I have found a few things over the years, odd chairs, tables and chest of drawers, all of which have a place in my heart, but then, I found this.

This is Skip Find No7.

Imagine, if you will, a dead end side street in Whalley Range, a street that perhaps a locations manager would choose for an episode of Cracker (they actually did). Imagine if there was a skip on this street, placed outside an empty three storey terrace, stuffed full of the rented property’s furniture after a police raid. Battered and bruised mattresses, chipboard wardrobes, a coffee table with 3 legs and…

…a replica rococo style 3 seater sofa and 2 matching arm chairs!

The find of my century.

3 seater sofa with original upholstery

When you spot a gem like this in the skip world, you have to move fast. I have seen item s before and hesitated. It only ends in regret. Thankfully, I only lived a few streets away, imagine if you will, a not so dead end side street, which a locations manager decided to film an episode of the BBC Drama Accused on, (again, they did) and rushed home, completely forgetting the sundry items I had popped out to buy from the local shop (cash and carry really, it is, Whalley Range pre Tesco Metro & Co-op).  With a man in toe and a car I jumped into the skip.

One of the fun parts of skip hunting is the passers-by, the stares are more jealous glares and the brave project commentary to encourage. This occasion was not to disappoint as it appeared the first passerby was also aiming for the same treasure,  only to graciously bow out of the challenge and nonchalantly change direction with a nod of congratulations. The other passerby turned out to be an acquaintance of the previous occupants of the house and reminisced of the good times he’d had sat on that very sofa. I looked down at its stained pink velour covering, shuddering at the thought of what kind of history I could be touching.

Re-upholstered 3 Seater Sofa

I found the fabric in Manchester’s infamous abakhan fabrics pay by weight, bargain bin, and was very pleased with the result having only guessed the quantities required, especially in a monochromatic damask fabric with such a large pattern repeat. This was , however, nothing to do with my skill as with such an ambitious project I did not have the time nor skill set to do the work myself so I turned to a furniture supplier of mine for help. Simon at Sitraben contract Furniture had a just the right contact and as you can see from the results they are very good.

The Work undertaken was above and beyond. They not only re-upholstered and re-stained the frame work but also replaced all the back padding and put in new foam seat cushions. One detail I did not expect was the continuity of pattern repeat between each seat cushion. This is a detail I would definitely not taken into consideration had I tried this myself. With the sofa in the pale cream, I chose a contrasting pale blue colour way for the fabric for the two armchairs.

Armchair Re-upholstered – Set of Two

Needless to say this is by far my favourite skip find to date.

Cafe Logo

There’s nothing like popping out, on a rainy Sunday afternoon with with no plans further than getting some food and drink, so imagine how pleased we were when we also discovered Chorlton’s newest tea house with beer benefits The Spoon Inn.

Only open for 4 months, The Spoon Inn with its homely bare wood floors juxtapose with the sunshine yellow ceiling has perfectly balanced a mix of simple, clean lines with tangible finishes to encase their caveat of the Chorltonian ethos, home-cooked food.

The most striking element, and focus of the modest glass fronted cafe, is the rendered L-shaped bar, with its soft edged, seamless finish. When your hand first grazes the tactile surface, you cannot help but feel awakened and simultaneously grounded by the friction.  Not only captivated, but impressed by its economical use of material.

Rendered Bar

The only embellishment on the bar was the display beautiful home-made cakes and pie. The open rear display shelves offer a selection of ‘specialist’ teas, which all tea should be and which are served with respect on plain wooden caddies. All-in-all, a very unpretentious display which gives the feeling of an extension to their philosophy as with out the luxury of space and in this case a kitchen, all the food is prepared and cooked honestly and openly, at the bar. The frugal use of two panini machines on the back bar offer up satisfying aromas to it’s seated customers as the sweet peppers are griddled.

Despite my first impressions of the bar area there are some operational issues which could be easily solved with minimal disruption and cost. The wooden slatted drip trays on the bar,  although tasteful, are precariously placed and do slide around when glasses are placed upon them, some simple rubber grips on the bases should solve this and remain invisible. I would also add an area behind the raised bar section with a more food-prep-friendly work surface, this would not detract from the aesthetics of the bar and would offer an easier to use and clean area for the staff and food prep.

The Spoon Inn Cake Offering is all Home Made.

The seating area uses a selection of simple bench seating which, as far as I can tell has been made bespoke. Although there are areas where the full potential of space is not utilised, it is forgiveable as the loose bench seating gives the impression of luxury fixed seating, without the confines, giving this space ultimate flexibility.

Versatile Bench Seating

The flawless wall opposite the bar is adorned with a single, crisp black and white graphic and leads through to the unexpected, exposed brick confines of the back room which, completes the ‘at home’ feel by containing the teenage dream of a lone sofa and foosball table.

Exposed brick back room

But it’s not all about food and interiors here, there is plenty of entertainment on offer too with live music, poetry readings and displays from local artists.

If you don’t get a chance to sample the food at their Home-cooked Pop-up restaurant on 4th October at the Manchester Food & Drinks Festival this is definitely the place to fall into if you go for a Sunday bimble, or anytime really.

It was a delight.

The Spoon Inn, 364 Barlow Moor Road, Chorlton, Manchester

However, there are some very good examples out there and I was lucky enough to find one of them……in Berlin.  Klassig’s Fish & Chips. I was waiting for one of those impeccably clean, fast and on time trains (literally within 30 seconds of the expected arrival time) when I stumbled across this little beauty in Berlin’s Central Train Station.

Klassigs Fish & Chips Outlet Berlin Central Station

Well lit, well branded and perfect location for the customer demographic. It had a down to earth feeling of really good honest food.  The natural woods on the counter and beautiful ceramic floor tiles gave it a class above the standard ‘chippy’.

'Have sun in the heart and fish in the belly, then you're happy and you're satisfied'

Their strap line captures it all ‘Have Sun in your Heart and fish in your belly, then you’re happy and you’re satisfied’ (I think I have translated it properly, if not please let me know).

A neutral colour palette with a suggestion of the sea and origins of the raw ingredient without over indulging in suspended lobster baskets or sand on the floor. The feature wall above the Banquette seating is simple and carries the only accent colour in striking red.  A colour that is not naturally synonymous with fish, chips or the sea but has also been the logo colour of choice for Harry Ramsden’s brand since 1928.

The seating style is simple and lends itself to the true ethos of fast food with only high poser tables and counter stools encouraging a fast turn over of customers. But also maximizing seating capacity in the very small floor plan of this outlet.

Simple Menu

The small prep area behind the L-shaped Counter is compact with a central frying suit. The suspended extract Canopy giving the perfect surface and location for the easy to read menus.

Well I liked it.

I did also notice, not only here but in other food outlets, including the hotel buffet where I was staying, that the condiments, sauces and sides were served not in plastic or paper dixy cups, but in a wafer version. All completely edible with no waste.  I unfortunately failed to take a snap shot of this discovery, but it too delighted me.

It’s not until writing this post that I have noticed all the litter in the bottom of my photos, and what could be a warm glow in my British heart, either that or a slightly less shameful feeling for keeping Britain tidy.

Plot 10b in need of some weeding

I have been the Proud tenant of Plot 10b of the Cleveley Avenue Allotment Society in Chorlton, Manchester for 5 years now and although they have their own blog I thought  it was high time I document what happens on my very own plot. My aim is to write a post for each month’s activities and plans for future planting . Hopefully, it will highlight the ups and downs of growing your own fruit and veg, but I’m sure I will be able to throw in a story or two along the way of neighbourly interactions and insect infestations to keep everybody happy.

And so it’s …………..

January…….

Or so you’d think……….

We are all well aware by now that the weather has been unseasonably warm but when I went to take the first photos in mid January I was still quite shocked. I thought I might find some new shoots from spring bulbs coming up which I did.

New Growth

but I was not expecting to find the crocus around the base of the Pear tree was in full bloom and then a patch of tulips well on their way…

Bloomin' heck

The onion sets and garlic I planted in November have been growing away merrily in the mild weather with their tops getting quite high but with the high winds in December and some hungry birds have knocked them a little. A few holes have appeared where onions used to be.

Onion Bed - minus a few

I have had great results from purple sprouting in previous years with much accolade from neighbouring plots asking how I have managed it. But it appears my brassica fingers are not so green this year as the three plants which have survived are showing signs of stunted growth – a sure sign they have been hit by club root. I think this is because I put them in too close to where the cauliflowers were and maybe a little more liming was required as the soil in this area is known for being acidic,  although I have never tested myself.

a 'not so majestic' Purple Sprouting

As I manured the whole plot over last winter the last few months have been fairly quite with not a lot of activity. I am still waiting for the broad beans I planted two weeks ago to make an appearance while preparations have begun for the parsnips to go in for about mid February.

Meanwhile I have planted a variety of tomato seeds including some stripy and beef along with the good old Alicante, with some sweet pepper and chillies in trays which, when the weather gets a little warmer I will transfer to the green house. These did very well last year so here’s hoping for another good crop with the 2nd year seeds.

One of my favorite collections at the moment are these designs by German-born, UK-based designer Katja Behre at Elli Popp no matter what you need there is something for everyone, from fresh and vibrant classics with the modern twists on colour to more subtle authentic feels with elegant sketches of birds and trees. Of course, it doesn’t just stop at wallpaper at Elli Popp with the continuation of the collections into their range of fabric and ceramic projects.

Elli Popp Wallpaper

However, if florals are not your thing and all birds do is remind you of ‘that’ film, try this more graphic approach by Kirath Ghundoo’s Mix ‘n’ Match 11 collection which was exhibited at this years 100% Design, London.  Iso, Persia, Geo, Mosaic, Aztec,

3 Combination Aztec,Persia,Mosaic

Wall-’fabric’-paper

Of course, some wallpapers are so good you don’t want to hide them in a room behind a door you simply want to wear them. Here enters the Vivienne Westwood Wallpaper collection for Cole & Son . Patterns are inspired by Westwood’s signature designs and fabrics. I love the depth this tartan ruffles evokes but the collection does hold some more classic flattened tweeds.

Cole & Son Wallpaper Collection by Vivienne Westwood- Trompe l'oeil Drape

Paper Tiles

Wallpaper doesn’t even have to come on unmanageable long rolls. I’m a sucker for these paper tiles by British designer Louise Body .  These beautiful trompe l’oeil prints are not only created on forest managed paper but  are the perfect economical solution to re-creating aged Victorian ceramic tile effects with out the need for grouting.

Louise Body - Paper Tiles

Carrying on the tiling theme, Mio’s Papertastic collection is a perfect example of a more architectural approach to Wallpapering, ecologically redefining spaces with each 3D one square foot tiles. You can easily vary each design by rotating the tiles and painting them in what ever colour you choose.

Paperform Tiles in Ripple and Flow

Even if none of my selections are exactly what you want there are a lot of companies now who will print any digital image of your choice onto a bespoke wallcovering. Manchester based Tektura Wallcoverings have offered digital printing for a few years with a dedicated art work team to offer guidance.

But if you really cannot find the Wallpaper for you why not start your own like Shannon Berry Design all you need is a lot of time and a few Sharpies.

What ever you do don’t just paper over the crack’s, make a feature of them.

Trying to design and install a staircase entrance with passenger lift into an existing space of only 25sqm to reach across 1.5 floors was a first for me. But here is a bit about some of the obstacles I had discovered and thankfully a very satisfactory end result.

The Logistics

The space earmarked for the entrance was not only compact and situated adjacent to the very busy working supermarket but also hovered half above the Stores basement Parking and the other half over the not so little London Underground. All of this is not to mention the residential flats above.

Internal Ground Floor Lobby of Proposed Area

…….Oh yes and as you can see, it was a shell at best, with no true floor level and a Spaghetti Junction of foul drains which originated from the residential flats. In some areas these had been left unsupported and with no recent drain survey there was no way of knowing which ones were live and which, if any, were redundant. Thankfully there are companies you can engage for such discovery tasks and I was spared the rubber gloves.

Foul Drain Junction with no support

We were lucky enough to have a great Mechanical and Electrical Team with years of experience not only in the industry but on this particular building with an earlier project. A wealth of knowledge that is almost never that readily available on every project, and the full co-operation of the residence above made for a relatively smooth transition, considering.

The Design

Final cds-wilman Stair design for Waitrose Cookery School Entrance

One of the, if not the only design constraints for this area was that the stairs had to correspond with the design which was happening on the first floor. However , the main Cookery School area had initially been designed some months prior, with the understanding that Guests would gain entrance through an existing stair well in the store below. The requirement for the separate entrance was only confirmed after allocation on the First Floor had been earmarked to the requirements of the large plant room and extract filtration systems need to ensure none of the lovely cooking smells from the proposed area emanated to the residence above.

But after several drafts I think the rather convoluted twists and turns incorporated to obtain the best working design can be forgiven, and almost add to the drama. Although this was not all easy as the new public space being created on the first floor did mean a change of use application through local planning and that I would have to ensure the new access space including lift and stairs would conform to the building reg guidelines, a requirement but it did mean the redesigns had to be done with a lot more consideration.

Grnd Floor Existing Lift Entrance

All the designing and planning you can do before starting on site is of benefit but it does not mean there will be no surprises once you do get on site. And nothing stops work on the first day of demolition on the existing goods lift, than the discovery of a bit of good old fashioned Asbestos wedged in the existing lift shaft under the supporting steel to unexpectedly shorten your programme window.

 Installation

Cookery School entrance view from ground floor

Cookery School stairs View from First Floor

I am very pleased with the final aesthetic finishes of the stair case, although some  derived through compromise on budget, the overall feel flows. It captures the Art Deco exterior of the existing building and pulls through the look and feel of the School upstairs with the use of the white oak treads and clean line artwork.

But even with the impact on design and a shortened programme, several teams having to co-ordinate with-in this cramped space it is still to date one of my most favourite areas that I have designed.

I’m just sorry it took so long for me to share it with you.

Helen’s Hand Knitted Lamps

Some of the best I have found are these hand knitted lamp shades by Ose Designs, who are based in Manchester and run by Helen Taylor.

Ose Designs - Hand Knitted Lamps

Although they remind me a little of Dr Suess’ Hat; I do like their quirky organic shape. Each shade is made from a recycled material such as linen or silk and the table lamps use FSC certified oak for the bases. Helen has now increased the range to include pendant shades as well as her personal bespoke service.

Matt, llot llov

Replace all those fairy lights you have wrapped around your bedstead and the raw industrial hanging cable lights with these wollen beauty’s  from llot llov, with fully knitted cable cover you can show all the cables you want and still keep it looking soft

'Matt' from llot llov

Casamania Granny Knitted Lamp Shades

Casamania have created the Shredded Wheat of the knitted lamp shade world with their aptly named Granny knitted lamp shades.

Granny Knitted Lamps

Available online at espacio.co.uk and ariashop.co.uk, £215-£600.

Knotted Egg Lamp

If you are from the more sophisticated lamp purveyor circle, you may prefer this macrame knotted egg lamp by Sara Parkes, an Australian designer, who works under her label Smalltown

Knotted Egg Lamp

See, wool doesn’t have to be all about embarrassing Christmas jumpers, who would have thought. There are so many other wollen interior accessories to compliment these lights if you want to run with a theme, you could also try Melanie Porter’s Furniture collection which is a perfect example of antique furniture frames up-cycled into delicious woollen master pieces.

Rocky LS2 by Melanie Porter

On a more serious note wool is one of the ultimate sustainable resourses we have which is being massively under utilised. It has seen a considerable decline in the past decade through unprecidented industry challenges and in particular a drop in the farmers fleece prices. In 2008 The Campaign for Wool was set up by HRH The Prince of Wales to help raise awareness and help set up initiatives to help raise the profile of wool and by getting some of the leading members of the fashion industry and decorataing and design industry involved, it is well on it’s way.

Here in the UK we do celebrate a wool week which this year ran from the 5th-11th Septmeber 2011, I know we have missed it but look out for it next year.

I am sure there are more wollen design examlpes out there but theses are just a snippet of my favourites. I hope you enjoyed.

My first week at University on the Interior Design degree course at Manchester Metropolitan saw us pacing around the 8th floor, measuring various anatomy parts and familiarising ourselves with the lengths of arms, hands and feet. It was a fun experience at the time but an invaluable lesson. You only learn the hard way as to why this was a useful practice. When I first started in the industry my surveying responsibilities tended to be fairly small areas for servery and shop counter refurbishments. Over the years they have increased to several areas of a large buildings and at times, whole buildings and even Green houses. All buildings are different so you have to adopt your own rules and structure and apply it to each survey regardless of size. Your starting points will vary according to the information you have at hand before you start.

The best surveys are when you have a previous AutoCAD drawing and all you have to do is check it through on site, you know, that the walls are where the drawing says they are! (you’d be surprised how many aren’t) Also a few dimension checks, even on a new build this is important, as the smallest difference can have the biggest impact in real life than on paper. The Second Best come in two varieties; the ones where you have a full sized paper copy of the existing, this is usually an old hand drawn copy which will,only scale off in ‘old school’ imperial scales such as 1/4″: 1 Foot, Government buildings especially the RAF are renowned for archived drawings like this (I still constantly remind myself to buy one of these scale rules for such times) the other is a PDF format scalable at A1 but in A4 size. Neither of the afore mentioned are that hard to deal with these days if you have a printer which can scan up-to A0 size. Thankfully CDS-Wilman do, (affectionately known as KIP) Any other survey is going to require a bit more on site equipment and some patience.

Example of 'Old School' Building scale 1/4 inch to 1 foot

Getting started

List of equipment I would recommend for doing a survey:

• Plenty* of plain A3 Paper (*you can never take too much)
• A3 Clipboard – there is nothing worse that not having anything supportive to lean on when trying to draw a straight line. (Ironically Food Prep Environments are not the best for clean surfaces to lean on and can leave the worst of stains)
• Ruler/ruler guide paper like FreeHand Designer
• Retractable Pencil – a normal pencil will do as long as it is sharp but you do have to remember a sharpener too! (or several pencils as you will go through them)
• Pen – I love the 4 colour Bic Ballpoint as they say it is convenience in a pen
• Electronic Disto-meter &/or Tape measure – to have both is best practice really as you will need a tape for smaller dimensions and when the battery on the disto dies!
• Camera
• Somebody else to help (Divide and Conquer)

Rules for Getting Started

When I arrive on site for a survey it usually coincides with the first meeting with the client and taking the overall brief for the proposed project. The brief can be taken before or after a survey really. Any key points from the client briefing can be noted for checking as the survey is being done or revisited after the Survey is completed. These points of note usually include structural changes to walls so the composition of wall should be noted for Structural surveyor requirements or whether there are the required Mechanical and Electrical (M&E) services within the area to achieve what the client needs, drain locations are always an important issue for my work.

Briefs aside, in my experience, the best way to start a survey before even putting pen to paper is a good wander around. This may seem like a waste of time if you’re pushed for time, but it allows you to get your bearings, making a mental map of how the areas, especially if there are a more than one, interact and sit with each other. This is very useful with older building which have, over the years, been extended and added to by different builders and the additions do not always align with the existing. The walk around also allows you to smile and say hello to the people working there. You are there to do your job as required by the client, usually their boss, but you have to remember you have entered their place of work. Introducing yourself in a more human way, without a clipboard barrier between you and them can work wonders, as well as help the offer of cups of tea to flow a lot easier.

I have learnt to make my time as productive as possible so when I first arrive on a site my camera is the first thing I will unpack, this way photos can be done at the same time as the first walk around. This routine also helps make my time on site more efficient, as they say in business ‘time is money’ (or a quick get away before the rush hour traffic). Also in my speciality area of food service there can be big walk-in’s for the venues usually breakfast and lunch times and are best worked around, not through.

Pen to Paper

Once you have your bearings it will give you a better idea of how best to start a simple outline sketch for the area you are surveying. Proportion your sketch so you can fit as much information on one piece of paper. You will have to make a judgement call though as to how small your detailing needs to be to fit on one piece of paper. If the area is fairly large or several rooms it is sometimes easier to split these onto several sheets but do remember to note on each sheet the area and how the papers link the survey together. You will have to draw this up later and you may have even slept between then and the survey. What you think you will remember at the time of survey and what you actually do remember will rely a lot on your self-discipline especially if you need to refer back to your original surveys a month or so after.

Keeping your survey drawing as clear as possible will save you time later on. Drawings can get very busy and cross overs of dimensions on drawings are common and can become confusing. This is where I like to use my 4 colour Bic Ballpoint (No I didn’t have one in school and yes I was jealous of people who did, but this is not the sole reason) One of my surveying self disciplines is to use my AutoCAD line colours in my survey drawing. My overall sketch is in pencil for ease of alterations but I then use green ink for building/wall dimensions, red ink for service information and black ink for equipment information. All achievable at the click of the pen and not after fumbling and dropping pens all over the floor (been there, done that). It makes it a lot easier to scan read it as my brain already uses these colour filters.

Needless to say the more surveys you do the more you will follow your own routine and set your own self disciplines specific to you. I know when I measure a door way I always measure architrave to architrave, so that the adjacent wall measurement is the flat measurement for Equipment and Furniture. The amount of time you spend doing a survey will mostly depend on the size of the area. You will be spending a lot of time on your feet, if your usual work is office based like mine you may not be used to this. Comfort is key. I try to wear flat shoes and no scarves or flappy clothes as these can drag on the floor and get in the way.

Be patient not just with yourself but others, especially if you are in a public place. I have lost count of the amount of times I have been asked where the toilets or other departments are. Some people even glare at you when they are waiting at checkouts, wondering why your not serving them. Even though I do not wear the companies uniforms I am there in a professional capacity. The phrase ‘I’m sorry I don’t work here’ trips off the tongue all too easily but the toilet location is one of the first things I now check on my walk around. I have also become aware that locals are very protective of the places they frequent. Some regulars have been coming for years, the same pot of tea at the same table and they see you wandering around with a Clip board and Tape measure and they are naturally curious. I am always pleasant to all enquiries as to what I’m up to but I try not to engage in any drawn out discussions about what my clients possible plans could be, that is for the client to do, when and if. Appearing approachable can actually glean a lot of useful information from the public which the client might not be aware of. A minority however, think you are part of a vicious take over bid and are conspiring to destroy their place of solace. Even if you are, Smile and say you aren’t, it is easier on all.

Before you leave always double check your drawing, take a step back (metaphorically) from your sketch survey, check you have all the dimensions you need to be able to redraw it later, as an 8 hour round trip is not something you will want just to check one thing.

A goodbye and a thank you is the best way to leave any survey.

My favourite chair

I found it in the summer after my final year at uni; living in a student area there were lots of Landlords buying properties to do up and let to students, on the cheap, with conservation far from their minds.

The previous year I had started to collect furniture, through necessity for my bedroom. I have a Magpie personality as it is, so imagine my delight when one morning the streets and alley ways I had moved to were turned into second hand boutiques. Wardrobes, Chest of drawers, Tables, Mirrors, Bed heads, anything and everything you needed. It got to the point when it was not unusual for me to take detours just to look in skips.

You have to learn to be quick as you can never chance seeing something and thinking it will still be there the second time you pass. It is only because of my student-honed inhibitions that I came across this chair languishing in an alley far from my previous hunting ground. The fairs were not so good down that end; you would have to route through a lot of rubbish to find anything worth having. But there it was. I had to move two bags of student summer rubbish to retrieve it. It had no cushions and I did have to walk past it a few times to be sure of what I’d seen. My boyfriend had to help me lift it out of the alley way, thankfully he is very forgiving of my less than attractive hobbies.

Different angle views of the chair

The chair had several storing homes before it made it to my 3rd floor flat for restoration where it was sanded and re-upholstered, with second hand cushions and fabric cuttings. At first, visiting friends wouldn’t sit in the chair only referring to it as ‘the bin chair‘. Their initial prejudices eventually turning to disbelief that anyone would throw a chair like that away.

When I moved house again, a year or so later, I found that the chair was too large to pass through any of the hall doorways of my new flat. Luckily it was adopted by a friend who was more than willing to sit in it indefinitely.

As I work Primarily in Commercial Interiors right now, this was the perfect opportunity to flex some more domestic design muscles. As such I had no particular destinations or route to execute, just the need to absorb as much as I could. So starting in the corners of each hall and working from right to left/left to right was my strategy, as it is easy enough to get lost. Saying that I had nothing particular in mind is not strictly true, I did have a project in the back of my mind which requires some Art Deco influences. However, this was not a trend being observed at Interiors 2010, although the Tiffany Lamps were tempting, more so, as I have a personal desire to own one, one day.

Some of the more obvious trends I saw being followed by exhibitors were the strong Asian influences, not only in sculptures but rich opulent furnishings in reproduction Tibetan and Chinese styles and animal skins in animal hide rugs and upholstery. A less obvious trend were small clusters of very patriotic British merchandising with Union Jack embellished fabrics and furniture. Lots of stands like Coach House, displaying a multitude of lamps rugs and 1930′s travellers trunks style storage and the quintessential Storm Lamps. Opulent bespoke linens from Charlotte Thomas were amongst the indulgent, and high end luxury, for my purse string anyway.

Being who I am, however, more drawn to the unusual, and for me, more interesting stands, not just by name alone (The House of Ugly Fish with their fused glass art, being one to mention) but the usually less ornate, simple stands, smaller companies concentrating on one particular product/theme, more niche trend setters, than followers.

The corner stand for Dreamweavers caught my eye with their bright coloured sensual, inspirational rag and padded effect rugs and matching themed cushions, were drawing a large crowd on the Sunday I visited. With such a tactile product that people were encouraged to touch, an excitement of the senses when you have been under the glare of the Exhibitions lights for a few hours.

'The Executive' Cushion from Dreamweaver

Dreamweavers promote, and have done for many years, the “reduce,reuse , ..up-cycle?” ethos. The phrase up-cycle is the perfect up-sale from the everyday recycle. But this has now become a clear market necessity, a trend in its own right. I am always being asked by clients to push for more environmentally friendly materials, products and manufacturing processes. So to find a company embracing these more responsible ideals, with a soft furnishing product which looks and feels very high-end, was a breath of fresh air.

The highlight for me and by far my favourite, was the inspirational stand for Flexible love. Maybe not inspirationally noted for it’s minimalistic back drop , but for its no frills approach and simple demonstration of their purely innovative product, which was grabbing everybody’s attention. The ‘accordion-like’, honeycomb-structured furniture created by Taiwanese designer Chishen Chiu, can hold up to as many as 16 people when fully extended to its 7 metre capacity, and reduced down to a mere 20cm for storage.

Flexible love furniture uses recycled materials and pre-existing manufacturing processes to reduce its environmental impact while pushing the materials to their limits in the most unique way. I did however go to pick it up when fully compact, as the demonstration was being shown with such ease and grace, do not be fooled, it may be honeycomb-structured, but the largest 16 person model weighs in at just under 24 Kg (55 pounds). I do suggest if anyone is thinking of purchasing one for personal use, seriously consider the smaller 8 person model at 12kg in weight, as moving it around would be a serious work out.

Flexible love Seating

Interiors Exhibitions is not all about ‘the sale’ though and although I did not have time to take in any of the free seminars, I did take some time out to check out the New design Britain finalists. Yu-Hun Kim’s ‘EWE’ Characterised stool using layered hard and soft Felt and Phil Crook’s multi-functional dining station, were my two top favourites, clearly indulging the versatility and sculptural pleasures that furniture can bring.

'EWE' Stool designed by Yu-Hun Kim

Multi-functional Dining Station Designed by Phil Cook

On a personal indulgence, I did, however find some lovely oil canvases to expand my very new art collection for the house (the house we have lived in for 3 years, and after plastering all the walls, most walls are still bare) The first will go in a the final bedroom to be decorated and the City Skyline I have ear-marked for the living room, although both still require framing. If any one has any contacts for Manchester art framers I would be grateful.

Abstract Oil Canvas

City Skyline