Deyrolle - Rue de Bac, Saint Germain

During my recent travels to Paris one of my first stops was a quirky shop just off Boulevard Saint Germain on the left bank...

Deyrolle was founded by well-known entomologist Emile Deyrolle in 1831, and has been at its current two-story premises since 1881. I had been keen to visit the store since reading about it s few years ago.

Exotic taxidermy, entomology, and natural history specimens displayed in antique wooden cases and glass bell jars have made this store a destination for Parisians ever since it opened its doors. In 2007, much of the store was destroyed in a predawn conflagration that left in its wake a haunting tableau of singed wings and charred fur.

With the help of artists and collectors worldwide, the store has been largely rebuilt from that fire. Today everything from house cats to polar bears are once again on display in Deyrolle. The store itself has also managed to maintain its 19th-century decor, with beautiful wooden cases and specimen drawers throughout. Though some of the more exotic animals are not for sale, almost everything in the store is available for rent.

Portobello Rd and Henry Gregory

Portobello is really several markets in one, Saturday being the day when it is in full swing. Then you can experience a mile of hustle, haggle, colour and energy. The feature of Saturdays is the opening of hundreds of antique and specialist shops and stalls. 

The antiques section is located near Notting Hill tube station; The half mile of road contains 100′s of  buzzing market stalls, shops and arcades.  I found a wonderfully overwhelming array of authentic antiques on offer as well as some fabulous reproductions, including glass and crystal pieces, silver, books, sporting goods and paintings. 

Henry Gregory, located near the top entrance to the market, was just one of the many stores I searched. The beautiful range of antique and reproduction items includes decorative objects, trophies, silver, sporting goods and luggage which is sourced by Henry Gregory himself. He has been buying all over the British Isles for the last 40 years.

The shop changes continuously as it sells and ships to clients all over the world including private buyers, decorators and dealers.

I purchased a few items, including some antique hats and a pair of wonderful vintage boxing gloves. I certainly had to restrain myself! 

Brighton and The Brighton Marine Palace and Pier

Once upon a time, pleasure piers were the jewel in the crown of Victorian seaside resorts. In the days before flight travel and package holidays, these elegant structures reaching out into the ocean were the forefront of entertainment, with their funfairs, ballrooms and cafes hosting hundreds if not thousands of tourists, each day. Sadly, many have long since been demolished while others cling to life dejected and abandoned. 

The Brighton Marine Palace and Pier is one of the last remaining pleasure piers in England. As famous as the town in which it stands, it has intrigued me for years and I have often noticed it used as a location in film, television and various magazine editorials.

On my recent travels to England's south east country I decided to make a pilgrimage to see the historic structure first hand. I was also keen to see the town in which it stands, it's famous foreshore of historic hotels, it's hidden lanes of antique stores and cafes and its pebbled beaches.

The pier is truly magnificent, sitting proudly of the south coast, withstanding the winds and rough seas of the English Chanel, I felt humbled in its presence. Walking out over its historic wooden beams I was transported to another era.  It may be said that England's 'Pleasure Piers' are a thing of the past, thankfully however, the few remaining are being preserved. 

PIMLICO ROAD & JAMB LIMITED

Interior Designers, Contemporary Bespoke Furniture Makers and all the associated fields are here in this ever evolving Design District just a few minutes walk from Sloane Square. Exquisite Haute Couture, Fine Jewellery and Fashion add to the charm and originality of the Pimlico Road shopping experience.

I make a point of visiting this superb street whenever I am in London. On my first trip to London many years ago, as a 'poor student', I window shopped in awe, admiring the beautiful interior displays. Now, as an established designer, I am meeting the people behind the scenes, the store owners and the creative players who I admired from afar all those years ago. 

One of my favourites is Will Fisher, founder of antique and reproduction house Jamb Limited. Will is known around London as the antique dealer with an eye, which he applies artfully not only to furniture and objects but to the elegant, spare spaces which they inhabit. His newly expanded showroom on Pimlico Rd embodies his grand aesthetic that speaks of another time as much it speaks of today. 

I was so fortunate to meet the creative and energetic Will in his showroom on this trip. He showed me first hand his latest, soon to be released collections. Beautiful metal wall sconces, lanterns and other objet d'art. All exquisitely finished and forged with the Jamb logo. 

