Contemporary Interior Design

• Posted on 30th April 2013 by Nicola Holden

I’ve been very quiet on my blog recently because it’s been such a busy time at Nicola Holden Designs, in terms of work and play. So, let me roll back the clock and share with you a few fun things that have been happening!

In March I presented a new client of mine with mood boards for their interior design project, and got the thumbs up for that job.

Days later, as our cold spring dug its heels in, my family all arrived from Australia and it was time to show them the sights of London.

And then it was time for my BIG DAY!! Which was just wonderful, but over far too quickly. My gorgeous husband and I finally tied the knot in the Swedish Church in London, and the day was an integration of his Swedish/English roots with my African heritage.

After all that it was time for some sunshine and much needed R&R whilst on our Lune de Miel in Costa Rica. We saw the Caribbean and Pacific oceans, covered about 1500km, visited rain, dry and cloud forests, saw sloths and monkeys, frogs and reptiles, and hundreds of birds. Costa Rica was just fabulous, and oddly enough I’ve missed the gallo pinto for breakfast ever since!

You can see some more Costa Rican snaps on the Decorex blog where I have written a post about Nature’s Colour Inspirations.

As if all of that wasn’t enough to keep me busy, five days after getting back from honeymoon my DH and I moved home and office on the day of my 40th birthday!

You will be hearing more about our new home over the coming months as this Victorian house, full of ‘character’, is very much a project for me, and one that I am looking forward to tackling just as soon as the dust from the whirlwind last two months has settled!!

• Posted in Interior Design, Photography, Travel | 4 Comments

• Posted on 26th February 2013 by Nicola Holden

A couple of years ago I blogged about how to create a Chinese look in your home. As this month has seen the welcoming in of the Chinese New Year and the ‘year of the snake’, I thought I would share with you some of my favourite suppliers of Chinese furniture and accessories here in the UK.

One of my favourite suppliers is Orchid. I can spend hours wandering around their beautiful King’s Road showroom. They stock a fabulous range of furniture and accessories for every room, ranging from Chinese antiques to more modern items, and they can also source bespoke furniture.

Another company I have used before is Shimu, who have a large stock of more natural wood-finish furniture. They also stock a selection of Chinese art, and can source bespoke silk painted wallpaper.

Lombok are another supplier of more mainstream Eastern inspired furniture. Their furniture includes styles from other regions in the Far East, but they do have some great Chinese style pieces too.

The new kid on the block is QD Design, who specialise in contemporary Chinese furniture. I love the bright, cheerful colours that are part of their range, and their contemporary twist on furniture and hardware. They do also stock a range of antique furniture and art works too.

I have long harboured a wish for Fromental wallpaper in my home. They produce exquisitely luxurious wallpaper and fabric designs. Their wallpaper would definitely be the crowning glory to your Chinese style room.

Happy Chinese new year!

“A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song.”
Chinese Proverb

Image credits: 1. All other images from respective companies.

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• Posted in Chinese Design, Interior Design | 4 Comments

• Posted on 15th February 2013 by Nicola Holden

Every now and then I stumble upon an interior that gets me excited – giving me ideas for how I’d like my home to be one day. Some of the interiors are a bit extreme, but the ideas embedded within them stick and I find myself daydreaming in this direction for days.

One of these interiors is Leah Forester’s home on the boardwalk in Venice, Los Angeles. This cool architectural triplex home on the beach has been transformed into a home with a real sense of colour, texture, and art. The style of the house is modern, glamorous and bohemian, and is obviously influenced by her and her husband’s life and travels. (Leah is a mother of twins, stylist, and creator of the popular blog, Glamour Squaw.)

Here are some of my favourite inspirations from their home:
The lighting, vintage Chinese screen and sculpture in the living room.

The offbeat zebra print wallpaper and African landscape photographs on the media room walls.

The light streaming into the bedroom from the floor-to-ceiling glass doors.

The huge bath tub surrounded by pot plants.

