Mason and Painter

This month I've written a piece for The London Magazine about museum shops and how bloody brilliant they are. It'll be out soon and when it is I will post a link. While I was doing my extensive and hard-hitting research I had it in mind to include the Southbank Centre Shop until I realised that technically it's not actually a museum shop it's just got the same sort of high brow shopping vibe what with it being attached to something cultural. So I was delighted to hear about a collaboration they are doing with the lovely printmaker Michelle Mason (who I've been writing about for years) which means I now have an excuse to talk about them both.

Michelle recently launched an interiors shop in partnership with Tim Painter on Columbia Road called Mason & Painter which is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and sells a collection of very appealing vintage, up-cycled, new - and always colourful - items for the home (pictured here). They are brining their idiosyncratic style to the Southbank Centre Shop which already sells a great range of items such as philosophical stationery from Alain de Botton's The School of Life plus mugs, prints and other gifty things. For the month of March Mason and Painter will be taking over the space with a curated collection of existing products and a selection of items they've chosen. The right styling can make or break a shop so it will be interesting to see what they do. 

Plantini

It does look like it might be a headache to put together, but I'm going to ignore my nagging doubts and enjoy the whimsy of this tiny, quirky, original and post-able object.

The Plantini is a 9.5cm tall miniature hothouse made from flat-pack etched metal which comes with a planting pot, compost disc and viola seeds - and from which will grow a beautiful flower. Ahh

It's made by Another Studio an independent London design studio based at Cockpit Arts in Holborn who make, in their words, and I can't actually think of a better description "gifts for thoughtful givers". Have a scroll around the site, there are some brilliantly creative things on there including miniature architectural models of Battersea Power Station, Tower Bridge and - new to the range - Sir John Soane Museum.

Also, this cute pop-out paper 'diamond' ring - well, it is nearly Valentine's Day.

Brighter Lives for Refugees

I hate buying lightbulbs. It's more complicated than it needs to be and even when I do manage to get the right bulb I still find myself moaning about the colour of the light: too orangey, too bright, too blue. However, things are improving all the time, or at least that's what we keep being told, so we shouldn't complain and instead should be thankful we're not wasting so much energy. I know this is what I should be feeling. 

A bit of perspective is required then and over at IKEA they've come up with a way to encourage us to buy low energy LED bulbs. For every one bought they will give €1 to support the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in their work lighting refugee camps.

The campaign 'Brighter Lives for Refugees' runs from 3rd February until 29th March and money raised will go towards solar lanterns and solar street lights which improve safety, help children study after dark, enable small shops and kiosks stay open later, and encourage more community and social gatherings. There are around 10.5 million refugees worldwide, of which half are children. 

Perspective regained.

Material Lab

I've been meaning to write about Material Lab for some time. It's a showroom for surface coverings... wait... don't nod off yet... if only there was a more seductive way to describe the myriad materials on offer - plastic, leather, vinyl, ceramic, paper, textiles, glass - than the slightly disappointing words 'surface coverings'. Anyway, we're basically talking wall and floor tiles, and places like this are usually only for architects and designers who come seeking inspiration and swanky new textures for their latest projects, but this one (while technically still being a resource for architects and designers) is open to all, and is located at 10 Great Titchfield Street, London W1. Funded by UK tile manufacturer Johnson Tiles there are free samples to take away. Go on, embrace your touchy feely side. 

Etoile Home

It must be January as my eyes were locked on to the photograph of the Tiki floral table runner in stone grey and yellow (above) from Etoile Home as soon as it popped into my inbox. It's bold, it's bright, it screams let's have an awesome Hawaii 5-O time. In short it's the cheerful antithesis of the po-faced weather we've got going on around us right now.

How handy then that Etoile Home, an independent textile label run by former fashion and interiors stylist Shani Beadle, has just launched a new website - which is looking good, nice photography, very slick - and is also offering 20% off if you type ETOILE20 in at the checkout (until 2nd Feb). My heart is saying Tiki florals, but my head is saying Palermo stripes. 

Christopher Jenner

Today’s post features some lush photographs taken by Michael Franke of the new Christopher Jenner designed showroom for ultra posh bathroom company Drummonds, in Notting Hill.

