Existing Floor Plans

These won't be to scale on this blog, however here are the floor plans drawn to scale in Vectorworks.  The scale is 1:20, printed on A3 paper.  This should give a better idea of the proportions of the room.

Drawing Room

Bedroom and Bathroom

Kitchen (with stairs and porch)

Simple Elements of Nature

Wallpapering an entire wall can create a permanent feature.  In this post I will be looking at simpler ways to add an element of the outside.

(Homeklondike n.d.)

The blind adds a subtle reference to the outside using cool natural shades.  I really like the use of the blind with the contrasting fabric curtains as it gives the window more depth.  This is something that I would like to develop and start looking at mixing my own fabrics to give an idea of this look.

(Shabby Chic, 2008)

These wallpaper-style chinoiserie tiles from Fired Earth are no longer in stock but I would be very interested to see if any other companies do something similar.  I think the use of the tiles are very effective here, and would work well in the clients bathroom.

(Cushlab, n.d.)

Cushions are a very changeable design feature, and can be regularly updated without too much cost.  This floral cushion has depth and texture and is a more interesting take on floral cushions.

(Colefax and Fowler n.d.)

This design is similar to the blind, using a fabric which incorporates a natural image, and then tying this in with a matching fabric.  I also like the different use of fabrics adding different textures to the design.

(Cozypad, 2011)

I have found lots of designs that include wild birds, and this is something that I am quite keen on.  This is one of my particular favourites, and I like the link between the green tones in this design.  This room incorporates a lot of natural plants, and this is perhaps a more obvious way of bringing in natural elements.

(Colefax and Fowler n.d.)

Finally this fabric by Colefax and Fowler uses a very natural colour palette.  I really like the use of colour in this fabric, the white against the grey with a subtle hint of green.  My clients house contains lots of large windows, and so I feel I should look more at fabrics and fabric designers who have used natural imagery in their designs.  

Post Bibliography

Homeklondike. 2011. White Traditional Living Room Ideas [Blog]. Available at: http://homeklondike.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/1-white-traditional-living-room-ideas-2011.jpg. [Accessed: 12th October 2011]

Shabby Chic. 2008. Wallpaper-style chinoiserie tiles from Fired Earth. [Blog]. Available at: http://lovelythings.typepad.co.uk/lovely_things/2008/08/wallpaper-style.html. [Accessed: 12th October 2011]

Cushlab. (n.d.). Cream Floral Cushion. [Online] Available at: http://www.cushlab.co.uk/floral-cushions/272306_cream-floral-cushion.html. [Accessed: 12th October 2011]

Colefax and Fowler. (n.d.). Haslemere Prints. [Online] Available at: http://www.colefax.com/collections/new/haslemere-prints.aspx. [Accessed: 12th October 2011]

Colefax and Fowler. (n.d.). Haslemere Prints. [Online] Available at: http://www.colefax.com/collections/new/haslemere-prints.aspx. [Accessed: 12th October 2011)

Cozypad. 2011. Pottery Barn’s Beautiful Spring Collection Of Pillow Covers. [Online] Available at: http://www.cozypad.com/pottery-barn’s-beautiful-spring-collection-of-pillow-covers/1924.html. [Accessed: 12th October 2011]

Bringing the Outside Into Wallpaper

In this post, I have looked at other designs that have incorporated natural shapes and images to give a sense of bringing the outside in.

(Apartment Therapy, 2009)

This bedroom scene has a big emphasis on the woodlands and trees.  The bed is the main focus of the room, a bespoke design by European crafts marketplace Dawanda.  The height of the bed means it would not be practical to incorporate this into my clients bedroom, however looking more closely at this design, it is the wallpaper behind the bed that catches my eye.  The image depicts a meadow or field with long grass and birds.  Looking out of the en-suite bathroom window, you can see a wild garden, so it might be nice to incorporate this into the bathroom scheme.

(Flickr, n.d.)

This design is very similar to my metaphorical image, with the ivy on the wall looking asthough it is falling curtain-like into the room.  It is not possible to tell from this image, whether this has been painted on or whether it is wallpaper.  It may even be a sticker motif.  I like how the design comes from the ceiling as it is more effective and realistic.  In this image, I think the wall eradicates the need for a feature headboard, and the imple bed in this design allows the wall to be the main focus of the room.

