Cool Britannia

Cool Britannia is a media term that was used during the late 20th century to describe the contemporary culture of the United Kingdom. There is something of a parallel between this and the catch-phrase "Swinging London" of which the concept of "Cool Britannia" is a pastiche.  In 2011, we had the Royal wedding, the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain and of course the publicity surrounding the build-up to the Olympic Games and 2012 is the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.

So as you are not going to get away from the Union Jack this year, how about including it within one of your up and coming articles..? Our newsletter pays homage to Cool Britannia.

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Single Images

Well, we cant talk about 2012 without talking about the UK Olympic Games; they have released the colours so let’s see how they creep into interior design next year, to get you off to a good start here is a search of them all... view search

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Bright New World

Leaving a fashion job in London for rural Cheshire gave Jan Constantine not just a colourful new home, but a fresh career, too. While visiting her sister on her farm near Crewe, Constantine and her husband, David Ralphs, saw a house and outbuildings for sale in a neighbouring village. They bought the property and went back to London to sell up and move. Constantine, who worked in the fashion industry at the time, commuted for a while until they had converted the buildings next to their new home, turning them into holiday cottages. The main house was once the doctor’s; he held surgery in what is today the dining room, with a damask-covered table and sparkling chandelier. Where the village bakery once dispensed warm loaves and spicy buns, there is now an office, and one of the store buildings was turned into the HQ of Constantine’s furnishings company... View feature

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Nesting Instinct

"We didn't do much to the place for the first year because, with the business to run and a new baby to care for, I was just too exhausted to think." says Emily Evans, the founder of hip maternity-wear boutique 9London. Three years on, however, her home is just how she wants it. A fire crackles in the open hearth and a compelling mix of antique hand-me-downs and classic 20th-century pieces vie for attention, while extraordinary one-offs, such as a diamante-encrusted deer skull, add a quirky edge... View feature

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Rule Britannia!

This light filled family home combines hot pink walls with clean white interiors; each room draws you into its cosy and welcoming surroundings. It’s evident that it’s important for this family to be surrounded by furnishings and decorations that evoke a sense of hearth and home. Shaker style furniture in the kitchen dining room house collections of pretty ceramics and china; embroidered cushions and handmade fabrics add their finishing touches in each room and fairy lights adorn chandeliers and wall hangings. A main theme throughout is the union jack: a re-worked flag in the living room; a motif on the crockery; the bathroom rug and even a sequined fashion accessory…in this house it’s Rule Britannia!  View feature

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On Her Patch

Lisa Whatmough’s furniture business is the toast of the East End, thanks to hard work and a full-on social life. Our correspondent pops in for a cup of tea. We’re a bit like the Primrose Hill set, only without the shagging,” jokes Lisa Whatmough founder of the furniture re-upholstery business Squint, of her fashion-crowd friends. She is one of the leading lights of the East End design scene, so it’s no surprise that she moves in fashionable circles – her close friends include the jewellery designer Lara Bohinc and Dan Crouch, co-owner of cool Camden pub the Lock Tavern. “In the 1990s, we were always going to each other’s club nights, but priorities change as you get older,” she says. “Now it’s more about sitting at home and drinking tea together.” View feature

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Illusions of Grandeur

From the opulent palette to elaborate fittings, such splendour might make one wonder among which rolling acres of countryside this stately home sits. The answer is none. The tiny one-bed flat is the back of a former laundry in Clapham. The flat is the work and home of Tim Gosling, who trained as a theatre designer and, for almost 20 years, worked with the Queen’s nephew viscount Linley before 4 years ago starting his own company... view feature

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Basement Living

A young couple moved from a small house on the outskirts of London to a basement flat in the heart of the city. They opened up a series of small rooms to create a large living dining area and used a mirror, panels of decorative wallpaper and interesting light fittings to bring a feeling of brightness and interest to the subterranean flat. They also created a courtyard garden space with box seats and a mirrored wall which makes the space seem larger. They now enjoy all the city has to offer in the way of clubs and nightlife without having to worry about the last train home, and their dogs have the run of Hyde Park instead of a small suburban garden... View feature

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What’s new in mainstreamimages?

We would like to introduce and welcome Christine Besson to mainstreamimages, she is a French photographer living in France and specialising in interiors. Christine has given us quite a large submission, which is now up on our site and we are starting to get to work keywording it.