I was first drawn to Jenner’s work by his kaleidoscopic design for the Penhaligon’s store in Regent Street which I wrote about in this blog post last year. It just leapt out at me, and I think he’s achieved the same thing here. While it’s a completely different colour palette, he’s captured the mood beautifully, there’s a kind of dreamy luxury about it.

And yeah I know us mere mortals are never going to be able to afford a Drummonds bath, I get that, seeing as it takes several weeks to even make one, in a process which involves casting the raw metal, shotblasting and enamelling, then hand polishing, copper cladding and finally hand painting in your chosen colour... But that’s not the point, Jenner has designed a beautiful space which makes you feel something. And I’m ok with that today. 

Universal Expert

I spoke to Sebastian Conran (son of Sir Terence, brother of Jasper) at Home London earlier this week where he was enthusiastically talking about his new kitchenware brand Universal Expert which is sold in John Lewis and in West Elm, the new American homes emporium on Tottenham Court Road.

The idea behind it is good quality, multi-functional, thoughtfully designed products which work well. Sounds simple enough.

There are stackable mugs, horizontal wine racks to save on space so you could store them in a narrow corridor, knife blocks for easy access and storage, a box grater and cookbook stand which fold flat, a jug which pours from under the ice cubes and doesn't drip, and several versions of sharing plates/boards. Much of it suits the small space reality of urban living. 

"I'd like to think people will keep this stuff", he says, "It's designed to take you through life". It'll need to as it's not exactly cheap. "It's not Ikea or Tesco on price", he notes, "it's what we'd call reassuringly expensive". He told me he used to be head of product design for Mothercare where every product had to be able to be used with one hand, and that sense of practicality has never left him - it's evident in the hand mixer which has all the fiddly cords and attachments neatly stored in a box underneath. 

I'm quite taken by the wooden chopping station with a stainless steel tray underneath for transferring the chopped food, or scraps. And the stackable wine glasses which go in the dishwasher. Handy.

My kind of spoon

It's called the Mini Supoon and is made by some problem-solving Aussies at Dreamfarm who clearly get as frustrated as I do with the tail end of the mayonnaise jar. It's long, it's narrow and it's got a silicone end which flexes round corners and when you rest it on the side it sits up and doesn't mess up your worktop. Clever.

Available in the UK from Forma House. 

50 years of Unikko

If you're a fan of Scandinavian interiors then you may be interested to learn that the instantly recognisable and, dare I utter the word, iconic Unikko 'poppy' print from Marimekko is 50 years old this year. 

Back in 1964, designer Maija Isola painted a series of floral prints including this graphic poppy print despite her boss, and Marimekko founder, Armi Ratia telling her not to since she felt flowers were more beautiful in nature than on fabric. But, after seeing the bold design Ratia included it in the range and it became an instant hit. Big in the sixties and pretty big in the nineties too, the poppy is a happy and uplifting motif that appeals to all, comes in a range of colours and can mainly be found on fabrics and ceramics. 

There's a lot to be said for a signature print when it comes to brand recognition, not including what happened to the Burberry check in the late nineties. Yes Daniella Westbrook, I mean you. In comparison Unikko seems to have come out relatively unscathed and is looking pretty fresh for 50.

The special anniversary edition tea pot above is from Skandium

Clockwise from top left: Marimekko meets Converse, a match made in design heaven; the Unikko print adorns a hot air balloon to launch Marimekko's Beverly Hills flagship store in 2012; yep, they've nailed it; and fuselage art in partnership with Finnair. 

Shop the sales

There is still time to bag a bargain for your house in the sales. In my January column for The London Magazine I get some top tips on how to spot a good deal from Michelle Alger, Head of Home at Heal's, and Maurizio Pellizzoni of interior design firm MPD London. Plus design news from Joined and Jointed, Fabrics and Papers and Zoffany.  

Wynwood Art District, Miami

Today's post comes via the fab We Heart blog (they report on interesting design happenings from around the world) and is about this extraordinary area in Miami called the Wynwood Arts District where the art has been taken outside. The Wynwood Walls showcase street artists from around the world, including the likes of Shepard Fairey (who did that Obama Hope poster and featured in the excellent Banksy film Exit Through The Gift Shop). What a fantastic, fun and really joyful idea - especially set against those bright blue Florida skies. You can read more about it here.  

