Light up my life, Anve Lisbon...

Now that the 90's and noughties have been and gone (heave a sigh of relief: customised neon signs, I banish thee!), lighting has become more and more inventive in interior design. Take, for example, these nifty hanging lightbulbs from the new Lisbon-based Portuguese design studio Anve. They're extremely simple and original and would look fantastic hanging from the exposed oak beams of a large, airy kitchen (should you happen to have such a thing). Failing that, they'd look great just pinned to a wall. Yet another thing to crave. Anve themselves are a really interesting tiny studio, selling multiple custom items that they've designed themselves in their own studio. They range from unusual lighting to handmade belts and a multitude of weird and wonderful things in between. Well worth a look! What was that, relatives that are aware it's my birthday in two months? Why, I'd absolutely love a pair of them, how kind of you...!

Afternoon tea by the fire in the library

Rebecca has always been one of my favourite books. The richness of the prose is delightful and the thrilling murder made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck when I first read it as a little girl. However, what I really remember is reading it in front of the fire in my house in Portugal when I was younger because that was when I fell in love with the idea of traditional English country life. Long walks in the country, weekend balls, stables attached to every home and afternoon tea served every day. We had afternoon tea at home (my mother doing her best to raise us as nice English girls) but Portugal had a sad lack of crumpets. In fact, I remember following my mother around with my dog-eared copy of Rebecca and reading her the following passage before demanding to know why on earth we couldn't have them shipped from London:

"I think of half-past four at Manderley, and the table drawn before the library fire. The door flung open, punctual to the minute, and the performance, never-varying, of the laying of the tea, the silver tray, the kettle, the snowy cloth. While Jasper, his spaniel ears a-droop, feigns indifference to the arrival of the cakes. That feast was laid before us always, and yet we ate so little.

Those dripping crumpets, I can see them now. Tiny crisp wedges of toast, and piping-hot, flaky scones. Sandwiches of unknown nature, mysteriously flavored and quite delectable, and that very special gingerbread. Angel cake, that melted in the mouth, and his rather stodgier companion, bursting with peel and raisins."

I can't wait to move out of central London to somewhere with enough space to afford me a library. Mark my words, five years from now that is where you'll find me at the stroke of 4.30pm: buttering crumpets and throwing stray bits of cake to the cat and dogs in front of the fire whilst curled up in an enormous leather armchair. On a dreary cold day like today, that thought keeps me going.

Pictures via JMInteriors and Eclectic Revisited.

Better than sardine meatballs: Portuguese Mateus in Sweden

Trying to imagine combining Portuguese and Swedish cultures would, you could be forgiven for thinking, culminate in nothing more impressive than a sardine meatball. However, you could be forgiven, but you would still be wrong. Enter Portuguese design brand Mateus, stage right. Based in Sweden and taking advantages of the design obsession over there, they still comission all of their products from skilled Portuguese artisans residing in (you guessed it) Portugal. They specialise in traditionally handmade ceramics with a fun and modern twist. Observe:

Rub-a-dub-dub, two people in a tub

It's that time again. The UK Census will be taking place again this year. This time, in addition to asking about sexual orientation and lifestyle choices, they'll be trying to paint a picture of how we live. Given that I work in research, you can imagine the geeky thrills I got when the boyfriend read this out of the Sunday paper to me yesterday. However, I'll be interested to see how this reflects the way in which living spaces have changed. In 1951, almost two-fifths of UK homes were without a bath and now, although the vast majority of all homes have some washing apparatus, for the very first time, more homes have showers than bathtubs. This is partly to do with the intense density of population in our main cities but also because consumers are more conscious of the amount of water they use. Personally I think that a bath is an absolute luxury. Reading in the tub with a glass of wine to hand is one of the most self-indulgent things that you can waste half an hour on. And upon visiting the lovely home of one of my friends on Saturday night and oogling her double bath, I was struck by how much more fun you could have were you to share the tub with someone else! I particularly like old claw-footed tubs or the spa baths set into the floor of a bathroom. I predict that whilst overall, showers will continue to overtake baths in the popularity stakes, double baths will become more popular than singles as the bath fades from being used every day to just being a luxury item. You heard it here first. Photos via Arhdeco.

Move over MySpace, My Face has arrived...

In April the boyfriend and I are going on a road trip around Portugual and one of the places that I can't visit is Viana do Castelo. This small northern town is famous for it's colourful fisherwomens scarves as well as for the delicate gold filagree jewellery made in traditional ways. However, the scarves are my main focus. That's why I was so excited to discover the VIANA collection of chairs from Portuguese furniture designers Myface.

A Produkt made of Kork

Did you notice how I cleverly wove the company and product name into the blog post title there? Today's discovery is the iPad Kork cover. I'm completely addicted to my iPad (thanks dad!) but I made a seriously bad decision when, in a fit of over-confidence and joy instilled by the presence of my brand new tablet in my hands, I decided to treat myself and my father to covers. Cue lots of concern over how they actually worked (they're more complicated than you'd think) and general despair at the sheer ugliness of the things. Pleather and diamonte-studded items glared down from their shelves and it was with relief that we finally found two plain black, does-what-it-says-on-the-tin versions. However, had I heard of A Produkt, the Danish company based in Porto (the design capital of Portugal), I'd have snapped up one of these Kork iPad covers in a heartbeat. Here is yet another example of the lengths that the Portuguese will go to to use up all of the cork they have lying about the place now that those pesky screw-caps have become so popular. Other than the trendy alternative spelling, this cork cladding is a fantastic idea!

