Dearest birdies,Big kisses to the lovely Pip at Meet me at Mikes for inviting me to join in on "Best of British" week. I'm off to a bit of a late start because I'm in the middle of moving house (goodbye East London, hello South-East London) but I'll get the ball rolling with one of my favourite Etsy sellers, Karen Hilton.
Karen's vibrant Brit-themed cushions are an Anglophile's dream, and they've been getting a whole lot of attention on Etsy. The cushions are individually handmade, using thick natural cotton drill fabric and high-quality felted wool.
I especially love her Queen Elizabeth postage stamp range, which create quite the riotous Britpop display with a bunch of Union Jack cushions thrown in.
Later this week ... crumpets, cream tea and Cowshed.
Just found this v. cool mixtape application via Meet Me At Mikes (via Orange You Lucky). I'm in heaven!
So this first mixtape is kinda inspired by the crazy spring weather we had over the weekend in London (balmy Friday night/chilly Saturday night/snowy Sunday morning/sunshiny Sunday arvo/freezing Sunday night).
And it's also a rather convenient excuse for me to broadcast Stuart Murdoch's heart-achingly beautiful version of "Here Comes the Sun". Enjoy.
Birds of Prey wooden pin (Big Bopper), US$15, from Giant Robot.
I'm a big fan of The Small Stakes, a very cool independent design studio run by Jason Munn, which specialises in screen-printed music posters. I really love his simple design and his three-colour prints for bands like The Flaming Lips, Yo La Tengo and Deerhoof.
Best of all, the limited edition hand-printed posters combine my love for beautiful design with some of my favourite bands. I bought the Teenage Fanclub print a few years ago and was very impressed by the quality - especially for the extremely reasonable price of US$25.
Lovely, huh? He's just added some new prints to his website, so check them out. Just remember that they're all limited editions and will sell out before too long.
W2 are the London-based design team behind the clever Pantone mugs (oh, how I desire one in every colour) and they're also the the official licensees of English Heritage, who are responsible for the iconic blue plaques posted on buildings around the capital. The plaques mark the historic home or working place of a Very Important Londoner (VIL).
Blue plaque tea towel, £6, by W2.
The girls at W2 have produced a fabulous collection of Blue Plaque tea-towels and fine bone china mugs, which includes such VILs as Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst, Enid Blyton, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Sigmund Freud and Karl Marx. I only have one question: is it an oxymoron to hanker after the suffragette Pankhurst women tea-towel as well as the Enid Blyton?
W2 shop
www.w2products.com
1.22 Oxo Tower Wharf
Barge House Street
London SE1 9PH
Tel. 020 7922 1444
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Opening hours:
Monday to Saturday 10am -6pm
Nearest tubes: Waterloo and Southwark
Q: I’m currently planning a trip to London in June and although I have been to London a few times (and lived there for a year in college and attended the LSE), I’m checking your blog for the new and fun. This trip won’t afford me much time for shopping because I’m travelling with my boyfriend and two of our teenage nephews, but I do plan to skip the Royal Artillery Museum for a bit of shopping.
I am planning to focus on the W1 area (Do Shop, Liberty, Mint, Contemporary Applied Arts Gallery), and would love any additional suggestions for home décor stores in that area. Thanks! - Lisa, Phoenix, Arizona.
Hi Lisa,
Wow, travelling with two teenage boys – you’ve certainly got your work cut out for you. But in terms of interiors shopping in the W1 area, you’re off to an excellent start with Do, Liberty, Mint and the CAA shop. Here are some others to add to your must-see list:
Lifestyle Bazaar
A relative newcomer to Carnaby Street’s shopping area, Lifestyle Bazaar specialises in design-led products sourced from around the world. And thanks to its French owners, it has a plethora of Gallic design, including Atelier LZC’s vibrant homewares collection (think birds and flowers), Jean Luc Le Deun’s innovative lighting and Leonor Mataillet’s gorgeous print cushions. There’s also a great line-up of British designers including Michelle Mason (retro-style organic prints and china egg candlesticks), Soop Groop’s homewares with humour (check out their ready-meal plates) and W2’s innovative London-icon range (I love their English Heritage blue-plaque collection).
