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[reginasturrockdesign]

While in London: My Happenstance Discoveries

Another trip to beautiful London has come and gone. I love this city! I always return with a wealth of inspiration and, invariably, some heavy and indispensable swag items that I usually have to ship home. 

Between two international design award ceremonies, sourcing ventures with my colleagues in the field, and two blog award celebrations, this was my fourth consecutive year in London. It’s clear to me that I need a flat here....and a client or two (just putting that out to the universe)! 

This year it was a three day whirlwind of a time and the Amara Interior Blog Awards night at London’s Design Museum was the highlight. As a finalist for Best Interior Designer Blog, it was a special evening of celebrating our passion for design and the art of putting it all into words. I connected with old and new friends who share a special understanding of the craft. It was a memorable evening!

Three days is a short visit and therefore I explored freely with no plans or regiment. I always see so much more this way because there is not an ounce of expectation; just random wonders and interesting connections that appear as they should if you believe in kismet. With eyes and heart wide open, each moment is complete and the happenstance discoveries are special. 

This city feeds my creative soul. I love the fashion windows and high tea, the grand Georgian homes of South Kensington, the museums and their fantasy gardens, and my lifelong fetish for vintage markets. 

The grounds of the Natural History Museum are simply magical and each year the ice rink revolves around a giant Christmas tree. The wonderland scene, set against the backdrop of Hintze Hall, always stops me in my tracks. I have yet to put on the blades but so far it suffices to watch people on wobbly skates holding on to penguin figures and others that show off their one-foot glides. Truth be known, I haven’t skated since I was a kid. 

Between the buskers, illuminated Merry-Go-Round, and roasted chestnuts, I’m continuously enamored by this along-the-way place. The experience is new and different each time. 

No matter how short my London stay is, I do my best to visit my all-time favorite museum, the V&A. I could spend weeks in this glorious place that houses history, architecture, and design. I would never tire. The fantastical Chihuly Rotunda Chandelier is breathtaking each time I see it. It’s a chandelier-formed sculpture of colorful blown glass that draws on the historic Viennese techniques of the Murano glassworks. Its delicate swirling tendrils perform together to bring a sense of movement through color, shade, and light. This is a space changer and an art form that one can dream around! 

A visit to the V&A is not complete without a bit of Victorian-high-style indulgence in the museum’s cafes. Being the first of their kind in a museum, three refreshment rooms - The Gamble, Poynter, and Morris Room - were opened in 1868 for visitors to immerse themselves in culture and beauty. Reflecting the once contemporary design theories of the day, each room offers a wealth of decorative ornamentation and inspiration. My personal favorite is the central Gamble Room. In opulent Italianate style, this room is extraordinary! Every surface is embellished and nothing is restrained.  

Walls, ceilings and large columns supporting grand arches are wrapped in colorful ceramic, glass, and enamel. A frieze of putti harvesting food, grand mirrors in majolica frames, carved scenes with elephants and camels surrounding doors and stained-glass windows that disperse light into beautiful colorful fragments are the details that can keep one captivated. Today’s large filigree spheres that replaced the original gas jets are strangely in keeping. I have to admit, I spent a good portion of my precious available day here. But that’s perfectly fine. Time seemed to stand still while slowly sipping Earl Grey and listening to the classics on the piano. I imagined the fancy dresses and showpiece hats that once accompanied this scene. 

Each previous year while in London I did some window shopping in the evening and each year I promised myself a return in the day to that wonderful little Fortuny shop, Venetia Studium, in Brompton. The quintessential Venetian lamps of opaline silk and their rich fusion of cultural decoration speak of fairytale places and times. When I walked in by chance, I was thrilled!  I was finally inside the jewel box. The lamps were true sculptures of light. I touched each pleated silk cushion and scarf, and the handbags of silk damask velvet were works of art. I didn’t buy anything but I may just do some online Christmas shopping. The copper and blush damask cushion has my name on it! 

