We meet award-winning interior designer Rachel Forster and property manager and curator Becky FountainWe caught up with the founders of home organisation and de-cluttering company SortedLondon to learn about what fuels their creativity and what passion projects are keeping them busy...
Tells us a bit about yourself We’re old friends who met 20 years ago in Paris. We now live in London with kids, busy lives and hectic spaces. We set up SortedLondon after having seen how streamlining our own homes and offices has had such a dramatic effect on changing our lives. Tell us a bit more about SortedLondon A regular sort out can help us to reflect on how we live, what we really need and what we really could do without. Our work/home lives constantly overlap and can present problems with organising how best to manage in small or shared areas. Having the tools to live and work efficiently and freeing yourself from the chaos that holds you back is what led led us to set up SortedLondon. What influences do you draw upon to fuel your creativity? We’re inspired by each other to begin with as well as people like James Wallman, Marie Kondo, Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus, who have their own tips on how to organise people’s lives and reduce what you consume. Also listening to our friends and clients about how much they benefit from re-engaging with what they own and knowing that they’re surrounded by what they love and appreciate. What is your current passion project? Anyone who is struggling with ‘stuffocation’ and is ready to make a change. We’re working with clients who need more space in their stockrooms, a school wanting to maximise their layout, a family overwhelmed by countless boxes coming out of storage and another making space for a loft conversion. We can save people time and money by not hoarding and storing and give them the strength to move forward, that’s what makes us feel passionate about what we do. '10 in 10' - We ask our favourite innovators, creators, movers & shakers, 10 questions in 10 minutes or less... What music do you listen to when: -You want to unwind? BF: I listen to radio nova and it helps me keep up with my French too. RF: Radio 6, Cerys Matthews, Craig Charles, Jarvis Cocker, Shaun Keaveny, they’re all good. -You're hosting a dinner party for friends? BF: usually too busy talking. RF: mixes from dj friends on sound cloud. -You're in the mood to dance? BF: Baccara’s ‘yes sir I can boogie’ or Indeep’s ‘last night a dj saved my life’. RF: Deep electronic beats and disco, but not at the same time What are your must-have travel essentials? BF: rescue remedy for flights, sunglasses always and a list of all the best places to eat. RF: sheepskin scuffs and earplugs. Favourite travel companions? BF: My long suffering partner and my 9 year old son. Luckily they’re happy to put up with my quest for culture in return for food. RF: Kids and boyfriend aside, my dad. He’s generous, fearless and great fun to be with. What life lessons (if any) have your travels taught you? BF: Be grateful for new experiences and embrace everything. RF: Knowing when to stay and when to move on. What city do you find the most: -Inspirational? BF: Venice. RF: Havana. -Invigorating? BF: Camping anywhere, to properly realise you don’t need much to have a good time. RF: New York or an outdoor tree shower. -Relaxing? BF: Bermuda, all about beaches and snorkelling. RF: In front of an open fire. -Like your home away from home? BF: Paris and Barcelona. RF: My tentipi Safir 9. Top travel tip? BF: Do your research, get tips from friends, learn some lingo. RF: Get off the beaten track and live like a local. What's your soul food (e.g. food that makes your heart sing)? BF: A really good piece of cheese and some sourdough. RF: Creamy mash with a steak and ale pie. Favourite tipple? BF: Prosecco. RF: Peppermint tea first thing in the morning. How do you like to unwind? BF: see above (and add friends). RF: hot bath. Inspirational quote that you live by? BF: 'Less is more'. RF: 'Warrior not worrier'.
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We caught up with the founders of budget boutique hotel company Doris & Dicky to learn about some of their favourite travel experiences and where their adventures are taking them next...
