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Cool Britannia

2011-12-30T03:11:00.001-08:00

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.

Single Images

2011-12-30T03:09:00.000-08:00

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

Bright New World

2011-12-30T02:58:00.000-08:00

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

Nesting Instinct

2011-12-30T02:53:00.000-08:00

"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

Rule Britannia!

2011-12-30T02:51:00.000-08:00

This light filled family home combines hot pink wallswith clean white interiors; each room draws you into its cosy and welcomingsurroundings. It’s evident that it’s important for this family to be surroundedby furnishings and decorations that evoke a sense of hearth and home. Shakerstyle furniture in the kitchen dining room house collections of pretty ceramicsand china; embroidered cushions and handmade fabrics add their finishingtouches in each room and fairy lights adorn chandeliers and wall hangings. Amain theme throughout is the union jack: a re-worked flag in the living room; amotif on the crockery; the bathroom rug and even a sequined fashionaccessory…in this house it’s Rule Britannia! View feature

On Her Patch

2011-12-30T02:46:00.000-08:00

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

Illusions of Grandeur

2011-12-30T02:40:00.000-08:00

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

Basement Living

2011-12-30T01:40:00.000-08:00

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

What’s new in mainstreamimages?

2011-11-10T05:04:00.000-08:00

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.

At a collector's house

2011-11-10T05:03:00.005-08:00

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

Sweetness and light

2011-11-10T05:03:00.004-08:00

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

Home where the art is

2011-11-10T05:03:00.003-08:00

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

Do try this at home

2011-11-10T05:03:00.002-08:00

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

The King has now left the building

2011-11-10T05:03:00.001-08:00

"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

V for the View

2011-11-10T05:03:00.000-08:00

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

Welcoming Christine Besson to Mainstreamimages.

2011-11-10T04:24:00.001-08:00

Christmas images

2011-10-19T02:55:00.000-07:00

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

Eclectic Style

2011-09-09T04:52:00.001-07:00

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

Opposites Attract

2011-09-09T04:51:00.000-07:00

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

Suspensions of Disbelief

2011-09-09T04:50:00.000-07:00

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

Perfect Timing

2011-09-09T04:48:00.000-07:00

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

Groovy Baby

2011-09-09T04:46:00.000-07:00

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

On Top of the World

2011-09-09T04:44:00.000-07:00

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

Traditional Modern

2011-09-09T04:42:00.000-07:00

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

Baby it's Cold Outside

2011-08-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

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

Getting Dressed up for Christmas

2011-08-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

Wearing White and Gold for Christmas

2011-08-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

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

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

2011-08-07T04:00:00.000-07:00

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

Festive Finesse

2011-08-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

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

Here's One I Sold Earlier

2011-08-07T02:00:00.000-07:00

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

Please drive carefully when the snow gets here...

2011-08-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

2011-07-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

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

In His Jeans - Diesel

2011-07-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

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

Sir Peter Osborne

2011-07-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

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

A Bright New World

2011-07-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

Creative Genes

2011-07-03T03:00:00.000-07:00

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

Missoni

2011-07-03T02:00:00.000-07:00

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

Made To Measure

2011-07-03T01:00:00.000-07:00

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

2011-06-02T07:22:00.000-07:00

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.

This month's features...

2011-04-01T01:40:00.000-07:00

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...

Scandinavian design

2011-04-01T01:37:00.000-07:00

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.

Three Chords and the Truth

2011-04-01T01:28:00.000-07:00

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

Rightfully Restored

2011-04-01T01:27:00.000-07:00

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

The Historical Patchwork

2011-04-01T01:25:00.000-07:00

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

An Unpolished Haven

2011-04-01T01:24:00.000-07:00

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

French Liaisons

2011-04-01T01:22:00.000-07:00

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

A Percussion of Colour

2011-04-01T01:20:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-07T03:25:00.000-08:00

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...

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

2011-03-07T02:58:00.000-08:00

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...