Happy New Year

I've taken a pretty long break from the blog over the past few weeks, so much so that when I logged on the formatting had been changed and for a frustrating few minutes I couldn't work out how to upload a photograph, however, I persevered [new year's resolution: don't immediately fall at techie hurdles] and of course it's blindingly obvious once you spot the little + sign, but anyway, it's great to be back.

I had a nice email from Lucy at Quill London last week tantalising me with a headline which read: "New Year, New Notebook" which sent me straight to her site to check out the new Kate Spade stationery range. If you're not familiar with Kate Spade, she's a New York-based designer of up town handbags and accessories whose signature style is chic and polished. So if your correspondence is in need of a lift there are some lush new things to buy, I love the How The Devil Are You cards above and the Rotating Stamp which right now I would set to Start Something New. Bring on 2014 yeah!!

ps - there's also a sale going on if you're feeling the pinch.

Merry Christmas

photograph via Pinterest/oliviamacaulay

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

See you in 2014 for more design news, lush photography, interviews with interesting people and brand new indies of the week.

Thanks for reading. 

Indie of the Week #38: Aria

Aria was opened on Islington’s Upper Street in 1989 by Pushpa and David a local couple who shared a passion for art and design. Their vision was to bring quality design to the area at a time when there was nothing else like it around - and Islington was only just beginning to rejuvenate. As Aria approaches its 25th anniversary, look at Upper Street now - it's full of boutiques and restaurants and hums with life.   

The shop hasn’t always been in the same place, but for the past six years it's been in Barnsbury Hall, an old music hall, built in 1850, which had been derelict since the 1930s. It was in a sorry state, but undeterred the couple bought it and set about renovating it into a 4,000 square feet showroom. Most noticeably they have kept the walls which have a beautiful patina of exposed brick and layers of paint. The lofty space has inspired the couple to run events such as supper clubs and book launches which are popular with customers who are often struck by how big the building is inside. 

Who are you? Pushpa Gulhane and David Smith, owners of Aria

Where can we find you? Barnsbury Hall, Barnsbury Street, Islington, London N1 1PN www.ariashop.co.uk

Describe your store in five words: Contemporary, Eclectic, Inspiring, Independent, Friendly.

What makes you different? There are several things: longevity in the business, good customer service, our wedding and gift lists, our in-house cafe with complimentary tea and coffee, and the events we host in our showroom. Aria collaborates with designers and brands on product launches and hosts regular events including an ongoing series called 'After Hours at Barnsbury Hall' which reflects a change in how retail spaces are perceived and re-purposed. Occasionally, after closing time, our beautiful 150 year old hall transforms into an exclusive supper club. 

How you decide what makes the cut? Our products are carefully sourced from leading British and international brands, as well as including hand-selected vintage pieces and special collaborations with local designers. We value quality materials and a high standard of finish in our products, as well as the experimentation and innovation shown by both leading and up and coming designers. We believe that high quality design should be infused into all parts of our lives and surroundings. 

If you were starting again what advice would you give yourself? Always trust your instincts. If you really love it, it will work in your space. And remember to step off of the beaten path to find your creative ideas. The less obvious places offer the most inspiration.

What are you most proud of? We are most proud of our staff - Aria employs a friendly and knowledgeable team many of whom have been with us for over a decade. 

Do you have a favourite thing in the store right now? The Tokyo sofa is a proven customer favourite because it strikes the balance between style and comfort. We offer it in an extensive fabric range, but right now we’d like it in a richly coloured velvet.

What's hot for 2014? Stutterheim raincoats made with skill, passion and authenticity in the small town of Borås, in Sweden. Their motto is: “Let’s embrace Swedish melancholy. Embracing rain is a good start.” It is in that spirit that a 1960's raincoat [as worn by Alexander Stutterheim's grandfather] has been updated to fit the modern man and woman, so it's now possible to be well-dressed - even in bad weather.

