what it must feel like to live inside a Vermeer painting...

                                           via http://www.lucatrovato.com/

Oh, the colour palettes in these images are beautiful, they remind me the paintings of Vermeer. I wonder if he was in fact the inspiration behind this work.

eclectic dreams

Eclectic style, once characterised by not being a particular style, but rather borrowing from a variety of styles and combining them, has migrated piece by piece from every historical era into the home inspired by interior design magazines, boutique hotels, gastropubs etc. With this infusion, eclecticism is now largely a recognised style in it's own right. Although having previously been associated with the well traveled and the very wealthy, can just anyone eclect successfully?

Well, yes. Tom Dixon (once Creative Director for Habitat - 'design for the masses') said that if you were to use the very best designs from each decade that they would always work well in the same room. It's not an easy look to get right, but there are certain rules to follow:

Pick your focal point

As the images above illustrate; it's important to pick a focal point. When mixing items - from your Grandmother's Formica kitchen table to the Parker Knoll chair you found in a skip last week along with Ikea 'pass-ables', you are in effect creating layers. By doing so, you're likely to be putting together obviously disparate elements and there is a danger of creating an unsettling environment - chaos is the thing to avoid.

Remember:

• Keep it simple.
• Start with one or two key pieces that you love - you're going to spend a considerable amount of time looking at them.
• Take time to develop the look gradually.

In the spirit of eclectisicm, don't be afraid to move things around - you may just surprise yourself.

a little something to whet the appetite

After what has been an embarressingly long break from writing, I was visiting one of my favourite blogs, yesterday (Desire to Inspire), and as is often the case, I felt a burst of inspiration when seeing these images. I'm not kidding, these rooms represent something that I care deeply about: creating environments that people want to live well in. A beautifully designed space with thoughtful lighting, clean lines and an unassuming colour palette, will always get my heart racing.

reflective nature

                                                'ASUKA' wallpaper by Osborne & Little


I've been wanting to use the colour yellow for years, but I have yet to meet the client who loves yellow quite as much as I do - it's not like I haven't tried selling the concept...

In the meantime, I've been exploring this glorious colour on my own turf and I am delighted with the results. Rooms that are naturally well lit can take almost any colour and if used in moderation, there is a shade of yellow to suit every home. 

The key is to avoid using solid blocks of strong yellow that can make a room feel a little oppressive. Choosing instead to layer colours that support, much like the warm golden tones in the patterned leaves which incidentally, glow throughout the day. Bliss.

The wallpaper, illustrated above is currently up in my apartment.
     
metallic charcoal 

                                        Metallic Grey wall tiles - 600mm x 300mm (grey grout)


                                                 'Metallic Leaf' wallpaper by Jocelyn Warner

The two photographs above, are quick shots taken from projects that I'm currently working on. London homes can be quite tall and lanky, with relatively small windows, so it's not unusual to have to contort your body around furniture, to 'find the day'... 

If you have a small, dark room and/or a particular wall that receives a decent amount of light (from either natural or artificial light sources) do consider using metallic surfaces on wall tiles, wallpapers, mirrors etc. This can be a very effective method of 'bouncing' the light into and around the room.

colour palettes and other shades of grey

Vermeer, A Lady Writing (1665-66, National gallery of Art, DC)


Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance (1664, National gallery of Art, DC)

Franz Kline, Untitled (1954, New York, NY)

Turner's Snowstorm: Hannibal and his Army crossing the Alps (1812, London , Tate Gallery)


When researching colour palettes, I find art galleries a wonderful source of inspiration. The masterful workings of colour used by artists over the centuries are awe inspiring. A current project of mine (to be photographed next week), began life with these paintings. Art's a great place to start a conversation about colour in the home: from one environment to another.

setting the right tone

Oeke Design Blog

Now, I've started this blog because frankly there is just too much good stuff out there to be contained within this limited storage vessel I sometimes call my brain. Not a day goes by when I don't see or remember seeing something that makes me want to grasp the hand of the closest person and say "isn't that great?"

I consider this an extension of my favourite 30 minute 'Show & Tell' class at primary school which I have been quietly waiting to carry on in a world that is changing with every blink of an eye. I'm excited to be living in what I believe is the best possible time in human history. I hope you feel the same way.

project: yellow

This time last year I went to have lunch at the Wapping Project. I couldn't quite believe my eyes: an entire show dedicated to the colour yellow! And what a show it was, yellow umbrellas dancing in the trees, greeting me with a warm cheery wave that was reminiscent of visits to my grandmother, as she sat on the porch watching us pull up on the grey pebbled driveway.

Later, after a lung bursting ascent up the swirling steel staircase, I came across a surprising sight: a small sailing boat tethered to a glowing box of yellow perched on a mini lake on the rooftop; overlooking the River Thames, as if it were a baby whale hugging the flanks of it's mother.

God, I love this city.