Whilst the cost of high street rents is changing the way vintage and antique furniture is bought and sold in the UK, it turns out that Madrid is a city with a thriving retail secondhand scene. Last weekend, with just over 48 hours to spend in Spain’s capital, I came across the El Rastro street market (La Latino metro) with more vintage and antique shops than even I could speed-prop my way around! Here’s a few that caught my eye along the way…
It’s the time of year when exciting new interior designs from the UK and around the world are showcased as part of London Design Week in Chelsea (10 – 15 March 2019). I have been attending press launches, talking to designers and viewing interior collections from some of the world’s top furniture, wallpaper and fabric companies. The ‘blog-mobile’ is bulging with gazillions of photos from different showrooms. Before my phone finally combusts on the pavement in a fireball of colour, pattern and general haute interieur gorgeousness, I am going to share with you a few key highlights with my inside styling guide!
Have you ever wondered what City lawyers, bankers and TV journalists do in their lunch hour? Well, it seems more often than not, they are to be found perusing once sunken treasure as well as other ancient artefacts such as the captivating turquoise hues of 12th Century Persian ceramics. These carefully curated treasures are to be found amongst the antique vessels and furniture that make up Hilary Fisher’s antique shop in Gray’s Inn Road, Fisher London.
What style Christmas wreath will you be choosing for your front door this year? With so many to choose from, it can be a little daunting but I find myself with the foragers on this one …
Rachel, a busy management consultant, asked me to convert her garden shed into a home office at the end of her Oxfordshire cottage garden. It needed to be a work space that Rachel really wanted to be in but also one she could separate from home at the end of the day. I have had some experience of shed conversions. I once turned our wooden summer house into a home office for a Marie Claire 101 ideas magazine interiors feature. There is something quite magical about creating outdoor rooms and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one!
Continue reading “Turning a shed into a home office”
Where are you on the colour spectrum? Are you more of a neutral Kelly Hoppen fan or perhaps a maximalist colour lover such as Sophie Robinson? A celebration of colour in all its hues is a big interiors trend this Autumn and happens to be the theme of Focus/18 at The Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour in London (16 – 21 September 2018). I am really excited to have been again asked to collaborate on Tissus D’Helene’s window at the centre and the blog is going to share with you some of the ‘backstage’ styling secrets of how it came together…
London is packed with inspirational art and interior design exhibitions at this time of year. You really have to put on your jogging shoes to keep up with them all but there are a few I really don’t like to miss and The House and Garden Festival (incorporating The Art & Antiques Fair) is one of them. This year’s show didn’t disappoint. It was full of bright summery colour and design – much of the best was from a few ‘stylish hunter gatherers’ who make it their business to bring international style to our shores. Here’s my choice of Best in Show: Continue reading “Best in Show at the House and Garden Festival 2018 London”
With high street stores in decline, is it conceivable that UK shoppers have gone off their favourite national pastime? Or is it that they just want a more tailored and personal service by buying direct from artisans at festivals, interior design shows, pop-ups and country fairs? Some shoppers are now choosing to make special purchases whilst enjoying their favourite pastime or experience at events such as The RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
If you aren’t one of her followers on Instagram, then there is every chance that you won’t have heard of artist and decorative painter, Flora Roberts. For fans of surface pattern, Flora is the artist behind many highly successful floral wallpaper and fabric designs for companies such as Lewis & Wood.
Continue reading “RHS Chelsea Flower Show inspires artist Flora Roberts”
To say that the world renowned RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a bit of a biggy in the garden design/interior style calendar is a little bit of an understatement! I am really excited to be reporting for the blog from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2018 press day today before the show’s official opening tomorrow.
Charis White Interiors 