Amelia’s Magazine | Home London at Olympia, January 2015: Review

WOW_Home_london
WOW lighting from Pad Home.

This year I attended the January Home London show with toddler in tow, since needs must. He was very, erm, helpful, on the first leg… then promptly fell asleep in his buggy after lunch (something he never ever does) – giving me a good few hours to see more of the show and actually chat with the designers.

Ella_Doran_vintage_toy_car_wallpaper
First stop, vintage toy car wallpaper by Ella Doran went down especially well with Snarf.

Michael_Angove_Ary_Trays
Åry Trays is a Scandinavian manufacturer of birchwood trays who work with a host of designers including many UK based ones. I particularly liked quirky designs by RCA alumni Michael Angove.

Nazanin_Kamali_Minecraft_cushion
Shrimp_cushion_Nazanin_Kamali
Snarfle made a beeline for this Minecraft inspired beanbag by furniture designer turned artisanal textiles designer Nazanin Kamali. She had made it for her own son and was very tolerant of his desire to kick his shoes off and pretend sleep, and even helped bribe his removal with a handy chocolate coin. Her unusual embroidered shrimp cushion got a huge amount of love when I posted it on instagram – a sign, perhaps, that people are growing weary of the ubiquitous owls and foxes that still dominate current decorative designs. Find her cushions stocked in SCP.

Otago_design_beaded_pots
I discovered Otago Design at last year’s Tent London (about which I still planning some kind of review… unfortunately my Kickstarter campaign to produce a book got in the way of an earlier blog). I really love the way they marry African design sensibilities with contemporary design.

Toby_House_iridescent_lighting
One of my absolute favourite finds was this amazing iridescent flat pack lighting by the relatively new TOBYhouse from London based designer Toby Sanders. Having already wowed the world with super fun Beach Ball lights, this is his latest innovation.

Moomin_tile_arabia
Arabia make a whole host of Moomin ceramics that are just so darn cute… can’t wait for Snarf to get better with china!

Klaus_Haapaniemi_iitala_dancing_foxes
Klaus Haapaniemi does it again for Iitala with these gorgeous dancing foxes. His designs are out of this world, if only I could afford to own some.

Lush Designs_Beekeeper_Snarfle
Lush_Designs_unicorn_plate
Lush_designs_ceramic_kitty
Snarfle gave the thumbs up to the new Bee Garden fabric design by Lush Designs, and we were both enamoured with their lovely new range of melamine tableware for little ones, inspired by requests from customers with kids who frequent their East Dulwich shop. The unisex designs feature a unicorn and a lion, and Snarf promptly set up a play kitchen to make us cups of tea with the beakers. Also new to the range: these ceramic kitty money boxes.

Fanny_Shorter
This year the COADG curated area had grown, with some old names joined by new finds. Fanny Shorter textiles are always a winner, and I’m looking forward to her new collection, due for release later this year.

Laura_Slater_cushions
I am in no way surprised that designer Laura Slater has created a bespoke collection for Heals. Love these painterly designs!

Anna_Jacobs_lamps
These awesome hot pink flamingo lampshades are by Anna Jacobs.

Thorody
Thorody is the brain child of fine artists Vicky Putler and Theo Sykes, who are inspired by a combination of Modernism and South East London life. The resulting graphic designs are super slick and wearable for the home.

My Top Drawer review is coming up next!

Categories ,2015, ,Anna Jacobs, ,Arabia, ,Åry Trays, ,Beach Ball lights, ,Bee Garden, ,COADG, ,Ella Doran, ,Fanny Shorter, ,flamingo, ,Heals, ,Home London, ,Iitala, ,instagram, ,Kickstarter, ,kitty money boxes, ,Klaus Haapaniemi, ,Laura Slater, ,Lush Designs, ,Michael Angove, ,Minecraft, ,Moomin, ,Nazanin Kamali, ,Olympia, ,Otago Design, ,Pad Home, ,review, ,SCP, ,Snarfle, ,Tent London, ,Theo Sykes, ,Thorody, ,Toby Sanders, ,TOBYhouse, ,Top Drawer, ,Vicky Putler

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Amelia’s Magazine | Best New Designs for the Home: Home London January 2014 Review

Royal Doulton mug

Ceramics designer Louise Wilkinson was kind enough to invite me along to Home London, one of the premier trade shows for people in the homewares business. An off shoot of the infamous Top Drawer gift trade show, in just a few short years this has grown to become a must visit stop off for anyone interested in great design for the home. In the spacious environs of the soon to be razed Earls Court, I took a deep breath and headed up and down the aisles in a methodical manner. It is impossible to do more than scratch the surface at an event like this, but it was really super to catch up with familiar designers, as well as making some fab new discoveries. Go on, feast your eyes! You will soon find some of these designers on my brand new market place…

Adore the new Fable collection by royal doulton

One of the first things that caught my eyes was the new (ish) Fable collection by Royal Doulton, which was designed by the talented illustrator Karolin Schnoor, featured in my first book on illustration. I love her work so was well chuffed to get a Fable Garland mug (at the top) in my goodie bag: it’s the perfect size and shape and is my new favourite vessel for tea. They retail for only £7 each which is an absolute bargain.

