Make Do and Mend

Upcycle, recycle, rebirth...today's post would have made our wartime ancestors proud! I've always been a huge fan of renovation projects whether it's one piece of furniture or a whole house. And in the current economic and ecological climate what better way to go than to make something "good as new"?

One of my favourite interiors sites, Design*Sponge, has been running a very popular thread entitled Before and After, in which readers have the opportunity to send in their own makeover projects. Ranging from the modest to the magnificent, from the successful to the "I kind of preferred it before", all share a creativity and resourcefulness that can do little else but inspire. Below are my picks of the bunch.

Sacrilege or sense? This rather battered Eames chair, rescued from a skip, is shown some love courtesy of tile grout and porcelain tiles. I personally think this would look amazing on our roof terrace...



Patchwork is huge news in interiors, thanks to the likes of kooky company Squint. Below, a 50's dinette type chair is given some multicoloured harmony...


Whilst the owner of this sideboard keeps the 50's love going with a homage to Kandya's painted panel midcentury furniture.


Two variations on a similar theme below; one solution takes colour firmly by the horns, the other plays it safe but serene in pure white.




I have actually, (like in REAL LIFE and not in my imaginary world) sat on the staircase below. They happen to belong to a friend of mine and yes, they really do look that good.



The owner of this rather tasteful ottoman obviously decided that under all that extraneous flesh there were some rather good bones. A brave rebranding.




Whilst this one makes me rather glad that I didn't recently shell out a fortune for a Time Life chair..what a difference some fabulous Scandi fabric can make..and I happen to have four yards of this very one kicking around in my cupboard...




As you can see from the image below, some of the projects were a little more large scale than others. This particularly beautiful house reno is in Alaska.




...And some projects are just decidedly controversial. The picture below shows identical chairs, one in its original state, the other refurbished by the owner. It's always a tough call when you're playing around with a classic and for me, the original fabric (as seen on the right of the image) wins hands down, although as a mismatched pair they still look fab.

Finally, an inspiring and design conscious reality check to toy manufacturers. Rockers good; revolting plush furry things that take up visible house room bad...Just because we became parents didn't make us lose the taste gene completely.

Look and learn...

All Images via Design*Sponge

Title Image via Google Images

MidCentury Goes Mobile

Oh I do love to be beside the seaside.....and even more so when it's seen from the vantage point of an Eames chair or two...

Yes! The Midcentury Show is having its annual sojourn away from London on 10th May 2009 and has chosen as its location the beautiful De La Warr pavilion in Bexhill on Sea. The pavilion, designed by Eric Mendelsohn and Serge Chermayeff in 1935, is now a Grade One listed icon of the Modernist movement, and one of the most significant spaces in the emerging network of new arts buildings in the South East of England. Along with its free gallery spaces (and shop), showcasing both established and nascent British designers, the building houses a café/bar offering fresh, local produce and magnificent sea views.

The Midcentury show is one of four annual events organised in association with brilliant interiors website Our Show Home. The brain child of friends Lucy Ryder Richardson and Petra Curtis, Our Show Home, until recently, did exactly what it said on the tin, operating as a beautiful family home in South London where everything just happened to be for sale. Garnering praise from the likes of Saatchi and Saatchi and Elle Decoration (who also sponsored their last show), the opportunity to visit the house in person has now sadly had to be withdrawn due to the overwheming success of their shows which now keep them busy all year round.

The Midcentury Show, along with Kids Modern and the bi-annual MidCentury Modern (both in London), were developed in order to invite the cream of midcentury modern dealers together under one roof to give the public a chance to view and buy from a range of stunning European and American designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, Aalto, Wegner, and Robin Day amongst others. In addition, the London shows give buyers the opportunity to sample the wares of some of the most exciting contemporary designers around. Recent participants have included funky tableware designers People WIll Always Need Plates and bespoke wallpaper designer Tracy Kendall.

In order to showcase more dealers who specialise in smaller collectibles such as glassware and ceramics, The MidCentury Show deals specifically with midcentury pieces and with over 45 confirmed dealers in place for May, (and still counting) you will be spoilt for choice. Many of my favourite dealers past and present have already booked up, including The Modern Warehouse, metroretro, 20th Century Interiors, 20th Century Marks, Take-Me-Home, Skylon, Winters Moon, Fragile Design, Pink-Flamingos, Haji & White, Plywood2Plastic, Homespun Vintage Design and Retro Sixty. Prices range from a pocket money friendly £5 to a credit crunch busting £5000...

See you there!

