Travel Antwerp | Images From Designcentre de Winkelhaak

It's often said that the best design comes from the need to solve a problem, to improve an existing way of life. The Designcentre de Winkelhaak, located a stone's throw from the Antwerp city train station has proved itself to be just that.The Designcentre is in part a social project, created from the need to improve what was a difficult area in the central station district which was rife with prostitution and drug culture. The neighbourhood was in need of investment and renovation but crucially in a way that didn't drive out the existing community and encourage gentrification. Described as an incubator for creative entrepreneurship, this award winning centre, now in its 15th year is an ever evolving hub for designers, creatives and enthusiasts, with studios to rent, exhibition space, on hand advise and brand new design shop which extols the virtues of its Belgian Design Essentials.With over 30 designers and studios under one roof, the centre promotes new and young Belgian design, providing business support, co-working spaces and an environment in which this design community meet regularly to discuss ideas and help each other to grow their businesses.Adjoined to the centre is BarOscar, a warm and welcoming cafe with meeting spaces below for designers and customers - it apparently also serves the best coffee in Antwerp, although I'd challenge that with their hot chocolate which was ridiculously comforting on a cold October afternoon.In an effort to feel inclusive of its surrounding residents, the Designcentre has an open door policy - the building itself is essentially made up of wall to wall windows which encourages transparency so that activity inside the building can be seen. I wish I'd had more time to photograph the space for you properly, but my eyes were taken by all the small details, the concrete walls, metal structured windows, open spaces and of course, those double height floor to ceiling curtains.Inside the open exhibition space in the basement (sometimes used for expos and design events) were pieces on display from the 2016 winners of OVAM Ecodesign Awards. I particularly loved the SPAN bench, designed by Jonathan Engels which is based on the principle of compression and tension between the oak seat and frame and steel cables.A brilliant and shining example in so many ways - from the support of young Belgian design, the way in which it has helped to improve what was a troubled area of the city, to the architecture itself, the centre is always finding new ways to adapt and sustain.Visit Designcentre de Winkelhaak / Long Winkelhaakstraat, 2060 Antwerp.Mon - Fri: 09:00 - 18:00Sat: 10:00 - 16:00To see more about the design centre and visit during your stay in Antwerp, check out the website.The Function+Form Bloggers Design Tour was organised in collaboration with Pentacom PR and Designcentre de Winkelhaak, with thanks. 

Photography © Tiffany Grant-Riley 

Handprinted Textiles from a Victorian Riverside Mill

Sometimes you can walk past a building you love for years without the slightest clue as to what's inside it, but you always wonder, right? Well, the mystery of one my favourite warehouse buildings was debunked last year when I discovered through sheer coincidence that it was home to family run handprinted textiles company, Marina Mill.Just across the river from Rochester in Kent, this beautiful Victorian warehouse, known to have originally been a former Bryant & May match factory has been their base since the early 90s. Barely touched in all those years, the building is every bit as beautiful in its age as the fabrics that are produced here too. In 1967 following a degree in Fine Art and several years working along side Czech artist and designer Zika Asher, founder Keith Rawkins and his wife Stephanie began their journey into textiles from their basement flat in Fulham. Originally designing for the fashion industry, their focus gradually shifted to interiors and they were later joined by their daughter Tandine and son Guy in the late 80s. I popped over (literally) to meet Tandine and have a good look round...Over the many years the company has been producing handprinted textiles, the team have collaborated on designs for Colefax & Fowler, English Heritage and continue to develop fabrics for well known interior designers. Given the nature of their work and that so many designs are exclusive, I was unable to photograph much of it, however, I've seen it all with my own eyes and the quality is pretty breath-taking.The process is quite complex, but what I understood was that each design is drawn out and developed, then moves on to computer where repeats are worked out before the screens can be printed and ready to use. Most fabrics with more than one colour (a maximum of six is used in general) will be left to dry in stages before the next colour is added on top-you can see the heaters on the ceiling which help to speed up the process.Tandine tells me how space was so limited in the basement flat in Fulham that her parents could only print a certain amount at any one time, so I could see why the warehouse was such a perfect fit for their needs - these printing tables are 28 feet long! It's a two man job to screen print too, both carefully placing the screen against markings at intervals to ensure the design lines up, then swiftly dragging the ink across with a squeegee.This large Victorian shed houses their entire print archive, row upon row of screens hiding yet more elaborate designs. Tandine expressed that she would love to have their own regular collection in future, so perhaps these will see the light of day again soon?Much of the cottons they use to print on are British made which makes me love what they do all the more. It's so rare to find a company with such a rich history that has survived the test of time, much less a stones throw from me. Whilst they continue to adapt to the market (including supplying to the Superyacht industry), I'm happy to see that they hold on to their origins and in turn support other British companies too.

