Orange Tree Cottage

My first design assignment since arriving in Christchurch is something I'm very excited about. I have been asked by a local fashion label to create a scheme for their new retail premises here in the city. Since the destruction of the Sailor Spy workroom in the February earthquake, designer Ninotchka McKay has been working from home. Not an easy task, I can tell you.

However, she recently signed the lease on a two bedroom house which she plans to convert into both her work space - which clientele can visit - and a retail outlet where her garments will be available all year round!

I was very excited to be asked to help out on this project and immediately began pinning ideas onto Nin's project board on Pinterest.

She gave me a short brief, including her visions of merging soft colours with industrial fixtures and fittings and the creation of a space in which the garments were allowed to shine.

The space, once a living room, has lovely high ceilings, sturdy wooden doors and built in cupboard space either side of a Victorian looking fireplace. The cupboards are painted duck egg blue and we chose this colour as a starting point for our scheme. I then took inspiration from the orange and lemon trees growing in the cobbled yard (hence the name of business!) and added coral and lemon as accent colours.

There were so many curious objects and little bits of the place's history lying about when we first got into the site that I really wanted to try and re-use and incorporate as many of these found elements as possible. I'm a big believer that buildings have a story to tell and a space should be made to reflect the features and character already existing in a property. 

We found a few healthy looking pallets in the yard and I have tried to incorporate use of these into my scheme. For example, we are thinking of making a pallet chandelier to act as a centre piece for the room and pallet stools placed at different heights to be used as alternate shelving and hanging space.

I also wanted the space to say something about the label too, without going too nautical or obvious. For this reason, I have designed a driftwood and rope clothing rail with other driftwood hangers placed around the room for highlighting garments as 'gallery pieces'.

Here are some images that I found most inspiring:

Nature & Textiles

Magnolia

Marimekko's 'Keisarinna' Print

Fernbird

Ingrid Anderson 'Fernbird' Print

Rata

 

Leanne Culy 'Rata' Print

 Many textile designers take their inspiration from nature. Flora and Fauna is a timeless trend. It has been seen in textiles and homeware since the beginning of time and doesn't look like it's going out of fashion any time soon (thank goodness)!

Since William Woolf Consultancy moved premises to New Zealand, I have become increasingly aware of how much what grows in our green spaces creeps into our homes. Kiwi's love their surroundings and it really shows. Kiwiana textile designers, such as Ingrid Anderson and Leanne Culy, incorporate many elements of the natural world into their work, from birds like Tuis and Fernbirds to plant-life such as Pohutukawas and Kakabeak flowers.

The examples above are some of my favourite nature inspired textiles.

'Keisarinna' fabric: available by the metre from Bolt of Cloth

Fernbird cushion: Bolt of Cloth

Rata cushion: Homebase Collections

Hooped

Artwork by April Alayne

Wall Art by Mommy is Coocoo

By the very talented Stephanie Kelly

My favourite trend right now is Embroidery Hoop Wall Art. It is a simple and fantastic way to add colour and interest to a room. And an inexpensive way to decorate your walls! The best thing about hoops is you can do them yourself. Any good craft shop or even fabric store will sell embroidery hoops and you can fill them with fabric you might already have stashed away somewhere. If you're a stitcher, adding embroidery, buttons or words will make an even bigger statement. If not, you can make your hoops really stand out by buying a patterned fabric with retro emblems like cowboys or owls and centre this in your hoop.

Sophisticated Dining Space

My client wanted to convert their existing playroom into a sophisticated adult dining area to encourage the sale of their house. These are some images I put together to provide some inspiration on the theme. They wanted neutral, light and airy colours with quality finishes.

A Taste of the Savannah

These Savannah Story Busts at Anthropologie are really in keeping with the current trend for stag head displays. A good idea for jewellery display in the bedroom too! Or alteratively, if you're feeling adventurous, make your own with papier mache!

Pimp Your Plants

Just came across these fab kitsch planters on Pinterest, by the very clever Plaid Pidgeon. A brilliant way to brighten up your kitchen window and add a little humour to your home.

Plate Wall Art

I am a massive fan of hanging plates in interesting arrangements as beautiful wall art. It is becoming a major trend, with vintage plates being in high demand now in markets and second-hand shops. One artist who has found a great way to reinvent and update retro plates is Odd One Out. These unique pieces would look great hung on their own, or even better in a cluster over an good slouchy armchair or as a quirky statement piece placed around a corner or doorway.

William...meet Wiley.

Wiley Wolf Necklace by ShhbySadie

Here at William Woolf, we love everything wolfy themed. One day when Willie was out hunting for inspiration, he came across Wiley the Wolf, a beautiful necklace handmade in Wellington by designer Shh by Sadie...and he fell in love. We hope, one day, William and Wiley will meet...and live happily ever after.

Welcome to William Woolf.

BannerLUV

Welcome one and all to my new page! 

Upon completion of my diploma in Interior Design, this will be my next project: a fledgling design consultancy business, William Woolf. You can keep up to date with the progress of this venture, along with the latest trends in home decor, things that inspire me and hints on how to spice up your home.