So much to talk about this week – including summery tiles from Otto, sumptuous lampshades from BeauVamp a new rug company to investigate and a dolls house full of miniature marvels from Christopher Guy
Here comes summer with Otto Tiles’ new Sunset collection, in pastel shades reminiscent of Miami’s art deco architecture.
The encaustic cement tiles are available in three designs – Sunset, Sunset Stripes and Beach plus a complimentary plain.
The tiles are handmade from recycled and sustainable materials and can be used inside or out.
I’m a big fan of Blackpop, having interviewed textile designer and founder Maxine Hall when I worked on Studio magazine, so I was interested to see that they have now collaborated with independent lighting brand BeauVamp to produce some suitably dramatic lampshades.
Each silk lampshade is hand sewn and pleated around bespoke bronze frames and paired with specially commissioned fringes produced on local looms in Derbyshire, some of which are hand dipped to produce a stunning ombré effect.
The Tiffany range of lampshades are left unlined to let the maximum amount of light travel through the silk, giving a vibrant glow when lit and allowing the pleating to be visible from the inside. Alice Moylan from BeauVamp says “We’ve had great fun working together and I love how this mix of punk maximalism meets traditionalism”
Up next is a new rug supplier for you to investigate. Founded by Karisa Lundberg and Max Rich, Ghara is dedicated to supplying handmade rugs from leading rug artists.
The rugs are by award winning designers such as Jan Kath, Lila Valadan and Zoë Luyendijk, and much of the production is in Nepal using Tibetan highland wool or Chinese silk. The company prides itself on its sustainable practices using natural dyes and water recycling, as well as upholding fair working conditions.
Margaux is the latest passementerie collection from Samuel & Sons, inspired by the ornamentation of 18th century French chateaux. It honours the aesthetic of traditional grandeur employing intricate detailing, sophisticated handiwork and a selection of both deeply saturated and subtle hues.
Composed of 12 shades, each with a mélange four colour rotation, the palette covers Gem, which combines navy, garnet and gold to the more subtle Rose de Thé where warm ivory mixes with rose tones and silvery sage.
Samuel & Sons popped up again this week at the launch of the fabulous Christopher Guy doll’s house.
A work of extraordinary craftsmanship, the doll’s house features hand painted wallpaper from Fromental (embellished with miniature Lalique crystal swallows), Samuel & Sons soft furnishings, silk bedding by Gingerlily (including the smallest silk eye mask ever) and there is even a miniature cast iron bath from Drummonds. All this alongside 130 hand carved pieces of furniture from Christopher Guy.
I love a dolls house and if you do too, this really is worth a look. It is on display from this Thursday 29th April on the First Floor, Centre Dome at Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, so you can see it during London Design Week. And it will remain there until Christmas when it will be auctioned for charity.
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Bette claims to have completed the evolution of the shower tray into the bathroom floor. BetteAir integrates so well that it is hardly noticeable and, what’s more, the floor-level installation is a revolution as it can also be glued directly to the screed like a conventional tile.
Made of durable and easy to clean glazed titanium-steel, Bette has reduced the height of the BetteAir shower tile to just 10mm, which roughly corresponds to the thickness of a large-format tile, and the precise corners fit perfectly into the tile grid.
The BetteAir shower tile is available in eight sizes from 900 x 900 to 1400 x 1000 millimetres. It is available in a choice of 31 colours, and can be given an anti-slip surface
