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.

French Design Forum 2015

We were lucky enough to attend the French Design Forum 2015 at Chandos House in London. The one day exhibition showcased twelve high-end French craftsmen who presented samples of their work and discussed their practice. We wanted to share with you a few of our personal favourites from the day.

These incredible alabaster creations are the work of Atelier Alain Ellouz who produce custom built architectural alabaster elements as well as light fixtures. This year Atelier Alain Ellouz were displaying their newly designed panel using a translucent alabaster plate backlight with LED lights, bringing together their two modes of work into one single frame. The grandeur of their alabaster material together with the stylish simplicity of their design gives the panels an alluring elegance.

Atelier Pierre-Yves Le Floc'h were showcasing their leather upholstery and architectural leather work. What we particularly liked about these leather pieces was the blend of both traditional and modern techniques with was echoed in their aesthetic. These pieces would suit both a modern luxury or a classic interior.

Stone and marble manufacturers Blanc Carrare also caught our eye. They use marble, granite, lava stone and semi-precious stones which really transform an interior.

Project Insight: Spada Yacht

The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.

- Jacques Cousteau -

At Devas Designs we’re always excited about taking on interesting and unique projects, especially new styles and spaces such as this Spada Yacht. It was a challenge, but we rose to it and the whole project was completed in less than three months.

Our client needed an interior that was in keeping with the yacht’s design but that would also be an environment suitable for a family with young children. 

The yacht was redecorated using plain and printed linens that established a sense of elegance and style. We also introduced hand-blocked fabrics for the cushions to bring in dashes of colour and pattern while keeping a sense of simplicity.

The master cabin followed a nautical theme with the addition of blue and white Toile de Jouy patterned cushions.

The dining cabin is equally elegant and crisp, decorated using linen and cotton fabrics in grey and blue-green hues. The silver and nickel wall lights and lamps contribute to the stylish look of the interior.

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.

Made In Britain at Sotheby's

March’s Made in Britain auction at Sotheby’s was a rather glamorous affair. Alongside artworks from renowned British artists from David Hockney to Tracey Emin, celebrity hangout The Ivy auctioned off its previous contents for charity. The Ivy is currently undergoing a complete contemporary makeover by Martin Brudnizki Design so its classic furnishings needed to find new homes. The items up for auction ranged from its iconic front doors, doormats and stained-glass windows to cloakroom tips trays, cocktail shakers and napkins.

Here are a few of our favourite pieces from the auction ...

Joe Tilson’s painting Dionysus, The Ivy and The Vine was commissioned for the restaurant in 1990. Having been a founding figure of British Pop art in the early 1960s, Tilson’s time in Italy and Greece in the 1970s-80s dramatically changed his style. He began focusing more on Classicism, taking inspiration from ancient mythology to develop his signature style. The bright colours of this painting hark back to his Pop style, while the work’s subject matter is based on Dionysus the Greek god of wine and festivity.

This unique intaglio print by Howard Hodgkin is stunningly rich in colour. It was based on a thick forest canopy and the artist worked over the intaglio print to achieve a richly layered effect.

Future System’s pair of champagne buckets on stands and designed to appear like oversize champagne glasses. Intriguingly, their otherworldly form was instructed by the optimum angle of the bottle lying in ice.

Some pieces from London based glass artist Anthony Stern were also up for auction. Stern was commissioned to make a collection of glasses for the restaurant. These coloured glasses were intended to echo the restaurant’s diamond shaped window panes.