Contemporary Interior Design

• Posted on 01st November 2010 by Nicola Holden

Just recently I have had a desperate urge to escape the bricks and mortar that is London, and venture forth into the countryside. The seasons’ changing seems to be passing me by in this city, and I needed to get out. So, whilst my partner was hurtling around a dirt track in a rally car on Saturday, I was exploring the Leicestershire countryside, and soaking up a beautiful autumn day full of wonderful autumn colours!

My goal was Kirby Hall, now managed by English Heritage. Kirby Hall was built in the 17th Century and bought by Sir Christopher Hatton, Lord Chancellor to Queen Elizabeth I in the hope that the queen would pay a visit. Sadly, she never did visit, and Hatton died deeply in debt.

Kirby Hall – 1829

Although much of this vast mansion is now semi-ruined and roof-less, it is still clear that the design style of this great Elizabethan country house was based on the classical French architectural of the period, full of exceptional, richly carved decoration.

The Great Hall and state rooms, including the Billiard Room, remain intact, and have been refitted and redecorated to authentic 17th and 18th century specifications. It was wonderful to stand in these rooms and imagine the grandeur with which they would have been furnished originally.

Later, towards the end of the 17th century, Sir Christopher Hatton, the fourth, added the ornate gardens – described as ‘ye finest garden in England’ in the late 17th century. They are now partly restored and laid out in an elaborate ‘cutwork’ design complete with statues, urns and peacocks!

Kirby Hall may no longer be what it once was, but its beauty remains with us to this day.

“Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten”
Gucci family motto

• Posted in Architecture, Culture, Flowers, Museums | Comments Off

• Posted on 22nd July 2010 by Nicola Holden

Seeing the reminders about Tatton Park Flower Show coming in reminds me that I haven’t blogged for a while, and that I have been meaning to write about my visit to Hampton Court Palace Flower Show a couple of weeks ago! How time flies when you’re having fun!!

I love going to flower shows, partly because I love gardens and I find a lot of inspiration at the shows. But, more than that, they also inspire me for interiors too – with the colour pallets that nature puts together.

Here are a few of my favourite gardens from the show:

	Skrik – this garden uses strong shapes and colours (black, red and purple)
	A Matter of Urgency – all pinks and blues and very girlie
	The Copella Bee Garden – I love these chairs and the gentle purples, yellows and white in this garden
	The Living Room – silver, white and grey and very contemporary
	Reflections of Thailand – a typical Bangkok riverside home full of exotic tropical plants exudes a sense of tranquillity amidst the hustle and bustle
	Food 4 Thought – a vibrant colour palette of yellow, orange, red and green
	The Garden Lounge – this garden shows a layering of textures to create its effect
	It’s Only Natural – I love all the natural materials used in this garden
	Together Again – the centrepiece of this garden has been made using a new sustainable technology called D-shape, a recycled artificial stone, which makes this garden environmentally sustainable

And, flowers being an intrinsic aspect of most gardens, here are some of my photographs from the day:

A few fun ways to display flowers:

And finally, the grandeur of Hampton Court Palace itself:

The royal palace was originally built for Cardinal Wolsey, a favourite of King Henry VIII, in 1529. It has subsequently been enlarged by Henry VIII and then William III a century later, leaving the palace in the two distinct contrasting architectural styles of Tudor and Baroque.

• Posted in Architecture, Flowers | Comments Off

• Posted on 25th May 2010 by Nicola Holden

There seems to have been a bit of a flower theme to my thoughts of late.  A few weeks ago I visited the Columbia Road Flower Market to pick up some flowers for the photo shoot of my clients bathroom.  Then, last weekend I did a one day Jane Packer flower arranging course.  And, today I was supposed to go to the Chelsea Flower Show, one of my favourite dates in the diary every year, but sadly those plans fell through.

Anyway, here are the flower arrangements I put together on my course.  It’s the first time I’ve created a hand-tied bouquet, so I was very pleased with that one!

And, I thought I’d share with you some of my favourite stores along the Columbia Road.  First is the Lesley Davy Gallery, which I discovered on my latest visit.  She has a wonderful collection of original and limited edition art at very reasonable prices.  Next is Little Book of Furniture, who produces wonderful sofas and armchairs in London.  Some of their products have a distinctly retro feel to them, and it was from here that I sourced the sofa and dining chairs for the Primrose Hill Flat. 

Across the road is Nom, selling beautiful Vietnamese lacquered products and more.  And, last but not least, for delicious cakes, coffees and teas go to Vintage Heaven and Cakehole.  These are only a very small selection of the wonderful variety of shops here.  There are loads more selling clothes, jewellery, cards and gifts, plus a great selection of eateries.  It is well worth a visit (although only open at weekends)!

• Posted in Art, Flowers, Interior Design, Travel | 2 Comments