It’s time to start planning your 2017 interior
So you told yourself over Christmas that 2017 is the year you will finally get that new kitchen, redo the bathroom, rid yourself of the previous owners decor and finally make your house our own. But where to start? It can be very confusing deciding which room to redecorate, how to prioritise your spend, what to tackle first? To help you get started I’m giving you some inspiration from design projects APD Interiors completed for our clients in 2016.
Did your living room let you down over Christmas? When planning your home renovation I think this is always a good room to focus on as it serves as a retreat from the rest of the house. Relaxing in comfortable seating at the end of the day makes you forget that your bathroom is still avocado.
Last year after several years of grey being the fashion, and buoyed by a rediscovery of colour in interiors, we’ve seen a return to blue. In this Islington townhouse we used Farrow & Ball Stiffkey Blue to decorate the double reception room. The dark colour provides a perfect backdrop for the strong lupin fabric on the L shaped sofa and two custom upholstered chairs in Osborne and Little fabrics. The room is anchored by a modern engineered light wooden floor that has the slightest hint of blue in the grain.
The fireplace of the home was restored, something we always try to do to retain some of the original character of the home. The marble surround is complemented by a smart convex mirror in matt black. Adding a dash of black to your interior is an interior designers secret trick.
Good storage is essential to any home but you do need to strike a balance and not build into every space in your home. In this part of the room we didn’t opt for the alcove cupboards often seen in Victorian homes to keep the look more relaxed. Instead we bought smart media storage furniture from Heals and used a chair in the other alcove.
If your bathroom is the 2017 project this is one we completed in Kings Cross. In an urban apartment we decided to remove the bath and fit a large walk in Matki shower surround. The homeowner very rarely takes baths and this solution is a much neater solution.
Tiling is always the one item where I always tell clients they shouldn’t comprise even if your budget is limited. On this project we combined a large grey square tile with a feature faux marble strip running around the bathroom. Luxuries like heated mirror pads and concealed LED lighting finish the look.
One of the biggest projects you tackle in your home will always be the kitchen. Everyone now wants their kitchen to be the heart of their home and you need to think about how you will use the room. This is one area where a specialist interior design firm can listen to your brief and build a solution for your family.
In Highbury this year we designed and installed this bespoke kitchen for a client. If your budget allows this route will give you the kitchen of your dreams with little comprises. It also doesn’t have to be hugely expensive and is often comparable to the cost of mid end high street kitchen. We work with our in-house fabricators to create bespoke kitchens that are truly unique to our clients and their lifestyle.
This kitchen was custom sprayed in a soft grey that complements the Element 7 mansion weave floor. Dashes of black were introduced with the honed black granite worktop and the steel exterior door. We also installed a new custom designed roof light to flood the room with natural light. The perfect balance between kitchen and dining space was achieved and it has now become the client’s favourite room of their home.
So having given you some inspiration it’s time to start thinking about your own home. Whether it’s the kitchen or bathroom, your bedroom or living room the sooner you start the sooner it will be finished. If you need help from us head over to our website and drop us an email.
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Tesla Electric Power
Solar energy – we all agree it’s a good thing, but generally the panels are so ugly. If you have a beautiful home and want to add solar panels the option has until recently been very limited. Too many beautiful homes have been ruined by the additional of ugly black rectangular panels on roofs along over the country. However much you want to harness the power of the sun surely we can still have a good looking home?
Thankfully Elon Musk and the innovators over at Tesla have just launched a great looking solution and it could be a game changer in seeing more people adding solar energy to their own home. If your home looked like this and it was collecting energy from the sun who wouldn’t want to choose solar panels?
The solar roof from Tesla, in conjunction with SolarCity, consists of glass tiles that are embedded with a very high-efficiency photovoltaic cell. The tiles will be offered in four different styles to suit the different architectural styles of home – Textured Glass Tile, Slate Glass Tile, Tuscan Glass Tile and Smooth Glass Tile.
Tesla also announced the launch of Powerwall 2, a rechargeable lithium-ion battery designed to allow you to use the solar power from Solar Roof in your own home. Surplus solar energy can be stored when generated and used later, i.e. when the sun isn’t shining. The Powerwall 2 is around 115cm x 75cm so can easily be installed in your home – either indoors or outdoors.
