Vintage haberdashery at Portobello

Vintage Haberdashery
Portobello Market

Image by ReDesign for Life

A bright Sunday morning.  A casual mooch along Portobello Road.  A delve into vintage haberdashery.  Ideas materialising in my mind.

Vintage Haberdashery
Portobello Market

Image by ReDesign for Life

Vintage Haberdashery
Portobello Market

Image by ReDesign for Life

Creating shade at Brixton Village Market

Wonderfully creative use of old lampshades
at Brixton Village Market.
Image by Re-Design for Life.

For over two years now, I have been living with a bare lightbulb in the ceiling light at the top of my stairs.   Having searched high and low considering various options, I am still totally in-the-dark as to how to shade the naked glare.

Perhaps something mid-century modern?  Something reclaimed from a victorian school?  Something Scandinavian?  Something tongue-in-cheek chintz?

This morning my light-bulb of inspiration shone at Brixton Village Market, where one of the 'Avenues' has the most wonderfully adorned lights hanging from it's 1930's ceiling.  Each light has a unique shade created from a combination of chintz damasks, retro wooden and plastic lanterns, English country florals,  1960's patterns, scallop edges and fringing.

So there hangs the answer of how to dress my bare light-bulb.  I'll combine all of my ideas to create one unique piece.  The search for each individual shade begins...

Image by Re-Design for Life

Image by Re-Design for Life

Image by Re-Design for Life

Drawers filled with Style and Salvage - by Rupert Blanchard

Multi Drawer Cabinet Square by Rupert Blanchard.
Created with discarded drawers that were once part of a 40's desk, a fitted wardrobe,
a Victorian chest of drawers, a haberdashery shop cabinet,
a 50's sideboard and a 20's chest of drawers.

Rupert Blanchard is obsessed with drawers.  It began when he was a curious child visiting his Grandma's house, which was furnished with watchmakers cabinets and drawers.  His obsession and curiosity has developed into a creative talent for up-cycling abandoned, unused and unwanted drawers.  Blanchard scours junk shops, car boot sales and market stalls for discarded furniture to re-create into cabinets that will once again be wanted.  Each individual drawer has a story to tell from another era, brought together to create something extremely modern yet timeless.

As Rupert Blanchard says "The main rule I have set myself is to only use objects that no longer fulfill the purpose for which they were originally created, and to make the unwanted wanted again."

Spring season arrives at Brixton Market

Spring blossom, layered ruffles and I love that her hair co-ordinates with her skirt.

Spring wraps

A patchwork of Spring greens, cushions that remind me of wrapped sweets and futuristic hoops.

All images by Re-Design for Life

Mid Century Design in the Village

Dulwich College, Dulwich, London SE21.

Yesterday I headed off to the Mid Century Modern show being held in one of those London enclaves oddly known as a village. However, this part of London justifies the title. Dulwich Village has all the hallmarks of an English village despite being part of South East London's borough of Southwark. We drove alongside it's white picket fences, quaint shops and cafes, grand Georgian mansions and the Dulwich Picture Gallery before arriving at our destination. The magnificent Dulwich College. An impressive red brick building with large arched windows and statues carved into the stonework. Certainly a far cry from any college or school I have ever studied at. Not a pre-fab in sight!

Once inside, the design style changed to mid 20th Century as three large halls and a mezzanine level were stylishly filled for the day with Scandinavian, American and English retro furniture, 1950's textiles, huge modernist ceiling lights, glassware and glazed pottery signed by well known 20th Century designers with prices to occasionally raise an eyebrow. This was certainly a show for those people not psychologically equipped for flea markets, car-boot sales and junk shops.

Having said that there were many things that caught my eye and tugged at my purse strings:

Retro cushions and furniture at Emma Loves Retro

Emma Glibbery has a passion for retro textiles - she loves the large scale prints and bold colours. Emma re-designs discarded curtains and clothes into bright and beautiful cushions for her label Emma Loves Retro. Mid century furniture is also available, which Emma will source to customers' requests. It was the dining chairs shown in the corner of this photo that I considered buying - very reasonably priced at just over £200 for four.

Retro inspired hand-crafted products were also on show. I particular liked the whimsical designs traditionally screen-printed onto wallpaper by Lizzie Allen. All designs are hand-printed to order by Lizzie at her London studio. The paper is sourced from managed forests and any wastage is recycled at the local mill.

I'm torn between (no pun intended) the London City Gents design and the Jazz in Cental Park design. Two of my favourite cities. It's a difficult choice.