He generously offered me a copy of his latest hard back folio.  An enormous tomb filled with page after page of his artistic visions, 

"The key to success is faded grandeur. The suggestion of a slightly tiered gilded surface hidden under layers of grime; a flamboyant painting bowing under the weight of its own surface! Furniture and objects need to look as if they have grown roots they have been in situ so long. A room should have a sense that it has evolved with time, grown with its occupants or generations." Will Fisher - (Remodelista)

Jamb Limited

95-97 Pimlico Road
London
SW1W 8PH

Ashdown Forest and Winnie-the-Pooh

Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of tranquil open heathland occupying a high sandy ridge-top some 50km  south of London in the county of East Sussex, Rising to an altitude of 732 feet (223 m) above sea level, its heights provide expansive vistas across the heavily wooded hills of the Weald to the chalk escarpments of the North Downs and South Downs on the horizon.

Ashdown Forest's origins lie as a medieval hunting forest created soon after the Norman conquest of England. By 1283 the forest was fenced in by a  pale enclosing an area of some 20 square miles.

In 1693 more than half the forest was taken into private hands, with the remainder set aside as common land. The latter today covers 9.5 square miles and is the largest area with open public access in South East England.

Ashdown Forest is famous as the setting for the Winnie-the-Pooh stories written by A. A. Milne, who lived on the northern edge of the forest and took his son, Christopher Robin, walking there. The artist E. H. Shepard drew on the landscapes of Ashdown Forest as inspiration for many of the illustrations he provided for the Pooh books

I was staying with friends very close to Ashdown on my recent visit to Kent and Sussex. I couldn't resist visiting the famous yet quite unpretentious 'Pooh-Sticks Bridge' and realising a childhood fantasy; to stand where Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh had stood many years ago, racing Pooh-Sticks, by throwing them into the water below. 

Ashdown Forest

www.ashdownforest.org

Kent, Royal Tunbridge Wells and Langton Green.

Spending time in London and Paris over the new Year period I revisited some of my favourite haunts and discovered some new ones. I love both cities, but on this trip I also spent time in and around the rural country villages of Kent, in the south east of England.

We stayed with friends in the borough of Royal Tunbridge Wells. Their beautiful home is in Langton Green, a village two miles west of the town centre. 

I was overwhelmed by the beauty of Kent, the architecture, the landscape the villages.

I will be writing about my discoveries over the next week, including some new favourite eateries, design stores, gallery exhibitions and some iconic landmarks 

KikkiK Christmas

So thrilled to announce that a recent KikkiK television add by Smart Agency in Melbourne has taken out the coveted first place as the Adnews favourite Christmas commercial of 2014

We were honoured to assist with the styling of this commercial, filmed in Sydney over three days last year. 

"In poll position as most popular Christmas ad in the survey with nearly 30% of the vote was Kikki K's Swedish white Christmas from full-service agency Smart. The nostalgic commercial told the story of the retailer's founder, Kristina Karlsson, who spend her childhood Christmases in snowy Sweden."

A new tile range

I am very excited to announce my involvement in the design of a new range of traditional encaustic tiles.

It's no secret that I have an absolute passion for tiles; porcelain, stone or cement. I love the natural patinas, the textures and the colours. 

Therefor it was absolutely thrilling to provide my input into a new tile range today. 

Working with my friends at Bespoke Tiles & Stone in Richmond, I have begun the process of design and selection. I have chosen a beautiful colour palette which will be teamed with some stunning traditionally inspired designs. 

The first samples have been orfered and will soon be hand made and fired in traditional kilns in Vietnam. 

A note of appreciation

Many thanks to Australian House & Garden for my inclusion in their feature story in the December 2014 issue. Home owner Catheine Timbrell and her husband Paul credited my influence in the interior design of their Sydney home. 

Encaustic tiles

Encaustic cement tiles have been around for centuries and I have been coveting them for years.

As a child, I remember my parents designing a patterned mosaic for our front hall. The result was beautiful. It is an image that has remained with me and I'm delighted to be reinventing it in a current project.

Cement tiles are decorative, colorful tiles used primarily as floor coverings. Floors or walls covered with these tiles are noted for their multi-color patterns, durability and sophisticated look. These tiles are widely used in Latin America and Europe. Their popularity spread to the US, primarily in California and Florida through the 1930s and 40s.

The tiles' colorful patterns, durability and versatility have been attracting the attention of architects and designers for large commercial projects such as restaurants and hotels. I have seen them used to great effect during my recent travels through South East Asia.