Nice Things | Atticus And Finch

DuluxLab Ice Cream Experiment Collective Passions

Art, collaborations, colour, decorative, fun things, inspirational, interiors, nice things, photography No Responses »

Jun 192013

DuluxLab Ice Cream Experiment Part 2 (Collective Passions): The only way to find out if something’s going to work is by getting on and giving it a go. I had no idea if it was going to work, other than the logical side of my brain saying, ‘it’s water-based paint and water freezes.’ but it doesn’t stop the fear of failure and the abrupt conclusion of what could be a wicked photoshoot. I decided to start small and manageable, and what’s more small and manageable than ice cubes in an ice cube tray? In they went. Success!
Success meant stage 2. A detailed sketching out of shot-list ideas and colour choosing. My success at freezing ice cubes meant that my imagination went wild as to what else I might manage to persuade the paint to do. I figured that if it was happy to be an ice cube, it’d be happy to be a lolly, even a rocket shaped lolly, right? In they went. Getting them out was a little bit more tricky than the ice cubes, but with a little water application management they eventually surrendered their cocoon. But there was one shot that was really worrying me. The shot that the entire project was based on: ice-cream. Ice-cream in its purest form: thick frozen cream of the ice-cream-van wafer-cone variety. It was the one that I wanted to work the most, so of course it was the one that I put off experimenting with until the last. Having learnt to make edible ice-cream (all in the name of research), I just applied the same logic and method to the paint. If I hand-churned it often enough, there was no reason for the broken-up frozen particles not to remain supple and flexible enough for it to resemble the edible treat. After a nerve-wrecking 3 hours, it did. Based on my colour choices, Dulux suggested two of their 2013 colour schemes, Timeless Classics and Collective Passions. I divvied up the drawings between the two schemes, got them all okayed and started planning the props.
The shoot took place over two days and Dulux filmed it as we prepped and prepared the paint and the sets. It was messy work and a little manic at times, but at the end of the two days we had completed our shot list with a unexpected degree of success. All that was left to be done was the retouching and the waiting for the release date to come round. Here we are and now the long journey’s results can be seen throughout the UK’s online and printed media. Hurray!

DuluxLab ‘Collective Passions’ ice-cream shoot, styling: Emily Blunden, photography: Simon Bevan

(at the time of writing it can currently be seen on Livingetc’s blog, Life.Style.etc, July’s edition of Beautiful Kitchens and of course on Dulux’s Facebook)

DuluxLab Ice Cream Experiment Timeless Classics

Art, collaborations, colour, decorative, fun things, inspirational, interiors, nice things, photography No Responses »

Jun 182013

When I started this blog, it was only to be a bit of fun, a way to showcase the bits of stuff that I like that I hadn’t managed to get into my work as a stylist. It’s a progressional pin-board of sorts, a public scrapbook of ideas and things that I like. I never intended it to be a vehicle for showing my latest styling projects as I wanted a degree of separation between the two. However, I shall break my rule as I wanted to bring you part one of my collaborative paint project with Dulux.

DuluxLab Ice Cream Experiment Part 1 (Timeless Classics): A year in the making, this was a rather large undertaking which started as a pipe-dream for a test shoot with fantastic interiors photographer, Simon Bevan. From simple beginnings, the ‘ice-cream’ idea took a path of its own volition and became a far bigger creature (during my picture research I created this pictorial blog post, Bubblicious Delicious, to enable me to explore colour ways). How and when it became ‘making-paint-to-look-like-ice-cream’, I’m not sure, but it did and it entailed many a conversation, much internet researching, cloaked questioning of set-builders about paint, and a lot of thinking and imagining of potential results, problems and ways around them. Approaching Dulux’s PR company, not only ensured a paint source but gave the project a status of reality which was not only exciting but had me running for the hills. It was time to put my money where my mouth is and start experimenting…

DuluxLab ‘Timeless Classics’ ice-cream shoot, styling: Emily Blunden, photography: Simon Bevan

