Interior Design Trend 2013: Using lace pattern in design and interiors

Bottom left light tea light by Timea Sido, bottom right ceramics by Annett Bugansky

As in fashion, so to the home – again! This time all things lacy for 2013 and a trend which has been on stylists’ radars for some time now had definitely found it’s way into the gift and homeware world as I saw on Monday at Pulse London 2013: on cards, lighting, cushions, jewellery and sometimes simply dressing stands.

Top left pendant by Timea Sido; Drum shades by Lucentia

Clockwise: Top left Gary Birks mugs; Patterns Apart print; Ginta Siceva laser cut leather jewellery

Clockwise from top: Abby Monroe fabrics & homeware, bottom left Patterns Apart

Seeing this trend ‘in the flesh’ reminded my of a very ethereal collage of images I’d seen on Patternbank back in March:

So, you see, lace doesn’t always have to tweely remind you of your Great Auntie Nellie!

Here are some super cool uses of lace in interior design:

Clockwise: Top left: Unknown concrete lace divider design; EijffingerContempo wallpaper; Mr Perswall wall covering; Schumacher Lace wallpaper

The concrete tiles with embossed lace facing below were designed by Jethro Macey (now at Decode) in 2006, which does go to show that either 1) some ‘trends’ take longer to catch on or 2) some ‘trends’ aren’t actually trends, but rather are timeless designs which come around every so often as ‘fashionable’. I prefer the latter theory myself.

Jethro Macey concrete embossed tiles

On that note and stepping away from the whole obsession with trends, it’s really just about development in design and technique isn’t it? Advances in technology have allowed such intricate laser cutting to all sorts of materials – concrete, metal, timber – that this love of lace and it’s effect was almost inevitable. You only have to look at the image below of iron lace work in New Orleans to see a hands-on, labour intensive and ‘dirty’ but beautiful skill which is now, sadly, widely lost but is becoming in the design world superseded by ‘clean’ laser cutting.

Clockwise: Top left: Iron lace work in New Orleans; Unknown fence panel; metal pendant at Rockett St George; Iron staircase by Gestion René Desjardins

You can’t get really much cleaner than a digitally printed metal lace effect, definitely no mucky metal work involved here:

Young & Battaglia trope l’oeil wallpaper

There is, of course, absolutely no reason to stick to monochrome… why not try a little neon lace in your life

Annie Little neon lace homeware

Liking the lace look, or loathing it?

PULSE 2013: A homeware trend for neon lights and brights

Are you ready for a POP of neon brights in your home and giftware for 2013 & 14, ’cause that’s what’s coming!

Spotted at Pulse 2013, here are my favourite products which captured the trend for eye-wateringly bright splashes of colour. They do say interior design follows fashion and as the 80′s have definitely been on radar on the fashion front, it was only a matter of time before they leapt into our homes

Featured: Urban Bird, La Cerise Sur Le Gateau, Beulah Home, Quirk and Rescue, Under Cover, This Is A Limited Edition

PULSE 2013: Moregeous visit a very design focused gift show

I had a great time at PULSE 2013 yesterday, how could I fail to when surrounded by stand after stand of creative, design led gifts and homeware?!

Each time I visit a trade or design show certain themes stand out, sometimes ones which have been slowly growing over a couple of years and sometimes new surprises. I love spotting the fresh trends and seeing how they’ve been translated into products, giving me inspiration for the design schemes Team Moregeous are asked to create for clients. There’s a very real side to my visiting the shows, it’s not just about blogging for blogging’s sake, I often specify and use the products seen.

Talking of blogging however and for your delectation, I’ll be featuring some lovely images for the main trends spotted which are highlighted in the image above:

• Don’t Mince Your Words
• Noah’s Ark
• Buzzy Sunshine
• Neon Brights
• Lovely Lace

My two favourite visual impact stands were the ones below by La Cerise Sur Le Gateau, a funky yet pared back blackboard paint and timber stand where the eye-popping neon fabric products did all the talking, and the bottom one…. which I lost the card to!! I’m sure someone will tell me which stand it is as it was so very clever, all graphic drawings and Paddington Bearesque backdrops to the lovely gifts for sale.

