Amy Kent Rugs: Country & Town Interiors Book 2023

Back in 2005, Amy Kent had a lightbulb moment when she realised there was a gap in the market for beautifully crafted bespoke rugs that don’t cost a fortune. On a trip to India she met the husband-and-wife team who have produced her handmade rugs ever since.

‘Without them, my company simply wouldn’t work,’ says Amy. ‘Over the last 17 years we have become close friends as well as colleagues.’ This personal approach, which begins with an initial site visit, sits at the core of the company. ‘I find it makes the world of difference seeing the rugs in situ, so where possible, I visit my clients, helping them to choose the right pattern, size and colours against their existing interior,’ she continues. Every stage of the process is done by hand using celebrated age-old techniques, from the dyeing of the wool to the trimming of the rug. Once complete, the rug is delivered and installed by a team that has worked with the business since the beginning.

Inspiration for Amy comes in many ways; at first it was very much nature – and it often still is. Over the last few years, she has collaborated with various creatives, from artists to florists. ‘Shop Amy’ launched at the end of last year, offering rugs that are even more accessible, both in terms of time and cost (these can be viewed, along with the rest of her designs, in the new showroom near Malmesbury, open by appointment only). ‘I’m also hugely proud of becoming a designer for The Haines Collection with my ‘Recycled Rugs’ range. Made from the leftover wool of our bespoke orders they are our way of reducing wastage and promoting sustainability,’ she says. This year Amy will be bringing out a new design, ‘Jewel’, which was developed during a recent trip to Jaipur.

Tips, Tricks & Tools

1. ‘Buy expensive once, not cheap twice. Some things you can cut costs on, but others need to be quality to last.’
2. ‘Don’t go with trends, go with what makes you happy. At the end of the day, it’s your home.’
3. ‘With vintage, always go off the beaten path. If you go to snazzy showrooms, you’ll pay snazzy prices.’
4. ‘If you find decorating overwhelming, keep it simple. Start with a couple of things you really like, and it will build from there. You’ll slowly realise how you’d like to add to it.’
5. ‘So many things can be transformed with a lick of paint. Don’t waste a piece of furniture, give it a new lease of life.’

Secret Address Book

• Florist: Ivy & Bud’s posies are a perfect thank you gift (ivyandbud.co.uk).
• Vintage: My family is obsessed with buying second-hand from Vinted (vinted.co.uk).
• Instagram: My sister Lucy Kent is a landscape painter and founder of the Art for Charity Collective (@lucykentart).

AMY KENT RUGS
Nr Malmesbury, Wiltshire
+44 (0)1666 715151
amykent.co.uk
@amykentrugs

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Heirlooms Linens: Country & Town Interiors Book 2023

Established in 1984, Heirlooms is a family-run business based in West Sussex with a passion for excellence, and renowned for manufacturing luxurious fine linens for the bedroom, table, and bathroom. All fabrics are Italian-woven, hand-picked, and imported from the finest weaving mills, before being made in-house using state-of-the-art embroidery machines built to the company’s own specification. The pure cotton sateens, percales and pure linen all come in a wide choice of colours and any linen designs can be customised in limitless ways. Along with the implementation of blockchain traceability, all fabrics are responsibly sourced using OEKO-TEX sustainable practices. Sustainability is not just about sourcing, though: of equal importance is the environment in which those linens are made and social responsibility is a top priority. 

The company believes that everyone deserves beautiful bed linens of exceptional quality, whether for their home or yacht, and has been working on plans to bring its products to a wider audience. Global distribution is expanding and includes a partnership with an Australian-based textile company whose synergies are aligned with its own. In addition, Heirlooms is launching two exciting design collaborations in September, including one with a talented up-and-coming yacht designer. Ultimately, the brand is on a mission to spread the word that people have a choice when it comes to sleep and wellbeing, and deserve the best.

