I was back in the fast lane last week for 48hrs to attend my first interior design trade show. Far more interesting than the trade shows I attended in my previous life I can tell you. Not many insurance trade shows host a champagne bar, and the men to women ratio was significantly lower, making for a more attractive show all round. Decorex is a high end interiors show for designers and retailers specialising in the residential and hotel spaces and it delivers what it says on the tin. 400+ exhibitors under one roof makes for an exhausting day if like me you can’t attend all 4 days but I left with some new inspirations and a list of potential suppliers. Here are some of my favourites from the day.
These beautiful fringed shades from David Hunt lighting would make a great feature over a cozy corner dining area or in a boudoir style bedroom. I also loved the seed cloud installation by Ochre – these solid glass pendants are lit by tiny LED’s above them.
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House of Hackneys rose patterned wallpaper and matching chintzy shades, paired with animal prints looked wild but very cool, and I particularly liked the pineapple lamp. I know a girl who would love a bedroom like this!
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I didn’t go looking for paint or paint technique ideas but this stand by Little Greene really caught my eye. They had 6 rooms over two floors all showcasing the effects you can create with paint. Very creative and eye catching.
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Antiques by Design take every day and unusual items and incorporate them into lighting and other accessories. I’m a sucker for this style when its done well and is innovative. This shepherd hut wheel mirror is original and unique. My love of this style probably explains why I also liked the tap display on one stand. I don’t think they intended it to be wall art but you could make a great feature wall in a bathroom with framed bathroom accessories like this. I’m considering it for my own place….
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In my 48hrs I also managed a trip to Buckingham Palace (I named my hen house Cluckingham Palace BTW) and another jaunt to Soho where I had dinner at La Bodega Negra a Mexican bar and restaurant I’ve been wanting to try for a while. The interior is too dark to read the menu never mind take photo’s so I can’t share any of the things that caught my eye, such as the grand piano bookcase or the copper bathroom sinks. But the outside is probably what most people remember anyway. If you didn’t know what you were looking for you would never find the place as the entrance is designed to look like a sex shop, complete with peep show and girls, girls, girls signs. I was very cautious when I opened the door just in case I caught an eyeful of a real peep show, and I couldn’t resist posing when we left.
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So now I’m safely back in Cumbria and its all kitchens go as I race to find the perfect kitchen and complete the design in time for a pre-Christmas installation. I’ve got a man with a mallet coming tomorrow to help me knock a hole in the existing chimney breast to see if the original red sandstone lintels are still there. This isn’t wishful thinking this is what we found when we removed the gas fire in the living room. Its crazy what people cover up. Fingers, legs and eyes crossed!