Every Wednesday 'Indie of the week' celebrates the best independent stores around. These places sell interesting and varied collections of design-related things you don't see everywhere else. They may support young or local designers or be great at finding unique things from around the world. By thinking a little more creatively about what they stock they are fighting the bland homogenisation of so much of the high street. And since I'm down with the realities of modern life, online only stores count too, because a beautiful and easy to use website is just as delightful an encounter in cyberspace.

Do you you have a favourite store? I'd love to hear from you.

Christmas specials

Drag yourself away from your computer... and try some actual real life shopping in an actual real life shop at these Christmas pop-ups. Online design shop clippings.com (which is a virtual market space for independent designers and shops to help them reach a wider audience) has got together with the people over at Design Junction to create bricks and mortar pop-up shop at 53 Monmouth Street, Seven Dials in Covent Garden until 5th January. It's full of colouful, playful, handmade items (see above).

As well as hosting the hottest (coldest?) ice-skating spot in town Somerset House is also upping its retail game by inviting a number of independent companies to join its pop-up Christmas Arcade. Back for a second year the arcade includes companies such as quirky design shop Theo, British hat makers Christy's Hats, chocolatier William Curley and crafts from Handmade in Britain. It's open until 5th January. 

It's not a pop-up, it's a triangle, the Shoreditch Christmas Triangle to be precise. Twenty-eight local designers, shops, studios, galleries and cafes are open late every Thursday night from 5th December in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The festive eyewear pictured is from Maiden. 

Indie of the Week #37: Rockett St George

“We always intended to just be a website”, says Jane Rockett of online interiors emporium Rockett St George, “we couldn’t see the point of having a shop when you have an unlimited market online - and sitting in a shop all day was not feasible in our lives at that time”. With roots in PR, Jane and her business partner Lucy St George have always worked with the press - the first bit of coverage when they launched six and a half years ago was in Vogue, something she puts down to “sheer luck”, but which conveniently put them on the map very quickly.

Selfridges have since asked whether they want to do a concession in the lower ground floor of the department store, but the duo decided the time and energy could be better put to use in doing a catalogue. So, this spring they produced their first catalogue - having always said they’d never do one as they’d previously put all their budget into PR and promotion - and found it “thoroughly enjoyable”. Photographed by Jane and styled by Lucy St George and Annie Redfern, all in-house, it is more of a styled look-book than a catalogue as it doesn’t feature everything they sell. It got a huge response from both customers and press.

Their dark and moody look is distinctive. In a sea of all-white websites their black background - which they were advised against doing, but did it because “if Chanel can have one so can we” - stands out. It’s become their brand colour to the point where items not shot on a black background don’t sell as well. And, yes, for the record, Jane’s sitting room walls are a very dark charcoal grey, but her kitchen is white. 

Who are you? Jane Rockett & Lucy St George of online shop 'Rockett St George'

Where can we find you? www.rockettstgeorge.co.uk

Describe your store in five words: Dynamic, unique, strong, edgy & seductive.

What makes you different? We stand out from other high-street shops because of the products we have on offer. We source and buy unusual and often bespoke items that are out-of-the-ordinary and make a statement. It can be risky choosing a really quirky product, but our vast customer base seem to love it and usually its a case of the weirder and wilder the better. 

How you decide what makes the cut? If we love it, and it's priced well - then we go for it. we try to be as diverse as possible in choosing the right products for our customers.

What were you doing before you did this? Jane: I used to work in PR before I had children. The industry has changed a lot, but it still helped us a lot when Rockett St George really started to take off. Lucy: I was a florist for many years and loved it.

If you were starting again what advice would you give yourself? Jane: I would say life is what you make it.

What are you most proud of? Lucy: There have been many proud moments in the past six years, from seeing our name on 100 rolls of packing tape to travelling the world in search of unique products for our online collection.  Team that with working with my best friend and its been a great laugh. Jane: Our meeting with Selfridges also sticks in my mind as a very exciting and proud moment.

Do you have a favourite thing in the store right now? Lucy: Definitely the Leather Dining Chairs, they're amazing.  Jane: This time of year I love buying tea light holders - my favourite at the moment is the Little Silver Tea Light. Oh and I also love the Star Studded Stool.

