Although I'm often in awe of pristine, sophisticated interiors the child inside will never grow old of rainbow coloured graffiti furniture. I'm longing for the day I can afford a Jimmy Martin or have something unique commissioned by an admired artist. The armoire in the top left of the pictures below has to be my absolute favourite piece, it looks so bold against the white wall - the ultimate statement wardrobe by Burke and Hazelden. But there's other ways of utilising street art on furniture. The beautiful white, Louis style sofa above for example, has been given a quirky twist by interior designer Lucy Lonergagan; the back and sides emblazoned with bold, urban graffiti. Personally I love the juxtaposition of classic French design and modern street art, but if it's all a bit too extravagant for you, why not take inspiration from California-based designer Ilan Dei who adds colourful graffiti to the interior of neutral pieces.
Above are some more examples of graffiti furniture. The fabulous but extortionate Jimmy Martin cabinet, a couple more armoires by Burke and Hazelden and some other gorgeous creations I found via Pinterest.
Am I alone in my love of graffiti furniture? If we had some designed to sell on Out There Interiors would it only be me who admired it? Would love to hear your thoughts...
There really is nothing worse than tacky decorations which appear in abundance at moments of national celebration, and although I avoid them like the plague, I can't help but feel just a tad square when I attend the Union Jack sponsored BBQ that my happy-go-lucky friend throws, rain or shine every St Georges Day.
I've never been particularly patriotic, nor am I a royalist. But I am an interiors addict.
And for someone who appreciates colour, pattern and aesthetics, it would be impossible (and quite frankly wrong) for me to disregard some of patriotic accessories which have appeared on Out There Interiors.com over the past few months:
Queen of Sales Support Kate Dixon was presented with flowers, chocolates and a bottle wine in our showroom this afternoon, by a lovely customer she pulled out the stops for.
It's not everyday her efforts are so acknowledged, and she was thrilled. (So were we as she shared out the chocs).
We're forever stumbling upon our furniture in TV and film, adverts and stylish window displays, but today we found a piece in a wedding photograph by Sam Hayword of samhaywordphotography.com. This gorgeous picture depicts a bride sitting at our "Racquel" white French dressing table, getting ready for her big day. We think both the bride and the dresser look stunning, not to mention the cornflower panelling.
We couldn't resist naming a new product Harper-Seven today in celebration of the Beckham's new daughter. And what better product than this awesome silver and white throne armchair from our French Furniture collection. This large and highly decorative throne chair has a gloss white frame and shiny silver, crocodile print upholstery. The ultimate statement piece. We love ostentatious furniture like this, so go on, splash out on Harper-Seven today. You won't regret it!
10 reasons to avoid high street furniture stores this January.
A new year, a new you, a new home. Many of us get this feeling in January, and with the prospect of all the 'high-street give-aways' out there, run out into the cold in search of that bargain bedroom furniture buying into the hype that we have been force fed since Boxing Day. But it's unnecessary, uncomfortable and expensive. Here's why.
In the Middle Ages Venice was the glassmaking centre of the Western world. By the end of the 13th century the government had moved the glass industry to the island of Murano. The name of this island is synonymous with high quality glass of beautiful design. So not only does Venetian glass have a long and illustrious history, it also embodies style, elegance, sophistication and luxury.
Venetian mirrored furniture
The Venetian mirrored furniture style that is so popular today dates from the 18th and 19th century. The elaborate ,ornate style that we associate with venetian mirrored furniture has a baroque influence. It is opulent and luxurious making venetian mirrored furniture a striking choice. Whenever a style is revisited a new modern twist is added and Venetian mirrored furniture is no exception. As well as the ornate rococco styles found in the Venetian mirror designs, modern taste also dictates more sleek clean lines (these are evident in our cabinets and console tables) The combination of these 2 opposing styles is one of the most striking and appealing elements of contemporary interior design.
An article on the history of Venetian glass furniture
If you happen to be as obsessed with glass furniture as we are, you may be interested in the following article. We explore how glass came about, how it was shaped and refined to fulfil different uses, and finally how the Venetian glass furniture you see today evolved throughout the ages. It is fascinating to find out how the decorative glass furniture, with which we adorn our homes today, has its origins in the mists of time.
How glass began
A form of glass, created by volcanic action on certain types of rock has existed since the beginnings of time itself. It is believed that some Stone Age tribes made use of this naturally occurring glass, to make tools and other objects. (Believe it or not they weren’t making glass furniture at this stage, although we like to think there was the odd Gay Stone Age couple boasting a cave full of mirrored furniture).