Inspired by Fashion: Kendi's Buildings & Books

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Interiors follow Fashion. By fashion, I mean those rags you casually throw on every morning without second thought. Or rather, I mean it follows the fashion of those folks who do give a second thought to their daily attire, and in fact give rather more than just a second thought - they give a third and fourth thought too I imagine.

Sadly, I am not one of these people. Though I am quite capable of appreciating a good outfit, I am not and have never been, a fashionable trend setter type person. I am at best a distant admirer of fashion. I'm aware its there. And I do follow a couple of fashion blogs - one of which has given me a swell idea for an ongoing series of posts.

If you are not aware of its existence, I recommend you hop along to Kendi Everyday - a fashion blog which focuses on the fashion of one young trend setter in Dallas. Not every day, but almost, she uploads some snapshots of her outfit for the day with a few choice words and makes it look incredibly easy. And though I know that those great outfits will not look anything like that on me (having not been blessed with a model-like physique) the colours, fabrics and patterns do inspire me.

So, in a round about way, I'm trying to tell you about my new post idea. I shall compose a little interior scheme around an outfit which had been caught in my peripheral vision and has thus inspired me. Hence, Inspired By Fashion. And, to kick start this all of, I have selected this outfit showcased by Kendi last week.

The colour palette is dark - rich warm browns and black. The outfit incorporates contrasting fabrics: leather boots repesented above in the chair, and a sheer blouse represented above by the soft voile window treatment. The wallpaper options pick out the pattern detail and are both available from Cole & Son. The overall look Kendi achived looked smart, yet comfortable, so i've tried to reflect that here with non-fussy furniture with soft detailing.

So... what do you think? x

Designer Focus: Vivienne Westwood

It’s fair to say that Vivienne Westwood fashion is unique. You certainly wouldn’t confuse it with being, say, Armani or Paul Smith. It is iconic of the British Punk era of the 1970s, with strong Patriotic statements and Festish inspired accessories – it’s difficult to think of Westwood without simultaneously imagining Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols. And the same ethos has been implemented to her dabbling in the Interior world, creating edgy Punk inspired pieces to inject some mischief into the home. In conjunction with Cole & Son Wallpapers and The Rug Company, Westwood has created a small selection of Punk items – so here a just a few.

The rugs are great – real statement pieces which strike a political point as well as a fashionable one. Unfortunately, the prices are about as far away from the grass roots of Punk Fashion as you could imagine, but that’s fashion for you. This is Interior Design for Rock Stars as you’d be pushed to afford any on a normal income.

The wallpapers are by far more affordable and can have an equally dramatic impact on a room. Teaming any of these designs with traditional furniture (think worn leather wingback chairs) and you’re onto a winning Punk look.

Creative Interiors: Hotel Maison Moschino

I love Hotel design, particularly when Hotels push the boundaries and break the mould. Yes, we all love to wander into a stylish hotel and marvel at how coordinated the furnishings are, how comfy the mattress is etc etc. But design, really imaginative design, works on a whole other level. These are the 5* hotels dreams are made of – the ones where an imaginative architect, interior designer and more importantly, a client willing to trust their designers, have worked tirelessly to make their hotel the one to which all others aspire. They’re not common and we average Joes will most likely never have the pleasure of staying a night in one, but that just makes them even more appealing. I’m talking the like of the Sanderson in London, The Hotel Puerta Americas in Madrid, and now included in the ranks, the Maison Moschino hotel in Madrid.

The Maison Moschino has a clear concept which is creatively expressed throughout the Hotel and inkeeping with the fashion brand.

“True to the essence of the Moschino brand, we completely reinterpreted the building, adding 65 contemporary hotel rooms and junior suites inspired by a visionary and contemporary fairy tale theme. Spread out across four floors, the rooms are sensuous visions of surreal diversity. Entering the Maison Moschino is like falling down the rabbit hole: after a while, you come to expect the unexpected.

Highly imaginative and eccentric, we created the spaces to inspire the mind while the body relaxes – because to sleep is perchance to dream. The hotel features several luxurious amenities supporting the surreal Moschino theme: the imaginative menu served in our "Clandestino Milano" restaurant, the dreamlike drinks welcoming you in our exquisite ground floor bar, and the elysian atmosphere of our Culti Spa.

