design boutique Friday favourite 6 November, 2009
Posted by designboutiqueguru in Design diary, Uncategorized.Tags: accessories, design boutique, humour, quirky, Thelermont Hupton, wall hooks
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We’re loving these surreal wall hooks by Thelermont Hupton, new to the design boutique. These wierd and wonderful hooks are cleverly designed so they look as though they are imbedded into the wall. Definately for the braver design enthusiasts out there and great for adding a bit of humour to your home.
Thelermont Hupton: Wall hooks
Clean lines and retro styling as seen in Ideal Home magazine 6 November, 2009
Posted by vickyharrison in Editors' blog.Tags: As seen in, desk, Ideal Home, John Lewis, magazine, retro
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I love the retro styling of this Celine Desk as seen in the November issue of Ideal Home magazine. Inspired by mid-20th Century Modernist design the clean lines and light colour wood are a perfect combination. I want!
Image credit: IPC Media
Love trends? Each month we trawl the latest interior magazines to find hot furniture and home accessories for sale online. See our selection of the goodies from new season collections and trusty brands in the November issues of Elle Decoration, Ideal Home, 25 Beautiful Homes and Livingetc.
Want to subscibe to Ideal Home magazine? Click here.
Room Rescue: Sitting room with a view 6 November, 2009
Posted by kellyhoppen in 3D room design, Design diary, mydeco guest blogger.Tags: canopy, cliff-top, dining, mirror, sitting room, sofa
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Hi, I’m Kelly Hoppen and welcome to week five of room rescue!
This week’s room has been sent in by Tracey Mayell, who wants to redecorate the sitting room of her cliff-top house in New Zealand to make it relate better to its surroundings.
Image credit: mydeco
Below is the winning design created by the mydeco 3d tool:
Image credit: mydeco
I like this room, the seating area works well although I do not like the canopy over the sofa, it’s far too fussy and would look much better without it. The dining area is great although the detailed lamp detracts away from the beautiful chairs. The mirrored wall is not working, it reminds me of some kind of dance studio! An extra large mirror could still be used but perhaps framed and leaning against the wall. The main light also needs to be hung much lower.
Think you can do better? Put your design skills to the test and redesign next week’s room. Or to enter a room in your house for a redesign, email a high resolution photograph to roomrescue@mydeco.com.
Everything’s Coming Up Roses at Marks & Spencer 6 November, 2009
Posted by Bethany Wrede Peterson in Editors' blog, Uncategorized.Tags: antlers, bright, colour, contrast, Cushions, fabrics, feminine, floral, M%S, marks and spencer, monochromatic, pattern, prints, Summer, textures
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think festive florals for your garden parties
We’ve not even closed in on Christmas yet, and already Marks & Spencer are armed and ready for summer 2010! For me, this is a much more highly anticipated time than the holidays (for a better explanation, check out my Spirit of Christmas Fair blog). I love to think of freshly cut grass, fragrant flowers, and plenty of sunshine when the days become gloomier as winter encroaches.
From what we’ve glimpsed at the Spring/Summer launches so far, 2010 will see homes bursting with non-commital colour in accessories, bold patterns and textures, and most ubiquitously: big, beautiful, floral motifs.
the bold and the beautiful – bright cushions for your bed or sofa
I loved these cushions piled up in the corner – like a little love den just waiting to be jumped into! A couple cushions will do the trick to inject a little punch into a dull living area, but don’t be afraid of going overboard this spring. Clashing patterns mixed with harmonious colours keep this arrangement looking eclectic and whimsical, not haphazard or unintentional.
sumptuous textures inspire cosy tactility in your living space
And, while I would never think of placing this crimson pouffe next to this amethyst armchair, M&S prove that taking risks and having fun with your interiors can really prove fruitful in the coming season. The blue undertones in both pieces means the two can co-exist without confusing your cones, while the chartreuse cushion lends a complementary contrast. (Learn more about how to successfully infuse colour into your home here.)