I discovered my new favorite restaurant in London during this last visit. Tucked away on its namesake street, Launceston Place, in South Kensington, is the place to dine! Its deep blue classic facade caught my eye on a particularly sunny afternoon. 

To me, the environment is as much part of the experience than the food and service itself. No disappointments on any level here. French gray walls hold a collection of fine art and I love the bright daylight ambiance that turns intimate in the evening with small quirky lightbulb candles. The creative fare, prepared by acclaimed Head Chef, Ben Murphy was accompanied with the finest choices of wine by Master Sommelier, Piotr Pietras. A special vegan meal was prepared just for us along with a custom menu card. I’m forever spoiled by this experience. Every detail and garnish was an art form. Smoked candy floss was the most unusual dish and it was awesome! Sommelier-approved or not, it paired perfectly with my rose champagne. 

The last full day in London was sunny - again! The red paper lanterns were particularly bright and luminous in Chinatown.

 A small narrow alley led to an open courtyard that was colourful and eclectic. This was Neal’s Yard in Covent Garden. I sat down for a while with coffee in hand and enjoyed some people-watching. Another world this little spot seemed to be - wondrous and imaginative with lush vertical gardens and a rainbow of colour on each facade. I felt as though I’d entered a children’s storybook. 

The angels were suspended between the historic buildings of Regent Street and I imagined them in the month of December when the Christmas spirit would dance through their ethereal wings. For now, they seemed a bit out of place in the warm autumn sun but there was a magic just the same and I could sense the quiet stirrings and preparations for a frenetic season ahead.

 And then there will be next year in London. 

All images via Regina Sturrock 

[artandhue]

Art & Hue needs you! @ARTandHUE has been nominated in the Amara Interior Blog Awards 2019 for Best Company Blog up against stiff competition so your support would be great! For more info about voting & for a chance to win a Leica camera visit: artandhue.com/vote-for-artandhue #IBA19 #blogawards #amarablogawards #amarainteriorblogawards #interiors #interiors123 #interiorinspo #interiorinspo #homedecor #lordkitchener #iwaslordkitchenersvalet https://www.instagram.com/p/B1HNPn-h9wW/?igshid=1xf3h5u0zf3h1

[thecraftygentleman]

Okay so I’ll never be James Bond BUT I do know how to use a glue gun like a pro! 😎 ANYWAY, now I have your attention - there’s only a couple of days left to vote for me in the @amaraibas Blog Awards! 😱 Please, please can you spare 20 seconds to give me your vote? Simply hit the link in my bio and you’ll see what to do*. 🙏🏻 It’ll mean so, so much to me - thank you! 🤓🙌🏻 *When you vote, you’ll also be entered into a very cool giveaway for a @leica_camera! 👌🏻 • • @amaraliving #craft #crafts #crafty #craftblog#craftblogger #amara#amarainteriorblogawards#interiorawards #interiorawards2018 #gluegun #mancraft #mancrafts #iba18 #abmlifeiscolorful #abmlifeisbeautiful #abmhappylife https://www.instagram.com/p/BnwY58VhGap/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=mrjm2ccftp8s

[reginasturrockdesign]

Friday’s Impression - India’s Extraordinary

I’ve been putting the big focus on our India project this week. Our presentations have been richly layered and detailed for the large luxury penthouse. We connected hand-painted chinoiseries with book-matched and illuminated onyx and shook it all up with contemporary crystal luminaires. These are exciting times here at the Regina Sturrock Design studio!

From this perspective, my Friday’s impression is taken from India; a beautiful country of contrasts and colour. Looking back to my inspiration file and the many snap shots I took during my last visit, I realize that each stirred my creative approach to this project. The images are faceted, from the exquisite pietra dura of the Taj Mahal to the simple and colourful vendor scenes of cloth and fruit. All lead to one glorious impression. 

Perhaps, what intrigued me most is the craft and the making of the extraordinary. After visiting the Taj and marveling the work of artisans dating back to the seventeenth century, I witnessed the same unaltered processes by the descendants of the masters. 