Photography © Tiffany Grant-Riley

MENU | Minimalist Design SS17 Collection

As far as Scandinavian design goes, MENU is pretty high up on the list for always reinventing simplistic, minimalist furniture through a collaboration of super talented designers. Yes, the SS17 collection is every bit as desirable, if not more now that MENU have included a collection of absolutely beautiful seating demonstrating a less boxy approach to comfortable sofas. Can we just take a minute to talk about the Tailor sofa, please? Created by Portuguese designer Rui Alves who was inspired by his grandfather's favourite tailor shop, drawing on a sense of authenticity, remembering suits handing on wooden hangers and the tailors working over their benches. Every part of this sofa is meant to be seen and admired, from its scooping structure made from oak, the wooden joints and the general flow of the piece. I can't imagine a better piece for our living room now either. Ok, well a girl can dream...Smaller details include the Glow Hurricane candle holder designed by Norm Architects. Inspired by traditional oil lamps, it casts a soft glow from its opaline glass top which sits on top of a bronzed solid brass base.Benches continue to make themselves at home in 2017 as really a versatile piece of furniture, so I'm really pleased to see the Meet Bench amongst this collection. It's perfect for two to sit on but also works well as an occasional table - I'd use it in the hallway to keep our unruly shoes under control, although it'd be an equally perfect home for our growing family of plants too.Spring and summer sees a continuation of minimal luxe style using quality materials, from marble and oak to smoked glass and solid bronze. Practically perfect. Which design speak to you? 

All photography courtesy of MENU.

Spanish Design | Xavier Mañosa and Apparatu

One of my biggest loves in life, aside from plants, is ceramics. I'm always fascinated by the process, from the type of clay, the quality of its texture, the shaping, the firing, glazing. Each piece tells a story and sometimes even the maker's marks can be found somewhere on the surface. So I thought that it's high time I brought you more from my travels to Spain back in July and our visit to meet designer and ceramist Xavier Mañosa at his workshop, Apparatu. It seems a world away now as we said goodbye to Marset and headed out of Barcelona to a quiet industrial estate in Rubí, wondering where on earth we were! The only tell-tale sign was a large skip filled with broken shards of pottery and a stack of rejected vases...Inside the large unit was a hive of activity, despite the heat from the midday sun and the large kilns. Everything was covered in dust, with stacks of pottery at various stages and large casts slowly drying. Absolute heaven for me!Apparatu is a very close knit team with Xavier and his parents at the heart of it, who began the pottery workshop forty years ago. Growing up in such a creative environment must have had some effect on Xavier, although despite studying industrial design and moving out to Berlin, he didn't find his way back to ceramics until he started collaborating with design trio Mashallah Design, experimenting with more graphic, three-dimensional shapes. He moved back home and into his parents workshop, bringing their very traditional business into the here and now, producing pieces for the likes of Marset in the Scotch Club and beautifully fluid Pleat Box lamp collection.The lamps are made using moulds filled with a liquid clay (secret recipe) allowing them partly to dry before draining the remains away and leaving a shell to form. It's this that becomes the basic structure of the lamp which is fired several times throughout.You get the sense that you are entirely at the mercy of a slow and exacting process here - if the air is too moist or too dry it greatly affects the quality of the casts. Each piece is painstakingly examined, sanded down for smoothness and glazed by hand. Anything that doesn't make the grade is discarded. Although I was captivated by the glossy gold insides of the Pleat Box lamp (did you know that the glaze is brown?) my real loves were seeing the stacks of shades at their bisque stage after their first firing - a clean, crisp white. Aren't they stunning?It is hard to capture the feeling inside this space from a few photographs, the close bond shared by the Mañosa family or the connection between their past and future as Apparatu, but Xavier goes some way to explain it in this beautiful film 'Reflections on Light'.The Sunny Design Days Tour was kindly organised by the Association of Spanish Design. 

Belgian Design | Universo Positivo Furniture

During our Function+Form Design Tour in Antwerp, we were introduced to three Belgian furniture brands - Ethnicraft, Universo Positivo and Notre Mond inside one of the oldest buildings in the city. Located just off the Kloosterstraat (which is the place for antique and vintage shopping by the way) and dating from 1541, this beautifully higgledy-piggledy building is now home to seasonal concept store Quatuor. Across three floors, each room stems from a narrow staircase, leading through to other smaller spaces all styled for the winter season with pieces of wooden furniture from these collections. Unfortunately, as the light was somewhat lacking, I'm sharing my picks from Universo Positivo's Look Book instead. I promise you won't be disappointed...The brand was initiated by Ethnicraft (to be featured next week) and husband and wife design team Jan and Lara who collaborate on each collection with eight other European designers. In 2013 the team debuted their collection at Maison & Objet in Paris with its contemporary, minimalist style, featuring warm oak combined with lacquered metal. How could I not fall in love with the simplicity of each piece and how the materials are celebrated for what they are.Jan and Lara wanted to create multifunctional, affordable furniture with a focus on timeless aesthetics. Most importantly though, Universo's products are all produced within Europe, using sustainable materials. I could really see my personal favourite, the Gabbia chair, at the head of a table or as a feature piece in the bedroom - it has such a striking form with its black metal curves.Check back next week to take a look at the Ethnicraft collection, particularly if wooden furniture is your bag...Our Function+Form Bloggers Design Tour to Antwerp was organised in collaboration with Pentacom PR, City Of Antwerp and the Design Centre Winkelhaak.Check out our hashtags on social for more: #BloggersTourAntwerp #WeAreFunctionAndForm.

