This morning on Monday musings we are revisiting a post we published last year about the RHS Chelsea Flower Show as we feel it is even more relevant. This years Chelsea spectacle began yesterday, but with escalating budgets and intricate designs, how can the average visitor or viewer find anything to ‘take home’…?

(originally published 24th May 2012)

Over the past three days we have looked (very briefly) at some of the highlights for the three shows which come to fruition this week. Each of the three are exceedingly different, so, what is the relevance of these events to the regular visitor, with modest living spaces and usually even more modest outdoor spaces – all funded with terribly restricted pursestrings.

It is easy to steal ideas and inspiration from the Chelsea Fringe and Clerkenwell – they are immediately ‘accessible’ to all of us. Firstly, there are small or no charges for any of the events. The events are very varied, just like us. There is a huge sense of community.  It is very cliche to say that there is ‘something for everyone’ but I truly believe the statement. But RHS Chelsea? With a large entrance fee and restricted tickets, massive sponsorship deals and massive budgets can the general public really be inspired?

The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is a formidable beast with a royal heritage – in short, a Chelsea Gold has become the pinnacle of many a designers and growers medal shelf. The years of training and hard toil are rewarded in a similar way to an Olympic event – it has to be right on the day, or sorry, close but no cigar.

But often when visiting these events, the public view is extremely different to that of the RHS judges – and this is exactly what we can all benefit from. It does not particularly matter to us what the medal or award is – the gardens and nursery stands are there to INSPIRE US as visitors, not critical judges and if you look in the right way, anyone can see something to suit their own spaces and budgets.

So, take your camera and notebook and grab the images which appeal. Forget the scale of the gardens and how much they cost – this has absolutely no relevance to many of us at all – look closely at the details and the ingredients which make them up and steal them for your own. Plant combinations, structure of trees, reclaimed materials, hard landscaping, how water can be used, colour use etc…

By all means take an overall picture of the garden but then get into the detail – catalogue all that you like so you can happily steal it all when you get back home. Nicking the small details is how the RHS Chelsea Flower Show becomes accessible to everyone. If we just concentrate on the overall image, we forget about the small elements, which in reality are the things that we can use.

I know from my own collections of images and sketchbooks from previous Chelsea Flower Shows that I have very few images of the whole garden, or plant stand. There are moss covered rocks. The juxtaposition between structure and foliage. The interplay between formal landscaping and sweeping planting. Great textures. Lots of small, close images.

This type of inspiration gathering does not only (and should not only) have to apply to gardeners – anyone with a creative mind can find inspiration in anything. To quote Sir Paul Smith – ‘you can find inspiration in everything (and if you can’t, look again).

And do not worry if you are not visiting the show – watch on iPlayer and snap shots of details from the coverage or look at the beautiful photos which have been uploaded to the RHS Chelsea website. There are long, overall shots, but a lot of them look at the tiny details…

Plus, the gods are in the detail, so open your eyes wide, focus them close and record it all.

(image via RHS)

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There are a few pairs of colours that are just perfect together. Dark grey and mustard yellow in a colour scheme is one of those parings - demonstrated beautifully by this image we spotted on Pinterest.

This has to be one of our favourite images at the moment. The dark grey wall has a great depth and almost warmth, making it the perfect foil for the rest of the pieces. Textural interest is brought into the mix with the varieties of timber, in pale to deep and the grey is able to hold all the colours together in a harmonious way.

But the true stars of the shot are the dark grey and the mustard yellow. They are just a perfect pairing.

Highlighted with a little pop of pink and turquoise blues, in essence you have got an almost 50′s inspired colour scheme, but interpreted in a very modern way. The Hare print brings all the colours together and ties each piece neatly into one.

A wonderful eclectic interior design image - and one of our all time favourite colour scheme images featured here on weekend colour inspiration.

Yet another colour scheme that shows just why dark grey is one of our favourite colours.

(image by Armille Habib for Fenton and Fenton Rugs)

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There is a particular art in being able to construct a beautiful vignette – a photographed still life which includes a variety of carefully balanced pieces. To get the different elements  the textures and the light to work together is a real skill and there is one artist based in Brighton who is very good indeed. We follow 5ftinf (the alter ego of artist Philippa Stanton) on Instagram, where the ‘daily table’ photo which is constructed from vintage pieces and seasonal items is a joy to behold.

