Embracing the Dark side

While I am known for my penchant for 'white' interiors, I have recently been gravitating toward a darker colour palette in my work.

There is something decadently luxurious about a dark interior scheme; deep natural tones in charcoal, black, chocolate, and tobacco, teamed with deep oak joinery and other timber interior details.

It's a slightly more masculine look, that suggests the feeling of an old school gentlemans office or library.  There are leather bound books, cut glass whiskey decanters and a collection of timber walking sticks.

As the following images suggest, using darker elements in a traditional scheme will not look dated or overly fussy; what we see, in fact, is a slightky contemporary edge.

By using a clever mix of beautiful fabrics, natural timbers, sophisticated colour schemes, and perfect accessories the look can be stunning, elegant, and utterly timeless.

BILL BLASS - NO 1. SUTTON PLACE, MANHATTAN.

I have always admired the style of the fashion designer Bill Blass - his work was classic and simple - with beautiful detailing and classic tailoring. His apartment in New York, which he designed with the help of Chessy Rayner and Mica Ertugun of the interior design firm MAC II, reflects the same aesthetic. 

Situated at No. 1 Sutton Place, Manhattan, I was fascinated by the interior. I remember the first time I saw it, perhaps twenty years ago. It was timeless, gracious and and it oozed the most exquisite classic style that I had ever seen.

The furniture was very Regency in style and the decorative details were wonderfully quirky, featuring globes, architectural models, and columns. The apartment was masculine, monotone and to me it was... perfection!

I love this quote from the man himself...

"There is a sense of dignity, a simplicity and a classicism in my clothes which can be read into the apartment. As I am surrounded with colours and fabric all day I look forward to a monochromatic home. I work in fashion - I don't want to live somewhere that looks fashionable." - Bill Blass

THE BLACKWOOD SASSAFRAS

In 2020, Melbournes lockdown saw the temporary closeure of my Bed and Breakfast, The Blackwood Sassafras.

It allowed me the luxury of time to renovate and restyle the interior. New details were added in a neutral pallet and woody tones creating a subtle masculine atmosphere. The interior now sparkles with decorative highlights in cut glass and thoughtfully selected vintage pieces.

The Blackwood has the look of a London or a New York apartment from the Edwardian era, and could pass as being built with the properties nearby original house in 1910. There is perhaps a gentleman who lives there, his top hat and cane are on the coat stand, his books are by the fire and his whiskey is in a cut glass decanter on the elegant sideboard. He is passionate about traditional, hand-tailored style but he enjoys the luxuries of the modern world.

The Blackwood Sassafras is styled on this concept; traditional details combined with state of the art technology, to create an exclusive retreat for your enjoyment.

It is booked out solidly through the festive season, but bookings are open now for January and beyond.

https://www.theblackwoodsassafras.com.au

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FROM MY DESK 06

STYLING WITH BLACK

Winter in Australia is drawing to a close. We will soon see the colours of Spring and feel the warmth of the sun, and all it brings!

Before we embrace this welcome change, I am still holding on to the last moments of Winter. (It's secretly one of my favourite seasons) A recent evening in Sassafras saw snow falling in abundance. It was truly magical! Winter suits my classic 'gentleman's' style perfectly. It's a timeless indoors aesthetic, be it a traditional dining room with an open fire, or a well-loved home office with vintage books and leather furniture. Dark moody winter style, to me, is perfection!

A feature of this style is the colour black. We see it in soft furnishings and hard finishes. Black timber panelling, black velvet curtains, black marble floors or a painted black accent wall can bring classic, traditional elegance to a room. Especially when used for contrast in an otherwise monochromatic scheme.

Classic black can add character and drama to a space, and this month I am embracing it. 

Classic details in my home office, Sassafras. August 2020

PRODUCT REVIEW 05

BLACK ACCENTS

When looking for some contrasting black accents, I search for classic pieces that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Quality is, of course, another important factor, and below are some pieces that I feel really hit the mark...

Reproducing a late 19th Century French double ended bath, the new 'Martha Bath' by London based company The Water Monopoly is a luxurious addition to both modern and traditional bathrooms.