Neon Ring Of Fire

Art, colour, decorative, exhibitions, fun things, inspirational, interiors, lighting, London, nice things, product design, things to do No Responses »

Apr 182013

Having discovered Chris Bracey’s neon lights (with thanks to Conran Shop) and gone on to use one in a shoot last year, I was rather excited to see a gallery of bright colours emitting glow over the hard concrete streets in the west end of London. I have to say, I do like a bit of neon lighting, especially done with a nod to many aspects of iconic American popular culture which will always retain a element of cool; 1950s, rock’n'roll, bikers, tattoo parlours and street retail advertising. But Bracey doesn’t just regurgitate old lights, he adapts and adds to, recycling old lights to make new pieces, that are more relevant to us today, whilst referencing the land so far from these shores. And no further away than from Walthamstow, where Bracey works in his delightfully named workshop, God’s Own Junkyard. His workshop is now open to the public on specific days, so after you visit Scream to see his exhibition, I advise you to check out his website, then go and indulge yourself with more neon goodness.

1.) Lady Luck (detail), 2.) Hot Burning Love/ Hotel Love, 3.) Love and Hate, 4.) Hands of God (and detail), 5.) Find Love Upstairs (shown in three light variations)

Chris Bracey at Scream Gallery. 12 April until 01 June 2013.
27 – 28 Eastcastle Street, London, W1W 8DH Tel: +44 (0)20 7268 9857
Monday – Friday 10am – 6pm, Saturday 11am – 4pm

Very Pleased To Meet

colour, decorative, fun things, illustrators, nice things, paper, product design, shops, stationery 1 Response »

Apr 172013

I spotted this company’s products in various hotspots around New York and liked their style instantly. Pleased To Meet is the lovechild of two German designers, Daniela Könn and Marcel Hornung, who met and fell in love whilst working in New York. Founded in 2004, they now have a lovely range of simple and charming designs spread over a variety of paper-based goods, contemporary eco ethics with a hint of mid-century style illustrations. Good colour choices too. They do have stockists worldwide but they also do international delivery so no need to panic. Here are my top-picks.

1.) I Love You wrapping paper, €2.60, 2.) New York wrapping paper, €2.60, 3.) Fawns wrapping paper, €2.60, 4.) A Good Catch wrapping paper, €2.60, 5.) Flying Birds notebook, €5, 6.) Lovebirds notebook, €5, 7.) Travel Journal, €19, 8.) Paris notebook, €7, all available from their website.

Many Treats To Be Had

ceramics, colour, decorative, Designer-Maker, homewares, inspirational, interiors, nice things, product design, shopping, shops 2 Responses »

Apr 122013

I was pretty restrained on my recent trip to New York despite the many treats to be had. The choice was out of my hands. I had to be. I’m soon to be moving home and property in London isn’t cheap. Needless to say, the mortgage company would not be sympathetic to my pleas and tales of cushion-love in NYC, however lovely it was, so, well-behaved I was. This doesn’t mean that I don’t sit here at my desk and dream. I confess, the Cole Haan shoes and the birdie letter opener came home with me, but then they don’t count, as they both fall under the ‘practical’ category. For future reference (for myself and any one who fancies treating a hard-working Finch), here are my top nine shopping treats from the great city across the pond.

1.) Gramercy Oxfords in nubuck rooftop and sunlight, $198, Cole Haan, 2.) stone house door stop, $31.90, West Elm, 3.) Petrie armchair in fawn, $2,199, Crate And Barrel, 4.) Petrie ottoman in fawn, $1,248.75, Crate And Barrel, 5.) birdie letter opener, $12, MOMA, 6.) Dauville gold glazed bowls, from $11, Canvas, 7.) Map of New York decorative sheet, by Charles Lahti, $20, Kate’s Paperie, 8.) porcelain pitchers by Ryota Aoki, from $148, The Future Perfect, 9.) Acciaio dining chair, designed by Max Lipsy, $1,500, Matter

