Showing posts with label London. Show all posts
Showing posts with label London. Show all posts

Friday, April 6, 2012

Chelsea Fringe


Every once in a while, a fabulous idea pops up that makes one take note. Here is one. 
 a growing festival of flowers, plants, gardens and gardening across London.


 Conceived by garden critic and historian, Tim Richardson, as an alternative to the [expensive, crowded] Chelsea Flower Show, the festival extends over a period of three weeks. At venues all over London, the events range from performance art to community garden events to guerilla gardening. The thought is, as long as it relates to the garden plants and the landscape, it's good!

 Did you know that Kew Gardens never buys compost for its outside spaces. It makes its own.

 Chelsea Fringe is in its first year. It is not funded and has no sponsor, but rather is entirely supported by volunteers. How cool is that?

The events run from May 19-June 10, 2012. Some events include the 'Edible High Road' in Chiswick, a 'Theatre Garden', an evening of garden-themed poetry and distribution of free herbs for stressed-out Londoners.

The Chelsea Fringe blog features lots of interesting, behind the scenes tidbits.


 I wish them a fabulous run with more than enough volunteers and great weather!

Ahem... I am hoping at least a few U.S. cities join them in 2013!




Thursday, November 3, 2011

Stories Told: JamesPlumb

Repurposing, salvaging, creating beauty with the discarded... meet Hannah Plumb and James Russell, the design duo behind JamesPlumb.Their mission is to expose "hidden beauty in the everyday, creating interiors with traces of history, but with new stories to tell.*

This butterfly bed's headboard is made from an old window and lined with textile fragments from old seats. 

 Un Ala Di Faraflla (Butterfly’s Wing)

JamesPlumb designed Hostem, the trendy men's store on Redchurch Street in London's East End. JamesPlumb and Hostem just won the Inside Festival Award in Barcelona for best in the retail category.

The walls and ceilings are lined with hessian cloth (burlap), the windows have Swedish linen drapes. Lighting in the store is industrial, with caged bulbs suspended at different lengths. Concrete plinths are used as displays. 

A vintage church pew was repurposed into the shop counter, the chandelier is created with a cluster of lampshades.


James Russell's luminaires:

Bird light

The Cluster Chandeliers are made from groups of lampshades that are finished in vintage fabrics and suspended by hand-dyed silk flex.

The Suitcase Drawers are vintage suitcases that are paired with customized metal frames to fit the different sized suitcases. Charming!


JamesPlumb was also nominated for Designer of the Year in the 2011 British Design Awards.


[1,2,3-5,6,7]

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Church Living

Enjoying this fabulous converted church in the  Kensal Green area of London.




With the floor to ceiling windows, the rooms are filled with amazing light. It would make a perfect studio.




The arched windows, ceilings and columns add to its charm.




The colours prevent it from being too sterile.




Looks like the choir loft is an office / study.




OK- I could really get used to this.
Would you consider transforming a church like this?


[via]

Photobucket

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...