As interior designers, we spend much of our time juggling spreadsheets, installation dates and managing contractors. However, there are times when we remember why we are in this business, and become inspired by star pieces such as this wonderful collection of sculptures and artwork from the gallery of Collier & Dobson.

This gallery sells a wide range of contemporary sculpture and original works of art.  Situated in Fordingbridge High St in the New Forest National Park, the extensive gallery and sculpture garden can be viewed on Fridays & Saturdays or by appointment for a private viewing.

Subjects range from large pieces for the garden such as the Swift or Leopard by Hamish Mackie, and some of our favourite pieces are the Equus – Horse Head wire sculptures by Rupert Till. The collection is beautifully curated, with each piece celebrating movement and creating an emotional resonance. Smaller pieces also include Orangutan by Adam Binder.

For further information, see www.collierdobson.com

As Interior Designers in Hampshire, we are very familiar with rural properties, and how to design traditional interiors in a contemporary way.  Here is another insight into our design process, and how we achieved this interesting mix of styles for Bedroom 3 at Easton Grange.

The X design on the honeyed wooden headboard and striking silver ball lamps are by JVB furniture – www.j-v-b.com, and these items are teamed with eye catching patterns and textures by Malabar and Clarke & Clarke.  The use of organic motifs with ikat-style weaves bordered by plain fabrics ensured the design remained fresh and modern, yet sympathetic to a rural setting.  The fresh aqua colours brightened the space and work well with the warmth of the oak beams.  See http://www.icon-interiors.co.uk/portfolio/commercial/easton-grange/ for further details of this project.

Many of our clients are interested in how we actually create a design, and we enjoy working with our clients and explaining the interior design process.  Here is a quick peek behind the scenes at how we developed the interior design scheme for one of the bedrooms at Easton Grange.

After several meetings with the client, we worked on defining the clients’ brief for their beautiful Suffolk farmhouse.  They particularly wanted the age and traditional elements of the building to be respected, yet the design had to appeal to a contemporary audience.  We interpreted this brief by collecting hundreds of samples which would incorporate this idea, and editing them one by one into loosely defined colour groups.  Again the colour groups were edited to find the most appealing fabrics, in terms of colour, texture and pattern. We chose vibrant fabrics in peacock blues, raspberry reds and moss greens – some of the motifs were abstract butterflies, and others were stripes or ikat prints – all of which added to the modern feel of each scheme.

Once this process had taken place, we distilled the ideas even further, and allocated each fabric to a particular use – ie curtains, soft furnishings etc.  Our favourite elements of the scheme are the curtains with 3 different bands of fabric.  Our clients were very brave to trust us with such an approach, and they are delighted with the finished result.  See http://www.icon-interiors.co.uk/portfolio/commercial/easton-grange/ for further information.

Choosing furniture for the rustic farmhouse at Easton Grange was always going to be a challenge. The predominance of beautiful oak beams, winding staircase, and quirky floor levels were all interesting issues to deal with. As a wedding venue, Easton Grange required a homely interior design scheme that is appealing to potential clients, yet practical enough to withstand the day to day wear and tear of any wedding venue.

The furniture chosen is from 2 separate sources, and despite the completely different styles, they compliment one another beautifully. The contemporary, solid oak furniture is from the Forest Oak range from Eden Forest – http://www.edenforest.co.uk/. This furniture range is simple and unadorned, and works beautifully with the traditional oak beams.  We particularly like the woven, rattan chair with the Forest Oak Console.

The striking, dark furniture is by JVB – http://www.j-v-b.com/ – and these pieces add definition and character to the smaller rooms. The Alastair Console and Chair look amazing – we teamed them with a dark parquet headboard and rich soft furnishings to create an intimate bedroom space.  See our Portfolio page for more information on this lovely wedding venue - http://www.icon-interiors.co.uk/portfolio/commercial/easton-grange/