Pigeons and Jelly : A happy combination

Thornback & Peel don't shy away from much. Combining the often-hated urban pigeon for example, with much-loved childhood jelly , they put together unusual designs for the home and garden that raise eyebrows and  liven-up a living-space. Who would think of a cabbage as a suitable napkin design? Or cuddling up to fusha pink beetles on the sofa? The appeal of these great creations lie in the whacky choice of motif portrayed in an out-of-context colour. I love it!

The belle of the ball

I came across Belma Kapetanovic Kapetanovic over at Print and Pattern. She's a postgraduate student in textile design, who uses natural, organic forms as inspiration for her fabrics and wallpapers. The results are abstract yet retain the vitality of living organisms to great effect!

Domestic Design

Regular visitors to the South Bank Centre shop will probably recognize the work of Alice Mara, perhaps best known for her fabulous "hanging people" range (for fellow Parisians, there's a little shop on the Rue de Turenne in the Marais that also stocks it). I was taking a look at her site recently and discovered her kitchen appliance plates, which feature images of dishwashers, hot plates and washing machines. Quite a novel way to celebrate domesticity!

Right honourable wall tiles

Wall tiles are one of the things I find hardest to decide upon. My kitchen has been waiting for ages for me to commit but I can't quite manage to take the plunge. My latest find are these designs by Munchausen, sold by Saint Honoré  in France. They reproduce the style of 18th century Toile de Jouy fabrics, using hot contemporary colours that are dastardly striking. They are what I would term "saucily debonair": refined and elegant, with a touch of the Marquis de Sade - or am I getting carried away?

A New York Treasure: Trove

I'm guessing that the word "trove" rarely comes without "treasure" somewhere close by, which in the case of this New York wallpaper designer, is conveniently apt. With a range of delicate, ethereal creations, Trove seem to specialise in designs that look as if they are hand-painted in watercolour, depicting cloudy skies, flocks of birds or floating petals.The colours too are often soft, fading shades of pink, sage green and blue although there are one or two bold exceptions that stand out from the crowd. Great for large, light open spaces.

Egg

                                        

Egg (or "Oeuf" as they say over here!) is the code name for the gorgeous ceramics brought into the world by France's Nathalie Choux. Like characters from a fairy tale, the wide-eyed figures she depicts on her bowls and vases are innocent and dreamy - not surprising really since Nathalie has also illustrated several children's books including a version of Red Riding Hood ("Le Chaperon Rouge"). See her web site for more beautiful examples of her work : Nathalie Choux

Customizable cushions - featuring the whole family!

There's nothing better than home furnishings with a personal touch and although we're not all expert designers, illustrators or seamstresses, there are nonetheless plenty of ways to individualise our home decor. K Studio in the US, are one of those enlightened teams that have come up with a great way of combining their expert design skill with the desire for personalisation. Their "Family Series" of cushions come in a variety of fabrics and allow the buyer to select the number and type of family members depicted. The options include a good selection of adults (various hair-cuts and someone with glasses!) babies, teenagers, a variety of dogs, cats and even a bunny (!), so it's easy to select a combination that will reflect the make-up of families close to your heart. Great for anniversary gifts!


What's even better is that the studio is dedicated to sustainable practice and uses hemp, organic cotton and re-cycled wool in the production of its' wares.

Sweet tooth

I was actually making cup-cakes this weekend for my partner's birthday - although they were not quite as attractive as these ceramic ones by julie pettitt! Since the cup-cake in lurid pinks and reds has recently made a massive come back in tea shops and chic bakeries, I love the idea of re-producing them in fine porcelain as small pots. Decorated with licorice allsorts, bright cherries, dolly mixtures and strawberries, they are light-hearted and hugely attractive - the only danger is that they might make you continually hungry!

Delicate Design - Leah Duncan

I came across the fabrics, cushions and tea towels of Texas-based Leah Duncan on the Etsy website and was struck by the delicacy of her designs. An illustrator and "visual ninja", she produces patterns that combine intricate line drawing with elegant splashes of colour.

I have picked out a few of the items for sale in her shop, but do check out her website for other equally lovely creations.

Love at First Sight (or how to revamp your furniture the Australian way...)

Last year there was a fantastic exhibition at the Fondation Cartier in Paris called "Né dans la Rue - Graffiti" ("Born in the Street - Graffiti") which celebrated street art and the birth of tags in New York in the 70's. It has to be one of the most vibrant and popular visual art forms out there (didn't Barack Obama and David Cameron this year exchange paintings both of which were forms of word art?), which is why my jaw dropped at this fabulous sofa by Love at 1st Sight in Australia.
Re-vamping antique and/or discarded items, the group produce unique pieces, giving up-beat colour to retro design. Similar to Bulle in Paris (see the Poppy Club post of June 16th "Bulle") and Zoe Murphy in the UK (see the Poppy Club post of April 26th "Viva Margate" ) they combine recycling with hip design to staggering effect.

My first crush of the autumn!

Streetwise with Jen Hewitt

And we're back! After an extended summer break the Poppy Club is glad to be up and posting again. And because it's not yet too cold for bare legs and short skirts, we're starting with a peek at the designs of American illustrator Jen Hewett. I was initially struck by her "Parisian doors" series of prints and tea towels - which I think are a wonderful celebration of this beautiful city - then as I looked further I developed a crush on her boot and shoe designs which celebrate street fashion from the waist down.

Will be stomping those streets myself soon on the look out for more lovely finds!