London Design Festival / Highlights

This year's line-up at the London Design Festival was just too much for me not to make an effort to turn up to see, and given that it was pretty much three weeks ago already, it's taken me a while to get through it all! With so many incredible shows and exhibitions open across the city, it was a difficult task to choose where my focus would lie over the course of my two day escape, so I focused on the east. Here are my highlights - hold on tight for the eye candy!

Bare Minimum at Viaduct

During a tour of the Clerkenwell design quarter, we began at Viaduct for the Bare Minimum exhibition, a beautifully curated selection of minimalist furniture and lighting. The focus for the show was to highlight a fresh perspective on minimalist design, exploring the detail in choice of materials, textures, shape and colour. Designers included Jasper Morrison, Giapato & Coombes, Maarten van Severen and E15.

100% Norway

It's pretty evident (and exciting) to see that the botanicals trend is showing no sign of slowing down, and ceramic artist Ann Kristin Einarsen's planters were top of my list to visit at 100% Norwary. Give me smooth, matt ceramics, throw in some green planting and I. Am. There. A woodcrafter turned ceramics designer, Einarsen's inspiration for the two tone Rolla and Sip planters were the salt and pepper grinders created for Muuto. Currently a protoype (I desperately need these!) the user is encouraged to mix the pots and bases to create a different look for their indoor plants. Yes. Please.

London Design Fair

Seen earlier this year in Copenhagen and causing quite a stir, the #80 White modular sofa by Camilla Aggestrup was, I thought, every bit as stunning in the flesh. Designed for commercial spaces, the sofa can be split into single seats or added to according to its use. With a woven, transparent high back it gives a sense of privacy and I loved its simple, graphic shape.The serving trolley has started to become a more familiar site within our homes again following its popularity in the 50s and 60s and home entertaining. Finnish designer Maiju Uski's contemporary take was designed to serve the different actions of cooking and serving with its steel frame, niche to hang useful things and small drawer The top of the trolley holds a tactile configuration of wooden chopping boards, soap stone platters and porcelain plates. I could really see this as a portable home for plants too, but then I would, wouldn't I!With day beds and benches becoming a more portable alternative to the sofa, I was pleased to see the collection by Danish brand Friends&Founders. Based on their "favourite spot" philosophy, founders Rasmus and Ida Linea Hildebrand design multifunctional and multi-spacial furniture to encourage indoor/outdoor use and flexible living.Young Mexican designer David Pompa combined traditional Mexican techniques and contemporary style to create his lighting collection. Using a combination of handblown glass, pottery, polished metals and woven PVC, Pompa's work is putting new Mexican design on the map. I was particularly struck by the barro negro (black pottery) found in Oaxaca which through a process of smoking gives its metallic effect used in his designs.

Mini Living Installations by Asif Khan

The most stand-out piece from the whole week was the Mini Living experience, a series of three small scale urban gardens in Shoreditch. Designed by architect Asif Khan in collaboration with horticulturalists and plant designers Conservatory Archives, each installation was created to explore solutions to urban living as spaces to relax and connect with others. These fully immersive forest spaces felt like a cocoon, with transparent walls letting in soft light and a variety of plants which members of the public were invited to take home after the festival as a continuation.Did you managed to see anything of note from the festival this year? Tell me what I missed!

