Tokyo’s Hidden Gems: Art, Culture, and Treasure Troves for Artists
Everyone knows Tokyo for its bright lights and bustling cityscapes, but beyond the well-trodden tourist paths lies a quieter, more intimate side of the city, brimming with unexpected discoveries. On my recent first-time trip to Japan, I ventured away from the main...
Is it Always Sunday Afternoon in Helsinki? (Part 2: A Treasure Trove of Vintage Finds)
Helsinki Vintage Shopping Guide — Sustainable Finds and Unique Treasures If you read my previous post about Helsinki’s quirky cultural gems and must-visit museums, you’ll know this city is full of surprises. But no Helsinki trip is complete without some retail therapy...
When it’s grey outside…
... I add colour inside, and as my kitchen is the first place I go to every morning, it needs to be particularly bright. A combination of "The driving lesson" on the main wall, cupboards with turquoise doors and a table cover with a profusion of red flowers keeps me...
Maximalist
I love pattern, as those of you familiar with my work may have noticed. Recently I have been playing with decoupage, and used this technique to add a touch of colour to a couple of chairs I found in a skip some years ago. I think they fit in well with my "maximalist"...
Oh we do love to be beside the seaside
A short while ago I visited the Turner Contemporary for the first time - a stunning interior full of art and flooded with coastal light. It's the perfect setting for "Atmosphere", the Edmund de Waal exhibition which runs until February 2015. And even if the British...
What’s inside your head?
I often use images of phrenology heads in my work so I was delighted to discover this rather fabulous one at an exhibition called "An idiosyncratic A to Z of the human condition", on at the Wellcome Collection until 12 October and well worth seeing. Many other...
Touched by magic
I spent a couple of enchanting hours at the workshop-cum-showroom of talented designer Celedonio Lohidoy on a recent visit to Argentina. Everything Celedonio makes is touched by magic, and this magic is transferred to whoever is...