'Made in Britain' // Sotheby's

We had a difficult decision choosing just a few of our favourites, but take a look at some of our highlights and let us know what caught your eye!

Howard Hodgkin’s work always catches our eye for its expressive colouring. The work below, entitled Moonlight (1980) is a beautiful lithograph printed in colours with additional hand-colouring. Hodgkin is one of Britain’s most important printmakers and painters and his bold style is completely captivating. Since the 1970s expressive patterning has dominated his work, combining printmaking techniques, bold brushstrokes and bright daubs of paint to produce punchy abstract works that would instantly enliven a room.

There is a finely balanced tension that we find interesting in Victor Pasmore’s work; the balance of saturated colour and fine black strikes. We were drawn to this piece entitled Senza Titolo (1991) for its unified hue. A work like this can really inform a colour scheme if you are designing a new interior, or help to tie together an existing colour scheme. We are inspired by works of art and their expressive colours and often use them as starting points for a new project’s colour scheme.

There was also a fantastic selection of ceramics on sale. The four pouring vessels by Rupert Spira, below left, are beautifully elegant in their shape and blue glaze. We were also drawn to the ceramic pieces on sale by Lucie Rie. The footed bowl, below centre, has a beautiful matt blue glaze and bronzed rim. On sale were also ceramics from one of Britain’s most respected and influential potters, Bernard Leach. The fluted bowl, below right, is made from porcelain with a celadon glaze. Its size, form and neutral glaze give it a sense of timeless elegance that would sit beautifully in either a modern or classic home.

We were also struck by the painting on sale by Mary Fedden. Fedden’s work is characterised by her use of bold, often contrasting, expressive colours. The vivid colours in the painted still life, below, left, with reds, purples and greens would really bright a vibrant splash of colour to a neutral room. We often enjoy pairing vibrant works of art with interiors that have muted colour schemes, and tie it in with details like cushions that work with the colours.

With the Tate’s major retrospective on this month, we were also looking out for works by Barbara Hepworth. The lithograph printed in black and yellow, below left, is beautifully harmonious and would perfectly compliment an interior with a muted and subtle colour scheme. The screen print, below right, by Ben Nicholson has been printed on woven silk. The delicate quality of the material blends beautifully with his subtle and sensitive colour scheme. Whether your interior is modern or classic, works of art that are elegant and subtle like this piece can really add charm to your home.

Christie's Interiors August 2015

Christie’s South Kensington is celebrating its 40th year with talks and events. This week we attended the Christie’s Interiors August auction and a talk on The Art of Interior Design with some great speakers including James McWhirter and Sarah Morris of McWhirter Morris.

We visit as many art, antiques and designs fairs as we can and are always on the lookout for unique pieces. Here are some of our favourite pieces from Christie’s Interiors August auction – the auction is on August 18th so do pop along to take a look at what’s on sale.

Alongside items of furniture are a stunning selection of 20th and 21st Century paintings. The work of Polish painter Zdzislaw Ruszkowski (1907-1991) particularly caught our eye. During the 1930s Ruszowski moved to France where he discovered the work of Cezanne and was hugely inspired by his colouring and Post-Impressionistic approach. There is a beautiful and sensitive lyricism in Ruszowski’s work, aided by his playful yet harmonious colour schemes.

We were also intrigued by these coloured chalk drawings by John Golding. The colour scheme, with subtle hints and richer tones could provide the perfect inspiration for an interior’s colour scheme. This is a great example of how one piece, like a work of art, can really influence and dictate your interior design choices.

 

Masterpiece London 2015 // Part II

Masterpiece is one of our favourite fairs. In our last blog post we showcased the pieces of jewellery and furniture that caught our eye at Masterpiece Fair 2015 in London. This time, we wanted to show you the beautiful works of art that shone our for us at the fair.

We always keep an eye out for artworks that could really help compliment an interior. We source artworks and furniture not only as part of a project but also as a one-off for clients so we're always keen to seek out new pieces on the market. If an artwork really captures your attention you can even use it's colouring as a starting point for your colour scheme, or use it to suit an existing palette to really help tie in your interior's colour scheme.

We are frequently drawn to paintings by Ivon Hitchens, so were drawn to Christopher Kingzett's stand who had several on display. Their tonality and semi-abstract nature can so perfectly compliment either a new or existing colour scheme, adding character and charm without dominating the space.

Philip Mould & Company also had a selection of works of art, as usual. They focus on British art and the Old Masters. They had several works by Welsh painter Augustus John. As well as being a painter, John was a draughtsman and etcher and is known for his portraiture work. For a brief period he worked in a post-impressionist style, which remained influential to his style although returning to a more classical approach. It is his beautiful and elegant sense of light and colour that appeals to us. He often sticks to a relatively close hued colour palette which means, if chosen well, his paintings can provide a harmony with an interior's existing colour scheme.

Masterpiece London 2015 // Part I

Masterpiece is one of London's stand-out Art & Antiques fairs. There were over 150 exhibitors with items on display that span 4,000 years of art and design history at this year's fair.

