Concept For Living

Smeg’s retro range

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

The seriously stylish will delight in the knowledge that Smeg’s Retro range of flueless gas fires has just become even more desirable… thanks to the introduction of three fabulous new colours: pink, pale blue and striking dark blue.

It’s not just the style conscious that will be impressed; the L30FAB fires effortlessly combine function with style and those keen to contribute to a greener, friendlier environment will be pleased to know that they boast impressive energy efficiency credentials.  Thanks to their ability to convert 100% gas to heat, they not only look the part, but also help reduce fuel costs and, importantly, help assist those actively attempting to reduce their carbon footprint.

These new, hot hues are a great addition to Smeg’s sought after series of 50’s inspired appliances, made famous for their soft curved edges and beautiful bold finishes.  The three new colours complement the existing L30FAB range which includes: cream, silver, black and red.

For more press information please call Estelle or Elle at Publicasity on 02076 322 435 OR email smeg@publicasity.co.uk. Visit www.smeguk.com for more information.

Zest Bathroom steam enclosures

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Zest Bathrooms now offers another great product to create a more luxurious experience in your own home with its new range of Effegibi steam enclosures.

This new striking range of Effegibi steam rooms can also be tailored to offer a bespoke service and meet each client’s needs. The rooms include programmable steam, chromatherapy lighting and a range of seating solutions to suit the wishes of each customer.

Zest has just added a new full Effegibi steam room working display to its Chester city centre bathroom showroom so customers can see, as well as feel, the benefits of adding a luxurious steam room to their home.

Prices for an Effegibi steam room start from around £8000 fully installed.

Mark Brindle, Managing Director of Zest Bathrooms comments: “With the credit crunch we have seen a marked increase in customers wanting to make improvements to their homes instead of moving. There has also been an increased demand for wellness products with people wanting to create their own home spas.”

“By installing a steamroom in your own home you can help add a luxurious and relaxing feel to your bathroom as well as helping it look even more contemporary and stylish.”

The Zest Bathrooms showroom is situated on 2-6 Brookdale Place, Chester, CH1 3DY. OR visit www.zestbathrooms.co.uk for more details.

Bring out your wild side

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Springtime is coming after an oddly weather-beaten January and February, so it is time to come out of hibernation. But if you are still resilient to the idea, stay safe and snug indoors and bring the great outdoors into your home instead. Interiors are often aimed at the more feminine of the species, but with Anorak you’re guaranteed a true unisex collection. British designer Laurie Robertson is the brain behind the brand with her first collection aptly named ‘Kissing Animals’ being a huge success.

Anorak designs funky interior products such as bedding, cushions and lampshades incorporating stags, rabbits, horses and robins.  Bring out your inner beast with the bold ‘Kissing Stags’ double duvet and cushions (pictured below).  Made from 100% cotton this set is perfect to satisfy the wild animal urge in you…

To view the full Anorak Collection go to www.anorakonline.co.uk

Delft Blue vases

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

Marcel Wanders designs a collection of ceramic vases for Moooi. A highlight of Milan ‘08, all vases are produced at “Royal Delft”, the Dutch company that dates back to 1653 and the original producer of the infamous Delft Blue ceramic. The vases are reinterpreting and revitalising Delft Blue, an old Dutch craft, using new ideas for shapes and decoration and are simply must-have accessories.

Click here to see the full range at Moooi.

Sleep in style

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Snuggle up and enjoy a perfect night’s sleep with our selection of cosy beds…

Four-Poster Beds:

Luxury Beds:

Children’s Beds:

For a look at some more Concept For Living sleeping solutions, the rest of this collection is featured in issue 124 of Concept For Living.

A Flash of light

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009

Whether you want classical style, retro chic or progressive and modern – brighten up a dark corner with one of these fabulous lighting options.

More of Concept For Living’s lighting products with a flash of inspiration can be found in Concept For Living issue 124

All hail yellow cab!

