Category: Fabric

Borders giving designers the edge

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Borders are back. In paper form for walls, but also as textiles for upholstery and soft furnishings. They are increasingly becoming a focal point in schemes, giving interior designers the edge in more ways than one. Knowing how much to use and where is a matter of interpretation, but knowing where to source is key. Adored by interior designers worldwide, top British textile designer Pink House by Rebecca Cole has become the go-to name for bespoke and vintage textile borders.

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Interior design directions 2024

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A very Happy New Year to you. I hope you had a peaceful and happy Christmas. As is tradition, the blog is looking forward to some of the interior design directions that have been catching my eye for 2024. On the list are some sweet feel-good colourways, new designers, bespoke muralists and antiques. And just when we need it most, high street stores have arrived like the cavalry with some terrific design to layer up our homes. 

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Whimsical interior style

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Whimsical interior design ideas as mooted on my Interior Design Directions 2023 post have now well and truly arrived. This quirky, interior design style that transcends the generations is what some might consider a much needed, mood-boosting tonic. With a playful sense of humour, design companies are putting us back in touch with our inner child, suggesting that decorating with cartoon and storybook designs isn’t just for the nursery.

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A New Age of Elegance

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Not since the 1970s when Laura Ashley’s love affair with all things Victorian/Edwardian has there been quite so much interest in this decorative era. Ruth Eaton, Coco Conran, Anna Mason and Sarah Vanrenen are in the vanguard of fashion and interior designers creating a new age of elegance for the 21st Century. To find out what is so appealing about late 19th/early 20th Century design, the blog invites you to visit The National Trust’s Lanhydrock House in Cornwall.

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Ralfes’ Yard Antiques

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A Somerset antiques dealer has not only been catching the eye of fellow antique dealers but is now feted by several A-list architectural and interior designers who cross the world to visit Rebecca Christie-Miller’s showroom near Bruton. What makes Rebecca’s style stand out is her intuitive eye for the antique designs decorators might be after but also because she seeks to source new to the market pieces that have been in the same family for generations. So it was high time the blog paid Ralfes’ Yard Antiques a visit…

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Pembrokeshire colour and light

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With inspiring art as well as luxurious woollen textile designs and dark wood antiques, Pembrokeshire offers interior design a unique weave of Welsh style. The longish journey to this coastal region of West Wales makes the arrival (and lack of crowds) all the sweeter. You can be assured of incredible colour and light, from textural landscapes with medieval field patterns to pretty wildflower hedgerows and colourfully painted buildings. And that’s not to mention some of the best sandy beaches in the UK …

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British coastal style 2023

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“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again” is the hauntingly evocative first line of Daphne du Maurier’s novel Rebecca. So many authors, artists and designers have been captivated by the Cornish coast both for its magical coves and for its colour and light. Inspired by a recent trip to this part of the country, the blog pays its yearly homage to coastal decorating ideas with a tour of some of the fairy tale castles, country houses and follies that hug the British coastline.

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Top stripes

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Stripe lovers may be pleased to hear that they are on top form and in good shape this year. Stripes are one of those deceptively simple patterns that can create a myriad of arresting moods and styles. Their geometry allows for playful interior design, from circus tent ceilings to the subtle (but powerful) pattern play of styling a horizontal next to a perpendicular stripe. Whether you are looking for a classical Regency stripe or for something more contemporary, here are a few exciting fabric and wallpaper designs that have been catching my eye.

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London Design Week 2023

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I always look forward to visiting London Design Week in Chelsea. And this year didn’t disappoint. From smart interiors ateliers whose showroom displays extended to pavements heaving with spring planters (of the woven and antique variety) to The Design Centre with its fabulous displays of new interior design. There was much to see, stories to unearth and people to meet. Here, as promised, is just a small snapshot of new interior pattern and colour that caught my eye this week.

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Bright spring colour

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Amongst all the nature-inspired greens for interiors this spring is an unfurling palette of mood-boosting colour. From global colour forecaster Pantone’s colour of the year Viva Magenta 18-1750, to refreshing citrus shades, floral pinks and sea-hued turquoise, you might find yourself inspired to do some decorating this year. But how to use this uplifting palette and where? I talk to top interior designers Penny Morrison and Kate Guinness for a feature in Saga magazine and take inspiration from new UK paint, flooring, fabric and wallpaper collections.

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