December2016

DECEMBER 2016

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DESIGN

Bridge for Design December 2016

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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Bridge for Design December 2016

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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Bridge for Design December 2016

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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CONTENTS 102 84 Starting from Scratch Each room of this Knightsbridge home is different the world of interior design and has a unique tone of its own Tom Raffield This designer creates designs inspired by Cornwall’s natural 86 Bathrooms Latest from Catchpole & Rye, Perrin & Rowe, William Holland, resources and beauty Duravit, Vogue UK and more Crafts Shows Roots at Decorex Jim Evans takes a walk through this year’s 90 Lighting New designs from Christopher Hyde, Besselink & Jones, must see interiors show A Place in The Garden, Brand Van Fabrics & Wallpaper New designs from Egmond, Elstead Lighting, Mac Liberty Fabrics, Arley House, Warwick Master, Be&Liv and more Fabrics, William Clark and more 98 Donna Hall The Chicago-based Fireplaces Latest from Platonic Fireplaces, designer channels the dark glamour Smart Fire UK, Haddonstone and fantastic of the 1920s in her latest interior fireplaces to spark your inspiration design project Wacky Wallpaper Wallpaper designs that 104 Anything But Ordinary ‘My clients love will paste a smile on your face the idea of totally new design concepts, Notting Hill The approach to this design things that have never existed in the

by BM Design was to create a family home world before,’ says Ron Mann which was peaceful and elegant 112 Bella Italia Achille Salvagni What’s Old Is New Again You have to look transformed the top floor of a storied to the past to embrace the future palazzo in Rome into the ideal setting Tricks of the Light Design tricks which help for a family’s treasured antiques and to draw light deep into a building are essential contemporary Italian designs Better In Small Doses Your surroundings 120 Jacques Garcia Champ de Bataille is should be a reflection of your life and not a life’s work and it will never stand still your recent trip to Home Goods says Sarah - it resonates with the zest of Garcia’s Kennedy Dolce sense of inventions

20 Design News 14 pages of the latest from 48 52

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Cover story: The grand marble staircase with its black and gold wrought iron banisters is lit by simple black metal garden lanterns, Read more on page 120 16

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Bridge for Design December 2016

DORYA INTERIORS EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE FROM INTERIO UK WWW.INTERIO.CO.UK INTERIO SHOWROOM, 555 KINGS ROAD, LONDON SW6 2EB, +44 1202 717017, SALES@INTERIO.CO.UK Bridge for Design December 2016

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PUBLISHER

Martin Trowbridge Martin@bridgefordesign.com

EDITOR

Rob Cork

Rob@bridgefordesign.com EDITOR’S ASSISTANT

Kelly Davies Kelly.D@bridgefordesign.com

EDITORIAL CHIEF SUB-EDITOR COPY-EDITING

Tammi Bell Tammi.B@bridgefordesign.com Katy Briscoe

ADVERTISING ADVERTISEMENT DIRECTOR

UK ADVERTISING

US ADVERTISING

Vivien Brockwell +44 (0)173 246 1090 +44 (0)786 754 7712 Vivien@bridgefordesign.com Simon Hemsley +44 (0)791 937 5159 Simon@bridgefordesign.com Shelba Cornelison 001 336 869 2528 Shelba@bridgefordesign.com

CONTRIBUTORS RYLAND PETERS & SMALL TOM RAFFIELD JIM EVANS TIFFANY DUGGAN BINKIE MOORHEAD MAURIZIO PELLIZZONI WILLIAM YEOWARD MIKE FISHER LYNNE MCARDLE THEO MANCE KEIRA TOWNSEND BRIAN WADE & JAMES HOWWARD PAL PANG BONNIE LANCASTER DONNA HALL ARTHUR MCLAUGHLIN TINEKE TRIGGS MARTIN SMITH

www.rylandpeters.com www.tomraffield.com www.thedesignpractice.com www.studioduggan.com www.bmdesignlondon.com www.mauriziopellizzoni.co.uk www.williamyeoward.com www.studioindigo.co.uk www.aldenparkes.com www.kofc.co.uk www.keirtownsend.com www.timflynnarchitects.com www.another-design.com www.lancasterinteriordesign.net www.dmondiinteriordesign.com www.arthurmclaughlin.com www.adlsf.com www.hollowaysbuild.com

ACCOUNTS FINANCE DIRECTOR ACCOUNTS

Sara Davies sara@bridgefordesign.com Cisca Cowling Cisca@bridgefordesign.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS BRIDGE FOR DESIGN

Subs@bridgefordesign.com +44 (0)189 266 7600

www.bridgefordesign.com 16 Sybron Way, Jarvis Brook, East Sussex, TN6 3DZ, United Kingdom T: +44 (0)1892 667 600 F: +44 (0)1892 667 007 E: enquiries@bridgefordesign.com

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Copyright 2015 BRIDGE FOR DESIGN, TROWBRIDGE Gallery, ISSN 1764-4404.

Printed by Pureprint Group, Bellbrook Park,Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1PL, T: 01825 768811.

Published quarterly. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior written permission is strictly prohibited. The views expressed by contributors are independent and are not necessarily those of BRIDGE FOR DESIGN

Bridge for Design December 2016

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DESIGN NEWS

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KA

OKA boasts a collection that includes everything you need for the home from lamps, cushions, rattan, tableware and other home accessories, to sofas, chairs, dining tables, side tables and much larger furniture. Everything you could possibly need to create the perfect space whether it’s a traditional country house, or a contemporary open-plan apartment. T: +44 (0) 123 543 3983| www.oka.com

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AROLA VAN DYKE

Carola Van Dyke Ltd have a range of flamboyant, whimsical textile taxidermy pieces in a variety of sizes and textures.

The new African collection features one of a kind pieces that are made using a range of African wax fabrics stitched and fused together to make an entire new fabric design.

Bold colours and contrasting prints make these taxidermy pieces into unique, statement artworks that would enhance the walls of any modern living space.

T: +44 (0) 142 442 5920 | www.carolavandyke.com

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OHN RICHARD

The rustic gold fronts on the Ripples cabinet resemble circles of movement on water. Designed by Mark McDowell for John-Richard, this beautiful furniture piece is enhanced by a dramatic meld of texture and pattern. Also, nature inspired, the Selenite Spar Stone bowl and the reverse hand-painted Agate mirror bring unique elements to any interior. US T: 001 662 453 5809 | UK T: +44 (0) 120 271 7017

www.johnrichard.com | www.interio.co.uk 20

Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news

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AVID SEYFRIED

New designs from David Seyfried for Autumn 2016 include the delightful Wimpole sofa. This classic and elegant sofa is enhanced by buttoning on the back and stylish legs. David Seyfried’s chic, traditional furniture is made by a dedicated team of craftsmen in their workshop in the UK and are timeless, investment pieces that will enhance any room.

T: +44 (0) 207 823 3848 www.davidseyfried.com

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ERA OF LONDON

Talented interior decorator, Sera Hersham, has turned her romantic, imaginative ideas to her first collection of bespoke furniture. With its air of Art Deco opulence, the Oyster sofa and chair provide a glimpse into a forgotten world of showgirl glamour, charm and wit. Upholstered in silk velvet, with tapered brass legs, the ultra feminine shape and high curved back makes it the ideal addition to a ladies boudoir.

T:+44 (0) 797 753 4115 | www.seraoflondon.com

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URNSTYLE DESIGNS

Turnstyle Designs have recently introduced a textured metal option to its metal finishes, called the “Hammered” range, which are finished in combination with a range of Turnstyle leather, Amalfine and metal finishes. The technique is produced by skilled craftsmen hammering the surface by hand to beat the pattern into the metal work, giving a custom handle that is truly unique and totally individual. T: +44 (0) 127 132 5325 | ww.turnstyledesigns.com

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news

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ATHY AZRIA

Renowned for her spectacular indoor and outdoor fires, artist Cathy Azria has now applied her considerable talents to crafting bespoke pieces of furniture and accessories in her instantly recognisable and unique sculptural style. Working with bronze, steel and other strong metals, Cathy has created a series of coffee and side tables, including the stylish tall loop side table where the loops have been piled sky high to create an ethereal, elevated side table that is the perfect plinth for a statement plant or ornament. T: +44 (0) 208 964 5355 | www.bd-designs.co.uk

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ESLEY BARRELL

The Alexa Curved Sofa is part of the New Generation range from Wesley Barrell, a collection of classic contemporary living furniture carefully handcrafted in the UK to their stringent high standard specifications.

Offering style and comfort at an affordable price, this simple and classic sofa will enhance any modern living space.

T: +44 (0) 207 629 2019 | www.wesley-barrell.co.uk

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AVID SEYFRIED

David Seyfried are renowned for their collection of stylish and classic traditionally upholstered furniture made in the UK. This Autumn, they have introduced the Eaton chaise which has a luxurious elongated seat, ideal for reclining and relaxing. This sophisticated piece in muted colours is a perfect fit for any modern and traditional room. T: +44 (0) 207 823 3848 | www.davidseyfried.com

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news

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ILENT GLISS

Wave XL from Silent Gliss reflects the current trend towards smooth rounded forms and shapes in current interior decoration. Available with a range of Silent Gliss curtain track systems, it is an ambitious and sophisticated decoration for high and large application areas with large expanses of glass.

T: +44 (0) 184 386 3571 | www.silentgliss.co.uk

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ESLEY BARRELL

Wesley Barrell’s most popular sofa, The Hinton, comes in a range of stylish coverings. Shown here in Sanderson Roslyn, a teal-cherry print with a bold floral design and eye catching colours, it will add a dash of sophisticated decoration to any living room.

T: +44 (0) 189 253 6286 | ww.wesley-barrell.co.uk 26

Bridge for Design December 2016

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SPRESSO DESIGN

With industrial chic being the latest inspiration for kitchen designers, Espresso Design’s new Chelsea Harbour showroom is bang on trend. Their stunning ‘Factory’ kitchen from Aster Cucine uses antique wood and reclaimed metals to create breathtakingly original spaces with eco-credentials. This dark and industrial style kitchen is as cleverly functional as it is stylish.

T: +44 (0) 207 078 9912 | www.espressodesign.co.uk

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news

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INE FURNITURE DESIGN

Asian elements and European design influences combine to create the Fusion Collection for Fine Furniture Design. The Panache panel bed shows off the expressive materials and handcrafted contemporary look of this collection, offering a simple and elegant way to escape without ever leaving the home.