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

‘Yellow Cab’ is the name of Vipp’s 2009 Limited Edition. The inspiration for the new collection comes directly from the pulsating streets of New York, the city that never sleeps, where more than 13,000 yellow cabs daily leave their clear impressions. Besides thousands of yellow cabs, New York is now also home to Vipp’s first showroom outside of Denmark. This marks a new chapter in the almost 70-year long history of Vipp. Vipp ‘Yellow Cab’ is a new interpretation of the classic Vipp universe that will bring new life to your bathroom and kitchen. A chic and dazzling spring colour giving you a little bite of The Big Apple.

Vipp ‘Yellow Cab’ is available from February 1st 2009 and throughout the year in leading design stores. To find your nearest dealer visit: www.vipp.com.

Natuzzi lights the way

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

Italian furniture brand Natuzzi is synonymous with Italian design and craftsmanship. Approaching 50-years experience in the field of upholstered furniture, Natuzzi presents its first foray into pendant lighting. With extensive product ranges for the living room and the recent introduction of dining furniture earlier this year, the new lighting addition compliments the total look philosophy of Natuzzi. The designers and technicians of the Natuzzi Research and Development Centre undertook extensive product development culminating in two pendant designs which allow the same versatility of choice the consumer has come to expect from Natuzzi.

Visit www.natuzzi.co.uk for further information.

Lapicida’s luxury bathroom collection

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

Lapicida Stone Production has unveiled its stunning bathroom collection at its showroom near Harrogate in North Yorkshire. At Lapicida customers can take inspiration from the variety of stone designs on display. From palatial extravagance to cool and contemporary, there is a bathroom style to suit all tastes and lifestyle needs. Pictured is Cool Blue – relax against the backdrop of the stunning quarter-matched wall feature which is beautifully complemented by pure white marble floors. The Azul Borealis quarter-matched quartzite wall panel is in stock at Lapicida and is priced at £10,000. Supawhite marble (floor) is available from £199 per m2.

Visit: www.lapicida.com or tel. 01423 400 100 to find out more.

June Swindell – Designer maker profile

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

June Swindell founder and lead designer of Salt, a contemporary design practice creating beautiful bespoke 100% handmade fabrics, tells us about her design heroes and current projects for the future.

Tell us a bit about your background.

I studied a fine art based textile degree at Liverpool Polytechnic, which gave
me a great sense of conceptual visualisation but left me lacking in technical
knowledge. Having fallen in love with constructed textiles I then went on to Nottingham Trent University to hone my skills and completed a MA in Woven Textiles. When Salt was set up in 1996 it was almost a natural progression that the product we created should function using these aesthetics, so blinds and shades became the vehicle for the textiles and their development. My parents still live ‘Up-North’ in Cheshire in an old mill town. My escape from work is going back home and walking in the surrounding hills looking down onto the valleys, that are still home to these amazing old Victorian structures that are reminders that England was once such a textile force, its in my blood.

What does an average day entail for you?

My days can be really varied. An average office day means that I have a lovely walk from Waterloo along the south bank of the Oxo Tower this is the northern girl in me. I answer emails, of which have been alerted through to my blackberry which I love, it’s not intrusive and means that I know what’s going on even if I am out of the office. I carry a notebook everywhere and have lots of lists ,which I really try and stick to. Once the phone starts the distractions begin, whether it be a client, installer or production questions that need immediate attention or just making sure that everyone has what they need for the business to run smoothly. At 6pm when everyone else has gone home here at the Oxo showroom and in the production studio in Brixton, I usually get back to a list and find that I haven’t ticked everything off, from then I start a evenings list of priorities.

An average day on site is a whole different thing. I usually meet the fitter at Oxo at 8.30am where we up load the van and grab a coffee for the journey. There is always something that you did not foresee on the installation, so we try and resolve this there and then. Although we have already done a site survey prior, dimensions may have changed or ceilings and walls may not be the surfaces we expected.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by textual designs. There are patterns and forms in so many things from peeling paint to tarnished bronze and icy surfaces. Like our work it’s anything that might inspire you to look again or reach out and touch.