Aussie Rules

2011-03-07T02:45:00.000-08:00

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

Good Vibrations

2011-03-07T02:42:00.000-08:00

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

Solstrand

2011-03-07T02:36:00.000-08:00

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

Dental Renovation

2011-03-07T02:32:00.000-08:00

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

The Soldier's Croft

2011-03-07T02:12:00.000-08:00

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

Keeping it Simple

2011-03-07T02:08:00.000-08:00

Nicole Albert, a stylist and her partner Michael Nunan, a builder and landscape gardener, own a riverside holiday home in the Languedoc/Roussillon region village of Lagrasse, one of France’s ‘listed’ villages. The house was originally two houses built into the medieval walls of the village, divided by a cobbled lane. At some point the houses were joined and the lane incorporated to form a central courtyard. This split layout offered the couple the perfect opportunity to create both a home and separate holiday let, allowing them to live in France while generating an income. The couple have done much of the renovation work themselves, opening up the space to make it light and bright. Heritage paints sympathetic to the local style have been used as a backdrop for a mix of antique finds, contemporary furniture and architectural details found in salvage yards to create a truly unique home full of quirky history... view feature

Beach hut....

2011-03-07T02:00:00.000-08:00

Final image this month comes from our own Mr Grant. If you're looking for images of The Lakes or Norfolk, take a look at Liam's website... www.liamgrantphotography.com

2011-02-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well hope you are all recovered from the battle of the Maison&Objet, did we see good things, well what’s new for 2011, send us a mail and pray tell.

Crisp white was big news often paired with pure black. BS from U.S. Grey proved to be a popular choice; think stone, concrete or lighter shades with a hint of blue. HG from France. Bursts of bright colour included zingy yellow and energetic peacock blue-pink-red, deep purple and subtle or vibrant green were also significant, SY from UK.

How are those flat plans? Are they full….need a few ideas, inspiring homes that do more with less?

2011-02-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

Clayworks Cornwall

2011-02-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Adam Weismann and Katy Bryce are based on the Lizard Peninsula of Cornwall. Their company Clayworks specialises in clay plasters for clients that seek the minimal embodied energy associated with unfired clay, its moisture-absorbing properties, its health credentials...or simply because clay plaster is about as beautiful as a wall can be. Adam, born and raised in the U.S and Katy have worked in the UK. Their inspirations for building with earth comes from living and gardening in Japan, designing and building water gardens and constructing neighbourhood skateboard ramps in his back garden! Katy says building with earth comes from a lifelong love of gardening and getting her hands dirty, and from the fact that cob is at once solid and enduring, yet also outstandingly flexible and forgiving. Having cut her teeth with a decade's experience in cob restoration and new build, they now sell their expertise well beyond Cornwall... view feature

A Family Affair

2011-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

Surrounded by safely drawn up and traditional wooden ‘Lego’ houses stands a solid brick house painted in white, slightly different than the rest in its class… This house, on the edge of town, or should one dare to call it suburbia, has been a generational home since the fifties, and its inhabitants always a design-conscious lot. Halvor Thorsen, and Jennifer Valone Thorsen have recently taken over a section of the house were Halvor grew up. The house, which his grandfather built, has since been redone to fit Halvor’s fathers vision of a life for him and his family. The clean, and tidy look of this place is partly due to Jennifer’s ability to create enough storage space. In an almost invisible way, Jennifer has managed to create enough closets and cupboards to store away everything that isn’t being used at the moment. Whole walls have been covered in shelves or closets. In the TV room, a black and white painting by American artist Ben Sham bough covers nearly the whole wall, becoming a focal point even when seen from the living room... view feature

Glasgow Nouveau

2011-02-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

Thomas Russell, his wife and children live in this classic tenement block in Glasgow which was built in around 1900 in the popular Art Nouveau style. The light, airy space has been given a sympathetic update; nothing structural, just some thoughtful reconfiguring and decorating. The apartment is kitted out with a mix of contemporary and 20th Century designs, many of them courtesy of Goodd, an innovative, design-led enterprise set up by Russell and fellow interior designer, Brian Proudfoot. Part exhibition space, part design company, part shop, edited collections of lighting, furniture and household accessories share the space with exhibition pieces and new products by fresh, contemporary talent... view feature

