Design & style

Cool shower curtains by artists

Until now the humble shower curtain seems to have been overlooked by designers but a clever American company called Deny have transformed artists’ illustrations into a wide range of home accessories such as shower curtains, duvet covers, cushions and coasters. The shower curtains aren’t cheap, averaging around $100 each, but it’s not every day your coasters can match your shower curtain.

Plans to restore Coco Chanel’s highland retreat approved

Back in 2012 we ran a feature about proposals to turns the highland retreat shared by Coco Chanel and Hugh Grosvenor, the 2nd Duke of Westminster into a chic boutique hotel: those plans have now been approved by Highland Council. Empty for more than 60 years, Rosehall Estate near Lairg in Sutherland, will now be fully restored under a project to be managed by Bell Ingram Design. The 20 room Georgian mansion

Amangiri, Utah – the ultimate in canyon cool

Get a load of this place! Amangiri is a super luxurious resort nestling in a desert canyon in Southern Utah near the Arizona border. It’s stunningly designed, difficult to get to, hugely expensive… and it’s never going to happen is it?                              

Cool illustrations from the 1960s

It’s hard to believe that illustration can look so different from one decade to the next but here are some great examples from the 1960s.  There are a few illustrators names who were obviously the favourites with the editors of the women’s magazines who commissioned them; Jac Mars, Eric Earnshaw, Frank Haseler, Whittlesea and Coby Whitmore amongst others. Via Voices of East Anglia.

Jill Calder illustrates the story of Robert the Bruce

With the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn being commemorated this year, a stunning new telling of the Robert the Bruce story has been produced by Edinburgh based publishers Birlinn Books. With text by award winning author James Robertson the book has been illustrated by Scotland’s finest Jill Calder. Jill spent a year working on the illustrations for this book, producing over 174 large sheets of ink drawings and lettering

Loux, The Vintage Guru of Namibia and retro African style

Loux, (above, pictured above) the vintage style guru of Namibia buys clothes at markets in Windhoek in Namibia and Pretoria in South Africa and adapts them to create what he decribes as a ‘sophisticated punk’ look – all his outfits are recorded on his tumblr . With no formal college qualifications in fashion he’s learned from local tailors in Namibia. He’s hooked up with Khumbala, a group of stylists based

Oh the places you will go: hand painted globes by Wendy Gold

American artist Wendy Gold first gained notoriety decoupaging toilet seats. Always looking for new inspiration, she stumbled across a beautiful antique globe at a flea market and immediately recognised her next canvas.  The globes start at £280 which is not cheap but they would make wonderful Christening or wedding presents. More affordable are her maps (bottom) which start at £85. Check out Wendy’s work here.              

First Ever Create in Fife Awards is sparkling success

When Cellardyke-based jewellery maker, Kirsty Thomas, collaborated with international interiors company Formica she wasn’t to know then it would lead to a Create in Fife Award. Then again, 2013 was the launch of the first ever Create in Fife Awards and on Wednesday 13 November Kirsty, of Lovely Pigeon collected her award beside three other delighted winners. In fact, the diversity of the winners was notable in itself: a new