What's hot for 2014? Anything metallic - copper, bronze, silver & gold will be winners for SS14 - try our Metallic Side Tables, a beautiful Bronze Swan Vase, or Copper Light Fitting with flex. Neon is also staying strong for next year - our neon pink candles look really amazing on a dinner party table.

Every Wednesday 'Indie of the week' celebrates the best independent stores around. These places sell interesting and varied collections of design-related things you don't see everywhere else. They may support young or local designers or be great at finding unique things from around the world. By thinking a little more creatively about what they stock they are fighting the bland homogenisation of so much of the high street. And since I'm down with the realities of modern life, online only stores count too, because a beautiful and easy to use website is just as delightful an encounter in cyberspace.

Do you you have a favourite store? I'd love to hear from you.

Christmas cards

There is still time to buy cards, here are a few illustrative ones that caught my eye

A rabbit on a button lift by Ham

A bauble-festooned reindeer by Lisa Jones Studio

Send a pun this Christmas from wooden postcard company Timbergram

Or send a tree decoration from the Pop Out Card Company

Instead of a Robin why not a Bullfinch by Matt Sewell 

Or a festive Rifle Paper Co postcard from Papermash

Robotslayer

Robotslayer: a graphic novel for kids written and illustrated by my husband

You know how some people like to get up really early in the morning and get loads done before breakfast, well, on and off for the past four years my husband Vince been getting up at 4 or 5am to draw robots before going to work. 

I'm not exactly what you'd describe as a morning person.

But he has persevered with his early starts and it is with huge excitement and pride that I can now tell you he has finished writing and illustrating a 56-page graphic novel for children called Robotslater. Inspired by our two sons, it's about a boy called Leo and his brother Benny who must work together to defeat the evil robots and reclaim the city of Robotolis. 

You can read more about it here www.robotslayer.com

And you can now buy it on Amazon

Our sons Leo and Benny squaring up to the giant robot

So, I was pretty cool about the early mornings.

Then he decided to start building robots.

The shed was turned into the 'Robot Lab' and from a giant block of polystyrene he proceeded to carve out an 8ft high and 8ft wide robot which he spray painted up to look like rusty metal. He also moulded life-size figures of the Leo and Benny characters out of clay and had them cast in glass fibre.

This stage was pretty all-consuming. 

You can see the progress pictures on Facebook. 

The app has got a movie-like soundtrack, and farting rats 

But that's not all.

While all this was going on he got together with the creative minds at Hover Studio to turn the book into an interactive app with a movie-like soundtrack, farting rats and a shoot 'em up game called Robotslayer 3000. 

The app will be in the Apple app store on 11th December. 

Robotslayer has been in the background of my life for so long that I can hardly believe it is finally done - he's been saying 'it'll be finished by Christmas' for the last three Christmases. 

I'm not going to pretend that there haven't been times when I have rolled my eyes at the latest stage of this crazy endeavour, but now I look back on it I'm really proud of the creativity, humour and single-minded bloody mindedness (he is completely self-taught) that it took to make this thing happen. 

So, yeah, I may be a teeny bit biased, but I think it's pretty amazing. 

What do you think? 

Indie of the Week #36: Nook

From left to right: Gemma, Jack and Kate of Nook

Nook on Stoke Newington Church Street in north London is located on what can confidently be described as a hipster indie high street. In the past few years there has been a surge in independent businesses from a "fancy butchers" to a wine merchants and fashion boutiques [the local supermarket is a Wholefoods]. All of which has been great timing for the trio behind design shop Nook - siblings Kate and Jack Simpson and his girlfriend Gemma Ridgeway. They opened in April 2012 and have found that a bit of healthy indie competition is good for business, plus it makes for a very sociable working environment.

The popularity of the area has taken them a bit by surprise as Kate and Jack grew up in nearby Highbury and as children came to the local park - fast forward a few years and Kate is now on the committee of the local business association. Despite enjoying the buzz of being in the right place at the right time, they are still up on their social media: Jack and Gemma do Instagram, Kate does Facebook and they all do Twitter, which Kate acknowledges is “massively important, but it feels a bit un-English”.