T: 001 336 883 9918 | www.biltmorefinefurniture.com

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ATURAL DECORATIONS

A delightful twist on tropical, this blazing orange Pincushion Protea by Natural Decorations is paired with orange Callas and pods in a complementary Patina glass vase. This great permanent botanical is 20� wide and 14� high and will make an impressive addition to any setting. T: 001 800 522 2624 | www.ndi.com

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Bridge for Design December 2016

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ESPOKE SOFA LONDON

Bespoke Sofa London brings sumptuous elegance and comfort to homes with its on trend reworking of the most iconic sofa of our time - The Chesterfield. Reinventing the charm of this piece in bright opulent colours and plush comfort, the superb team at Bespoke Sofa London can help with tailoring to make sure that each Chesterfield is as unique and special as the home it is going to. T: +44 (0) 207 736 9900 | www.bespokesofalondon.co.uk

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news

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LATONIC FIREPLACE COMPANY

Create a spectacular centrepiece with a ‘through’ fireplace from The Platonic Fireplace Company. These social spaces allow the division of a room whilst still allowing the eye to see through to the space beyond. A stunning feature wall that can become the focal point of any home or hotel design project.

T: +44 (0) 208 891 5904 | www.platonicfireplaces.co.uk

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ORT ROYAL

Specialising in wrought iron work, Ferronnerie Betemps employs unparalleled virtuosity to manufacture gates, railings, balustrades, verandas, light fixtures and furniture in classic, 1930s and contemporary styles.

Uniquely designed for each project, these ornate structures add a delicate beauty to functional designs making them a work of art in

themselves. www.fort-royal.com 30

Bridge for Design December 2016

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RANGE LONDON

Grange uses its traditional and innovative craftsmanship to create statement furniture for refined interiors. The Haussmann sideboard is one of its crowning pieces, showcasing the detailed craftsmanship in its graceful, soft, clean lines and noble, refined materials. Suitable for a hallway, dining or living space, this sideboard is the personification of timeless modernity and understated elegance.

T: +44 (0) 207 935 7000 www.grange.fr

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news

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ATHAN ANTHONY

California upholstery resource, Nathan Anthony, expands its offering with new collections of accent tables and rugs. Designed to complement its awardwinning contemporary seating designs, the addition of tables and rugs is a first step in the brand’s lifestyle-focused expansion. The Tetra and Torino table systems (ten in all) promote flexible arranging of surface space in rooms. Several cocktail-height tables may overlap for a stacking tiered effect, or used independently. T: 001 323 584 1315 | www.nafurniture.com

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ERNHARDT

Bernhardt, a brand long associated with iconic furniture design, is celebrating modern luxury and minimal adornment, clean spaces and the absence of colour with the Malvern buffest and Silvain chair. The rustic woods are turned to soft grey and the use of tarnished nickel and German silver add a layer of patina and refinement to any room. www.bernhardt.com

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ARD & BRAZIER

Bard & Brazier have been met with an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response to their Monroe floating heated rails since their launch at Decorex this year. These sleek and timeless rails come in an array of finishes and flexible sizes making it simple to find a design to fit any bathroom scheme.

T: +44 (0) 121 270 2222 | www.bardbrazier.co.uk 32

Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news | promotion

THE LATEST FROM OASIS 1. ‘Edge’ is a wonderful sculptural light and is the newest addition to Oasis’ lighting collection. Made of Aluminium, bronze, gold (in various shades) and walnut, the light bounces back and forth on the gold or bronzed mirror surfaces creating a mesmerizing display of brilliance.

2. As serene as a calm sea and inspired by those bijou drawing rooms where one can savour a drink after a delicious meal, this living room features Brando, a two-seater sofa perfect for side-by-side conversation and a pair of suitably sized Joelle armchairs, upholstered in a teal soft velvet, offering exceptional comfort.

3. Crystal, a dizzling collection, characterised by exquisite glass finishes. Both glamorous and contemporary in appearance, Crystal is available in a choice of transparent or satin glass finishes. The vanity units with integral basins feature fine glass finishes - gloss or satin - in a choice of 38 different colours.

For more information: T: +39 043 465 4752 | www.oasisgroup.it

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news

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VE HOME

A fresh take on a 1950s Italian design, the Carlyle desk by Ave Home features an ebony stained mango wood top and brass finished iron frame with brass pulls. The hand-crafted and stylish desk has one centre drawer and two sliding trays on each side.

T: 001 504 459 4909 | www.avehome.com

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ÄHRS

Kährs has opened its new Design Studio in Clerkenwell, London’s architectural and interior design district. Located on Albemarle Way, the Design Studio will provide a central hub for Kährs’ award-winning wood flooring range. It will also showcase décor styles, furnishings and heating technology from brand partners -Earthborn, BoConcept and Nu-Heat - with Kährs’ resident interior design team on-hand to provide help and expertise.

T: +44 (0) 239 245 3045 | www.kahrs.com

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news

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ESLEY BARRELL

The Islip chair by Wesley Barrell is a compact interpretation of a Victorian slipper or nursing chair. Available in a range of traditional and contemporary styled fabrics, this stunning curved back chair is for the bedroom or where living space is tight. T: +44 (0) 207 629 2019

www.wesley-barrell.co.uk

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ATURAL DECORATIONS

Designers appreciate the fine faux floral and botanical reproductions by NDI. One example is this pink and cream Hydrangea, Rose and Ranunculus watergarden. As designer Larry Laslo said in the Spring issue of Bridge for Design, “I sometimes have to give a leaf a pinch to test its provenance.” NDI has been creating these lifelike made-to-order designs in its own workshops for over 50 years.

T: 001 800 522 2624 | www.ndi.com

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Bridge for Design December 2016

manorandmews.com Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news

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ENRY BLAKE HARDWARE

Henry Blake hardware unveils The Flute - a new range of door and cabinet knobs and pull handles in a wide range of finishes. This collection takes its inspiration from the past and reforms it into a re-envisaged design to give a fresh, contemporary feel to a classic and iconic handle shape. T: +44 (0) 138 648 326

www.henryblakehardware.co.uk

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APICIDA

The ongoing ‘Lunar’ collaboration between luxury stone experts, Lapicida, and designer, Lara Bohinc, continues to inspire with its inspiration taken from planets and their orbital movements. The union of brass and marble in the ‘Star Gazer’ candlesticks are inspired by orreries - mechanical models of the solar system used since classical times.

T: +44 (0) 203 012 1000 | www.lapicida.com

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news

M

ARBLE HILL

Marble Hill Fireplaces have an extensive range of balanced flue gas fires in a range of high end designs. The Vertical View Bell from Bell Fires does not require a conventional chimney for installation, giving it an unprecedented versatility and opening up a whole range of options for room layouts and installations.

T: +44 (0) 208 892 1488 | www.marblehill.co.uk

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UGHES CHEVALIER

Combining tradition with a modern style, Hughes Chevalier has expanded its range by creating new contemporary furniture and design collections created by talented designers. Whether it’s coffee tables, consoles, elegant desks, bedroom furniture or original side tables, each piece is adapted to suit new functions. The Hughes Chevalier brand’s extensive collections bring together traditional and modern design elements creating an exceptional art de vivre.

www.hugheschevalier.com

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news | rugs & flooring

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OGER OATES

Interior designers are often looking to bring something unique and personal to their clients projects.

Roger Oates Design now offers all the designs in the existing collection in customised colours, they can even dye yarn to specific colours if required. The process starts with CAD visualisations which are then translated into handwoven swatches for client approval. The perfect way to create a unique look for a bespoke project. T: +44 (0) 207 351 2288 | www.rogeroates.com

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HE RUG COMPANY

The Rug Company have previewed the latest additions to its unique collection of contemporary rugs, handmade by highly skilled weavers in Nepal, by a range of international designers. The Thistle Pewter by Vivienne Westwood is just one design to this stunning collection and features a geometric print in dusky blues and silvery tones which will bring a cool statement to any floor. www.therugcompany.com 46

Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news | designer profile

DESIGNER PROFILE: TOM RAFFIELD Tom Raffield creates designs inspired by Cornwall’s natural resources and beauty

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om Raffield has become synonymous with the transformation of wood into his trademark unique designs, which are as much a work of art as a functional piece of furniture.

In 2008, Tom and his wife, Danielle, founded Tom Raffield with a desire to create designs inspired

by Cornwall’s natural resources and beauty, and set up their experimental workshop nestled amongst six acres of ancient woodland in Cornwall.

Tom Raffield designs are created as sculptural pieces inspired by the natural environment that surrounds him. In sharing the belief that every piece of furniture and lighting in the range must be beautiful in form and practical in function, Tom utilises the traditional craft of steam-bending wood

to create pieces that will become harmonious in the spaces of their owners for years to come as cherished antiques of the future.

The woodland workshop provides the backdrop for a team of skilled craftsman trained by Tom. “Each piece we create has been on an experimental journey - individual, organic and carefully considered. We source everything from sustainable forests, coupled with the low energy steam bending process - it’s very ecological with little wastage,” he explains.

“The journey that each product takes is truly inspiring. From its infancy as a sustainably harvested piece of timber, through to the meticulous working of its form, to a finished product. Wonderfully, the narrative of each design

ABOVE FROM LEFT: Designer, Tom Raffield, on the steps of his Cornish studio. Examples of his infamous sculptural lighting created using the steam bending process to make something that is both beautiful in form and practical in function, all inspired by Cornwall’s natural resources and beauty.

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news | designer profile

takes on a new meaning when acting in conjunction with our clients’ own individual space.”

Tom, who trained at the Falmouth College of Art, has worked with many clients and on a variety of projects, from domestic settings to commercial contracts, but his designs remain in essence based wholly on natural and organic forms allowing the poetry of each product to work with the aesthetics of countless environments.

Tom and his wife have long dreamed of being able to live and work amongst the trees and after two years of hard work and creative exploration they finished their biggest project to date - a steam bent house that they built hidden amongst the trees in a beautiful piece of Cornish woodland. Joining them in

their journey from frivolous idea to the realisation of their dream, was Kevin McCloud and his team from Channel 4’s Grand Designs who was there every step of the way to document the process for their show.

Tom’s new collection includes bold and contemporary pieces of furniture, lighting and accessories designed to enrich and enhance your space while bringing the elegance of nature into the home.

Many of these designs featured in the Grand Designs episode as they are all examples of items specifically designed to sit in their woodland house, including the Amble Hanging Chair, the Kern Light, the Gwelsen Screen and the stunning Treave table.

The full stunning collection can be viewed online at www.tomraffield.com

ABOVE: The steam bent house created by Tom Raffield and his wife, Danielle, which featured on the Channel 4 television programme, Grand Designs, sits amongst the trees in a beautiful piece of the Cornish woodland.

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news | review

CRAFT SHOWS ROOTS AT DECOREX Jim Evans takes a walk through this year’s must see interiors show

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hat makes an item for the home luxurious?

Is it the hard-to-come-by materials? Is it a limited production quantity? Is it great design that is not reproducible en masse? All of the above, or something less tangible?