The delicate wallpaper and lighting in another bathroom.

The picture wall memories in the stairway.

The painted design on the children’s wardrobes.

The unobstructed ocean views from the balcony.

And Leah’s advice for transforming your own home – “Take time to decorate your home; let it stem from you organically like the rest of your life.”

What inspiration do you get from other people that you dream of incorporating into your own home?

All image credits from Apartment Therapy.

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• Posted in Interior Design, Modern Eclectic Design | 2 Comments

• Posted on 08th February 2013 by Nicola Holden

February is all about the eagerly anticipated Surface Design Show, where new surface trends are unveiled. When I refer to surfaces I mean floor, wall and ceiling finishes, and this year had some truly exciting new products on display. I am constantly in awe of these new innovations. Here are my top picks:

A new and exciting take on traditional wood finishes are these rustic wooden panels by Heliot and Co, which are produced by hand using recycled timber. The designers behind Heliot and Co are those from Giles Miller Studio who I covered in my blog of this show in 2011.

XyloCleaf produce a range of thin veneer-like melamine panels that can be applied to furniture, kitchen counters, doors, walls and floors, etc. These wonderfully tactile panels come in a range of finishes from classic to trendy.

On display at the show, and attracting a lot of attention, was a ‘wooden textile’ throw by designer Elisa Strozyk. Seeing this visually it is difficult to image how it will feel, but it was actually fairly soft and unexpectedly flexible. This is definitely on my shopping list for being so unique!

Francesca’s Paints was launching her new range of lime wash, eco emulsion & associated paint products, but I loved her Urban Chic range, which would be perfect for creating the ‘Solace’ colour scheme that is trending this year.

I was blown away by the intricacy of Graphic Relief’s incredibly intricate surface detailing on concrete. This fabulous tile is adapted from a Timerous Beastie design, who is one of a number of collaborators. I can’t wait to see more from this company.

These 3D acoustic wall panels, designed by Aleksandra Gaca and available from Casalis, caught my eye. They would make a fabulous feature wall in almost any room.

I have a bit of a thing for utilitarian design at the moment, and so it was no wonder that I fell for these beautiful concrete-effect ‘Design Industry’ tiles from Italian tile company Refin Ceramiche – simply stunning!

Do any of these surface finishes take your fancy?

“Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Design is knowing which ones to keep”
Scott Adams

Image credits from respective companies.

If you have enjoyed this post why don’t you head over to our Facebook page, or follow Nicola’s updates on Twitter or Pinterest. Full details of our Interior Design services can be found on our website.

• Posted in Interior Design, Surface Design Show | 2 Comments

• Posted on 05th February 2013 by Nicola Holden

It seems an awfully long time since the Autumn 2012 Home Exhibition, but I never did find the time to blog about it then, and I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to share some of the wonderful products I found there, so I thought I’d include them with a blog covering the Spring 2013 Home Exhibition which I went to a couple of weeks ago.

This is rather a long blog – for which I apologise, but there were a lot of wonderful products to get in so I hope you will bear with me.

My absolute highlight company from the Autumn exhibition is love milo, a South African designer who is inspired by nature, and produces the most wonderful ceramics, fabric and wood products. I could buy them all!

Another creator who inspired me last year was Sian Zeng and her magnetic wallpapers. Inspired by the changeable nature of fairy tale stories, where frogs can suddenly become princes her work allows visual narratives to be created using magnetic characters on the wallpaper. Hours of fun for a little one!

And there was a stand featuring various South African producers including beautiful hemp bowls from Moonbasket, beaded table mats from Sithabe African Crafts, and trophy sculptures with a twist created by Head on Design.

Other Autumn exhibition products of note include Sandy A Powell’s feltwork, Authentics quirky products, Swedish textile company Linum, and funky homewares from New House Textiles.

Woop Studios were at both shows, and I think their art is such fun!! Whether you’re after works to depict a clan of meerkats, a murmuration of starlings, a bale of turtles, or whether you have another favourite collective noun for an animal, bird or even insect, there is something for you here.

