Of course, I don't actually read them all (who has time to do that?!) - I just look at the pictures. However, my plan is to make this post a regular feature which means I might actually pay a bit more attention to the magazines which drop onto the doormat every month.
Rather helpfully, Homes & Gardens this month included a supplement entitled "Spring/Summer 2016 Trends"
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| Homes & Gardens Spring/Summer 2016 Trends |
In this edition, they speak about the "growing focus on the materials that offer us a sense of place in the world". They feature a number of products made from natural materials - wood, woven, stone, wool and glass. In the Designer's Mind Section a number of designers were asked (amongst other things) "What part do you believe craft plays in the modern world?" The answers were many and varied. New York-based designer Stephen Burks said "Craft is the expression of culture by hand. It's neither antiquated nor modern. It's timeless. As such, it plays an important role in using materials in constantly unique ways." An example of this timeless use of materials is given in a feature on woven materials on page 26 "The new requisite for furniture and textiles is that they bring texture to a scheme, sparking a revival in woven forms, from simple, sculptural baskets to Seventies-inspired rattan seating and macrame wall hangings."
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| Homes & Gardens supplement - article on page 26 featuring woven products |
In the Homes & Gardens magazine itself I spotted these fun "Porcini" outside tables by Dedon. I love the contrast in the woven base with the smooth ceramic tops. Nice colours too!
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| Homes & Gardens, April 2016 (page 37) |
Porcini Tables from £630 each
Available from Leisureplan.co.uk
In keeping with their theme of natural materials, Homes & Gardens also has an interesting interview with textile artist Pippa Caley who says she is always "inspired by organic structures" and goes on to say she "gathers ideas from landscapes, leaves and flowers. The natural world has always informed my fabrics, which are often quite painterly in style." This article is on pages 54 - 56 of Homes & Gardens April 2016.
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| Homes & Gardens, April 2016 (pages 54-56) |
I love this scheme they've put together on page 34 inspired by morning mist over Tuscany.......
Above - Homes & Gardens, April 2016 (pages 33 - 34)
To coincide with London Design Week 2016, most fabric houses bring out new collections and Homes & Gardens has a feature on the latest collections starting on page 61. This article features abstract and geometric patterns from companies such as Osborne & Little, Larsen, and Designers Guild, big leafy botanicals from Pierre Frey, Christopher Farr and (my personal favourite) Kerala from Mark Alexander - see below:
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| Kerala in Grey, Mark Alexander |
They also review the latest in the continuing trend for monochrome fabrics as well as deeply quilted fabrics which add a wonderful texture to schemes. My favourites are Cocoon by Boussac at Pierre Frey and Cloud in Teal from Kirkby House (though I couldn't find that one when I looked on the Kirkby website).
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| Cocoon by Boussac |
My favourites of all the fabrics they have featured are the blues which they have displayed on umbrellas. They include fabrics from Vila Nova, Zinc, Kravet, Abbot & Boyd and Thibaut.
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| Homes & Gardens, April 2016 (page 74) |
I'd quite like one of those umbrellas!
25 Beautiful Homes have chosen to feature the latest floral designs in fabrics, furniture and accessories - I particularly like the floral retro radio from Emma Bridgewater:
Above: 25 Beautiful Homes, April 2016 and Emma Bridgewater Retro Floral DAB / FM Radio (available from Emma Bridgewater.co.uk and many retailers).
In their section entitled The Source, where they pick an item from each of the homes they've featured, there were a couple of things which caught my eye:
The Coniston Bath from CP Hart:
And the Loco Floor Lamp from Loaf:
Ideal Home have also chosen to highlight the nature revival as their "Mood of the moment" in their "Shopping Ideas" pages and have picked out floral prints, wood furniture and an artisan style dish and pitcher. They also have a page devoted to fun "Mid Century Retro" featuring crockery, lighting and furniture inspired by the fifties to the seventies and a double-spread on graphic monochrome finds, most of which are readily available on the high street.
In the "Decorating Ideas" pages there's an interesting article about tiles - vinyl as well as ceramic. I'm not sure I like all their suggestions but they've shown some fun tiles by Neisha Crosland - Parquet Vinyl £42.95 per square metre, shown below as featured in the magazine.......
They're available in lots of colours, shown in turquoise below.......
They also mention ceramic tiles which look like wood. They've been around for a while now (I remember considering them in my final project when I did my course). I think they're really practical, look great and you can use them with underfloor heating. Fired Earth have a great selection.
Of course, they also have the usual readers' houses as well as the 'before and after' kitchens and bathrooms.
That's it for this month!
PS - London Design Week takes place at Chelsea Harbour from Sunday 13th to Friday 18th March.
