• One to Watch: Plum & Ashby

    by  • May 18, 2013 • 0 Comments

    Vicky White owner of Plum & AshbyThrows from Plum & AshbyPlum & Ashby CushionsEvery so often, a shop comes along where you, literally, want to buy everything in it. This is exactly what happened when we discovered Plum & Ashby. Launched by Vicky White (above, with her beloved dog Bertie who has been the inspiration for many of her designs) after eight years of working in the frenetic world of fashion, it sells classic country furniture and accessories with a contemporary edge.

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    Rainbow brights

    by  • May 17, 2013 • 0 Comments

    Colourful home office

    Add an element of fun to work with a playfully decorated home office. Here, shades of aqua, lemon yellow and tangerine make for a stimulating work space, while adding white has a calming effect, preventing the look from becoming overpowering. Opting for a versatile modular storage system, which can be added to or rearranged as your needs change, is always a good investment.

     

     

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    Cool & contemporary

    by  • May 16, 2013 • 0 Comments

     

    Beating Wings coffee tableDedicated to design-led interiors, Makers is the only contemporary craft exhibition in the North and it’s one to visit if you are seeking out unusual pieces.Head here to find imaginative furniture, like this Beating Wings coffee table by David Tragen, as well as textiles, ceramics, lighting and glassware. Meet the makers from 15th-25th May, noon-5pm, Cube Gallery, 113-115 Portland Street, Manchester, M1 6DW. Free entry.

     

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    Chelsea 2013: five days to go

    by  • May 16, 2013 • 0 Comments

    An impressive number of plants have been launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show over the last 100 years, so it’s no mean feat to distil that list down to just ten, choosing one plant to represent each of the last ten decades. That is what a panel of distinguished horticulturalists, including Roy Lancaster, Carol Klein, Rachel de Thame and RHS historian Dr Brent Elliott, has done so that you, the public, can help celebrate the eponymous flower show’s 100th birthday by deciding which of the ten plants should be voted the Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Centenary.

    To find out which plants have been nominated, and to learn more about them before you vote, either visit stand GPG5 inside the Great Pavilion during the Show, or click here to do it all online. The winner will be announced on the RHS website, and at the show, on Saturday 25th May 2013.

    CHELSEA STALWARTS

    Prepping for a show as big as Chelsea is always a high-pressure exercise, but for three of this year’s exhibitors, there’s an additional incentive to be the best of the best in 2013.

    Of the 244 companies that exhibited at the very first Chelsea Flower Show in 1913, McBean’s Orchids, Blackmore & Langdon’s and Kelways are the only three to have taken part in every single show since then.

    GARDEN GNOME 2

    First there was the exciting news that 150 Seedling garden gnomes would be making a special appearance at this year’s Chelsea – a first in 99 years. Now we learn that a rather smaller interpretation of this hitherto uninvited guest is to be given the singular honour of being dressed as a Chelsea Pensioner, and then cast as a good luck charm in sterling silver by British jewellery designer Sarah Fenton, of Scarlett Jewellery. No pictures as yet but clearly this is no longer a common or garden gnome.

     

     

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    Squaring up

    by  • May 13, 2013 • 0 Comments

    Fresh in to The Conran Shop is a collection of super light geometric tables and shelves by designer Ron Gilad, which ticks all our boxes (excuse the pun) for modern, simple forms. ‘Play’ is the key word for Gilad, whose work always sits between the abstract and the functional, and these pieces manage to be both seriously pared back and delightfully light-hearted at the same time.

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    The screen printers

    by  • May 11, 2013 • 0 Comments

    Juliet Thornback and Delia PeelJuliet Thornback and Delia Peel began collaborating in 2003 with a range of hand-printed clutch bags. Four years later, Thornback & Peel was born and quickly became known for its intricate screen-printed pieces. Featuring whimsical designs inspired by the natural world and 19th-century wood engravings, its collection of napkins, lamp shades, tea towels and cards now has a cult following. As well as working with several brands and retailers, including The Conran Shop, the pair have their own online shop as well as a store in Bloomsbury, London, which opened last year.

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