Welcome to Maison Moschino, where four stars meet a few clouds – and the occasional teacup table, forest bedpost, and rose petal-covered bedspread.”

I really love how whole heartedly the theme has been implemented into the rooms. What pleases me most about this type of boutique hotel is how multiple room schemes are used and how varied these schemes are – they don’t simply opt for a different coloured scattered cushion, they re-invent the concept from scratch to produce a unique design. Hotels used to aspire to a create rooms of a better quality than at home domesticity but essentially, they sought to provide a home-away-from-home experience where familiarity would relax and comfort. These concept hotels look to abandon familiarity and instead seek to provide an experience far away from domestic design –a real “Alice down the Rabbit Hole” adventure.

Out of the Moschino rooms, I really love the Forrest concept - its simplicity in colour and quirky use of woodland creatures appeals to me, for sure. I also LOVE the rose petal bedspread and am truely baffled as to how that actually works in a Hotel environment (seriously, how do they wash that?!). I also love the Ivy room with matching striped wall and headboard - its like an optical illusion.

I think it’s only a matter of time before this "concept design" makes its way into our homes – we are already seeing products emerge on the high street of a quirky nature (Next have a beautiful Teacup &  Saucer lamp i'm currently coveting). Will home design become akin to stage design in the near future?

M x

REPLICATE THE MOVIES: Sex and the City

Ever watched a film and thought "I'd love to live in a place like that"? Of course you have: that's why companies pay so much to have their products featured in films. I think a lot of people assume this Product Placement is mainly used by companies like Coke Cola and Pepsi, where the main character is seen sipping from a cup with a giant logo plastered across it and strategically placed facing the camera. But often I find myself drawn to the background, the scenery and the home accessories. So, I've decided to explore some films and really try to locate the products so you can try to recreate them in your own home. I decide to go firstly with the chick flicks; Sex and The City 1 & 2.

SEX & THE CITY… it's all about designer

Considering the series focused so much on designer clothing, it's not surprising that when they decided to bring it to the Big Screen, they thought to revamp the (let's admit it) drab interiors. And, no surprise at all that they decided instead to clad every surface in designer wares. Fortunately, the world of interior design has nowhere near as many designer brands and items as the world of fashion, so finding the exact items isn't too difficult… affording them is a little harder!

 

CARRIES "GROWN UP" APARTMENT

• Rug – Overleaf by Marni, available from The Rug Company
• Wallhanging – LOVE TOO by Paul Smith, also available from the Rug Company
• Sofa Upholstery – Wolf Home
• Sofa – hmmm, maybe Wychwood Furniture for a good replica
• Headboard – Bath Headboard by Graham & Green
• Media Centre – SMA
• Chair – Bluesuntree
• Wall Pictures – Graham and Green
• Wall colour – Cooks Blue by Farrow and Ball
• Side Tables - Lacquered by Area ID

Onto Sex and the City 2 (which is dire – seriously, don't bother watching this as it has absolutely no plot whatsoever) we see Carrie and Big in their marital home and instead get a design fusion of Carrie's Fashionista flair and Big's New York Banker style. Again, throw in multiple designer labels, vintage pieces and a price-tag that'll give you a heart attack, and BOOM, you've got it. I particularly like this colour palette I have to say – the masculine taupe with splashes of a feminine pink and blue really appeals to me.

 

CARRIE AND BIG'S APARTMENT

• Rug – Candyflower by Marni, available from The Rug Company
• Cushions – Birdie Blossom by Paul Smith, also available from the Rug Company
• Chairs – Vintage design by T H Robjohn Gibbings, available at Bergdorf Goodman
• Sofa – Woodframe by Montauk
• Chandelier – Discs by Property
• Hallway Wallpaper – Oiseau Chocolate by Katie Ridder
• Bedroom Wallpaper – Rococco by Cole & Son
• Headboard Fabric – Velvet Gate by Kravet

If I had to pick one, I think I'd opt for Carrie's apartment from the first film. I love the bold splash of colour and even though it's deemed the "grown up" version of Carrie's apartment, it's still young and fresh. Their marital home is very adult, and as much as I do like it, I certainly couldn't live in it as it's far too conservative for my tastes.