Talking about trophies, how about these ingenious Trophy bicycle holders – a slightly unusual and inventive way to store your bicycle in the house.

This year’s international inspiration came from casaNOA, an Argentinian company selling beautiful Alpaca silver, fabulous cowhide rugs and wonderfully colourful textiles that will add a splash of sunshine to any scheme.

To add that ‘something distinctive’ to your home, how about these wallpapers from Mitas & Co, Jessica Hogarth Designs and akin & suri? All of them are wonderful for very different reasons!

And for the Spring exhibition there was also fabulous thread drawn illustrations by Tobyboo, fabulous tableware from reikokaneko, Denise Moloney’s playful ceramics, and characterful textured fabric from Waffle.

What is your favourite from this selection?

“In order to create there must be a dynamic force, and what force is more potent than love?”
Igor Stravinsky

Image credits from respective companies.

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• Posted in Home London, Interior Design | 4 Comments

• Posted on 20th December 2012 by Nicola Holden

Here at Nicola Holden Designs we would like to wish each and every one of you a relaxing Christmas season!

Hopefully all of us will manage to make time just to kick back and relax this Christmas, and what better way than to curl up on the sofa with a mug of something warming and a pile of magazines. Here are some of my favourite on-line home décor reads:

One of my favourites is Heart Home Magazine, which was launched just over a year ago. Founded by Arianna Trapani (Arianna Interiors), Carole King (Dear Designer’s Blog) and Daniel Nelson (Atelier Tally), this British lifestyle magazine is a quarterly publication celebrating unique interior decor and lifestyle. I love the imagery in this magazine, and eagerly await each edition.

Next up is 91 Magazine which was launched around the same time, and is also a quarterly magazine published by interiors and lifestyle brand, Patchwork Harmony. This magazine has a distinctive vintage feel to it, and features news, style tips, shopping ideas, interiors, features on craft and vintage style and proudly supports small businesses, designers and crafts people. If vintage is your thing, this is the magazine for you!

Adore Home is Australia’s first online home and lifestyle magazine, founded and created by designer Loni Parker. Adore Home’s mission is ‘to bring you beautiful homes from across the globe, tips and design advice from interior experts, as well as easy online access to the latest home treasures’, and it certainly does this.

 
Rue Magazine is produced by Chicago based Anne Sage of The City Sage and Crystal Gentilello of Plush Palate and focuses on interiors and entertaining. Rue is for everyone searching for the inspiration and resources to design their most stylish life, including interiors advice, party ideas and shopping guides from across the pond.

Designer Michelle Adams and photographer Patrick Cline are the founders of Lonny Magazine, a bimonthly magazine, launched in October 2009. The magazine’s name was formed by combining London and New York, the hometowns of its two founders.

Curio Magazine launched this month, and is a new interiors and style online quarterly. This magazine promises to feature ‘beautiful imagery, intelligent writing and interesting people’, and the first issue is packed with meaty articles and including interviews with Tara Heber‐Percy (Mr & Mrs Smith), Nicola Beauman (Persephone Books), and interiors stylist and designer Faye Toogood.

What is your favourite online magazine?

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
Dr. Seuss

Image credits from respective companies.

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• Posted in Christmas, Interior Design | 4 Comments

• Posted on 23rd November 2012 by Nicola Holden

I was gutted in September to learn that there was no Origin Craft Fair as part of the London Design Festival this year. So, when I heard about Handmade in Britain I hurried along to see what that show had to offer.

Housed in the Chelsea Old Town Hall, this was the 6th year this show has run for, and showcased almost 100 incredibly skilled and talented British Designer-makers, from jewellery and ceramics to lighting and furniture, to textiles and glass.