Water Butts and wellies by Hemingway

Wayne Hemingway oversees a vast self made empire that includes festivals, designer goods and much more (check out his Land of Lost Content website). The Hemingway Design stand included this intriguing combination of Water Butts and wellies.

Multicoloured Pots by Broste of Copenhagen

This multicoloured display of pots is by Broste of Copenhagen, a large interiors brand with that special Scandinavian touch.

ekobo home bowls

I have a lot of love for bamboo Biobu dishware – Snarfle uses some of these beautifully made products by the French company Ekobo Home when he visits Grandad and they are beautifully made using a very clever eco friendly technique in Vietnam. One for the homeware wish list in our own abode.

Acrylic colourful cutlery sets by the French brand Sabre Paris

Taking acrylic to another level: these colourful cutlery sets are from the French brand Sabre Paris.

Beast In Show Daphne Padden coaster set

The couple behind Beast in Show have closed their shop in Oxford and relocated back to Yorkshire, the better to concentrate on their own brands. Their latest additions include a new range featuring work by the iconic 50s designer Daphne Padden, who died in 2009 leaving an amazing legacy of graphic design work.

Beast in Show cockapoo teatowel

I’ve always wanted a cockapoo (cocker spaniel poodle cross breed) and this new tea towel design would be great for other hybrid dog fans.

Lego skull storage box

You know those cool Lego storage boxes? Now available as skulls. So fun.

owl cushion by Heart Zeena

Elegant simplicity comes in the form of an owl cushion by Zeena.

Fanny Shorter cushions

It was ace to catch up with talented Cockpit Arts designer Fanny Shorter – her unique textile designs are based on kidneys, brains and tropical leaves, and she had a whole stand to herself as the winner of the COADG bursary.

Hop and Peck hedgehog toys

I am sad that Snarfle is just a tiny bit too old for these lovely hedgehog baby toys by Hop and Peck – who make gloriously tactile handmade wooden things. Founder Elaine has combined expert knowledge of the industry (she used to work with Mamas and Papas) with a love of toys that are worthy of being passed down the generations.

Thornback and peel squirrel cushion

Another inimitable surface pattern print by another Cockpit Arts design company, Thornback and Peel: cushions and deck chair fabric feature bold line drawn squirrels and acorns.

Sian Elin wallpaper

This super surface pattern is by Sian Elin.

cushions by seven gauge studios

These beautiful knit cushions are by self taught designer Joy Bates of Seven Gauge Studios, and they sell in Heals (and hopefully on my new market place too).

louise wilkinson teacups

My photo does not do these lovely teacups by Louise Wilkinson justice! It was lovely to catch up with this talented designer, whose illustrations currently adorn the shop windows at the V&A. Here’s hoping she’ll produce more of these images as prints because the ones on her stand looked wonderful.

cushions by iozzolinodesign by Gabriella Strano.

One new discovery I made at Home London was this brand new cushion range by Iozzolino. Italian Irish designer Gabriella Strano trained at De Montfort where she discovered her signature technique, marrying the designs of antique lace and crochet with 21st century technology. Her subtle use of dusty pastels makes a refreshing change to the slew of brights currently splashed across homeward.

Jenny Duff placemats

I am a massive fan of melamine coasters from Ramsgate based designer Jenny Duff – these ones are created from 1950s illustrations that appeared on the Country Fair magazine.

Snarfle with mini Jansen co mug

This tiny Snarfle sized Jansen co mug is a perfect mini version of the iconic Dutch crockery range and I knew he would love it.

Mini Supoon by Dreamfarm

Finally, amongst the goodies found at the bottom of my VIP bag (thanks to Seen PR) I found the Mini Supoon by Dreamfarm, an Australian company that creates clever products for the kitchen which are distributed in the UK by Forma House. The Mini Supoon is especially designed to act like a spatula and a spoon in one, and is perfectly designed to get those last dregs out of jars. Genius.

Next up: my favourite finds at Craft and Top Drawer shows.

Categories ,2014, ,Baby toys, ,Beast in Show, ,Biobu, ,Broste, ,COADG, ,Cockpit Arts, ,Country Fair, ,Daphne Padden, ,De Montfort, ,Dreamfarm, ,Earls Court, ,Ekobo Home, ,Fable, ,Fable Garland, ,Fanny Shorter, ,Forma House, ,Gabriella Strano, ,Hemingway Design, ,Hop and Peck, ,Jansen co, ,Jenny Duff, ,Joy Bates, ,Karolin Schnoor, ,Land of Lost Content, ,Lego, ,Louise Wilkinson, ,Mini Supoon, ,Ramsgate, ,review, ,Royal Doulton, ,Sabre Paris, ,Seen PR, ,Seven Gauge Studios, ,Sian Elin, ,Snarfle, ,Thornback and Peel, ,Top Drawer, ,Wayne Hemingway, ,Zeena

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