Painterly Interiors

Following last week's blog about the inspirational work of Etel Adnan currently on display at London’s Serpentine Sackler Gallery and her painterly tapestries, we sought out some bright designers who are creating painterly furnishings and objects for the home. These items are perfect pieces to add artistic charm to your home and lovely additions to an art-lovers room! We'll often take inspiration from works of art for our interior design projects and love the idea of introducing painted ceramics, rug designs based on paintings and art-inspired furnishings.

First up … Aino-Maija Metsola is an illustrator and print designer from Finland. She works as an in-house designer for print powerhouse Marimekko, designing prints for clothing and interior textiles. Metsola also created the ‘Weather Diary’ prints for their plates, tea bowls and cups. We love this collection as it was inspired by natural elements; the Finnish weather and shoreline. Metsola drew the designs in watercolour and ink, focussing on rain, clouds and grass fields. These bowls and cups would look lovely set against crisp, white linen and fresh cut white flowers, to create an elegant and charming table.

The collection is available to buy from a number of UK stores including Heal’s.

Kelly Wearstler’s collection for The Rug Company is another beautiful collaboration. Her hand-painted designs have been crafted into a series of rugs, each handmade by skilful specialist weavers in the Kathmandu area. ‘Wake’ shown below left draws inspiration from the free and fluid movements of water, creating an elegant and subtle design which would look lovely in a contemporary setting with a subtle colour scheme. Wearstler’s ‘Graffito’ design on the right is inspired by her love of graffiti and street art. The combination of a painterly, raw brush stroke design and pale blue colouring create a beautiful balance.

Wearstler's design below, named 'Flaunt' also draws on the fluid movements of water and includes bursts of sheeny blue to enliven the rug's surface.

London based, Australian designer Amy Sia creates beautiful hand-painted designs for textiles and clothing. For Amy, accessories act as a canvas, and and each design is an artwork. Her passion for colour is evident in her bright textiles, their boldness is offset with her sensitively drawn designs - Sia's floral-like patterns particularly caught our eye. Like Metsola, Amy Sia’s designs are first drawn in watercolour and then transferred digitally onto handmade cushions, seen below.

Visit Amy Sia's website to see more.

Weaving in a New Direction

Since we work with textiles, we’re always excited to see how artists push textiles to new limits and create contemporary artworks from textile traditions.

Ptolemy Mann creates colourful and painterly work. Her handwoven wall pieces are all made using hand-dyed thread, she builds chromatic bands which buzz and blend beautifully. 

Mann is passionate about colour theory which she says underpins her work - she says "Recently I've got bolder and more experimental with colour, allowing something unconsciously emotional to take place. I'm a fan of abstract expressionism. Mark Rothko is my favourite artist".

Mann says she also has a Bauhaus philosophy of product and art making; an idea of uniting creativity and manufacture which the Bauhaus movement hoped would rejuvenate design for everyday life. As well as her large scale pieces, Mann produces commercial furnishings including a range of fabrics, rugs, bed linen and cushions and we love that her work remains functional in this way.

We were also intrigued by Cecilie Bendixen's 'Draped Nimbostratus' which represents a hybrid form of design - blending textiles, sculpture and architecture. It is made from wool and polyester and designed to absorb sound so that it disappears, creating a beautifully poetic, cloud-like piece.

Botticelli Reimagined

For this week’s art fix we visited the V&A’s hotly anticipated ‘Botticelli Reimagined’ exhibition.

The V&A reminds us that his Botticelli’s work was largely forgotten for 300 years before audiences rediscovered it in the 19th Century. Since then he has informed the work and imagery of artists to come.

What makes this exhibition so remarkable initially, is its sheer quantity of work, from painting to fashion to film and photography to sculpture and tapestry - it’s got it all! There are some truly breathtaking works like Rosetti's La Ghirlandata, pictured below left. Rosetti even owned work by Botticelli, one of which is featured in this exhibition, a true testament of his love of the Renaissance master.

