At the beginning of February I had the opportunity to visit the Spring Fair at the NEC with an Interior Designer based in Henley-on-Thames, Niki Schäfer. It was a great chance to see some of the latest trends in interior design and to get an insight into Niki's fabulous work. I have always had a… Continue reading Spring Fair 2020 at the NEC
Mary Quant at the V&A
gilhoolie is definitely getting out lots this month which is great for the soul! I think now my kids are older and more independent I'm realising I have a lot more freedom to go into London for inspiration; it's only 30 minutes away after all and there's so much to see and do on my… Continue reading Mary Quant at the V&A
Top Drawer 2020 – Jewellery & Ceramics
This is the last of my Top Drawer roundups, phew! Just a few more of the lovely items that stood out for me at Top Drawer London a couple of weeks ago. Top Drawer is really an event for wholesalers but it's also great to go and have a look around for inspiration, I'd definitely… Continue reading Top Drawer 2020 – Jewellery & Ceramics
Top Drawer 2020 – Art
As promised last week, below are some of the artists that stood out for me at Top Drawer 2020. I obviously love drawing flowers and buildings myself so I was very drawn to these particular prints. You can take a look at the artists yourself, by following the links below. Enjoy! From left to right:… Continue reading Top Drawer 2020 – Art
Top Drawer 2020 – Homewares
Top Drawer 2020 at Olympia London this week was a feast for the senses; with over 1500 global brands and new designers. From homewares to gifts to fashion, craft and food, there was something for everyone. I came away with a notebook full of scribbles and a pile of postcards and business cards from my… Continue reading Top Drawer 2020 – Homewares
gilhoolie loves… botanical prints
I'm really loving all the botanical print wallpapers and fabrics available at the moment and I'm thinking about using some to freshen up our living room curtains. Coincidentally, I have also been working on some floral illustrations to liven up my website so look out for those soon. Here are my favourites. You can see… Continue reading gilhoolie loves… botanical prints
Handmade Chelsea 2019
Last weekend I took time out to visit Handmade Chelsea with a friend. Great excuse to get into London on a rainy Saturday afternoon, and the perfect opportunity to take a mooch in the shops on the King's Road afterwards. Time was limited but we managed to stop off at The Conran Shop, Anthropologie, Designers… Continue reading Handmade Chelsea 2019
Everyone loves a tapered drum…
Tapered drum lampshades have been very popular at gilhoolie lately. Either restoration of an existing lampshade (as it's hard to find a replacement of the same dimensions) or made from scratch using a template. I particularly like restoring a client's tapered drum lampshade - it's always a happy feeling when I roll it along the… Continue reading Everyone loves a tapered drum…
Harris Tweed lampshades…
I have always loved Harris Tweed so was delighted when a client in Birmingham asked me to use some to make two very big and two small lampshades to fit bases they had purchased from Loaf.com. The fabric is about as thick as you'd want to go for a lampshade (you really need to consider… Continue reading Harris Tweed lampshades…
Map lampshades…
I'm at home with Arthur puppy today (just a bit poorly after a minor op). So I have finished off some lampshades for clients, but otherwise I plan to generally take it easy myself too (which is very rare!) I feel very lucky that I have the flexibility to be able to do what I… Continue reading Map lampshades…
