Caroline Lukehurst is a glass artist and produces wall art from photographic images. She works in her home studio located in the Warwickshire town of Royal Leamington Spa. I was in the area, which is really lovely if you’ve never been, and took the opportunity to visit Caroline as I had seen her work and wanted to know more. We talked about the difficulties of making glass art and how she juggles her creative life with home and family. It was lovely getting to know her. Here is a snippet of our conversation:
Detail from the Brooklyn Bridge wall panel: 
A piece of wall art used as a kitchen splash back.
If you would like to know more about my interior design service and glass art get in touch.
Exciting news! I’ve been awarded “Best of Houzz” for Design and “Best of Houzz” for Customer Satisfaction. Yasmin Chopin Interior Design was chosen by the more than 25 million monthly unique users* that comprise the Houzz community from among more than 15,000 active home building, renovation and design industry professionals.
“Houzz provides homeowners with a 360 degree view of home building, renovation and design industry professionals, empowering them to engage the right people and products for their project. We’re delighted to recognise Yasmin Chopin Interior Design among our “Best Of” professionals as judged by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts who are actively renovating and decorating their homes.” Gemma Smith, Industry Marketing Manager at Houzz UK and Ireland.
This is the first time I’ve offered a bespoke item as a prize on the blog so it’s very exciting for me and I am sure the lucky winner will be delighted to have a coffee table made to measure. Peter Melton’s company, For the love of old, specialises in bespoke furniture using reclaimed materials. He offers workshops and sells furniture paints (Peter is a stockist of ‘Autentico’ chalk paints and uses these for his furniture). Read more to enter… Read More
I’m preparing an apartment ready for sale at the moment (read on for details). Obviously I want the best price and I’m sure many of you are thinking just the same thing as Spring time is Sale time in the UK property market. Here are just a few ideas to help you get a quick sale.
1. You already know that buyers sometimes struggle to imagine moving their furniture into your space and the easiest way to help them is to have your home decorated in bland neutrals. Think Show Home and you get the idea although show homes do tend to get a bit jazzy with their decor at times. I’m going to use a neutral palette of colours but rather than paint everything magnolia I’ll mix it up in each of the rooms. This is my choice of colours from the range by Colour and Paint and they work really well together:- Liberty Angelica, Mr & Mrs Smith Bushveld and Nantucket’s Bluff Walk, Lighthouse and Sanford.
If you would like advice I can help you develop a unique palette of colours for your property – it’s a colour service with a difference. Read More
There is little subtlety with red, a brash and powerful colour, which can be used to energise. Rich and full of vitality red will evoke an extreme reaction; it is all about strength and desire. It has been proven to raise blood pressure, respiration and heart rate physically creating warmth so if you have a cold north facing room (we are in the UK and all north facing rooms are cold!) this would be a clever choice.
Decorating with red
I am passionate about promoting the services of designer-makers and if it is at all possible to include a bespoke item in a scheme for an interior I will encourage a client to consider commissioning something that is unique and special.
James Harrison has come to my notice; James is a young designer who now runs his own company, JamesUK. When interviewed by the May Design Series he was asked what tips he would give new designers in the industry.
“I think the best piece of advice I could give is to talk to people. It really is about getting yourself out there as a designer and getting to know people within the industry. The majority of opportunities that come up in the design industry arise from a conversation or a chance meeting.” James Harrison
Here is an article of mine, recently published on HouzzUK, that goes into the subject of commissioning in more detail. Leave your comments below and let’s support the wonderful talent we have in the UK. Read More
I was invited to write a guest blog post for one of my favourite artists, Jessica Zoob. I really admire her work, her commitment and her determination. Having met Jessica a few years ago I was more than happy to oblige with a piece called Interior Design Tips and Stories.
If you would like an interior scheme mood board created for your home contact me today – I’m offering a special on-line service to UK customers only until the end of February 2015.
Investment in a piece of quality art takes some thought and several years ago I saved up my pennies and bought a painting by David Denby. I have had the pleasure of getting to know David, a quiet man who paints every day in his studio upstairs in a little cottage in Suffolk. He enjoys representing reality in his work; over tea and cake he explained to me how he meticulously measures everything in order to produce an image that is as close to perfection as possible.
He finds the simplest and most difficult of subjects to feature in his still life paintings, from corrugated paper to bubble wrap, exploring the nature and translucency of materials.
“I select my objects from anything that happens to be ordinary and to hand. I try not to choose too carefully leaving the bits and pieces to make their presence felt. Still Life painting is an ancient activity, with the usual range of subject matter including natural objects, decoratively displayed. Food, fruits and flowers are commonly arranged with things of great value or strangeness to express a mood of entertaining excess.
Close observation and a refined technique have always been main-stays of Still Life painting and despite the craft’s formal limitations such expertise can subtly manipulate the beauty and “reality” of the image. Ordinary things acquire extraordinary meanings.” David Denby.
David studied at the Royal Academy Schools (1968-1971) and was awarded two silver medals. His work appears in collections all over the world.
- Top image: Glass still life (2) (This one inspired the colours for my blog!)