Below is a sample of the many new features that we are adding all of the time to our database. I know that job drawers can become a bit empty at this time of year, so please contact Barbara features@mainstreamimages.co.uk for all of your feature needs or please use our site for all your single image requests.

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At a collector's house

Converted into a place of dwelling or an artist’s workshop, many textile mills in Northern France reopen their doors to a new lease of life. Most become lofts as they offer an interesting framework for someone who knows how to fill in the blanks. This 1901 building was perfect for an art collector who realized he had always wanted to have a large area without constraints to highlight the works he had acquired. Passionate about contemporary art, he tried to find a place for each painting and each sculpture. "In my house, I needed more walls....this is why some paintings have remained on the ground!” Half apartment half gallery the furniture has also been chosen for its aesthetic look, from the Egg chair of Arne Jacobsen to the white sofa by Mies van der Rohe nothing is left to chance. We enter in the very personal universe of one who has created it. Each piece tells a little of its history: a little history of the artist that has created it and a little history of the one who has acquired it... view feature

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Sweetness and light

Luxury chocolatier Louise Nason and her family have enlivened their spacious West London home with a pick and mix of quirky and clever accessories. The building work included opening up the basement kitchen and dining area. White walls and pale furniture keep it light, but items such as shell-like seventies lights and a starburst mirror add a touch of colour... view feature

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Home where the art is

Colourful and comfortable, Sophie Harding’s appealing Cornish home is the sort of place where you feel instantly at ease. Full to the brim with her collection of vibrant paintings, the house has a relaxed and friendly vibe that also stems from Sophie’s easy mix of second-hand finds with family hand-me-downs and the occasional designer piece... view feature

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Do try this at home

How to turn an Edwardian house into something much more 21st century. Childhood holidays in Ireland are what started Philip Narine's interest in buildings and decoration. "In the late seventies I went to stay with a friend of my mum's in a run-down country manor in the south of Ireland. The place was full of mad colours and battered antiques." When Narine bought his current home in North London, he set aside a year to undertake its renovation. Some of the works were dramatic, such as opening up the lower back of the house and putting in three concertinaed glass doors. He also removed the roof to rebuild the attic, making it into a spacious, split-level bedroom with sitting area that has a splendid view of Alexandra Palace. The effect of Narine's childhood holidays in Ireland is clear to see. His house has plenty of character, a strong dose of chic and just a hint of comfortable shabbiness in the mottled mirrors and aged leather armchairs... view feature

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The King has now left the building

"We've approached the work on our own apartment as a professional project, but one where we can experiment and take anything we like, 'all the way". By doing so, newlyweds Andreas Joyce Nygaard and his wife Heidi Pettersvold have been their own ideal clients. They both work for the prestigious Oslo and New York based architectural firm Snohetta, and this wonderfully orange, perfectly patched work of art is now their own home. The classical turn of the century apartment has been rehabilitated to show off their work, but more than that, it challenges how far interior design actually can be taken in a home environment. And it works!! On the wall in their bright kitchen thrones the King himself. Elvis has been reformatted and framed so everyone can catch a glimpse of him. In an adjacent corner hangs a lightbox fitted with an x-ray of Heidi's rib-cage. The apartment is testimony to the challenge they put to themselves: how to combine the apartments' original features with the constantly expanding framework of their main objective, which is treating spaces as rooms. Every single choice they've made concerning pallette, materials, tactility and form reflect their constant drive to push their own boundaries... view feature

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V for the View

One of Ørestaden’s landmarks, ‘V’ the house stands erect with its high geometric construction and distinctive balconies. Climbing up the yellow staircase to 9 Sal (owned by fashion designer Camilla Kurdahl and her family) and out onto the wedge-shaped balcony, can only be likened to standing on a ship. One is very much tempted to spread their arms and shout "I'm King of the World", for it is the feeling you get when you stand on the outermost point and feel the rush! When the couple first read about the fascinating housing project of architect Bjarke Ingels, they promptly fell in love with the idea to become holders of one of the coveted apartments. However there was the challenge that they should have enough space for their 3 children. Inside the apartment leaves you in awe of its cathedral like size, yet is bursting with light from its white interior that contrasts perfectly with the dark oak floor.. view feature

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Welcoming Christine Besson to Mainstreamimages.

