It’s no secret that I love to travel. Sometimes I can take up to 15 flights a month. While a lot of my travel is for work, I try, no matter where I am—to explore the area a little. I find that exploring places keeps me inspired for my interior design projects and wallpaper designs. This past January I had the pleasure of visiting London for a photo shoot.
“The rooftop patio quickly became my favourite place to relax and had the feeling of a rustic Italian garden.”
We had some free time and I was able to visit some of my favorite places plus some new restaurants and hotels that had recently opened. I spend most of my time in Toronto and Los Angeles where the rustic look has been popular for some time, so it was really exciting for me to visit some places that were over the top glamorous and some that were completely a off the chart design–wise. Here are my 3 “must visit” places in London.
1) Fortnum and Mason, 181 Piccadilly, London www.fortnumandmason.com
From the dreamy colour scheme to the loads of beautiful packaging Fortnum and Mason has been setting foodie’s hearts a flutter for over 300 years. I spent a good four hours exploring the many floors of the Piccadilly flagship store. The floral and liquor area were two of my faves…for obvious reasons. There was a display of gin bottles that made my design brain go into overload they were so beautiful and well curated. I would suggest enjoying a formal tea to really soak up the atmosphere.
2) Sketch, 9 Conduit St, London, https://sketch.london
I’m pretty sure whomever selected the 2016 Pantone colours of the year has enjoyed the massive Rose Quartz dining room of the Sketch compound. Located in an 18th century building, Sketch is destination place, for food, art and music. The various cocktail lounges and bars are breathtaking. The Glade bar is set in a modern day fairy-tale and the main dining room, a testament to avant-garde design, is home to largest group of original drawings David Shrigley has ever exhibited. Last but most certainly not least is the bathrooms. The bathrooms look like space-aged egg pods that are certainly out of this world.
3) The Ham Yard, 1 Ham Yard, London, https://www.firmdalehotels.com/hotels/london/ham-yard-hotel/
Designer Kit Kemp’s latest creation, The Ham Yard, located in Soho is her finest creation to date. Down to the smallest detail the hotel is a reflection of Kemp’s keen eye for design and love of art. Set in it’s a private enclave courtyard the hotel’s surroundings and design radiates well-appointed luxury. The rooftop patio quickly became my favourite place to relax and had the feeling of a rustic Italian garden. The basement of the hotel houses some of the most unique spaces I’ve ever seen in London, one being the Croc Bowling alley (an art lovers dream) and the Dive bar (which is anything but). I have included some images but I would highly suggest watching this short film, hosted my Kit Kemp that will take you through the spaces.https://www.firmdalehotels.com/a/kit-kemp-design-collections/a-series-of-short-films-by-kit-kemp/the-croc-bowling-alley-at-ham-yard-hotel/
Happy Exploring!
Janette Ewen, Interior stylist and The Style Blog collaborator (at Mobilia, we just LOVE everything she does!)
From her start as an MTV set stylist to her successful career as a designer, design editor, TV host and ambassador for brands such as Moet, Mobilia and PANDORA Jewelry, Janette has continually sought to entice audiences to design their own eclectic experiences and celebrate life to the fullest. Janette’s personal mantra “stay interested, be interesting” guides her exciting life—full of design, travel and creation. Janette’s adventures and passion for style and good taste have been featured in the LA Times, Nylon Magazine, The Globe and Mail and House and Home magazine.
As a design partner at Parker Barrow Design studio, Janette is “over the moon” to be creating spaces that would find a happy home in her fast-paced, whimsical life.
Janette’s fans enjoy keeping up with her adventures through her popular social media pages including Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Her blog “gojette” is a go-to for trends setters and tastemakers alike. In her spare time Janette loves traveling, rally car racing and hiking throughout North America.