While we loved seeing the traditional works on display, one of the highlights for us was seeing the contemporary piece and how Botticelli’s Venus has been subverted in contemporary art. The photograph in the centre below uses pieces of trash and junk, remoulding it into Botticelli's iconic composition. The beauty of the images lies in Botticelli's Venus icon to survive amongst its mishmashed context - an interesting metaphor for its endurance in contemporary culture.

Inspired by Anwar Shemza

Walking around the Tate Britain last week we were struck by a wonderful Spotlight Display by Anwar Shemza.

Shemza moved to London from Lahore in 1956. In London he abandoned his illustrative and figurative approach that had brought him acclaim in Pakistan, he had achieved widespread recognition in Pakistan but was unrecognised in London

Shemza started his own, new style of compositions which combined calligraphy, Islamic architectural features and abstraction. Some of his influences came from artists such as Paul Klee and we loved the way he blended this abstraction with Islamic artistic traditions.

Flower Power

For this week’s blog we were inspired by a recent article about contemporary art and floristry. This floral art sees artists working with flowers to create incredible, blossoming structures that blur the boundary between floristry and sculpture. Often vast in form, utilising this natural, delicate material creates a truly poetic balance.

Daniel Ost is perhaps the best known floral artist. He has been creating floral art for over forty years and continues to mould his craft to suit contemporary trends. His current work integrates elements of contemporary design, with custom built structures that allow flowers to be weaved, hung or displayed around.

We were struck by this orchid canopy structure, pictured below, which integrates both contemporary design and natural orchids.

Another inspiring floral artist is East London based Rebecca Louise Law. She trained in Fine Art but her interests in nature preservation led to create floral installations. Speaking about her work she says that the ‘physicality and sensuality of the site specific work plays with the relationship between man and nature’. She transforms public spaces bringing in her floral creations to create a stunning display of dazzling natural beauty.

Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture at Tate Modern

This week we visited the must-see new exhibition at Tate Modern, ‘Alexander Calder: Performing Sculpture’. It’s a truly beautiful and poetic exhibition showcasing Calder’s stunning kinetic sculptures.

Calder initially trained as an engineer before moving to Paris in the 1920s to start his artistic career. It was during his engineering education that he became fascinated with kinetics, physics and the nature of materials. In Paris he experimented with kinetic sculptures that brought to life the avant-garde interest in movement. His kinetic works blended movement with sculpture and in 1931 he invented the ‘mobile’ - Duchamp coined the term, having used it to describe Calder’s new sculptures. The poetry and beauty of his sculptures lay in their ability to move of their accord, simply catching the air in the space they hang.


We love pinning inspirational photos on Pinterest and Tate’s Pinterest board is always packed with great images. Their recent board ‘Art, Architecture and the Home’ show artworks in interiors, we liked this image below of Peggy Guggenheim alongside a Calder mobile - https://uk.pinterest.com/tategallery/art-architecture-and-the-home/

We also discovered this image of an Alexander Calder mobile in Georgia O’Keeffe’s house in Abiquiu, New Mexico. The blend of rustic design with the fluidity of his mobile is a perfect balance.

On the subject of artists’s home we were intrigued to find these images of Alexander Calder’s own living room. Having seen his mobiles in a white walled gallery space, it was quite the contrast seeing images of them amongst his colourful furnishings and belongings.

The London Art Fair 2016

As you know, the team here at Devas Designs love making sure we keep up with London’s latest arts and antiques fairs and exhibitions. We source a variety of items for clients from works of contemporary art to antique treasures, either as part of a project or as a one off. We are therefore always on the look out for exceptional pieces for our clients and make sure we keep track of the latest trends in the market.

This week we visited The London Art Fair held at the Business Design Centre in Islington. Split into various sections, the fair had a wide and electric selection on display including both young, emerging artists and established big names like Damien Hirst.

One of our favourite displays was the ‘Coast’ exhibition curated by the highly regarded Jerwood Gallery. They were displaying key works from their Jerwood Collection which included some of our favourite British artists such as Barbara Hepworth, John Piper and Ben Nicholson. Although we source international work and have a diverse knowledge of international art, we enjoy being able to collect British works for our clients. Often these works of art sit beautifully in British homes as they can reflect their landscape.