Whilst visiting the Artists Open Houses we discovered that the gorgeous still lives are available as both greetings cards and photographic prints – both at the open house in 64 Sandgate Road, Brighton and online at Philippa’s Etsy store.

Plus, if there is a particular ‘daily table’ shot that catches your eye, you can request is specially.

But be warned – there are so many beautiful photographs of The Table on both the 5ftinf Instagram feed and blog that you would be very hard pushed to choose just one.

(images via 5ftinf Etsy)

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There are landscapes and locations in each of our lives that instantly conjure up thoughts and memories of days gone by, both long past and relatively present. Having been born in Brighton, the South Downs hold a very special place in my own heart and it was with delight that we spotted this wonderful Devil’s Dyke screenprint by local artist Sue Haseltine at the Artists Open Houses.

Whilst the view is beautifully stylised, if you have visited the Devil’s Dyke you know exactly where it is. Personally, I know that central path well. Over the years I have walked, run, ridden a horse, ridden a downhill mountain bike and even snowboarded down that path. And this print brings back those memories.

The Devil’s Dyke screenprint has a lovely graphic quality, reminiscent of an old transport poster or postage stamp  with a simplicity that allows it to be very contemporary in feel also. It would be perfectly situated within a modern family living room where you can all remember picnics, walks and kite flying in the middle of winter.

And at £45 for an unframed print, it will not break the bank. A truly stunning print from a local artist who knows the location well.

(image via Sue Haseltine)

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Even before the recent surge in the old fashioned satchel, we had a very soft spot for old leather suitcases, doctors bags and monogrammed military issue shoulder bags. There is a sense of history with a leather piece - marks and scratches showing the passing of time and a map of where the item and the owner/s have been. Leather pieces also last a very long time, so are great for diverting away from landfill in the sustainability sense.

So we are always very interested to see how designers and makers take this very traditional craft into a modern setting. We were delighted when we found the beautiful bags, belts and accessories from Brighton based Wolfram Lohr at the Brighton Artists Open Houses.

It was one of those moments when you see something, fall instantly in love with it, then instantly fall in love with the piece next door. And the piece next door to that.

The range of leather pieces by Wolfram Lohr follow a very utilitarian style, with beautifully simple and traditional shapes being updated with a very modern combination of colours and tiny details, such as contrasting threads and pencil loops within bags. Plus, most of the hides used within the leather work are vegetable tanned, eliminating the nasty chemicals commonly used in the process.

They really are a delight to behold. 

Plus, if you do not have the funds to stretch to one of the gorgeous post style bags (from around £100 – £580 for the laptop bag) there is a great range of accessories finished to the same impeccable detail, such as the mobile phone sleeve for only £28.

The pieces by Wolfram Lohr are a wonderful example of true craft, produced by hand and with care for a contemporary user.

See Wolfram Lohr at 3 Florence Road, Brighton as part of the Brighton Open Houses, or at the boutiques website.

(images via Wolfram Lohr)

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Each May, our home town of Brighton is put into overdrive with the Brighton Festival, Brighton Fringe and the Artists Open Houses, running all month. Even though Brighton is already an incredibly creative city, you literally cannot move for pop up theatre, comedy, exciting new venues and wonderful performances. It is as exhausting as it is exciting. And as official reviewers this year for the excellent EggMag, we are enjoying it even more.

However, there is one element to May that is a real joy and we look forward to each year – the Artists Open Houses.

Springing up through the various art collectives that scatter the city, they are all brought together under the Open House banner for the month  arranged neatly into trails in most of the major areas of Brighton.

Using the brilliantly produced (and free) Artists Open House brochure or mobile app, you can discover areas of Brighton which you perhaps had never visited – peeking into the homes of the artists themselves, purchasing a cup of tea and home made cake and having a chat with the people who actually created the art, design and craft.

And this is the real bonus to the Artists Open Houses. Not only do you find wonderful pieces which span the realms of fine art, illustration, photography, jewellery and design collected together beautifully, you will probably get the chance to chat to the maker themselves.

So much of the creative process is a personal thing – particularly with solo artists and designer/ makers  so having the ability to talk through the reasoning to a piece, their inspiration or even whether they could do you the same item but perhaps in grey is priceless. In an age of the mass produced, the personality that is poured into art, design and craft is something that we have tended to lose – it is this great collective that allows us to reconnect.

It does feel as though these wonderful artists, designers and makers have been hidden away in their studios across Brighton, all working independently and the Open Houses is where we all get to discover them, so get out there.

