Category Archives: inspiration

Thomas Eyck: possibly worth it

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Sometimes just sometimes that horrific price tag that looks like a nigerian bank note (imagine the 0000000′s) may reflect something entirely worth the price it demands. Take the basket above, I ADORE it, it sums up my love of design, it is forward thinking, modern yet traditional, plastic but natural but €980? REALLY?

The work of Thomas Eyck is certainly 1 case in hand, working with the best designers and utilising the best possible materials and processes Thomas Eyck takes the time to hone the   products and the collections. This commitment to high quality design and manufacture surely justifies the price tag, ok its still eye-wateringly expensive to the majority of us but I absolutely admire Thomas Eyck‘s vision. Splashes of colour reminiscent of Missoni homewares but with rustic charm and hints of Moooi and Marcel Wanders association make for a collection of entirely palatable products.

It felt so good

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in collaboration with Pete Fowler

I feel a bit awkward, I mean I was introduced to the Mistress when I was researching the work of Jon Burgerman, yes it all sounds a bit seedy and sinister but hold your horses, she’s the FELT MISTRESS!! Yes the lady is a mistress of that adorably soft and fun fabric felt. For many people, boys and girls, felt is experienced during craft in schools because of its comparative versatility. To become a master of any technique or material you must practice, practice & practice and it is completely evident from the quality of craftsmanship that Louise Evans aka the Felt Mistress knows her stuff(ing)

from burger sketch to felt

The character development is obviously crucial to the building of the quirky creatures and the inspiration for that comes in droves from collaborative projects with artists like Jon Burgerman, Jon Knox (Hello, Brute fame) and Pete Fowler and mostly from her partner Jonathan Edwards. I often wonder if living with someone in the same field of work (ie. creativity) is a help or hindrance, imagine the inspiration posed directly against the interference!!

I’m not gonna pretend that I’m not put in mind of the muppets when I see the Felt Mistress’ work but its completely different because of its context, its crazy characters and also the art content. The line is crossed from mere design for fun squishy creature type characters to a much stronger art content, there is a delicacy and consideration above practicality.

I personally find the Beetle collection the most attractive but I am a taxidermy fan and I can also see the beetles sliding seamlessly into being a home accessory.

What inspires you?
My partner Jonathan Edwards is an illustrator and we work together on designs. Inspiration comes from lots of different places, sometimes it starts with a piece of fabric, sometimes a sketch in Jonathan’s sketchbook and other times they are based on real people we have seen when out and about, we will nudge each other and know exactly what each of us are thinking.  We like to travel and we were lucky to spend 5weeks in Japan earlier this year so that as you can imagine was very inspiring. I am surrounded by very talented friends all creating amazing work, which is also very inspiring.  Cartoons, fashion, films, music, nature, totems, tribal masks, the list is endless.

Where do you produce your work? ie home, studio, office

My studio is in my house, I share it with Jonathan and we are slowly running out of space.
How is your work produced? ie the process, traditional or modern construction techinques?
I don’t really have many specific fancy tools, really only a sewing machine. I prefer to hand sew details and I never use glue. (my elderly millinery tutor would drum that into me, she hated the fact that some hats had the trims glued on instead of stitched and I feel the same way now, never glue if it can be stitched)
I worked as a couture dressmaker for 18 years and I still make dresses but just not as many as the character work keeps me busy. I loved the challenge of pattern cutting for lots of different shapes and sizes, learning about how balance, carefully placed seams and corsetry can make a big difference to how a dress looks and feels on an individual. These skills have also proved useful when making the characters.

sneak peek at new stuff

What are you working on at the moment?

I am working on pieces for a solo show coming up next year,  and more collaborations with both Jon Burgerman (for a gallery show) and Pete Fowler (more work for The Stuffs puppet show)

I•ME•US

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I have few regrets in life but 1 of my biggest is that as yet I haven’t pursued any kind of graphic design training, the main reason is that I get so envious of people like illustrator Anthony Peters. Imeus design and illustration is the professional face of Anthony Peters, an illustrator in demand and its not hard to see why. Imeus produce printed media that is candy cute, sugary sweet, vintage fairground and childhood bound, type faces reminiscent of years gone by with colours and themes that liven the heart.

card design

The illustrations are produced for posters and art prints, for commercial purposes such as leaflets and advertising and also for greetings cards, I can not imagine receiving a cuter card than than those from Imeus.

not a geek T

The fun Imeus T-shirts run that fine line between geek in a graphic tee and hipster in a cool art T but they definitely come out on top, its the bright colours that avoid any mis-interpretation.

I’m not a sportsman, I don’t really get it but if having an event like the olympics prompts design like the olympic prints then, I say bring it on! Wow the retro charm is here in hoards, it takes me back to old school books and 70s style posters, I’m not old enough to remember the 70s but I do appreciate SOME of the design that came from that decade!

