JOURNAL

A source of ideas and inspiration, our journal is filled with expert advice for our community of design lovers. We write about our thoughts residential renovations, our design tips and our little black book where we share sourcing tips and our favourite suppliers.

ANTIQUING IN SOUTHERN UK AND FRANCE
FOUNDERS NOTES Sidika Owen FOUNDERS NOTES Sidika Owen

ANTIQUING IN SOUTHERN UK AND FRANCE

One of the most frequent questions I am asked as a designer is where I source my antiques and objets d’art which I use to complete a particular look for an interior. I love juxtaposing say a fine Georgian chair with a contemporary bathroom but where can you find a similar antique for a reasonable sum?

Well, I’ll share with you my secret passion for antiquing – finding my treasures in several of the annual antique and vintage fairs that I frequent, usually filled with antique dealers I know from the Chelsea area and London as a whole.

Read More
an inspired eye
FOUNDERS NOTES Sidika Owen FOUNDERS NOTES Sidika Owen

an inspired eye

As a designer, I’ve always been intrigued with the nature of inspiration – where it comes from and how we all react in different ways to our physical environments and aesthetic experiences. All my life, I have responded to the visual pleasure surrounding me with the smallest observations bringing renewed energy to my work, helping keep my design eye fresh and alive. Visual pleasure is as natural to me as breathing - whether that is the wild roses I noticed as I walked on Hampstead Heath this morning, or…

Read More
savoir vivre
FOUNDERS NOTES Sidika Owen FOUNDERS NOTES Sidika Owen

savoir vivre

I have lived in London for quite some time now and consider it my home but every now and again, I am taken back to my multi-cultural roots, growing up in the South of France. Working with differing nationalities with my interior design studio, I am often reminded of both the similarities and the differences between the French and the English and this is never more evident than in the hosting of a dinner party. The French are very particular about the way they wine and dine and as I am eternally intrigued by the cultural mores that both unite and divide nationalities, I thought I might share a few pointers as to how to host the French when entertaining.

Read More
quiet luxury interiors
FOUNDERS NOTES Sidika Owen FOUNDERS NOTES Sidika Owen

quiet luxury interiors

In this issue, I talk about a much used phrase in design circles and what it means to me - Quiet Luxury. Luxury interiors are a complex and evolving mix of self-expression and social status.  When people have reached a certain level of economic success, one of the first things they do is…

Read More
living the victorian dream
FOUNDERS NOTES Sidika Owen FOUNDERS NOTES Sidika Owen

living the victorian dream

It might come as no surprise to learn that the majority of London’s available housing stock dates back to the Victorian era where the then Queen oversaw something of a building boom during her reign. Built to house urban workers streaming to the capital during the Industrial Revolution, in many ways, we are still, extraordinarily, benefitting from that Victorian dream.

Read More