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Christmas images

66 days till Christmas and despite promising yourself to be super organised this year, there are always those last minute items that appear on your shopping list… a beautifully adorned living room with gifts and presents; children making hand crafted decorations; a cosy fireplace with candles and ornaments or families gathered round the Christmas tree. Whether you’re looking for seasonal features of a contemporary renovation, a seaside Christmas celebration or a Nordic apartment let us know – in case you can’t wait for Santa… click here to contact our features team.

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Eclectic Style

Eclectic, definition: borrowing freely from various sources, not exclusive in opinion or taste.
Combining a unique mixture of furnishings and décor to create a cohesive design, the homeowners of our eclectic features often feel most at home when they’re surrounded by gathered objects from a variety of sources. Eclectic rooms cross styles and periods; mix contemporary design favourites with renovated furniture finds; old fashioned heirlooms with flea market treasures and collected mementoes from travels, family and friends.

However, eclectic decorating is not a jumble of whatever catches your eye. It only works when the basic principles of design are understood and the individual elements work together to create a unified whole. Whether you mix design classics with retro furniture, display a fornasetti plate on an antique dresser don’t forget the basic design principles of line, colour, texture, mass and form.

In our features section you’ll find homes that have successfully achieved this... view features section

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Opposites Attract

Swedish-born designer Vanessa Fristedt’s East London home successfully combines a Scandinavian passion for clean lines with a collector’s eye for quirky British memorabilia and design. In the converted basement and first-floor flat of her period terraced house, Fristedt has skilfully drawn together the twin threads of her life. The large, bright inner hall, with its open staircase and wall of glass which looks out on to the sauna at the end of the garden, answers her Nordic desire for light and air, while the quirky décor and playful artworks speak of her immersion in the East London art scene... view feature

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Suspensions of Disbelief

Daniel Chadwick started out working for the architect Zaha Hadid as an engineer in the 1980s, but he soon realised he was more passionate about creating art instead. His father was the sculptor Lynn Chadwick, who won the International Prize for sculpture in 1956. Lynn bought this house in Gloucestershire with the winnings, and Daniel moved in after his father died in 2003. ‘We can’t afford to buy the sort of furniture we’d like from places such as Italia, so we just fill the rooms with work by me and my friends,’ he says. Handily, his friends include Damien Hirst... view feature

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Perfect Timing

Quirky clockmakers Jim and Chloe Read used a combination of the chic and cheerful to bring a dilapidated Victorian vicarage bang up to date. There are more than 30 clocks in their house. Few of them tell the time, but that’s not the point. This fabulous collection of timepieces is a reminder of what earns them their keep. Although their listed Welsh vicarage, built in 1850, is chocolate-box pretty on the outside, it oozes 21st-century style within. Jim and Chloe’s labour of love has saved the place from a sad and shabby decline, transforming it into a fresh and contemporary family home... view feature

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Groovy Baby

When artists John and Molly bought an old Tudor stables as a rural retreat from their full-on London lives, they brought punk rock and pop art to the heart of Norfolk. Inspired by the heady cross-fertilisation between music,fashion and art in the swinging Sixties, the couple made their names - and their retirement fund - when they stumbled on a screen-printing process and subsequently set up their fashion company, Wonder Workshop, in 1969. Their iconic roaring-leopard jacket was worn by Iggy Pop on the back cover of his Raw Power album. Mick Jagger, the Beatles, Marc Bolan, Lou Reed and Sid Vicious all snapped up their designs, and their wild thing T-Shirt has been a bestseller... view feature

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On Top of the World

Legend’ is a word much bandied around today, but few people have earned the right to wear that particular badge. In Celia Birtwell’s case it is most appropriate. Not only is her image immortalised in one of the most visited paintings of all time - Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy by David Hockney - but she was the pragmatic half of one of the most exciting fashion partnerships of the twentieth century. The prints she created for her then husband, Ossie Clark, were transformed by his gossamer touch into romantic, womanly, sensual garments that send the e-bay community into a frenzy each time one is listed. No wonder that Top Shop has snapped her up - her first collection launched in Spring 2006 caused near riots when it hit the rails. The west London villa where she lives with her partner, Andy, is overflowing with paintings, books, mementoes and mad touches of kitsch that have caught her eyes over the years. Celia may be a grandmother of six, but there is nothing matronly about her home - deep red felt lines the walls of the drawing room giving a depth of colour paint can only aspire to - while Fornisetti plates look chic against the lavender white of the dining room. As she says: “This is a fun house. The children can come round and slide down the banisters if they want - they create a lot of happiness when we are all together”... view feature