Who are your design heroes?

Jack Lenor Larsen, an obvious choice for a woven textile designer but he was really ahead of his time. I also like Eileen Grey she is so diversely brilliant.

What projects are you working on at the moment?

We have recently delivered some really beautiful metallic drapes to a hotel in Hollywood and are about to complete a spa project that has been going on for two years. Alongside this we are completing a number of domestic projects with some really lovely clients.

You can contact June Swindell of Salt by phone on: 0207 593 0007, or by email at: enquiries@salt-uk.com. Or visit the Salt website on www.salt-uk.com

Spectacular Sustainability

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Ravenswood is not your average, run-of-the-mill mansion. With a cutting edge designer specification and ecological credentials to match, this is one property that truly breaks the mould when it comes to luxury living.

While other housebuilders are holding back and preparing for the worst in the current economic climate, it’s refreshing to see a developer bucking the trend and going full steam ahead with speculative new projects. In the face of ominous headlines and an on-going recession, North West based developer Huntsmere has thrown caution to the wind with its latest mansion, Ravenswood. Featuring 8,000 sq ft of floor space, the property ticks all the boxes when it comes to luxury living. Cinema with fitted surround sound technology? Tick. Gym? Tick. 40 ft swimming pool with underwater sound system as used in the Olympics for synchronised swimming? Tick.

Add to the list the fact that Ravenswood’s interior has been fully furnished with the latest trends in interior design (including wall panels inspired by Giorgio Armani’s Caribbean home), as well as the home’s numerous eco
features (a large scale ground source heat pump providing the majority of the heat for the underfloor heating, rainwater harvesting and state-of-the-art ventilation and heat recovery system – to name but a few) and you get some idea of the breathtaking scale of the project.

This feature can be found in Concept For Living issue 124.

A Chic Family Home

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Emma and Lee Clarke’s Victorian house is a fashionable blend of classical features and Provencal chic, with a good measure of contemporary styling. Rebecca Drake went along to meet the couple and have a look.

Lee Clarke and his wife Emma have lived in their home, on a leafy, quintessentially English street, for four years. Passionate about design and inspired by fabrics, the couple have very strong ideas about the styling of their house.

Walking into the light and airy hallway, thick-planked walnut floors contrast with bright white walls. A modern Kartell ‘Louis Ghost’ chair sits elegantly alongside an ethnically inspired, embossed metal covered chest of drawers from Graham and Green. A snap shot of the balanced mix of contemporary and traditional styles, which is echoed throughout the Clarke’s home.

Lancashire born Lee is the owner of successful textile company Globaltex, and has been involved in the design of curtain and upholstery fabric for the retail marketplace for twenty years. His passion for textiles and fabric is evident throughout his home: “I fell into the textile business by accident. I love design and colour – that’s what I enjoy most about my job. There’s nothing more satisfying than going through all the stages of the design process, then walking into a store and seeing your fabrics on sale,” says Lee.

This feature can be read in Concept For Living issue 124

Open Planning

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

A modernist renovation project in North Yorkshire has seen the transformation of a Grade II listed barn into a
spectacular example of open-plan living.

Middleton Hall is a grand Georgian property in the heart of Rydale. When local GP Tim Thornton and his wife Noelle, a Marie Curie nurse, bought the Grade II listed Hall in 1996, their first challenge was renovating the main building. After successfully doing this, the couple turned their attention to the property’s outbuildings; a former apple store, a coach house and, most recently of all, a former cow shed and barn.

Both Applestore Cottage and The Coach House have been furnished conservatively and are let out as traditional self-catering holiday cottages. The Barn, however, is an altogether different type of home. On approaching the building, several young cypresses, a wooden pergola and a cluster of sparsely planted Mediterranean shrubs create the impression of a Tuscan villa.

French doors lead into the home, which at first glance looks more like a modernist, newly built house than an 18th century farm building. Original oak beams and sporadic walls of exposed brickwork give a nod to the property’s agricultural past, while the rest of the home is a homage to contemporary interior design. The sense of spaciousness is something that could only be achieved in a barn, and an abundance of natural light flows into the space through a huge skylight window in the roof.