They also split their business duties and time in the shop: Kate does PR and marketing and writes the newsletters, Jack does the buying (recent finds include beautiful soaps from France, stationery from Portugal and some interesting things from Poland) he goes to shows, does the accounts and fitted out the shop, and Gemma sorts out the look of the shop, the windows and their identity. 

Who are you? Gemma Ridgway, Jack Simpson & Kate Simpson and we run Nook.

Where can we find you? 153 Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16 0UH www.nookshop.co.uk

Describe your store in five words: Classic, Local, Friendly, Useful, Tactile.

What makes you different? We hand pick every single item we sell, even if it means working with dozens of suppliers, we won't compromise on quality or have a product in the shop that we wouldn't have in our own homes.

How you decide what makes the cut? Things have to have a purpose and be well made, whether that is a practical purpose or an aesthetic purpose, it doesn't matter, but it has to do something and do it well.

What were you doing before you did this? Gemma worked in visual merchandising and styling, Kate ran a shop and workshops, and has a background in PR, and Jack worked in retail management.

If you were starting again what advice would you give yourself? Be brave! In reality we are still learning, you never stop, we are very new to this in the big scheme of things and there is so much more for us to learn and do.

What are you most proud of? Having come this far. The day we opened the shop to the public and stood behind the till was a great day - and we still carry that feeling with us. After being open a year and a half all three of us are now at Nook full time which was our aim from the beginning, so that's a great achievement for us. 

Do you have a favourite thing in the store right now? Hampson Woods wooden boards were part of our in-store exhibition of Hackney designers for the London Design Festival in September and we have continued working with them since, they are made from fallen trees in the UK and are a great example of good British ethical design. 

What's hot for 2014? It’s very hard to pick one particular product, but we have seen a real movement towards products made from natural materials. So we’ll be heading back to nature for 2014.

Every Wednesday 'Indie of the week' celebrates the best independent stores around. These places sell interesting and varied collections of design-related things you don't see everywhere else. They may support young or local designers or be great at finding unique things from around the world. By thinking a little more creatively about what they stock they are fighting the bland homogenisation of so much of the high street. And since I'm down with the realities of modern life, online only stores count too, because a beautiful and easy to use website is just as delightful an encounter in cyberspace.

Do you you have a favourite store? I'd love to hear from you.

Wonky ware

Your eyes are not deceiving you, it's definitely wonky

My word of the day is 'wonky ware' which is a brilliant descriptive term for ceramics which have a deliberately uneven shape, as seen at Habitat's spring/summer 2014 press show last week.

I think the appeal of wonky things has got a lot to do with the Japanese aesthetic of wabi sabi, or the beauty of things that are imperfect (which I talked about in this post a few months ago) and can be explained by the more general trend towards hand-crafted items. In case you hadn't noticed there's been a huge resurgence in craft and making things so it's inevitable that a brand like Habitat, which has always had a slightly ethnic/global traveller vibe going on, would respond to it.

And there will be lots of things with a hand-crafted feel coming into the stores next spring... I liked the Agnus ceramics with high gloss and matt finishes and the organic-shaped Esterban recycled glass vessels. Good value rugs, and I mean good value and nice rugs, Habitat excels at affordability. I liked the Bowan rug made of off-cuts put together in a geometric pattern, it's just the right side of gap year, and I also liked the very easy to live with woven Bortollo rug. There are colourful textiles as always, look out for the Sebbi throws, they also do a £12 cushion in new funky prints each season (includes cover and cushion) it's a bestseller. They've done a sort of take on the Arco floor lamp - the Bip overreach light - for a fraction of the price, plus floor lights which look like weebles and don't tip over. There's also some neon-colour-popping-skinny-legged furniture which is quite sharp. 

High gloss and matt finishes on the Agnus ceramics

Great shapes: Esterban recycled glass vessels

Bowan rug in foreground and weeble (not it's real name) light on the left 

A very easy to live with rug, the Bortollo

Come spring you will want one of these Sebbi throws

This cushion will cost you £12

The adjustable Bip overreach light, on the left, and some skinny-legged furniture

And while I'm being a one-woman Habitat PR machine, I might as well mention that in December at Platform, the exhibition space within their King's Road store, they've teamed up with rather beautiful and very hip by the look of it new magazine Hole & Corner to do some fun foodie events, click here.