For those wondering what Habitat have been up to of late, it’s been a bit of a year. After being bought out by the Home Retail Group (owners of Homebase and Argos) last year they have left us with only 3 London stores but thankfully, the UK website. From July this year, you will start to see an edited selection of the iconic homeware appear in over 200, slightly less iconic, Homebase stores across the country. Yes, it’s an unlikely pairing but as a result they’re launching a rather nice wallpaper and paint range that I previewed last week at their AW12 press show…
All designed in house at Habitat, there are 30 shades in the paint collection based on favourite colours taken from the Habitat design palette. The selection of neutrals and brights all have quirky names including ‘sprout’, ‘cumin’ and ‘dust’. The paint can be used on interior walls, metal and wood. The retro-graphic wallpapers are designed to compliment the paint range with 4 designs in 16 different colours. My favourite is the wood grain effect in mustard yellow…
The paint starts at £16 for 1.25 litres and £25 for a roll of wallpaper. If you live in London and can’t face a trip to Homebase they will also be available in the 3 London stores.
So, Habitat are busy and in addition to their paint and wallpaper the AW12 collections are pretty lovely too, with the comfiest sofa in the world and gorgeous tableware (post coming soon!) – Alice.
NEW DESIGNERS: Abigail Edwards Seascape wallpaper
February 24, 2012
Coastal style is always a big look for Spring/Summer. Every year at Ideal Home we’re inundated with ideas, products and everyone’s different take on the trend. It’s an easy look to live with; breezy blues, crisps whites, nautical stripes, distressed wood, driftwood accessories, fisherman’s lamps…you know the sort of thing! It’s always a treat though when smaller, up-and-coming designers interpret the trend in a new way. Abigail Edwards is a freelance stylist who recently launched her own collection of hand drawn wallpapers. Her latest Seascape design is simply dreamy..
Available in black (Winter) and soft blue (Summer), the rolling waves are so soothing to look at, I could get lost in them for hours. This paper would look gorgeous in a bathroom, a downstairs loo or even on a house boat (I actually used to live on one!)
At £59 a roll, the papers are all hand drawn by Abigail and printed in Lancashire at one of the few remaining traditional wallpaper printers in the UK. When she’s not busy styling she is working on two new wallpaper designs, tiles and even table linen. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with. Happy weekend all. Spring has nearly sprung!– Alice
The darker side of Disney
October 26, 2011
Mirror, mirror, on the wall: What’s the strangest Halloween-themed wallpaper of all…?
The mirror smiled and replied: “Once upon a time, shades-wearing ex-Biba designer Barbara Hulanicki was sitting in her castle when she had a wonderful idea. ‘I’ll create some creepy DISNEY VILLAINS flocked wallpaper for Graham and Brown, featuring dastardly baddies from the Walt Disney version of Sleeping Beauty such as Maleficent the witch and her evil feathered sidekick, Diablo,’ she cackled to herself.
‘But, Barbara, how can we give our children nightmares?’ asked the customers. ‘Look no further,’ she replied. ‘My new designs are gothic, dark, sinister and feature upside-down crows. What more do you people want?’
The customers were happy and rejoiced. The Disney Villains wallpapers were £85 per roll from Graham and Brown. And they all lived happily ever after.”
The End. – Ellie
Louise Body: Paper tiles
April 27, 2011
Designer Louise Body has just released a new collection of ‘Paper Tiles‘ – gorgeous tile-effect wallpapers, featuring digitally-printed Victorian tile patterns combined with her own illustrations and designs…
Louise designed some similar wallpaper for the toilets at Decorex last year, and was inspired to explore the idea of paper tiles further. The new patterns are really stunning – and no need for the dreaded grout whitening pen!
These papers would look lovely in bedrooms, living rooms or hallways – proof that tiles aren’t just for kitchens and bathrooms.
