From My Radar to Yours: What’s new in interiors

I have been meaning to start a regular news page for ages. In the absence of time to create a proper newsletter, I thought I would start a monthly round up here which will be mostly press releases and information that you might find useful – you can bookmark these pages – but also interesting features that have caught my eye. So here, in no particular order, are nine things I think you might like to know about.

1 In response to, well, you know, all this, the British manufacturing firm Bisley has just launched a new range of desks which have gone from in-house design to production in Wales in just six months in response to the lockdown. The Belong range includes the outline desk (pictured) which starts at £179 and you can build up with other pieces and a box desk that you fix to the wall and can fold up when not needed.

2 This might be useful to know; Ikea is launching a buy back scheme and will offer vouchers worth up to 50 per cent of the original price to be spent at its stores (depending on the condition of the returned item.The scheme will launch to coincide with Black Friday on 27 November. “By making sustainable living more simple and accessible, Ikea hopes that the initiative will help its customers take a stand against excessive consumption this Black Friday and in the years to come,” said a spokesperson for the company. You can return pieces fully assembled. As new will get 50 per cent, good condition with minor scratches 40 per cent and well-used 30 per cent. 

3 Paint news now and first up Ca Pietra, creators of some of the most gorgeous tiles, have launched a paint range. Proper Good Paint is non toxic and eco-friendly and has 35 colours which are proper lovely actually, including this soft yellow as well as muted greens, pink and burgundys and soft blues and greys.

4 Staying with paint and eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that last week I mentioned the new All Surfaces Primer by Little Greene and not to be outdone, their sister company The Paint & Paper Library has launched Architects’ ASP, and specifically included plastics on the surfaces it will adhere to, as well as Architect’s Satinwood. It was so new at the time of writing that it wasn’t on the site but it is due to launch this week so keep an eye out. Below is an image from the new satinwood range.

5 Now I have found this fascinating: Kemi of CottageNoir on instagram has been running a series on African interior design on Instagram as part of black history month. She calls it a History of Black Interior Design from 3,000 BC to tomorrow and all the stories and pictures are saved in her highlights. In a post introducing the idea she said:  “I decided to do this after happening upon a huuugggge volume called ‘The History of Interior Design’ at the in-laws. I was shocked that, in this book on the history of global interiors from 25,000BC to date, there was nothing on Black Africa and on black people… So I’m curating these stories – the ones so far are all saved on my highlights and I will continue to save them there. We have had homes from Lenny Kravitz to Madame CJ Walker.” Kemi also runs a lifestyle store called The Cornrow.

6 Russell Pinch and his wife Oona Bannon, have been creating beautifully understated furniture since 2004. Every Pinch Design piece celebrates craftsmanship and style and, in their words, aspires to be inherited. Their latest is the Pendel sofa which is compact (perfect for small spaces or a sitting area in a small office) and has a pocket sprung seat, which is designed to last – no sagging here. Prices start at £2,800.

7 Talking of sofas takes me to cushions and I want to introduce you to Osime Home by June Ileomoh who
has a passion for textiles, colour and patterns. And if you don’t need any cushions then her colourful face masks are just the thing for a dreary lockdown winter.

8 Rolling on with the tenuous links and Pooky Lighting (one of the first to sign our Design for Diversity pledge by the way) have launched a new chandelier and a collection of lampshades with the designer Matthew Williamson (whose newly decorated London flat will soon be making an appearance on the podcast so look out for that.

9 Finally clever interiors blogger and DIY genius, Melanie Lissack, whose gorgeous house has featured on these pages before, created a brilliantly topical pumpkin display on her doorstep for Halloween. Do read her blog it’s a mine of information and ideas.

Was that useful? Let me know and I’ll start gathering information for the next one in a month.