What influences do you draw upon to fuel your creativity? Is it too obvious to say travel?! Nothing sparks my creative energy more than taking a trip - whether it be somewhere new, or somewhere I've been before but was compelled to go back - there is something so mentally liberating to a change of scene. What is your current passion project? I'm getting married in September, so 'the wedding' has come somewhat of a passion project though not necessarily by choice! What is your idea of food Heaven? Food Hell? Food heaven is a perfectly ripe mango enjoyed in the sea. Food hell is snails - I'm half French but just can't come round to them no matter how much garlicky butter goodness is thrown in. Inspirational quote that you live by? 'Fortune favours the brave.' What life lessons (if any) have your travels taught you? Be open and exciting things will come to you. What city do you find the most: - Inspirational? Rio - Invigorating? Marrakech - Relaxing? Porto - Like your home away from home? Paris Favourite ‘blow the bank account’ place you like to stay when you’re treating yourself? Château les Oliviers de Salettes - a gorgeous converted château in Provence is one of my favourite spots. I wouldn't say it 'blows the bank' but we're all about boutique hotels on a budget at Doris & Dicky. Favourite restaurant in the world? L'Entrecôte in Nantes. Favourite holiday memory? Skinny dipping in phosphorescence on a deserted beach in a national park in Costa Rica. What are your 'must-have' travel essentials? A book and a bikini. What is your next adventure? We're off on a road trip around Scotland to recce some new hotels for Doris & Dicky. I'm excited for bracing dips in the lochs and plenty of whisky! Somewhere between photography, cinema and fiction comes illustration. Carmen García Huerta was selected by Taschen as one of the 100 best international illustrators. Her world is both unmistakable and surprising, with a unique attention to detail. Carmen’s work straddles two styles: the stylised and chic in her more commercial work, and a predilection for curved lines and the beauty of imperfection in her more personal projects. In this interview, we hear from the artist herself on music, motherhood and Madame Bovary… What is fashion illustration for you? It’s quite an evasive notion for me, something like the minimal unity of elegance. A subtle yet, at the same time, complex expression of the whole web of design, trend, fabric, texture, attitude, sociology. In my case, the object gains a force and loses volatility, as my drawings are very consistent. What is happening beyond illustration in the world of Carmen García Huerta? Well, I am single, which I need – it is vital for my work. The only presence which does not change me or which even, at times, motivates and stimulates me is that of my daughter when she visits me in the studio, but only for a short time. I always have music on. I usually listen to intimate tracks by composers from classical to neo-folk, unless I have an urgent deadline. Then I put on power rock or epic soundtracks to speed me up a bit. When you were little, what could keep your attention for hours? I was a very quiet child, introverted and dreamy. I spent a lot of time immersed in my father’s graphics library, where he had lots of books by strip cartoonists from the ‘70s, clearly for adults as they were about politics or soft porn. Perhaps that wasn’t the most appropriate for a child, and I didn’t understand anything that I was reading about, but I am very grateful to have had access to those as that is how I learnt to draw and get engrossed in reading. Leaving technology aside, what objects do you think are most representative of this era, which will be recognised when looking back from the future? Now there is a return to the home-made and the artisanal, in perfect harmony with technology. But I don’t know what to say, everything that comes to mind is electronic. So, if I can’t mention a smartphone, I would say a selfie. I can’t think of anything which better expresses here and now. If you could create the image of a character from a novel or film in your illustrations, who would it be? Madame Bovary. In fact, that’s what I’m about to do. Source: SPN: the go-to digital resource for all-things Spain. Full article as published on SPN by writer, translator and journalist, Silvia Terrón. http://read.spnmagazine.com/ What influences do you draw upon to fuel your creativity? When I need inspiration, I put on Pachabel’s Cannon in D, fix myself a Taiwanese Oolong, and let the creativity flow. What is your current passion project? Lalani & Co’s new tea infusionware has just been manufactured and released. We could have imported, but instead we decided to work with the British ceramics industry. It’s been a pleasure to design them in London with ceramic artist Linda Bloomfield, make them in a traditional factory in Stoke on Trent and create a piece that’s beautiful and functional for all tea drinkers. What is your idea of food Heaven? Food Hell? Heaven is salmon sashimi. Hell is a plain cheese pizza. Favourite tipple? I’m literally tea-total! The vintage 2010 black tea from Big Island Tea Garden in Hawai‘i is one of the most amazing things I ever drank. We have the 2015 in our collection. It will age beautifully. Signature fragrance? I have two. Tabacco Toscano by Santa Maria Novella and Vetiver by Le Labo. How do you unwind? I confess, I rarely do. I’m forever alert. Favourite feel good song? Por Una Cabeza, Craig Ogden’s arrangement of it. Inspirational quote that you live by? 