Work in Progress Update

Last April I blogged on a project that was in progress, you can see it here, it was a renovation that involved gutting of the whole interior of a maisonette with a small extension, an extra bedroom.

This type of project takes a brave soul who can  live with upheaval for several months. The renovation of Suzanne Noble's home, founder of frugl.com,was written up in Metro, the newspaper everyone reads on the London Tube last month. In this report of the result of the changes to this maisonette Susanne emphasizes the importance of using an architect and interior designer.

After finding the flat through an estate agent online, she employed Simon Miller, an architect who has helped her in previous renovations. Simon worked out a plan for the flat that increased the space by reconfiguring walls, adding windows and a small extension to the side. It is a home full of light and space. My work with Suzanne and Simon was adding the color schemes, textiles, lighting plan, etc. 

To quote Suzanne: " Anyone considering an un-modernised place, make sure you get a good architect and interior designer. Thankfully I had both." 

I couldn't agree more, the value of her property has doubled. Plus she has a home that suits her and her needs and is very pleasant to be in. Architects and designers make a difference.

Call me if you want to renovate.

Architecture + Angst

My last post was about reading blogs and coffee and a contest at Heart Home. We all read blogs now, we have our favorites and there are so many on so many topics and themes.

Most of the blogs I follow are about the design industry, like Design Hunter, Vosgeparis and my friend Carol at Dear Designer where they share news of new projects and products. Others I like just for the visual inspiration like {this is glamorous} or Greige Design. I like Holly at Decor8 because Holly's is conversational, fun and uplifting, she has a compelling story.

And there are many, many more that I am sure we all love to read and share the things that  fascinate us and engage us. My sister and I post on this blog about our conversations on food, an exhibition visited, new products or a space or images that feed my imagination.

But there is one blog about coffee and architecture, Coffee with an Architect, by Jodie Brown, that makes me laugh out loud and I shake my head in agreement of how he puts into words and images what the existential experience of being an architect or designer is like. He does this with humor and references to movies and always, as I said, making me laugh out loud. Much of the angst I have experienced as a designer..

Jodie is an architect standing in front of an ideology asking it to love him.

Here's looking at you kid, xx