Tag Archives: interior design

SPOTTED – screenprinted vintage mirrors of asintended

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We adore finding beautiful, handcrafted pieces to feature here on The Ecospot, or for the projects we work on with our clients. We are particularly in love with anything letterpress inspired, and this traditional way of printing often crops up in our projects in some way or another.

she stood in the storm

So we were delighted when we spotted these gorgeous letterpress inspired screenprinted vintage mirrors by graphic studio asintended, who we discovered on an Artists Open House trail in Brighton.

Using vintage mirrors  the studio prints inspirational quotes over the top to create a beautiful decorative, reflective piece with stacks of depth.

she stood in the storm

Perhaps not the mirror you would choose for a bathroom  but we are thinking about this for a hallway, or even a kitchen diner space to add a bit of extra character and to bounce the light about.

Stunning – and one we will be specifying without doubt. Contact asintended for further information on the mirrors or the other great letterpress prints in the studios collection.

(image via asintended)

Wednesday Walls – beautiful Pythagoras wallpaper

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Today on Wednesday Walls we are looking at a brilliant wallpaper which would be perfect for an eclectic interior. The pick was also inspired by a particular scene we witnessed this week whilst at the University of Sussex marking the Product Design 2013 Show…

Wandering along a corridor, we happened to pass through a corridor which formed part of the Physics department. Instead of the desks of people working quietly, there was a scene of a group of students frantically scribbling equations over a wall wide chalk board. Laughing, joking, doing physics. What they were actually doing totally escaped us, but the image of the wall was beautiful.

So when we spotted this aptly named ’Pythagoras‘ Wallpaper over at Rockett St George we knew we had to feature it on Wednesday Walls. A little bit eclectic, a little bit Victorian Steam Punk, it was the closest we would ever get to a wall of physics.

Navigator Collection Pythagoras Wallpaper available in Charcoal, Stone and Taupe

And along with the taupe and stone colourways, it is also available in our favourite shade of charcoal, as pictured above, for only £39 per 10m roll.

A bargain for a nice and unusual wallpaper and much cheaper than having an in house physics professor. A perfect addition to an eclectic interior.

(image via Rockett St George)

SPOTTED – beautiful functional ceramics of Holly Bell

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We are very firm believers that you should have a good selection of tableware - everyday pieces, special pieces and a selection of one-off pieces. Yet another spot from the Artists Open Houses in Brighton this year, we saw these pieces of functional ceramics from local artist Holly Bell and instantly fell in love with their simple shapes and soft colourings.

Perfect to compliment a range of tableware as beautiful one off pieces, made with care. 

bowlsround dimlpe jugs

 

 

 

 

 

 

Holly states that the colours of the South Downs provide inspiration for the pieces she produces, and as locals, we can definitely see the influences of chalk paths, hedges and the sea. The muted colours also fade across the pieces giving them a beautiful washed appearance.

Our particular favourites were the small jugs which have a beautifully sculpted spout and central dimple on the body for holding with ease. They are balanced, delicate yet robust – real winners.

See Holly Bell at 64 Sandgate Road as part of the Artists Open Houses, or at her website – www.hollybell.co.uk

(inages via Holly Bell)

SPOTTED – the beautiful vignette still life photos of 5ftinf

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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)

Wednesday Walls – Devil’s Dyke screenprint by Sue Haseltine

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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.

Sue Haseltine Devil's Dyke Screenprint

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)

Monday musings – the Artists Open Houses, Brighton

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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.

Weekend colour inspiration – mint green and orange

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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.

atla-091708-gno02.jpg

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)

SPOTTED – American pop culture screen prints by Patrick Edgeley

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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.

Bottle Tops Patrick Edgeley

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.

Kitchen utensils Patrick Edgeley

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.

elvis-patrick edgeley

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)

Wednesday Walls – Concrete wallpaper from Pretty Dandy

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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)

SPOTTED – hand crafted lamps by Sarah Lock

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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.

sarah lock

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)