{"id":31347,"date":"2024-03-07T13:28:56","date_gmt":"2024-03-07T12:28:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/d177788b-0341-47fb-9c34-6eebc58a4d87"},"modified":"2024-03-12T14:36:37","modified_gmt":"2024-03-12T13:36:37","slug":"designers-share-their-favourite-hot-spots-for-inspiration","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/rss_feed\/designers-share-their-favourite-hot-spots-for-inspiration\/","title":{"rendered":"Designers share their favourite hot-spots for inspiration"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"rssexcerpt\">From Charleston farmhouse to New York\u2019s Metropolitan Museum of Art, five designers talk to Rosanna Morris about the favourite places that inspire their work <\/p><p class=\"rssauthor\">By Rosanna Morris\n      <\/p><p class=\"rssbyline\">Published: Thursday, 07 March 2024 at 12:28 PM<\/p><hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/><?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\" standalone=\"yes\"?>\n<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><p>For William Morris, it was the riverbanks and meadows surrounding Kelmscott Manor in Oxfordshire that fuelled his creativity. His timeless Willow Bough pattern owes its design to the trees that grew along the waterways close to his garden. Meanwhile, Edward Bawden was drawn to British towns and cities, as well as the countryside, and his most famous works immortalise London\u2019s landmarks, especially its markets. <\/p><p>The hills and vales of Dorset and Sussex were a constant source of inspiration for members of the Bloomsbury Group, so it\u2019s no surprise that some of Vanessa Bell\u2019s most significant paintings are of Studland Beach. For centuries, designers and artists have turned to the world around them as a source of inspiration for their work.<br\/><br\/>What of today\u2019s artists and designers? Where do they seek inspiration? Are they influenced by the same places as the artists of the past, and what is it about these buildings, cities and streets that sparks creativity?<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p><strong>Helen Parker, Creative director at deVOL <\/strong><br\/>Spitalfields, Lanhydrock and Shugborough Hall<br\/><br\/>I think the actual building itself is probably the most influential part of any design. I have a particular love of the Georgian houses around Spitalfields in east London. I wander these streets and photograph the coloured doors and peer through the windows and see such atmosphere and style within. <\/p><p>The people who live in these houses are very considerate of the history of the buildings and go to great lengths to keep the feel and atmosphere of the original homes. This I find truly inspirational \u2013 that people will tirelessly recreate the perfection of those Georgian interiors and do it with such accuracy and care, creating rooms and spaces that are so full of soul and charm. <\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Spitalfields-Helen-Parker-682x1024.jpg?fit=682%2C1024\" alt=\"Spitalfields Helen Parker\" class=\"wp-image-54557\" style=\"width:464px;height:auto\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>There is a wonderful shop called Town House on Fournier Street in Spitalfields that sells beautiful and unusual pots, old and new, antiques, oddities and books. It is all housed in one of these beautiful Georgian properties and the experience of walking around it is so special \u2013 you can wander around the rooms and go down into the kitchen.<br\/><br\/>Finding colour inspiration is the most important part of my wanderings, especially in Spitalfields, whereas in places such as Lanhydrock house in Cornwall or Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire it\u2019s the cupboards and fittings that I am most keen things that still look great today: a light or a table that are so simple and practical that you can\u2019t help but wonder why they are retired to simply being looked at in a National Trust property. <\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Lanhydrock-1024x683.jpg?fit=800%2C534\" alt=\"Lanhydrock\" class=\"wp-image-54543\" style=\"width:718px;height:auto\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>This kind of find is what excites us at deVOL \u2013 we see potential in resurrecting an old item and reinventing it for our customers to enjoy in their homes. The Butler\u2019s Pantry was inspired by a cupboard at Shugborough.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"844\" height=\"1008\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/The-Butlers-Pantry-deVOL-1.jpg\" alt=\"The Butler's Pantry deVOL\" class=\"wp-image-54548\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.75;object-fit:cover;width:581px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>I love how the drawers are deeper than the cupboard, creating a ledge. This feature instantly delighted us and had us imagining little children using the ledge as an impromptu seat or driving their toy cars along it. It has that certain something that you can\u2019t put your finger on, but when you look at it, it makes you smile. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.devolkitchens.co.uk\/\">devolkitchens.co.uk<\/a><\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1103\" height=\"735\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Angie-Lewin-edited.jpg\" alt=\"Angie Lewin \" class=\"wp-image-54550\" style=\"width:637px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p><strong>Angie Lewin, Printmaker, painter and designer<\/strong><br\/>Kettle\u2019s Yard, Cambridge<br\/><br\/>I first visited Kettle\u2019s Yard entirely by accident when a friend and I were spending a day in Cambridge in the early 1980s. We spotted and followed a sign, past a church, to a cottage. We rang the doorbell \u2013 a cork fishing float on a rope \u2013 and were welcomed into a calm, light living space.<br\/><br\/>I suppose we expected a museum or a gallery, but Jim and Helen Ede\u2019s former home was a revelation. Works by artists including Ben and Winifred Nicholson, David Jones, Christopher Wood and Henri Gaudier-Brzeska are displayed among domestic objects, natural finds and plants. It instantly made it clear to me that art should be an integral part of daily life and that I would definitely go to art school.