Did you visit Masterpiece this year? Let us know what items caught your eye.

Alongside antique furniture and works of art there were some pieces of jewellery on display. One exhibitor that really caught our attention was Veronique Bamps. Veronique has devoted herself to collecting European and American jewellery dating from the 19th Century to the 1950s. She had on display some classic pieces from renowned designers… take a look at the brooch below from 1966, platinum set with brilliant cut and baguette diamonds.

88-Gallery had some fantastic pieces of furniture and lighting on display. They are based between London, Belgium, Paris and Hong Kong so are able to source top pieces from across Europe and outside, particularly from France, Belgium and Italy. They had a selection of cabinets stunningly decorated with vibrant turquoise.

Another striking piece of furniture to catch our eye was this console table by Irish designer Joseph Walsh made from Olive Ash and glass on display from Peter Petrou. The piece is beautifully hand crafted in his studio in Cork and comes from his famous 'Enignum' series. He is inspired by his wild coastal surroundings in Ireland, the landscape he grew up with. He manipulates and bends the wood as far as he can, allowing its natural curves to come through creating undulating and sinuous forms that flow through each other. A console table like this would be a spectacular centre piece in a sitting room, especially in a country or coastal home where it could reflect its natural surroundings.

Art Antiques London 2015 Fair

We visited Art Antiques London 2015. On display were some amazing pieces from artworks, ceramics and jewellery to rare books, textiles and furniture. We loved the variety of the exhibits as well as the insightful lecture programme with experts travelling to share their knowledge.

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As always though, we were drawn to some very specific pieces – here’s a selection of our favourite pieces from the fair.

We were really struck by this unique piece on display at Christopher Buck Antiques. This French walnut shell-shaped stool (c.1860) most likely served as a stool for a harp of cello. The piece features a carved shell shaped seat on a triple leg cariole stand.

We are always looking out for artworks that can be incorporated into our clients interiors. The Canon Gallery had a display of modern paintings and we loved this red chalk and pencil drawing by Sir Edward Burne-Jones. The drawing stood out for us as it is a study for Andromeda, a popular female subject for Burne-Jones.

Another art dealer that we are always keen to follow is Anthony Hepworth Fine Art, so we headed straight for their display. This piece by Colin Bishop (below left) for example could play into an interior with blue, grey and green hues. This work by renowned British artist Graham Sutherland (below right) takes a more figurative approach and could beautifully contribute to both a subdued interior and modern collection. They also had some works by Ivon Hitchens, a personal favourite of ours for his subtle tonality and colours.

 

The Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair 2015

As well as incorporating existing collections to your interior, Devas Designs also specialises in sourcing and buying new items for clients. We source works of art, furniture and paintings that work for your space and tie in with your existing pieces helping you to create timeless and unique interiors.

We're lucky enough to have access to events and special previews of art exhibitions and auctions. The longstanding relationships we have with dealers who notify us of recent acquisitions means that we are able to view items items before most and respond quickly to dealer recommendations.

Last week we attended The Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair in Battersea Park. On display were some real statement pieces from the 17th Century to 20th Century including furniture, lighting, mirrors and silver. Take a look at some of our favourite pieces from the fair.

This light (below left) from The Trading Room really was a standout centrepiece and caught our attention as soon as we arrived. Hilary Batstone's display featured elegant and chic pieces including both furniture and decorative items. The French Verdigris wall sconces (below right) had a timeless elegance that would suit both a modern and traditional interior.

Magus Antiques had an interesting display with pieces sourced from across Europe. We particularly liked the white painted French cabinet (below left) which comes as a pair, their purity and elegance gives them versatility. Another French pair caught our eye - these painted fauteuil chairs (below right) from Brownrigg. They have been recently upholstered in neutral fabric and together with their traditional style have a sense of classic gracefulness

Again French glamour captured our attention! This French mid 20th Century side Table (below left) on display from James Worrall looks elegant as a standalone piece.

Springtime Inspiration

Spring is the time of plans and projects

- Leo Tolstoy -

With Spring in the air we wanted to share an insider peak into a Devas Designs' project in London. The upstairs drawing room is centred around a colour palette of pastel blues, greens and greys … the perfect colours for a Springtime mood board. 

For this room’s colour scheme Philippa took inspiration from this unusually pale coloured Ziegler carpet. Its pastel tones with hints of earthy red and green instantly caught Philippa’s eye.  With these colours in mind we chose an eclectic selection of cushions that each have their own character whilst following these same colours.

The two terrace windows provide a beautiful, fresh light throughout the day, which perfectly harmonises with the pastel tones. We kept the curtains simple, choosing white linen to maximise the light. The walls were painted with an off-white so that the light softly reflected back onto itself.

Devas Designs loves incorporating antique pieces into modern interiors, especially when they tie in with the colour palette. This green decorated jug is an antique Staffordshire piece. The sea shelled table top was initially a single frame artwork which was later turned into this table.

The room also features several paintings including works by Tim Woolcock and Edward Seago.