Remember Tord Boontje's garland light? It was hugely popular a few years ago, when every design-conscious abode seemed to feature a bare lightbulb cloaked in Boontje's etched metal tendrils. He's currently Head of Product Design at the Royal College of Art, and this new bird and flower charm necklace, £35, is available to pre-order from the V&A Museum.
The wonderful Walking in my Mind exhibition at the Hayward Gallery closes on Sunday, so you might like to take advantage of tonight's late night opening (until 10pm) to check it out.
Yayoi Kusama's lifelong obsession with polka-dots is realised on a grand scale at the Hayward, with giant blow-up sculptures taking over one room and spilling out on to the sunny terrace. The red and white globules are dotted around the hyper-real green astroturf like super-sized ladybirds. Such a brilliant view (and an exceptionally nice place to park yourself for a bit of a gallery break)!
But most delightful, perhaps, is the sight of Yayoi's polka-dot emblazoned trees, lining the promenade along Southbank like a joyously infectious pox.
I was also excited to see Yoshitomo Nara's little shed/bedroom/drawing room in all its creepy-kawaii-cuteness. It was a fascinating and voyeuristic insight into his world of sweet-and-sinister characters - not to mention an opportunity to peek at his awesome collection of kitsch figurines.
The other artists in the exhibition include Charles Avery, Thomas Hirschhorn, Bo Christian Larsson, Mark Manders, Jason Rhoades, Pipilotti Rist, Chiharu Shiota and Keith Tyson.
Yoshitomo Nara My Drawing Room 2008, bedroom, (2009 installation), copyright the artist. Photography by Roger Wooldridge. Courtesy of The Hayward Gallery, 200
The glorious gardens of Sissinghurst Castle, home to Vita Sackville West and her husband Harold Nicolson, was perhaps the highlight of our weekend in Kent (which I’ve somehow managed to string into a week of posts). It was thrilling to walk around the sprawling 400 acre estate she had designed and created, with its pockets of themed colour (@LibertyLdnGirl had recommended the stunning white garden) and texture.
I adored climbing the tower, peeking inside Vita’s study and admiring her mother’s coloured glass collection…
Tips from the Twitterati: LibertyLdnGirl suggested heading to the “blissful” Three Chimney’s pub just down the road, and MaggieA recommended getting there late to avoid crowds (done and done, thank you!).
I also couldn’t resist a visit to the extensive National Trust shop on site (whoever is their buyer does an extremely good job), which stocks a good selection of gardening gifts and books as well as works by Vita and Virginia Woolf. I’m really loving the simple but effective cover design of these Vintage Classics:
The former home of Victorian actress Dame Ellen Terry, this 16th-century cottage features marvellously wonky floorboards as well as a startling array of theatre memorabilia that Terry had fastidiously collected in true magpie-style over her lifetime. Truly a woman after my own heart!
The old theatre costumes and props were fascinating, but I really loved
looking at her more personal items, like the meticulous sewing kit she
kept as well as her dressing table, laid out with trinkets and hair
brushes.
The English cottage garden was also a delight, with big, old-fashioned roses and an orchard out the back. Don't miss the small National Trust second-hand book stall in the garden - I stumbled upon some excellent vintage Ladybird and wildlife books.
Smallhythe Place
Smallhythe, Tenterden Kent TN30 7NG
Tel. 01580 762334
