Baroque at the V&A

The Baroque show at the V&A has been getting lots of hype so I went to have a nose. As a modernist minimalist at heart it's not my favorite interiors style but the show does offer inspiration for a modern day take on things. It's worth going for the examples of design and objects from le Palais Versailles in Paris alone. Plus if you're a fan of interiors bling, Baroque will be your thing as the interiors layer gold upon gold and chandeliers are supersize.

There is a way to achieve a pared-down Baroque style in a way that fits in with the 21st century. John Reeves Louis range at Heal's keeps the powerful, ornate shapes of traditional Baroque furniture but the black and white colourways in gloss materials give a modern, graphic edge. I am coverting the purple Louis console, low white bed and and black wardrobe.

Another key item to acheive the look without the bling is Mooi's paper chandelier in ice white which has classic Baroque curves and ornateness and looks amazing hung against draped curtains.

I also love Graham and Green's metal bookshelves in black. The conceit is they look like Baroque style picture frames but they function as book shelves, just right for 21st century space-saving. The timing of the show feels wrong for our recession-hit days, but what it does show is that today's designers are coming up with cool interiors and furniture inspired by the bling but fit for our times.

New Marylebone bar interior - The Swan & Edgar

I like my Sunday lunch with my mate Knowlesy and a fab, original interior thrown in. And the new Marylebone pub The Swan & Edgar is just that. The bar staff are super chatty [amazing for London] and they told us that the quirky interiors were designed by the owners relative as a labour of love.

The downstairs area is tiny - so small it's like being in someone's front room. Maybe that's why the place feels so intimate. The patchwork banquettes made out of scrap pieces of tweed and wool add to the cosy feel. The centrepiece is the bar which is wittily made out of piles of paperbacks glued together [impossible to pull out, I know, I tried!]. The book theme is continued outside with a row of books presented on a shelf above the pub entrance. My favorite piece of the design was the patchwork wallpaper made out of old Financial Times, and this was carried through on Eames Eiffel chairs with FT papier mache. This is one quirky, cute interior.

Bourne and Hollingsworth interiors*

New fav London spot of the week - this cute piece of 20's interiors 'speakeasy' at Bourne and Hollingsworth. I love the granny retro feel of the rooms. The bold florals, pared back seating and lace tablecloths are the perfect escapist foil for a sneaky afternoon cocktail.

Moooi at the Milan Furniture Fair*

Wouldn't it have been nice to fly out to Milan to the furniture fair last month? Thank god for the internet, that's all I say. Moooi went all Japanese on us with these giant pendant lights.

Pip Wallpaper*

I've discovered a cute shortcut to a keepsake wall. Brian Yates has designed a wallpaper that looks like hundreds of vintage keepsakes pasted to a wall - and will take a few hours to paste rather than a few years to collect.

Sherbet throw*

I have a new throw! It's in this season's colour - yellow, named by Pantone as this year's hot colour trend. It's so cheery for our bedroom and just right for spring. Sherbet cotton throw from Habitat.

Spread the interiors love!*

The sun is shining in London so I am spreading the interiors love! Tile by Ryantown

Taxidermy & Les Trois Garcons*

For our 10-year anniversary I don't think my lovely man expected to be transported to a bistro in the French Baroque style, eating tasty food under cloudburst chandeliers next to draped curtains to the crooning of Edith Piaf. And of course, we had an aviary of stuffed birds and a stuffed tiger for company... I honestly cannot imagine a more magical and theatrical interior in which to eat my din dins. Even the taxidermy had diamentes draped over them. I know that taxidermy isn't everyones thing, but it's making a big interiors comeback. Designers such as Sebastian Errazuriza and Alex Randall are taking an interiors lead from Les Trois Garcons with their mysterious stuffed animal creations. The duck lamp by Sebastian Errazuriza certainly makes a change from an Ikea print in a blond frame! And I love the softness and naturalness of the pidgeon against the industrial light cord on Alex Randall's pigeon light. The feel maybe slightly gothic, even morbid, but they add a touch of beauty and orginality to a room and take the recycling ethos to the extreme! Look at Jericho Hands for inspiration - even if the website is a bit cluncky.

Missoni interiors - new Edinburgh hotel*

Seeing photos of the new Missoni hotel in Edinburgh has reminded me that my lovely boyfriend should treat me to two nights of luxury when we are next in Scotland. It looks like the room interiors have been designed in Missoni's trademark stripes, geometrics, and abstract florals in blacks, whites and silvers, so not in their usual kaleidoscope of colours. Maybe it is to reflect the Scottish weather! Missoni are also known for their inventive use of fabrics such as wool, cotton, linen, rayon and silk, but I won't know if they've pushed the interiors envelope on this unless I pay them a visit.

Future trends alert*

So, according to The Future Laboratory, we are witnessing the end of opulence and the beginning of austerity in interiors. As lovers of design, we are looking for the unique, the hand-crafted and the ethical. And in terms of aesthetic - gloss, bling and sparkle are OUT! and soft muted metallics, simple shapes and grey are IN! Or as Future Laboratory put it ' the look of the late afternoon is in'. Examples of this new trend are Rabih Hage's Kings Cross Rough Luxe boutique and anything and everything by Ilse Crawford, my favorite interior designer at the moment. All hail the pared back look.

Summer seating - Myto*

Ok, I live in London zone 2 which means no garden, which is totally depressing as summer is approaching fast. But I figure I'll move one day and the new 'Myto' plastic chairs by Konstantin Grcic are very cleverly designed for use indoors and outdoors. And they look beautiful stacked too. So if I buy them as guest chairs, stack them when not in use and then keep them for one sunny day when I have a garden I will save a packet. And be super eco-friendly too as they are multi-use and made of recycled plastic. Gold star! They are available from SCP, my favorite East London design shop on Curtain Road, Shoreditch.

