Lucy Elisabeth Wirework

 

We are pleased to welcome Lucy Elisabeth Wirework to our exhibitor list for the next Independent Interiors Show which will be taking place on September 27th.

Lucy specialises in freehand wirework art which she has developed from the wirework techniques which she also uses to create jewellery. The themes she uses are mainly based on images of flora/fauna, although she also takes on commissions, if you have something more specific in mind.

 

Lucy works 'freehand,' meaning she doesn't use a template, or hold and shape the wire over any scaled up image. She uses three basic tools to create her work, long and round nose jewellery pliers and a pair of cutters. Images are then either 2D mounted onto watercolour card, or 3D works have 'stalk extensions' from the work, meaning it supports itself. The images she works from are just sketches or pen line drawings from life and photos, although sometimes she does go directly to just 'drawing with the wire'.

Using coated copper and silver plated jewellery wire means it is malleable and adaptable to most designs. The wire comes in so many different gauges and colours that similar designs can be created and yet look totally individual, bold and linear or detailed and delicate.

 

 

Follow Lucy on Twitter @LucyElisabethC or for more information about her work visit www.lucyelisabeth.com

 

 

 

John Lewis Celebrates 150 Years

 

This Bank Holiday weekend saw the start of nationwide celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the very British institution that is John Lewis. Originally a draper's shop which was opened on London's Oxford Street in 1864 selling fabrics and haberdashery supplies for dressmaking, the brand has come a long way in 150 years.

From fashion to furniture, jewellery and textiles there are some fantastic limited edition pieces in store and online to get your hands on from some of the biggest names in design like Alessi, Lee Broom, Antoni and Alison and Orla Kiely. Here we have rounded up our top picks from the 150th anniversary homeware range.

 



                                                   Statement Lighting By Lee Broom  

 

 

 

Our favourite piece from the 150th anniversary range is this crystal pendant light from British designer Lee Broom (£239) Made out of 24 carat plated gold, this light is guaranteed to add a touch of luxury to any room. Taking it's inspiration from decadent crystal decanters, if you love this light you will be blown away by Lee's 5-decanter chandelier design below which is also available from John Lewis (£1'190).

 

 

The Design Classics

A John Lewis Design Icon this Vitra DSR chair (£224)  has been reproduced in a vibrant green part of the 150th anniversary colour palette. 

 

 

 

This Ercol Windsor 206 Footstool in Cayenne Orange (£480) has a limited edition run of just 30 pieces in the special anniversary linen. Get yours while you can!

 

  Perfect Prints 

For a splash of colour and print these cushions are perfect for brightening up your sofa this spring.

Looking to their archives for inspiration, these cushions have been created using original prints from the John Lewis design studio which have been updated for their anniversary celebrations. The daisy chain print was created in the 1960s and was available to buy in John Lewis stores for over 20 years in several different colour ways. We love the yellow print cushion on the left (£35) which has been updated using a high quality PVC so it's perfect for outdoor use when the sun shines!

The geo print cushion in the middle (£25) was originally a 1950's dress fabric which has been updated and reworked into a cushion. You can also buy the fabric in-store if you fancy making some of your own home accessories. We think it would look great used in curtains.

 

      Feeling Crafty?

 

We just love these colourful special edition ribbons in the 150th anniversary colour palette, perfect for your next craft project and once the ribbon has run out you can re-use them. The spools are made out of beautiful mango wood.

 

The Ultimate Bread Bin

Is this the ultimate bread bin? We think so. From Wesco who are renowned metal manufacturers this is an exclusive design called the Breadboy Bread Bin (£74.95). The design is simple and stylish and even has it's own ventilation system to keep all your baked goods fresh!

You can buy a number of other Wesco kitchen items all in the anniversary colour palette including scales and canisters.

                                                                   Anyone for Tea?

 

Finally who wouldn't want to drink their tea out of one of these? 150th anniversary mugs available from £10

 

All images courtesy of John Lewis

You can check availability of items via your local store or online at www.johnlewis.com

 

 

Interiors Insight with Kimberly Hughes

In the first of our "interiors insight" features we caught up with the lovely Kimberly Hughes who in her Twitter bio describes herself as "Interior design obsessive, blogger, DIYer, painter, social media and content marketer." Phew no wonder she is such as busy lady! We will be working with Kimberly on our 2014 Manchester show (more to be revealed soon) so we thought we would find out more about what inspires her, why she loves living in Manchester and what interiors trends you should be adopting in your home in 2014.