Solstrand

2011-02-09T04:00:00.000-08:00

The Colonsay Hotel

2011-02-09T03:00:00.000-08:00

Set on the hillside above the harbour, The Colonsay hotel commands spectacular views over the sea to the neighbouring island of Jura. Built in 1750 as an inn for the local population, the exterior of The Colonsay has remained largely unchanged. It is now possible to fly on and off the island (on one of four scheduled flights), but most visitors and locals come and go by ferry, just as their forebears have for hundreds of years, alighting at the tiny harbour which looks up a single-track road to the hotel. The white-washed walls of the hotel are a heart-warming sight for the traveller and a warm welcome awaits inside. When Jane and Alex Howard bought The Colonsay hotel in 2004 it was more than 30 years since the family had been forced to sell in harder times. As they refurbished the building they were aware of how important it was to make every aspect welcoming to islanders as well as visitors... view feature

The Art House

2011-02-09T02:00:00.000-08:00

Art House may be a term more often associated with a type of movie but to go though the glossy black front door of graphic designer Morag Myserscough’s live/work space in East London is to enter a realm where colour, pattern and self-confessed obsessions are artfully showcased. Myerscough, her partner artist and musician Luke Morgan and their shaggy dog Lemmy live in a converted pub built on a corner site, so the main living room is L shaped with windows on two sides, and it was this room that sold the place to Myerscough. “I had lived in a terraced house with long narrow rooms and when I saw this wide open space I instantly loved it” she says. Apart from painting the walls white and taking the Shaker-style doors off the kitchen units the core of the building is pretty much as it was when she bought it five years ago. The decoration and furnishing is compiled from many contributions and locations. There are plates and prints by Luke, as well as surgical tubing light shade and decorated wooden stools made in collaboration with Morag... view feature

It wasn't me...

2011-02-09T01:00:00.000-08:00

2010-12-13T03:55:00.000-08:00

We wanted to give you the top trends for 2011, but after looking at a great deal of design sites and blogs that all seem to say completely different things, we thought we would tell you this. Mainstreamimages is going through some big under the skin changes, I wont bore you to tears, but it is all to do with metadata and controlled vocabularies. This means that you will be able to find things easer and faster. We have also been looking for photographers that fill some of the areas where we have had gaps in out categories and we are very happy to have 4 new photographers which we think have a feminine and family aspect to their work.

Are you looking for images of family, children or toys?

2010-12-13T03:50:00.000-08:00

Retro Fun - Homemade In The Old Town

2010-12-13T03:40:00.000-08:00

On their way home from a long day of ‘doing the local flea markets’, Dag and Gjertrud decided to stop at a public viewing of an apartment which was up for sale in the ‘Old-town’ of Oslo’s east side. It was love at first sight for them both in this bright and airy apartment. Despite lowered ceilings, and a recent and fairly unbecoming modernization of the place, they instantly felt the urge to move in restore the apartment to its former glory. Their charming reworking of the interior has provided them both with a sunlit-flooded arena in which to work and live. There is no doubt that the proportions of the rooms in the apartment now back to their to their former stature. The generous space for two, large windows, original cornice detail and even the wood panelling have now been given a new lease of life. Not to mention the patchwork of an old kitchen they have created together... view feature

The Artists Palate

2010-12-13T03:35:00.000-08:00

Designer Tricia Guild brings her keen eye for colour to the table, where she serves an inspiring Italian feast. It may be winter outside, but inside Tricia Guild and Richard Polo’s kitchen/living room it is springtime: lime-green walls, a green glass table, orange and purple flowers, the splash of signature pinks and turquoise… It all seems to fuse through the glass and into the terraced garden beyond; creating the impression of one big space that says summer is coming... view feature

Period Piece

2010-12-13T03:30:00.000-08:00

Part 18th-century cottage park Georgian pile, the Oxfordshire home of Mark and Sushilla is rich in history and reflects their artistic endeavours. "The Georgian architecture was what attracted me here,” says decorative artist Mark Dome of the Oxfordshire house he shares with wife jewellery designer Sushilla, their 18-year old son Jasper , and Amber the Labrador. “I’ve had a thing about this period since I renovated a Georgian house in London many years ago”, he says. Part of the stone cottage dates back to the 1790s, with a grander Georgian front section later. Sushilla runs her jewellery business from her informal sitting room in the old cottage part of the rear of the property... view feature