There were some beautiful ceramics on show of which my favs were the copper belted bottles and marbled effect vases by Carolina Peraca and Nazli Pehlivan, and the pottery take on Gaultier’s perfume by Annette Bugansky:

I ordered myself a necklace from Maqaroon, opting for summery pistachio:

I found some interesting lighting: recycled lacy delights by Manchester based Lucentia, some very cool wicker work by Louise Tucker on the St Martin’s stand, ethereal ceramic pendants by Timea Sido and finally the felt ‘Honey’ shades by Desinature.
There was a whole lot of fun to be had with pom poms

As well as some things which don’t fall into ANY category, like writeable wine glasses by Cami Raben, ceramic doorstops, a solid marble iPad stand by Costas Bisas, and got-my-eye-on-you notepads. Excellent stuff

More later x

Captivated by Christian Lava’s Terzani lighting

I’m doing some sourcing for a client’s living room today, with a focus on lighting. As well as the obligatory googling, I often go back through images I’ve taken at trade shows, things spotted on Pinterest and pages ripped from magazines. The feel for the room is luxurious but sensuous & tactile and there’s so much amazing lighting out there to choose from.

Thought I’d share some images of this range designed by Christian Lava for Italian company Terzani, which I adore and first saw back in 2011 at Decorex, so fluid and elegant yet technically brilliant. Big Sunday swoons

Playing with golden honeycombs and hexagonal design

Hexagon illuminated shelving in Anthropologie

For one of our current design projects, I’ve been playing with hexagonal design. There’s something endlessly fascinating about the beautiful natural shapes created by bees in their honeycombs, shapes full of golden light, ethereal yet incredibly mathematically solid.

Busy, busy, busy!

Prepare to see piles of hexagons in coming months, as it seems a lot of other designers are also feeling the honeycomb love. This image below of some stunning B&B Italia glass tables and beautifully padded seating was taken by Curve Interior Design over in Milan for the 2013 Design Week:

B&B Italia glass tables and beautifully padded seating, Milan 2013

I know where I’m heading with our design, but here’s some ideas for you to play with….

Teapot fizz, a Passion For Homes & a Pitfield cockatoo

Life so far in 2013 has been a whirlwind of industrial glam, swimming pools and a flurry of tenants in & out… with little time for anything else! It’s all calming down now – the madness of moving season is abating, the Baths tsunami has settled into a gentle wave and Project Rivet is complete… so I can finally get a bit of blogging done! I have such good intentions every week, then time just slips away. Must. try. harder.

Thought I’d share some images from a lovely London launch Mr M and I went to for A Passion For Homes, a web-site wholly devoted to amazing, dream homes & all things property, and borne from Andrea & Jo’s complete obsession for houses – two women after my own heart. Fab to meet @SpaceAlchemist, @rightmove & @WhatSamSawToday too and highly amusing to watch Mr M being poured fizz from a china tea pot

The launch was held in a really interesting space, sort of part commercial, part residential, and attached to a real renovation project. Best of all, we could have a snoop round the owners house #bonus. Lots of brick, original features, exposed beams and interesting interior design. I especially liked the indoor swing and the stitch detailing on the sofa arms but I’m a bit upholstery obsessed at the mo, as you know.

After that it was a quick scoot over to the fabulous Pitfield for drinks and a catch up with the Designersblock boys. Back at Interiors UK in January I’d spotted some cool looking Cockatoos but couldn’t carry yet another bag…

So I was delighted to see them in the Pitfield shop and snaffled one for Moregeous mansions. I love him! He’s now perched on my mantelpiece in the bedroom Thought it was a bit much to go for the giant golden squid…. but I definitely want a Lauren Baker skull at some point soon too.

Bowles & Bowles new cage work industrial designs: Wire In The Blood

Bowles & Bowles cage coffee table

Rather liking this image received this morning in an email about new British furniture design company Bowles & Bowles, which is part of the Original BTC and Davey Lighting group.

The company acquired a Birmingham metalworks and were inspired by some vintage mesh lockers found on site – we love a bit of Steptoe type unearthing of treasure here at Moregeous too, what a great story.

I’m looking forward to seeing the full collection, which is described as best-of-British craftsmanship, utilitarian and elegant styling and available in both zinc and copper. Reminds me SO much of a recent project of ours ……

Meshwork shelving used at Project Rivet by Moregeous Design

Fancy a bit of meshwork yourself? Here’s some more inspiration:

Alexander Wang flagship store