Contemporary Interior Design

• Posted on 14th May 2012 by Nicola Holden

Last week I was treated to a belated birthday present – a visit to the Damien Hirst exhibition on currently at the Tate Modern, London.

Since Damien Hirst first came to public attention in 1988 there have been many opinions on his work, and whether or not it can be considered to be ‘art’. So, I was keen to explore my feelings on this question, and what better way than seeing some of his most iconic works close up and first hand!

In the early days Hirst was quoted saying, with regards to his art, “I wanted to be stopped and no one stopped me. I wanted to find out where the boundaries were. So I’ve found that there aren’t any.” Which, I guess, explains a lot about his work.

The exhibition starts with Hirst’s early work, including several of his most recognisable series of Spot Paintings. The comment I often hear about these paintings is ‘I could do that myself’. Well, the fact is that Hirst did, and with incredible attention to detail – every spot is a different colour, of a uniform size and arranged within a precise grid structure on the white canvas!

Next came the Medicine Cabinets, a series of cabinets filled with neatly arranged pharmaceutical packaging. Each cabinet contains medicines corresponding to different conditions and ailments, and thereby to particular parts of the body. A clever concept, but ‘art’ …? His facsimile pills, however, laid out on shelves in cabinets, are very clever indeed.

I did like his works Isolated Elements Swimming in the Same Direction for the Purpose of Understanding 1991 – fish specimens preserved in their own individual cases and arranged on shelves so that they appeared to be floating within the cabinet and swimming in formation. But, A Thousand Years 1990, with a severed cows head in a large Perspex box being fed on by flies – no thank you!

I was impressed with his infamous shark, The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living 1991, for the sheer mechanics and scale of this work. The piece is almost 5.5m long and just over 2m tall!! Oh, and I am a keen scuba diver with a morbid fascination of sharks!

Then came a lot of works with cigarette butts and ashtrays, which had me hurrying past, except for the In and Out of Love 1991 installation, which is where I found some of Hirst’s work that I loved! Ignoring the ashtrays full of cigarette butts, his brightly coloured monochrome canvases with dead butterflies adhered to their surfaces were beautiful! As was the next room which was filled with live butterflies fluttering around.

Whether or not you like Hirst’s Spin Paintings, it’s the mechanical process of creating these works that really impressed me. Hirst’s work here doesn’t just involve an easel, a canvas and a paint brush, but getting 3.5m circular canvases mounted on a turntable and spinning in order for him to create these pieces.

My absolute favourite room in the exhibition, and where I did totally get blown away by Hirst’s pieces, was with his Butterfly Paintings. Here Hirst uses the wings of thousands of butterflies to create his works which are described in the Guardian as ‘…distressing but weirdly uplifting’. A sentiment I have to agree with. The two works here that took my breath away were I Am Become Death, Shatterer of Worlds 2006, which is a kaleidoscopic mandala-like piece, and Doorways to the Kingdom of Heaven 2007, where the butterflies are arranged into complex patterns reminiscent of medieval stained glass church windows. Wow!!

The exhibition ended with the work The Incomplete Truth 2006, a dove suspended in formaldehyde, as if in mid-flight. Looking closely, small bubbles had accumulated on the doves wings, adding a wonderful, lacy, ethereal feel to this piece.

So, having seen some of Hirst’s work, I can’t say that I like it all, but the bits that I do like, I absolutely love. However, all of Hirst’s work reflects some sort of ‘scientific’ element in its creation, and that I do admire. And so I would encourage everyone, whatever you think of Hirst and his works, to take a look at this exhibition as it is well worth it, and you may even be surprised!!

Oh, and by the way, he has created wallpapers of some of this works too, including Hope butterfly wallpaper, which I absolutely love too!

What do you think of Hirst’s works?

“A man paints with his brains and not with his hands.”
Michelangelo

All images © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd

• Posted in Art, Damien Hirst Exhibition | 8 Comments

• Posted on 09th May 2012 by Nicola Holden

The Decorative Fair is held three times a year in Battersea Park, and showcases antiques, mid-century modern, textiles and works of art. This show describes itself as ‘London’s most popular event for decorators seeking unusual antiques and statement pieces for interior design’. As my favourite style is a modern base, but layered with a mix of eclectic objects from different eras and cultures to add depth and interest to a scheme, this sounded like the perfect show for me, and I wasn’t disappointed!