Spanish Design / Shaping Light With Marset

After a restful morning at the hotel and exploring the city, our first afternoon in Barcelona found us wandering away from the main streets into the quiet oasis of a courtyard; here we met with Marset, exploring their lighting showroom over lunch. The first of many lunches, we were welcomed with chilled gazpacho, salty-sweet jamón and platefuls of paella. The Spanish know how to lunch, am I right?Although very much a Spanish company, founded by the family in the 1940s as casters of metal before focusing on lighting in the 1960s, Marset collaborates with new and more established designers internationally.What struck me most is the variety in their design - there isn't any one signature style here as such. Mid-century inspired pieces sit next to the futuristic, ceramics against woods and metal; but you can see how one design informs the next.They recognise the importance of simplicity, functionality and the character given to a space created through the diffusion of light. It isn't so much the light itself but the shadows that give atmosphere to a room. When you understand how you want a space to feel, how you will use that room, then you build upon the depth, colour, shape of shadow and manipulate it with light. Each piece within the Marset collection has its own experience to share.I loved the minimalist design of the Ginger collection, made from a combination of pressed wood, paper and resin. It gives off a soft, intimate light which filters through the wood.The geometric, ceramic 'Scotch Club' bowls give directional light - ideal for a dining room.My favourite design? The Pleat Box collection, a result of Marset's first collaboration with ceramist and designer Xavier Mañosa (above). Stay tuned for an insight into how these shades are produced next during our visit to Xavier's atelier in the outskirts of Barcelona. It's about to get a whole lot hotter and dustier!Photography © Tiffany Grant-Riley

Sunny Design Days / A Very Special Spanish Tour

I don't want to get all Elizabeth Gilbert on you, but sometimes the universe has a way of finding us out, sending what we need at just the right time. A few months back, I was in the car with my husband, most likely off to get his phone screen fixed (again) and I was feeling a really low. Out of nowhere I'd said "I really need to get away, say... to Barcelona...on a design tour-that would be incredible." Three hours later, I had an invitation from RED, the Association of Spanish Design Companies, inviting me to join their five day Sunny Design Days tour with eight other bloggers and journalists. Starting in Barcelona, we would visit studios and showrooms of some of the most renowned Spanish design brands, moving on to Valencia and finally Madrid, sampling some of the best Spanish hospitality around. Well, of course I burst into tears. Are you kidding me???!! And, if you've been watching my Instagram (check out #sunnydesigndays) you'll have no doubts at all that I jumped into that offer with both feet and all my heart and now here I am, back with a camera full of beautiful photos, new friends and a head filled with Spanish design.Over the coming weeks (because there is just so much to show you) I'll be sharing studio and showroom tours, collections from new designers, snapshots from a favourite hotel and perhaps a few interviews thrown into the mix.Check back in on Friday to explore our first stop - the Alexandra Hilton Hotel in Barcelona...iPhoneography © Tiffany Grant-Riley

Kovac Family / L25 Lamp Giveaway

I'm back in the land of the living having stepped off my Spanish cloud at the weekend - last week I was away on a design tour, stopping off in Barcelona, Valencia and Madrid. If you've been following on Instagram you'll have had a little taste of what I got up to, but there will be more to come here on the blog over the coming weeks.For now, back to Scandinavian design and the organic shape of this, the L25 Lamp, so named because of the 25 pieces of oak its made from. Isn't it beautiful? Understated and quiet, but with a lot to say. Designed by Stockholm based design studio, Kovac Family, this lamp is locally produced, constructed from FSC sustainable oak and comes flatpacked for you to fold out yourself. You know how much I love design with a conscience and all the more so here as Kovac Family put proceeds from each lamp sale towards their biomimetic light project which aims to find new, eco-friendly solutions to help in designing and producing lighting by emulating nature itself.And because I knew you'd love it as much as I do, I've teamed up with Kovac Family with an Instagram giveaway. If you'd like to be in with a chance to win your own L25 Lamp in oak, here's what you need to do:• Switch over to Instagram and follow @kovac_family and @curatedisplay.• Find the giveaway post on my feed, leave a comment telling us where you'd like to hang your lamp and tag in a friend you think would like to enter too. Easy.The competition will run from Friday 22nd July and closes August 1st at midnight GMT. Entrants must live within Europe and the winner will be chosen at random by number generator. Good luck!  I'm also taking over Stylist Magazine's Instagram account today as part of their #FridayFeast series, so do follow along for my take on interiors and a little taste of Spanish design! Photography & Styling © Tiffany Grant-Riley 