Here is a selection of the crafts that caught my eye:

1. Chisel & Mouse hand makes plaster architectural models in their Sussex studio. This one is of Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh Building. The window frames and door are made of etched brass.
2. I love these utilitarian styled lights by Offkut, with their steel cage, large carbon filament globe and brightly coloured fabric cable.
3. Alex McCarthy was lucky enough to have his eye-catching ceramics in pride of place on the Handmade in Britain brochure. The textured nature of his work is a response to his fascination for touch.
4. I have featured Ekta Kaul’s work on my blog before, and I still love it just as much. Ekta’s work embraces the imperfections of the handmade which add character to her luxurious silks, sumptuous pashminas and soft linens.

5. Ali Tomlin’s porcelain pieces use a combination of the tactile quality of the unglazed surface together with glossy glazes, “encouraging you to follow the lines and shapes around the forms and feel the indentations made by the markings”.
6. Don’t you just love the simplicity of this Torn Edge embossed card? Their cards are of exceptional quality and add a contemporary twist to the traditional process of embossing with their clean, minimal look.
7. When Dot Sim say that their jewellery is inspired by changing landscapes, windswept beaches, and stormy seas, I totally get it. I love the way the movement and quality of line has been captured in the pieces.
8. Blow Glass Design, founded by Kira, is a new kid on the block. This talented maker says, “Working with glass fulfils me emotionally and physically, it is very demanding and requires stamina, precision and dedication.”

9. Melody Rose is created by Canadian-born designer Melanie Roseveare. Inspired by a love of ceramics, art and eco-friendly design, Melanie breathes new life into long-forgotten china and creates Melody Rose.
10. Clementine & Bloom is a mother and daughter design team whose colourful, bold prints, particularly focussed on insects, definitely caught my eye. I love the element of fun in their products!
11. I love the delicacy and subtlety in Annie Ruthven-Taggart’s jewellery creations, inspired by pebbles found whilst on beach-combing expeditions.
12. I am still as much in love with Maria de Haan’s work as I was when I first featured it on my blog. It’s the way she combines traditional Asian print patterns with contemporary design, and you can absolutely see that her “influences are drawn from the elegant and minimalist forms of Japan and China with decorative aspects from India and the Middle East” through the use of antique, hand-carved, wooden printing blocks from the Far East. Simply divine!

13. I hadn’t come across Richard Heeley’s beautiful ceramics before, but it was love at first sight for me! Having spent quite a long time chatting to Richard his passion for what he does is obvious. His work is very much influenced by Eastern ceramic designs and techniques – a stoneware glazes and forms from Song China, construction and firing techniques from Japan and Korean brush decoration. The finished work is accompanied by a collection of recipes appropriate to the form and finish of the pots, put together by his professional chef wife for added inspiration. All of this is then packaged in simple wooden boxes, also decorated with a motif to match the ceramics inside. What a wonderful gift for someone special.
14. Lesley Strickland’s unique and tactile jewellery uses a combination of cellulose acetate and sterling silver. Her inspiration comes from weathered, natural forms and sculptors of the 1950′s.
15. The hand thrown Limoges porcelain and stoneware produced by Ben Baglio has a simple yet functional form. His shapes just ask to be held.
16. Yet another great potter is Sue Binns who is largely self-taught. Sue uses a seemingly endless combination of stripes, each creating different visual impressions, to dominate her work. The thickness and density of the stripes is carefully chosen to suit each individual piece.

17. The decorative yet functional glassware produced by Kat Christou is wonderfully colourful with a playful element aimed at bringing a smile to the viewer’s face.
18. Chris Edwards’ ‘melting’ candlesticks are wonderful sculptural pieces that resonate and tell a story. Chris draws inspiration from images created by Hogarth and Gillray as well Dickens’ books illustrated by Cruikshank and Phiz.
19. Anne Selby’s collection of scarves, stoles and boas is simply exquisite! The colour and texture of her products is a tribute to her artistic work, and the pleating is the result of carefully controlled steaming and drying – the result of her unconventional academic experience (a degree in Chemistry, and Master’s degrees in Business Psychology and Textile Design)!
20. It is eroded and decayed forms and surfaces that inspire the work of Stephanie Hopkins. “I am fascinated by the forms, colours and textures that can be found in the ever changing natural world.” These forms are incorporated into her work using techniques such as etching and patination and the unknown outcome they can have on metal.