Dental Renovation

2010-12-13T03:25:00.000-08:00

Suspensions of Disbelief

2010-12-13T03:20:00.000-08:00

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 B&B Italia, so we just fill the rooms with work by me and my friends,’ he says. Handily, his friends include Damien Hurst... view feature

A Glass Solution

2010-12-13T03:15:00.000-08:00

With clever design ideas, attention to detail and bold use of colour throughout, Margot and John have succeeded in creating their perfect family home. The 1980s terraced house, has four comparatively spacious bedrooms on the first floor, but the layout downstairs proved far from ideal. The uPVC conservatory on the rear of the house was dismantled and replaced by a frameless glass extension. ‘The extension makes the house feel so much bigger – and we can enjoy views through the roof up to the sky'... view feature

Blackberry?

2010-12-13T03:10:00.000-08:00

2010-08-03T04:58:00.000-07:00

Today’s expansive array of interior trends easily lends themselves to incorporating a variety of damasks. Ranging from glamorous and dramatic to global and contemporary, The trend colours of 2010 are a punchy way to make an impact. Using modern wallpaper in turquoise, purple, and black and white combinations are the trendiest colours and easily make a statement in any room... search wallpaper

Catwalk to Cushions

2010-08-03T04:50:00.000-07:00

These days it’s a short step from catwalk to sofa, as more and more fashion designers turn their hands to our homes. Rather excitingly, the latest names to make the move are hipper and have more style than most. Take Jean-Paul Gaultier, former bad-boy of the fashion world, who has recently collaborated with contemporary furniture house Roche Bobois in a celebration of its 50th anniversary. As part of the collaboration, Gaultier has created a limited edition wardrobe, a combined bed and screen, a mirror, a chair, suitcases and two new upholstery versions of Roche Bobois’ Mah Jong modular sofa... search cushions

Off the wall

2010-08-03T04:41:00.000-07:00

The Dodd family home is a place of dramatic contrasts. Giant penguins, burlesque motifs, a woodland glade… Sarah and Andrew let their imaginations run free when it came to doing up their idiosyncratic family home... view interior feature

Urban Renewal

2010-08-03T04:31:00.000-07:00

Two designers specialising in revival and renovation give their Scandinavian-style London home a bright, airy overhaul. Jonathan Parkin and Jenny Lloyd are best described as transformers. They have the ability to take something unwanted or past its prime and change it into something desirable. Take their North London home: when they bought it nine years ago, it had been on the market for a while and was regarded as a “tricky” property. The single-storey building was “a bit like a hut, really”, says Jonathan. “The walls were mainly wood with small windows. It had been designed as a Scandinavian-style building, but lacked any feeling of light and space. We also had difficulty getting insurance because of its timber frame and flat roof.” Undeterred, the couple and their children moved in and, over the next five years, they virtually rebuilt the place. Most of the exterior walls were replaced with large glass panels and skylights were added. Removing walls to open up the living space reconfigured the internal layout... view interior feature

Where the art is

2010-08-03T04:23:00.000-07:00

When a potter and a designer set up home together in South London, their creative vision and eclectic approach resulted in a masterpiece. “Everything we have has a history,” says Jennifer Lee. “That’s why we don’t have comfortable sofa – this one belonged to Jake’s family.” She perches on the back of a red velvet two-seater while her husband – the artist, designer and food writer Jake Tilson – finds a comfortable hollow on the cushion below and crosses his feet, which are shod in the multi-patterned canvas boots he designed for Paul Smith. The rambling five-bedroom property provides them not only with a home but also two workspaces. It is in hers, at the back of the house, that Jennifer makes pots, exhibiting as part of the Collect event at the Saatchi Gallery. Jake, who has writer and broadcast about fish, especially eels, has a studio packed to the gills with packets, tins and bags of dried fish, labels, netting and floats... view interior feature

Modern Classic

2010-08-03T04:15:00.000-07:00

The muted palette and pared-down elegance of architect George Saumarez Smith’s 3-storey Winchester house are redolent of the gentler-paced era in which it was built. Built in the late 1800s, it’s part of an attractive row of four pairs of externally identical properties. The austerity of the house is softened by its colour palette; a melange of blues and greys. Slipper Satin has been used for the stairs, Lamp Room Grey for the entrance hall and Shaded White for the kitchen... view interior feature