With an opportunity to select brass or copper as the bath’s base material, finish options include high polish, tinned or painted.

The baths may be lacquered or remain unlacquered to patina naturally over time. With a deep base and curved sides for additional comfort, the Martha inspires long hours of soaking, preferably with a glass of champagne in hand.

Available at The English Tapware Company
www.englishtapware.com.au

The 1459 18 'Dame Anglaise' tap in black has been hand made in Italy by Bruno Nicolazzi using low lead brass since 1960. Nicolazzis handmade organic mixers are stylish in design and can be ordered with a variety of handles and in a range of finishes. In black, it is a perfect contrasting accent to an all-white kitchen, or it can be used with other black finishes for a very dramatic look.

Available at Canterbury Sink & Tap
www.sinkandtap.com.au

Wall panelling is a lovely addition to any interior! In black, it is stunning and practical choice for a hallway. It will take all the knocks and scuffs that a plain painted wall or wallpaper won't. It's a dramatic look that can be easily replicated, as a DIY project or call in the experts.

Choose a straight black or a deeper shade of paint for a low-maintenance look, and be sure to pick a paint with a wipeable finish. Team it with neutral furnishings for a truly timeless look.

Black granite is one of the most beautiful stones that you can choose for your countertop, backsplash or vanity top. Black granite countertops are very stylish and easy to maintain. When it comes to black countertops, choosing black granite is one of the best options available on the market.

While a black bench top can sometimes be a severe selection visually, when teamed with subtle warm white joinery, in a flat or low sheen finish, the look will be soft and more forgiving.

Available at CDK Stone and various stone suppliers.
www.cdkstone.com.au

Large statement furniture pieces are a favourite of mine. Ralph Laurens Sheltering winged club chair is updated in distressed black leather. Featuring an ultra blendown cushion, upholstered back, and nail trim. Casters on the front legs are available in antique brass, polished nickel, or pewter.

It is a handsome piece that will add a dramatic punch to a classic interior!

For stockists go to: www.raplphlaurenhome.com

Porter's Paints create rich and beautiful colours, designed by their expert colourists. Crafted with a blend of fine quality pigments to create depth, complexity and character. Their 'Van Helsing' black, is almost black and beautifully subtle.

It's a nice selection for walls or timber work in a dark moody interior.

Available at Porters stores and through Dulux
www.porterspaints.com

And just for fun, don't forget to accessorise. Black accent pieces left sitting on a chair or a stack of books can be wonderfully theatrical. This Bowler hat, sometimes known as a Derby or Coke is a true British classic. The Bowler hat is believed to have been originally designed for Edward Coke. He needed something to protect his head whilst out riding and the Top Hat, typically worn, kept getting knocked off from over-hanging branches. The Bowler's popularity, which once defined civil servants and bankers has increased over the years and become a fashion statement. The Christys' luxury Black Fur Felt Bowler hat comes with a 2.5cm Grosgrain Ribbon Band and Bow. Fully lined with Christys' Red Satin.

Available at Christys' London
www.christys-hats.com

DESIGN ADVICE 06

SELECTING A FIREPLACE

A fireplace is a welcome feature in any space, especially during winter! I was recently interviewed for an article, in Australian House & Garden, where I discussed my top tips on selecting the perfect piece!

Is a fabulous fireplace about more than just heating - what can it add to the look and feel of a room?

JB: A fireplace can be an ultimate style statement in any interior, it gives a room character and visual strength. A fireplace can ground a room by adding a focal point. Seating and occasional tables can be grouped around a fire to create an intimate setting for conversation and entertaining. A fireplace can instantly create a mood that welcoming and inviting
 
How should you go about choosing the right style of fireplace for a room? I.e. what are the main 3-4 things to consider? 

JB: Select a fireplace that features the existing style of elements of the architecture, the interior, or landscape design; ie: think about any existing timber panelling, rock or plaster detailing. It is important to make your selections cohesive, creating a harmonious and continuous style throughout the home. Consider bringing the outside in, by using elements from your home exterior, i.e. matching a rock fireplace face to a rock wall in your landscaping. Also, Decide between real or artificial! There is nothing like a real wood-burning fire for awakening your senses, however, gas-burning fires have become very realistic in recent years and can be a welcome alternative to the work involved lighting a natural wood-burning fire. If choosing gas, avoid unnecessary gimmicks such as OTT built-in neon digital light effects. These will date and be a costly feature to replace.  

