Concept For Living

A Touch of Glamour

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Following a 10-month interior revamp, a three-bedroom property tucked away in Leeds is now a glamorous treasure trove of elegance for one mother and daughter.

Being welcomed into Claudia and Sally Lara’s three-bedroom home in Leeds is like stepping into a glamorous wonderland. You’re greeted by gorgeous colours: blacks and purples, sumptuous textures: velvets, silks and smatterings of linen, plus luxurious accessories such as sparkling vintage-inspired mirrors and glassware offset by dramatic lighting.

“When we first looked at the house it was the brightness and layout, along with the potential of what you could achieve with it that attracted us to the property,” says Claudia. Each room also had a lovely view of the surrounding area. “At first the project wasn’t supposed to be as large as it ended up being – it was only when we started looking at how we were going to decorate that we realised the full potential of what could be achieved,” she says.

Having moved in and settled into their home, mother Claudia and daughter Sally decided on an interior overhaul in October 2008 as the place needed modernising and they also wished to inject their own personalities into the home. Claudia enlisted the help of experienced Leeds-based interior designer Stephanie Hill at Uffizzi Interiors Ltd, following a personal recommendation.

“We discussed original ideas with Stephanie a year ago last October and the house was completed last August,” says Claudia. “We were first introduced to Stephanie through my brother, whose house she also designed. The attention to detail and the amount of thought put into each room was fantastic and unique and we thought that she could help us to create our ideal home, too.”

With Stephanie on board as interior design project manager, ideas and briefs were discussed. Claudia went through magazines for inspiration, tearing out pages featuring looks and items she liked, which Stephanie then used as her starting points.

This article can be found in Concept For Living issue 136.

Words by Caroline Jones and Katie Cotgrave. Photography by Eleri Griffiths.

The Soft Option

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Derbyshire-based upholsterer, Glyn Smallwood, has launched his first furniture collection. Inspired by the fine tailoring of Savile Row and the timeless attention to detail of fashion designers such as Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, the Smallwood range comprises a small number of limited edition, haute couture pieces designed and hand worked by Glyn himself. These innovative items, including this fabulous chaise, push the boundaries of creativity in upholstery and provide inspiration for clients wishing to commission a unique design or restore and re-upholster an existing piece.

To find out more visit: www.glynsmallwoodupholstery.co.uk or tel. 01246 573593.

Bathing Beauties

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Birmingham-based Jax Bathrooms has introduced the ‘Mercury’ furniture collection. Wall-hung for a clean, contemporary finish, the modular range comprises vanity units (with or without sit-on basins), storage cabinets, drawer boxes and mirrors in various sizes. Each piece is characterised by a high gloss lacquer finish for a truly striking aesthetic, while sharp lines and strong angles make for an en-vogue, minimalist look. Prices start from £200 for the storage cabinet, £375 for the ‘Delux’ drawer box and £293 for the black basin.

Visit Jax Bathrooms at: www.jaxbathrooms.com or tel. 0121 753 6811.

Clock on to knitted style

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

It may be hard to believe but British summertime begins on 28th March and what better way could there be to move forward in time than with this stunning Italian designed ‘Gomitolo’ clock? The brainchild of an industrial designer and a fashion designer, the ‘Gomitolo’ measures 90cm in diameter and features a removable, washable knitted cover in off-white, blue or red. Priced at £421 – time has never been so cosy!

Available from Rume, tel. 01273 777 810 or visit: www.rume.co.uk.

Upstairs, downstairs

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

A converted granary mill in Telford offered one couple the space and peace they craved, while its traditional beams and brickwork provided them with an interior challenge – mellowing the mill’s innate masculine feel through clever décor choices.

I never thought it was an attractive house to look at, but both my son and David absolutely fell in love with it. I kept saying, “It’s a man’s house – with its bricks and oak – but once we started softening it up with furniture I began to love it, too.” As Dorothy Insley explains to Concept For Living how she, her husband, David, and son, Gregg came to live in the rustic converted granary mill they now call home, it’s not the usual property romance story, but then this isn’t a usual home.

Originally a collection of farm buildings – smithy, granary, stable and so on – the buildings were bought by a property developer, converted, and sold on. Dorothy, David, Gregg and Smudge the cat, bought their home, which is the converted granary mill, 18 months ago after David found the property online.

“David kept looking at it on the internet,” says Dorothy. “He was forever looking at it. And in the end I said, ‘Let’s go and see it.’ I thought it would just get it out of his system and he’d see bits he couldn’t live with, but when we came round, there was nothing wrong with it. From the pictures I thought it looked like a hanging gallows – with the bricks and the wood floors!”

This article can be read in Concept For Living issue 136.

