Pinch and Ochre at Decorex

A quick posting on two of my favourite stands at the Decorex show - Pinch and Ochre. Both used relaxed, comfortable seating, huge, low-slung pendant lights in semi-sheer fabrics and exquisite palettes (Pinch's included greys, pale wood and mustard yellows while Ochre used mink, nude-pink and off-white). They're both companies I've always been fans of and they didn't disappoint today. 

Pinch, picture copyright Kate Jacobs

Pinch, picture copyright Kate Jacobs

Ochre, picture copyright Kate Jacobs

Ochre, picture copyright Kate Jacobs

The New Country style: my jumble sale hoard

On Saturday I took a break from London Design Festival, and days spent looking at new things for the home, to spend a day looking at old things for the home - at a cracking jumble sale. When I come back from these expeditions, I like to arrage my finds and take a photo, then I can keep looking at it and allow my new things to find a home around the house (if this sounds excessive, then remember that this blog is called Interiors NUT for a reason). So here's my haul from Saturday...

London Design Festival: The Timber Wave at the V&A

Picture copyright Kate Jacobs

I had a great time at the V&A on Wednesday as part of the London Design Festival. From the images I'd seen, I didn't really expect to like the Timber Wave (above) outside the V&A's grand entrance but I was very taken with it when I actually saw it. I loved the contrast of the warm wood (American red oak) against the mellow grey stone facade. It was interesting to know that it's creators, AL_A (Amanda Levete's post-Future Systems practice) used techniques more typically used in furniture making but on a grand scale. The piece has a great kinetic quality and seems to draw you in like a whirlpool. 

Picture copyright Kate Jacobs

Picture copyright Kate Jacobs

My Still Life Obsession, Part III: Niki Jones

All pictures courtesy of Niki Jones

I've talked before about how much I love the still life genre of painting etc (see this previous blog), and I've been inspired to create my own. Still lifes, whether artworks or tableaux created in the home are always a source of fascination to me. So it was with some delight that I picked up Niki Jones latest catalogue. Last week I mentioned my highlights in terms of the products she's currently offering but today I wanted to flag up the wonderful styling and photography. With the use of dramatic daylight, the rough crumpled cloths, the vessels with food and flowers, it's all redolent of still life painting of the 17th and 18th centuries.
I suppose the reason why I like these still life pictures there's a sense of capturing a snapshot of real life. And if real  life doesn't look like this then why not? Follow the beautiful and useful maxim (try and do both in one wherever possible - banishing plastics from the home is a good start) and life can be filled with little accidental tableaux along these lines - a source of joy on a daily basis... if you are a true Interiors Nut.


* Niki Jones

MY EDIT: Niki Jones' latest collection

I just received the latest catalogue from one of my interiors heroes, Niki Jones, and it feels like she's surpassed herself. I loved the styling and photography, more on that in my next blog, and there were lots of extremely covetable pieces - see my edit below. I love the folk / artisan / ethnic feel of her products. They feel very timeless, trend-transcending and easy to live with. They're  things that will look just as great even if they sustain the odd knock or mark - something you normally only get with vintage pieces. And a lot of designers and magazines are talking about 'investment buys' and 'heirloom pieces' these days, as a way of persuading the cash-strapped punter to keep splashing out on high-end products but, for me, Niki Jones' stuff is the sort of thing you could have around for a lifetime. 

I think this introduction to the catalogue sums up the ethos and aesthetic perfectly:

'Niki Jones embraces this rich world of folk art and hand craft and gives it her own unique contemporary twist by re-invigorating these age-old crafts. Mixing old and new, stylish and quirky, serious and whimsical, functional and decorative. 

Her collection celebrates the time-honoured craft of textiles and aims to keep these skills alive for future generations, creating unique pieces to be cherished as modern day heirlooms.'

Captions from top to bottom, left to right:
Lattice rug, grey and ecru
Crewel cushion, black and ochre
Vintage Indian wooden oil pots
Lattice rug, grey and chartreuse green
Vintage Indian wooden naan bowls
Izar throw, slate and chartreuse green
Folk bolster, ecru
Woodland cushion, natural linen
Vintage Indian wooden biscuit blocks
Large folk rug, ecru


* Niki Jones

Picture courtesy of Niki Jones