Handmade in Britain 2013 is from the 8th – 10th November, so be sure to put those dates in your diary as this is one show not to miss.

“The artist must create a spark before he can make a fire and before art is born, the artist must be ready to be consumed by the fire of his own creation.”
Auguste Rodin

Image credits from respective companies.

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• Posted in Craft, Handmade in Britain, Interior Design | 8 Comments

• Posted on 15th November 2012 by Nicola Holden

Seeing this image reminds me of an article I recently wrote for finehomedecor101.com, covering the topic of ‘Does the Painting Have to Match the Couch?’.

As I stated in that article, “… it is important that the art works with the sofa, and doesn’t clash wildly. Having said that, if you are buying a piece of art that feels homey, chances are it is something that reflects your style and personality, and therefore it should sit comfortably with the style and personality that your home is reflecting about you, whatever that style is. … Regardless of whether your art matches the sofa or not, it will always have a greater impact on the space if your décor supports your art.”

Here are some more images taken from my Pinterest boards, where art plays a significant role in these living rooms.

In this image below, the monochromatic colour scheme includes all of the pictures. The architectural theme in the pictures is complimented by the architectural lines in the room, such as the legs of the coffee table, the patterns on the cushions and the texture of the throw. This combination creates visual interest within this monochrome scheme.

This next room is all about bright pops of colour, particularly blue, red and yellow. The repetition of colour from the art works to increase its impact in the room, and the blue walls ‘frame’ the image beautifully, drawing your eye to it.

Using a version of a picture wall, the style of the artwork in this room is simple and delicate, beautifully complementing the muted colours and style of the décor. The grey wall also works to provide the perfect background for these pictures.

This is a more subtle but bright room, where the focus of attention is on the bold, colourful statement that the artwork makes. In this case they have used a neutral black and white scheme on which to layer the colour. The neutral colours give your eye a place to rest. The vibrant colours in the art are reflected elsewhere as accents, although restraint has been used so as not to distract from the painting.

Given that I have been going through a ‘yellow phase’, this final image is my favourite of the set! I love the patterns in the art, which gives an ethereal feel the room, combined with the sharper patterning of the objets d’art and the throw. Love it!!

Do you have a favourite piece of art that you have incorporated into your scheme?

“Art is not a thing; it is a way.”
Elbert Hubbard

Image credits from Pinterest.

• Posted in Art, Interior Design | 6 Comments

• Posted on 08th October 2012 by Nicola Holden

100% Design was a show that I was keen to see. It was under new management this year, and promised to be bigger and better than previous years. In some ways it was, but in others ways it was slightly disappointing.

Having said that, there was still plenty to spark my interest, and I thought I would share some of that with you here.

Kitchens
There was a whole section of the show devoted to kitchens, but the one that jumped out at me was the new Air range from deVOL Kitchens, with its retro curves and sleek industrial finishes. This kitchen is truly beautiful and unique!

Furniture
Trett Design had some beautifully elegant and modern pieces on show. I love this Stag coat stand in American Black Walnut. I thought David Colwell’s take on his dining table was just wonderful! His O Range is made using steam bent ash with tubular rivets, and the matching dining chair is oh so comfortable! I have long been a fan of lowinfo, whose concrete tables bring a unique and contemporary feel to your dining space. This lovely chair by James Henry Austin was inspired by the London 2012 Olympic Games, and is handmade entirely of UK salvaged sports hall flooring. That’s definitely one way to keep the spirit of the games alive!

Outdoor Furniture
With the British summer seeming to be behind us for 2012, it’s time to start planning for summer 2013! Can’t you just image yourself in this fabulous La Seóra hammock, designed as a hybrid between a hammock and a chez-long. Jennifer Newman was exhibiting some fabulous furniture that can be used both outdoors and indoors. Made from welded aluminium with a powder-coated finish, this furniture is available in any RAL colour, although this pink is such fun!

