Saturday 30 January 2010

Meal's Restaurant by FAT*


Quirky interior alert - check out Meal's restaurant by FAT. It's like eating in a modern day Alice in Wonderland. Squint your eyes and you will forget you are on Tottenham Court Road. Seating is in intimate alcoves and long banquettes, plus classic bentwood chairs [a favorite]. Trompe l'oeil tables and trees finish the contemporary rustic fantasy. You won't dine in many restaurants as escapist as this one.

Friday 29 January 2010

Midcentury Modern - 21 March 2010*



Heads up. Get your London shoes down to the Midcentury Modern Show at Dulwich College, 21 March 2010. Get there early for all the good stuff.

Tuesday 26 January 2010

Melin Tregwynt*






Week 3 of my residential loft project. With all the industrial materials in the space, I need something to soften the look. Melin Tregwynt fabrics will be perfect. Set against slate or rough stone finishes, copper and aluminium, these traditional welsh woven wool blankets and throws will bring a cosy edginess. Having given it a lot of thought [!] I think my favorite fabric is the bold Knot Garden, available in graphite, peat, teal, and heather. To carry the theme through the space, I think I might specify a Melin Tregwynt fabric headboard for the master bedroom. Interior designer Ilse Crawford has done an amazing job at The Olde Bell with some stunning Melin Tregwynt fabric covered banquettes. One thing you should do is go and visit the Melin Tregwynt mill one Pembrokeshire summer to see how the fabric is made and eat cake in the cafe. I cycled there, happy memory

Monday 25 January 2010

Blue interior - Marni store, Sloane Square London*

Monday's interior is all blue serentity - to take the edge off my third coffee and this morning's jangly commute on the Jubilee Line. Life would be great if all shopping experiences were as serene as the one offered by the Marni store on London's Sloane Square. The clothes seem to float in the blue space and the clothes rails design means you can actually see them! Designed by Future Systems.

Saturday 23 January 2010

Earth colours - Olga Polizzi*

Contuning my obsesssion with colour in 2010, I love this dining room by Interior designer Olga Polizzi and architect Flavio Albanese. They have designed the recently opened Verdura Resort in Sicily in fabulous earth colours and local sicilian tiles. Enough to make me forget all about the London winter.

Monday 18 January 2010

A Girl's Guide to Decorating - Abighail Ahern*








I am amazed I have found the time to blog today in between work projects and trying to find a new home. Lunch was a diet coke at my desk and tomorrow will be an early work train : (. I've been reading A Girl's Guide to Decorating on my way to work. It's by interior design hero Abigail Ahern [if you haven't been to her Upper St Islington shop - go]. At first I was worried it was going to be a bit condescending [how to hold a screwdriver if you are a girl etc] but it's not. It shows how to do useful DIY tasks - things that you will do yourself like paint floorboards - if you are a hands on kind of girl like me. The book also talks about space planning, and other key design considerations like lighting. I painted my lounge in Crown 'Downpipe' last year, pictured. I love Abigail's design, mostly because she's not afraid to use dark colours - and it works.

Saturday 16 January 2010

Happy New Trincket* year

Happy New Year to you all. My resolution this year [is it something to do with the grey, white, icey, snowy London?] is to live with some colour. Purple, orange, red, blue. This image from cool Amsterdam furniture store The Frozen Fountain is a good place to start. I'm going to use it as inspiration for my next loft space interior project. Furniture is by Marquina, Nani, Eek, Hein, Piet and Fascari. If there is one thing you do this month, check out their designs. I am going to look for a new house to buy now - wish me luck!