Essentials For New Nordic Kitchen Style

[This Nordic kitchen essentials post include affiliate links.]If there's one thing that frustrates me about renting on a daily basis, it's looking at the unreleased potential in our kitchen. I spend a good portion of each day in it and yet, I'm unable to give it a major new look. I really do daydream about ripping out the cupboards, fitting concrete work tops, matt black taps and open shelving. Does this sound like you?Yes, I'm that sad. So, settling instead for the easy to add, inter-changeable details, I've dissected some of my favourite kitchen looks in New Nordic style in the hopes that it'll inspire you, particularly if you're in the same predicament as me. This style is all about enjoying the simplicity of the space, choosing and using well designed accessories that stand the test of time in both function and aesthetic. It's about a muted colour palette, natural materials that don't impact the environment, contrasting textures.Don't assume that white is right. New Nordic isn't just about monochrome, why not explore blush and nude, dark greens or soft grey (as above) used in the cupboards which holds together tonally through the granite countertop and splashback, through to the details of the warm, worn wooden chopping boards, touches of black stoneware and woven baskets on the recessed open shelves.Pay attention to the shelving that you choose as its as much a feature of the space as the pieces you display and use daily. Use an all-in-one design which blends into the wall to feature every day collections in similar tones (see above) or find a style which both compliments the setting but provides an unobtrusive contrast. These stainless steel, professional kitchen shelves bring in a metallic element in high shine alongside the white metro tiles but the warm herringbone flooring stops it feeling clinical and cold. The glasses look fantastic on display here and the wall-mounted Anglepoise lamp supplies directional lighting over the worktop.Organise your kitchen according to how you use it - if you always have stove top coffee in the mornings, reserve an area for all your bits and pieces; the coffee beans, the scoop, your favourite mugs. Pay attention to the accessories you use from the strainer to the brewer, the scoop, the beakers. It's about simple shapes and high quality materials. Trust me, incorporating well designed details into your daily coffee rituals just lifts the whole experience.For an extra shot of inspiration, my shopping page of New Nordic kitchen essentials will set you off in the right direction. Remember to stick with simple shapes, natural materials such as glass, wood, cork and choose tactile, every day accessories. Stack up and layer, play with muted colours and enjoy the quiet simplicity...SHOP THE COLLECTIONDRINK / Sinnerlig glass bottles, IKEA | Jono Smart matt black ceramic cup + rest, The Future Kept | Iittala grey smoked glass tumbler, Finnish Design Shop (Affiliate link) | Nobel Design stacking cups, ShedquartersEAT / Viktigt stacking plates, IKEA | Cutipol stainless steel and black resin flatware, Amara (Affiliate link) | Teak cereal bowl, The Conran Shop | Biodegradable bamboo plates, The Conran ShopBREW / Kinto glass coffee pot, SCP | Mette Duedahl Push coffee press, Muuto | Nambu cast iron kettle, Native & Co | Emma electric kettle, Stelton at SkandiumSERVE / Georg Jensen Alfredo salad servers, Heal's (Affiliate link) | Round cutting board, Twelvedots | HAY Field rounded bread board, Really Well Made | Black stoneware pitcher, Another CountrySTORE / Forminimal Jars, Clippings | Woven wire basket, SCP | Menu Norm cork and stoneware container, Nest | Dania black storage crate, Skagerak

An Interview With Caroline Gomez

Let me take a moment to introduce you to one of my design heroes - I know you will love her if you don't already. Say hello to Caroline Gomez. I can't tell you how or when it was that I found her work, but it was a moment of "ohhhh, she really gets it". From the smooth, organic shapes she creates in her tablewares, the natural materials she loves to work with to the achingly beautiful photography and art direction she produces for her 'Destination' travel books, she is always on point. And she works out of her home studio in Bordeaux whilst spinning the plates of motherhood which as you know will only earn her more brownie points from me.Much of Caroline's work gives me the feeling of carefree summer days, the moment just before the sun dips below the horizon, balmy evening air and the warmth in the pavement walking barefoot with wanderlust, just because. And her latest tableware collection, Lena, is no exception as she tells me in this gorgeous interview...

• Hello Caroline! Introduce us to the new Lena collection - what inspired the organic shapes? Do you collaborate with other artisans to create your pieces? 

The Lena collection is about summer days. I wanted a convivial collection for the family with organic shapes and powdery colours. I pictured myself on holidays, trying to feel the overwhelming impression of summer heat, sitting at a large table in the shade of a tree and then I asked myself: which pieces of tableware would I like to see on it? The jug reminds me of my holidays at my grandparents’ in the country and the two bowls have different volumes and work with all kinds of summer tables. Once I figured out the shapes, I spent several months researching with the help of the ceramist I work with before I ended with this specific smooth texture, which reminds me of the way our suntanned skin feels in the summer.

• Your ceramics seem to revolve around a similar muted colour palette - is this a deliberate choice? What influences that?

I like to combine simple designs and delicate colours so they can match any style of home whatever the colour palette. I like to imagine versatile objects that can easily find their place at home.

• I love your travel books for their minimal, graphic style and their off-the-beaten-track perspective. What’s your process in terms of researching, exploring and shooting the locations? 

Choosing and researching for each location takes about one year. I never look at the existing guides so I can keep a fresh eye on the city. I try and get in touch with local artists and artisans and exchange with them about my project. In fact, for my two latest books, I also interviewed them so I can fully share my encounters with the readers.

• You work from home, how do you separate your work from family life particularly as the main living area of your home is open plan? How do you relax/slow down when you need to? 

Yes, I have a small office and studio at home, separated from the other rooms. My home is suffused with light and it is very pleasant to live and work there. It’s also very convenient and I try and spend as much time as possible with my daughter. I can take her and collect her from school every day. I am glad that I can glean all these sweet family moments. Even though these days my work takes more and more time and space and I’d really need a bigger studio! When we need to relax, we drive either to the nearby ocean coast or countryside and take a break from the frantic pace of city life.

