This post is a quickie and more visual than word inspired. For Autumn /Winter 2019 Anthropologie are getting cosy, the Scandinavian way, with natural woods and welcoming – home warmth. A contrast of textures, weaves and fleeces and velvet are used in abundance.
There are some beautiful metallic small home accessories including flickering lights, organic scents and subtle glimmer.
All aglow
Beautiful bedding includes layers of plush and pin tucked texture for a guaranteed good night’s sleep.
Rest Assured
Lovely sitting room furniture and accessories including sumptuously deep cushions and a Kershaw chair.
And Breathe
The Monroe Accent Chair comes in two different shades of velvet teal as shown here and also silver grey
Top Drawer is the place where retailers
view, inwardly digest, and then order for next season from the wholesalers and
small independent companies. Due to its scale—11 curated sectors spreading
across the entirety of Olympia London—and mix of brands across the lifestyle
spectrum, Top Drawer attracts a range
of retailers; from concept stores, museums shops, boutiques and
independents to multiple retailers, garden centres and supermarkets.
The show lasts three days and can be
exhausting, and just how many scented candles does a woman want?
This season they have called the show ‘Out
of the Ordinary’, a great strap line and there is much to be seen that is out
of the ordinary.
Talks and trails are included in the show
and its diversity is such that I bumped into two friends of mine, the first a
retailer on the look out for her shop, and the other a museum shop curator with
a different clientele.
Gifts, hospitality, jewellery, accessories,
well being, craft, cards food and home accessories are all on show and within
these groups are sub sections:
Mr:
is a showcase of accessories, jewellery, design- led life style brands for the
modern man.
Robin James founder of Men’s Lifestyle blog
‘ Man for himself’ said
“MR is such a great addition to
Top Drawer London. I was really impressed by the brands and think
that it can only get bigger and next season.”
Spotted: Is curated by Charlotte Abrahams a
freelance writer author and curator specializing in design and applied arts. Think
new; think market ready, original, hot talent, across all lifestyle sectors.
One of my favourites spied in ‘Spotted’ is a
collection of fun textile products designed by Lorraine Ireland. Her company is
called Oh Sew Home. Based around
her love of mischievous and cheeky seagulls. www.ohsohome.com
Many companies are homing in on the need to
be more sustainable and ethical, whether it is finding replacements for, or the
reuse of plastic. The aptly named
Another bees wax wrap company, who take
their mission so seriously they don’t even produce business cards but put all
their details on a chalk board so that you could photo them. www.GoodToBee.co.uk
As the
owner Madeleine says
‘With
GoodToBee I had the chance to create something from start to finish. Not just
the wraps but a commitment to myself, and everyone else. Everything I now do
and in every way I can, I will be as sustainable, ethical and low impact as I
can be. Our fabric is Global Organic Textile Standard. The beeswax is
sourced from sustainable local hives just a few miles away, and we use only
organic jojoba oil. Our packaging is 100% recycled post-consumer waste and my
beautiful stamp is made from sustainably managed oak with a sapling being
planted for each one the company makes. And we never use plastic in anything we
do.
Eliminating plastic can be a daunting prospect but my
hope is that family, friends and customers will feel able to make the swap to
GoodToBee beeswax wraps and feel empowered that their efforts ‘ are a third Bees Wax wrap company they also sell cushion covers made from luxurious silky feel recycled polyester and organic cotton, all their thread is made from recycled bottles, all cotton is organic, their mailing bags are recyclable, they have a range of reusable products designed to divert waste from landfill or the oceans, their waste is donated to charity and non recyclables put into eco bricks. Their packaging is recyclable and they always try to support local suppliers.
Bamboo is being used to make many products
including fabrics, socks, bowls and cutlery, one of these products is Bamboo
Cup designed to reduce the 2.5 billion plastic lined single use cups that go to
landfill each year. Made mainly from sustainable, fast growing bamboo fiber and
tested to the highest standards by TUV Rheinland, these cups feel lovely to
hold. There are over 50 contemporary designs in the collection
Lola and Mawa is
décor and lifestyle brand based in the UK selling beautiful products sourced in
Africa. The baskets and the indigo fabrics are particularly fine. They also
produce a range of baskets made from recycled waste.
They say ‘We
value traditional skills and will do everything we can to help artisanal
communities to thrive. Every purchase at Lola & Mawu generates meaningful
income for the makers and their families. We believe that diversity, the
blending of traditions and the partnership between peoples of different
cultures is the way to a better world.
Our name is a symbol
of that partnership between Lola, the Founder, and Mawu, the African goddess of
creation, embodied by the incredibly talented artisans we work with.
Their products are made from recycled
materials including leather, inner tubes, wood. As they reclaim, reimagine and
reinvent they produce jewelry.
My choices are not all up cycled. There are
lots of people with new twists on old techniques or ideas. For example Michelle
Harvey from Melbourne creates under the name www.crayonchick.com.au
Crayon
Chick has designed and made a range of covetable original products including wall
hangings, weave bowls and knot necklaces.
It was
nice to see the much loved company Thornback and Peel designers of tea towels,
coaster, trays, cosmetic bags and cushion covers. They tend to use one or at
most 2 colours and produce very desirable sophisticated designs. www.thornbackandpeel.co.uk
If
what you are looking for is a simple natural skincare, bath and beauty range
then look no further than the new company Divine and Handmade.
On the
food front it was a real treat to find Isle of Wight based company called
pinks. Their logo looks like a flying snitch. They make butters, jellies and
curds all of which are suitable for vegetarians and are delicious.
With
so much interesting design I have only touched on a tiny portion of what is
available, but you will see it in the shops and on line in the coming months.
Juliet Bawden www.creativecolour.org
30 projects to transform your collages into wall art, personalized stationery, home accessories
In Creative Collage, author Clare Youngs reveals the secrets of collaging, one of her favourite crafts.
As she says in her introduction
“Great artists who made collage part of their lifetime’s work have always inspired me. Although the techniques have been used since the invention of paper in China around 200 B.C.E., the word “collage” was first used in connection with art by Georges Braque and Pablo Picasso at the beginning of the 20th century, when the technique became an important part of the Modern Art movement.”
In this book Clare teaches you about the kinds of paper you can use, such as maps, tickets, photographs, typography and magazine pages, and how to add texture, use layering and make use of geometric designs. Some of Clare’s amazing collages are included for inspiration, and she explains how she chose the materials and composition for each one.
“We can stand back in awe at the work of great artists, but in fact collage is something that anyone can enjoy. It is inexpensive, you don’t need a lot of equipment, it frees your mind, and allows you to release creativity within you that you didn’t even know was there. Great things happen when you let go a bit—what’s not to love?
Clare then presents a collection of projects that offer unique ways of displaying and using collages even making 3-D collages, such as a découpaged chest of drawers and a family photo wooden block house. She explains how to use collage on fabrics and ceramics as well as a lamp shade and place mats.
Along with helpful prompts to give you ideas for collages, this book provides all you need to get started with this personal, expressive craft.
Her other books include Folded Book Art, A Year in Crafts, Colour Yourself to Happiness, Book Art, Mobile Art, Wall Art, Make Your Own Woodland Creatures, Letter Art and Folk Art Needlecraft