Boca do Lobo have done it again...

Sometimes I think that I should change the name of this blog to London Lobo-ite. I can't help it, there's just something about the work of Portuguese furniture designers Boca do Lobo that makes my heart sing. Each piece of work draws and holds my gaze like a magnet. To celebrate their fifth year of attendance at MAISON ET OBJET (21 to 25 of January), BOCA DO LOBO will be presenting five new glourious pieces of art masquerading as furniture. I managed to get a sneak peek at the mirror and the Royal table as a work in progress. Spoiler alert: you may want to have tissues handy to wipe up your drool...

Pigeon paper!

Pigeons occupy a special place in my heart, not so much because I'm a Londoner but because I've become convinced that they bring me luck. Whilst others might sneer and curl their upper lip as they spit out the word "skyrat", I merely avoid the happily hopping carrier of fleas and smile, remembering that the last time one of them dive-bombed me (something that happens more often than you'd think in this town), I met the boyfriend the same night. So I'm overjoyed to see that the lovely Thornback and Peel have developed pigeon wallpaper (as well as an attractive jelly and cake version for the kitchen). Now all I need is a spare few inches of wall to hang it on. Damn and blast my multiple screenprints, I'm rapidly running out of space!

MY OWN SUPER STUDIO says "Welcome to the jungle"...

Portuguese designer Rui Alves, owner of MY OWN SUPER STUDIO, was awarded the 2010 reddot design award for his "Welcome to the jungle" range of furniture and when you look at his playful range, it's easy to see why. Do they remind anyone else of lego?

London Lisbonite learns how to screnprint at Print Club London

Print Club London have furnished a large part of my apartment with their screenprints. So when I saw that they were giving beginner's workshops in screenprinting, I decided that there are worse ways of spending an extra day off than in a studio covered in emulsion and ink. The workshop is in edgy Dalston, down a somewhat dodgy-looking alley. Upon entering, I was struck by the buzz of activity. Artists sidled around lost-looking workshop attendees and our teacher lost no time in giving us a comprehensive history of the art of screenprinting, taking us from the origins of the method back in China hundreds of years ago when the screens were made from human hair through the pop art movement to the modern age where aluminum frames covered in emulsion are used on enormous presses. Having printed our designs out on tracing paper, we covered screens with emulsion and exposed them in an enormous lightbox called "Big banana" (whimsy being a well-known screenprinter trait). After that it was over to a powerwashing station backlit with neons where we blasted off the excess emulsion with a hose shaped like a machine gun. After a brief break for lunch, we returned to lock our screens into position and learn how to flood the screens and position our papers before screening. All in all it was an extremely interesting day out and well worth the trek out to deepest darkest East London. The best part of the day was seeing my very own prints drying on the professional racks and learning that after this basic workshop, attendees can sign up to become a member and use the frames whenever they like. I think I'm hooked - the great thing about screenprinting is that even people like me that are incapable of drawing a stick figure can "do art". Hurrah!
The luxe surroundings of Print Club London
Designs are printed onto tracing paper
After exposing the frames in a lightbox, the excess emulsion is blasted off
One of the frames used for screenprinting
The finished article on the drying racks


Framed!

Pimp your wine cellar!

Interior design sees some odd fads and fashions (furry walls anyone?) but the inclusion of a wine cellar in any well-built home is an idea that has lasted centuries, and with good reason. However, now you need no longer wait until you inherit the stately pile to have a proper cellar. More and more companies are starting to specialise in bespoke cellar design, providing the nation with everything from poky holes in the floor and mini-cellars in the kitchen seating area to full, wrought-iron-gate fronted cellars (spiderwebs optional). So once you have your cellar and you've filled it with wine, what next? You can either use it as a storeroom or take the more sensible approach of installing a couple of armchairs or a dining table, a chandelier or two and start to truly appreciate your collection.




Photos from Interior Design Houses, Bixler Studios, Kenneth Raymond Design

Starting afresh in 2011

This year I'm so determined to start afresh, I've actually spent two precious holiday days reserving the end of this week for a massive spring cleaning session. I realised that this was necessary when I reached up for a box on one of my bookcases and was bombarded by a shower of random objects (plant arranging foam, picture hooks and, for some reason, a box of empty envelopes). Essentially my house is jammed full of stuff that I don't need or use and so eBay should be warned, there's a large consignment on the way. So to start off 2011 in the simple style that I'm determined to maintain, take a look at these pretty and peaceful ceramics by Portuguese designers Projectoa2. No excess colour or adornment, just prettiness (if you are a figurine kind of person). I never really understood figurines, reasoning that surely they just create more things to dust, but if you have to have them, have these.