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The heart, soul and creativity that go into the decorative arts and interiors are life-enhancing … scattering glittering gold dust into the daily cycle.

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Things that inspire me in the Decorative Arts,  Interiors, Fashion and Nature.

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A little of what I Fancy:  featured ‘home accessory’, you know that small-ish purchase that would just cheer up your day/month.

Plus ca Change: (No change there then) the enduring grace of great design echoes down the line.

I worked in fashion in my 20′s.  Looking back my favourite thing was ‘trend analysis’ I would produce  seasonal reports on trends identifying our ‘fashion strategy’. I set up my own home fashion and interiors label, stockists included Liberty, Bon Marche, Brown Thomas, Neiman Marcus and ABC Carpet and Home.  This led to contracts creating textile products for major UK retailers including BHS, Denbenhams and Laura Ashley.

Now I am an interior designer.  I worked with a wonderful American designer in London whose style led me to a passion for bold interiors and 20th century design, I was already fascinated by  the history of design particularly the long century: 1660-1830.

I am interested in the evolution of, and enduring legacy  created by,  our desire for beauty and utility in our lives and homes. (Sometimes its very difficult not to sound pompous when talking concepts… must try harder).

FINALLY: I READ ALOT.….whilst not out and about. I like the ‘pause for thought’ factor.

David Collins in 1st Dibbs, ‘he has always set more store by how something feels than how it looks…emotions are what count. “I don’t always know what a place will look like, but I do know what it should feel like.”

Jonathan Adler in Lonny Magazine,”Learn your craft and hold to it. People think I am this wacky guy. If only I were wacky, of course my designs have a certain irreverence, but that is a whisper. Craft is where I live, craft conquers all.”

Kelly Wearstler interviewed in Design Sponge.
Q: How do you feel in the studio?
A: Fearless

Christian Astuguevieille interviewed by Simon Trebay in the NY Times:

He is nostalgic for a time when the sense world seemed richer.

Handing a group of young students a sheet of white foolscap, he asked them to feel and crumple the paper and then describe the sensation, only to discover that they barely had words. “Children are increasingly so removed from the natural world that an entire vocabulary of the senses is in danger of being lost,” he said.

NOTE: he asked them to make up words if they couldn’t find appropriate vocabulary.