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Traditional Modern

One can easily lose sight of the decade we live in when you enter Bo's and Hans', Vesterbro apartment, located in central Copenhagen. Danish decor meets with humour and informality, creating a style that is both traditional and modern. Whether souvenir or heirloom, new or recovered goods, it's just a matter of making it work within the room. "We are drawn to beautiful things, their colour, form, function and history always compel us to change something so it forms a harmony between the things we already have. The desire to make a design more functional can also be a great inspiration." says the couple. Bo Donslund works as a decorator and graphic designer at a major chain store that sells furniture and accessories, expanding her interest for interior design... view feature

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Baby it's Cold Outside

Set on the edge of a village of gingerbread-perfect wooden houses in Finland, glass designer Anu Penttinen’s colourful Modernist home is a beacon of light in this winter wonderland. Because Penttinen spends up to 13 hours a day in busy, industrial furnaces, designing and blowing glass for her contemporary brand, Nounou, as well as creating cartoonish toucans for the Finnish interiors giant Iittala, she wanted her house to be a private, personal retreat. If the landscape was wintry and grey, her home had to be filled with colour. If it was cold and dark outside, her space had to be flooded with light and warmth. And if the factories she worked in were cavernous and industrial, her home had to be small and cosy. “The walls and ceilings are white, the rest black. I wanted a monochrome palette against which I could play with colour” states Penttinen... view feature Pin It Now!

Getting Dressed up for Christmas

A family preparing for Christmas at their home on the Welsh borders. Three generations of the family get involved in seasonal decorating which take place indoors and out, from dressing a dead apple tree in the orchard with treats for the birds, to putting up tinsel and a tree in the dining room and hall. The dining table is covered with baubles and decorations that have been handed down from grandparents, to ones bought specially for this year... view feature
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Wearing White and Gold for Christmas

With the cold, but oh so festive season approaching, the owner of this snow-white apartment in Oslo is wishing all her beloved friends a very merry Christmas. However, she's sending neither Rudolf nor Santa a jolly rsvp card this year. Instead, any child in the neighbourhood or young family members may stop by for an improvised Christmas workshop or some homemade cookies at her table. Just about a year ago, Oddfrid, a young designer of cool costumes and accessories for films and theatre in Norway, found herself the owner of a slightly tired and well-worn apartment in the Oslo neighbourhood Adamstuen, painted in various shades of ice-cream. She set out to give the place a Christmas present the likes it had never seen before. Almost single-handedly, she has refurbished this bright and classic apartment so that now it almost seems like an extension of her; with a pure and gentle background allowing for cool vintage finds and stylish details. Given that her daytime job is as a designer and artist, the renovation of the apartment has just been one more outlet for her creativity and distinct style... view feature
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Tidings of Comfort and Joy

Driftwood decorations, a beach barbecue, gifts delivered by boat: the Biggs family’s festive traditions are inspired by their love of the coast. The family’s love of water brought them to Totnes, on the banks of the River Dart, but within easy reach of the sea and beaches. When it comes to Christmas water plays a big part in the festive celebrations. “On Christmas Eve, we take our rowing boat down river and drop off presents to friends who live along the bank”, says Penny. “On Boxing Day, we like to get out of the house and head to one of the many windswept beaches nearby”. The beach combed treasures that have been accumulated over the years have become a part of the family’s festive decorations... view feature Pin It Now!

Festive Finesse

Violise Lunn is a fashion designer graduated from Denmark Design School who always returns to her childhood home at Christmas. Here she adds her finesse and creative personal touches to the decorations to prepare for the festivities. Violise specialises in the design and making of one of a kind pieces of clothing for women - evening wear, dresses, accessories, bridal wear and unique pieces of daily wear. Violise also has a fantastic collection of stunning fabrics, brought home from her many travels around the world. The fabrics and the stories behind them are her main source of inspiration. Alongside creating these wearable items, Violise has designed china collections for Royal Copenhagen and her other passion is making unwearable items from the simplest textile of all: paper... view feature
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Here's One I Sold Earlier

When you visit Kally Ellis’s North London home, you’re guaranteed to be impressed by the flowers. Given that she’s one of Britain’s best-known florists, and her company, McQueens, has styled the Vanity Fair post-Oscars party, you’d expect nothing less, but there’s much else to admire too. From the moment you walk through the door and into the hallway hung with convex mirrors, you sense there’s something different about the place. In the sitting room, on one mantel, huge vases are filled with branches from which glass teardrops are suspended. There are unexpected combinations and attention-grabbing glimpses of colour – a flash of green on the front panel of a coffee table and yellow buttons on the sofas... view feature
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Please drive carefully when the snow gets here...