Words by Caroline Jones – Photography by Eleri Griffiths

Pick the Reader Home Awards 2009

Wednesday, February 17th, 2010

Issue 136 of Concept For Living contains our annual Reader Home Awards for 2009.

From the conventional to the eclectic, the open-plan to the traditional, CFL took a peek inside a brilliant array of northern homes last year. We’ve picked our favourites so now it’s time for you to choose yours!

Go to the survey, cast your vote and you are in with a chance to win a year’s subscription to Concept For Living.

Charlotte Casadéjus’ classical contemporary

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Charlotte’s stunning collection of monogrammed and embroidered lampshades creates contemporary textiles from vintage linen.

Every lampshade is unique from the hand embroidered one-off monograms to the exquisite cornely embroidery.  Made using beautiful antique French linen napkins (hand picked by Charlotte) they are available in small and medium sizes these lampshades are a sophisticated addition to your home.

Charlotte Casadéjus is well known for her home acessories range made from beautiful antique and vintage embroidered French linens. Charlotte uses this extensive collection to transform beautifulold fabrics into contemporary soft furnishings.

To view the full collection please visit the website at: www.charlottecasadejus.com

Interactive garden design online

Monday, February 15th, 2010

The world’s first interactive online garden design course has been launched by Duncan Heather*, Principal of the prestigious Oxford College of Garden Design.

The college, has trained the UK’s leading contemporary garden designers for almost two decades. And now you can qualify as a garden designer from the comfort of your own home, anywhere in the world. This one-year course provides a post-graduate level qualification in Residential Landscape Architecture.

Duncan Heather said: “I pride myself on the fact that the Oxford College of Garden Design has always been a market leader in technology and innovation. We have seen over the last few years how our students have benefitted from the use of technology in the classroom and have designed the online course in order that seminars will coincide in real time with classroom lectures and uniquely, our online and onsite students can learn together. It also will significantly reduce the carbon footprint of both students and the College.”

To find out more visit: www.garden-design-courses.co.uk where you can also view an on-line video about the course, or telephone: 01491 628950 for further information.

New Damask Designs

Monday, February 15th, 2010

New designs from Modern Rugs include a number of attractive damask patterns which are available in a wide range of colours and sizes. Pictured are just some examples; the Eden range (featuring bold botanical inspired designs in contemporary tones), Jeff banks Kaleidoscope collection (with bright and vibrant colours in geometric shapes) and “Jack” (flying the flag for British rugs).

These rugs have a good quality acrylic pile which is thick, soft and easy to maintain and prices are from just £34 and include free delivery.

For more information go to www.modern-rugs.co.uk.

Shower Your Wet Room With Love And Attention

Monday, February 15th, 2010

Perhaps the last bastion of relaxation and ‘me time’ is now reserved for when you retreat to the surroundings of your wet room.

The all-encompassing, luxuriating experience of using a wet room has seen its desirability soar in recent years as home owners seek to improve their living space and move away from the traditional bathroom layout of a shower cubicle and separate bath in favour of a more open plan approach afforded by the wet room.

And now is a great time to start planning for the wet room you’ve dreamed about by consulting the experts and watching those plans become reality!

Knowing that your wet room has been lavished with the care, attention to detail and skilled craftsmanship that comes as standard with any Concept Interiors design only adds to the pleasure.

As Samantha Morgan, Head of Design at Concept Interiors explains, there are some essential rules to follow when creating your ideal wet room, ‘ensure that you employ the services of an experienced tradesman and professional designer to help create your perfect wet room. Also consider the use of materials such as non-porous tiles and making sure that the room is properly waterproofed prior to tiling the walls and floor when creating your perfect wet room’.

With wet rooms gaining in popularity, the value and saleability of homes with them are set to increase as prospective buyers become increasingly attracted to these wonderfully contemporary open plan spaces.

A fabulous example of contemporary design at its best is exemplified by the Fundo wet room by Wedi, a design that Samantha Morgan enthuses about, ‘I love the whole design ethos at Wedi and especially the Fundo wet room it’s so different and stylish – it’s really modern, and oozes class’.

For more information go to www.concept-interior.co.uk or email info@concept-interior.co.uk or phone 01932 241380

Eco Chic for the Kitchen

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Lenova Adds Exotic Flair To The Kitchen With Dramatic New Bamboo Sink.

Say goodbye to boring kitchen sinks. Lenova has brought a welcomed sense of eco-friendly style to the kitchen with its new Bamboo Kitchen Sink.

Featuring all the organic warmth and natural beauty of wood, this eye-catching sink is surprisingly durable and can easily withstand the rigors of daily use in any modern kitchen. Using a painstaking 13-step process, each Lenova sink is carefully crafted from only fully matured Moso Bamboo, which is known for its peak density, color clarity and sustainability. The finished product is exceptionally beautiful – a hard-working work of art that can keep pace with today’s busiest chefs.