Image courtesy of ModernShows

Above Images and Title Image via OurShowHome

The Midcentury Show

Sunday 10th May 2009
De La Warr Pavilion, Seafront, Bexhill on Sea
11am–4pm
Entrance £5
Children under 14 free

Shop Of The Week

Each week I’m going to be recommending some of the books, films, music and shops that inspire me. I think it’s a great way to introduce them to a wider audience and I hope you will take a punt on some of my recommendations and enjoy them as much as I do.

First up this week is wonderful online emporium H is For Home. Run by the lovely Adelle and Justin, HIFH is a one stop shopping experience if you’re trying to kit out your retro home or are simply looking for that one special piece to showcase your collection.

From the playful, nostalgic layout of their site, to the beautifully chosen merchandise, it is clear that the owners of this site love what they do. Favourites for me include their extensive range of ceramics, mainly from the 50’s – 70’s, which are showcased against a small choice of contemporary products such as Heather Moore’s (AKA SKinnyLaminx) fabulous tea towels and linens.

Adelle and Justin are also prodigious bloggers; their collection of objects, musings and the occasional recipe (!) can be found here: http://hisforhome.wordpress.com/ In addition they run group pools on the photo sharing site Flickr, including Lovers Of Cathrine Holm Design, and I Got This At H is For Home.

The collection on the site is divided into categories such as Duvet Days, What’s Cooking and Lounging Around, each with their own brand of retro gorgeousness. A recent addition to the site has also been the ability to buy gift vouchers for those hard to please friends/relations and a bookshop run via Amazon.

One word of warning…be prepared to stay long and spend hard…and keep checking back as the site is updated regularly. Enjoy…

All images, (with the exception of no. 2 above), via H is For Home

Title Image via H is For Home

A Room of One's Own

This is my desk. There are many like it, but this one is mine. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my desk is useless. Without my desk, I am useless. I must write at my desk. I must write better than the competition who are trying to take all the good jobs. I must write before they write. I will. My desk and I know that what counts in war is not the books we write, the size of our books, or the fancy typeface. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit. My desk is human, even as I am human, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strengths, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its drawers. I will keep my desk clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. Before God I swear this creed. My desk and I are the defenders of my livlihood. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life. So be it, until victory is ours and there is no enemy.

- Adapted from the U.S. Marine Corps Rifleman’s Creed.

A room of one's own, a space of one's own, or simply head space has always been one of the prerequisites of being a writer and is possibly the biggest financial outlay you have when you're just starting out (tax returns come later...). So this is my one. Or rather, a corner of our bedroom that also doubles up as my office.
Note its compact size...space to write doesn't have to be big. J.K Rowling started her career in cafes and on her kitchen table, and I have friends who write on their beds, lap trays and even in their cars when refuge from the chaos of everyday life is not forthcoming elsewhere.
What's important is that you do it. Everyday. Not when the muse strikes you (it never does; there's always something good on the telly), and not when you "find the time" (have you actually worked out how much extraneous crap you do everyday?)
A good desk will be your friend for life. It will give you a focus (avoid under a window where you can while away whole hours looking at trees in bloom or the squirrels eating their nuts) and a place to store the accoutrements of your trade that you don't want decimated by food, kids or well-meaning partners when they need something to doodle on. Later on, when you start to get into the writing habit and, god forbid, start making some money, you can upgrade to a nicer desk which to me, is always an incentive. And invest in a good chair, too; that way you'll actually want to sit there for any length of time. I''m currently saving up for an Eames Time Life, but enough of my obsessions...
Below are some other peoples' desks. There are many like them, but these are theirs....

All images via flickr

Five Easy Pieces

It probably comes as no surprise that one of my other great passions in life is mid-century modern design which, without doubt, has much in common with great writing. Both epitomise the principles of passion, structure, forethought and longevity as well as the ability to make grown people weep. Long before Orla Kiely and Ikea took over the high street, these designers were making their unique and indelible mark on history.

Here, then, are five classic pieces, many of which I am privileged enough to own and love.

Courtesy of Architonic

Eames Rocker designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Zenith Plastics, Herman Miller, 1950


Courtesy of Classic Textiles

Lucienne Day "Larch" Fabric for Heals, 1961


Courtesy of V&A Museum

Isokon Penguin Donkey Bookcase, Designed by Egon Riss and Jack Pritchard, 1939, Manufactured by Isokon Furniture, London


Courtesy of Design Sponge

Stig Lindberg tableware for Berså, 1960 - 1974



Courtesy of Architonic

Robert Heritage Sideboard for A.G Evans, 1954.