Get What You Always Wanted for Christmas

Regular readers of this blog will know that I like to do my best to promote and support independent UK designer/makers so I was delighted to discover two ladies after my own heart: Ann Ellison and Deborah Bancroft, founders of What I Always Wanted - a new(ish) online shopping platform, showcasing 'beautifully designed and crafted British made gifts and homeware'.

The success enjoyed by Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish, founders of Not On The High Street, has led to a flurry of online marketplaces opening up, each in support of British artisans and each offering unique gifts and hand-crafted products. 
Launched in May 2012, What I Always Wanted is one such site. While its primary function is similar to that of Not On The High Street, it doesn't have the (rather intimidating) quantity of sellers.  Instead, there are - for the moment at least - 50 or so carefully selected craftspeople from all over the UK.  With many of the designers exclusive to their site, you are bound to discover something you always wanted but couldn't find.

Not On The High Street has grown in to a one-stop shop for stylish, unique gifts and, if the trend for handmade craft continues, it is likely to face some stiff competition from the WIAW ladies.  

With Christmas just around the corner you can avoid the usual high street pandemonium and find everything you want without leaving the comfort of your up-cycled armchair. 

Here's what's on my wishlist:

Hemlock tea towel, £12 - Annabel Perrin

Outline vase, £84 - This Is Pewter

Ronnie & Frank cushion, £40 - Yoke

Fishbone necklace, £30 - Behind the Showcase

Photos courtesy of What I Always Wanted.

Home Sweet Home.

Last weekend at Earls Court proved there really is no place like Home. My first visit to this trade-only event was a little bit daunting, not least because I'm new on the scene and haven't quite mastered the art of staying cool while surrounded by so many talented designers, but also because the sheer volume of stands and products to see literally took my breath away.  

Being a trade event the show (held in conjunction with Top Drawer, the definitive show for the gift, lifestyle and fashion accessories industry) had a distinctly different buzz to any other I've visited. This is where buyers, designers and journalists gather to determine what trends and products we'll all be adorning our homes with over the coming seasons.

For me, though, it was an opportunity to fuel my creative aspirations.  Like the proverbial kid in a sweetshop I wandered up and down each aisle, marvelling at each stand. Some products I liked, others not so much but each one filled me with inspiration.  

Among some of the bigger names in design such as Royal Doulton, Seletti and Jonathan Adler this year Home was also host to the Confessions of A Design Geek bursary nominees so, what better way to start my 'best of' round-up than with the winner, illustrator and surface pattern designer, Jessica Hogarth.  

"Life By The Sea' print by Jessica Hogarth,
now £42 from Notonthehighst.

Yorkshire-based Jessica graduated from Leeds College of Art in 2010 and started Jessica Hogarth Designs in 2011.
Her bold, playful illustrations are largely inspired by daily life and the Yorkshire coast, although Jessica also takes regular sketching trips around the UK and Paris.

As well as producing designs for her own label, Jessica has collaborated with Korean marketing and branding agency, Lab C and American quilting company, P&B Textiles. Her prints are stocked by The Futon Company and she also sells through Not On The High Street.

Throughout the show I noticed that there seemed to be two main themes: childhood/nostalgia and nature.  One design duo that I feel combines the two are Maria Livings and Marie Rodgers of Lush Designs.
I first spotted their lampshades in Stoke Newington's interiors boutique, Hamiltons, and was delighted to get to see more of their work (and have a bit of a natter!) at the show.

'Fox & Cubs' silk scarf, £115 from Lush Designs

The quirky, hand-drawn designs feature many woodland animals as well as mermaids and the popular cheeky monkey. The pair produce the lampshades themselves at their studio in Deptford and also have a shop in Greenwich.  I can also reveal that they will be opening a pop-up shop on Columbia Road, East London next month.

Next up is the whimsical world of Mellor Ware.  Illustrator Lianne Mellor has designed a range of chinaware which depicts a world of playful creatures engaging in a range of very British pastimes such as afternoon tea and garden parties.  Her simple watercolours are narrative, telling stories of  what she imagines the wildlife gets up to when no one is watching.

