Tagged: handmade
Hitting the tiles x
I remember one autumn writing about unconformity and the pull of the unexpected when symmetry is taken away. Maybe that explains the appeal of zellige tiles? – the subtle variations of each tile, the changes of light playing across the glaze, the feeling of something artisan and handmade. Their origin is Moroccan, crafted from the clay found in the city of Fez. First formed in a mould, craftsmen use a shaping block and hammer to smooth and shape the tiles; an imperfect, perfect art. The second appeal is their infinite variety of colours and shapes, from pale, misty sea-kissed aquas to freshly just churned creams and barely there pinks to dark stormy greys and forrest greens, from skinny rectangles to chunky squares, hexagons or stars. The variations are endless.
(All pics Pinterest)
Versatile, beautiful yet subtle, these tiles quietly scream their presence.
And I love ’em.
Laters,
Kate x
Splashing Back x
Oh the unbridled joy of the hunt: I have found a company in Oxfordshire – The Douglas Watson Studio – that specialises in English handmade and hand painted ceramic tiles. And what beauties they produce..
The price point is high, but certainly cheaper than originals: Roughly £15 – £25 per tile on a sliding algorithm of less colour, less cost.
(Pics from The Douglas Watson Studio and Pinterest)
Tiles in situ: Such a small area to cover really………………
Laters, Kate x
Revelation x
There are many things that science can still not explain so maybe I have died and gone to heaven, such is my delight at discovering the designer and maker of this wallpaper and her treasure trove of work.
Marthe Armitage graduated from Chelsea School of Art after World War 11. Faced with the problem of juggling young children, she started designing and lino-cutting her own wallpapers. After sketching the design she uses the hand-cut lino blacks and a century-old offset lithographic printing press that she has owned for over 40 years to created custom-printed rolls of wallpaper.
Not only does she create an object of desire but a lifestyle, a passion and a calling.
Maybe she’ll adopt me?
(Link here, all pics Pinterest)
Before my idol was William Morris, but it’s the seductive meanderings of Marthe’s work that pull at the heart strings and make eyes glow.
When my boat comes in, this is the wallpaper that will adorn my walls.
Laters. Kate x
Elvis & Krasse x
Elvis & Krasse are one of those companies that make you wish you were them. At their workshop based in Kent, they rescue raw materials destined for landfill and recraft them into authentic luxury items. Donating 50% of their profits to charity means their Godly status is secured.
Two projects are their mainstays – working with de-commissioned fire hoses that once lived in hell and are now made in heaven.
And working with Burberry on the global issue of leather waste, using their cast offs to create inventive designs.
Their products are built to last, combining world-class handmade craftsmanship with timeless design. And they also repair for life for free. Yes. You can read that again and believe it.
Loved and honed into existence, this is one Company to remember.
Laters, Kate x
Clip Art x
Sometimes it’s the little things in life that make the biggest impact: Take the Tiny Homes movement sweeping across America quietly proving that small can mean freedom. They’re also icons of great design where every square inch counts.
This is a Tiny Home from Portland that just sings with love and clever details.
Just because it’s compact, doesn’t mean it has to be modern.
It puts a smile on your face.
Laters, Kate x
Cover Story x
The beauty that is Steamcream seems to gobble up every modern influence going…
– It’s an eco-friendly cutting edge moisturiser, hand made in the UK and Japan with natural ingredients, in eye candy packaging (think vintage French cosmetics and old-style biscuit boxes given a modern day nudge) that can will be kept and re-used once the cream has gone. At £12.95 it’s easy on the purse and cleverly..it’s designed for both men and women…
You can literally hear the success grow – definitely one for the festive present cupboard..
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 