The Greatest B&B in Britain

2010-08-03T04:11:00.000-07:00

Sumptuously decorated and embellished with eccentric touches, 40 Winks is designer David Carter’s East End homage to fin-de-siecle frivolity. The result is a glamorous hotel that belies its bijou size. The property, 40 Winks, is claimed to be “the smallest hotel in the world”. Whether this is true or not, the three-bedroom Queen Anne confection (two guest rooms, plus Carter’s “private boudoir”) must surely be one of the most seductive. The house is a fantastical melange of the terribly grand sprinkled with a soupcon of the voguishly shabby; it’s like a piece of living theatre, exuding wit, charm and glamour... view interior feature

Opposites Attract

2010-08-03T03:57:00.000-07:00

2010-08-03T03:52:00.000-07:00

Do you know where colonsay is...... Colonsay

2010-07-08T06:39:00.001-07:00

My favourite lighting designs are the ones that bleed creativity. There’s definitely something to be said for a design that seamlessly blends both form and function. There’s also something to be said for a design that exhibits a sense of humour. You know that a designer is talented when a light fixture can make you giggle in your seat… search lighting

Where Shepherds Watched

2010-07-08T06:37:00.007-07:00

The renovated shepherd’s hut at the end of his South London garden. The pale blue hut that sits halfway down the long garden is one of a number of original vehicles made in the 19th-century. They were mobile shelters for shepherds who had to watch their flocks by night up on the moors and open heath land. Built with a solid wooden frame on cast-iron wheels, the huts often had a small wood-burning stove and an adjustable platform that was a seat by day and a bed by night. To Roy’s mother, Peta Waddington (a designer and online DJ who, under the name Hip Auntie, has set up a music website for parents and children) the shepherd’s hut is a rustic reminder of the time she spent living in leafy Hampshire, but to Roy it is so much more. view interior feature

Go Wild in the Country (DJ Hoop)

2010-07-08T06:37:00.005-07:00

Hoop is a club DJ with an encyclopaedic knowledge of modernist furniture, alongside a love of the rural. He lives in a pretty, turn of the century cottage set amongst woodland glades in Hertfordshire, about an hour’s drive from London. Hoop DJs in the coolest London clubs from Hoxton to Brixton. Come Halloween, London is set aside as friends come over, line their tents up along the grass lawns outside the cottage and cook barbecues all day long and well into the night. view interior feature

Changing Garden Rooms

2010-07-08T06:37:00.003-07:00

An amazing inside/outside home, 3 Concrete structures (which normally are used to divert underground streams!) are placed down the long garden with separations made by trees and ponds. The last one has a pond on top of it only seen from the converted room in the roof back in the house, so you can only hear the water from the garden! The owners use the Roof room as a chill out zone and have a steam room underneath which they can use to make the chill out room humid and jungle like, or open the balcony doors to feel the breeze and look out to the garden. view interior feature

Abigail's Party

2010-07-08T06:37:00.001-07:00

Entertaining doesn’t have to be a Victorian extravaganza of garlands and tartan. At her East London home, Abigail Ahern keeps it cool with muted tones, strings of lights and flowers galore. view interior feature

Elements of Surprise

2010-07-08T06:36:00.004-07:00

The Grove in Hertfordshire is proud of its gardens – and justifiably so. Billing itself as ‘London’s Country Estate’, the hotel is set in 300 acres of green landscape, with an 18-hole golf course on its doorstep and an elegant formal garden to complement the grand eighteenth-century mansion. The formal grounds have all the ingredients of a traditional country estate, such as ancient trees, a box parterre and a Victorian walled garden – along with some rather more unexpected features. view feature

The Artist's Palate

2010-07-08T06:36:00.003-07:00

2010-07-08T06:36:00.001-07:00

We would like to introduce you to David Blaines cat...

What did you say?

2010-06-03T01:25:00.000-07:00

What did you say...

2010-06-02T05:58:00.007-07:00

We are hopefully continuing to listen to what you say and we have a new theme section up this month called Fashion & Textiles, its full of fashion, couturier and designers, please take a look by clicking the link Fashion & Textile.

Top 20 trends in 2010... were they right? take a look for yourself.