Ode To The Moon

Art, colour, craft, decorative, Designer-Maker, exhibitions, fun things, homewares, inspirational, interiors, nice things, pattern, product design, shopping, surfaces No Responses »

Apr 102013

One of my highlights of New York’s Architectural Digest Home Design Show, which I attended as part of Modenus’ BlogTourNYC, was this stand showing the work of Brooklyn-based designer-maker company, Moonish. Marine-grade plywood is dyed, silk-screen printed and cut down into 6″sq tiles with magnetic backing. The wood grain is visible through the dye, allowing for the natural qualities to show, giving the decorative tiles a warmth not usually associated with their ceramic cousins. Their application also differs, no messy grouting required here, this wall treatment is purely magnetic. Allowing design flexibility and a freedom from the usual constraints of surface decorations, you can chop and change as often as you rotate your footwear, should you wish. This also makes them reusable, a detail that is rapidly becoming the most attractive USP a product can have, in an age of economic and environmental uncertainty. All of these positive pointers and we haven’t even got on to how good looking these little wooden squares are. Well, I don’t really need to say anything, they do all that’s necessary for themselves. Just look at them! And if you tire of diamonds, change it to chevrons, …if you bore of chevrons, …change to diamonds. So much to love, so little time (such good colours too). Go get them.

From top to bottom: ’1977′, ‘Sunspots’ and ‘Music’ designs.

Yes, The Future IS Perfect

ceramics, craft, decorative, Designer-Maker, homewares, interiors, lighting, nice things, product design, shopping, shops No Responses »

Apr 092013

On a recommended tip by a now-native New Yorker (thank you, Liz!), I made sure that I fitted a trip to The Future Perfect in Manhattan. It wasn’t a venture wasted. In amongst a good list of interiors stores in the SoHo/ Nolita area, this by far was my favourite design shop, and the closest to my own personal taste. Nicely laid out, there were little treats to be discovered in all corners of the store, from well-known companies to lesser-known designer-makers. It was also nice to see a large range of products from my own London favourite, SCP (and no shortage of Donna Wilson‘s knitted delights). Royelyn (the shop attendant) indulged me a small tour of my favourite goodies, and also a discussion on slang and the linguistic differences between Brooklyn, Manhattan and London. Good times. Here are my top 9 items (international shipping available).

1.) Reunion bowl, by Pieke Bergman, $165, 2.) Mirror standing shelf, by Garth Roberts, £3,650, (this is far more amazing in person than you can see from the photos. It’s gorgeous), 3.) Bluff City pendant light, £750, 4.) Moon Dance Rug Small, Domestic Construction, $63 (sale price), 5.) Watering Can, Copper, Paul Loebach, $99 (available from May), 6.) Facet Bowl, by Piet Hein Eek, $956, 7.) Tree Trunk Chair in Green Velours, by Piet Hein Eek, $2,858, 8.) Crescent Brass Bottle Opener, by Oji Masanori, $60, 9.) Glacier Double Old-Fashioned Glass, Purple, for Artel by David Wiseman, $439

Kielitiettyni

animals, animation, Art, colour, fun things, nice things, random No Responses »

Apr 082013

The Tongueling from Elli Vuorinen on Vimeo.

This little animation is by Elli Vuorinen, a recent graduate of the Turken Arts Academy in Finland, has been making waves. Elli has been selected to be a resident animation artist in Tokyo 2012-2013, her animation ‘The Tongueling’ will be part of the KROK international animation festival, was entered into the main competition of Hiroshima International Animation Festival. The Tongueling is a wondruous wintery colour palette, full of high contrasts, this is totally apt seeing as despite it being April and BST, it’s still winter here in the UK. I watched it complete with scarf and blanket over my lap, cradling my coffee as I giggled, gasped, winced and exclaimed by way through this short story. Both funny ha-ha and funny peculiar, this tells the tale of a man looking for love and finding it in a most unexpected place. Full of wet mouth noises, so if you’re a little sensitive, this may not be for you.