How can you go about getting the proportions right?

JB: Definitely consider the proportions of the room the fireplace will be in. A large room with high ceilings, for example, will require a large statement piece for balance and scale. Generally, a mantle should sit at almost half the height of the room itself. A small room could perhaps be best with a simple fireplace with minimal to no surround at all.  
 
What are 2-3 of the latest trends in fireplace design? I.e. shape, profile, materials, statement flues etc?

JB: Rather than looking at what’s in fashion, I would suggest that it’s far more important to choose a fireplace that suits the existing features of a home. However, we are seeing a resurgence of natural rock surrounds as mantle pieces and entire floor to ceiling installations. Classic panelled style mantles are also popular and are always a timeless choice
 
What about wall-mounted heaters - is there any way to disguise them or get them to blend into a room scheme?

JB: Rather than trying to disguise wall mounted heaters, I prefer to embrace them by making them a feature in themselves. Decorative heating panels or metal over grills are a fabulous way of adding another design element to an interior, and there are some great options available at the moment. Just make sure you work with the existing style of the room, not against it!

For assistance in selecting the right fireplace for your next project, please contact me via email or book a consultation by following the link
below.

A limestone floor to ceiling fire surround at a recent project, Brighton 2020

Two traditional fireplaces in a recent project. Timber and cast iron. Canterbury, July 2020

DESIGN ADVICE 05

Finding inspiration

When it comes to interior ‘inspiration’, you should give yourself permission to think outside the box. There are so many wonderful ways to define who you are when creating a magnificent living space. Inspiration can be found all around you!

I find that most people tend to play it safe and think that good design is about following fashions and trends. This can be a good starting point but it can also be restrictive. 

You could be inspired by your life experiences; Think about places that you've been, things that you've seen, think about the things that you have found visually appealing. Think about the visual elements of these things, the colours, the textures and the shades of light and dark. You can then apply these elements as inspiration to develop your own individual style.

WHERE DO WE FIND INSPIRATION?

Architecture; historic and contemporary

Fashion design; textiles and tailoring
Retail design; window design and in-store visual display
Film and television; set, costume and production design
Fine art and artists, both contemporary and historic
Nature and the elements

One of my favourite sources of inspiration is travel. Something we have been sadly missing lately. For example, the rustic textures and styles of buildings in a foreign city or the shades of colour in the landscape of a historic garden can be so inspiring. I always take something away with me, in my memory, that I might use as inspiration in a future project. 

When designing for yourself, finding your own inspiration is the best way to make your very own, absolutely personal, unique personality stamp. Be brave and trust your instincts, you might surprise yourself.

The inspiring storefront of R. H. Macey, W36 Street, New York

DESIGN ADVICE 04

Beginning to build

There’s a strong temptation to dive straight into home remodelling projects. The sooner you start, the sooner you’ll be done, right? Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way if you haven’t done some essential planning upfront. 

Here are six crucial steps to help you plan for a successful home renovation, and the reasons they're so important for any project.

1. Choose a design professional. 
To create a plan and detailed scope of work, most homeowners hire either an architect or interior designer, and sometimes both. Architects may take on a wide range of work, or work only on floor plans and permits, and leave the details of the electrical plan, baths and kitchen to another designer. Selecting a design professional usually starts with an in-person meeting. This is your opportunity to understand the services that each firm offers and make sure they match up with what you are expecting. It’s also critical that you have a budget for your project in mind that you communicate clearly to the firm you hire, so the design can align with what you are planning to invest.

2. Create a plan. 
The plans are called working drawings; they usually involve a rough layout of the floor plan and some simple views of the exterior of the home if there is an addition. It takes time for the design professional to work these out, and then usually another week or two for the homeowners to consider them and make decisions. If the project is larger or the homeowners want additional changes made to the schematics, this initial design phase can take several months.