The works on display at ‘Coast’ all displayed how the British Coastline has influenced a selection of British artists - it reminded us of our past interior design project on the Irish West Coast, we took inspiration from the colours and atmosphere of its surrounding and focussed on a palette of pale greens, pale blues and greys. You can read more and see photographs of this project by clicking here.

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Paintings from Christie's Interiors December Sale

This painting by Hercules Brabazon Brabazon really caught our eye for its subject matter and colour palette. Brabazon was an accomplished watercolorist, after graduating in Mathematics from Cambridge University, Brabazon travelled to Rome to study art, pursuing his true passion. During his life he continued to travel, mostly across Europe, to explore the artistic feats of artists such as Velazquez, who he greatly admired. His watercolour style was also very much influenced by Turner. This work below depicts Santa Maria della Salute in Venice and is painted in watercolours heightened by white on blue paper. The colouring is sensitive and subtle yet still evokes this Venetian scene.

These next drawings, by Henry Parsons Riviere, are on sale as a pair. One depicts the Colosseum in Rome, the other shows a view at Tiber and St Peter’s Cathedral. Like Brabazon, Riviere was also a renowned watercolorist. He also travelled to Rome where he lived and taught for several years. During this time his work became increasingly focussed on ancient ruins and Rome’s historic landscape. These works are both executed in pencil and watercolour, and are beautifully detailed.

This painting by Fred Yates has a lovely colourful and cheerful quality which caught our eye. Yates took up painting during his time as a painter and decorator. In 1970 he moved to Cornwall where he painted outdoor landscapes scenes, and became commercially popular following the Tate’s ‘St Ives’ exhibition. His work is often likened to L. S. Lowry for its aesthetic similarities. This painting below depicts the town of Urmston in Manchester, Yates’ hometown, and we love the use of blues, yellows and reds. A work like this would enliven a modern interior, and look lovely in a muted colour scheme to add a splash of vibrancy.

El Divino Morales at The Prado // Madrid

We also caught Prado’s ‘El Divino Morales’ exhibition of the work of Luis de Morales. Morales is one of the most significant Spanish artists from the Renaissance period. The show focusses on altarpieces and devotional panels, two formats that he championed.

For fifty years he lived and painted in Extremadura and was certainly the most prolific painter of that area.

He was influenced by Flemish traditions of the 1400-1500s as well as Italian Renaissance artists and formed a style combining these two. The Prado tells us that this contributed to the commercial possibilities and successes at the time of his work; his audience recognised the religious subjects and loved the emotionally charged manner in which they were painted.

There is a section of the exhibition devoted to his paintings of the Passion, one of his keys subjects. His figures are almost silhouetted against dark backgrounds and beautifully sculptural.

Museo Nacional del Prado // Madrid

Last weekend we had a wonderful trip to Madrid and had time to explore the spectacular collection at the Museo Nacional del Prado.

As well as enjoying their permanent collection, they had an exhibition of rock crystal carvings from Renaissance Milan; ‘Arte Transparente’.

The exhibition analysis's the technique of carving rock crystal, which has been relatively unexplored by galleries. There are twenty exquisite examples on display, with fourteen alone coming from the same group known as ‘The Dauphin’s Treasure’. The other six on display come from historic collections including pieces from the Medici family from Florence.

During the Middle Ages rock crystal was even associated with the celestial, while now it carries a hefty price tag. In Milan it emerged during the 16th Century as royal and wealthy families became interested in its beauty and value.

The Whitney // New York

During our trip to New York we also visited the Whitney Museum of American Art. The Whitney focuses on American art from the 20th and 21st centuries. It was founded by sculptor and collector Gertrude Whitney, who wanted to promote the work of American avant-garde artists. After the Met Museum declined her gift of 700 works of art for their collection, she opened her own gallery in 1929.

It was a great year to visit the Whitney - in April it finally opened its new doors after the five year construction of a new gallery in the Meatpacking District.