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A stunning loft conversion with glamorous furnishings, a period house with a contemporary twist. An haute couture creation or an updated toile du jouy fabric. An upholstered sofa that adds definition or a killer heel. What do all these have in common...? Designers.

Creating new concepts for their clients or using iconic design pieces juxtaposed with vintage and retro classics; bespoke wallpapers and fabrics that marry geometric patterns with organic forms. Delicate ceramics with a pure elegance or busy, quirky interiors with eclectic flea market treasures. But how do they decorate their own homes? In “Designers” a new addition to our feature theme section we have a variety of designers’ homes... click here Pin It Now!

In His Jeans - Diesel

This old farmhouse and estate was rescued from building development by a leading Italian fashion designer who restored and replanted much of the vineyards which now boast award winning vintages. The old farmhouse has a large open ground floor with two hearths and a long dining table, upstairs there is a mezzanine lounging and TV space and off that a single bedroom and bathroom. The house is decorated in a rustic cowboy, rather than farming, style and has an unusual collection of taxidermy... view feature Pin It Now!

Sir Peter Osborne

Sir Peter Osborne, one half of the successful interior design company Osborne & Little has access to some of the most wonderful fabrics and papers but hadn't decorated his home for ten years. When he finally got round to it he selected from ranges produced by his company, many with a 1930s Art deco feel. Osborne is a great collector and many of the diverse collection of objects around the house have been found by him, including a bust by Dame Elizabeth Frink, a Fornestti chair and Matthew Hilton candlesticks. Lady Felicity Osborne worked for O&L for many years before starting her own catering and Deli business... view feature Pin It Now!

A Bright New World

Leaving a fashion job in London for rural Cheshire gave Jan Constantine not just a colourful new home, but a fresh career, too. While visiting her sister on her farm near Crewe, Constantine and her husband, David Ralphs, saw a house and outbuildings for sale in a neighbouring village. They bought the property and went back to London to sell up and move. Constantine, who worked in the fashion industry at the time, commuted for a while until they had converted the buildings next to their new home, turning them into holiday cottages. The main house was once the doctor’s; he held surgery in what is today the dining room, with a damask-covered table and sparkling chandelier. Where the village bakery once dispensed warm loaves and spicy buns, there is now an office, and one of the store buildings was turned into the HQ of Constantine’s furnishings company... view feature Pin It Now!

Creative Genes

One of today's very hot and innovative fashion designers is Maxjenny Forslund, who has opened Copenhagen's first mini-department major, K29, selling her eye-catching collections with asymmetric shapes, bright colours and organic materials along with her mother, Margareta Forslund designs and father Owe Johansson jewellery. Maxjenny started up its first fashion brand, "Les Couleurs Nationales," which became known for its sparkling form - and colour language, where the colourful design was her main characteristic. Her career quickly took the momentum and one day she was approached by Madonna's stylist, who wanted to use some of her designs in a music video. It is obvious that it is not from strangers that Maxjenny got her creative genes. Her father is a silversmith, her mother is fashion designer and sister is a glass designer. Born and raised in the scenic part of Southeast Sweden. Maxjennys private oasis is the apartment in Vesterbro, when the opportunity arose to combine the neighbouring apartment with their own, they jumped at the chance immediately... view feature Pin It Now!

Missoni

Rosita and Ottavio Missoni's homes are not just proof of the fashion duo's natural eye for colour ­ but for objects, collected all over the world. In the sprawling contemporary six-bedroom double-storey, built for Italy¹s leading knitwear designers in the early Seventies, rooms are bursting with objects collected all over the world. As well as a colourful collection of furnishings, ranging from Hans Wegner chairs to Cittero sofas, there are paintings of all colours, styles and provenances on every wall ­ from Di Chirico and Balthus to photographs by Lartigue looms... view feature Pin It Now!