The focus for this year’s leading luxury exhibition in the UK was the Roots of Design. For many British based Interior Designers, September’s Decorex International exhibition on the edge of London’s Syon Park is the mustsee show of the year. The show exhibits the brightest stars of homeware with respected forum and seminar speakers showing us a glimpse of emerging design directions.

Yes, everything shiny and new we come to love and delight in each year was here in abundance, but the theme took us on an unexpected inspirational direction of integrity. A torch light on a lesser seen past, with a laser beam to the future.

Items once made by master craftsmen and appreciated for style, comfort and practicality, but no longer call to a

modern luxury market, should not be allowed to dwindle into some lost art. Designers should feel responsible for championing these master skill sets and find new twists, collaborations and applications to reinvent and reinterpret, enlightening new generations to appreciate these arts as new luxury items.

Before we charge to the main halls with giddy anticipation to devour all the wondrous and luxurious distractions which beckon ahead, this year’s Decorex International exhibition forces us, quite rightly, to reflect on past design achievements of British craftsmen. With an engaging confrontation of select chair designs at this year’s entrance, furniture aficionado, Tim Gosling, sought to evoke British pride and appreciation for the art of chair design in a historical curation. He was aided by choices from eminent names not normally associated with the furniture industry: Sir Paul Smith, Anya Hindmarch, Sir James Dyson to name a few, making for a diverse interest.

The exhibition collated four areas for the

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The Author, Jim Evans, Director of The Design Practice by UBER (www.uber-interiors.co.uk). The Pathleaf wall light by Serip (www.serip.com). Heritage of Chairs entrance, designed by Tim Gosling (www.tgosling.com). The Dom Edizioni stand (www.domedizioni.com)

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news | review

Crafthouse theme: Eating, Sleeping, Bathing and Working, each given over to a growing network of British makers, The New Craftsmen, to collaborate and collectively redefine the value of craft.

In the Working area, basket maker Annemarie O’Sullivan teamed with Gareth Neal transposed a traditional wooden chair design with a contemporary stylised undulating back support. It updated a simple and honest classic to form a very modern silhouette.

The Bathing section drew from the masterly glass blower, Jochen Holz. His use of tough Borosilica glass to form imperfect everyday bathroom accessories, like hooks and towel rails, defied their delicate appearance.

The simple U-shaped Helium Suspended light again of Borosilica was most impressive.

Trying to glean an emerging trend is not an easy task at this end of the market, but a few key points were popping up: Something we haven’t seen cycle around for a while but is now ready for a revival, is the fabric wrapping of

solid furniture. Justin Van Breda is offering a gorgeous open weave texture in a number of colours that is then encased under a deep lacquer so the touch is glass-like.

Whilst wood seems to be continuing the extremes of either keeping it raw and untreated as a natural beauty, or the still popular heavy glass-like lacquers are as popular as ever.

It was good to see the return of DOM Edizioni furniture who were getting attention from their new light honey tones with sharp slashes of black in their Albin Wood dining table and side cabinets. And in their twelfth year, Michael Northcroft’s glossy dining table is said to be available in any colour.

French semi-precious craftsman, Atelier Alain Elouz, made his inaugural appearance at the show and brought delicate creations of tables, bars and lighting manufactured using his wondrous trademark material, alabaster. Heathfield & Co lighting had three advanced prototype table lights (in contrast to their equally stunning colourful glass collections with patterned shade

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Avalon table by Tom Faulkner (www.tomfaulkner.co.uk). The Santorus stand displayed a range of beautiful fabrics (www.santorus.com). Munna’s concave bookcase (www.munnadesign.com). New pendant by CTO Lighting (www.ctolighting.co.uk). A craftsman at work.

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Bridge for Design December 2016

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news | review

linings) with carved alabaster columns - soon to be in production, their designer assured me. Complemented with solid, aged brass fittings they’re surely set to be a classic.

Rose gold and now copper seem to be popping up as the new metal finish of choice stealing some limelight from aged brass and bronze which was used to creative effect lifting a 70’s style cue as twig stem framework on Munna’s concave bookcase.

Our friends at CTO Lighting have entrusted the skills of Larose Guyon to design a copper chain drop Otero light in both large and small, with an almost Art Deco necklace appeal. While Italian statement lighting company, Terzani, were in a more understated mood showing off new rose gold colour ranges of their simple seven metre-long wire form Doodle wall light. It is twisted by an artisan’s hand to a unique loose ball - simple elegance.

The coloured light collections and clear balls of newcomer, Giopata & Coombes, had bubble thin elegance. Serip, a firm favourite, showed the versatility of the modular metal leaf design which

can traverse in great groups up walls to ceilings, or scatter playfully as individual wall lights.

Bold fabrics, with a hint of humour from Santorus and equally vibrant selections from Casamance, but it was the geometric patterns that were showing through strong, building on last year’s green shoots now in striking monotones too. Whilst over in the Suzy Hoodless designed VIP area, it was an African inspired ‘Designs of our Time’ grabbing headlines with fabrics of a tribal authenticity juxtaposing the De Gournay hand painted wallpaper masterpieces.

So as Tim Gosling put it himself in a recent interview, is it that craftsmanship itself is becoming a luxury? Yes, there’s a positive to be said about bringing factory-made good design to the masses, but knowing there has been many hours of hand crafted love to hone a piece by a master craftsperson, surely makes the definition of a luxury item. Here’s to the rekindling of those age-old skills into new directions in the hope new generations get to appreciate masterpieces of a new kind.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Christophe Delcourt stand (www.christophedelcourt.com). Heathfield & Co Lamp (www.heathfield.co.uk), The new Bolle lamp from Giopato & Coombes (www.giopatocoombes.com). New mosaic from Sicis (www.sicis.com). The Archer and Smith stand (www.archersmith.co.uk).

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Bridge for Design December 2016

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FABRICS WALLPAPER

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IBERTY FABRICS

For a sumptuous interior update that stands the test of time, a rich and opulent velvet is just the thing to add glamour and style to your home this Autumn. From large and small scale florals, to forestry, paisleys and abstract patterns, Liberty Fabrics has an eclectic choice of styles that are sure to delight and inspire as we enter the cosier seasons. www.liberty.co.uk

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ARWICK FABRICS

Natsumi is a stand-alone collection by Warwick Fabrics offering something for everyone. With an underlying oriental influence, the natural and earthen tones of Natsumi have been merged to make a collection offering classic luxury. Natsumi has a wide range of embroideries, sheers, prints, appliquĂŠs and sequins. With so many designs to choose from, there is no shortage of gorgeous textures - guaranteed to adorn any interior.

T: +44 (0) 145 182 2383 | www.warwick.co.uk

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RLEY HOUSE

Designers and manufacturers of bespoke fabrics, Cheshire based Arley House are passionate about the role of art & history in the modern day design process. Their brand new collaborative collections of fabrics and cushions, in partnership with both the British Museum and the truly iconic V&A, will deliver colour, character and in some cases a contemporary edge to a wide variety of room schemes. T: +44 (0) 161 929 2740 | www.arleyhouse.com 58

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design news | fabrics & wallpaper

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LACK EDITION

Contemporary fabric innovation meets retro sophistication in the new Zenith collection by Black Edition. Created for the luxury interiors market, the thirteen-strong opulent collection offers exclusive designs infused with rich, contemporary elegance. Blending sophisticated textures, innovative weaving techniques and artisan effects with a visionary colour palette in rich jewel tones, there is truly something for every luxury interior.

www.blackedition.com

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IRKBY DESIGNS

Kirkby Design is excited to introduce ‘the world of Jon Burgerman’ to bring a playful injection of art into the interior design market. The 12 original designs are digitally printed to masterfully capture every mark, smudge and wash of ink for a truly realistic hand-drawn effect. The wide range of bold colours, monochromes and candy pastel hues means there is something for everyone in this quirky and diverse collection. www.kirkbydesigns.com

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HE SILK GALLERY

The Silk Gallery presents their new silk and linen collection with exotic stripe. Available in a range of 10 colours featuring subtle greys and metallic shades, this stunning collection is suitable for blinds and light upholstery.

T: +44 (0) 207 351 1790 | www.thesilkgallery.com

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design news | fabrics & wallpaper

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ARNEBY GATES

Barneby Gates’ Pheasant wallpaper is a playful design based on this majestic bird, an important symbol synonymous with the traditional British countryside. Available in punchy pink or cool camo, this design is absolutely perfect for a traditional rural retreat or a cool city scape to add a touch of country charm to a room.

T: +44 (0) 167 256 0240 | www.barnebygates.com

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LOTH & CLOVER

Cloth & Clover designs and produces beautifully crafted fabrics and wallpapers, taking inspiration from early printed textiles and traditional arts and crafts. The Abberley collection is a beautiful mid-scale floral pattern based on a French 18th century block print. Combining old with new, mixing styles and genres, it creates a relaxed and comfortable interior with its stylised floral print resembling poppies and chrysanthemums. T: +44 (0) 207 013 0847 | www.clothandclover.com

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ILLIAM CLARK

William Clark’s unique luxury brand, Earthed, marries traditional techniques with modern creativity and digital printing technology to produce a stunning range of interior fabrics. Their first collection, Upperlands, has been inspired by the fluid movement of nature and features seven designs drawing on a different element of the natural world, from water coursing over pebbles to flax blowing in the wind. All the stunning designs are available in five striking colourways.

T: +44 (0) 287 954 7204 | www.earthedbywmclark.co.uk

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design news | fabrics & wallpaper

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HARLOTTE GAISFORD

The wonderful warm hues of burnt umber and red from the Charlotte Gaisford Summer Tea Collection are the perfect colours to take you through to Autumn. With 5 vibrant patterns available in several rich colourways, these fabrics look particularly fantastic mixed together meaning there are countless variations and combinations available. T: +44 (0) 143 468 9583 | www.charlottegaisford.co.uk

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ANE CHURCHILL

Colourful, stylish, easy to scheme and delightfully charming, the new Spring/Summer collection of new cotton linen prints from Jane Churchill evoke a sense of wild flowers and introduce contemporary style to any interior. Featuring flowers, leaves, butterflies and seed head patterns in fabric suitable for both upholstery and soft furnishings. T: +44 (0) 207 244 7427 | www.janechurchill.com

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OMI FABRICS

The stunning new Mehendi collection by Nomi Fabrics incorporates a lush woven pattern into a Moroccan feel in a range of Middle Eastern colours. These high performance fabrics, intended for outdoor and indoor use, will enhance your space with the combination of wonderful textures and classic colour combinations. www.nomiinc.com

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design news | fabrics & wallpaper

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ONROSE GROUP

The Tonrose Group has been supplying linen to the UK’s hospitality and leisure trade industry for nearly 120 years - making it one of Europe’s longest serving suppliers to the cotton and linen sector. Today, the Group owns a growing portfolio of brands, including Tonrose, Tradelinens, Tielle Love Luxury and Sirona.

