Serenity Now
Between the frenzy of London Design Festival and the debut of our painted tiles collection, the past few months have been a riot of colour and pattern. It’s been absolutely brilliant,...
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Optical Illusions
If you’ve been bitten by the Surrealism bug (kicked off by Faye Toogood’s Designer of the Year installation at Maison & Objet this year) then you’re in for a treat when Elizabeth...
Design Notes Archive
Ben Pentreath
Ben Pentreath is a rare talent. Multi-disciplined and insanely stylish, he manages to juggle a wildly successful architecture and interior design firm whilst also owning one of London’s most cherished shops...
Collaboration with Kim Thomé
Each year, Wallpaper magazine’s Handmade issue celebrates craftsmanship and ingenuity by pairing together designers and makers to collaborate on a bespoke design for Milan’s influential furniture fair, Salone del Mobile. This month’s issue...
Studio Peregalli
Last month’s Design Notes touched on Milanese interiors firm Studio Peregalli and we just had to delve deeper. A bit of background: we have been rather immersed in all things Italian lately as our...
Blue & White Painted Tile
When interior designer Michael S. Smith swathed a California bathroom in Portuguese style tile several years ago, he unwittingly ignited a renaissance. The iconic blue and white tiles he sought were inspired...
Spring Botanicals
April is such a tease. The sun is shining but the air isn’t quite warm enough. Flowers are blooming but trees are slow on the uptake. It’s officially spring but...
La Villa des Alyscamps
Every summer the French city of Arles plays host to a flood of photographers, art dealers and collectors during the annual photography festival, Les Recontres Internationales de la Photographie d’Arles. Founded...
Bathrooms in Vogue
This month London’s National Portrait Gallery celebrates the 100th anniversary of British Vogue with a sweeping exhibition, Vogue 100: A Century of Style. It may be fashion focused but it’s not such an unlikely topic...
Pattern Play
I caught myself looking at the world through a designer's lens over the holidays. Come Christmas morning there were mounds of presents piled under the tree. My children's jubilation aside, I...
Tales from the Dark Side
Having stayed at a fair amount of hotels over the years, I've developed a love-hate relationship with dramatically dark bathrooms. Take Anouska Hempel's eternally chic Blakes Hotel in South Kensington or Jacques Garcia's sultry Bourg Tibourg in Paris’...
Heath Ceramics
Half way around the globe in Sausalito, California, there is a ceramics company called Heath that has garnered a cult following over the past 60 years. Founded in 1948 by husband-wife duo...
London Design Festival
Rather than trudging woefully home from summer holidays, September is a time to get re-energized for the tasks ahead. Whether that means starting a new design project or re-addressing an...
Sara Ruffin Costello
When thinking about friendships it seems we all have a mate we’d consider “the stylish one.” Many moons ago, when I worked on the beginnings of an American magazine called Domino,...
Céline Paris
Every once in a while we see a space that has nothing to do with bathroom design that stops us dead in our tracks. Such was the case when we...
Reiko Kaneko
The first time we featured a ceramist in this column was back in October 2009. Balineum was a budding company and we were excited to champion the work of artisans that...
Cool Hunting
Christopher Howe is no stranger to the English countryside. The furniture maker and antiques dealer has a warehouse there that’s filled with a vast collection of antique furnishings (treasures he's acquired...