Made To Measure

This south London cottage is owned by one of Britain's leading fashion designers who also has a passion for art and ceramics. His well tailored home features prize pieces of vintage furniture and collections of china, some of the paintings are his own work and the bathroom and kitchen fittings are also his designs now being commercially produced... view feature Pin It Now!

Well, you have spoken; we have listened and changed things. We are doing our best, I know we are never going to please all of you all of the time but we really try to listen to what you have to say, good and bad. The good is great but it’s the bad that we are interested in because if we fix that hopefully it will be easier for you guys to find and buy images.

The things that we have changed: we now have a dedicated section for new features coming into the library; we have added 2 new categories to our feature theme page, which are Designers and Scandinavian Style; plus you can now use the top search box for free text or job and images numbers. More good news, we told you last month about new photographers joining us, well you can now see a selection of their work in their new portfolios on our photographers page, please have a look. Pin It Now!

This month's features...

There’s a lot more to Scandinavian style than light wood and flat pack cabinets...the simple designs of beautifully organic forms combined with everyday functionality are familiar, as are the traditional interiors that let in as much light as possible to suit the Nordic climate. Contemporary Scandinavian design still has this minimalism but also embraces interesting architecture, handmade textiles, ceramic and glass, vintage and retro flea market finds mixed with iconic furniture pieces. There’s even the odd Ikea bookcase in the mix... Pin It Now!

Scandinavian design

Say Scandinavian design to most people and they will say chairs and fabric and one of the most famous was the Egg Chair designed by Arne Jacobsen in 1958 for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen - a project for which Jacobsen designed everything from the building itself right down to the furniture and bathroom taps. Please see below where we have given you a good selection of chairs and fabrics from famous designers including Marimekko, Sanden and Stig Lindberg.

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Three Chords and the Truth

This phrase, coined as it was by a country musician, and later appropriated by the punk-scene is anything but the equivalent of simplicity as many take it to mean. On the contrary, it requires hard work, the ability to improvise, historical knowledge, and a whole bunch of will-power. It just looks and sounds simple. Like a good architect’s work. Walking from cabin to cabin between the rock-formations, and from room to room, it dawns on us that what the owners have created here isn’t just an updated version of the “summer-cabin”, but an alternate cabin-universe altogether... view feature Pin It Now!

Rightfully Restored

It's easy to see why the owners fell for this property; full of charm, built on fertile ground and situated close to both, water and forest. The house in Taarbaek, north of Copenhagen has in recent years undergone extensive renovation. The previous owner had renovated it in 1979, giving the property a complete 70s theme, however, the new owners wished to restore this wonderful property back to its original 1863 style. Floors were torn up, ceilings down, and windows were replaced. Where original materials could not be salvaged they were replaced either by recycled materials or in the case of the kitchen, built to requirements by a local carpenter... view feature Pin It Now!

The Historical Patchwork

Only a hundred meters to the right of the dock, where you arrive by ferry, there is a proud building, without shame, ready to show off its history and seduce its guests, albeit on borrowed time... In the white-painted Villa Wille, which was once moved in its entirety by Bernt O. Wille from Ålesund, and rebuilt as the first house of its kind in Sandvika in the year 1909, his descendants spend all their vacation time during the summer months. His daughter in law, Anna Wille, spent 30 years alone in the house until 2006, when the younger generation came back and took over the maintenance and storytelling. So the story begins here. Mr Wille was involved in the restoration of Ålesund after the great city- fire. The log buildings were left standing, and the young gentleman took the house to Sandvika in order to raise a family and run a small furniture factory... view feature Pin It Now!

An Unpolished Haven

Situated in the hills down to Sejrö Bay, Rie Elise Larsen and her family have their home. The house is small and the garden a wilderness - the perfect family retreat for those weekends and holidays away from their apartment in Østerbro and allowing Rie the inspiration for her work, designing textiles. Her work is also reflected clearly in the building's interior; colourful fabrics and local flea market finds, illuminating, creating life in the little house... view feature Pin It Now!