T: +44 (0) 125 423 9900 | www.tonrose.com

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HILLIP JEFFRIES

The Beyond collection by Phillip Jeffries takes inspiration from the city and sky colliding to form rolling horizons, where billowing brushstrokes take on abstract shapes as they move across the landscape. With the look of artisanally painted watercolours, the digital printing process allows for millions of hues to be captured in each stroke for hyper-detailing where artistry meets innovation.

Available in 7 multi-tonal colourations, Beyond is a sight to behold.

T: 001 973 575 5414 | www.phillipjeffries.com

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ANE CHURCHILL

Imaginative embroideries and painterly effects give the Atmosphere collection from Jane Churchill its artistic mood for 2016. A rich sequence of Art Deco inspired designs leads the collection in its strong sense of expressive modern glamour, with deep jewel tones, dusky pinks and burnished metallics combining to create a luxurious look. These rich fabrics will bring a touch of opulence to any scheme. T: +44 (0) 207 244 7427 | www.janechurchill.com

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Bridge for Design December 2016

New Addition

Tea Cup Collection

TROWBRIDGE GALLERY 555 Kings Road, SW6 | T: +44 (0) 207 371 8733

Bridge for Design December 2016

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design news | fireplaces

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LATONIC FIREPLACES

Platonic Fireplaces are a high end cutting edge fireplace company who are blazing a trail in this run up to the festive season. Offering a solution to every fireplace concept, their ultra modern contemporary fireplaces will create stunning focal points in any luxury space.

T: +44 (0) 208 891 5904 | www.platonicfireplaces.co.uk

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MART FIRE

The Firebox 1100CV from Smart Fire UK features a unique curved design and high quality steel construction allowing it to complement a wide range of building materials and finishes. This ultra sleek, modern fireplace would look perfect in any contemporary home setting.

T: +44 (0)207 384 1677 | www.smartfireuk.com

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ADDONSTONE

Although best known for garden ornaments and architectural stonework, Haddonstone has an impressive range of fireplaces in its collection too. The new Manor fireplace features a simple gothic arch with bold moulding to the legs which gives a strong yet classic focal point to a room. Available in six variations, this versatile fireplace is suitable for many interior design schemes.

T: +44 (0) 160 477 0711 | www.haddonstone.com 70

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design news | fireplaces

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FANTASTIC FIREPLACES 1. The focus of this small sitting room is a shell encrusted fireplace and mirror by Sue Jones. Photograph - Tim Beddow 2. The ornately decorated red and gold walls of this library are covered in hand-painted wallpaper and the furniture in rich tapestry and textiles. Photograph - Fritz von der Schulenburg 3. View through the doorway into the drawing room which has a marble fireplace surmounted by a gilt-framed mirror and a pedestal table piled with antique books. Photograph - Christopher Simon Sykes 4. This Victorian drawing room has an exotic style with its use of bold textiles and Indian inlaid furniture. Photograph - Tim Beddow

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WACKY WALLPAPER Wallpaper designs that will paste a smile on your face RIGHT: ‘Bibliotheque’ wallpaper by Brunschwig & Fils has been used to striking effect in the corridor of this London house. Pasted on both the walls and the door to create a ‘secret room’ feeling beyond, this colourful wallpaper with its trompe l’oeil bookshelf theme creates the idea of a cosy reading nook in a small area.

Photograph - Christopher Simon Sykes BOTTOM RIGHT: This grand entrance hall is wallpapered in a large, bold floral design which is striking when applied to every wall. A large carved stone fireplace in white dominates the back room, whilst grand gold mirrors and burgundy accessories add warmth and luxury to the space.

Photograph - Simon Upton BELOW: When papering a small space, such as this compact bedroom, it is effective to use an oversized design. This moon with zodiac references covers an entire wall and continues onto the ceiling to blur the edges of where the room ends. A delightfully fun way to play with perspectives.

Photograph - Mark Luscombe-Whyte

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design project

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Bridge for Design December 2016

design project

NOTTING HILL The approach to the design was to create a family home which was peaceful and elegant Binkie Moorhead, BM Design Director T: + 44 (0) 203 016 9593 www.bmdesignlondon.com

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M Design commenced work on a large design and build development featuring a challenging double basement dig at the beginning of 2014. They worked from inception with the architects including planning and listed building consent through to completion to renovate this impressive 5,000 sq ft private residence.

The project brief was to create a bespoke family home located in Notting Hill, London, with a touch of Mayfair glamour, designed for the client’s day to day living requirements; for their children to grow and play, to showcase their ever expanding art collection and to entertain guests.

The approach to the design was to create a family home, which was peaceful and elegant yet homely.

Through a neutral palette using tones of grey, pale yellow and light and airy window treatments we were able to transform the previously dark spaces, capitalising on the natural daylight in key rooms and embracing, opposed to fighting against, the darker less formal rooms.

Textures and luxurious finishes were crucial to add interest to the scheme, complementing plush grey velvets and taupe silks with stark contrasting high gloss black lacquers, brass inlays and deep graphite shagreen.

The clients particularly wanted to restore the Victorian grandeur of the property while being sensitive to detailing and maximising on their budget. The use of panel moulds and mirror inlays throughout the property and in key areas such as the hallways were able to add interest and glamour whilst restricting the use of expensive silk wallpapers to central panels and beveled mirror inlays to reflect light and further enhance the luxurious feel of the room.

LEFT: The brief for this property was to enhance the Victorian grandeur of the property so panel moulds and mirror inlays throughout the property were used and neutral colours and grand lighting were used to maximise the effect of the high ceilings and detailed cornicing

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design news | view point

William Yeoward Founder, & Designer, William Yeoward www.williamyeoward.com

WHAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN You have to look to the past to embrace the future says William Yeoward

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or design extraordinaire, William Yeoward, trends are formed organically through inspiration. Sourced from his travels around the globe discovering antiquities, Yeoward’s approach to setting new trends stems from revisiting classics. ‘You have to look to the past to embrace the future which shapes our present,’ he explains. ‘You can’t be so serious about design where you end up creating the same iterations without any originality.’

Yeoward’s design aesthetic can be best described as modern antiquities with a whimsical twist. His playful polka dot designs have become his signature, a motif that he predicts will become a mainstay in design as more design-savvy consumers want to add personality to their décor. ‘Polka dots are a tried and true classic, but can be made fresh and new again just by changing some of the elements,’ Yeoward says. ‘For example, if you vary the size and scale of the circles themselves, they suddenly turn from conventional to extraordinary.’

People are no longer decorating with a monotone look, buying all the furnishings from one source. The days of outfitting one’s home to resemble a showroom are long gone; instead people are embracing a collected lifestyle with cherished pieces that contain meaning and personal connections. This new outlook in decorating reflects Yeoward’s design approach of ‘what’s old is new again’ where antiquities get a modern makeover without forsaking their origins, especially when there are polka dots around.

For those who are warming up to the idea of decorating with polka dots, start with the basics via accessories. Trays,

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bowls and accent pillows are the easiest ways to introduce the pattern. Take a step further with accent tables and lighting that showcases the spots in unique styling, whether it’s a distressed finish that lends a vintage effect or a highly lacquered finish for a sleek, contemporary touch. Colours can also impact the look and feel of the polka dots; a classic black and white combination epitomises ladylike charm whereas a monochromatic palette like grey dots against a charcoal background creates an unexpected and alluring result. Metallic touches can also add a different dimension to the pattern. Dare to experiment with double metallic colours like gold dots over a silver backdrop to form a unique take on the yin yang dynamic.

For the most part, polka dots are painted onto a surface; for Yeoward, he likes to add his twist to the conventional method by using different applications and techniques, one of which is marquetry. The process of inlaying different woods to create a pattern, marquetry has been primarily preserved for ornate, traditional reliefs. By using marquetry for polka dots, Yeoward infuses a fresh perspective to a time-honoured technique. The result is an eye-catching work of art that is both trending and classic at the same time.

Trends are often fleeting or cyclical; for a style to transcend the trending phase and become a mainstay, it has to incorporate traditional elements. ‘That’s why polka dots never feel tired; there are endless ways to update the pattern to make it unique and current again,’ says Yeoward.

‘You have to understand and appreciate historical relevancy before you add your own creative spin.’

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design news | view point

Mike Fisher, Studio Indigo Architect, Interior Designer & Creative Director T: +44 (0) 207 349 1290 www.studioindigo.co.uk

TRICKS OF THE LIGHT Design tricks which help to draw light deep into a building are essential

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hen designing any space, particularly a home, daylight is one of the most important considerations - light affects our mood, concentration levels, well-being and enjoyment of a space.

The most successful spaces are often those which have more than one source of light, such as a dual aspect room or a kitchen with a skylight as well as windows. Many rooms have only one source of natural light and some have none, so design tricks which help to draw light deep into a building are essential.

Despite the constraints of planning, maximising light in a new build home is usually much more achievable than in an existing one, but the layout is always important for both.

An open plan design allows larger multi-functional spaces to take advantage of existing windows, but such large areas are not always desirable or practical. So I am a big fan of flexible spaces that can be opened up or closed down, to become more intimate, using large sliding or double doors.

Skylights can take many forms and it is worth identifying all the places where they could be introduced. They work particularly well above a central staircase which brings light down through the various floors of a building right into its heart.

In a contemporary house, skylights can be extremely large, whilst in a more traditional house they can be designed as domes, delicate roof lanterns or other architectural features. Natural light 80

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from a skylight can now be augmented with artificial concealed lighting behind a ‘laylight’ - ensuring that there always appears to be a good amount of daylight even on a dull day.

Technology can help in other ways too. Electric blinds are now easy to install to overcome any issues with heat buildup with glass roofs. Adaptable smart glass has also improved considerably in terms of the amount of light it lets through which can be particularly useful when installing glazed walls to separate a space used for two different purposes. Where privacy is an issue, there is now a choice between traditional etched glass and new smart glass which can be turned from clear to opaque at the flick of a switch.

The way the windows in a house are dressed makes a bigger difference to light levels than many people realise. Most light comes through the top third of a window - so unless your windows are unusually tall, avoid pelmets or heavy drapes.

Carefully positioned mirrors integrated into the architecture of a building can be an effective way to reflect and bounce light through a building. Internal windows are another way to introduce light into interior spaces - particularly when used in conjunction with a large skylight.

However good a home’s lighting scheme may be, there is still no replacement for natural light and the way it constantly changes.

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design news | view point

Sarah Kennedy Dolce & Peter J. Sinnott IV Designers for Home Works T: 001 914 934 0907 www.homeworksny.com

BETTER IN SMALL DOSES

Your surroundings should be a reflection of your life and not your recent trip to Home Goods

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nterior designers have a love/hate relationship with trends. We are children of the 70’s and 80’s respectively so this is probably why we tend to shy away from anything ‘trendy’- too many visual scars!