3. Interview contractors
Contractors are typically brought into the process once a final working drawing has been selected. Usually, there is at least a general idea of how the home will look from the outside, a dimensioned floor plan and some preliminary material selections. Contractors are usually asked to estimate from the working drawings as part of the interview process. It may take a couple of weeks to set up the interviews and generally at least two to three weeks after interviews to receive the estimates. After that, you may want to call references, visit job sites or do additional research before making a decision about the contractor you will hire.

4. Go shopping while others are engineering. 
Love to shop or hate to shop? This may determine whether you enlist a designer to help with your material selections. Even those who like to shop may be overwhelmed by all the options and want professional input. Do not underestimate the number of things that need to be selected, from doorknobs and windows to countertops and light fixtures. To really keep a handle on your project cost, it’s best to select every last thing ahead of construction. This will allow your contractor to tell you the prices for what you’d like and properly schedule material purchases based on lead times.

5. Get your permits. 
Depending on the scope of your project and where it’s located, permitting can take a day, months or even years. You should have some idea ahead of filing for permits about the length of the process, which will allow you to identify a likely start date for your project. Permit fees can range from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars, depending on where you live and how big your project is.

6. Ready, set ... 
With the plan submitted for permits and material selections made, your contractor will be able to finish up pricing and write up a contract for construction. If the selected materials cost more than the budget allows, there may be a round of “value engineering,” which means changing scope of work or materials to reduce cost. By the time the contract is signed, your contractor will have identified the longer-lead items (like cabinets, windows, doors, tile and sometimes plumbing or electrical fixtures) and may even have them on order ahead of the start of construction, depending on the timing of your project.

By the time all of these steps are complete, it may be four to six months or even more since you started talking with design professionals.

The planning process can be lengthy, but each step you take will put you closer to starting your project with a clear vision of what’s to come. That investment of time on the front end means your entire construction team — design professional, contractor and you — can start the project on the same page with a clearly articulated plan. That makes it much easier to say, “Go!” without any hesitation. 

For further information and advice on planning a project of your own, feel free to contact me directly.

PRODUCT REVIEW 04

Natural Marble

An important part of preparing for a renovation or new build is to select the hard finishes that work for you! The type of stone, for flooring, benchtops and/or walls, can be a difficult choice!

I often use a selection of natural stone, in particular, marble in my projects. At first, my clients can be apprehensive, natural marble can be a fearful choice for some. I put forward the pros and cons, and together we made an informed decision.

Carrara, Calacatta, Emperador and Crema Marfil marble - to name a few - like other natural stones, are porous. The lighter varieties (in colour), can show stains and scratches. They also need regular care in order to maintain their beautiful appearance. In addition, cleaning marble and other types of stone must be done properly with a pH-balanced stone cleaner. As a lover of natural products, I believe these drawbacks should be embraced. Imperfections show that a house has been enjoyed, lived in, they tell a story.

Some love the look, but question if the maintenance is worth it. The obvious solution, in this case, is to opt for faux stone porcelain. The options here are endless, (be it from Caesarstone, Stylestone or CDK's neolith range) and the quality is superb thanks to recent advancements in technical manufacturing. Faux stone can be a better choice for some.

The majority of the real deal is quarried in the Italian province of the name of the stone, ie Carrara and Calacatta! Imported in large quantities, Carrara is not overly expensive and is available in a variety of shades, from pure white to bardiglio black. Other marbles, including Calacatta, Statuario or Thasos (from Greece) can be more expensive, especially for the more unusual varieties.

This range of shades allows me to create stunning patterned mosaics or to add bold contrasting borders in a room. The simple white and grey tones of most marbles also mean that it can be a perfect base for colour accents, in fabric, wallpaper or joinery.

For me, nothing beats the look of authentic marble but either way, the look is stunning. Marble is timeless and elegant. It transcends period style and can work effortlessly in a modern or traditional setting.

KEEPING IT SAFE

Life as we know it is rapidly changing.