Tips, Tricks & Tools

1. ‘Thread count is misleading: you can have a high thread count but low-quality cotton yarn. Cottons that are woven using quality yarns will last considerably longer and will be a better investment.’ 
2. ‘Make bed linen part of your design brief. To enter a room where the bed linens have been designed for the interior makes such an amazing impact.’ 
3. ‘Take time to choose towels that are luxurious and super absorbent, and coordinate bath linens with the decoration.’
4. ‘Enhance your entertaining experience with good quality table linens. Keep tablescaping simple and elegant, or go wild with bold designs.’ 
5. ‘When it comes to pool towels, UV resistance is a must to ensure their longevity.’

HEIRLOOMS LINENS
2 Arun Business Park, Shripney Road, Bognor Regis, West Sussex PO22 9SX
+44 (0)1243 820252
heirlooms-linens.com
@heirloomslinens

The post From Tablescapes To Beautiful Bedding, Heirlooms Linens Will Transform Your Home appeared first on Country and Town House.

König Design Studio: Country & Town Interiors Book 2023

Established in 2020, König Design Studio was founded with the goal of creating interiors that tell the story of their inhabitants. The studio focuses on private residences, restaurants, and spaces for relaxation and leisure. With a soft modern aesthetic influenced by the glamour of the 1970s and 1980s disco culture, its work has been recognized nationally and internationally. Behind the scenes is a commitment to creating unique spaces that reflect the individuality of each client.

Daniele Mancinetti, König’s founder and principal designer, has always been exposed to decorating through his grandmother (a renowned Italian actress turned interior designer). After graduating from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a degree in Interior Architecture, he enjoyed a varied career that began in fashion as a model agent. He moved into styling, working on editorial shoots for magazines for a few years as well as celebrities (clients included Freddie Ljungberg, Douglas Booth, Viggo Mortensen, Lady A, Dierks Bentley and The Overtones). In 2015 he moved into interiors, first as a stylist, then slowly started easing into interior design. Until 2021, he worked in a tech start-up creating interior 3D renders. In lockdown, he focused on small interior design projects in London, which ultimately led to the creation of König Design Studio.

Recent projects include a one-bedroom apartment in Clapham. ‘The client was a dear friend and he didn’t have much of a brief apart from creating space for his huge collection of books,’ recalls Dan of the commission last year. ‘I custom designed every inch of the house, creating space for his books, even in the kitchen.’ He has also been asked to design a prototype for ‘a hotel suite that could be used as a room but also as a party space. Dream project.’

Tips, Tricks and Tools

1. ‘When dealing with a small room, paint your ceiling the same colour of the walls. The eye can’t really distinguish where the corners of the room are, making it feel larger.’
2. ‘Take note from hotel design, and give your home a signature scent. It’s incredible how much this can transform your home.’
3. ‘Have courage in your decorating choices and cover all the walls of a room in the same wallpaper rather than restricting it to just one.’
4. ‘Decorating with antiques will create an atmosphere that new pieces just can’t. And the beauty of working with older furniture is that you can easily create an eclectic mix that is united, perhaps, by just a finish, a paint colour or a handle style.’
5. ‘No fake plants or flowers – ever. Always invest in the real thing, it makes a difference.’

Secret Address Book

• Florist: Hamish Powell is an exciting young floral designer (@hamishpowell).
• Antiques: Priory Antiques, on Instagram, is a hidden gem (@prioryantiquesstudio).
• Hardware: Plank Hardware is my go-to; the designs work in modern, industrial, or classic environments (plankhardware.com).

KÖNIG DESIGN STUDIO
1 Warwick Street, London, W1B 5LR
+44 (0)20 4574 6573
kdslondon.co.uk
@kdslondon

The post Meet The Interior Designer: König Design Studio appeared first on Country and Town House.

What Are Barbiecore Interiors?

Margot Robbie as Barbie in Warner Bros. Pictures’ “BARBIE,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures © 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved (cropped).

Welcome to ‘Barbieland’. It’s a landscape filled with pinks, nostalgic dollhouses dotting the horizon as far as the eye can see. It’s an unapologetic celebration of the hyper-feminine, leisure, and more, more, more homes.