Cute spring florals*

Everywhere I look I see cute, vintage rose florals online and in the high street. Far from being chintzy I love their nostalgic feel. My favorite vintage piece online is the Miss Verity teapot by website Katy Potts Tea for Two. On the high street, the stunning silk Gracie cushion by Laura Ashley offers a similar vintage feel.

I heart Polaroid*

After much searching [I love any excuse for trincket hunting], I can't seem to find a cute frame to hold my treasured collection of Polaroid photos. So I took things into my own hands and made them into a pretty heart shape on our far bedroom wall, so I get to look at all my favorite people in the world as I fall asleep - and at zero cost : )

Pretty Paper Things - Present & Correct*

News just in - I haven't got enough lovely paper things to compile the lengthy list of trinckets I would buy or make if left to my own devices. That was until this happy trincketer came across a lovely website from Present&Correct which is full of paper things dreamed up by this south London graphic design collective. My favorite pieces are the Early Birds letter sets, old style A-Z stencils [I'm going to use mine to customise storage boxes] and pretty vintage grocery bags for proud display on a kitchen shelf.

High Road House - Chiswick*

I don't know whether it was because it was sunny last weekend or because it's now light when I leave our design studios, but I'm totally obsessed by bright colour and pattern at the moment. I couldn't even drink my favorite latte without being distracted by the bold floor tiles at Chiswick's High Road Brasserie on Sunday. The brassierie interiors are typical Isle Crawford retro modern which seem to be everywhere in London at the moment, but it's the floor that's the standout made up of hundreds of different patterned tiles, how cool : )

Trincket of the Week! - Wrong Woods furniture*

I'm hunting the perfect chest of drawers for my bedroom. While it's not credit-crunch perfect [it costs £2,500 pah!!], in terms of aesthetic, the utilitarian feel of the furniture, with it's fun, cartoon graphic in laminate does fit the current mood. And the acid green, orange and yellow colours feel right for springtime.

The chest of drawers forms part of the ‘Collaborations’ programme designed by British artist Richard Woods and designer Sebastian Wrong, size L1092mm x D508mm x H736mm. Also part of the series are sideboards and wall units. Available in the UK from Established and Sons.

RYANTOWN - handmade tile heaven*

On Sunday, I was at Columbia Road market buying flowers. Instead I came home with a bag of tiles - handmade, cute illustration tiles by Rob Ryan.

If you can scrum past the mele of people at the door, it's well worth the effort. His shop is a white shell which perfectly showcases the colourful, illustrated tiles which sell for £24 each. Or if that sounds like a lot, do what my friend Knowlesy did and enrol at the V&A on a tile design course and digitally print your own!

TRINCKET PICK OF THE WEEK - Lucy Renshaw*

I was stuck on the Jubilee Line this morning and started thinking about this amazing lamp I saw at the London Design Festival in 2008. It's by a designer called Lucy Renshaw.






















Lucy markets her designs as 'Eclectic Eco'. The bright colours and witty use of materials [the base of the shade is made of clothes pegs!] made me smile. Check out her other designs at www.lucyrenshaw.com.

My Bath retreat - Brooke's Gueshouse*

I love London - I have lived here for 10 years. Sometimes though, I need an escape route and recently made that much hankered for escape to Brooke's Guesthouse in Regency Bath. The best thing about this family run guesthouse is that the restored Regency house works beautifully with the shots of modernist furniture placed throughout.

In our room, the Georgian-inspired mirror and upholstery were offset by a shocking blue Eames Eiffel Plastic Armchair. The breakfast room also got the same treatment - a clean, rustic feel brought to life with white Eames EAR Eiffel chairs. The perfect Georgian retreat with some design classics thrown in.

MID CENTURY MODERN SHOW - London 29 March 2009*

I can't wait for the next Mid Century Modern show at Dulwich college. Which is just as well because by my reckoning I only have to wait 21 days. At the last show I got there at 2pm so all the lovely teak sideboards, Marco Zanuso Lady armchairs and daybed couches had 'Sold' tickets attached to them. This time I will get there earlier, or if I accidentally lie in I can always go for the new Orla Kiely sofa which is heavily inspired by this 50's style and is available from Heals.

GRAPHIC PRINTS - teatowels by Heather Moore*

Today I read about a very cool South African designer called Helen Moore. Her cotton teatowel designs use birds, spoons, leaves, mugs and poppy seeds as graphic motifs in vibrant colours - two key trends for spring 2009. They will be finding a home in my kitchen.

NEISHA CROSLAND - paper your walls!*

This Neisha Crosland Berry Flower wallpaper has been around for a while but its bold colour seems perfect for spring and will cheer me out of this credit crunch, pah.
http://www.neishacrosland.com/

PUB INTERIORS - The Commercial, Shoreditch*

Some clever interior designers have reworked The Commercial Tavern in Shoreditch, transforming it into retro-chaotic heaven as if by magic. Upstairs, with it's own bar, has a playful wall made up of cups and saucers.

COLE & SON wallpaper website*

Wallpaper has seen a big revival for the last few seasons. I always want to paper large areas but it's sometimes tricky to visualise. My new favorite website is Cole & Son. One click on your fav paper and, bam - papered room! I love the Tulip Damask style from The Collection of Flowers for it's analogous pink and orange, and the muted retro style of the Charlie Wilson range. http://www.cole-and-son.com