Of course, we are all well aware of the devastating affects the Coronavirus is having on our lives. It's becoming more apparent every day and it is so important that we look after one another. We need to diligently follow official advice; practice good hygiene, restrict public activities and/or implement self-isolation wherever possible.

At Justin Bishop Interior Design I am continuing to work, however, in line with this advice, I will now be keeping face to face meetings to an absolute minimum. Wherever possible I will be holding meetings online and sharing our project information more and more through our 'One Hub' client portal.

I have implemented up to date screen sharing capabilities for design presentations and product reviews. This will allow us to keep in touch remotely, to continue working on current projects and to be able to check on-site activities when required. I will be doing all that is necessary to responsibly adhere to official safety advice.

For new projects enquiries, please email or call anytime. I am here to assist and can arrange an online meeting with you at your convenience.

We must do all we can to stop the spread of this global pandemic.

For now, please keep safe, and I look forward to keeping in touch, responsibly, during this difficult time.

DESIGN ADVICE 03

Accent colour

Interior design is all about balance – nothing really has a value on its own until it is thoughtfully and carefully placed with many other things. This month we see accent colours playing a key part in achieving that harmony, adding small, punchy doses of contrasting hues that can draw the eye, add visual interest and tie everything together. 

An accent colour can form part of a paint scheme; the wider fixed features, like the flooring or wall tiles; furniture; a decorative accessory. 

Colour can be a hard thing to commit to. There is always the risk of getting it wrong, and also, the fear tiring of it. So if you’re the cautious or fickle type, use accents in easily switched accessories, rather than harder to change walls and floors.

The other risk is to be too adventurous, layering too much colour, especially mixed in with patterns and prints. Colour should be used with restraint. I would suggest choosing your pallet, then editing it down to the bare essentials. Perhaps start with one colour in various strengths, then possibly add one additional complementary colour for interest. 

Any accent colour will have the effect of drawing the eye, it will usually be the first thing you look at when you enter a space. You can use this concept to help change perceptions about scale and size: placing your brightest painting at the far end of a room will make the eye look all the way through, so the room will appear as large as possible. Or just use an accent for a ‘wow’ moment: surround a colourful treasured possession with white, and no one will be able to look anywhere else.

Purple and ink blue accent colours at a recent residential installation.

PRODUCT REVIEW 03

Persian Rugs

A Persian carpet is a hand-knotted silk or silk/wool oriental rug from Iran (formerly known as Persia). They are known for intricate designs that are primarily oriental, floral style in a range of colours, sizes and quality. Persian Kerman rugs are a particular favourite of mine. I love the colour combinations of these rugs! They are often quite subtle, and 'de-saturated' which suits my restrained colour pallet perfectly. Today they are often woven to look antique!

Carpet weaving is an essential part of Persian culture and Iranian art. Within the group of Oriental rugs produced by the countries of the so-called "rug belt", the Persian carpet stands out by the variety and elaborateness of its manifold designs. The indigenous brilliance of local craftspeople has made Persian carpets one of the most sought after works of art in the world. 

A rug design can be described by the way the ornaments are arranged within the pile. One basic design may dominate the entire field, or the surface may be covered by a pattern of repeating figures.

In areas with traditional, time-honoured local designs, such as the Persian nomad tribes, the weaver is able to work from memory, as the specific patterns are part of the family or tribal tradition. This is usually sufficient for less elaborate, mostly rectilinear designs. For more elaborate, especially curvilinear designs, the patterns are carefully drawn to scale in the proper colours on graph paper. The resulting design plan is termed a "cartoon". The weaver weaves a knot for each square on the scale paper, which allows for an accurate rendition of even the most complex designs. Designs have changed little through centuries of weaving.

Carpet weaving still plays a major part in the economy of modern Iran. Modern production is characterized by the revival of traditional dyeing with natural dyes, the reintroduction of traditional tribal patterns, but also by the invention of modern and innovative designs, woven in the centuries-old technique. Hand-woven Persian carpets and rugs have been regarded as objects of high artistic and utilitarian value and prestige since the first time they were mentioned by ancient Greek writers.

There is always a place for Persian rugs in my interior schemes. They blend so well with my design style and add an authentic layer of character and beauty!