accessories get the girlie nod
Accessories will also see a touch of antiquated and feminine glamour. Think shapely perfume bottles from the wartime era and Old Hollywood Art Deco vases to put those cut flowers into.
get a more subdued look with muted tones
If washes of bubbly pinks and acidic greens seem a bit too much like shock therapy for your home, M&S will also cater to you. While big patterns are still thematic, this collection uses undertones of grey in its fabrics for a calmer, more stately look. And I loved this gorgeous upholstered folding screen so much that I’d have stuffed it in my handbag if it were just a little smaller!
light-reflecting accessories enhance this monochromatic scheme
If you’re the type that prefers a bachelor(ette) pad to the ultrafeminine, expect to find some edgier, monochromatic pieces up for grabs as well. The gazelle’s head is a new statement staple in the M&S collection, and this tone-on-tone patterned chair might easily be found in a sleek New York boutique hotel. The jury’s still out on that iridescent fish scale cushion, but we’re willing to bet you’ll be able to make it work.
While these fine young things won’t hit M&S stores for a while yet, you can be sure mydeco will have a fabulous selection as soon the season approaches. ‘Til it’s once again time to get back to the great outdoors, M&S and mydeco will keep your indoors fashionably stocked.
The Telegraph Week 5: See winning room designer! 6 November, 2009
Posted by cleberry in 3D room design.Tags: 3d rooms, beach house, canopy bed, contemporary, contemporary living room, kelly hoppen, large windows, modern, modern living room, new zealand, open plan room, sofa, the telegraph
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Week 5’s winner of the Room Rescue competition which we are running with The Telegraph newspaper has been chosen by the room owner, and it’s Sudasal! Sudasal’s design will be featured in The Telegraph tomorrow, 07.11.09 in the Property section.
Tracey, from New Zealand, wanted to give her already beautiful apartment a bit of a revamp:
She says although she loved all of the designs, she picked Sudasal’s modern design, Room rescue template2/1.She says she picked this 3D room because it was, ‘More conservative and realistic for living on a day to day basis. The smart grey colour sheme does not clash with the ever-changing view either. It is practical as well as sophisticated and the canopy daybed looks like a cunning way to escape the Kiwi sun – because even inside I have to wear sunglasses sometimes!’
Kelly Hoppen says of this 3D room redesign: ‘I like this room, the seating area works well although I do not like the canopy over the sofa, it’s far too fussy and would look much better without it. The dining area is great although the detailed lamp detracts away from the beautiful chairs. The mirrored wall is not working, it reminds me of some kind of dance studio! An extra large mirror could still be used but perhaps framed and leaning against the wall. The main light also needs to be hung much lower.’
Do you agree with Kelly and like Sudasal’s room makeover? Let us know below!
Interestingly, Tracey wanted to pick a second choice (as she loved all of the designs!) and she also really loved the look of Cool hangout by AngieBaby!
Tracey said of this striking design, ‘This room has got balls. Big ones! It is sexy, cool and breezy and reminds me of the shed from the old children’s TV series The Double Deckers. There is lots of casual seating which is vital for the drinks parties we hold during the summer. The neutral colours do not clash with the view which is the main focus of the house, and changes its colour and light every day. But with a cost of 76 grand for the overhaul, we would have to start charging an entry fee!’
Tracey also says, she would, ‘love to know what Kelly would do to a beach house. I’ve seen her fabulous ski chalet, but never a beach house by her. Thanks for the fun I had with this!’ Kelly Hoppen should try and have a go with the 3D room planner too, we think..
Thanks to everyone who took part in Week 5 of Room Rescue. If you think you can do better, have a go at redesigning a room from a photo in Week 8, which is now running. But hurry, you only have one week to enter!
Good luck!