Greta Gerwig’s new Barbie film has us excited – and thinking about our interiors. We’ve seen ‘Barbiecore‘ (the trend inspired by on-set snaps of Margot Robbie clad in pink skating gear) take over our wardrobes, with its characteristic ultra-bold clashes of colour and glitzy style. And now our homes are catching up.

If you’re seeking a bit of Mattel-flavoured inspiration, look no further than the trailer. The dollhouses that fill Barbieland are Los Angeles-cool and built for leisure. It’s easy to spot comfortable loungers and pops-of-colour parasols; Barbiecore interiors comfortably support sociable living – think lazy catchups with your friends in the sun or over a cocktail, or a dreamy day spent reading by the pool.

If you’re seeking further inspiration, look towards the classic Barbie Dream House, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year (it first launched as Barbie’s 1983 Town House). Surprisingly, it’s not just pinks – Barbie’s home is cohesive, using shades of white, green, pale blue and pink to draw together the rooms. Walls are fairly neutral to allow furniture to speak, and pieces are made from timeless materials (think wicker, wood and metal – despite being a life in plastic). Barbie’s Dream House is brimming with personality and feminine charm, and it’s not for fans of minimalism.

The 1983 Barbie Town House offers nostalgic inspiration for our homes.

For creating the look at home, it’s ultimately about playing with colour and taking some risks – no piece is neutral in the Dream House. And, obviously, pink is a colour to be splashed throughout.

Can The Barbie Trend Be Sustainable?

Caution: there’s obvious danger in playing into micro-trends for our homes (and wardrobes). It’s not secret that these passing fads encourage throwaway culture (and in 2019, one third of adults reported throwing away furniture that was still in good condition).

But Barbiecore does not appear to be a passing trend. Helen Ashmore, Laura Ashley’s head of design, says, ‘there are elements of the pink-dominating aesthetic that have longevity,’ she says, ‘and you can introduce the Barbiecore look in gentle, lasting ways.’

Helen advises playing with details as opposed to allowing it to dominate your space. This means playing with motifs that hint at Barbie, rather than aiming for a full-blown home makeover in the brightest shades of pink (although, if you think that bright pink is the look for your forever-home, more power to you).

‘It’s not just powerful colours,’ says Helen. ‘Pale blushes and playful pinks can be used for a softer take on the trend. You can also introduce floral motifs and girly details – our Loveston pillowcase set, for example, uses a small-scale ditsy print in a delightful colour palette, and finishes with pretty tie details for that feminine touch.’

Helen’s Top Tips For Barbiecore Interiors That Don’t Hurt The Planet

1. Play with details. Small ties on bedding that add femininity is a gentle means of adding elements of the Barbie Dream House to your interiors.
2. Florals are key. Ditsy prints are classic and nostalgic, which is what Barbiecore is all about.
3. Softer tones can be a subtler way to commit to the aesthetic without needing to go all out with bright, hot pinks.

Barbiecore Interiors: The Edit

Finally convinced to play with hot pinks (or gentler splashes of colour)? Here’s our pick of the homeware items that are serving up total Barbie vibes – and we love where we’ve found secondhand gems. Barbie probably thrifts her furniture, anyway.

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Get The Look (Sustainably): Regencycore Interiors

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Miriam Frowein’s Redesign Of A Commercial Office – Into An Intuitively Elegant Home

‘It began life as an office building – for a tea company,’ interior designer Miriam Frowein explains about her rather unconventional Belgravia home. ‘Which means it’s got a very unusual layout.’

The house spans two floors, each hosting two equally huge rooms, with echoey high ceilings and a curious number of fireplaces. But Miriam and her family weren’t looking to modify this space; rather the goal was to create a home that complemented the quirks of such a layout. ‘But it was a challenge to bring in some warmth and cosiness,’ admits the interior designer.

To create a sense of warmth, Miriam experimented with layering textures and materials. She tells me she is often drawn to tiles in her work – for all their different effects. Huge slabs, for example, would not have worked in this space, as they create what she deems a ‘colder look’. Instead, the kitchen is given some energy with bright terrazzo tiles, which are both hardwearing and practical for this functional space, all the while still allowing the room a character of its own. Other materials help combat the sort of neutrality you’d tend to find in a previously commercial space. Oak, she says, and cream coloured bouclés were her go-to. The fabric was sourced from Schumacher, where her brother-in-law is the European CEO.