Pietra Dura, an Italian phrase that means “hard stone” refers to the technique of creating intricately inlaid pictures from shaped and cut coloured stones. 

Fanciful flower species in the form of semi-precious stones such as coral, onyx, carnelian, amethyst, and lapis lazuli add to the splendor of the Taj’s white marble. The masterful work extends from outside to inside. The detail is pure, intense and smooth and, even up close, it all appears like a painting. 

The ancient Indian tradition of inlaying stone continues today. 

It impressed me to see the tiny pieces of stone ready to be placed into perfectly chiseled-out surfaces. Artistry, history, and passion are at the heart of these wonders - and nimble fingers.

This is a precision of the hand that no machine could replicate with authenticity. 

The craft of shaping stones with small saws, wires, and metal instruments and adding them to a decorative object or surface is a process of antiquity that remains unchanged. 

My appreciation is continually renewed for those extraordinary things that I find for my clients as I travel the world. So is my understanding of beauty in its pure form.

This leaves a lasting impression. 

 All images via Regina Sturrock 

[reginasturrockdesign]

Star Pieces

A canvas of colourful strokes; a sculpture that casts the most beautiful form in shadow and light; an artful one-off whether it be furniture or special ware; these are the star pieces that bring focus. 

They are the unique focal points that draw the eye in to settle for a while and to absorb the true character of a room. 

These are not ones to sit back quietly. They speak loudly and can stir the demure and perfectly appointed into an off-the-charts assembly.

Imagine this classic space without the electric art and without the oversized magenta vases that sit as simple and saturated sculpture. It would be a beautiful and perfect envelope. Nothing more. The star pieces animate the symmetry of this room. They play within the formal geometry but there is a joie de vivre through colour, pattern and form and a grounding that is simply creative within the orderly space. 

A star piece can ground and frame. There are several key features that act in unison to create big first impressions in this great hall. They charge and move from sparkling floor to faceted chandelier. At the centre, a one-of-a-kind table performs like sculpture. We designed it just for this space. It doesn’t steal the show but its polished turns and nickel rimming play with the brilliant pattern of mosaic and the whole move up towards the next star piece. A grouping of artful vases and its tropical blooms reach up and out to a pair of large organic planters in high-gloss white. They house the soft-scaping that frames grand architecture. A railing of rhythmic line connects with the final feature; an elegant luminaire of clear and black crystal. This room performs as one large star piece. 

A star piece can guide and introduce. This entry of ebony tracery and clear glazing leads us to a moody library filled with luxury. It’s an integrated feature that commands attention through quality material and contrast. 

Lighting often plays the leading role. It can play within the architectural tradition or juxtapose dramatically.  Tiered drums of black silk with raindrops of crystal make a powerful contemporary statement suspended from classic coffers in this stair hall. 

A custom table of Macassar ebony, glass, and polished nickel brings big, restful presence to a room filled with dynamic line. It also allows a grouping of silver sculpture and art-glass to perform on its clean structure. 

So, what makes a piece a ‘star piece’? I can tell you that it’s not necessarily the valuable gallery item. The star pieces are more so about creatively balancing scale and proportion and tradition. They are about shaking things up with a shiver of delight. 

All image credits - Regina Sturrock Design 

[thecraftygentleman]

HOLY GUACAMOLE, I’ve been shortlisted for an @amaraliving Blog Award! 😱🙌🏻 This is a biggie, so I would LOVE to make it through as a finalist... but I’ll need your help please! 🙏🏻🤞🏻 You can vote for me via the link in my bio - and all voters will be entered into a competition to win a Leica Instant Camera. So there’s no reason not to! 😉 Read more over on the blog! THANK YOU! ✨ • • • #craft #crafts #crafty #mancraft #mancrafts #handmade #diy #craftblog #craftblogger #makersgonnamake #craftersgonnacraft #amara #amarainteriorblogawards #interiorawards #interiorawards2018 (at Nottingham, United Kingdom)