Although it is interesting to see gold lame coming down the runways again, we don’t generally prescribe to the practice of following trends in the home. In fact as a rule, we try not to follow trends. Yes, we have loved seeing Mongolian lamb on every conceivable surface and yes, we’d be happy to lacquer your ceiling but, by and large, we see our job as your interior designers to steer you away from ideas that are too much a part of popular culture and more towards the timeless. That’s not to say that we object altogether.

The biggest problem we see with trends is that they can be exhausting and expensive to follow. While trends in fashion change at least three times a year, in interior design, change comes about more slowly. It’s simple to change a tee shirt or a hem line; a sofa or cocktail table is more difficult. Unlike your daily wardrobe, for the most part, the home is not for public viewing - or commentary.

While the home should reflect the homeowner and all of their interests, it does not necessarily have to reflect their public persona.

Minimalism, Maximalism and everything in between has been considered the look of the moment. Egyptian Revival, Baroque, Rococo, Beaux Arts – all at one time were ‘nouveau’ both on your body and in your home. The trick to finding a way through the trends is to identify what works for you in your home and in your life.

It’s easy to pick up a magazine and try to emulate the designs you see in print and in the editorial features. It’s another thing to live with the design that you actually love for what it represents to you as opposed to where it is currently featured.

A particular trend that has real staying power is that more and more people want to be comfortable in every room of their homes.

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Disappearing are the days of the formal living room. Dining rooms have to be ready for both champagne and chocolate milk!

The builders and architects we work with are creating totally open floorplans for more family and guest interaction. We think this is fantastic. To that end, when we are working with our clients and the time comes to accessorise the room and add artwork to the walls, we find that using family heirlooms, found objects and pieces that tell a story are more important than ever. If you’re going to live in every room in your house, your surroundings should be a reflection of your life and not your most recent trip to Home Goods!

For reasons emotional or financial, almost everyone has to make one or more existing pieces work into a newly designed space. We generally welcome this challenge. A balance has to be struck between what works in the space and what makes you happy to be in it.

One rule has always proved true for us in interior design: if you love it, it will work. In conversation it might make you sound nuts to describe a room with Chinoiserie fabric and mid-century furniture. In person it may just blow your mind. Good design does not have to make sense, it has to give you a feeling. Whether that feeling is being at home or simply being inspired, the evocation is the essence of a well done room.

Like most things in life: good cheese, good wine, and sequins – trends are better in small doses. We applaud incorporating them into your home if you truly love the look. Just be sure it’s for your pleasure. That way, it will always be a sound investment. Some things never get old. Some things improve over time. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the feeling we get when we come to that place we call ‘home’. When you cross that threshold, it should be all about you. The clothes are tossed, the public persona put away and your home and all it evokes truly envelops you.

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design project

STARTING FROM SCRATCH Each room of this Knightsbridge home is different and has a unique tone of its own

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eportment is the carriage of the spine and the resulting shape is one of elegance and beauty.

Likewise, the backbone of a house can be created by a grand staircase; its sheer form and magnificence radiating through each floor that it supports. And this is probably never truer than in this recently renovated Knightsbridge town house that now avows to have London’s finest new staircase and lift.

The eight storey construction (five upper floors, a lower ground and two basements) consists of a cylindrical glass lift with a 167-step circular stairway spiralling around it; the latter made from the beautiful mute-coloured Anglesey stone supplied by Britannicus Stone of Chelsea. The staircase is located towards the rear elevation of the house, ideally situated where the house is at its narrowest and the rooms fan out from it towards the wider frontage.

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architectural practices, TFA Ltd and they have produced an astonishing home, combining the practicalities of family life with the desire to create an abode of stunning architectural merit and interiors of distinction.

As the owners have no intention of selling the house, the design has not had to compromise to attract potential buyers, so each of the 30 rooms is different and has a unique tone of its own. The architects have also sewn the fabric of the house together by using complementary materials, stone floors from Britannicus are intertwined with beautiful American black walnut wooden floors and even a mock croc leather one in the study.

The drawing room is a masterclass in style; it’s a cornucopia of soft furnishings from around the globe and a good proportion of the designers and artisans that worked on this project are represented in this sublime space on the first floor, including the Serpentine sofa by Vladimir Kagan,

design project

OPPOSITE PAGE - CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The stunning dining room features a geometric patterned stone floor in Swaledale with Angelsey borders, whilst the ‘Up In The Clouds’ glass light sculpture brings focus to the centre of the room. The Storm Cloud chandelier by Baroncelli lights up the delicate Thai silk wallpaper in the main drawing room. The Magma brass and silver leaf chandelier by COX London brings a touch of opulence to the dressing room.

ABOVE - CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Stunning Serpentine Sofa by Vladimir Kagan brings a splash of colour to the rich drawing room. A bespoke mirrored bar area designed and manufactured by John Spencer Joiners is the perfect spot for entertaining. Attention to detail in the bespoke cabinets made by Paul Glover using wild olive veneer from a 400 year old tree from the garden of Versailles.

upholstered in paprika coloured velvet, and the masculine glass chandelier ‘Storm Cloud’ by Baroncelli which looms from the ceiling above. And all this is cocooned within walls covered by raw silk wallpaper supplied by Tatiana Tafur which also covers the jib door which leads into a compact bar area reminiscent of an art deco ocean liner.

On the ground floor is the dining room with its stunning floor in Swaledale stone with an Anglesey border. An amazing expanding circular wild olive dining table sits in the centre of the room, together with a pair of cabinets, all commissioned from Paul Glover Furniture in Bristol. Floating above the table is an exquisite glass chandelier/sculpture by Eva Menz called ‘Up In The Clouds’ which combines glass leaves, glass conches and real leaves collected from Hyde Park, dipped in 14 carat black gold, white gold and silver.

One of the most spectacular rooms is the master bathroom which uses the very rare Ball Eye Blue stone. Ultimately

it is the attention to detail that elevates this bathroom and, indeed, the whole house to world-class status. The craftsmanship supplied by Stone Interiors, who can cut or water jet stone to fit snuggly, deliver enviable results; while the architects have expertly created a layout that maximises the use of space whilst also bringing a magical aesthetic.

The house is simply a stunning example of what an interior and architectural practise with vision and dedication can achieve working together with some of the world’s most creative artisans and specialists, and a client of patience.

Brian Wade and James Howard, Tim Flynn Associates Associate and Design Director T: + 44 (0) 207 593 1950 www.timflynnarchitects.com

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BATHROOMS

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ILLIAM HOLLAND

The William Holland Cuprosa Aequs bath is lovingly crafted by hand using traditional artisan techniques. Meticulously hand finished to order, each pure copper bath weighs little more than 45kg. Amazingly conductive and produced from 78% recycled sources, William Holland copper baths surpass their cast iron and original copper counterparts in renovation versatility, heat economy and material sustainability - creating a product that is a true functional work of art.

T: +44 (0) 130 525 1930 | www.williamholland.com

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ATCHPOLE & RYE

The Balfour basin is a beautiful oval shaped marble washstand by Catchpole & Rye which is offered in a number of marble and stone varieties, as well as the metal frame coming in six different plating finishes; silver nickel, brushed nickel, chrome plate, polished brass, aged brass and aged copper. T: +44 (0) 207 351 0940 | www.catchpoleandrye.com

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ERRIN & ROWE

Satin Brass by Perrin & Rowe has strong shades of yellow ochre which exudes a smooth matte finish. This silky surface texture is seen across a Traditional Three Hole Wall Mounted Bath Filler with Low Profile Spout and Porcelain Lever Handles, designed and hand finished by Perrin & Rowe to reveal this exquisite finish in a style that will remain classically timeless.

T: +44 (0) 170 852 6361 | www.perrinandrowe.co.uk

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design news | bathrooms

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LASS 1989

The new Showering collection from Glass 1989 combines innovation, sophisticated design, breadth and versatility of offering and complete flexibility with its made-to-measure options.

The three new medium-high end shower enclosure lines - Soho, Moov and Libera bring optimal functionality combined with a highly contemporary style that maximises the shower area’s transparency and brings true beauty into any bathroom scheme.

www.glass1989.com

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URAVIT

The Duravit Happy D.2 floor-standing sink unit provides elegance and functionality with plenty of additional practical storage space to accommodate bathroom essentials in an orderly way. With adjustable base feet that can either be positioned with a wider profile to celebrate the design, or with the filigree narrow side selected so that they virtually disappear to create the illusion of a wall mounted unit. www.duravit.co.uk

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ITRA UK

In March this year, VitrA worked in collaboration with Good Homes magazine to help create a glamorous bathroom display at the Ideal Home Show, as one of six individual lifestyle room-sets created by the magazine. Expertly combining individual elements from VitrA’s product portfolio, the impressive Cocoon bath took centre stage with its on-trend golden finishing touches using the Select flush plates. Elegance brass-ware, Water Jewels basins and the Shift wall-hung WC all added elegance and functionality to this inspiring room set. www.vitraglobal.com 88

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LIGHTING

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ESSELINK & JONES

This stunningly classic chandelier from Besselink and Jones is made from wrought iron and then painstakingly covered in gold leaf by hand. Its beautiful curved shape and light - reflecting gold surface will enhance any room and add a touch of opulence to the space. T: +44 (0) 207 351 4669 | www.besselink.com

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HRISTOPHER HYDE

Christopher Hyde design beautiful, handmade lights to complement and enhance stylish interiors. Inside the Georgian house, the Carlton 15 light chandelier, first quality full lead bohemian crystal on solid brass frames finished in antique French gold and accompanied by sconces either side. T: +44 (0) 207 351 0863 | www.christopherhyde.com

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PLACE IN THE GARDEN

Introducing the London Wall Lamps by A Place In The Garden, a simple yet stylish lamp that is suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Available in two sizes, these stylish grey rectangular wall lamps have a simple yet classic shape which shows off the natural, beautiful and soft light of the Edison style bulb.

T: +44 (0) 140 386 4866 | www.aplaceinthegarden.co.uk

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RAND VAN EGMOND

Every year, Brand Van Egmond strives to use all their knowledge and experience in order to create some of the most astounding lighting sculptures. The elegant and curvaceous Eve lighting sculpture (above) draws inspiration from the majestic and tempting power of nature, with homage paid to the apples which lured Eve into the garden of Eden. Whilst the Arthur (below) is a majestic and masculine piece emitting strong light from behind a metallic curtain. T: +31 (0) 35 692 1259 | www.brandvanegmond.com

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AC MASTER

The breaktakingly elegant Cocoon Pendant light by MacMaster is a masterpiece in simple yet classic design.