• How do you combine colour with minimal style at home? Are there any particular rules or advice that you would recommend to achieve this look? 

First I painted it all white and then I added touches of colours depending on the room fitting. The idea is to bring rhythm and create different atmospheres. Colours cover the walls either totally or partially so they may underline or complete the architecture of the place. I like colours to subtly delineate volumes and shapes.

• We’re seeing a more mindful move toward raw and natural materials and production methods within design - do you think this will become more permanent in future? 

I find that going for mindful production methods and working only with natural materials is the best solution for the future. I like to think that my objects get better and nobler with time and remain of use generation after generation, thus respecting the environment.

• Which designers and brands influence and inspire you and your work? 

Designers such as Finn Juha, Lucie Rie, Hans Wegner created timeless pieces that are still influencing to this day. But now I find that the approach and energy of people as different as Katie Lockhart, Olivier Gustav, Taylor Brûlé, Giada Forte or All the way to Paris are fascinating and full of resources! Their worlds and personalities are an inspiration to me.

•••

Explore Caroline's new titles 'Barcelone' and 'French California' and check out the other editions in the shop...

Photography © Caroline Gomez

Milan Interior Highlights / Design With The Unknown

In my last remote feature from the Salone del Mobile, I wanted to share a collaboration between designers Studio Oink and artist Aimee Bollu - Design With The Unknown. Comprised of a series of unrecognisable objects, the collection was created using found, collected and traded objects consumed by the other designer before transforming it into a new form and each injecting their own aesthetic. Neither side met in person during the process, communicating only through social media using the unknown to guide their choices. It's quite incredible to see how each piece sits seamlessly alongside another.Aimee's work by nature is rooted in collecting and gathering things discarded or forgotten by others, creating new narratives for the pieces she transforms. She uses techniques such as mould making, turning and slip casting combined with candy colours to bring about a fresh perspective and I love the personality she has brought to the Design With The Unknown collection.The materials assemble, stack and connect in a mixture of wood, porcelain, plastic and sponge. Despite their having no function, there's so much I love about this collaboration; the sculptural shapes, the muted colour palette, the surprise of the two sides reflecting each others thoughts and ideas so well. I can spot a few pieces I'd be more than happy to have in my home too...If you'd like to see more of Studio Oink's interior design or styling projects  - peaceful and minimal in style, take a look at their enviable portfolio...

Photography © Studio Oink 

Milan Interior Highlights / HAY Palissade Collection

In today's highlight from the Salone del Mobile, I'm falling over myself to get my hands on the latest collection from HAY. I've noticed a real shift in the attention paid to outdoor furniture this year, no doubt inspired by the launch of the Palissade Collection, a collaboration between brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec and HAY. Sticking closely to their commitment to produce good design made accessible for a larger audience, the new collection features thirteen different pieces to suit a variety of needs and spaces. Instantly drawn to the olive green colour (it also comes in an anthracite and light grey) I love their curved, slatted surfaces, giving a feeling of space which combined with the outdoors blends beautifully, designed to suit natural and urban landscapes alike. Made from powder-coated steel, Palissade includes a sofa, lounge chairs, tables, benches and stools, and in true HAY style looks set to become a design classic in the years to come...

"Since the beginning, it was very clear to me that this collection, these pieces, needed to have a particular aspect, something you could trust. The weight is part of this fact that you could trust a piece like this, you let it in your garden, outside for all the years, you do not care to treat it in a fragile way. For me, these are the types of pieces that stay for a while, and that maybe you would repaint after ten or twenty years."

- Ronan Bouroullec. 

From a contemporary perspective, I could really see this collection working in a courtyard space, with matt black painted walls or fencing and structural grasses and palms. Wouldn't that be something? 

Photography © HAY.

Milan Interior Highlights / Mater Design

Last week the design world was abuzz with news from the Salone del Mobile Milano, an international furniture fair held in Milan and the only place to be for aficionados. Those attending the show kept us on tenterhooks between gelatos and leisurely lunches over Instagram with snap shots from the most revered and celebrated designers all over the world. Whilst I couldn't make it (too busy washing my hair) I instead put together my own highlights from the show.Kicking off with Danish brand Mater Design founded in 2006 by Henrik Marstrand, this design house collaborates with fresh, up and coming designers producing simple, understated pieces with the environment at its core. Mater Design work with certified wood and sustainable materials, supporting people and local craft traditions, believing in the importance of leaving as little impact on the environment as possible.My eye was drawn to the muted tones and organic shapes, so simple yet hold their own as contemporary, stand out pieces. The styling made me want to reach out and touch everything, particularly the Tehor lamp (below) made from alder wood and blown glass, created by Finnish designer Maija Puoskari.Cloudy ChairSirka SideboardTerhor Lamp