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"882\" height=\"1176\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Kettles-Yard-edited.jpg\" alt=\"Kettle's Yard\" class=\"wp-image-54551\" style=\"width:638px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>Some paintings are hung low on the walls so that they can be viewed all the better from a chair, which you are encouraged to do. A simple glass dish contains feathers and reflects the layered subtlety of a David Jones still life. Even the small downstairs bathroom contains a Ben Nicholson fabric. <\/p><p>My wood engraving, Pebble Spiral, created for The Book of Pebbles by Christopher Stocks, is inspired by Jim\u2019s display of pebbles. The book features a chapter on Jim\u2019s passion for collecting and how Kettle\u2019s Yard might be considered to be the \u2018Louvre of the Pebble\u2019.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"739\" height=\"1007\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Pebbles-Book-1-edited.jpg\" alt=\"Pebbles Book\" class=\"wp-image-54555\" style=\"width:320px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>I go there whenever I\u2019m in Cambridge, even if I only manage a brief visit. Each time, I see the works that I know so well but also make new discoveries and associations. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.angielewin.co.uk\/\">angielewin.co.uk<\/a><\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Max-Rollitt--692x1024.jpg?fit=692%2C1024\" alt=\"Max Rollitt\" class=\"wp-image-54559\" style=\"width:523px;height:auto\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p><strong>Max Rollitt<\/strong>, <strong>Interior designer, furniture maker and antiques dealer<\/strong><br\/>The Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA, New York<\/p><p>I find that spending time in a gallery such as MoMA or The Met, where I can be immersed in glorious colours, thought-provoking pieces and rooms full of beautiful art from all over the world, energises my own creativity. <\/p><p>For me, it\u2019s almost as much about the gallery spaces \u2013 and the city they\u2019re in \u2013 as it is about what\u2019s actually in these museums. I take photos of everything that inspires me, so if I look back to a recent trip to New York I can see an extraordinary Yupik coat embellished with tiny beaks and feathers along its seams and a Coeur d\u2019Alene beaded bag at The Met. <\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Max-Rollitt-Bespoke-bronze-coffee-table-natural-sycamore-top-1-1024x642.jpg?fit=800%2C502\" alt=\"Max Rollitt coffee table \" class=\"wp-image-54561\" style=\"width:640px;height:auto\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>Next up, as I walk through Manhattan, the panelling of a newly painted front door on Fifth Avenue, and a stone window architrave with a particularly nice keystone. Then, having reached MoMA, Matisse\u2019s The Rose Marble Table and a close-up of Family Portrait, II, by Florine Stettheimer. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.maxrollitt.com\/\">maxrollitt.com<\/a><\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"842\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Tess-Newall-edited.jpg\" alt=\"Tess Newall\" class=\"wp-image-54567\" style=\"width:478px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p><strong>Tess Newall, Decorative artist<\/strong><br\/>Charleston, East Sussex<br\/><br\/>I am lucky that my studio is a stone\u2019s throw from Charleston farmhouse. On my bike ride to the studio I often take a detour and cycle down the farm track from the Downs, passing a herd of cows on approach to the pink and blue door. With towering hollyhocks and a pond full of lily pads, even just the grounds around Charleston are magic to sit in and think.<br\/><br\/>But the real wonder lies inside its walls; every surface has been decorated and made more beautiful by Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. I love the sheer joy that Charleston exudes. It doesn\u2019t take itself too seriously. Duncan and Vanessa were having fun and not being precious \u2013 brushstrokes are free and rhythmic, and the things they decorated were often functional objects that were intended to be used. <br\/><\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Charleston-Farmhouse-1024x683.jpg?fit=800%2C534\" alt=\"Charleston farmhouse\" class=\"wp-image-54564\" style=\"width:547px;height:auto\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>I also love the variety within their work \u2013 they experimented with many different mark-making techniques. The Garden Room features a hand-painted wallpaper with a Paisley motif cut from a sponge creating a repeat pattern, a hand-painted squiggle runs along the top of the wall with quick and irregular looping and the fireplace has been given a naive faux-marbled effect.<br\/><br\/>When I first visited Charleston 10 years ago, I left wanting to paint everything I owned. I was already a decorative artist, but in film working on set designs; I hadn\u2019t ever seen a British domestic space so painted. I often use particular Charleston motifs and colour combinations in my work now. <br\/><\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Kit-Kemp-Bloomsbury-fireplace--768x1024.jpg?fit=768%2C1024\" alt=\"Bloomsbury fireplace\" class=\"wp-image-54565\" style=\"width:428px;height:auto\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>But, for me, the main inspiration is the Bloomsbury Group\u2019s approach \u2013 they decorated without overthinking. Their creativity was a way of life, and their interior decoration was a means of self-expression. I think in the world of social media we can become fixated on what others think, when really we should just do what feels right.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1176\" height=\"1176\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Newall-x-Wickleood-lamp-edited-1.jpg\" alt=\"Newall x Wickleood lamp\" class=\"wp-image-54569\" style=\"width:519px;height:auto\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>I always try to sketch ideas from life, as I think it captures a liveliness that can become lost in a photo. I also think that the motion of sketching makes you really observe something \u2013 observation is the first step in developing a design. In my decorative painting work I always begin with working out what I want people to feel when they enter a space and work back from that. <\/p><p>So I think that when working out why you love a design reference, it helps to describe what feeling it evokes and keep that at the front of your mind. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tessnewall.com\/\">tessnewall.com<\/a><br\/><\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Octavia-Dickinson-1024x1024.jpg?fit=800%2C800\" alt=\"Octavia Dickinson\" class=\"wp-image-54571\" style=\"width:422px;height:auto\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p><strong>Octavia Dickinson, Interior designer<\/strong><br\/>Tetbury and her childhood home<\/p><p>I\u2019m fortunate to live next to two places that I find inspiring for my work \u2013 my childhood home and the town of Tetbury. I often pop over to my parents\u2019 house to measure up a height of tongue and groove or look at the moulding on a door, or profile of a stone surface.<br\/><br\/>My parents bought the house just before I was born and have made it and the garden their life\u2019s work. I feel at peace when I walk in the garden. It\u2019s the perfect place to clear my mind, to give me space to think, but also to inspire me that beautiful things can be created from nothing. <\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Tetbury-in-Gloucestershire-1024x683.jpg?fit=800%2C534\" alt=\"Tetbury in Gloucestershire\" class=\"wp-image-54573\" style=\"width:567px;height:auto\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>I feel that the house embodies the English country house style, which is all about how it makes someone feel, as well as what they see. The house has great bones: old flagstone floors, wooden staircase, Georgian panelled doors and shutters \u2013 decorative details that I appropriate for many of my projects. <br\/><br\/>My father is an art dealer and collector of beautiful and interesting things, so I find it incredibly inspiring looking at the way my parents have designed the interiors. But also how their passion for collecting can bring together so many wonderful, diverse things in such a harmonious manner.<\/p><p>Tetbury is a sweet market town, architecturally and aesthetically pleasing, and many of the shops have lovely architectural details. I also love that I can see many objects in one place here. Every time I visit, there is something different to see and learn from.<\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Dean-Antiques-1024x733.jpg?fit=800%2C573\" alt=\"Dean Antiques\" class=\"wp-image-54585\" style=\"width:587px;height:auto\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>Looking at antique furniture highlights how many different ways there are, say, to design a drawer, and I pull on these examples when designing joinery and furniture. I love speaking to the dealers about the provenance of the pieces and, for the more unusual details, working out what they were made for. Some of my favourite shops include Philip Adler, Lorfords, Brownrigg, Top Banana and Dean Antiques.<\/p><p>Not only do I spend a lot of time here sourcing furniture and antiques for clients, but I also get some of my best ideas for designs. If I can\u2019t find the right antique for a project, then I will often design a piece of furniture. <\/p><div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/42\/2024\/03\/Albie-fabric-sofa-1024x938.jpg?fit=800%2C733\" alt=\"Albie fabric by Octavia Dickinson\" class=\"wp-image-54572\" style=\"width:625px;height:auto\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8211; &#8211;<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div><p>When browsing antiques shops, I come across a multitude of different styles, hinges, handles, mouldings, joints and so on, all of which are infused into my designs. I also see first-hand the mixing of styles and dates of furniture. <\/p><p>I take a lot of photographs, which I try to organise on my phone to help me when I\u2019m back in the office. If I\u2019m designing something in particular, then I might sketch it up with notes. I try to visit houses, private or public, as much as I can. Even if I have my two small children in tow and it\u2019s a fleeting visit, I race them around trying to pick up snippets of inspiration. <br\/><br\/>I\u2019m incredibly nosy, but I\u2019m secretly pleased that I am, as I can feel as inspired by a stately drawing room as the inside of an attic bedroom cupboard. <a href=\"https:\/\/octaviadickinson.com\/\">octaviadickinson.com<\/a><br\/><br\/><\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n<hr class=\"no-tts wp-block-separator\"\/>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From Charleston farmhouse to New York\u2019s Metropolitan Museum of Art, five designers talk to Rosanna Morris about the favourite places that inspire their work <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":31348,"template":"","categories":[1,58],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"11"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2024\/03\/designers-share-their-favourite-hot-spots-for-inspiration.jpg",832,555,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2024\/03\/designers-share-their-favourite-hot-spots-for-inspiration-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2024\/03\/designers-share-their-favourite-hot-spots-for-inspiration-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2024\/03\/designers-share-their-favourite-hot-spots-for-inspiration-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2024\/03\/designers-share-their-favourite-hot-spots-for-inspiration.jpg",800,534,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2024\/03\/designers-share-their-favourite-hot-spots-for-inspiration.jpg",832,555,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/49\/2024\/03\/designers-share-their-favourite-hot-spots-for-inspiration.jpg",832,555,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"From Charleston farmhouse to New York\u2019s Metropolitan Museum of Art, five designers talk to Rosanna Morris about the favourite places that inspire their work","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/31347"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31348"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/homesantiques\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}