'Animal Tea Party' cup & saucer by Mellor Ware,
£24.95 from Liberty

All chinaware is produced by Lianne at her studio in Sheffield and are sold through Liberty and Etsy.

Finally, on a more grown-up note, let me introduce you to British-Japanese ceramics designer, Reiko Kaneko. 
Reiko established her design studio in London's East End after graduating from Central St Martins in 2007 but has since relocated to Stoke-on-Trent in order to integrate the design and production process more closely.  

'Drip Tease' mug in gold, £14 from Reiko Kaneko

Reiko's aim is to prove that chinaware need no longer be the reserve of the twee and can be stylish and sophisticated and I think she succeeds brilliantly. Her work combines the simplicity of Japanese design with a little bit of British wit bringing ceramics bang up to date.  
The 'Drip Tease' mug was a close second for my favourite find of the show (the first being the 'Tea For One' table on the Lust List). Actually, the two compliment each other perfectly - now I'll have to buy both!

I could write about a lot of other designers at the show whose work I admire but I'd probably be here all night and Mr VKH has opened the wine, so here's a little 'best of the rest':

Studio Seed:
Luxury stationery and prints from Tamsin Seed.

Victoria Eggs:
Kitchenware and gifts from this award-winning designer, inspired by and made in good old Blighty.

étoile home:
Soft furnishings and homewares from photographer and stylist, Shani Beadle.


I can definitely say that Home is where my heart is!
Kx

In a Homespun Spin!

  It seems these days if you're not knitting, crocheting, or at one with a tub of Copydex and some odd buttons, then you're not really with it.  Thanks to Kirstie Allsopp with her Homemade Home and books such as the gorgeous Homespun Style by Selina Lake, stores are becoming inundated with chunky knits, ditsy prints and clashing colours that will definitely not help in a hangover situation.

  Last week I assisted the very lovely Alison Nicholls on a shoot along this theme for Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms magazine (a bit of a mouthful, so let's call it KBB from now on!)

The location for the shoot was the house of Homespun Style's photographer, Debi Treloar, a huge Edwardian semi near to Kensal Rise. It was easy to see why it was chosen for some of the pictures in the book and also as a backdrop for our very own take on the trend: 'shabby chic' is definitely the way to describe it. A glorious riot of colour and pattern in every room, from the patchwork wallpaper in the dining room to the fluorescent pink painted chairs around the kitchen table, it is a look that might not be to everyone's taste but certainly evokes feelings of fun and cheerfulness - even on a miserable Wednesday in October it was bright and happy.

  To shoot enough to fill eight pages in one day meant there was no time to lose and with a van load of fabulous products unpacked and de-bubblewrapped, Alison and photographer Gary Hamill set to work.

One too many?

The props table

  On a location shoot like this, as with an Indian takeaway, you always order far too much but  this allows for a stylist to mix and match products and try different combinations to see what works best. Not everything that we bring on a shoot gets used. At the end of the day, everything is meticulously repacked (as close to) the same way it arrived and labelled up to either be returned direct to the sender or taken back to KBB HQ. Delivery notes have to be kept to one side so that, when it comes to writing the copy for the article, the stylist knows exactly what pieces have been used, the company they came from and, of course, the retail price. Here's a little taster:

 Love this Snurk Granny bed linen, from £70, Heal's

How about this 'Macie' knitted lamp by Melanie Porter, £450, Notonthehighstreet

My favourite: 'Are You Sitting Comfortably?' cushion by Imogen Luddy,
£45, DesignersMakers

The trend for crafting has made itself very at home in our lives, the old 'make do and mend' mentality is a reflection of the hard economic times. However, the irony is not lost on me: buying something that is supposed to look homemade kind of defeats the object, doesn't it?  But with so many beautiful products to choose from, for those of us not blessed with the patience of a saint and a penchant for Prittstick, it could save an awful lot of time and anguish.

I'll leave the Blue Peter chic to Kirstie et al!

The full article as styled by Alison Nicholls and photographed by Gary Hamill (and ably assisted by yours truly!) can be seen in the January edition of Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms magazine (out early December).