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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