The new building was remarkable to see, it has been designed by architect Renzo Piano, known for his many prizes and museum constructions. While he has been criticised for his imposing structures, we were struck by the boldness of his design.

We were most intrigued by the Whitney's permanent collection which ranges from 1912 to the mid 60s and traces the development of American Modernism. The collection is dominated by Abstract Expressionism.

Among the works on display by Edward Hopper was this study for his iconic painting 'Nighthawks'.

We also like this charcoal drawing by Georgia O'Keeffe (left). Her abstract work was inspired by organic forms from nature like flowers and trees. There is a beautiful fluidity in the rhythmic spirals in this drawing. Willem de Kooning's paintings were also beautifully vibrant, such as this work called 'Door to the River' (right) which uses giant strokes of pink and yellow.

As well as a fantastic permanent collection, there was a retrospective of Frank Stella which we caught. The exhibition showcased works from the 1950s to the present day with over 120 works of art including paintings, sculptures and drawings. Stella is a key figure in American Modernism, inspiring minimal, abstract and colour fields artists so it felt pertinent to see his work in New York. We were also attracted by his bold colour schemes, works of art like this can enliven modern and minimal interiors. 

'Picasso Sculpture' at MoMA New York

You might have seen from Philippa’s Twitter photos that she spent last week in New York, exploring the city and in particular its extraordinary art galleries. New York during the Autumn is a beautiful place, its colours and culture are truly inspiring.

For those of you who have been, it will be no surprise that one of our highlights was visiting MoMA. We were lucky enough to catch MoMA’s exhibition of Picasso’s sculptures. It’s been highly anticipated as there hasn’t been an exhibition of this scale of Picasso’s sculptural works since 1967.

 Throughout his influential career, sculpture was a medium Picasso returned to time and again. He approached sculpture in an excitedly experimental way which we love. He blended both traditional and unconventional materials and methods, much like his paintings.

The exhibition itself had over one hundred works on display, complimented by photographs and works on paper which was a lovely story telling device.

Picasso’s ‘Still Life with Guitar’ (1912) really grabbed our attention. It has been formed in true Cubist style, with multiple angles modelled from cardboard.

It was fascinating to see an artist whose career is triumphed though works on canvas with such a vast collection of sculptural works. We also enjoyed seeing how his sculpture informed his painted works and vice versa. 

Autumn at Paisnel Gallery

This week we visited Paisnel Gallery in St James's to view their Autumn collection. Paisnel Gallery specialises in 20th century art, with particular attention given to Post War art and the work of the St Ives group. 

Among the paintings on display was this work by John Piper. The British landscape is a setting he returns to time and again and this work entitled ‘Portholland, Cornwall’ is a classic example of this. His paintings of towns have in many ways become archives of these sites. We were particularly intrigued in this work for its mixture of both figurative and abstract styles.

John Copnall's painting also caught our eye for its simple colour scheme. The work is mixed media and collage with overlaid and painted sections. His use of hessian, canvas and plaster was inspired by the work of Antoni Tapies. We like the materiality of the work, which, combined with a subtle colour scheme gives a wonderful texture.

We have written about Howard Hodgkin's work before, his sense of energy really inspires us. This work, 'Put Out More Flags', immediately captured out attention for its colour, movement and energy. Characteristically, it is a hand coloured etching and the layering of colours is fluid and balanced. Although his prints were intricately hand crafted, he retains a sense of spontaneity which we love. A work like this could really enliven an interior and look splendid in a modern space.

The White Show at Flow Gallery

London is thriving with independent galleries showcasing the latest emerging and contemporary artists, one of our favourites in Flow Gallery in Notting Hill.

Flow Gallery currently has a beautiful little exhibition called ‘The White Show’ which showcases contemporary ceramics, glassware and jewellery that all work with the colour white.

Matthias Kaiser’s work tries to reveal his material process. He is interested in alchemical transformations of earth into stone and enjoys the diverse and accidental textures his ceramics build up while he works on them.

These miniature white pots are by Yuta Segawa. Segawa’s Japanese heritage is a primary inspiration and we love the simplicity and sense of playfulness in these works.