London City Gents wallpaper by Lizzie Allen

Jazz in central park wallpaper by Lizzie Allen

Retropolitan have a wonderful collection of gorgeous glassware, post war kitsch and mid 20th Century style objects. The glassware on display was truely gorgeous: solid jewel colours as well as swirling ombre effects. My only concern was that I might drop something only to be surrounded by shards of beautifully coloured glass.

Glassware and mid 20th Century ceramics from Retropolitan.

I gingerly moved on to admire a 1960's suitcase on the same stand. Perfect for filling with retro bits and pieces that I've accumulated. It would have been a great statement bag for my college books too.

Retro suitcase from retropolitan

East End Flora

It's September. There's a definite nip in the air to remind us it's late summer here in Britain. How lovely it was to wander along Columbia Road on Sunday to see the glorious colours and florals around at this time of year.

Amazing colours!

Rows of vibrant Cyclamen

"... 3 tubs for a fiver, darlin'..."

Pretty floral print looking stylish and modern

Wow! Are these real?

Can you believe those colours?

Towering palms in a printed retro shopper. Love it!

Wonderful display.

Even the boxes are a great colour!

I couldn't resist this!

(All images by Re-Design for Life)

Standing Out In The Crowd - Brick Lane

The crowds, the sunshine, my camera and I descended upon Brick Lane on Sunday morning. Always a fascinating place for people watching, rummaging and eating.

Here are just a few of the things that caught my eye as I stuffed my face with a Japanese steamed sesame snack, a Greek spinach and cheese pie, a Swedish Planka, a glass of French rose, a fresh fruit smoothie and half a bottle of New Zealand red. I also managed to purchase a fabulous vintage print skirt - the fabric is possibly highly flammable but I can get over that for the sake of the print - and a pair of 1950's bark cloth curtains. What better way to spend a Sunday?

(All images by Re-Design for Life)

Prada-esque Prints at Portobello

So back to Friday. Portobello Market beckoned. I needed a fix. My vintage addiction was beginning to once again overwhelm me.

Lindsey Stopp's stall at Portobello.

I do enjoy my visits to Portobello. I can't deny it's character has changed considerably over the years with expensive designer boutiques and well known high-street brands opening alongside the traditional shops and market stalls. Still, it's hard to beat for a Friday morning wander. Especially at the vintage stalls, which continue to flourish beneath the Westway. The mood is laid back and friendly. And, there's always a chance of finding yourself rummaging along side a famous designer or stylist.

So what's this got to do with Prada? Well I'm just loving the prints and colours that Prada have used in their Resort 2010 collection. So imagine my excitment when I found this Prada-esque print dress on Lindsey Stopp's stall. Such a fabulous print, vibrant colour combination, key directional trend and only £20!!

This more than fulfilled my fix for the morning.

Prada Resort 2010. Style.com

Made in Clerkenwell at Craft Central

My first post and I have a confession to make: I didn't actually go to 'Made in Clerkenwell' today. I visited Craft Central last Friday...almost a week ago. Does that matter? The designs and crafts that I saw there will continue to inspire me for some time, so I think it counts as an inspiration for today.

I'm an old romantic at heart (as opposed to the new romantic I was in the Eighties) and I like anything with a link to vintage. So it may seem odd that what caught my eye on Candice Wren's stand was a basic white T.Shirt. Candice had printed it with an etched floral and butterfly design, and a hand-written note. The note was an original love letter that Candice had found in a flea market. How romantic. How inspirational.

www.candicewren.co.uk

Helen Beard creates ceramics, cards and framed watercolours. There's a lovely fluidity to her work. I especially liked the ceramics with watercolour illustrations of bathers. They really made me smile.

www.helenbeard.com

Swithbert and Louis are textile designers with a wonderful eye for mixing colour and textures. There scarves were almost too beautiful to wear. I'd use them as wall hangings.

www.swithbertandlouis.co.uk

Kate Jones designs intricate, luxury knitwear. I have to admit I've never been a knitwear wearer...I feel as if it turns me into my mother as soon as I put it on. Kate Jones's knitwear does not have that effect. This is modern, sexy knitwear. It made me want to pull out my knitting needles and cast on.

www.katejonesknitwear.com

Janet Stahelin's studio had a calm serene air. Shelves were lined with her tall slender jugs and cylinder vases. 'Torn' bowls were arranged on another shelf. All the pieces are made from porcelain and inlaid with designs from antique lace. Simply beautiful.

www.janetstahelin.co.uk

Julie Vermeille uses ink drawings and collage to create whimsical illustrations based upon folk-tales. Her hand-made books were particularly enchanting.

www.julievermeille.com