Each 1m x 70cm panel costs £25 and you paste-the-wall, not the paper (always a bonus for those of us who are a bit DIY-challenged). – Ellie
Nathan & MissPrint team up
February 23, 2011
Oh, I do like a retro chair with sexy legs and I do like a 1950s-inspired dandelion print with a slightly-Scandi feel – especially when it’s in a fetching shade of mellow yellow. So, dear reader, I was THRILLED to hear that Nathan Furniture has teamed up with one of my East London favourites, MissPrint, to produce some very exciting upholstered treats such as this stunning Monty chair in Dandelion Mobile. Check it:
In the words of Veruca Salt, I want it now! But it’s £595, so I might just have to print out a picture and staple-gun it to my trusty Ektorp Jennylund. There’s plenty more retro deliciousness to be had at Nathan, so do have a peep if you’re that way inclined. – Ellie
NEW Mini Moderns wallpaper
January 5, 2011
Are you a fan of 1950s design? In love with mid-century modern style? Then have we found some wallpaper for YOU…
Mini Moderns is launching ‘Festival Wallpaper’ – an extremely cool design inspired by the 1951 Festival of Britain – the post-war exhibition of the new wave of modern British design, which celebrates its 60th Anniversary this year. If you look closely, you’ll see highlights of that exhibition on the paper – the iconic Skylon, the Dome of Discovery, the Royal Festival Hall, and the Transport Pavilion.
The wallpaper comes in 10m x 52cm rolls (£50 each) and is available in three colourways: concrete, stone, and bunting blue and red. It’s the first design in the new Mini Moderns Day-tripper collection, launching in September 2011, which will celebrate aspects of British culture, hobbies and pastimes.
I’m loving the 1950s-inspired colours on these papers. Can’t wait to see the rest of the collection later this year! – Ellie
NEW Isak wallpaper
August 31, 2010
Are you embracing the current fad for all things geometric? Do you find yourself ogling the Louvre Pyramid? Got a bit of a ‘thing’ for triangles? Clutching a protractor? If you answered ‘yes’ to one or more of the above, have we found some wallpaper for YOU. Designer Sandra Isaksson has just released two stunning new designs: Nova Mist and Nova Dawn.
I’ve been a fan of Isak‘s Penguin papers and fun trays for a while – have a peep at the Isak website if you haven’t already! According to the ‘ABOUT’ page, “all Isak products are part hand made by trolls”. Another good reason to shop there, surely. – Ellie
NEW Louise Body fabrics
June 11, 2010
Good old Louise Body. Not content with making some of the prettiest wallpapers around (I featured the Garden Birds design in my BIRDY trend feature in the May issue of Ideal Home, and you can see the Harry’s Garden paper in action, looking lovely, in the hallway of Patchwork Harmony blogger Caroline), she’s now making fabrics, too. You’ll find a few fabrics on her website already, but a little birdy tells me that this September she’s going to release a whole new collection at Decorex, inspired by her ‘Plant Life‘ digital wall panels….
Louise’s inspiration is often drawn from her childhood memories – the lengths of lace given to her by her maternal grandmother were incorporated into Marney’s Lace, while the ferns and wildflowers pressed by her paternal grandmother inspired Autumn Woods and Flower Press. Louise says her new collection stems from a beautiful Victorian greenhouse in the grounds of a shabby-chic house where she spent many holidays as a child, while the palette is reminiscent of the colours found in retro 1960s interiors magazines she inherited.
I can’t wait to see the full collection in the autumn – cushion-makers, go forth and celebrate this great day! – Ellie
I can’t believe it’s B&Q!
May 17, 2010
So, you’re after a roll of ultra-gorgeous, statement, quirky, unusual, on-trend, playful-yet-elegant wallpaper to brighten up that boring little alcove. You know the one. Where do you shop? Cole and Son? Pedlars, perhaps? My friends, the answer is much closer to home. Why, B&Q, of course. And at just £19.98 a roll, forget the alcove, baby – you can do the whole flippin’ room!
The contemporary toile design is called ‘La Vie Ordinaire’ and features city-chic scenes from London, Paris and New York, while the birdy paper with little patriotic robins is called ‘Birds of a Feather’. Reassuringly in-expensive! – Ellie
NEW wallpapers to drool over
May 14, 2010
Our post about the wonderful Studio Nommo papers a few weeks back proved extremely popular and got picked up by loads of other lovely people on t’internet with exceedingly good taste, creating a veritable network of wallpaper addicts all around the globe. SO I thought we’d have another little wallpaper love sesh today…
These stunners are new designs from Netherlands-based Studio Ditte (famous for their Scrapwood design), stocked in the UK at Catkin Collection. This vintage plate one reminds me of that fabulous wrapping paper I picked up at Oliver Bonas a few weeks back – LOVE it.
Imagine this cute birdy paper in a child’s bedroom…you could even hang a few real bird boxes painted in bright colours on the opposite wall for a fun touch.
This Russian-style ribbons wallpaper is perfect for this year’s huge Folk revival. Such vibrant colours!
And let’s finish with a peek at another new Studio Ditte design – buttons…
So many papers in the world, and not enough alcoves. SIGH. – Ellie
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