(Abode Love, 2011) 

This is a very popular design at the moment, the idea of thin trees spread densely across the wall.  To me this design is quite modern because of the pattern repeat.  Its vey stiff and regimented, and so does not reflect the untameable countryside.

(Apartment Interior Design, 2011)

This wallpaper has be created using a photograph, and so is incredibly realistic.  The use of the sunlight coming through the trees almost gives the impression that this is a window allowing light to travel in to the room.  I like the idea of taking a photograph of somewhere more personal to the client, perhaps an area of woodland that they are familiar with.  This is something to consider in the development of my research.

Botanical Illustration

Stephen Lewis and interior designer, Joanna Wood founded textile and wallpaper company Lewis and Wood in 1993.  Many of Lewis and Woods fabric and wallpaper collections focus on botanical illustrations.

Having looked at designers who have a stylistic and abstract approach to natural forms, this post concerns itself with a more realistic approach.  Below are a number of Lewis and Wood designs, each of which I have analysed.

ADAMS EDEN

This design titled Adams Eden has a watercolour effect print. Warm greens and browns make up the main colour palette, and the print is a perfect example of a Botanical illustration.  Below is an example of how this fabric has been used to cover a chair, and what is interesting about this fabric, is that the lack of repetitive pattern.  This means that the branches and flowers all fall in different directions, adding to the realistic impression, and echoing the imperfections of nature.

This design has also been printed as a wallpaper as shown below.

Although it is possible to see a pattern repeat here it is a half drop repeat which gives the pattern more freedom.  The pattern still looks untamed and represents the randomness of nature's natural growth.

CHINA ROSE

This is a more this looks like more of a pen and ink design, but still a recognisable representation.  This design shown below as curtains and a wallpaper looks more old fashioned than the previous design, and is not one of my favourites from the collection.

INDIENNE

Although floral wallpaper can be seen as old fashioned, the colour palette modernises this design.  The application of this design shown below resembles the arts and crafts movement, and its use of matching wallpaper and curtains.  I prefer the design printed on curtains, as it is quite a busy and overpowering design on a wall.

The work of Lewis and Wood is primarily floral, and so does not look much into other forms and aspects of nature.  It is however a possible company that I will use in my design project, and so this research has been useful.  However, to gain more insight into how nature can be used in an interior, I have decided to further my research into this.  This will be shown in subsequent posts.

Post Bibliography 


Lewis and Wood. (n.d.) Fabrics. [Online] Available from: http://www.lewisandwood.co.uk/products/category/fabrics [Accessed: 22nd October 2011]

The metaphorical idea

 The client want's a design that connects the outside surroundings, the trees, the plants, the colours and the textures.  The image below is a metaphorical reflection of this idea.  The ivy from the outside has worked it's way into the interior that I have super imposed onto the image.  Creating this has given me the inspiration to research interiors that include natural imagery to connect to the country side.

Original Image

Material Innovation

As part of my research into bringing the countryside into the interior, I have looked at the work of Textile Artist, Lesley Richmond.

In her Biography, she explains how she is 'inspired by natural forms and textures and constructs textiles that simulate organic surfaces', and 'makes textiles that suggest organic surfaces by changing the structure of the fabric, rather than imposing a design on the surface of the cloth'.  This approach is one that I could explore, looking at how nature can be suggested in interior design using textures and form, rather than images of nature.  Below are a number of images of her work that I have analysed.

The above image is from Richmond's collection of lace.  The close up below shows that the lace imitates a decaying leaf, leaving only the structure or skeleton.  This clever link between leaf and lace, works because it has not changed the delicacy of either objects, but combines them seamlessly.

These two images are from the leaf cloth series.  Here it is clear what is being depicted, but the Richmond achieves a natural and organic look, as if a forest floor has been picked up and stitched together.  Reflecting on these, Richmond describes using 'distressing techniques and chemical processes to change the surface structure of the fiber into an illusion of organic decay'.  This is the second example of Richmond's use of decay, an important consideration in my development of the theme country connections.  Richmond has looked at the effects of natural forces such as decay and rot, and it is this element that I could consider in my research, possibly looking at weathered furniture, and unfinished, rustic surfaces. 

