New products and services, interesting shops, ideas for your garden, our pick from the design fairs, and other things we like…
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Appley Hoare’s new shop
Antique dealer Appley Hoare‘s new shop in Chelsea was looking very festive at last week’s Langton Street Christmas party.
A simple giant wreath and gold baubles for an opulent look.
Elegant washstands
Balineum supplies elegant contemporary bathroom accessories, luxury linens and furnishings, sourced from manufacturers who place quality and workmanship above all else, whether they are small family owned firms or larger companies that support locally skilled craftsman.
These elegant washstands are the latest addition to their range. They are hand-made in England by a metal maker in Worcestershire. They are classic designs that will stand the test of time.
The Hanbury, named after Worcestershire’s own Hanbury Hall, features refined ball and taper legs that are outfitted with glass towel bars.
The unseen Rex Whistler
An exhibition of paintings by the elusive Rex Whistler (1905-1944) is on at Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler in Mayfair until 14 December to celebrate the publication of a new biography “In Search of Rex Whistler” by Hugh and Mirabel Cecil. The setting of the exhibition is highly appropriate as Sibyl Colefax and Rex Whistler knew one another well; both were great friends of Cecil Beaton and frequently stayed at Ashcombe, his magical house in Wiltshire. The famous Yellow Room is being transformed for the occasion by the leading international exhibition designer, George Carter.
The book jacket shows a detail from the Tent Room at Port Lympne, Kent, 1932. By permission of the Aspinall Foundation © Estate of Rex Whistler.
The Wood Fire Handbook
This is the perfect book to curl up with on a winter evening. Woodsman Vincent Thurkettle has a passion for wood fires, and his new handbook is an inspiring guide to everything you need to know: choosing the best woods, how to buy, season and store them, setting up a woodshed, how to lay the perfect fire, choosing wood for scent and cooking on an open fire.
Canteen in Covent Garden
Skinflint Designs have supplied a number of vintage British wall lights for the new Covent Garden branch of Canteen. Designed by the East London Design Studio ‘Very Good and Proper‘, the restaurant mixes colourful contemporary furniture with vintage details.
Wendy Bray wallpapers
Warner Textile Archive is launching nine new wallpapers by Wendy Bray, whose artistic career spans over 60 years. Each of her designs captures the intrinsic vitality of everyday scenes, with a bold interplay of pattern and colour.
Su Blackwell’s paper-cut fairytales
Anthropologie will be hosting a new exhibition of Su Blackwell’s enchanting paper sculptures at The Gallery at 139 King’s Road. This exhibition is in association with the Thames and Hudson publication of ‘The Fairy Tale Princess: Seven Classic Stories from The Enchanted Forest’.
Mariage Frères opens at Selfridges
The French Tea house Mariage Frères has just opened its first ever UK concession in Selfridges . (It opened its first tea room in Paris in 1854). It stocks a vast array of teas, with exotic names like Thé sur le Nil, Pleine Lune, Marco Polo, Nocturne oriental and Puits du Dragon, as well as their unusual teapots and accessories.
Where’s Woolly?
This handcrafted papier mâché sheep in his distinctive ‘Where’s Woolly’ red-and-white striped jumper and bobble hat is part of some eye-catching pop-ups created by designer Karina Garrick at Chelsea Harbour Design Centre to promote Wool Week 2012. There’s a design trail to show visitors where to find wool products in participating showrooms. From woollen fabrics to rugs and carpets, there is a vast array to choose from – everything from the glamorous and elegant to contemporary cool.
A Living Space, Kit Kemp’s new book
Last week, Anthropologie in Regent Street hosted a talk by interior designer Kit Kemp to launch her first book, ‘A Living Space’. Kit Kemp is renowned for her bold use of colour and personal, hand-crafted approach. She is co-owner and Design Director of the expanding luxury hotel group Firmdale. Hotels include London’s Covent Garden Hotel, Charlotte Street Hotel and The Soho Hotel and Crosby Street Hotel in New York. Kit has a string of awards under her belt, including an MBE in the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Birthday Honours List.
Kit Kemp’s installation on the mezzanine floor at Anthropologie, framed by the store’s living wall. She had no trouble finding colourful and quirky pieces that fit in with her style from the eclectic stock at Anthropologie.