Despite its comparatively small size, the fair held a real mix of items. Furniture ranged from small occasional tables to vintage fridges! There was lighting to suit any style, vintage rugs and textiles, and accessories and art to boot.

Here are just some of my picks from day:

1. Lacquered coffee table on stainless steel legs attributed to Willy Rizzo, Italian, circa 1970s – Dickson & Rendall Antiques
2. 1960s armchair and stool by British designer Peter Hoyte (re-upholstered) – C20C
3. An Egyptian cedar ibis stool with ivory inlay probably by the Madras School of Craft in the 1920s with original seat cover – Drennan
4. Ottoman occasional table, with inlaid mother of pearl, circa 1900 – Blanchard Collective
5. 2 door “Frigidaire” from France – The Vintage Fridge Company
6. A pair of rare and unusual hand stitched applique textiles, Spanish, C19th – Kiki Design
7. Golf bag standard lamp from reclaimed items and old materials – Antiques By Design
8. 18th century French block printed floral quilt – Katharine Pole
9. Fabulous French 1950s wall light by Rene Mathieu, pierced red metal shade on hinged brass arm and mount – C20C
10. Yellow overlay scent perfume spray atomiser, circa 1920s – Richard Hoppé
11. Untitled, 1991 by Victor Pasmore (1908 – 1998) – Jenna Burlingham Fine Art
12. A pair of WWII era 15 x 80 Japanese naval binoculars, by Nikko, circa 1940 – Hatchwell Antiques
13. Beautiful 1920s black glass table lamp with 1950s fabric covered shade – Trusha Lakhani

So, if you’re after an unusual piece to add to your interior then I would highly recommend The Decorative Fair. The next one is in the autumn from 2 – 7 October 2012.

“Variety is not the spice of life; it is the very stuff of it.”
Christopher Burney, Solitary Confinement, 1952.

Image 1 – Christopher Jones Antiques. All other image credits from respective companies.

• Posted in Interior Design, The Decorative Fair | 2 Comments

• Posted on 24th April 2012 by Nicola Holden

I had a wonderful Easter break in Istanbul this year. It is a city I have long wanted to visit, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. There was fabulous inspiration around every corner, beautiful buildings, wonderful food, and with spring around the corner it was a city in full bloom.

Istanbul is a vast, sprawling metropolis that 15 million people call home, and is a magnet to tourists from every corner or the world. I have never heard so many different languages spoken in one place! Unlike Abu Dhabi (which I visited last year), it is also a city full of history, from the Byzantines to the Ottomans, and under Roman control in between, and much of ancient Constantinople’s building stock remains, including palaces, churches and cisterns.

I was awed by every church and mosque that I visited, but the building that held my attentions for the most amount of time was the Topkapi Palace. Described in the Lonely Planet as an ‘… opulent palace complex [that] is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world’s royal residences put together … [and] was home to Selim the Sot, who drowned after drinking too much champagne …’, I knew that a visit was required.

The palace was built in 1453 by Mehmet the Conqueror, and was occupied by subsequent sultans until the 19th century. It is built around a basic four-courtyard plan, designed to seclude the monarch from the people. The first court was open to everyone, the second court only to people on imperial business, and the third and fourth courts only to the imperial family, VIPs and palace staff.

Here are some of the design features that caught my eye:

I was just wowed by the beauty and intricacy of these ceilings, and my head is brimming with ideas to transform these designs onto other furnishings.

I loved these small chambers and the mix of design elements that they bring together – elaborate rugs, Iznik tiles, stained glass windows, embellished ceilings and inlaid doors.

Everywhere you turned there were Iznik tiles – all different designs worked together into a mind blowing whole. Simply stunning! In fact, I fell in love with these tiles so much that my darling BF bought me eight for my birthday, which I plan to inlay into a piece of furniture some day.

Nothing had slipped the attention of these early designers. Every element in this palace was ‘designed’ – from the cobbled, colonnaded verandas to the arched windows and decorated eaves, right down to the carved and mother-of-pearl inlaid doors. I just loved it all, and after an exhausting but exhilarating five hours I dragged myself away from this wonderful palace. Truly inspiring!

Have you been to Istanbul? What was your favourite bit?