This image indicates the nature's changing seasons, looking at the structure of trees without their leaves representing Autumn.  The natural change that occurs throughout the year is another possible area of study and development that I could look at in terms of my theme.

Use of Fabric

Below I have looked at ways that this fabric could be used, photoshoping it into images to give a rough idea of what it might look like.

Own image

Here I have looked at using the fabric for a curtain.  With the light shinning through, this will create a warm ambience and a cosy feeling.  This idea allows the natural surroundings to flow into the room.

Own Image

In this image, I have looked at using the fabric on cushions to create a more subtle reference to the the outdoors. The cushion in the foreground seems to work particularly well, as it looks like a delicate winter scene.

Having looked at the abstraction of colour in the previous post, and looking at the abstraction of natural forms in this post, I would now like to research nature from a more realistic point of view, and how this can be used in interior design

Post Bibliography

Lesley Richmond. (n.d.) Biography. [Online] Available from: http://lesleyrichmond.com/ [Accessed: 19th October 2011]

Dulux: How lighting affects your room

The following video looks at natural light, and how it affects a room.  My clients house contains many windows, alowing lots of natural light in, and so this is an important area to look at.  Having looked at nature's colour in the previous post, it is also important to look at how natural light can alter a room, and the colours in it.

Having watched the video, I have made notes relevant to my own design project.

Rooms with north facing windows never receive direct sunlight, important to choose colours with no black to brighten the space.  

Although the my clients house has north facing windows, rooms with this also have windows in other directions, and so this does not apply to my project.

Dulux 'light and space paint' work to make the room look bigger by reflecting twice as much light.  

The en-suite bathroom in my clients house is quite small, and so this may be a good paint choice to help make the space look bigger and more open.

Rooms with a south facing windows can almost have too much light and the sun is in these rooms for the greater part of the day.  Use paints that contain grey, as these will absorb a little of the light.

The bathroom window is south facing, and so perhaps a grey based light and space paint would create a large looking room, without glaring sunlight.

In the kitchen, there are north and south facing windows.  There are however more south facing windows, and so perhaps these windows should govern the paint colours.

In east and west facing rooms, light will still need to be maximised.  Dulux suggests warm colours, as when the sun is off the house, the rooms can start to look dreary.

The bedroom, which has a westerly facing window, should take this rule into consideration to ensure that it looks inviting and cosy instead of dreary and cold.


Post Bibliography


Dulux. (n.d.) Understanding how light affects your room [Online video] Available from: http://www.dulux.co.uk/video/ca_lighting.jsp [Accessed: 18th October 2011]

Natures Colour

Hvaing reseached the theory of making the internal external, I know need to focuss on ways of  bringing the external environment into an interior environment.

Below I have looked at some images relevant to the surroundings of my clients home.  I have then zoomed in on certain areas to create a pixel palette of colours.  To look at how these colours can be transferred into an interior setting, I will then devise a concept based upon each of these.


The first thing I looked at was a photograph of a tree trunk.  The clients home is surrounded by trees, and so here I have had a look at incorporating this colour into my design.

The pixels have created a very neutral grey palette, and below I have used the colours to create a scheme.

I am pleased with the outcome of this colour scheme as I feel it creates a calm and sophisticated look.  When looking at each image, I tried to select features with warm tones of grey to make the scheme look friendly and inviting rather than cold and unwelcoming.  This is an important aspect to think about, should I go ahead with this colour scheme.

These pixels are predominantly green tones, but have a hint of white and grey in them.  The concept below uses these colours.

This concept has a very fresh feel to it.  It has clear links to the outdoors and surrounding area, and the colours seem to work well in each rom.  I have focussed more on the lighter tones, however to warm up the scheme in the winter, the darker richer tones could be introduced through items such as throws and rugs.

Here I have looked at an autumnal image to give myself a completely new palette.  The colours are earthy and some are bright.  below is how I have used these colours.

The colour scheme makes a rich and luxurious design.  The scheme looks cosy and inviting with a touch of glamour.  For me the colours work particularly well in the kitchen and drawing room.