We first discovered Kimberly in a feature in Red magazine and were excited to see that she is based in the North West, having moved here from the States in 2001. In the feature a selection of interiors enthusiasts were interviewed about their homes and style. As you can see from the pictures below, Kimberly's home has been designed to be fun, colourful and eclectic. As lovers of all things gold and sparkly ourselves, the gilt touches, like the stunning sunburst mirror, fabulous pineapples dotted around, mixed with luxe fabrics and bold print, really do make you swoon! If we were redecorating we would definitely be giving her a call for some design advice.

When did your passion for all things interiors start? I remember as a child of around 5 or 6 going through a huge coffee table tome that my mother had from Better Homes & Gardens (a popular US home magazine). I would stare at the pictures and leaf through for ages, soaking in all the pretty pictures until the pages were practically falling out of the book. At the age of 16, I received a couple hundred dollars as a gift and instead of spending the money on clothes or going out, I redecorated my bedroom. I would often help my mother hang wallpaper or move around the furniture to give our home a new look - I think it’s always been in me!

How would you describe your design style? I often describe my style as ‘Eclectic Boho Glam’ – a mix of styles is a must (there’s no better way to make a room look timeless), a mix of colour and pattern and comfort and an element of gold or brass to add a touch of glamour.

Who are your current favourite homeware brands and why? My favourites are Anthropologie – they always have such a great mix and eclectic finds you just don’t see anywhere else and Zara Home – they have a huge selection of gorgeous items, I always find plenty I love there. Rockett St George also has some really fantastic, unusual items.

What is the one thing in your opinion which every home needs? Personality! It’s too easy for people to walk into a showroom or look at the way a shop has set out a room and want to just recreate it in their homes. But these rooms tend to lack any real personality – they give no indication of what a homeowner is all about – they lack soul! It’s so much better to carefully curate the things you love to create a home that’s uniquely you. It takes more time but you’ll get a much better result if you give the process time.

Can you give us 3 trends in interior design for 2014 which can be easily re-created at home?
Copper or Brass - both of these are becoming more and more popular and really add warmth to a room. You don’t need a lot – a simple hanging pendant, a vintage brass animal on a shelf, some copper pots filled with plants are enough.
Geometrics – with Mid Century style so popular at the moment, geometric designs are popping up everywhere. Consider a few new cushions, a teatowel for your kitchen or a throw for the bed!
Colour – Britain has been stuck in a ‘beige’ haze for far too long. While Grey is replacing beige as the new neutral, it’s easy to pair up with a few pops of colour, whether it’s brights or pastels, in your accessories. Choose a fabric or a piece of art you love and pull 2 – 3 colours out of it to take through to the rest of the room to tie a whole colour scheme together. Rooms look so much happier with a dash of colour!

Do you have any favourite design blogs that you can recommend to our readers?
Some of my everyday reads include Emily Henderson, Abigail Ahern and Christine Dovey.

What inspires you and where do you look to for inspiration for your own blog? Inspiration comes from all over really. Blogs and Pinterest are an obvious place – it’s difficult when you are taking in so much inspiration from all over not to have it influence your own style. But I find travel inspiring as well – every country has its own unique style. Closer to home, I gain inspiration from my own little garden – Mother Nature has a way of combining colours like no one else!

Describe the UK interior design scene in 3 words? Innovative, Independent, Inspiring!

You've made Manchester your home, what do you love most about the city? The accessibility to everything. I love that within 10 minutes, I can be in the heart of a bustling, creative city and then if I travel 10 minutes in another direction, I can be in a wonderful country pub, surrounded by nature. You have pretty much everything on your doorstep! The music scene here is pretty fantastic as well!

Do you have a favourite space or place that you admire for its design? It can be a hotel, restaurant, museum, anything you love! I absolutely love Anthropologie’s store on Regent Street in London. They really create such a gorgeous, creative atmosphere in their displays. I would move into one of their stores if I could! They really need to open a store in Manchester ;)

What has been your career highlight so far? There’s been so many great things that have happened but appearing in 25 Beautiful Homes Magazine was quite a buzz! Seeing professional shots of my little abode in a physical magazine was pretty special.

What advice would you give to anyone looking to enter the world of blogging?  Be patient – you won’t have thousands of visitors a month straight away. It takes time and it takes commitment to get through those first few months when you feel absolutely no one is reading. Get involved in the blogging community – comment on other blogs (not just saying, ‘come look at my blog’ but actually getting involved in the conversation). Collaborate with other bloggers whose style/aesthetic you admire or feel an affinity towards. Stay true to your own style – it’s easy to want to replicate another blogger you admire but you really need to have your own voice to stand out in a sea of others. Figure out what makes you uniquely you and stick with it. You’ll soon find others who understand your vision. Post regularly – even if it’s just a couple of times a week, that consistency is key to making sure readers know you aren’t just going to disappear anytime soon.