Cleberry x
Friday’s news: Breathing furniture, poignant photography and the property market hits a new low 6 November, 2009
Posted by katiehodgkiss in Editors' blog, In the news.Tags: architecture, beathable, Berlin, chair, ergonomic furnitue, exhibition, footballers, friday, mansion, photography, property market, underground property, wall
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Friday’s child is loving and giving, and so are the team here at mydeco! There were some great design stories to choose from today, but we’ve handpicked our favourites to keep you going until you flee the office at five. Enjoy!
mydeco’s pick of the top three news stories:
1. Design Milk: Breathing Chair Made Out of Foam
Image credit: Design Milk
Who says that comfort automatically means a sacrifice in style? Well this chair doesn’t exactly do much to disprove the theory. Created bu Taiwanese designer Yu-Ying Wu, who wanted a seat that would help ease the problems she has with her knees, the square block turns into an armchair when you sit on it. Do the ergonomic benefits override the fact that it looks like a giant block of swiss cheese? You decide.
2. Cool Hunting: Kelly Gorham: The Stones Have Memories
Image credit: Cool Hunting
Berlin still bears much of the architectural scarring that resulted from WWII, and Kelly Gorham captures this perfectly in her latest photographic exhibition, The Stones Have Memories. Monday will mark the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall, but many structural symbols of the society it created still exist. The resonant emotion in such architecture is allowed to speak for itself in Gorham’s photos – they really are worth a look.
3, Daily Mail: Unveiled: The luxurious £2m underground mansion designed to keep away prying eyes
Image Credit: Daily Mail
Although this underground nirvana is still only in the planning stages, several footballers are already believed to be engaging in estate warfare to get their hands on the property. Personally, I hope Wayne Rooney gets it. No offence Coleen, but I don’t want to see any tabloid pictures of Wayne in his undies.
The best of the rest:
Daily Mail: Can you dig it? If you want more space, it’s time to go underground
The Telegraph: Trevor Eve and Sharon Maughan’s Belgravia restoration
The Telegraph: Is the property market recovering?
The Telegraph: Design notebook by David Nicholls
Design Week: Wallpaper designs by Damien Hirst
Dexigner: 2010 Ceramic Tiles of Italy Design Competition
Interior Design: New product: Hammered Bowls
That’s your lot for today everyone, so it’s goodbye until Monday from the daily news blog, I hope you don’t miss us too much!
Orchid Care For Dummies from the Orchid Whisperers at M&S 5 November, 2009
Posted by Bethany Wrede Peterson in Editors' blog.Tags: care, exotic, flower, indoor, M%S, orchid, plant, tips, tropical
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The leaves may be falling off the trees, but Marks & Spencer want to keep those blooms on your temperamental indoor orchids all year round. The rainforest plant, indigenous to South America, Asia, and Africa, instantly conjures up a sense of true luxury in your home, and with 1.2 million plants sold annually by M&S at carnation-worthy prices (£9 – £59.50), it’s easy to see why the orchid is Britain’s favourite houseplant.
However, the exotic beauty is also notorious for its finicky disposition. For a plant that purportedly ‘thrives on neglect’, many of us can never get our orchids to bloom after the initial flowers fall from their stems, leaving us frustrated and wary of purchasing another.
While you wouldn’t be the first to admit that you’ve binned your pathetic plant, thinking your less-than-green thumbs killed it when it just…wouldn’t…bloom, M&S florist Simon Richards assures us that to be a true orchid whisperer, all you need to give them is a little weekly TLC…and a whole lot of patience.
Here are his top tips to keep those orchids flowering:
Watering and Feeding
- Water the orchid once a week with an egg cup sized of soft water (or use cooled water from a boiled kettle, or filtered tap water). You can also soak the orchid in its plastic pot for 5-10 minutes in the water.
- When watering, be sure the excess doesn’t pool in the leaves, as this can cause rot and damage. Gently whisk away any water with a soft tissue or cotton bud.
Flowering
- Orchids will bloom and then drop off after about eight weeks. Don’t worry, this is normal!
- Once the flowers have dropped off, cut back the stem diagonally to the lowest node (the small eye on the stem). This will stimulate new growth (and if you’re lucky, new flowers!)
- Continue to water weekly, and a new stem should appear from this node in two to three months.