Kielitiettyni (The Tongueling)
Wooden knocks are echoing in a frozen landscape when a lonesome man is searching for a tongueling of his own.
Hand-drawn animation- Direction/ Animation/ Script/ Editing: Elli Vuorinen
Sound design: Elli Vuorinen, Jani Lehto
Music: Jani Lehto
Production: Turku Arts Academy / Eija Saarinen/ 2010

BlogTourNYC: No.2

collaborations, events, homewares, inspirational, interiors, kitchen, nice things, product design, shops, surfaces No Responses »

Apr 022013

1.) dinner being made using Miele‘s Brilliant White Plus range by Little Owl‘s chef, Joe Campanale and our very own, Gem Barton, 2.) Joe Campanale’s fellow chefs at work, 3.) Miele’s Brilliant White Plus H 4886 BP BRWS+, 4.) dinner (1 course of 4), 5.) The view from the Miele showroom over East 58th Street, complete Spring blossom and pendant lamps, 6.) Miele’s Brilliant White Plus H 4086 BM BRWS Speed Environment, 7.) our big black stead which took us around New York on the Corcoran Real Estate tour (with thanks to Miele and Corcoran).

With many thanks to all the Modenus‘ BlogtourNYC sponsors: Miele, Mr Steam, Silestone by Cosentino, Blanco, Poggenpohl, Du Verre, Barber Wilsons, NKBA, Jenn Air, Victoria + Albert Baths

It’s All Woolly Good

animals, Art, collaborations, colour, craft, decorative, Designer-Maker, events, homewares, inspirational, interiors, London, nice things, textiles, texture, things to do No Responses »

Mar 142013

Yesterday saw the opening of this year’s Wool Week by Campaign For Wool at Wool House, Somerset House. I first got excited by Wool Week two years ago with their Wool Modern exhibition, which I loved for all its crafty exhibitors but found disappointing due to its heavy fashion emphasis and a lack of homewares. This year, they’ve totally turned it around with more interiors and homewares than you can shake a sheep at. Which is only right, when you think about how much wool is a major player in homewares; from cushions, carpets to sofas and blankets. Very nicely curated, with an extensive exploration across all interior styles and colours. Go in with open eyes and prepare to be amazed. You’ll never look at a sheep in the same way again. It’s a cracker.

Photos from left to right, top to bottom:
Infinity carpet runner by Christian Zuzunaga for Brintons
Arran jumper armchair by Champ Upholstery with Vintage Clothes- seen in the Natural Room by Josephine Ryan.
Fabric walls in Wool Sateen Glace Indigo by Holland & Sherry- seen in the Classic Drawing Room by Fox Linton Associates
Wool lettering detail
Curved Laine, three-dimensional acoustic sound absorbing panel, 100% wool felt, made to order, designed by Anne Kyyrö Quinn- seen in Modern Room by Anne Kyyrö Quinn.
detail of the cloud mobile, custom made for Wool House, by Donna Wilson- seen in Nursery by Donna Wilson.
Leaf, pink acoustic sound absorbing panel, 100% wool felt, made to order, designed by Anne Kyyrö Quinn- seen in Modern Room by Anne Kyyrö Quinn.
Chain carpet, designed by Ashley Hicks, woven to order by Alternative Flooring- seen in Study by Ashley Hicks.
knitted vessels by Hilary Anderson-Barr- seen in the Natural Room by Josephine Ryan.

The Campaign for Wool’s WOOL HOUSE
Wool House, West Wing, Somerset House, London
13 – 24 March 2013
Open daily
Free admission

Older Entries

DuluxLab Ice Cream Experiment Collective Passions

Like this:

DuluxLab Ice Cream Experiment Timeless Classics

Like this:

Neon Ring Of Fire

Like this:

Very Pleased To Meet

Like this:

Many Treats To Be Had

Like this:

Ode To The Moon

Like this:

Yes, The Future IS Perfect

Like this:

Kielitiettyni

Like this:

BlogTourNYC: No.2

Like this:

It’s All Woolly Good

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: