One Cut Above with Lazerian

Lazerian is the brainchild of Manchester-born furniture designer and experimentalist Liam Hopkins who, with fellow designers Richard Sweeney and Jason Chart Davies and under the supervision of pet mascot Gerald, offers a small yet perfectly formed range of innovative hand-finished structural home objects and furniture pieces, predominantly birch plywood-based, with top-end machine-cutting technology as the common denominator, illustrated here by the lampshade range that will be sure to get the full attention of residents and their guests and stimulate those dinner party conversations; we couldn't resist adding the pièce de résistance at the end of this feature, namely the surprising cardboard-made "Radiolarian Sofa", inspired by structural forms in nature - most noticeably a wasp nest - and by the crystalline bone structure of those microscopic sea organisms that go by the name of... radiolaria.

Source: All above photography from Lazerian. Respectively (1) Borealis Lamp Shade, (2) Fornax Lamp Shade, (3) Indus Lamp Shade, (4) Modulator Light Shade, and (5) Radiolarian Sofa. The company was featured by Designersblock @ Interiors 2011 (NEC Birmingham, U.K.).

Informal & Wild like an English Garden!

No strict rules to abide by, no straight lines, no tidy lanes, no topiary rigidity, no constraint and certainly none of the formality of French landscaping; here the order of the day is to reproduce untamed nature within the confines of a country garden, with riots of shapes, blooms, scents and colours almost free to go and grow as they please, with the clipper delicately guiding and shaping them.

Source: All photography via Travel Vista's "Thatched Houses in England" photography feature (16/02/2011).

Functional Design: 1930s Coat & Umbrella Stand

It is universally accepted that a coat stand is first and foremost a functional item of furniture, hardly producing enthused glances and column inches, despite being redefined by contemporary designers via man-made materials, challenging geometrical shapes and bold acid colours; however we will make a note of the one here as it strikes the right balance between functionality, personality, integrity, timelessness and style.

Source: From its base in Old Spitalfields, London, U.K, Elemental offers a wide range of beautifully-restored vintage and retro industrial furniture, antique storage solutions, reclaimed factory and shop fittings as well as period lighting and objets d'art. The shop is a treasure trove of unique and original finds for the design-conscious with a vintage penchant. (P.S: The above coat and umbrella stand was advertised for sale back in Nov 2010). Check Elemental's website regularly to spot the latest arrivals.

Celia Birtwell: Textile Designer Extraordinaire

Celia needs no introduction as one half of the Ossie Clark duo who revolutionised fashion design in the course of the Swinging '60s and '70s, with accent on body-flattering floaty florals, ruffles, crêpe de Chine and chiffon which graced the limbs of royalty and rock royalty alike; the fruit of Celia's talent can still be enjoyed today, exemplified by her partnerships with British retailers Top Shop, Boots, Millet and John Lewis, or as shown here through her soft furnishings collections.

Pict 1-3: Bird Song fabric design by Celia Birtwell, available in French Blue on natural linen, French Blue on crisp linen, and Ivory on natural linen
Pict 4-8 (clockwise from top left): Jacobean at Night Charcoal on natural linen, Mystic Daisy Dusky Violet on oyster linen, Jacobean Rose Red on natural linen, and Little Animals Blotch Aqua on beige linen. All by Celia Birtwell.

Forever Floral Florilège

Now that the apotheosis of Winter has died down in a flurry of pine needles and discarded wrapping paper, and a brand new year is slowly unfolding to us with the promise of yet unbroken resolutions, what we seem to be resolute about is for a ray of sunshine to beam across our path, with floral enchantment breaking down the inclement weather all-around, so we may bask in the ephemeral reminiscence of Spring and the joys it comforts us in...

Pict 1-5: Respectively (1) Spray Flowers, (2) Briar Rose, (3) Rose, (4) Provence Rose, and (5) Candy Flowers, all by Cath Kidston, a lady of vision whose kitsch floral fabric designs have never been so popular than right now, thanks to the vintage revival scene. The company has even rescuscitated the word 'chintz' for one of its patterns, yes the once-doomed little word back at the height of the naughty noughties - and Ikea's bête noire - that conjured up ideas of fuddy-duddy style, tea-cosies and general old-fashioned grannytude!

Pict 6: Crochet double-sided gift wrap, by Smock (set of 2 USD8.00).

Pict 7: Blossoms on Green letterpress calendar handbound book, by Brooklyn-based Campbell Raw Press, also available via Felt & Wire (USD35.00).