Top 10 Interior Pet Hates

In no particular order, apart from no 1 which has has held its pride of place for some time now:

1. Shower curtains, useless, never attractive no matter what silly design they have, fungus magnets

2. Black and White schemes, never elegant, black and cream, black and stone at a push but never ever black and white and beware of too much black furniture.

3. Brilliant white walls, unless you want the mental asylum look, white should always be 'off' no matter how slighlty

4. Lever handles, especially modern ones:

The eye focuses on details such as light switches and door knobs and immediately bring down the quality of a build if chosen and positioned carelessly.  I once, years ago working as an assistant, forgot to specify a deeper lock so as not to graze the knuckles when turning the knob.  All the doors had to be refinished days away from handover.

5. Thoughtless electrical plans.  The electrical plan should be put together by the decorator together with the furniture layout, one cannot be determined by the other. You need twice as many plug sockets as you think you do, and 2 or 3 way lighting circuits, dimmer and lamp circuits make for a relaxed atmosphere and easier living.

6. Granite worktops.  They just look cheap and common and you never know how clean they are since they hide so much of the dirt, which I think someone somewhere thought was a clever idea back in the late 90's. There are countless beautiful stones of varying degrees of practicality which have far more character, including the new reconstituted quartz stones for convenience.

7. Primary colours, not even in a nursery!  Colours should always be a little mixed and unclear.

8. Outdated lampshade shapes, the quickest way to date even the most stylish interior.

9. Modern - as in recently produced - crystal chandeliers

10. Bad kitchen layouts put together by people who neither cook nor clean! No, it is not just a matter of the 'triangle' between the cooker, fridge and sink.

Tensira: Made in Africa

KAS fabrics

The most exciting find of the year so far goes to Tensira, creators of remarkable West African textiles, furniture and accessories.  Hand made by local artisans the Tensira duo of Tuulia Makinen and Hamidou Diallo are both encouraging and protecting crafts that are so far little known to the west.  Their striped weaves could sit as comfortably in the Hamptons or Hydra and the vegetable dyed Indigos would line the walls of a gentleman’s London study beautifully.  Fine Rattan furniture banishes hideous polypropylene forever and their crisp, fresh bed and table linens are perfect for dreamy spring and summer days and balmy evening suppers!

Images courtesy of Grégoire Voevodsky

Favourite Fortuny

Persepolis

Maori

I cannot point to my ultimate favourite cloth, there are too many and it would be unfair to discriminate between prints and weaves from Le Manach, document toiles by Bracquenie, Lelievre’s Mogador velvet, Tassinari and Chatel’s museum quality cut silk velvets, a classic chintz from Colefax such as Bowood, most of Donghia weaves, John Boyd horsehair, George Spencer’s trimmings and papers, Simon Playle's treasures and absolutely anything and everything out of the Claremont shop.

There is however one thing that always completes my schemes perfectly, Fortuny fabrics. 

Sevres

Tapa without stripe

Canastrelli

 Of course I could drape the walls and myself in it I love it that much but at over 700 $ a yard that isn’t always possible.  It is probably the sturdiest cloth ever, it may come across as relatively fragile much like printed linen but for some unknown, and secret, reason it outlasts many heavier weaves even some velvets. Do not be afraid to cover a chair in it, a metre will do for the back and seat of a small Bergere, it will, I promise last for years and there is nothing quite like the beauty and splendour of these cloths and their superb colouring.

Baberini

The King's Baths

At long last I get part of my monthly fix of deco magazines, by this time of the month I am more than a little impatient with the assistant at the newsagents. World of Interiors May issue is finally here, they tend to be first, House & Garden are usually slower and the US mags are hit and miss.  Most infuriating is missing a copy altogether, as I did last month, must start tiping the vendor.

Note the aubergine duchess satin covered slipper chairs, that's my kinda bling

This is another great piece by Marie-France Boyer for WOI featuring King George VI's bathrooms at the Quai d'Orsay. One each for the King and Elizabeth, Queen Consort, were specially built for their official visit to France in 1938.  It is so a propos for Dubai, high glitz and glamour, wonderful kind of glitz not Lipstick Glitz as I like to call it.  Of course it has probably aged very well in all the right places and yet is not dated, the true measure of good design and decoration.  

Gold for the King

 I particularly like the part of the article about the gifts, what sumptious gifts, Saint-Louis, Lalique, and works by Dufy, Utrillo, Vuillard, not forgetting the young princesses of course:  “For the princesses Elizabeth and Margaret, who had remained in England, two dolls were made, complete with outfits designed by Lanvin, Rochas, Worth, Cartier, Hermes and Vuitton”.   

Silver for the Queen

It is also an essential visit, the bathrooms are open to the public once a year as part of European Heritage Days, www.journeesdupatrimoine.culture.fr

More images at art-decoration

The last official bath was taken in 1973 by the then future king of Spain, Juan Carlos

Little Gems from the V&A

 Nothing like referring to the past for inspiration and these could easily be re-invented for today; From the Victoria and Albert Museum Textile Collection

Bedcover hand spun and woven dark red cotton embroidered in silk and gilt thread 

This cover was made by one of China's national minority peoples, probably one from the south or west of China.

Turkish 1800-1875, Towel or Napkin Border

Turkish hanging, Ottoman embroidery 1600-1699, silk and linen thread of pomegranates and tulips

Reviving Gothic

Shobdon Church in Herefordshire, recently featured in World of Interiors is absolutely charming and one to visit on my next trip to the UK.  It is a fine example of the influence of Horace Walpole's 18th century 'Committee of Taste' and his famed Strawberry Hill house.

Shobdon Church

Strawberry Hill House re-opened after major restoration

The Hall and Staircase at Strawberry Hill

The 18th century revival of Gothic also known as Victorian Gothic, and later the Arts & Crafts period  produced much inspiration for painted furniture as used by decorators such as John Fowler. Many of these pieces still form part of decorating schemes today.

John Fowler centenary chairs: 'copies of painted Gothick chairs from Shobdon parish church, made to order. £300 from each donated to the church preservation fund' buy from Colefax and Fowler here

The Bird Cage Room at Grimsthorpe

Charles Edwards' Gothic Wall Lantern