Display & Styling
- Display the orchid in a vase that is slightly narrower at the base. This will keep the potted orchid snug. Or, pop a few stones into the bottom of a vase with a broader base to give the roots more circulation.
- In nature, orchids climb up trees and shrubs, so keep those fiddley sticks attached to your plant. To enhance the natural display, cut the sticks down so they aren’t as visible. You’ll need a sharp and sturdy pair of garden scissors for this.
- If you’re not so fond of the tiny butterfly clips that attach to your orchid stems to their sticks, you can replace them with more decorative ribbon or raffia (just don’t tie them too tight!)
- Very importantly, unless they’ve become crinkled and crispy, do not cut any of the orchid’s roots. They gather in moisture and nutrients from the atmosphere, and are an essesntial part of a healthy orchid. When cutting off dead ends, use a clean pair of scissors, and only remove the old bits. Most of the time, there will still be a healthy section of root that can be left to thrive.
- M&S tell us we need to ‘learn to love our roots’. But if you find them unsightly, or just want to make the orchid look a little more natural in its pot, you can add peat moss to hide the plastic pot and roots. Don’t forget to remove the moss when watering! (When the moss dries out, give it a good soak and return to the pot when slightly moist again)
- As it’s a shade plant, never place your orchid in direct sunlight. You can, however, place it in a north-facing windowsill, but this should only be done in warmer months, as orchids are quite susceptible to temperature changes from draughts and the dry heat of radiators.
Lastly, be patient. While some plants will continue to flower year round, most of us will find our orchids only bloom once annually. This is normal, and makes that new blooming season really worth the wait.
But if patience just isn’t one of your strongest virtues, M&S carry a great selection of planted and artificial orchids year round – all in bloom! Check out our selection here.
And good luck with those green fingers!
Thursday’s News: An 18 carat apartment, Jane Austen’s digs and carbs for your feet 5 November, 2009
Posted by katiehodgkiss in Editors' blog, In the news.Tags: antiques, apartment, bread shoes, costume, jane austen, jewelry, kenneth jay lane, New York, novelist, restored, theatrical, weird
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It’s a hive of activity in the mydeco office this morning – all our little worker bees are busy making sure that we bring you the best crop of design inspiration in the run up to the festive season. In fact, so hectic has this morning been that I almost forgot one of my favourite holidays – Guy Fawkes Night! Thankfully nowadays anger towards the government is channelled without the gunpowder, treason or plot: we just take away their duck houses. Before you head off to see the fireworks, make sure you take a look at our selection of today’s best design news.
mydeco’s pick of the top three news stories:
1. The Telegraph: Kenneth Jay Lane’s New York Apartment
Image Credit: The Telegraph
An iconic designer, Lane is best known for his costume jewellery. It is no great surprise then that his choice of decor is overtly and unapolgisingly theatrical. However, all the glamour is brought down to earth by the collection of bric-a-brac Lane has amassed over the years, which give the apartment real warmth and personality.
2.Financial Times: Writers in Residence
Image Credit: The Financial Times
For some of you, peeking into the homes of literary greats might not seem the most exciting prospect. For dedicated readers however, the chance to check out Edith Wharton’s crib (above) provokes the same voyeuristic pleasure an MTV youth might feel when looking at Justin Timberlake’s toilet. Apart from the obvious voyeuristic pleasures, it’s a chance to see the environment that influenced a particular writer’s work, for example the garden where Keats wrote Ode to a Nightingale. The poet’s house has recently been restored to reflect the decor as it would have been when Keats lived there. For more writer’s abodes, follow the link.
Image Credit: Design Milk
From the wordy to the weird. Believe it or not, these shoes are available to buy…and wear. Not wanting to limit their target market (ahem), the designers offer a range of styles: wholemeal, white, granary – there’s something for everyone. Possibly not the most practical things to wear outside, I’m sure worn around the house as slippers they would manage to keep your feet quite ‘toasty’…I apologise.
