheets, bed covers and cushions, which gives you the chance to get creative with composition and colour combinations.

With the help of a little artistic license and a brave choice of colour, there are countless ways to get a touch of artistic expression into your home design, so stay on the lookout for ways to keep your home creative.

This blog first appeared on the Cambridge Evening News website

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