“He who works with his hands is a laborer. He who works with his hands and his head is a craftsman. He who works with his hands and his head and his heart is an artist.”
St. Francis of Assisi

All images © Nicola Holden.

• Posted in Architecture, Interior Design, Museums, Travel, Tupkapi Palace | 10 Comments

• Posted on 12th April 2012 by Nicola Holden

Sadly I didn’t make it to the David Hockney exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, which closed over the weekend, but I have been mesmerised by one of his works – the colours in particular.

This piece, titled ‘Winter Timber’, was created on fifteen canvases, and measures 2.74m x 6.10m. It is currently held in a private collection, but I have been imaging what sort of interior would house a piece like this, with those wonderfully vibrant purples, blues and greens.

I’m imagining a living room. I’d start with a fresh white palette, which loves the injection of bold spots of colour. Then I’d add some neutral, sandy tones to blend with the cut timber in the picture. The earthiness of this colour adds to the theme of the painting, and is a warm, comforting colour that makes people feel at ease. I’d add interest to this neutral scheme by introducing texture and by drawing upon the earthy browns in the fallen leaves. And finally, I’d pick up on those purples, blues and greens to inject a few pops of colour and an element of frivolity into the scheme.

1. Fine Oak floorboards from Element7
2. Madura Oatmeal fabric from Linwood for the sofa
3. Galileo table lamp by Chad Lighting
4. Lemon Grass coffee table by DN Designs
5. Batsman paint from The Little Greene
6. Plain Silk Duppion in prune,and
7. Virginia Creeper silk dupion in turmeric / grapefabric, both from Clarissa Hulse for cushions
8. Mixed Metals rug by David Rockwell from The Rug Company

This scheme would allow the painting to be the focal point of the room, ensuring the ‘wow’ factor of such a wonderful piece of art!

“Art has to move you and design does not, unless it’s a good design for a bus.”
David Hockney

Image ©David Hockney. Photo credit: Jonathan Wilkinson. Colour swatches: Nicola Holden. Product images from respective companies.

• Posted in Art, Colour, Interior Design, Sand | 5 Comments

• Posted on 30th March 2012 by Nicola Holden

After so many lovely comments on my last blog about Maryam Montague’s house, Peacock Pavilions in Marrakesh, I thought that I would share some of my insider tips on the key ingredients to get a Moroccan inspired interior for yourself.

The key elements to a Moroccan interior are:

Colour
Colour is very much a part of the Moroccan way of life where, in day-to-day life, the eye is continually distracted by groupings of bright colour. Strong, saturated shades of emerald green, aubergine, turquoise, rust, burnt umber, burgundy, olive, cobalt blue, sprint green, are juxtaposed with terracotta, lemon yellow, mustard, navy, sunset red, orange, violet, coral pink.

Buildings, on the other hand, tend to be white, or to reflect the colour of the local clay, providing a soft, neutral background for these splashes of colour.

Mosaics
Of all the artistic traditions to beautify buildings, the creation of intricate mosaic design is one of the most captivating. Moroccan mosaic is a web of woven colour and intricate patterns. Islamic tradition forbids any representation of living things. This means that creativity has to rely on geometry as an outlet for expression, and has led to spectacular mosaic patterns which demonstrate amazing complexity, intricacy and depth of spatial configuration.

Pottery
Morocco’s pottery traditions started more than 2,000 years ago. The guiding principle, thoughout history, has been ‘utility’, with bright colours and simple, elegant shapes embellishing pieces that are made to be used.

Woodwork
When I think of Moroccan woodwork I immediately think of intricately decorated doors and exquisitely carved screens. But, the woodworkers repertoire also extends to ornate timber detailing of furniture and home accessories too.

Weaving
This is perhaps the oldest and greatest of Moroccan artistic traditions. Vibrant colours in rugs and carpets were used to offset the darkness of dimly lit rooms, and were also said to ward off the ‘evil eye’.

Here are some ideas for you to try in your own homes to achieve this look:

1. Hanging ‘AlHambra’ lamp from Habibi Interiors.
2. Ikat cushion covers by Rifat Özbek for Yastik.
3. Paints from Emery & Cie.
4. Large Tan Moroccan Leather Pouffe from Graham and Green.