The best of the rest:
Homes and Property: London’s hotspots: where to find value for money
Homes and Property: November events
London Evening Standard: Roof gardens becoming extremely popular
The Telegraph: Property millionaire numbers shrink by almost half
Design Week: Grounds to appeal
That’s your lot for today kids, took a little longer to get the blog posted this time, however I place full responsibility on my computer. We had a minor falling out, but after I threw it on the floor we managed to reconcile our differences. Have a great bonfire night, stay safe…and come see us again tomorrow!
The Eco-Luxe Factor 5 November, 2009
Posted by Nicola Wilkes in mydeco guest blogger.Tags: architecture, design, Design Hotels, eco luxe, interior design, The Scarlet
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Image Credit: The Scarlet
A four hour car journey peppered with rush hour traffic and a plethora of roadworks on a Friday afternoon perhaps wouldn’t be described as my favourite way to start a short weekend away [rather preferring to cram maximum 'us' time in more locally], but when the final destination is a hotel that’s been billed as possibly the greenest in Britain (Times Online), The Scarlet, then I’m willing to forgive the arduous trip.
Not that I should have worried about whether we’d be able to make the most of our two days of supposed bliss away from the kids once we’d reached our Cornwall address – the ‘Scarlet’ seems to intuitively know that long car journeys aside, some of it’s guests may have gone to great lengths to enjoy their ‘grown up’ weekend away minus children and the stresses and strains of the daily grind; the absence of a formal ‘check in’ or reception desk cleverly enticing you to relax your shoulders the moment you step into this eco-luxe establishment. Suddenly it’s just you, him (I’ve also bookmarked this hotel as a great girly retreat) and nothing but peace, tranquility and a hotel that claims to cater to your ever need without a pretentious hotel manager, overly pushy waiter or stuffy interior in sight.
Image credit: The Scarlet
The ethos behind the Scarlet: reconnecting – whether that be with friends or spouses. It’s all about taking stock and seriously kicking back, celebrating lines, wrinkle, laughter, sand between your toes…you get the jist…
Yet this was work, or at least that was the idea of the review, and putting my journalist hat I tried very hard to focus my curiosity on how this much needed combination of hotel + eco consideration + serious luxe factor would really work in reality. I’d stayed in smaller B&B’s whose owners had successfully managed to pull the two together for a smattering of guests. But how was this modern hybrid of interior style – ‘eco luxe’ – going to work on a large scale? I was pen and paper at the ready but that was not to be.
For the Scarlet literally lulls you into a state of deep relaxation and you are powerless to stop it. This, I realised, was all part and parcel of my experience in this idyllic retreat and was key to any stories I might recount after it. If the chalk board welcome of ‘Please take a seat [on a Missoni clad sofa] and someone will be with you shortly’ doesn’t do it for you then a four hour spa journey that combines ‘Ayurvedic wisdom with the natural essence of Cornwall’ will…But I kept going back to those all important questions that I felt I was there to answer for any readers of my review: what do you get when you combine grey water and rain water harvesting with pared-back but seductive interiors? A biomass boiler and ventilation heat exchange with Ligne Roset soft seating? OR, a timber frame building constructed with an air tight seal [not to mention the thermal solar panels] with the latest collection of Missoni prints?
Image credit: The Scarlet
If you’re to believe the hype then the answer is simple. This is luxury meets eco, and owners of The Scarlet – three sisters, Emma, Debbie and Rebecca – are rather proud of it. ‘We run a hotel next door that caters for families at every level, even if that’s a bottle of milk needing warming at 4am, but at The Scarlet we wanted guest to find somewhere they could come for precious time away where you needn’t worry about what designer bag you’ve brought with you, whether you’ve had your botox or if you can connect to the internet [although there is provision for those guests that need to]. We wanted to help celebrate friendships and marriage and remember what it feels like to be ‘you’ without the pressures of work or family life, bring back all those memories of why you couldn’t wait to get married, or how wonderful life is when you take stock,’ says Emma.