- Second image: Empty milk container
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As you know I am very keen to support new and innovative designers and this is a wonderful opportunity for me to introduce Ellie Hyde. Ellie graduated from Leeds College of Art with a Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern Degree. Since leaving University Ellie has designed for a variety of commercial clients, including Laura Ashley and Loveramics. She now works as a designer for Lemon Ribbon. Ellie has a real passion for pattern and drawing. Taking inspiration from the geometrics around her in her day to day life. Ellie’s Geo Collection is inspired by architectural shapes and patterns found on the Underground. She uses strong, clean lines with a retro inspired colour palette to create eye-catching contemporary, unique design.
You can tell how much Ellie loves colour and geometric shapes by the examples shown here and two of her cushions are offered as a prize in this competition. Her work is available for sale at the Graduate Collection, a company that works with some of the most exciting new designers to emerge from British universities. The full collection includes ceramics, cushions, wall art, stationery and wallpapers. Close to my heart is the fact that all products are designed and made in the UK, helping to support some of the country’s oldest industries.
Ellie’s products have been featured in a number of glossy magazines including Ideal Home, Good Homes and Red Magazine. Read more to enter and win!
Couldn’t resist sharing these new pedal bins with you. Look what Brabantia have come up with, aren’t they gorgeous? Orla Kiely fans will recognise the design and I think these will suit both modern and retro kitchen interiors. Fun for kids rooms as well!
The Retro Bin has a mechanism that means it is quiet when used – that’s good news for me, noisy bins are annoying. And Brabantia are so confident in the quality of their product they guarantee these bins for 10 years.
The Retro Bin has a mechanism that means it is quiet when used – that’s good news for me, noisy bins are annoying. And Brabantia are so confident in the quality of their product they guarantee these bins for 10 years.
You can be transported to another place by murals that are applied just like wallpaper. Digital images of anything from cityscapes to underwater worlds, from gigantic insects to bluebell woods, all of which enable a scene to be recreated in your own home. A mural is very powerful and you need a good expanse of visible flat wall to get the best effect. Mark Forrest’s company specialises in commercial applications but the techniques are transferable and we could design something just for you!
Transcript of audio clip
Yasmin: At 100% Design now with exhibitor Mark Forrest. The company is called Forrest and Jones and there’s some really interesting wall paper, I think it’s paper. Mark tell us what it is.
Mark: Yes, it’s wallpaper. It’s a complete seamless wallpaper, by seamless I mean there are no joins in it. We can print up to 5m high by 25m in width and we mainly do this for commercial premises.
Yasmin: So if I’ve got a client who has one big wall in their lounge you could do that wall with one piece of this wallpaper.
Mark: In one complete piece, yes. Because there’s no joins in it there’s no chance of the joins lifting. It’s ideal for healthcare where contamination needs to be kept to the minimum. We can actually scrub this wallpaper as well.
Yasmin: So anyone with allergies… it would be quite good for them.
Mark: Absolutely, yes.
We were just watching an antiques programme on TV, they were selling a photo album that contained family pictures, and my partner said, “It’s sad to think a family’s memories are being sold off like that to the highest bidder.” Memories are kept in many ways and what caught my interest was the cover of this weighty album, which was made from Mother of Pearl and so beautiful. Old books not only tell a story, literally, but also remind us of a by-gone world. More so if they have that smell of ink and old paper that is so evocative of school libraries and secondhand bookshops.
Bookshelves have a place in most homes and these, at Madingley Hall in Cambridge, are pleasantly situated in the wooden panelled walls of two window bays. Read More
When I suggested cotton fabrics to one of my clients recently the response was less than enthusiastic. We love cotton for all its natural characteristics and its versatility but there are concerns about how its grown, harvested and prepared for use in industry. WWF reports that cotton is one of the most ‘thirsty’ crops in the world. Responsible for the destruction of many ecosystems due to the large amounts of pesticides required to keep the crop clean it also means reduced health prospects for people working in the industry and living in the wider vicinity.
Design tip! Pattern is useful as camouflage. To hide something ugly cover it, and the surrounding area, in the same pattern and you will find it hard to see the offending item; a satisfactory way to deal with pipes, awkward features and difficult shaped rooms. The above image, reproduced by kind permission of Laura Ashley, shows just how effective this can be.
Get in touch if you would like help redesigning your home:-
Yasmin Chopin UK mobile 07831 231 664
Remember wrapping yourself in a shawl or tucking a blanket over your knees while you settled down in the evening to watch TV or read a book? These items were an essential but folded and put out of sight when not in use, certainly not considered as part of the decor. How things have changed! I’m thinking back to the 70s and remembering a lovely shawl my gran made for me, which I used to keep handy for the chillier evenings. In the 80s I replaced my shawl with my very first throw, a bright red one from IKEA. I was chuffed to bits with it and it’s still very serviceable – that’s the thing about throws, with good care they are an excellent investment. Now the throw is a ‘must have’ accessory for interiors as it’s not only practical but also makes a big impact in a room.