Miriam suggests that within a daunting space – such as hers, with high ceilings and large, unconventional rooms – careful use of colour is also key. ‘I think colours, and art, really help. In the living and dining rooms, I have tapestries on the wall: they help with the echoing and bring in warmth,’ she explains. Pieces from her family collection are dotted throughout, including enormous 3D fabric sculptures, which work to visually shrink too-big rooms. Lighting, too, can make a room feel that touch smaller, with suspended ceiling lights reducing the sense of dauntingly high ceilings. 

Creating a home for yourself (especially when your bread and butter is creating such spaces for others) is a curious pressure, Miriam concludes. ‘In any case you don’t want to make mistakes – and because you see more of what’s going on in this industry, you almost find it more difficult to then make decisions for yourself,’ she says. ‘And because it’s your own space, you have a different insight: I know the flow of how I will use it, so my whole process became more intuitive. I know how my little girls will walk around the space, that they will be careful and look after furniture, so I can make different decisions [like choose a cream sofa from Julian Chichester].’ 

And it certainly is intuitive. In the face of an otherwise challenging space, Miriam has created a real sense of home.

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miriamfroweininteriors.com

The post Miriam Frowein’s Office-Turned-Home Is Intuitively Elegant appeared first on Country and Town House.

Step Inside Anantara Plaza, The Newest Five-Star Hotel in Nice

From Matisse to Coco Chanel, Nice has boasted some notable residents, though it may not spring to mind as a glamorous French destination. Leading its revival are the grand hotels along the Promenade des Anglais – and the jewel in the crown of the French Riviera is most definitely the Anantara Plaza, which is preparing to welcome guests this summer after a four-year period of refurbishment. 

Dating back to 1848, the Anantara Plaza is a belle époque landmark that was brought back to life by the Anantara brand. Three interior design firms worked on the space: the award-winning studio David Collins, local architect Jean-Paul Gomis, and TBC Interiorismo Studio. Chatting to Carole Annett, general manager Stéphane Vilar notes that there is a different atmosphere here compared to traditional luxury hotels: the colour palette, he says, was developed to ensure guests feel peaceful and close to nature, featuring grassy green tones alongside shades of taupe that echo the sandy beaches outside. 

The Anantara Plaza attracts a new kind of high-end traveller. Pulling away from gaudy glamour, Vilar emphasises the importance of authenticity. Guests are drawn to something natural, he says, and there is certainly an organic, understated kind of elegance here, from the intricate cornicing on the staggering ceilings to the dainty lamps and carefully-designed alcoves. 

Sitting within a UNESCO World Heritage Zone, the Anantara Plaza is undeniably historic, and yet it is also thrillingly new; classical charm blends with contemporary design to create spaces that are utterly inviting. The best spot in the building, says Vilar, is the ‘SEEN’ restaurant and rooftop bar, offering picture-perfect views of the gardens, ports and beaches below. Enveloped by the glittering sea, guests can’t help but feel serene. 

In the new episode of  our House Guest podcast, Vilar delves into the reality of running a hotel, touching on everything from the new afternoon tea menu to the building’s extensive renovation. If the French Rivieria’s on your mind, you won’t want to miss this.

This episode of House Guest is sponsored by naturalmat. naturalmat.co.uk

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We’re Coveting These 9 Dizzyingly Colourful Rugs 

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The post Floored By Colour: Kaleidoscopic And Colourful Rugs appeared first on Country and Town House.

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What Are The Best British Tile Brands?

From Claybrook Studio to Bert & May, here are 11 gorgeous British tile brands to level up your interiors game with.

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Main image: Bert & May, bertandmay.com

READ MORE

Best British Textile Designers | 10 Pink Wallpapers We’re Loving | The 50 Best Interior Designers

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Best British Tile Brands / Interior Design

Best British Textile Designers

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Top 10 British Furniture Designers / The Top Interior Trends for Autumn/ The Best British Interior Collaborations

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