Do you enjoy visiting London's independent galleries? Let us know which galleries you get inspiration from in the comments section below.

Newport Street Gallery

This week we visited Damien Hirst's new gallery, Newport Street Gallery, which opened this month. The building is impressive in itself, 37,000 sq ft and has been designed by Caruso St John architects who recently worked on Tate Britain's revamp. The building was once a series of scenery painting workshops and retain an airy, warehouse feeling.

Rather than exhibiting Hirst's own work, the gallery will focus on six month exhibitions of one artist each time from Hirst's own collection. The gallery has opened with an exhibition of British abstract artist John Hoyland.

While the exhibition has been heavily criticised with reporters uninspired by Hoyland's work, we felt otherwise. The canvasses are vast, vibrant and pack a punch. We are often inspired by abstract works of art as their colours can be used as inspiration for an interior's colour scheme.

Abstract works like this can enliven a contemporary and minimal interior adding a splash of colour and character. Their boldness captivated us.



PAD London Art & Design Fair

Last week we visited PAD London Art and Design fair in London…

If you’re interested in buying modern art or design pieces for your home we always recommend visiting renowned fairs like PAD. If you’re unsure on what to chose, make sure you get talking to the exhibitors as they’re always on hand to answer questions and help you find pieces that work for your home. We also recommend taking photos of pieces that catch your eye and think about them when you return home.

We wanted to share some of the exhibitors and pieces that interested us, here's our favourites  …

Chahan Minassian brought some exquisite pieces over from his showroom in Paris. Chahan works as a designer, interior designer, antique dealer and gallery director so his eye for elegantly designed pieces is finely tuned. Inspired by luxury materials like bronze, lacquer and tortoiseshell, Chahan has designed his own line of furniture and lamps.

The simplicity of his designs combined with the luxury of materials gives his pieces an elegant timelessness that could work in both modern and classic interiors.

We were also taken by the pieces on sale from Magen H Gallery who were over from New York. They specialise in French post-war designers with an emphasis on craft mediums that merge art and design.

Their display included this dining table, below, by Sido and Francois Thevenin from 1970. The French husband and wife design team worked together labouring intensely over hand-forged pieces from wood and metal. 

Another exhibitor over from Paris was Jacques Hervouet who runs a gallery in Paris and custom designs furniture and accessories. For his custom pieces he enjoys mixing eras and blends both historic and contemporary designs, creating a style he calls ‘Radical Chic’. There is confidence and boldness that pervades both his collections and custom pieces which we love.


'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.

Inspired by Works of Art - Agnes Martin and Sonia Delaunay

We’ve been struck by two recent exhibitions at Tate Modern this month – Agnes Martin and Sonia Delaunay. While their work is clearly aesthetically different, they are united in their focus on colour, tone and pattern.

Agnes Martin’s work sits within a tuning point between Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism. While living in Lower Manhattan she met the bright young artists of the 60s like Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly and Robert Rauschenberg – they inspired her to start incorporating found objects to create assemblages.

She eventually turned to a more minimal approach, often using grid-like structures. We were struck by her subtly striped paintings, from a distance some appear almost monochrome but when viewed closer become alternating stripes of pastel tones. These muted tones are also very on trend – Tate has even created their own Pinterest board with interiors that follow an Agnes Martin inspired colour schemes!

Take a look here

Sonia Delaunay is well known for her exploration of dynamic contrasting colours and compositions, pioneering the movement ‘Simultaneism’ with her husband Robert Delaunay.

Delaunay was a key figure in the avant-garde movement in Paris and as well as fine art, she produced dresses, scarves, umbrellas, hats, shoes and swimming costumes. She also created some iconic and stunning carpet designs, seen below. Her focus on colour and harmony makes her a perfect artist for inspiration, whether you’re looking for a new bold colour scheme or to add splashes of colour into your interior, her confident colours would certainly stand out.

Her and Robert were influence by the strong colours of Fauvist artists and they tried to use these colours in their own work, with a greater focus on rhythm.

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.