These new products were launched just last Friday in Los Angeles so it will be interesting to see how the products develops and progresses until they are launched next year. If you want to learn more head over to the Tesla site – alternatively for a more in depth review take a read of a great Bloomberg article on the new products.
Let’s hope Mr Tusk does for solar energy what he has done for electric cars – and maybe one day you’ll be inviting people over to see your new roof! I’d love to start harnessing the power of the sun and using it in my own home.
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London Design Fair: my picks
Well after a long week, the London Design Festival is almost over and today we are featuring the London Design Fair which is on until tomorrow at the Old Truman Brewery in London East End. The show includes Tent London and Super Brands London and probably has the most to see! It’s enormous.
Our chosen exhibitors today all manufacture furniture. First up is Totem Road, a sustainable furniture company hailing from Australia and now available in the UK. Their furniture features mid century style with added elements, I really like the marble table range Kara. These tables are topped with Carrara marble on a solid oak base. The full collection also includes beds and bedroom furniture and can be seen online.
Design Junction: my picks
Last night Design Junction was my London Design Festival destination of choice – along with half of the design world I think! Personally I am very happy that the show has moved to Kings Cross, just a short hop from my home. The transformation of Kings Cross has been amazing over the last few years and with so many design businesses locally it is a great place to hold a design show.
First on my list of picks from the exhibitors is Korridor showcased on the Moxon stand and available through their website. Shelving might seem like an easy thing to buy but often it isn’t quite right – or just plain ugly. The Anywhere Shelving system has a number of modules that can be combined to fit your space and create the perfect storage solution. Designed by Danish duo Oooja it is available in black or white steel poles with either lovely oak veneer or white laminate shelves.
Decorex 2016: my picks
Decorex is considered by many to feature the pick of the interior design suppliers. Based in Syon Park for the last few years it has become a destination day out event for me, a great place to source new products and also catch up with industry friends. 5 years ago I was actually the official Decorex blogger – my post from Day 1 of Decorex 2011 – so it has a special place in my heart. My top picks today include wall coverings from Daniel Heath, fabric and wall panels from Margo Shelby and soft furnishing from Stitch by Stitch – all first time exhibitors at Decorex.
Daniel Heath is a wallpaper, textile and surface designer located in Walthamstow in the East End of London, and all his products are made on site in his studio. After training at the Royal College of Arts in screen printing he set up his own studio creating unique surface treatments. I really love Amazing Jumbo, available in seven standard colours but also with bespoke options. Also the new Onyx Skyline paper is an absolute winner if you are an Art Deco fan.
Focus 2016: my picks
With six trade shows to attend over the next week I broke my golden rule of not working on Sunday and I headed down to the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour for the start of Focus 2016. As usual ‘the Harbour’ looks beautiful, trade shows here are always a special event. Sadly I had no time to eat in the Salt Yard at Tatler restaurant, but if the food is anything like the decor it would be a special experience.
Enough about the interior decor of the show, I want to focus on three suppliers I’ve selected from the 120 showrooms participating in Focus this year. With so many gorgeous products the selection wasn’t easy and they are all high-end suppliers – but then this show is about luxury.
Top Drawer: my picks
September show time is now firmly upon us and the London Design Festival kicks off on the 17th of September. As an gentle introduction to the show season I started yesterday by attending Top Drawer over in Olympia. Thankfully this show is a few days before the main rush of shows when design folk often don’t have time to draw breath. I actually haven’t attended the show for a few years but it seemed to be promising a good offering in the Home section this year.
I’m featuring three of my favourite suppliers here, all new to me and offering perfect products for modern interiors. As I attend the other shows throughout LDF this month I’ll be featuring products from each show.
First off, as I’m naturally drawn to anything from Scandinavia, and even more so if it’s glassware I literally ran towards the Lyngby Porcelain stand. The exquisite colours of the glass and the simple design pulled me in. The Lyngby vase was originally introduced in 1936 in porcelain and is influenced by the Bauhaus movement. Since 2011 it has been available in coloured glass. I’m a huge fan of the blue and green version of the vases, and also the new dusky pink one. Little Green have just launched a new Pink collection of paint colours and a Lyngby vase in soft pink would be a perfect accent accessory. Head over to their website to see more, their products have gone straight on my wish list and are now available in the UK for the first time.