Photography © Mater Design

Hend Krichen / British Made Tableware

I make no apologies if it's looking like this blog is turning into a celebration of British ceramics right now. Because you need to see these. And because in my line of work, they're some of the most important pieces to invest in - wouldn't I love to add these to my collection!I recently discovered the work of London based, Tunisian born designer Hend Krichen who, inspired by the blending of her cultural heritage and Bauhaus shapes has just launched the British Made tableware collection.Manufactured here in the UK at the birthplace of the British ceramics industry, Stoke-on-Trent, the collection is cast produced using raw, natural materials and left unglazed on the outer surfaces to reflect their true texture. As a designer, Krichen feels she has an obligation to contribute towards the revival of the British craft industry, and I couldn't agree with her more.With soft blush ceramics enjoying the limelight in the world of interior trends right now, Krichen draws from her Tunisian heritage with a contemporary edge, bringing in copper metallics from her Tunisia Made range of metal topped vases. These create a beautiful partnership in combination with her tableware, designed as a mix and match collection for simple, laid back entertaining.

"It visually illustrates a harmony between the pink blush terracotta and the ever so trendy copper detail, perfectly married to reflect a melange between the old and the new, traditional and modern."

I just can't get enough of those restful tones, can you?Photography © Hend Krichen 

A Nina+Co Coffee Break

With busy work schedules between us and daily family life buzzing away we've both learned to grab the odd coffee break together during the week. Sometimes it's stood in the kitchen having a quick catch-up, others we might manage it at the table, but it's always stove top and in our favourite beakers. Learning to embrace slow living isn't about lounging around in bed all day (although hello, yes please...) it's about actively putting time aside to do the things you love. For us, that's making coffee, the ritual of grinding the beans (we buy small batches from Pact) building up the Stove Top, warming through the milk, drinking in the smell of the coffee as it pulls through. It's only a small thing, but it matters to us.Over the weekend, I baked us a batch of fresh cardamom buns and busted out our beautiful Nina+Co espresso cups from her new Breakfast Collection. Made in collaboration with designer-maker studio The Ceramicists, the collection which includes bowls, plates and larger mugs is designed in a gloriously tactile matte black ceramic, part glazed in white leaving a subtle contrast in texture. Very hard to put down. The shape of the handle is unusual too, don't you think?Nina is a multi-disciplinary designer, with a grounding in hotel and restaurant design, she also works on community based projects such as a new cafe due to open at Centrepoint, the charity for homelessness. Sustainability is high on her list of considerations using natural materials whether it's for a piece of furniture or a public space.Ready to take your coffee break to the next level? I've put together a collection of accessories from my shop, from brewers to magazines. Enjoy...

Find Nina+Co ceramics to purchase direct here.

Photography & Styling © Tiffany Grant-Riley

Function+Form Meet Jono Smart

I strongly believe in feeling an emotional connection when it comes to choosing what you have in your home. If I fall in love with something and can't stop thinking about it, then it needs to be mine. When I stumbled upon the Instagram feed of British potter Jono Smart, I had that kind of reaction, the "oh my *********** how ridiculously beautiful are they?!" kind. So it's no surprise that our second speaker for our first Function+Form gathering this Saturday is this very man. Not only is he a complete natural at the potters wheel despite only recently discovering this talent (he used to be a professional garden designer) but he's just the loveliest man to boot. His designs are clean and raw, playing to the simple beauty of natural clay with a matt finish and muted tones...

"I work with a palette of gentle colours and tones. I feel like they give a stronger presence to each piece than decoration would. If the form doesn't stand by itself then it's the form that's wrong."

Jono's studio space can be found inside a converted Medieval barn on a large farm in rural Berkshire, where over time he has developed his own style and organically grown a business from what was initially a hobby. Are you in love yet?

"My work is for daily life. Leaving the exterior raw means that the pieces will change slowly over time, showing the marks of day to day life."

Seeing work like this makes me so, so happy. We can't wait to meet Jono in person and share his quietly brilliant work with our guests where they'll feature as part of our styling for the brunch.To follow our morning at Forge & Co, join us on Instagram on Saturday morning with #WeAreFunctionAndForm.

Photography © Jono Smart.