1. Pre-assembled mosaic tiles from Dar Interiors.
2. Corales cobalt quilt from Designers Guild.
3. Hand painted Moroccan table in blue from Maroque.
4. Small bowls from Emery & Cie.

Image 1 – National Geographic. All other image credits from respective companies.

• Posted in Interior Design, Moroccan Design | 7 Comments

• Posted on 16th March 2012 by Nicola Holden

This week I came across another interior scheme that made my heart sing, and so I thought I would share it with you here. This interior is Maryam Montague’s house, Peacock Pavilions in Marrakesh, and is featured in this month’s edition of Elle Decor.

I am in love with this scheme because it tells the story of a globe-trotting couple who love collecting beautiful memorabilia, but also who love up cycling their finds. But I also love this interior because it fuels my desire to go to Morocco and explore that country for myself and indulge in the sensory experiences of that country. And when I do get there, I know where I’ll be staying!

So, without further ado, here are some of the images of Maryam’s beautiful house.

I adore this, with its polished concrete floors and beautiful star lanterns commissioned from the local souks. The repetition of the lanterns and arches adds drama to the space, directing the focus and drawing you through the space. Don’t you just want to find out what’s through that door at the end of the hallway?

The living room is an eclectic mix of designer Frank Gehry wiggle chairs with an Indonesian-inspired couch designed by her architect husband, Chris Redecke. The room is them embellished with items from Morocco, Mali, Rajasthan (the old belts used to dress the wiggle chairs), Ghana, Iran, India and Egypt.

Her dining room boasts a walnut dining table and chairs, again designed by Chris, and inspired by the great designers Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Frank Lloyd Wright. The wall sconces framing her collection of African masks on the wall were made by Chris from kudu horns from Namibia. And this amazing space is framed beautifully by one of the many Moorish arches in the house.

As Maryam says, the library is ‘a fun, light hearted space to read and have a beer in’. It is filled with colourful Moroccan blankets, a vintage leather couch bought off eBay, cushions made using Egyptian tent cloth, and coffee tables made out of old Moroccan traffic signs.

The African in me loves this space! It is wonderfully calming and tranquil, with enough in it to make it interesting, but not too much that it looks cluttered. The beautiful doors are from Morocco and India, and I have been hankering after a door like this ever since I first stepped foot on Zanzibar! The artefacts are mainly African, from Benin, Senegal, Mali and Tanzania.

The bedroom uses layers of beautiful African and Moroccan fabrics. I love the oversized antique French poster framed by a pair of vintage Italian crystal wall sconces. Here the polished concrete floor has been stencilled with a lace pattern, adding a delightful delicate touch to this room.

I hope this house inspires you as much as it has done me! You can read more about Maryam’s house on her blog. Do you have a favourite treasure collected from your travels?

Photography by Simon Upton; Images from Elle Decor.

• Posted in Eclectic Design, Interior Design | 13 Comments

• Posted on 06th March 2012 by Nicola Holden

Last week I attended a seminar on mosaics at Surface Tiles, and it got me thinking about the use of mosaics in interior decoration.

Mosaic is the art of creating images or patterns with an assembly of small pieces of coloured glass, stone, or other materials. The pieces are normally roughly cubic, and are known as tesserae. The earliest known examples of mosaics were found in a temple building in Mesopotamia, and date back to the second half of 3rd millennium BC. So mosaics have been in use in design for a very long time!

Some of my favourite buildings from around the world are heavily decorated using mosaics:

1. The elaborate, golden mosaics of St Mark’s Basilica in Venice.
2. The amazing embellishing of Wat Phra Kaew, or Temple of the Emerald Buddha in Bangkok.
3. The bright, playful mosaics in Gaudi’s Park Güell in Barcelona.
4. A simple mosaic flower adorning the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.

When designing with mosaics, there are basically two ways to produce a design:

• Using hand cut mosaics, where one or more lines of tesserae follow the edge of a special shape. Hand cutting mosaics can result in a ragged edge which gives the work a more authentic look.

• Using uncut mosaics, which results in a pixilated image. This method is quicker and easier to produce, and therefore less expensive.

Both of those mosaics are produced using glass tiles, but other materials include ceramic, mother-of-pearl, coconut shell and stone to name a few. Mosaics are also available in a raft of different shapes and sizes.