Find a piece, talk to the maker and treasure it.

We will be posting some of our favourite makers here on the Ecospot, so keep your eyes peeled for a variety of both art, design and craft suitable for the eclectic interior.

see the Artists Open Houses website for details on all the locations across Brighton.

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There are many colour combinations which are well known and well used. They are safe and trusted, like apple pie and custard. But every now and again you see a colour combination which on paper should not work, but when installed, possibly does.

We spotted this shower installation over at Apartment Therapy and were instantly drawn to how different it was.

The mint tiles are pretty standard, but the orange shower head is very out of the norm but somehow we think it works quite well.

We do tend to think of sanitary ware as being white and showers and taps being metallic  but perhaps we do need to think about different colours. We are not proposing a return to the avocado suites of the 70′s, but perhaps shaking up our bathroom metal ware could be an interesting way to go…

(taps from Vola)

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We are suckers for a lovely screen print. Particularly if it features a lovely strong graphic and a bit of typography. They are one of our favourite ways of getting colour into a modern  eclectic interior as they are not only strong images, but are pieces of art.

So the Artists Open Houses in Brighton each May sees us searching out artists to add to our list. We instantly fell in love with these screen prints from Patrick Edgeley, who’s studio is based in Brighton.

Taking references from Americana, pop culture and everyday objects, the limited edition screen prints are bright, with a strong structure. Repetition features in many of the prints, with soda pop bottle lids, bubble gum logos or kitchen utensils dancing across the image.

There is a distinct retro feel to the representation of the pieces within the screen prints – both with the colours used and the subjects themselves and it was this bright retro feel that attracted us.

We think they would be perfect in a kitchen / diner space, with prints such as ‘Elvis’ gracing a modern hallway to give you a smile as you pop in and out of the house.

Lovely prints from another local artist – and one on our list of people to call on for future interior design projects… Go see his exhibition at 3 Florence Road, Brighton for the Artists Open Houses.

(images via Antigraphic)

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Concrete has, of course, huge amounts of embodied energy which puts it into the ‘not very eco’ pile. But if used in the right way it is not only structurally stable for long periods, it can be beautifully finished and not need a top finish at all.

However, if concrete is not already in situ and you just require a concrete look without the structural benefits today’s wallpaper could just be a solution.

This ‘Concrete’ Wallpaper from online interior emporium Pretty Dandy is printed on a non – woven fleece paper and is perfect to give that concrete look without the masses of carbon footprint. It is a darn sight cheaper than concrete too – at £84.50 per 10m roll.

We particularly like the lines on the paper which designate the shuttering marks that you get when forming concrete, which create an almost striped effect from a distance.

A very different wallpaper which is perfect for creating that industrial interior when you perhaps don’t have a raw wall to work with.

(And if you watch this little film and get the secret code you will get 20% off your order for the whole of May. Now that is Pretty Dandy)

(image via Pretty Dandy)

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As yesterday was a Bank Holiday Monday, there were no Monday Musings here on the Ecospot, but rest assured – we were not sitting idle. The merry month of May is a particularly great time to be in the city of Brighton as we have the fabulous Brighton Festival, Brighton Fringe and the Artists Open Houses.

This is where trails across the city wind their way from house to house each weekend, stuffed full of wonderful pieces of art, craft, graphics and homewares. And often, the creators are there too, so you get the chance to chat directly to the makers.

So, this month we we will be spotting quite a lot of stuff that we have hunted out on the Artist Open Houses trails, starting with these great lamps by designer Sarah Lock.

Currently on show at 3 Florence Road, Brighton, we were instantly drawn to the hand turned decorative wooden side lamps, each of which was topped with a bespoke shade.

With an eclectic mix of forms, some of the wooden bases were painted in both bold and delicate bands to match the contours of the base, whilst others were left natural.

Shades are matched perfectly with each base, from oversized florals to plain and neutral, but our favourite has to be the shades created from maps.

We were very drawn not only to the balanced nature of the pieces, but the slightly eclectic nature that each piece had. They would be perfect in any eclectic interior – as a set of bedside table lamps or as a single piece on a side table in a living room.

Plus, the lamps and shades by Sarah Lock are available together (£150) or you can purchase the shades separately (from £30 each)

See them on the Artists Open Houses Trail or at www.sarahlock.com

(images by claire potter design and Sarah Lock)

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