10 Newburgh Street
London W1F7RN
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Skandium
Quite literally, Scandi-cool heaven. Skandium is the ultimate shopping destination for Scandinavian design, with an impressive line-up of furniture, lighting, glassware, ceramics, textiles, kitchenware and books. It has two stores in London, one of which is located on Marylebone High Street in W1 (an excellent street for shopping and eating), as well as the Marimekko concept store on St Christopher’s Place.
86 Marylebone High Street
London W1U 4QS
Nearest tube: Bond Street
Marimekko
16-17 St Christopher's Place
London W1U 1NZ
Nearest tube: Bond Street
Heal’s
A traditional British homewares brand, Heal’s Tottenham Court Road flagship store has been operating since 1840. They stock a range of brands and designers including Clarissa Hulse and Sophie Conran, as well as their own classic brand of homewares. Keep an eye out for the Heal’s Discovers Designers range, which features new products by up-and-coming designers including Sam Aloof (gorgeous scented candle range), Royal College of Art graduate Ella Smith (graphic rugs and cushions) and Jessica Haigh (quirky knitted cushion covers).
196 Tottenham Court Road
London W1
Nearest tube: Goodge St
Habitat
Classic design and homewares mecca. Check out new Spring/Summer products such as the vibrant Sadie drinkware range (£9 for jug), the Zen-like Utopian melamine picnicware range (starting at £2 for a beaker), and Hus Mosaffar’s delicate porcelain teacup tealight holder (£5).
196-199 Tottenham Court Road (next door to Heal’s)
London W1T 7PJ
Nearest tube: Goodge Street
121-123 Regent Street
London W1
Nearest tubes: Piccadilly and Oxford Circus
John Lewis
OK, so it’s a predictable and middle-of-the-road department store, but their homewares section is well worth checking out. I like their extensive collection of bed linen (although coming from the States, you’ve got much better –and waaay more affordable – options over there).
John Lewis
Oxford Street
London W1A 1EX
Nearest tubes: Oxford Circus and Bond Street
Also, don’t miss Muji for their minimalist and understated range of homewares (head downstairs at the Carnaby Street store) and Beyond the Valley for quirky design pieces like cuddly cloud cushions, laser-cut decorative mirrors and Jake Phipps’ Jeeves Hat Light.
Muji
41 Carnaby Street
London W1V 1PD
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Beyond the Valley
2 Newburgh Street
London W1
Nearest tube: Oxford Circus
Click here for a Wee Birdy map.
Beyond the Valley
As for your teenage nephews (I'm thinking 13 or 14?), I’m sure you’ve already got that side of things sorted, but may I suggest the Tower of London, London Walks’ Jack the Ripper walk, the Ancient Egyptian mummy room at The British Museum (they’ll freak at the mummified cats), and the Doctor Who exhibition at Earl
's Court Exhibition Centre.
If all else fails, the awesome Apple store on Regent Street should keep them occupied while you duck across the road to check out Liberty. Oh, and icecream. Try the legendary Knickerbocker Glory at Fortnum & Mason or go for one of the more spectacular sundaes (impressive in terms of size and scale) at the Harrods Ice Cream Parlour.
A wee birdy (ahem, lovely Jess from Cult Beauty) told me that Mister Rob "heavenly paper-cuts artist" Ryan and Tatty "legendary acrylic jewellery designers" Devine have recently joined creative forces for a limited edition jewellery range.
Stay tuned for a first peek at the Tatty Devine pieces, which are based on prevalent themes (think whimsical birds, plants, flowers and folk) from Rob's work. Apparently one of the most special pieces is a heart-shaped piece of jewellery which can be custom-made to feature your top ten favourite things. Not exactly sure how that works but it sounds magical.
I can't think of a better creative collaboration - Tatty Devine will no doubt replicate the exquisite detail in Rob's artwork and infuse the pieces with their trademark pop-fantastic vibrant hues.
Rob is also exhibiting his paper cuts at the Tatty Devine gallery space in Brick Lane, including three or four giant paper cuts.
The jewellery and paper cuts will be available from 24 April at Tatty Devine.
Tatty Devine's cult-classic plectrum charm bracelet, £36.
Fifties birdcage pillow, US$20, from Olive’s Etsy shop.