Fabrics
I think that my highlight of 100% Design was a stand that was tucked away in a far corner of the show. This stall was showcasing some amazing fabrics produced by designers with strong African links. Juliana Dubgatey is a British born textile designer of Ghanaian descent. Her inspiration comes from the vibrant patterns in the traditional wax print cloth of West Africa. Projet de Tissage is a project based in Burkina Faso aimed at preserving ancient textile traditions and heritage. I was so inspired by the ‘Stripcloth’ that is produced there!

If you visited 100% Design this year, what did you think of the show, and what were your highlights?

Image credits from respective companies, except for the final one which is from London Printworks Trust’s Blog

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• Posted in 100% Design, Interior Design | Comments Off

• Posted on 29th September 2012 by Nicola Holden

Between the London Design Festival and Decorex 2012, it has been a busy two weeks. And, whilst I love and dread these two weeks every September, it is always wonderful to see so much design, and to discover so many new ideas for current and future projects. Decorex, though, has to be my favourite!

I’ve already written a short blog for Decorex, highlighting my top 3 products, but it was so hard choosing just three that I thought I would expand upon those here. So, here are some more of my highlights from this year’s show:

Lighting
I am a huge fan of lighting as it does have such an impact of the ambience of any room. Ochre’s Seed Cloud installation made it into my top 3, as I just love the element of drama this light creates. Emily Todhunter’s Anemone table lamp for Best & Lloyd exudes 1920s elegance and glamour, and I just love its sparkle. My eye was caught by Elstead’s collection of ‘retro-contemporary’ lighting, produced in collaboration with Harlequin, whose fabrics are used for the lampshades. And finally I thought I would share Sharon Marston’s exquisite fibre optic cascades!

Furniture
Another item from my top 3 was this beautiful Exe dining table by Tom Faulkner. Don’t you just love those legs? Talking of great legs, I love the lines on this Spyder dining table by Paul Case – oh so elegant. Angus Ross steam-bends local ash or oak to create the strong triangulated Y component in these fabulous contemporary bar stools. Benchmark are now producing the fabulously shaped CH33 chair, originally designed by Hans Wegner in 1957.

Rugs
The final item in my top 3 was this beautiful rug by Front. Designed by Jan Kath, I just love the concept of Erased Heritage depicted in this rug. Wow! In sharp contrast, don’t you just love the playful element in this bright and cheerful rug by Veedon Fleece? I was also delighted to find out about The Rug Company’s new Studio Collection of more affordable rugs, which includes this new design by Jonathan Adler, as well as dhurries and bamboo Ikats. My eye was also drawn to Tania Johnson’s collection, and in particular her Ripple rug, translated from a photograph of ripples on a lake.

Fabric and Wallpaper
There is always a wonderful selection of new fabric and wallpaper at Decorex, and this year was no exception. Don’t you just love Linwood’s eccentric and playful Mind the Gap wallpaper and fabric from their new Art House collection? I have had my eye on Deborah Bowness’ wallpaper, Genuine Fake Books, for a while now – perfect for a feature wall. Emily Bond has a wonderful range of classic printed linens, including this Oyster Catcher pattern. I love the simplicity of her designs, and the red splashes of colour in this one. I thought the new collection of Cecil Beaton Fabrics by Beaudesert was such fun –inspired by Beaton’s fashion sketches.

Other Accessories
I find Spina’s beautiful curtain tie-backs totally irristible! And, I just loved this porthole bathroom cabinet from Chadder & Co. If your sport is cricket, then what better way to display your passion than these cricket ball doorknobs from Chloe Alberry? I love the textured finish of this solid bronze door handle by Philip Watts Design – it will add a touch of class to any door.

Did you visit Decorex this year? What were your highlights from the show?

Image credits from respective companies.

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• Posted in Decorex, Interior Design | 2 Comments