Currently I’m enjoying a wool throw from Turnpost, in a rather masculine herringbone pattern, perfect for popping over the bed to get that extra layer of warmth when you need it. Read More
I’m a big fan of plain white as it’s easy to keep a full china cupboard of semi-matching pieces if, like me, you tend to have butter fingers. This prize is fantastic! Read more and enter. Keeping the ‘best’ china for very special occasions I like to feel comfortable with everyday china and this beautiful collection designed by Sophie Conran for Portmeirion is just perfect. It’s modern, stylish and practical.
I’m always intrigued to know how designers started out in their careers and Sophie Conran, whose father is Sir Terence Conran, was destined to work in a creative capacity. He helped to inspire her passion for design from a young age and now Sophie is as much of a household name as he is.
“When I left school, which I wasn’t very good at, art was the thing that I really enjoyed. We didn’t do design and I couldn’t do cookery to exam level but those were the two things that I enjoyed and was good at. The first thing I wanted to do was be a hat designer and so I went to work for a milliner named Stephen Jones and that was my first ever job.” Sophie Conran
From 2 – 15 February 2015 in the Tottenham Court Road store, London, Heal’s will be hosting a Modern Craft Market that celebrates the best in contemporary design. Workshops are planned, which demonstrate a range of craft skills from clock making to leather moulding – you have to book a place so take a look at what’s on here.
When you move into a house that strongly represents a certain architectural style you feel somewhat bound to decorate using ‘appropriate’ colours. I used to own a Georgian property and longed to decorate in colours that were in keeping with its heritage. After doing some research I found the limited palette of colours available then were just not right for how we lived today so I decided to do just what I fancied.
Georgian colours
Contrary to Georgian mode I stripped the paint off all the doors, window shutters and picture rails etc, and waxed the pine to a rich brown which gave it substance and age. I experimented by painting each room completely different:- Read More
Catching an early train I wanted to be one of the first through the doors at Olympia, London, for the event with three names ‘Top Drawer’ ‘Home’ and ‘Craft’ (11 – 13 January 2015). Despite some confusion about exactly which trade show I was going to see the message had got through that I ought to be there because designers were being given a once in a lifetime chance to showcase their work under the banner ‘New Talent’.
NB You might need to get a coffee now because this post is full of news and you’ll be transfixed for a while.
Bursary winners
The show stands were brimming with beautiful items for the home and amongst the new talent were some lucky people who had either won, or been shortlisted for, the Confessions of a Design Geek bursary (CoaDG), see the shortlist here.
The public had the chance to vote for the winner from a choice of four finalists; the 2015 winner was Alicja Patanowska whose interiors accessories have a very fresh and clean aesthetic. The top image shows you a work called The Plantation; Alicia collects abandoned glass from the streets then recycles it to produce a vase that has a clear area beneath a porcelain collar so you can see the roots growing as well as the leaves and flowers!
Katie Tregidden, who writes the CoaDG blog, came up with the idea to offer a promotional package with practical support for new designers to help them get their businesses off the ground. Katie’s initiative is extremely valued by the individuals and much needed in the industry.
Show highlights
And so to the people and products that caught my eye…
Mind the Cork: Jenny Espirito Santo (runner up for the 2015 CoaDG award)
Jenny uses cork from the Cork Oak tree and has developed a method that makes the most tactile of materials you can imagine. She gave me a cushion to examine and I just couldn’t stop caressing it; it’s like silken leather and I really didn’t want to give it back! Read More
Enjoy the benefits of glass architecturally and decoratively. I pulled together some ideas for HouzzUK which are published here:
The slides include options for using glass to:-
- Link two buildings
- Form a portion of roof
- Act as a screen in a bathroom
- Divide two rooms
- Use in the kitchen for work surfaces and splash backs
- Replace tired banisters on a staircase
- Include in display cupboards
- Make space enhancing furniture
- Replace wooden doors
Join my Newsletter mailing list for more expert ideas to use in your home.
A good quality wallpaper will last well especially if the chosen wall doesn’t suffer too much from wear and tear and if you use a professional to hang it. A large bold pattern is ideal but sometimes it’s difficult to imagine how it will look. Here are some suggestions:-
- Pop along to your local wallpaper retailer to see sample books and check the quality and texture of the paper. The books include large images that show how the paper hangs on a wall and how the pattern matches up.
- Websites are often very good at showing you how a pattern looks in a room set. I recently specified a Sanderson wallpaper for a client’s bedroom; teamed with a black chandelier and some pretty gold accessories it’s luxuriously romantic. You can see it here Wallpaper Direct.
- Then make sure you order samples of your favourites. Don’t just go by the colours on your computer screen, they can be very deceptive.
(Wallpapers shown: image 1 NLXL range, image 2 Sanderson Fleur Trellis.)
Whatever your passion a blog is an essential means to communicate with your audience. I’m still learning how to do it efficiently as well as effectively and got together with a lovely group of ladies to share blogging tips and ideas.
5 top blogging tips
- When you use an image in your blog save it somewhere separate in your files for easy reference.
- Schedule posts to keep them timely and relevant- use a planner.
- Check your draft posts are clear and concise before publishing.
- Keep an ideas book; a handy notepad to jot down inspiration when it hits you.
- Keep your blog alive with new posts – no matter how frequent, just ensure they are regular.
If you would like to join my next workshop, get in touch.