Design Debate

Bentwood chairs in a cafe. At Pickle Design , where I work, we have a real appreciation of design classics. Those pieces of iconic creation that transcend trends and are just, well, beautiful. Inspiring countless generations of creatives, and as, it turns out, our 2025 calendar (I'll do a post on this soon!). This year for our annual poster calendar we focussed on 12 design classics, illustrated in minimal detail with pure white. (We have also explored chair design in a previous calendar you can see here.) June 2017 saw us illustrate and celebrate Thonet's coat stand. Our new theme has reminded me of the newsletters we produced a few years back, celebrating iconic pieces of design , one such being the Thonet coat stand . We had one, if not an original then closely inspired by, in our hallway growing up. I think I took it for granted, slinging my coat on its wonderfully curvaceous hooks. But having taken the time to understand the process more, I thought I would share a little...

The textile industry is changing, and it is exciting to see the new innovations that are being revealed. I have quite a few items made from bamboo in my wardrobe, I love the softness, and the green credentials. The latest though seems to be incorporating aloe vera into fabrics. The much loved natural soother is well known as healing aid (our plant we use for burns and for homemade moisturiser) but now British company Kirkby Design have found a way to use the waste product of the cosmetic industry and spin it into a beautiful sheer fabric. Soft, luxurious and kinder on the planet.  The new fabric took a while to perfect, but the cotton and aloe blend requires no pesticides, uses less water and is naturally light filtering.  The colours available are rich in tone as aloe vera absorbs dye well, meaning less chemicals need to be used. You can choose from acid yellows, cobalt blues and soft olive greens.  Originally found at Dezeen .

I have been pondering Brutalism lately, a very polarising form of architecture, and as with many things, I feel conflicted about it. My Crawley, West Sussex, secondary school was cold, draughty, stark and grey and not a building I liked at all. I compared it to the mainly Victorian (and considerably smaller) one I had left behind in Alresford, Hampshire. That had warm red bricks and chunky radiators you could sit on. I think that concrete enclosure was perhaps my first real taste of the post-war architecture style and it seemed so at odds with my quintessentially British design sensibility.  Paul Catherall's print of Coventry station There was, however, I felt something quite intriguing about the shapes of Brutalist architecture. I remember being in London once for some exhibition at the Barbican, the famous complex felt like it emerged from a dystopian novel but at the same time I liked being there. It was calm, certain and imagination-provoking. My natural leaning, when it comes ...

As September draws to a close the trees are loosing their leaves and our landscape is changing. Trees permeate every view at my house and I love experiencing the passing of the seasons through their transitions. The darker evenings perhaps turn me to more introspective art, and today in particular the print work of Robert Kipness caught my eye.  Born in America in 1931 it was initially the printed word that enticed Kipness' creativity. Coming from artistic parents, his mother a fashion illustrator and his father a painter too.  His artwork takes the form of paintings, lithographs, mezzotinits and drypoints. Often depicting a view framed by a window, naked trees and softened buildings in shadow.  Colour is rarely indulged, though occasionally used sparingly. It is those dark shadows and considered marks which captures natures movement so succinctly.  Maybe it's just the grey day outside my window but I am drawn to the Noir aspect of Kipness' work today, appreciating ...

This recent renovation by landscape architects Brenton Beggs and Katie Cudal was a breath of fresh air as I perused the world wide web today. The little apartment they purchased in Australia's Melbourne was just 55 square metres with one bedroom, but they cleverly managed to squeeze in another. The real allure for them was the garden, although shared the couple enjoyed free reign to show off their design prowess.  I believe they have successfully managed to create a light and airy space that feels very welcoming, I particularly love the plants and shelving that frames the doorways. Useful and beautiful, full of interest with ideas I might pinch for my own home! Originally found at The Design Files . 

  Today I have been enjoying the work of Walter Hunt Everett (1880-1946), his 40 year career spanned what was known as America's Golden Age of Illustration. His paintings graced the pages of popular magazines like The Saturday Evening Post, Ladies' Home Journal and Colliers. A student of the famed Howard Pyle, his style was nurtured as part of the Brandywine school of art, named after the area in America they painted in.  His illustrations are full of colour and life. I particularly like his 'Couple in a Canoe' and 'The Sycamores'. Pulling at the heart strings of a nation, he worked in vibrant blocks of sun drenched colour, but also telling stories in the shadows with monochrome oils.  Its a collection that is being rediscovered, heartily shared and preserved by the Walter H Everett Foundation . Sadly it seems the man himself destroyed a lot of his works later in life, though on his death his son discovered about 25 oil paintings rolled up in a barn!  Such lovel...

Eva Jopin working on her latest project for Maison Ruinart. Image from Ignant . Well, this one is cardboard! (unlike my last blog post ) I am mesmerised by the artworks of French sculptor Eva Jospin. She carefully crafts, layer by layer, amazing installations depicting dense forests, classical architecture and undulating terrain.  'Cénotaphe (Grande chalelle)" 2020. Image via This is Colossal . Eva building her sculptures. Image © Laure Vasconi  Jospin has been creating these artworks for over 15 years, immersive experiences and installations that captivate the viewer. Notably she created Panorama at the Cour Carrée du Louvre and Cenotaph at the Abbey of Montmajour. Straying from her usual cardboard, Jospin has also created an intricate and breathtaking series of embroidery panels for the Dior Spring/Summer 2023 fashion show.  Embroidery artwork for Château de Versailles and Dior. Image by Camille Lemonnier.  Eva Jospin's artworks for Maison Ruinart, via Ignant ....