2010-06-02T05:58:00.005-07:00

Video Top 20 trends in 2010 here a little video with some view on the top 20 trends for 2010, it includes such things as Ecopoitan and nomadabodes scrabble will never be the same….anyway you might just get a few ideas and remember where you saw it when you need the images.

Ahead Of The Curve

2010-06-02T05:58:00.003-07:00

A dramatic home in Kent displays not just the owners' vaulting ambition but also their passion for eco living. Deep in the Kent countryside is the home of architect Richard Hawkes, it's the sort of place that encourages passers-by to slow to a crawl in their cars. What they’ll see first is a vast arch thrusting out of the ground that’s covered with a lush carpet of grasses and flowers – in effect, a rooftop meadow – beneath which there are boxy glass and cedar protuberances: the interior rooms. “It’s every architects dream to build his own house at some point, and when we found this plot, it just felt so right,” says Richard. view interior feature

Thread Of history

2010-06-02T05:58:00.001-07:00

By interweaving new features with old, designer Michael D’Souza has breathed new life into a 17th-century tapestry works on the banks of the Thames. There are those who say a real home is a place with a past, where memories are made and cherished. If this is so, Michael D’Souza’s South London flat qualifies easily, for it is steeped in history, some of it of D’Souza’s own making, the rest stretching back through the centuries. Once a tapestry works patronised by Charles I. The 17th-century bones of the building are visible in its dark wood, rib-like beams. D’Souza renovated and restored the place, realigning and refurbishing the wooden window frames and shutters and adding a contemporary Alno kitchen. When he asked about replacing the bowing beams in his bedroom, an architect advised, “Leave them be. They’ve been there for over 400 years and won’t be going anywhere fast.” view interior feature

Wild Living - The Stowaways

2010-06-02T05:57:00.005-07:00

Jane and Peter Smith’s holiday haven not only reflects its seaside surroundings, but it also has the flexibility they need to accommodate five children, relatives and friends. "Peter’s view was that it should be as comfortable as our home in London," says Jane. To help her fulfil this aim, and to create a house that could cope with varying numbers of visitors, Jane turned to neighbour and interior designer Clare Teed, who is also mother of Robert and Joseph’s surfboarding mates, Sam and Toby. view interior feature

Where The Wild Things Are

2010-06-02T05:57:00.003-07:00

By adopting the ‘experiments and errors’ of his design company Timorous Beasties, Alistair McAuley has created a vibrant, eclectic den for his young family. Timorous Beasties was founded in 1990 by Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons, who met while studying textile design at Glasgow School of art. At the home McAuley shares with his wife, Denise and their children. “This is the first time in ten years that I have lived with so much of our stuff, and it isn’t as horrendous as I thought it might be,” says McAuley. “It’s also good to have the fabrics and wallpapers at home, because when you are working with the designs, you don’t really get an idea of how they look until you see them hanging.”
When it came to doing up the detached house in the Glasgow suburbs, McAuley didn’t have it all his own way. Denise, once an art teacher and now part of the architect and interiors team of Occa Design, is no slouch on the creative front herself. view interior feature

Room At The Top

2010-06-02T05:57:00.001-07:00

A converted army barracks on the Kent coast offers a unique perspective on the pretty town of Deal, thanks to its amazing observatory. The home of Sue Prichard, curator of textiles at the Victoria and Albert Museum, occupies what was once the gymnasium of the late 18th-century cavalry barracks. The four-storey house is one of ten created within the Grade II listed building, and includes the impressive original glass cupola that gives a 360-degree view over the sea, local rugby pitch and town. “The light is wonderful for sewing, but the views, changing weather and stargazing are fabulous,” says Prichard. view interior feature

The Beachcomber

2010-06-02T05:56:00.000-07:00

With her bright and airy home on the Kent coast, Maxine Sutton is perfectly placed to source the pebbles and shells that sit alongside her own textile creations dotted around every room. Three years ago the family moved from South London to Kent in the hope of finding more space not only for the family and a much longed for dog, but also to accommodate Maxine’s work. She uses hand and appliqué to create wall hangings and other fabric-based craftworks. The couple’s hands-on and creative abilities were well used around their house. view interior feature