Mosaic tiles are generally more expensive to manufacture and install than larger format tiles. However, a less expensive way to give your interior a bit of the ‘wow’ of mosaics without breaking the bank is to use splashes of mosaic set amongst large format tiles. Here are a few examples of mosaics in some of my projects.

Do you have a favourite mosaic?

Images 1, 2, 4 and 11 – © Nicola Holden. Image 3 – José Miguel Hernández Hernández, 5 – Sicis, 6 – Bisazza,
7 – Habibi, 8 and 9 – Shell Shock Designs, 10 – Fired Earth, 12 – Darren Chung.

• Posted in Bathrooms, Interior Design, Mosaics | Leave a comment

• Posted on 23rd February 2012 by Nicola Holden

Last week was the 20|21 International Art Fair at the Royal College of Art in Kensington, and I popped along to have a look at the art, and also to meet the lovely girls from Fawn Art Consultancy, Lydia and Maddie.

This art fair shows a mix of Modern and contemporary art from the UK, Europe, Asia and more, and I have tried to pick a range of art from around the world to show you here.

As I said in my last blog about art, what is one man’s treasure is another man’s trash. The BFs mother, who is normally my number one fan, didn’t like any of the images I posted then. I wonder what she will have to say about this selection! And what are your thoughts – does anything take your fancy?

“Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.”
Oscar Wilde

Image credits from respective galleries / artists.

• Posted in 20|12 International Art Fair, Art | Leave a comment

• Posted on 20th February 2012 by Nicola Holden

My sister always laughs at me when I mention that I read magazines for my job, but pouring over this visual stimuli is an important part of what I do (I know it’s tough, but someone has to do it!!). I am always on the lookout for design gems to inspire and excite me.

And this is exactly what happened the other week when I stumbled upon images of Gemma Ahern’s Leigh-on-Sea apartment. Although it may be old news for some of you, I was so blown away by the interiors that I just had to share them with you, as this is a look that is so up my street right now.

I wouldn’t automatically go for a colour palette this dark, but the dark, almost funereal colour paint (Down Pipe by Farrow & Ball), used on both the floors and walls, adds a dramatic, lead-grey backdrop to the scheme, which is then lifted by adding bright splashes of colour, like the living room’s neon pink lacquered table and a butterscotch-yellow print by textile designer Lucienne Day.

Quirky elements add a sense of humour and interest to the space. The bookshelf print wallpaper lends a cosy boutique hotel feel.

I love the way Gemma has mixed aesthetics here, hanging a designer chandelier made of recycled glass over a window seat piled with homely cushions.

Chunky floating shelves add an inexpensive touch of glamour. The mix of upscale designer pieces with salvaged vintage finds is also key to this eclectic look, and helps to create a personal narrative of life.

Hallways can be boring, transitional spaces. However this hallway is anything but dull, with its mix and match pictures and objects which create a real statement!

Even the bedroom is filled with pizazz with its over-sized Barbie-esq pink wardrobe door handles and the bus roll signage.

As Gemma Ahern says, “One or two really wild pieces make everything come together”.

Whether you like this style or not, I hope that you will agree that this space oozes character from every crevice, and that I just love!

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
Henry Ward Beecher

Images 1, 3, 5 and 6 by Jonathan Player for The New York Times. Images 2, 4 and 7 by Graham Atkins Hughes and featured on Design Sponge.

• Posted in Interior Design, Modern Eclectic Design | Leave a comment

• Posted on 07th February 2012 by Nicola Holden

For those of you who are my regular followers, you will probably realise by now that I love art in most of its guises! Living in an art gallery would just about be my idea of heaven! But, as with most things, what is one man’s treasure is another man’s trash! And art, more than a lot of other things in interiors, is an incredibly personal thing.

I recently spent a wonderful afternoon at the London Art Fair 2012, and here are some of the pieces that I loved or admired – for their skill, for their uniqueness of idea, because they made me smile, or just simply because they caught my eye.

The Mark Hayward print also caught the eye of my clients, and now takes pride of place in their new bathroom – which I am sure will be a topic for a future blog post.

Is there anything here that catches your eye, or do you have a favourite piece of art that you want to share with us?

“Art is the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in.”
Amy Lowell

Image credits from respective galleries / artists.

• Posted in Art, London Art Fair | Leave a comment