As you can see the area is transformed with a colour palette of Farrow & Ball colours of Old White, French Gray and Terre d’Egypte.  The flooring will be laid with contemporary neutral tartan, and artwork will added from local artists.  The existing authentic oak settles and bench seating will remain unpainted, and the newer pieces will be freshened up and painted in alternative colours from our palette.

The decor had to be lighter, yet welcoming and traditional in nature. The existing interior has beautiful exposed timbers, and 2 lovely feature fireplaces. We have also suggested a design for new signage, to ensure the whole marketing effort has a coherent theme throughout.

The first image is a rendered visual/artist’s impression of how the gastro pub will look once our design has been implemented, and the second image shows how the pub looks at the moment. Quite a difference!

We will update again soon with further images, and let you know how we get along.

Drip Tease is a classic tea set with a contemporary twist: unwanted marks and stains become desirable decorative details. Here, tea spills are playfully turned into generous drippings of precious gold.  Great to combine this range with Liptease range, where lipstick marks are turned into a cheeky decorative feature.  Lift the teacup to find a platinum teacup stain on the saucer as an added surprise! See http://www.reikokaneko.co.uk for further details.

There is a 6-page article, from page 26 if you would like to read more, or see our Kitchens section on our website for other examples of beautiful kitchens.

Occasionally, we are asked by clients to source artists to produce original artworks for their home.  This image of a lovely thatched cottage was created by Louise Hight, a local Hampshire artist, using a Rotring pen from thousands of dots….mono pointillism at its most minute ! Obviously it takes a great deal of time and a photo can be processed through a computer to get a similar result, but Louise believes the computer can never generate the character or empathy that the human touch can.

Louise has produced work for the commercial and fine art industries for over 30 years, and after studying art and design, she worked in the commercial world for 15 years before training in fine art and teaching.  The combination of commercial and fine art background allows Louise to works on a variety of projects, and Louise particularly enjoys animal portraits.  We recently commissioned a portrait of 2 Irish Wolfhounds, and the client was delighted.   See http://louisehight.co.uk/ for further information.

The tall units contain a larder unit, lined with oak veneer, housing oak drawers for bread and snacks.  The central island accommodates a wine fridge, microwave, prep sink and drawer space.  Friends and family will congregate on the opposite side of the island, around the the demi-lune oak insert.  The perimeter units are painted in Farrow & Ball Old White, and the island is painted with Farrow & Ball French Gray.  These subtle paint colours are teamed with vanilla granite, which adds light and warmth to the space.  The flooring is limestone, which contrasts beautifully with the oak beams.  We have specified stainless steel mosaic tiles for the splash back behind the range cooker.

Another illustration of our Celestial interiors theme can be found in the work of David Wiseman.  This artist captures and preserves the fleeting beauty of natural forms such as a blossoming tree, a spiderweb, or a glacier in his limited edition objects and unique commissions. He imparts this permanence through his expertise with materials and processes using porcelain, bronze and glass.

Wiseman’s deep appreciation for the subtle textures and details present in nature make his design projects an intimate opportunity to experience these natural wonders the way he sees them.  The designs may take the form of lighting or sculptural objects, but the most impressive use of such techniques is enhanced when scale is employed.  In this image, the ceiling of a traditional interior is given a contemporary twist, by adding a canopy of porcelain cherry blossom branches.

Wiseman recently created installations for Christian Dior flagship stores in Shanghai and New York, using Lily of the Valley sculptures, entwined around the fireplace and ceiling to create a sculptural focal point.  See http://www.dwiseman.com for further information.

Using fine bone china to create these semi-translucent columns of light, which can be arranged in multiple installations, has shown how our skilled potteries industry can reinvent itself int he 21st century.  See http://1882ltd.com/ for further information,

Another stunning installation is Flylight, which is an interactive light installation composed of a minimum of 180 glass tubes. The glass tubes light up and respond to the viewer, and are inspired by the behavior of a flock of birds and the fascinating patterns they seem to make randomly in the air.  Actually this behaviour is not as accidental as it looks; birds have to keep a safe distance from each other. What will happen if an intruder interrupts their flight?

This bird-behaviour is converted into a digital DNA and translated it into understandable visualisations with light. Each light is controlled individually, but the behavior is not programmed to a repeated pattern. Time after time the birds have to choose their way within the borders of the installation.  The lights can see their environment through sensors that translate the information into a computer simulation, which drives the electronics of the light

Dubbed ‘Celestial’, we seem to be hankering after something more spiritual at home.  Focusing on themes of escapism and the ability to retreat from the darker realities of our economic and political situation. This means that the home needs to be cocooned and safe, with the clamour for real wood and renewed appreciation of craftsmanship.  This feeling can also be manifested in pushing the boundaries of creativity and design, without focusing on the merely functional.  Each piece of furniture or artwork needs to have an emotional resonance to make us think and feel.

See the Trend Bible website http://www.trendbible.co.uk for further information and watch out for our next Blog items which will feature the Celestial and Ethereal designers which have caught this zeitgeist.