London Design Week 2012

 

Albemarle Cole and Son

Wallpapers from Cole and Son

Early March, when the weather changes, the showrooms of the fabrics, wallpapers and furnishing  show us the new collections, it is a treat to view the latest patterns, colors and the lovely room sets, it fills our imaginations with new ideas.

Some are old patterns revisited with new colors, a new scale as with Cole and Son or Clive Christian still look refreshing and elegant. Other are new patterns such as the fresh watercolor florals from Sanderson and the damasks and embroideries from Colefax and Fowler. Osborne and Little and Nina Campbell have some geometric patterns and bold floral and Designers Guild has been inspired by Japanese ceramics and watercolors. 

All are beautiful, all will create lovely and pleasant homes for years.

 Clive Christian

Roll up blinds with contrast pattern by  Colefax and Fowler

 Wallpapers by Sandersons

 Fabric and furnishings by Osborne and Little and Nina Campbell

 Fabrics and wallpapers by Designers Guild

Armani Casa

The cotton, linen and silks are from the recent collection of fabrics from Armani Casa, these beautiful fabrics are on their sofas and chairs from their new location.

Armani Casa has moved its showroom from Bond Street to the design centre at Chelsea Harbour. My first impression on entering the new location was like entering a Tardis, it felt small then opened up to 305 square meters of space. However it is not a spaceship but a showroom of seamless elegance, divided into rooms; living, dining and bedrooms.

Each room has illuminated walls of polycarbonate which sets off the furniture. And the furniture has the clean, straight lines of the tasteful Armani style. Although lines are straight there is some undulation on the arms of the sofas or the back of a headboard adding an extra touch of elegance. The scale and proportions are classic which give the furniture a pleasing and timeless quality.

I had also learned the brand has branched into kitchens and bathrooms making it possible to design the whole house, apartment, flat or a building, if you want to have a continuous distinctive look for projects.

The materials used for all their accessories from lighting to dishes to furniture is Murano glass, porcelaine, solid woods, marble and fabrics of silks or blends of cotton and silk. Although known very much for quiet neutrals of taupe, gray, greige, that is not beige, not gray and accents of rich mahogany or charcoal, I was pleased to see the introduction of color in orange and a very pretty dusky blue.

A selection of fabrics that would be so beautiful in a bedroom, quiet, restrained, unfussy elegance.