A Stylish Find / Native & Co

There is a new love in my life. Meet Native & Co, an independent homeware store specialising in handcrafted products from Japan and Taiwan. Until now, I think that Japanese and Taiwanese homewares have been misrepresented here in the UK. Aside from Muji which to me conjures up stationery and perspex office storage, for the most part we are still stuck with the stereotype of painted fans and crockery with geisha motifs - it's difficult to find those quality pieces without a struggle. At least, that's what I thought before I spent a little time exploring this beautifully styled space.Founded by product designers Chris Yoshiro Green and Sharon Jo-Yun Hung, Native & Co is bringing authentic Japanese and Taiwanese designs to the forefront from its quiet location just a stone's throw from the bustling Notting Hill Gate and Portobello Road. You'll see I've taken a lot of photos. That was deliberate - there was so much to take in and I couldn't not share it all with you!Each and every piece has found its way here through a real labour of love - trying to source handcrafted pieces like these is impossible to do from a laptop, their makers don't have access to email. It's a slow process and Chris and Sharon have worked hard to build relationships with craftsmen on site visits when they find time to fly out in person.

The day to day running of the shop includes amusing challenges in trying to get quick messages through to their craftsmen in Taiwan with no email or having to translate design drawings from one language to another and still end up with the same product. But these are the stories that make Native & Co so unique and endearing-they take the word traditional seriously and that comes across in the pride they take in all of their products.

Particular favourites of mine included the table and stools, designed by Chris and heading for production as a soon to be staple piece of the Native & Co collection. I really fell for the simplicity of the Japanese maple bowls and Magewappe bentwood cups, seeing them styled on an open shelf in my "one day" kitchen. In fact, it was nigh on impossible to find anything I didn't love, a sign that these are pieces that will blend into any interior, regardless of the style or need to completely redesign your home to fit it.

So, have I opened your eyes to something new today? Hope that I've sparked your curiosity enough to visit them in person, or if they're too far for you then spend a happy half hour swooning over their online shop - the tableware is out of this world.Thank you for having me Sharon and Chris. See you soon...

IKEA Is Bringing Its A-Game

I wasn't so much impatient for summer for the sun and warmth as I was for the new collections coming to IKEA next month. Sheeeeeeeesh they are killing it. You are not ready for this.Firstly, I just want to take a moment to jump up on the table and do a proper "all hail the interior design gods" dance to acknowledge this brilliant collaboration between Head of Design Marcus Engman and designer Ilse Crawford. Ilse, I love you. Obsessed with the physicality of things, she designs pieces on an emotional level, to be able to feel, touch, to connect with objects that "affect us on a human level". And when I saw the impossibly tactile 'SINNERLIG' collection, using cork, black metal, bamboo and other natural materials as a main feature...well...consider me affected."We have to get used to the idea of things being enjoyable to touch, to realise you can connect through the senses. The core value of my collaboration with IKEA has been to bring the head and heart together through the hand, with touch and natural materials..."I hate to use these faddy, new-fangled phrases the kids use these days, but seriously, "I can’t even".IKEA have always been the first in line to champion great design at a price point that we can all afford, but I feel like they've gone a step further with this, to incorporate a higher quality of design with aesthetic and I love that. It looks really...expensive.Designed by Marcus Arvonen, the SKOGSTA collection has put into question my entire quest for the white dining table. It's a warm and tactile one, crafted from solid Acacia wood (no veneer here thank you!) inspired by the modern country kitchen, to become long term, enduring pieces in the home.The collection has been been built up on the idea of being together around food; so starting with the beautiful table, it branches out into food storage, boards on which to prep and stands to display and serve. There are benches and blocks, stools and sturdy crates that can be adapted for other rooms too. And isn't the grain from that Acacia just wonderful? I cannot wait to get my hands on it.This is just a taste of what's to come over the next few months. I'm excited, aren't you?

July Adrichem / Second Skin Collection

Please let me just explain that when I discovered the draw-droppingly gorgeous Second Skin Collection, I could've cried. I was having a wander over on one of my favourite online home decor and style sites, Studio Oink - do you know them? and stopped in my tracks. Textured tableware - a stylist's dream, oh my. It's no wonder then, that they were brought into being by product stylist July Adrichem, based in The Netherlands. They have such a quiet fragility about them, I could spend an age just pouring over these beautiful images that July has so expertly styled. Don't you just want to reach out and touch them?Although they have the appearance and texture of ceramics, they're actually made from a plaster-cotton fibre which have been treated and sealed with a protective layer to guard against moisture and dust, during which she adds in the colour. Moulded from a variety of old and decorative vessels, each piece is unique depending on the way the paste takes to it. These aren't pieces to use with water but are perfect for uncut fruit and dried flowers. Personally, I'd be over the moon to have a pair of white spoons mounted onto our black wall as a contrast and happily invest in a collection of bowls and plates to add to my ever-expanding prop store-how perfect are they? The colour range is a delicate, muted palette including Petrol (a trend I'm starting to see coming through for tableware in A/W) Peach, Mint, Charcoal, Sand, Dust and Shadow. Oh the hours I could spend lost inside a creative bubble playing with these, they lend themselves so well to simple styling. Here's a collection I can't wait to bring into our home.You can shop the Second Skin Collection via July's Etsy shop or another of my favourites, Studio Oink.