The rest of this feature can be found in Concept For Living issue 124

The Barn is the latest addition to Tim and Noelle’s three holiday cottages, which last year received a White Rose Award for being the best self-catering cottages in Yorkshire. To find out more or book a stay, visit: www.noellescottages.co.uk OR call: 01751 472 283

Cake Stands – Ten of the Best

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Feast your eyes on our collection of scrumptious cake stands perfect for those times when you need to crack out the crumpets…

Liverpool’s new design consultancy

Friday, February 6th, 2009

MYO Group is a brand new interior design consultancy found in the heart of Liverpool’s design quarter in the Rope Walks area of the city. Their brand new bespoke office and display studio is an immaculate example of the quality and specification of services on offer.

Offering interior design solutions for both residential and commercial projects with fixtures and fittings from a whole spectrum of luxe designers and suppliers and the additional benefit of including the technological advances of smart home technology and building control. MYO is the sole supplier outside of London for the IPE Cavalli range of furnishings including the Grantour collection which draws its influence from the automotive industry and would give any bachelor pad a modern and industrial feel. Able to project manage schemes including new build and existing properties; co-ordinating all aspects of work and supplying all necessary, personally approved, trades people to complete the work.

To find out more visit: www.myo-group.co.uk or tel. 0151 708 9185.

Deadgood, wire lighting collection

Friday, February 6th, 2009

Designed by Ziglam & Brook and manufactured by Newcastle based Deadgood, the ‘Wire Lighting Collection’ is the first range to be released from their highly anticipated 2009 Collection. Making iconic reference to the classic Urn lamp and combining traditional styling with an original Deadgood twist, the range features classic table lamp and pendant styles available in five different sizes and three bright powder coated colours, including a quintessentially British pillar box red and high gloss black and white options. The full range is also available with a striking natural rust and lacquer patina.

The collection will be available through a network of retailers nationwide or online at Deadgood’s very own store: www.deadgoodshop.com

Rose & Grey website launch

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

An inspiring online furniture and accessories boutique comes to the North. Frustrated by her efforts to find beautiful and quirky things for her own home Lyndsey, the owner of Rose & Grey, decided to source them directly. The result is a stylish online boutique with an eclectic and inspiring range of furniture and accessories at affordable prices.

The collection includes vintage leather armchairs, French style armoires, 1950s-inspired table and chairs, and rustic bespoke shelving. Add Verner Panton Flowerpot Lights, Ferm Living wall stickers, classic telephones and an eclectic mix of fabulous fi nishing touches and the site has everything you need to create the space you’ve always wanted. Sign up for their newsletter to keep abreast of special offers and to get a 10% discount from your first order.

Visit: www.roseandgrey.co.uk to shop online

Natasha Marshall newsflash!

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

For a fun and fresh new year look, Natasha Marshell Fabrics and Wallcoverings is delighted to announce the arrival of a new online store. Browse and buy from a funky range of colourful cushions.

With further products coming soon, simply visit www.natashamarshell.com and click on the online store link to start shopping!

Winter Collection from White Flower co.

Sunday, February 1st, 2009

The White Flower Company, a designer flower website specialising in offering consumers the widest range of UK grown flowers available online, alongside other luxury floral services, launched its new Autumn/Winter collection in November. Using exclusively white flowers including luscious long stem roses, scented long stem lilies and sculptural orchids, including the British grown white Phalaenopsis Orchid.

Alongside an extensive gift list, the customised floral service provides for weddings, corporate events and other private parties. The all white displays are accessorised with beautiful foliages in fresh green or silvery grey, with a creative emphasis on simplicity, purity and elegance.

All Flowers are carefully wrapped in layers of white paper, environmentally friendly low gauge cellophane and finished off with a stylish white signature satin ribbon. Prices start at £39.

Visit www.thewhiteflowercompany.co.uk  to order online or find out more.