 

1. What inspires you?

I am very much inspired by nature and the small, insignificancies that people ignore every day. I love the little details and the ghosts of people in objects, like when you have an old vinyl record sleeve with a shopping list embossed into it from when the previous owner used it as something to lean on. I am also heavily influenced by old 2-3 colour packaging from the Twenties to the Fifties. Limitations in the printing process back then meant labelling had to be bold and direct, no gradients or fake bevels, just beautiful block colour. The recent ‘Own Label’ book by Jonny Trunk has some great examples of classic packaging.

2. Where do you produce your work?

I work from a home office in my little seaside town of Newhaven in East Sussex, During the day it is just myself, two cats, two hamsters and some stick insects for company, then I pick up my children from school and the real fun starts. The downside to working from home is that I am a really sociable person and I ramble on a lot… I may have to get a studio space soon before I get cabin fever!

3. How is your work produced? ie the process, traditional or modern print techinques?

My work is produced over a variety of mediums, some traditional and some modern, though even my screen print work begins life on the computer! I have also done quite a lot of 3D work with cardboard and mixed media.

4. What are you working on at the moment? 

I am working on an amazing ipad app for kids. BUT that is all I can say about it at present as it is top secret! I am also working on a kids story for Okido Magazine.

Me & Me Shop: Shabby Chocolat and Country Cousins

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Shabby Chocolat

The recession has forced people into thinking differently, do you know anything of the “new look” that Christian Dior presented so famously after the second World War? Well its economic differences that challenge the way we dress our homes. What’s that got to do with the delightful mates Denise and Jacqueline? They are current, they are zeitgeist and they are a great presence in Hebden Bridge where they have their 2 shops. There was originally just Country Cousins, a shop for the romantic, the dreamers and the objet d’art hunters but now there is another string to the ladies’ bow, Shabby Chocolat, a Marie Antoinette themed ‘salon du chocolat’ or “chocolate shop” because we’re English and I am northern.

garden room at Country Cousins

When all around us forges forward with technology and gleaming shininess, Country Cousins present us with a vision, a complete packaged vision of country styling with romantic detailing. A shop that sells a whole range of completely unique furniture and homewares, the speciality here is painted furniture, the term ‘shabby chic’ is used all too often but it fits. Country Cousins sell tables, drawers, dressing tables, mirrors and a multitude of stylish tea sets and baskets.

Shabby Chocolat, besides the styling, will have you drooling on sight of the most exciting chocolates. From swirling pompadour pralines to champagne truffles, macarons and even dairy free vegan tiffin there is sure to be something to suit most palettes.

1) Why and when did you start your ‘shop’, how long has it been running?

Country Cousins has been running for 3 years but Shabby Chocolat is very new and has only been around since Nov of 2011. We set up both shops because we had the passion to do it, a bit of knowledge and as with any business venture possibly a screw loose!! Shabby chocolat followed Country Cousins because Denise has a love affair with chocolate and a dream to live like Marie Antoinette, so a small slice of luxury is presented in the shop.

2) Have you changed what you sell over the past year?

We sell more furniture than we have ever sold before but of course with the new chocolate shop above Country Cousins, the main difference is selling chocolate.

3) In terms of retail and dealing directly with the public what has been your biggest surprise?

Our biggest surprise has been the reaction of the general public to what is essentially our vision. We have been overwhelmed by the kind comments about the chocolate shop, we’ve had to re-order twice as much as we anticipated!

4) Do you have a style ethos in your shops or a particular style that you are trying to portray?

Well the whole place is about vintage romanticism, Country Cousins is about living properly, tea sets, worn patches, signs of life and enjoying the shabby chic with a country edge.

5) Where do you get your inspiration for the styling of your shop?

Our main influence is anything french and we try and holiday in France as much as we can to gain inspiration. Old wrought iron gates with peeling paint, white picket fences, crisp linens and completely over the top mouldings on mirrors, frames and furniture are all key features we look for.

6) Is there a business in the same sector as yours that you aspire to be like? for example, is there another shop that inspires the way you present your shop?

We like our shop to feel quite homely and we try to style the furniture and accessories in a way that you would live with the pieces. We hate shops that feel like we are being sold something, we want people to experience our shop rather than just come and see a few nice pieces.

Country Cousins is located at 21 West End, Hebden Bridge and Shabby Chocolat is at 21A with entry to the chocolate shop through Country Cousins.

Me & Me House: Elly Robinson

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Ok I’m cheating a little bit because Elly and I have been friends for far too many years, its got to over 10 years so I’m not counting anymore!! Elly runs the vegan food business ‘That Old Chestnut’ and does a bloody good job of keeping the cafes and faces of the Leeds area packed with the best vegan cakes you’ll eat. Elly bakes all of her cakes at home and when she was looking for a new home after uni and she saw this place, the size and character of the kitchen were perfect attributes that meant this house was fit for the challenge.