The beautifully delicate shape is made by twisted lengths of wood curving around a single bulb, and is available in Walnut, Oak or bespoke timber options and stained finishes to create a unique piece for your interior that will truly stand out. T: +44 (0) 129 986 1738 | www.macmasterdesign.com

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LSTEAD LIGHTING

The Balance range is new to the Elstead Collection for Autumn 2016, designed and made at their site in Alton, Hampshire, and featuring a 5 light chandelier, pendants, a wall light, table and floor lamp. Available in both brown with polished brass highlights, and white with polished nickel highlights, the fabric hard-backed shades have reflective gold/silver linings to enhance the light diffusion and add a touch of luxury to the look. www.elsteadlighting.com 92

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design news | lighting

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E & LIV

Utilising the natural blending characteristics of metal, Be & Liv have created their stunningly decorative Blossom lampshades.

This beautiful shade can be used as either a table lamp or pendant light and the clever combination of shape and materials makes it a highly desirable decorative object even when not lit. T: +35 (0) 894 289 0186 | www.beandliv.com

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NDREW KORNAT

The new Hang Lamp by Andrew Kornat Designs features a rectangular base and a square section of heavy grade brass tubing and is designed such that the customer can hang whatever they like in the centre. Shown here in polished nickel with an 18� Ivory silk drum shade and a knotted string of faux pearls hanging from the middle, it is available in six alternative finishes - all of which would make the perfect addition to a lady’s dressing room. T: +44 (0) 773 808 0098 | www.andrewkornatdesigns.com

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R LIGHT

Mr Light Limited carried out a survey of art dealers and oil painting restoration experts and found that conventional incandescent filament and halogen picture lighting was rated as highly damaging to oil paintings because of the bleaching effect of heat and UV. To provide the best illumination with no negative side effects, Mr Light has introduced an all new range of dimmable LED picture lighting giving heat and ultra violet free illumination.

Available in rich dark bronze, polished chrome, polished brass, pure white, matte nickel and satin gold plus the possibility of special finishes. Various standard lengths are available and custom lengths can be made to order. T: +44 (0) 207 352 7525 | www.mrlight.co.uk 94

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ALERIE WADE

Luxury Interiors Showroom Valerie Wade continues to provide an exciting selection of vintage and contemporary furniture and lighting. The signature large brass Lotus Flower wall lights bring a fusion of Hollywood glamour with classic mid-century Modernism to complement any luxury design space. The Simla table light from the Valerie Wade Design range is made of hand-faceted solid crystal. The green gemstone base reflects light from its numerous facades and brings a vintage feel to this carefully constructed stylish table light. T: +44 (0) 207 225 1414 | www.valeriewade.com

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URIOUSA

Esther Patterson’s latest collection for Curiousa & Curiousa encapsulates the bright playfulness and colour of the summer seasons. The Gobstopper lights are an eclectic mix of shapes and colours and take their name from the classic childhood sweet. Every pendant is hand blown to order, available in 21 beautiful colours, to produce a truly unique and fun take on hanging lighting. www.curiousa.co.uk

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NDREW KORNAT DESIGNS

The Leaf Lamp II by Andrew Kornat Designs is made of solid cast brass with a hand glazed ceramic egg in tortoise shell finish at its base. It is the epitome of understated elegance and will bring a touch of luxury to any design space.

T: +44 (0) 773 808 0098 | www.andrewkornatdesigns.com

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INSPIRED BY

DONNA HALL

The Chicago-based designer channels the dark glamour of the 1920s in her latest interior design project PHOTOGRAPHS NICK NOVELLI

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ince 2001, Donna Hall has been successfully creating interiors with a delicate fusion of European Classicism and American Modernism.

In her most recent Chicago project, Hall’s inspiration is the sultry charm of Roaring Twenties Chicago, taking advantage of the unique architecture of the space.

‘The overall inspiration came from the era of the 1920’s in Chicago. I always take cues from the architecture of a space and then twist it in a modern way,’ says Hall.

Her interiors are composed of bold elements layered with textures and patterns, but with a cohesive feeling that runs throughout the design.

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with the ceiling design or the ‘fifth wall’ as seen in the Dining Room of this project. Hall covered the ceiling in an ethereal Maya Romanoff wallcovering while painting the surrounding walls in a glossy black lacquer to reflect light throughout the oval shaped room. The split Living Room also features a dynamic plaster ceiling, added to complement and downplay the striking portrait that immediately grabs your attention.

The Master Bedroom flashes tones of gold and white, as apparent in the lively, vintage-vibe wallpaper. To add some symmetry and balance to this playful space, Hall created matching scenes on either side of the fireplace featuring two custom KOKET Divine Armoires. The iridescent peacock feather armoires were custom

FRONT: The split Living room features a dynamic plaster ceiling, added to complement and downplay the striking portrait that immediately grabs your attention on the far wall between two enormous windows.

ABOVE: In the little girl’s quirky bedroom, pops of colour clash in the dramatic rabbit print wallpaper and are mimicked in accessories around the room such as the fuchsia bedding and flowers. A rabbit’s head bust by the window and furry stools at the end of the bed add to the fairytale, Alice in Wonderland, feel of the whole room.

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made into chests, then Hall topped them with hung Art Deco mirrors, to adorn either side of the fireplace for luxurious his and hers spaces.

‘I like to infuse interiors with elements from different periods and styles to create timeless, unpredictable surroundings. By merging traditional and contemporary styles, the end result is interiors with layered textures, avant-garde elements, and cutting-edge styling.’

The Divine Armoire is a brand favourite, not just for its exotic and appealing design, but for the message it conveys with its erotic presence.

Hall’s favourite design trend of the moment is incorporating bold pops of colour, seen throughout this interior design project specifically in the girl’s bedroom. The colours mingling in the dramatic rabbit print wallpaper are mimicked in accessories around the room such as the fuchsia bedding and flowers.

Her unpredictable yet timeless surroundings are something to be desired, as evident in her two Illinois office locations and growing clientele.

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ABOVE: The oval shaped Dining Room is a bold statement, with glossy black lacquer on the walls to reflect the light and an ethereal Maya Romanoff wallcovering on the ceiling creating a contrast of patterns and textures. A stunning chandelier in the centre of the room adds a final touch of drama to this opulent interior.

DONNA HALL

Donna Mondi Interior Design www.dmondiinteriordesign.com

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ANYTHING BUT ORDINARY

‘My clients love the idea of totally new design concepts, things that have never existed in the world before’ says Ron Mann WORDS MICHAEL PEPPIATT | PHOTOGRAPHS ANDREW TWORT

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here are many ways to get a bird’s-eye view of London. A visit to a soaring skyscraper in the city will do it for most people, while the more intrepid might choose to dangle from a glass cabin on the London Eye. But for those most passionate about London’s extraordinary vistas, only a penthouse on the Thames - with all the views, all the time - could fully suffice.

It was not by chance that one couple found this fabulous, fan-shaped perch overlooking London’s historic river. ‘They had been looking for a long time, and they knew they wanted something with exceptional views,’ explains California-based designer, Ron Mann, who was responsible for the project from start to finish. ‘And when they came here, their immediate reaction was: If you could have only one view of London, it would have to be this. And having realised that, they didn’t need to look any further.’

At that point, however, the penthouse was

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no more than a shell, a cavernous hollow without even the basic utilities installed.

‘That was another fantastic thing about this apartment,’ says Mann, who has designed several interiors for the residents over the years. ‘We had a completely fresh, blank canvas to work on. We thought he might maintain the loft-like space as it was, because I was very keen to keep the light that comes from the floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides of the apartment flowing through unimpeded. But then we hit on the idea of having partial walls topped with clear glass so that we could create a series of rooms without losing the sense of open space and luminosity,’ he continues. ‘ My clients have an instinctive grasp of everything, from structural engineering down to the last decorative detail, so they were fully involved in all the decisions, both great and small.’

Once the overall room sequence had been

FRONT: In the main living area is Dragon Knows Dragon, a four-panel lacquered screen by Shiryu Morita.

Hand-cast magnesium tables attach to the Sofa he designed for the space. The leather on the sofa is from Edelman.

ABOVE: With his clients’ collection of Asian art in mind, California-based designer, Ron Mann, refurbished a modern penthouse in London overlooking the Thames. An early-18thcentury red-lacquered Chinese cabinet provides a bright focal point in the study.

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worked out, with the large lounge, the studio area and the terrace being given pride of place overlooking the Thames, Mann began to focus on the details. ‘I like to do things against the rules, against the odds,’ he says.

‘That doesn’t always go down easily. The floor I designed is a case in point. It’s made of cast stone set in a grid of thick Honduras mahogany planks separated by bars of stainless steel, with the curve of the planks reflecting the fan shape of the whole space.

One of the local firms we were working with said: ‘It can’t be done. Send that man back to California!’ But my client replied: ‘If Ron can design it, we can get it made.’

And we did!’

This originality is evident throughout the apartment. While one wall in the entrance is made of powder-coated Cor-Ten steel set

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with fibre-optic base lights, for instance, others are painted with layers of chalkwhite paint to give the impression that they are actually carved out of chalk. Similarly, the dining table consists of two separate tops with interlocking aluminium bases that, when clicked together, form a single, asymmetrical oval table. ‘My clients love the idea of totally new design concepts, things that have never existed in the world before.

Of course, that’s a marvellous brief for a designer to have.’

The same meticulously innovative attention is paid to everything from the soft furnishings to the drawer pulls in the wardrobe. The freestanding pieces of furniture were designed by Mann, who had them made in California before shipping them to London. Particularly notable is the

ABOVE: In the terrace garden room, Philippe Starck chairs are gathered around a cast-resin-and-eucalyptus table.

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vast sofa in the living area. Made in three separate parts with a frame crafted from solid California bay laurel, the result turned out to be so heavy that it had to be craned up section by section and deposited on the terrace before an army of stalwarts could reassemble it.

Discreetly sited throughout the main rooms, the collection of paintings, sculptures and objects gives a particular resonance to the space. There are few classic modern works, but the emphasis is on Oriental art. A large four-panel lacquered screen and an ancient salt-glaze jar, both from Japan, subtly set the tone in the living area, but most remarkable is the sheer variety of artworks, which range from a Nepalese bronze Buddha to a Korean paper screen and a Japanese wood carving. Blending effortlessly with their surroundings, they lend an extra dimension of serenity to what is already a secluded haven high above the turmoil of everyday life.

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ABOVE: With his clients’ collection of Asian art in mind, California-based designer, Ron Mann, refurbished a modern penthouse in London overlooking the Thames.