This technique looks at taking an abstraction of nature, and transferring this into interior design.  It does not draw on the raw shapes and forms of nature, and so is a stylistic way of transferring the external environment.  Although this experiment has given me three colour concepts, I would like to research further into shape and form, and how this can be interpreted into interior design.

The Relevant Theories of High Modernism

High modernism occurred towards the end of modernism, and is conceived by James Scott ‘as a strong, one might even say muscle-bound, version of the self-confidence about scientific and technical progress, the expansion of production, the growing satisfaction of human needs, the mastery of nature (including human nature), and above all, the rational design of social order commensurate with the scientific understanding of natural laws’ (1998).  The theories of high modernism affected architecture, leading to the Modern Architectural Movement.  This movement generated a new form of architecture known as Brutalism and Hi-Tech Architecture or Self-Expressionist Architecture.

Self-Expressionist buildings link the internal to the external in terms of structure, and allow technology to be revealed to the outside world.  This high modernist theory has produced buildings such as the Pompidou Centre, which exhibits an ‘exposed skeleton of brightly colored tubes for mechanical systems’ (Pogrebin, 2007), pictured below.

(Centre Pompidou n.d.)

What should be inside the building is open and exposed on the outside.  The relevance of this idea to my own project is not the physical aspects of high modernism, but the theory behind it.  The high modernist theory of linking the inside to the outside, reverses the key theme in my project, to bring what should outside, in.  This approach is a more modern approach to the high modernist theory, and demonstrates that research into the high modernist theory should be carried out.

As a designer, I am looking for a visual approach to the high modernist theory, and so the research I have undertaken is based upon this, as a key area of reference.

Casa Batlló is a building built in 1877, but restored with a High Modernism stance by Antoni Gaudí and Josep Maria Jujol into the building you can see below. 

(Arnewde, 2010)

This adaption of the highmodernist theory considers the human skeletan which is normally perceived to be an internal structure, and uses it as an external structure.  The balconies have been made to look like skulls, and many of the supporting columns have been styled to imitate bones.  Here the architects have looked at the form of the human skeleton.  This technique is transferable into my own project, by looking at forms of nature, and how this can be interpreted into interior design.

The Lloyd’s building in London designed by Richard Rogers, is another example of high modernist architecture.  Although it is not possible to see in this image, the electrics, pluming and services such as lifts are all external. 

(Origin Design Studio, 2010)

According to Kenneth Powell, this building ‘epitomizes Richard Rogers' concern with overt technical imagery’ (1994).  Overt or unconcealed imagery appears to be key to the theory of self-expressionist buildings, as the three buildings I have researched are based on revealing and showing the external world, what is on the inside. 

Post Bibliography


Powell, K. 1994. Lloyd's building: Richard Rogers Partnership. Phaidon


Progrebin, R. 2007. British Architect Wins 2007 Pritzker Prize. The New York Times, [Online]. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/arts/design/28cnd-pritzker.html?hp . Accessed 10th October 2011


Scott, J. 1998. Seeing like a state: how certain schemes to improve the human condition have failed. Yale University Press

The Natural Surroundings

The client want's to emphasise the location of the property by implementing a design that reflects the natural surroundings.  This image taken from Google maps shows the immediate area.

As you can see from this image the area is dedicated predominantly to farmland and woodland.  It is also possible to depict the wealth that lies in this area from the size of the houses to the number of swimming pools.

The white line indicates roughly the land owned by my client.  This again s dominated by trees and fields.  To further my research, I will look into this sort of landscape, and focus on colours and textures that I can transfer into my design

The Way We Live - Alfresco

Stafford Cliff’s book The Way We Live Alfresco, looks at the ways in which we can incorporate the external environment into our every day lives.  This covers transitional spaces, which Cliff interprets to be ‘Verandas, Terraces, Patios and Conservatories’ (Cliff, 2005), and a particularly relevant chapter titled Bringing the Outside In.

Looking firstly at transitional spaces, Cliff explores how these allow the movement from interior to exterior.  The spaces described by Cliff usually accommodate social happenings, and so the images and detail within this chapter depict how to create a flow between perhaps a sitting room and an outdoor seating area.  This aspect is important in my research, as I am looking to design a kitchen, and possibly open this up onto a dining patio.