You can find out more about Kimberly and read her blog Swoonworthy at www.swoonworthy.co.uk

　

A Riot of Colour & Print at Homebase

Our favourite items from Habitat at Homebase
marble cushion £25, ceramic pear £20, green spotted clay vase £20, block pattern mug £6
 

As the sun shines for the first time in what feels like forever, thoughts turn to updating your home with a few fresh pieces to mark the change of season. Although we are huge fans of independent design, it's great to see products available on the high street which have that unique feel and a touch of quirkiness. Habitat landed in Homebase back in 2012 and you can pick up everything from ceramics to lighting, textiles and other home accessories perfect for adding a bit of fun to your home without breaking the bank. Their current range will bring a splash of colour to the plainest of rooms. Our favourite pieces include the acid bright cushions, ceramics with a retro feel, knitted poufs and colour pop lighting.

saffron yellow paper shade £12,  knot floor cushion £110
All images courtesy of www.homebase.co.uk

 

January Design Inspiration - Home London

A must visit show for design aficionados, buyers and press from the interiors industry, Home London is regarded as one of the UK's top interiors trade events, a great achievement as it only launched in 2012.
We were first inspired by events like Home London, Interiors UK and Tent back in early 2013 when looking at the possibility of launching a similar but much smaller event for the public.
What we wanted to create was the essence of a large show like Home London, but on a smaller scale and also an event where the public can buy direct from the designer makers for their own homes.
One of the most exciting things about the interiors industry at the moment is just how many fledgling businesses there are creating amazing products and designs. For someone with a passion for interiors and supporting small business it really is an inspiration and that was why The Independent Interiors show was born, because we wanted to offer a platform for home ware designers based in the North of England.

During 2013 we made some new friends in the interiors world and it was great to see so many of our exhibitors from the first Independent Interiors Show getting their chance to shine at Home London. We visited on the opening day which was relatively quiet, but gave us a great opportunity to soak up everything at the event including attending an insightful seminar by Justyna Sowa of Decorum Media. Her seminar was an introduction to social media for the design industry and gave some invaluable advice for retailers and new designers looking to build their customers through social media marketing.

So what were our highlights of Home London? We love Danish brands like Bloomingville and Rice. Both of their stands were buzzing with activity, looked amazing and were real focal points of the show. We also discovered By Nord, another Danish brand which we hadn't heard of and their fabulous knitted poufs in bright colours. Print and pattern were in abundance at Mini Moderns, Zoe Attwell, Laura Loves and Abigail Ryan, from geometrics to florals and everything in between.
The Heart Home magazine stand gave 10 upcoming designers the opportunity to showcase their work, including surface pattern designers Clare Murray and Kirath Ghundoo, textiles brand, Caslon & Co and quirky homeware brand Home Slice. The stand was expertly styled by interiors guru Zoe Brewer and what a fantastic job she did!

Geometric Wallpaper by Kirath Ghundoo

Visiting the show was a great opportunity to meet some of the designers behind out favourite brands like the lovely Helen Stevens from Surfacephilia who was at the show launching her new Decadence collection. We love the whimsical, luxurious feel of Helen's designs which grace everything from wallpaper to fabric and even china.



Surfacephilia

Other favourites included Seven Gauge Studios and their range of colourful knitted cushions and throws, in fact knit was a big theme at Home London with many brands showing textiles perfect for the chilly weather. Some new brands we were introduced to included Beulah-Home, Waffle Design and Catherine Tough. Catherine is more of an accessories designer but we fell in love with her knitted owls!

Catherine Tough

By Nord

Beulah Home


 

One brand which really caught our eye was La Cachaca a company who specialise in creating beautiful industrial style lighting out of everyday objects. Their philosophy is to reuse, rethink and create.

 

La Cachaca

 

 

From the industrial to the quirky, Buttonfly Furniture lovingly restore and upcycle everything from chairs to drawers in beautiful decoupage designs. One of our favourite pieces on their stand was this chair.

ButtonFly Furniture

And speaking of furniture we just had to include a picture of these fabulous distressed pieces to finish our round up of Home London

We loved visiting Home London and can't wait for the Autumn show.

All photography by Edith Crowe