RON MANN

T: 001 707 935 3991 www.ronmanndesign.com

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BELLA ITALIA

Achille Salvagni transformed the top floor of a storied palazzo in Rome into the ideal setting for a family’s treasured antiques and contemporary Italian designs WORDS CRAIG SELIGMAN | PHOTOGRAPHS SIMON UPTON

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or richness of history and for grandeur, no Roman palace surpasses the Palazzo Colonna, at the foot of the Quirinal Hill. Not even the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles outdoes the pomp and splendour of its Sala Grande. The Bronzinos and the Tintorettos lining the walls of its renowned gallery attest to the Colonna family’s enduring wealth and prestige.

When the architect and designer, Achille Salvagni, received a commission to create an apartment on the top floor of the palace. ‘The challenge,’ he says, ‘was to honour the history of the building and yet to work in a very light way.’ His clients were a young couple with two small daughters; he didn’t want the past to weigh them down.

The large raw space, just under the palace’s roof, had never been lived in. Even the servants’ quarters were on a lower floor. The wife had grown up in a Venetian palazzo and had inherited several historical pieces, including a spectacular 18thcentury mirror ; Salvagni uses them as anchors, surrounding these antiques with furniture of his own design.

Among the most striking of his pieces is the seven-foot square brass-base cocktail table in the living room, its surface covered with a butter-yellow mantle of stingray skins. ‘I didn’t want this table to overwhelm the space,’ Salvagni explains.

‘I wanted it to be very calm - a peaceful conservation centre.

The stately fireplace in the living room is clad mostly in Noir Saint Laurent, a French marble that was popular during the Baroque era and again in the Deco period. Its interior is peperino, a grey volcanic rock that was already being used by the Etruscans and that’s often found in the hearths of Roman palaces - ‘So it’s evident that we’re not in Paris but in Rome.’

The first thing that catches your eye in the dining room is that ornate Venetian mirror. Salvagni designed the huge oak table, with bronze inlays and a bronze frame, to accompany it; he was thinking of the massive Neapolitan tables that found their way into grand Italian mansions in the 1930s, but he wanted something more contemporary and, as usual, lighter. The dining room doors are made of black-stained oak fitted with panels of glowing Fortuny silk, but what’s most unusual about them are the vertical PREVIOUS PAGE: LEFT: An 18th-century Italian gilt mirror takes center stage in a luxurious dining room; the table is made of oak and bronze, and the chairs are slip - covered in Egyptian linen.

RIGHT: The Palazzo Colonna is a palatial block of buildings in central Rome, Italy, at the base of the Quirinal Hill.

THIS PAGE LEFT: A luxurious living room is furnished with a mix of antiques and contemporary Italian designs. The sofa, upholstered in a velvet by Dedar, and cocktail table are custom designs, the 18th-century settee is Italian, and the custom made rug is from Tibet.

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RIGHT: In a master bathroom, the bathtub fittings are by Lefroy Brooks, and the 1750 Italian stool is a family heirloom; the walls are lined with a wallcovering by Ralph Lauren Home, and the 1930s chandelier is by Venini.

The sleek nickel-and-glass doors lead to a steam shower and bath.

bronze belts down the centres, inspired by one of the intricate Roman mosaics in the celebrated gallery downstairs; ‘It’s really insane,’ says Salvagni.

Because of the somewhat peculiar way the space is laid out, the bedrooms, which are at one end, had to be connected with the living and dining rooms via a corridor. Salvagni created a long gallery with a rounded vault and installed a breathing space at the centre in the form of a small, square room with walls covered in velvet - the scarlet doors are velvet, too. They’re not the only splash of colour amid the apartment’s predominant ivory and bronze. With a nod to the 20th- century French decorator Jean Royère, he designed egg-shape rose chairs for

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either side of the fireplace. And a mysterious stairway is carpeted in sea-blue silk. It leads from the living room to a curtain and a bookshelf that covers an unused secondary entrance; trying to figure out what to do with this not very functional space. Salvagni thought of The Leopard, Luchino Visconti’s sumptuous 1963 film, and its Sicilian palace with its ‘secret corners that have no function except to attract the eye,’ he says.

The designer didn’t want to slice up the high vault of the master bedroom’s ceiling, so he came up with a low wall that’s more like a screen, of black-tinted oak and textured wallpaper, to divide the space into a bedroom and dressing area. He wanted the bathroom to feel more like a powder

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RIGHT: A luxurious living room is furnished with a mix of antiques and contemporary Italian designs.

The custom-made armchairs are upholstered in a Lelievre velvet, the custom-made chandelier and 1950s sconces are of brass, and the Venetian painting dates from 1795. The stately fireplace is clad mostly in Noir Saint Laurent, a French marble.

room than a wet area, so he installed oak planks on the floor and a dark Ralph Lauren pinstripe fabric on the wall, hung a 1930s Venini chandelier, and placed a Baroque Ventian stool (another family heirloom) underneath it. ‘I really like the sense of calm and beautiful,’ he says, ‘contrasting with the modernity of the tub.’ Equally sleek nickel-and-glass doors lead to a steam shower and bath.

Both he and the clients are pleased with the outcome. The projects he’s worked on, Salvagni says, have always involved ‘something that had some history before me.’ When he first looked at the raw space at the top of the palace he saw enormous potential in the freedom it allowed, but he also wanted the apartment he created to pay homage to the splendid building that housed it.

‘I didn’t want to impose a new life on that shell,’ he says. ‘I wanted the shell to transmit the history that the building breathes in every corner.’

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ACHILLE SALVAGNI

www.achillesalvagni.com

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INSPIRED BY

JACQUES GARCIA

Champ de Bataille is a life’s work and it will never stand still - it resonates with the zest of Garcia’s sense of invention WORDS DOMINIC BRADBURY | PHOTOGRAPHS MARK LUSCOMBE-WHYTE

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here is something of a fairytale quality to the life and times of Jacques Garcia. Take the story of Champ de Bataille, the Normandy Château that was once home to the Comte de Créqui and the Ducs D’Harcourt. Once upon a time, as a child, Garcia visited the house with his father, who had a passion for introducing architecture and the decorative arts to his son. Famously, the young Garcia who turned from this homage to Grand Siècle Style, faced his father and told him that one day he would own the place. Now he does.

It is his crowning glory, a ‘laboratory of ideas’, painstakingly restored and reinvented ever since Garcia bought the Château back in 1992.

‘I wanted to buy it because I knew it was a very rich building, in terms of decoration and design,’ says Garcia, ‘and also I knew the furniture I wanted to put in would fit very well. But it had been a hospital for 45 years, with room after room painted in white. Only three rooms were still much as they should have been so I had the paint removed to find the original decoration. When those rooms were back to their original state, I designed the others in a similar way and that gave the house a sense of oneness.’

Partly open to the public and partly private, Champ de Bataille is quite extraordinary. But it is no exact, slavish recreation of seventeenth-century manners and aesthetics. It is more than that, bearing

OPPOSITE: The grand marble staircase with its black and gold wrought iron banisters is lit by simple black metal garden lanterns ABOVE: The formal drawing room is filled with an impressive collection of furniture by master craftsmen such as Boulard, Delanois and Sene

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the stamp of Garcia’s imagination and a relevance to today. It is not a museum with antiques and art pristinely placed and out on display, but a living home that is constantly changing, continually evolving.

Garcia’s private quarters, especially, have a modernity to them, with contemporary art and furniture added to the more classical choices.

Behind a door down one quiet corridor on the ground floor, there is a beautiful bammam; behind another is an exquisite swimming pool.

‘You need to add a touch of the twentieth century, a new vision,’ says Garcia. ‘For instance, I’m now working on a garden at Champ de Bataille that is a modern vision of a seventeenth-century garden. It’s not an exact 122

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replica of how it used to be. It’s my imagination at work – designing on a historical basis, indeed, but I am developing something that can only be modern. We can never leave our own century behind.’

This glamorous combination of French classicism and a contemporary outlook characterises the majority of Garcia’s work and has taken him to the top of his profession. He is much in demand.

There have been hotels, headed by the prestigious Hôtel Costes in Paris (opened in 1995 by restaurateur, hotelier and entrepreneur, Jean-Louis Costes) with its dramatic Italianate courtyard and opulent bedrooms with their individual reinterpretation of

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Second Empire style. There are twenty or so restaurants to Garcia’s credit including L’Avenue, Le Fouquet, Ladurèe and La Grand Armèe in Paris plus Le Danube in New York. And public projects, too, such as the Paris Musée de la Vie Romantique. But residential work still accounts for half of his time, including high-profile commissions such as a Parisian home on the Place Vendôme for the Sultan of Brunei. He has made his fortune designing for the elite, not just in France but in America, Germany, Russia and Beirut as well.

Yet Garcia’s upbringing was modest. His parents were shopkeepers in the Parisian suburbs, with Spanish roots on his father’s side. His father was a practical man, but

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OPPOSITE: A cane-backed antique sofa has been covered with a bright red woollen blanket creating an informal, warm and cosy note in the private living room ABOVE: The formal dining room opens out onto a terrace and parterre

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RIGHT: The vaulted ceiling of the impressive library is supported by Egyptian caryatids

also creative, cultured. He encouraged his son’s growing talent for drawing and an interest in the arts. They would note together the achievements of the great architects and tour museums. Garcia would often help his father clean out the attics of neighbours and friends, an opportunity to spot and trade antiques, and he developed a detailed knowledge of period furniture and objects. By the age of fifteen he was an active antiquary.

From early on, Garcia knew he wanted to be an interior designer, and after school, where he supplemented his lessons by poring over books on antiques and architecture, he studied at the Met de Penninghen and then the École des Métiers d’Art. Even as he studied he was working successfully as an antiques dealer and buying modern art cheaply by conceptualists such as Yves Klein, Lucio Fontana and Josef Albers, selling them on as prices rose in order to buy seventeenth and eighteenth126

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century decorative art. At the same time he was earning acceptance into a new social world, which would in turn provide him with employment, pleasure and a soaring reputation.

His design career began with shops in the early 1970s, followed by hotels and then private homes. All the time he was developing an individual style: an emphasis on a solid, structural foundation to a home, to a space, then layers of fantasy, indulgence and comfort using elements of neoclassicism and orientalism, references from the grand siècle, the Second Empire and the Belle Époque, but with an insistence on fine craftsmanship. Towering in the background was the example of the grand architect of Versailles, the Superintendent of Royal Buildings, Jules Hardouin-Mansart. The two men have often been compared, not least because Garcia made a home of Mansart’s

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self-designed Paris mansion on the Rue de Tournells, overseeing its rebirth. ‘I do identify with mansard, simply because for many years I lived in the house that he had built specially for himself in the Marais,’ says Garcia. ‘Then I was instantly accused of being a man of just the seventeenth century. They said, ‘he is the man from the grand siècle and the rest is nothing.’ But when I did the Hôtel Costes I was the specialist of Napoleon III and so on. I am not a specialist. I have a sense that leads me to think and reflect on the philosophy of a specific time, but that is something very different.’