The image below shows how a transition can be created however the design contains items of furniture that the English climate would not allow.  Although I cannot use the patio as an extension of the kitchen by bringing out a dresser or cupboard, other ways that a smooth transition can be achieved is perhaps to have seat cushions that match the kitchen curtains or to have similar chairs to those at the breakfast table.  Working the transition the other way, flowers from the patio could be used as decoration in the kitchen to link the two areas together.

Cliff, 2005

This second image is another example of a seamless transition from internal to external.  The internal flooring perfectly matches that of the patio, allowing the interior to flow through to the outside.  This is an idea that I could use when designing my client’s kitchen, to continue the connections theme.

Cliff, 2005

The chapter mentioned previously Bringing the Outside In is subtitled Alfresco Decorations, and looks at ways of bringing external features inside.  The images in this chapter are described as being ‘concerned with ways in which the outside can illuminate the interior – how for instance, the peace and tranquility of gardens can be brought inside as an influence, without compromising the comforts of life indoors’ (Cliff, 2005).  As this is a key theme stated in my brief, I will be analysing this chapter carefully, and looking at the images that display a connection to the outside environment.

Cliff, 2005

This design has interesting hints of nature dotted throughout it.  The main focus in this room are the vases on the table.  These are made from tree branches, and so here we have the first hint of nature.  The branches growing out of the vases indicate a natural structure, bringing life and movement into the room.  The fabric on the chair in the foreground imitates grass, and has some sort of reptile sitting on it.  The Logic behind this design is not clear, however the presence of the countryside is very clear.

Cliff, 2005

This floor design lookes at the structure of a leaf, detailing its skeleton.  I really like the idea of this design, it could work well as a kitchen floor.  The subtlety of nature here makes the brick almost look elegant.

Cliff, 2005

This kitchen is made entirely from wood and stone.  It feels as though it could be outside in spite of the man made items such as the cooker.  The colours too are entirely natural, however I do not know how practical this design would be.

Cliff, 2005

In this image, the fire place is guarded by large natural stones.  The floor seat layout suggests this is not a design from this country, as it looks far too ethnic.  The presence of nature dominates this room with heavy wood furniture and a natural colour palette.

Cliff, 2005

This room also uses colours to demonstrate nature.  The seating is covered in an earth red fabric, and the wooden tables look rough and natural.

Nowadays it is possible to see nature brought into the home through floral prints on walls and curtains.  What Cliff does is demonstrate a range of different ways that nature can be incorporated into interior design.

Discussing materials for furniture, Cliff states 'articles of furniture may even reflect the natural world in their roughness of texture and the untreated state of the materials from which they are made.  Here Cliff is beginning to touch on the idea of truth to materials, a theory that will be looked at later.

Cliff discusses the idea of natures forms, and explores how these can be used in decoration.  Richard L. Dubé is another who discusses natural forms and it is his book Natural Pattern Forms: A Practical Sourcebook for Landscape Design he gives the following definition:

'Natural patterns and natural forms can be defined as any arrangement of objects/masses and/or bisecting smooth or disturbed planes that have come together without the assistance or influence of humankind'

By looking at the countryside and how its natural structures and forms can be brought into the interior, my theme juxtaposes Dube's theory.  The key aspect of his theory, is that natures forms occur 'without' man.  Trying to convey true nature, and natures true forms in interior design is never going to be fundamentally accurate, and so I need to research other ways of allowing the countryside to connect through the interior.  This is not to say that I won't look at nature's form, and ways that it can be used, as my client is looking for a connection with the countryside, and not an exact imitation of the external environment.  This brings me back to Cliff's earlier quote 'how for instance, the peace and tranquility of gardens can be brought inside as an influence, without compromising the comforts of life indoors’ (Cliff, 2005).  Cliff acknowledges that the countryside should be an influence, and so this is how I will approach my design task.

Post Bibliography

Cliff, S and De Chabaneix, G.  2005. The Way We Live Alfresco. Thames and Hudson

Dubé, R. 1997. Natural Pattern Forms: A Practical Sourcebook for Landscape Design. John Wiley and Sons