Lenova has combined style with plenty of practicality in this eye catching sink. An apron front design lends charm and character to any kitchen, while the equal double-bowl design with low-rise divider provides maximum versatility for tasks such as rinsing fresh produce and soaking dirty dishes. Its under mounted design adds to the modern look and makes counter clean-ups quick and easy.

Lenova is truly a different kind of sink company. Drawing inspiration from the beauty of nature and the universe, Lenova offers a vast array of kitchen and bath sinks in every shape and hue imaginable. Known for its signature “Seven Elements of Sinks,” the Lenova collection features a stunning line of sinks crafted from seven varied resources: Stainless Steel, Porcelain, Bamboo, Copper, Stone, Glass and Composite. Each sink is created by master craftsmen and backed by Lenova’s “No Worries” customer service philosophy. Lenova is committed to protecting the natural world that inspires its designs through eco-friendly business practices and is proud to offers its customers the finest in affordable luxury sinks.

For more information on Lenova visit www.lenovasinks.com.

Bathroom black is back

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

2009 saw the introduction of the colour black into the bathroom, with accents of black on taps and furniture presented in stylish finishes.

In 2010, black is now the defining colour in up-to-date bathrooms. Basins, that for so long have only been available in white, but are now offered in sleek, sexy black.

The Jacuzzi® Morphosis basin in black epitomises the essence of the new trend and is available now from the new Jacuzzi® Designer Range. This distinctive basin, designed by leading design house Pininfarina, oozes style and sophistication.

Bold, decadent and highly desirable, a Jacuzzi basin in black is the ultimate design statement. Add a touch of sophistication to your bathroom and update with this on-trend style to create a sleek and stylish look.

The Jacuzzi Designer Range New Innovations catalogue is available to download now and features highly desirable products that look superb and perform to the highest standard.

With recently launched bathing and showering products, the Jacuzzi Designer Range and New Innovations catalogues encompass a comprehensive collection of whirlpool baths, soaking baths, steam cabins, shower enclosures, bathroom suites, brassware, furniture, and accessories and is sold exclusively through specialist bathroom retailers throughout the UK.  Some examples of this are pictured below.

For further details telephone 01782 717175 or visit www.jacuzzi.co.uk

The Accueil Lamp by Arnaud Lapierre

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Our imaginations have been lit up with Arnaud Lapierre’s fantastic, award-winning Accueil Lamp which doubles as a table.

The  lamp/ table from Lapierre is adjustable so the orientation of this excellent piece of design can carry on being fresh and fit into any room layout. Having recently won the CINNA “Révélateur de Talents” design award we are sure this is a sophisticated future design classic in the making.

Arnaud Lapierre website

Cinderella table

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Created in 205 by Dutch designer Jeroen Verhoeven and inspired by 17th Century design – the ‘Cinderella ‘ table…

From the Victoria & Albert Museum website: “For the form of the table Verhoeven was inspired by 17th and 18th century archetypal shapes of tables and commodes that he found in the library of the Stedlijk Museum in Amsterdam, because he regarded this period as the highpoint of furniture craftsmanship.  He simplified their outlines, then merged them together in a computer to create a fluid three-dimensional form from two-dimensional drawings.

“This process took three months to perfect. The virtual design was ’sliced’ and each of the 57 slices, each 80mm thick (a total of 741 layers of plywood), was fabricated by CNC (computer numerically controlled) cutting machines, working on three, and sometimes five axes.  Each slice was cut from the front and from the back to perfect the curves and undercuts, pushing the boundaries of the technology. All the slices were assembled and the entire object, which is a hollow plywood form, was finished by hand.”

A Limited edition of 20, many of which were purchased by museums while a few remain available from Friedman Benda in New York and Haunch of Venison in London with an estimated value between $40,000 to $60,000.

[via: bookofjoe.com]

Ink & wit perfect for Valentine’s

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Ink + Wit have produced a new set of cards inspired by love that are simply perfect for a loved one this Valentine’s day.

Designer and founder of Ink + Wit, Tara Hogan, produces all the designs in a minimal fashion with a precise amount of “design” that creates a clean and clear message that is in this case nothing short of adorable. All of the paper products available are done in letterpress and offset print. And made from 100% cotton paper, 100% recycled post consumer paper with soy and water-based ink, all products are ethically and organically produced.

Nothing will say “I love you” more sweetly than an Ink + Wit card this Valentine’s.

Go to inkandwit.com for more information and to see the full range of stylish and simple products on offer.