Image credit: The Scarlet is now ranked in the hotel style bible, Design Hotels
I have to say I was dubious. But that was before my arrival and by a calm and sunny Sunday morning having soaked up the surrounding coastline – a pasty from Rick Stein’s deli followed by a romantic walk along the hidden gem of Constantine Bay on a Saturday afternoon, followed by afternoon tea lazing on designer day beds on a rooftop terrace, not to mention dinner at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen only five minutes away, I could only conclude that I’d found my own special sanctuary for those times when a weekend ‘just the two of you’ is what the doctor ordered.
So, is it the UK’s greenest hotel? Well, according to the experts that might be up for debate, but if the phrase ‘home from home’ can come in the form of eco-luxe, Missoni prints and a chefs with Michelin stars [local boy, Ben Tunnicliffe'] The Scarlet, set against the rugged Cornish coastline in the bay Mawgan Porth, is just that.
Image credit: The Scarlet
Calling all Christmas Addicts and Scrooges: the Spirit of Christmas Fair promises something for all 4 November, 2009
Posted by Bethany Wrede Peterson in Editors' blog.Tags: Baubles, Christmas, colourful, craft, Decorations, fair, handmade, Spirit, tableware
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Mac Creative’s all a-tinsel and silver bells.
When it comes to nestling into the Christmas spirit, there are two types of people.
The first type are the Christmas Scrooges. These are the scowly old grinches who loathe the thought of rushing the high street in search of that last-minute stocking filler; the ones who whince at the repugnant scent of nutmeg; the ones who will just scream if they have to be involuntarily subjected to Cheryl Cole squeaking out her rendition of Santa Baby. I, coincidentally, fall into this category. Mention Kris Kringle before December 1st and I’m akin to a basset hound forced into light-up reindeer antlers: itchy and droopy and ready to chew my way out of the burden. Humbug!
The second are the (sometimes closeted) Addicts who relish the festive season months in advance. They eagerly await the holidays by X-ing off their calendars until ‘The Day’ finally arrives. That ‘Day’ is today, not coincidentally, as Starbucks starts serving their ever-popular gingerbread lattes, so I’m told, and more importantly, in a grandiloquent sweep, the annual Spirit of Christmas Fair rolls out its bag o’ Santa’s goodies for all of London, so I know.
If you’re of the latter variety and been jonesing for yuletide fix, chances are you’re ready to muscle your way through the crowds of overzealous shoppers, and hurdle over toddlers in prams pushed by mothers with one eye on all the festive kitsch good, bad, and just plain ugly. But if you’re a little more gun-shy when comes to claustrophobic communes of consumerism, I recommend checking out the fair anyway. There are plenty of great finds for even your inner-Ebenezer. Here are my favourites.
I loved the ‘Red Dot Collection’ from Artpark Crystal. Super-festive with the red and white, but can also be used year-round. Perfect for even the most Christmas-challenged.
Retro and kitschy for all the right reasons, Jenny Duff’s tableware makes great gift for any aspiring interiors guru afraid of The Big CC (Colour Commitment).
Pintuck’s range of cheeky aprons and tea towels feature popular British sayings such as Keep Calm and Carry On and Make Do and Mend - perfect for the domestic goddess on your list.
Enjoy the perfect cup of eggnog and stay warm by the fire with Northlight’s dainty tea cups and cosy fleece throws.
Emma Bridgewater always has an amazing selection, but I’m coveting these sweet mini mug candles.
Lastly but not leastly, Tigermasala is selling these beautifully hand-painted baubles from India. The online boutique sources ethically produced materials and donates a portion of their proceeds to a tiger conservation charity.
So if a stale cinnamon stick swirling around in your bitter latte just won’t get you into the holly-jolly swing of things, check out the Spirit of Christmas Fair now on through Sunday, 10am-6pm at Olympia Exhibition Centre, W14 8UX.
But if you’re a dastardly misanthropic Scrooge like me and just can’t be bothered, fret not – mydeco’s got heaps of Christmas gifts, decorations and styling ideas awaiting you right here. Forget the high street. Forget the crowds. Forget your clothes. This Christmas you can even shop with mydeco in your jim-jams.
Merry Christmas, everyone. (Humbug.)