‘Even if for my own pleasure I have been attracted by houses from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it was because my collection drew me to them: it is easier to have a seventeenth-century home for seventeenthcentury art. But, as at Blenheim or Chatsworth, each generation adds a new layer, without damaging what has been done before.’

Certainly that is the feeling at Champ de Bataille. Even though the house may feel as though it has been untouched for years, in reality Garcia has truly made his mark. The closer you look the more you see and, despite the impression of cohesion, there is a mélange to the elements of many rooms, especially those less formal spaces that remain off limits to the public.

In Garcia’s wood-paneled sitting room, for instance, sofa and armchairs are simply covered in calico to contrast with the more luxurious velvets of a chaise-longue and other upholstered pieces. A natural coarse-weave matting covers a terracotta blocked floor, while ranks of antlers and other hunting trophies give a country-lodge atmosphere to the room.

Occasionally more contemporary pieces of artwork and furniture seep in; Garcia’s interest in design and art spans the twentieth century and beyond.

A dining room next door is a hymn to the naturalist’s art, with a framed collection of herbs and fauna on the walls and a striking aviary motif, with birds staring down from the chandelier and iron perches, sporting on the mantelpiece, while frozen peacocks strut across the tiled stone floor. Here is evidence of Garcia as collector as well as storyteller, and the château is a haven for assemblies of fossils and crystals, butterflies and beetles, as well as countless pieces of furniture and tapestry amassed over decades. Look in Garcia’s study and you see ancient telescopes and scientific instruments, Victorian greetings cards and skulls cut by the blades of ancient anatomists.

Upstairs are the more formal set pieces, both intricately conceived and epic in scale. There is the large formal dining room, overlooking the TOP DOWN: The marble and porphyry bust on the ornate marble fireplace in the main salon is of the Emperor Nero. Large, shaded pendant lights hang over the billiard table in a room decorated with tapestries

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room, overlooking the parterre and gardens below, with a circle of twelve dining chairs that once lived in the homes of Louis XV. There is the great marble salon next door, overseen by a portrait of Mansart who gazes down from between the windows. Again every corner, every object has its own exotic history: an eighteenth-century throne that belonged to the maharaja of Jaipur here, a porphyry table upon a pedestal commissioned by Napoleon over there.

Champ de Bataille is a life’swork and it will never stand still. And it resonates with the zest of Garcia’s sense of invention. ‘What I have best achieved is at Champ de Bataille,’ he says. ‘It is a reflection of what I consider this period to have been all about, what I think grand French taste is really all about. And I have always fought against fashion; if you simply look at what your contemporaries are doing, just copying what they do, you don’t really go anywhere. I prefer to discover the past. It’s in the past that you discover the future.’

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ABOVE: In the main living room an original and quirky console table has been constructed from a marble bath and is used to display an extensive collection of coral and semi-precious stones in their raw state

JACQUES GARCIA

www.studiojacquesgarcia.com

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www.davies-shaw.co.uk www.delcor.co.uk www.interio.co.uk www.duresta.com www.elawrenceltd.com www.encompassco.com www.epocbeds.co.uk www.ev-furniture.com www.finefurnituredesign.co.uk www.frenchmarketcollection.com www.murofineart.com www.grange-london.com www.hancockandmoore.com www.theheritagewardrobecompany.com

www.hurtado.eu www.hypnosbeds.com www.interio.co.uk www.jrotherham.co.uk www.jagodesigns.co.uk www.jamb.co.uk

www.lathamtimber.co.uk www.jessicazoob.com

www.interio.co.uk

www.jonathancharlesfurniture.com www.julianchichester.com www.kofc.co.uk

www.lacaze.co.uk

www.mab.it

www.marblehill.co.uk www.mariianiq.com

www.marmehdesign.com www.marshallandstewart.com www.interio.co.uk

www.minsterjoinery.co.uk www.minsterstone.ltd.uk www.morso.co.uk www.mottahedeh.com www.nafurniture.com www.ndi.com

www.octagonbespoke.co.uk www.oasisgroup.it www.phillipwattsdesign.com www.platonicfireplaces.co.uk www.podesta.uk.com www.premdor.co.uk www.reevadesign.co.uk www.richardfrinier.com

www.robertlangford.co.uk www.robertogiovannini.com www.robeys.co.uk www.savoirbeds.co.uk www.silentgliss.co.uk www.sinclairmatthews.co.uk Sofa and More

www.stablefords.com www.stanfordfurniture.com www.summitfurniture.com www.tatianatafur.com www.theenglishwardrobecompany.com www.gamesroomcompany.com www.tillysinteriors.com www.titchmarsh-goodwin.co.uk www.tomfaulkner.co.uk www.tomlinsonerwinlambeth.com www.tyson.london www.uber-interiors.com Universal Furniture

www.vesselgallery.com www.vincentsheppard.com www.vispring.com www.wardrobe.me.uk

www.wesley-barrell.co.uk www.whiteheaddesigns.com www.woodlandfurniture.com www.worlds-away.com

Bridge for Design December 2016

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OUR ADVERTISING PARTNERS

Bathrooms AJP Bathrooms

www.ajp-bathrooms.co.uk Aston Matthews

www.astonmatthews.co.uk Bard & Brazier

www.bardbrazier.co.uk Bathrooms International

www.bathroomsint.com Catchpole & Rye

www.catchpoleandrye.com Crosswater

www.crosswater.co.uk Czech & Speake

www.czechandspeake.com Drummonds

www.drummonds-uk.com Duravit AG

www.duravit.co.uk

Hurlingham Bath Company

www.hurlinghambaths.co.uk

Hector Finch

Graham & Brown

Natural Stone Consulting

Luxform

Harlequin

Stone Age

Martin Huxford

Heimtextil

Veedon Fleece

Mici International

Hodkin & Jones

Mr Light

Kobe Fabrics

Shows Decorex

Original BTC

Linwood Fabrics

Phillips and Wood

Nomi Fabrics

Solaria Lighting

Northcroft Fabrics

Tigermoth Lighting

Price & Company

Universal Lighting Services Ltd

The Paper Partnership

The Urban Electric Company

The Silk Gallery

www.hectorfinch.com www.luxform.co.uk www.martinhuxford.com www.mici-international.com www.mrlight.co.uk www.originalbtc.com www.phillipsandwood.co.uk www.solarialighting.com www.tigermothlighting.com www.universal-lighting.co.uk

www.grahambrown.com www.harlequin.uk.com www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com www.plastermouldingsonline.com www.en.kobe.eu www.linwoodfabric.com www.nomiinc.com www.northcroftfabrics.co.uk www.price-regency.co.uk www.thepaperpartnership.co.uk

Matki

www.urbanelectricco.com

www.thesilkgallery.com

Valerie Wade

Thibaut Design

Original Bathrooms

www.valeriewade.com

www.thibautdesign.com

Kitchens Chalon

Trade Linens

www.tradelinens.co.uk

www.matki.co.uk www.original-bathrooms.co.uk Perrin & Rowe

www.perrinandrowe.co.uk

www.chalon.com

Serdaneli

Caesarstone

Vitra

Davonport

Vogue (UK)

Espresso Design

Waterworks

Officine Gullo

West One Bathrooms

www.serdaneli.fr www.vitra-vcare.com

www.caesarstone.co.uk www.davonport.com

Volga Linen

www.volgalinen.co.uk Wendy Cushing

www.wendycushingdesigns.com William Clark

www.naturalstoneconsulting.co.uk www.stone-age.co.uk www.veedonfleece.com www.decorex.com IMM Cologne

www.imm-cologne.com Independent Hotel Show

www.independenthotelshow.co.uk January Furniture Show

www.januaryfurnitureshow.com Heimtextil

www.heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com Luxury Made

www.luxurymade.co.uk Olympia Arts and Antiques Fair

www.clarionevents.com Roca Gallery

www.rocalondongallery.com Salone del Mobile Milano

www.salonemilano.it

Tendence - Messe Frankfurt

www.tendence.messefrankfurt.com Outdoors A Place In The Garden

www.aplaceinthegarden.co.uk

www.wmclark.co.uk

Andrew Kay Sculpture

Zuber

www.zuber.fr

Boldstone Sculpture Crown Outdoor

Rossana UK

Rugs Alternative Flooring

www.rossana.it

www.alternativeflooring.com

William Holland

Smallbone of Devizes

Area Rugs

www.smallbone.co.uk

www.arearugs.co.uk

Lighting Andrew Kornat Designs

Fabrics & Wallpaper Altfield

Atlantico Rugs

www.atlanticorugs.com

www.vogueuk.co.uk www.waterworks.co.uk www.westonebathrooms.com www.williamholland.com www.andrewkornatdesigns.com Best & Lloyd

www.bestandlloyd.com Christopher Hyde

www.christopherhyde.com Collier Webb

www.collierwebb.com

www.espressodesign.co.uk www.officinegullo.co.uk

www.altfield.com Alton Brooke

www.alton-brooke.co.uk Arley House Fabrics

www.arleyhouse.com Bazaar Velvet

www.bazaarvelvet.com

Elstead Lighting

Beaumont & Fletcher

Fine Art Lamps

Bernard Thorp

www.elsteadlighting.com www.fineartlamps.com Focus SB

www.focus-sb.co.uk Hamilton Litestat

www.hamilton-litestat.com 134

Bridge for Design December 2016

www.beaumontandfletcher.com www.bernardthorp.co.uk Chelsea Textiles

www.chelseatextiles.com Fifi de Lyon

www.fifidelyon.com

Concept Handtufting Limited

www.concepthandtufting.co.uk Custom Carpet Company

www.customcarpetcompany.co.uk Deirdre Dyson

www.deirdredyson.com Floor Seasons

www.floorseasons.co.uk ITC Natural Luxury Flooring

www.itcnaturalluxuryflooring.com Knots Rugs

www.knotsrugs.co.uk Lapicida

www.lapicida.com Loomah

www.loomah.com

www.andrewkaysculpture.co.uk www.boldstonesculpture.co.uk www.crown-outdoor.co.uk Gaze Burvill

www.gazeburvill.com Haddonstone

www.haddonstone.com Indian Ocean

www.indian-ocean.co.uk Leisure Plan

www.leisureplan.co.uk Pride Family Brands

www.pridefamilybrands.com Skyline Design

www.sky-linedesign.co.uk Treasure Garden

www.treasuregarden.com Tuuci

www.tuuci.com Wilverley

www.wilverley.com

Bridge for Design December 2016

For more details on this company click on the ad

135

good Morning ! we believe that day and night are one. sleep well, live better with a Vispring bed.

london - new york - paris - Milan - berlin - Moscow - beijing - Hong kong

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Bridge for Design December 2016

For more details on this company click on the ad