French Liaisons

This elegant apartment gives creed to the notion that style cannot be bought. With a tasteful blend of new and second hand, expensive and inexpensive, this apartment has a surprisingly luxurious feel to it. In this household, where he’s Norwegian and she’s French, the mix of backgrounds adds an exciting twist to the decor. Call it ‘chic’, or whatever you want, but there’s no doubt that this apartment in Oslo’s west-end has a certain je ne sais quais that money cannot buy. Around every corner in these light and spacious rooms, a new surprise is waiting, nonetheless, this apartment is done up according to a few simple ground rules bypassing extravagance or costly surfaces. Still, one cannot escape the fact that there’s something here, which gives it that little extra touch... view feature Pin It Now!

A Percussion of Colour

At home in the apartment and housing business Pang Christianshavn. Both places bursting with life, imagination and love for interior design, for which Anna-Britt has many years experience - including, set designer at Danmarks Radio. "After 18 years with Danish Radio, where I worked on set design, decor and props, I wanted to live my dream of owning a shop," says Anna-Britt Harding. Ceilings and floors are white and bright and are finely contrasted with all the many colourful things... view feature Pin It Now!

Fish are jumping - well, not necessarily where you’re living, nor where I am for that matter, but we can all look forward to summer when the living certainly seems to be a lot easier once the sun comes out… alfresco dining, summer drinks with family and friends or an escape to a holiday home, coastal retreat or an idyllic country cottage. Here’s a few our favorite summertime inspired features – no sunglasses required... Pin It Now!

Shining some light on patio’s, terraces, decking...

and just about every other thing you can make an outside space of and once you have that, you will need to light it, plenty of help here too, from flood to mood lighting and back to candle...

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Aussie Rules

When Jill Martin and David Webster wanted to enlarge their listed two-bed Bath cottage, they drew on Antipodean flair to create an ultra-modern extension that is filled with light. Over the years the couple have made small-scale renovations, but this one was more substantial resulting in a home of two halves: the original compact two-bed cottage to the front, with a contemporary kitchen, study and linear living and dining area harnesses to the back. We wanted to create a space at the back that was light and open, and maximise the views of the garden, fields and valley... view feature Pin It Now!

Good Vibrations

As dream homes go, it’s got the lot: stunning proportions stylish modern-country interior, idyllic countryside location, the list goes on. Even the kid goats frolicking in the back garden are adorable. Built over three storeys, with its single, impressive staircase linking the floors, each level is flooded with natural light from the numerous and often enormous windows. A liberal application of white paint and natural woollen carpets throughout provides a soothing, neutral backdrop... view feature Pin It Now!

Solstrand

If it were not for the Spanish flu, there wouldn’t have been a summerhouse here. In the years 1917-1920, thousands died in Norway as a result of this epidemic. As a special note of thank you for having cared for and saved a nearby landowner’s family, - Dr. Ringvold was allowed to pick whichever piece of land he wanted by the sea on the family’s property. He ended up with Solstrand, meaning sunny beach… This was the early part of the twentieth century in Norway, and having a vacation home surrounded by wild nature was just becoming fashionable. Forty years ago, the property changed hands, but the family who moved in, continued the tradition of mixing furniture and styles in imaginative ways. Covering the walls is a mix of fishing tackle and hardware, bathrobes and old sailor-paintings, and through the window he has an unobstructed view of the sea... view feature Pin It Now!

Dental Renovation

When Fiona and her husband Barry first set eyes on the run-down detached house, near the East Sussex coast, they knew that if they bought it, it would mean taking on a huge renovation project. ‘The ground floor had been a dentist’s surgery, complete with waiting room,’ says Barry, ‘but no-one had been upstairs for more than 20 years. ‘It was virtually derelict. There were no radiators and for electrics it had surface-mounted wiring. We were impressed by the sheer size of the building, but its condition left us cold... view feature Pin It Now!

The Soldier's Croft

Michael, a freelance Art Director who works daily in Copenhagen, bought this little gem of a place as a second home in Sweden some 15 years ago. It was originally built as a soldiers croft in the early 1900's, named after the soldiers that were given a piece of land to build a house on after returning home from battle. During the renovation, Michael peeled everything back to reveal the bare constructional bones of the place. This was certainly not a bad idea, for the full timber is now seen, raw and untouched, both in the kitchen and the first Hall. When it came to the ceiling, beautiful beams were soon revealed and Michael was in no doubt that they should remain visible, giving the room a great sense of atmosphere and size... view feature Pin It Now!