Starting out in your first proper house is a challenge and Elly and her boyfriend Stephen have made a great start and a wise decision. The house is packed with unusual architectural features like Victorian Ceramic floor tiles in the hallway, a big heavy imposing fireplace and plaster coving. The kitchen too is just as striking and has stable divisions, bare red brick, white and blue patterned tiles and a floor which is an obstacle for dancing! Its uneven and has a stone gully running through it but it is an extension into the former stable. The mix of old, new, fun, funky and traditional is a joy to behold and the house has a warmth and atmosphere most people strive to achieve. The bargain red Habitat sofa is the purchase most couples pray for in their first house together.

I spoke with Elly and asked her about what makes her house a home…

the characterful kitchen

1) What is your favourite room and why? That would have to be my kitchen. It is full of character – an extension to the rest of the house which was once an old stable for the horse of the chappy who ran a nearby quarry/mine. (So that is what my neighbours say!) Stone floor, tiled walls (from floor to ceiling) old lantern lights. wooden work surfaces, stone window ledges, belfast sink! nice large oven and cooker top too. and i think it is my favourite as i spend most of my time in it!

sideboard on the left

2) What is your favourite belonging? Do you have a sense of why that is? That is a tricky question. I love my kenwood chef, but I think what adds to the kitchen is an old side board we were given, which has been in my boyfriends family for a good while. I just love the style of it, the colour of the wood, the small mirror on the back (maybe for a small person!)  It is where i carry out most of my icing, as it is a perfect height, plus i think as it is a piece of furniture i like i find it very relaxing to work on, as icing needs quite abit of patience! it is also great for photographing products as you get natural light from the window behind and can reflect your product in the little mirror too!

3) How much work have you done yourself in your house? Have you had people in to do anything? I rent the property so I haven’t carried out any work on the property – I have added my personal belongings to the house. I like a house to feel like a home.
4) In an ideal world (money no problem) what changes would you make to your home? I would add more worktop surface under some cupboards which are on a wall opposite main working area and also running underneath a shelving unit which is on an adjacent wall. I like to have space! I prefer items which are used on a regular basis to have a home out of a box or cupboard, it makes things much easier and it means everything has a place – so when you are using said items your work surfaces aren’t instantly cluttered! I think I would even the floor too as when you enter it is tiled and then half way along there is a little step and it is stone. I think it would all be stone and plus the work surface is a little higher where the floor is just tiled – so that would solve that problem too! I would like an electric oven and gas stove. at the moment it is all gas, this is the first house i have lived in with all gas. I am not a huge fan of the gas oven, i find electric much more reliable for consistency of baking and peace of mind! I have sussed it out though – but it is on my wish list! also a dishwasher would be amazing! I think it would be much more economical too. Also to carry on the old style of the house and kitchen I would love one of those airer racks that hang from the ceiling. as the kitchen gets so warm when baking! and my clothes would smell of cake! which would be far better than onions! I would also remove the radiators too – as the kitchen is so warm from the oven that it doesnt need them and i love them in the rest of the house, big old victorian cast iron radiators. they keep their heat really well and add something extra to the house.
5) What will be your next purchase? I think that would be a pizza/bread stone. I enjoy making both and once lived with someone who owned one and it makes your pizza taste amazing! I have baked a number of pizzas in a cob oven at a local environment centre i volunteered at, although it wont be quite the same it would add the ‘stonebaked’ flavour that i love from the cob oven. I am not sure where I will buy it from yet but here is a picture. 
6) Where do you like to shop? I get most of my ingredients for life! from Lembas! Lembas is a wholefoods cooperative based in Sheffield, it is lethal looking at their catalogue! so much stuff i could order! I get flour, sugar, oats, marg, grains, beans, pulses, nut and seed spreads, spices, muesli, cleaning products, the list could go on! I buy most of my kitchen wares from TK Maxx, they stock some good stuff and I also enjoy going to Peter Maturi’s to support a local shop. I got all my icing equipment from there. I love to shop at Leeds Kirkgate market too, for the business I source fresh fruit and veg from the usual guys! also a spice shop i use inside for fresh herbs and nuts, seeds and dried fruit are bought from the nut shop. I like to support the local and independent businesses. I think it is important. They are also, like me, trying to make a bob or two. I would much rather my money went there than to high street shops.
7) Who or what inspires the creative decisions you make at home and are they discussed with anyone? Things are discussed with my boyfriend, Stephen, we both like natural materials and the ‘rustic’ look and feel. We like things to have a use and purpose too! I guess going back to basic materials which are sustainable and environmentally friendly is where we take our inspiration.
Me & Me House is a new regular feature about how people live in their homes, contact me:
livliketheboy(@)hotmail.co.uk if you would like to share your home.