'Don’t be afraid to give up the good to go for the great' - J.D. Rockefeller What inspired you to write Travel Bites? The process of writing the book happened almost by accident. Late one evening when I was with friends, I had been reminiscing about some of my travel stories when I was asked if I had ever kept a travel diary. When I said that I had never felt the need, I was asked whether I was worried that I would forget my experiences – that really got me thinking. So I wrote down all of my travelling anecdotes that I could remember. After reading over them, so many of my stories were entwined with food experiences, that the idea of pulling my travel stories together with my favourite foods and recipes from when I have been on the road just felt like a natural progression and the idea for writing this book was born! What is your favourite cuisine? This is an impossible question! However, I think some of the best cuisine that I have eaten is from the Indochina region. The combination of flavours and influences that are reflected in the food is also a reflection of the history and the culture of each region. What is your idea of food Heaven? Food Hell? Any food that is fresh and has been cooked by someone who has taken the necessary time and care to prepare it will invariably end up tasting great. I love most foods, but I do have one food hell, tripe. No matter how it is cooked or presented, it invariably smells like wet dog (and its texture and taste is not much better). What influences do you draw upon to fuel your creativity? This has to be the foods that I have been eaten during my travels. However, it goes beyond just the experience of eating the new and exotic food. So much of the inspiration comes from the broader experience; I learnt my recipe for vegetarian spring rolls while helping the women of the house prepare the evening meal during a homestay in the hill tribe areas of north-west Vietnam. It was such a simple recipe, and each time that I make spring rolls, I am immediately taken back to the memories of trekking along the valley floor, surrounded by cascading terraces of rice paddies for as far as the eye could see. What is your current passion project? When I was growing up, I was an avid reader. It concerns me that there are so many young people who do not read, largely because of poor literacy levels. I have been working in collaboration with my publisher on programmes to help develop and edit books aimed at teen readers (that are in genres outside of teen fantasy). I hope that one day we will be able to distribute these works to young readers to schools in less affluent areas where I live. '10 in 10' We ask our favourite innovators, creators, movers & shakers, 10 questions in 10 minutes or less... What music do you listen to when: You want to unwind? When I unwind, I just set my iPod to play my downloaded music randomly and switch off my brain. You're hosting a dinner party for friends? I don’t think that I have ever played music when I have had friends over. You're in the mood to dance? Lol – you have never seen me dance – no music is ever going to help that. What are your must-have travel essentials? iPod with my favourite music. Sometimes travel can be stressful and listening to music like this allows me to go into my own zone and relax. Favourite travel companions? My best experiences have been when I have travelled by myself. It forces you to meet people, and that is when you really get to understand the place you have travelled too. What life lessons (if any) have your travels taught you? Travel has taught me many things – independence, self-reliance and even some humility. But the biggest thing I have learnt is that although people are separated by so many things – language, culture, religion, wealth. In reality, people the world over are more united by what they have in common as part of humanity - love, family, curiosity, and moreover, food! What city do you find the most: Inspirational? Rome – it is no coincidence that it is called the “eternal city.” Invigorating? Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. It is not the prettiest city I have been to, but there was so much energy, and so much bustling activity, it was hard not to be caught up by it. Relaxing? Amsterdam – and not for the reason you think! But there was something incredibly relaxing about sitting outside by the canal, drinking beer in the spring sunshine. Like your home away from home? I have travelled and moved around so much in my adult life that “home” is wherever I now live for more than a few months at a time. Top travel tip? Don’t be afraid to try something new. What's your soul food (e.g. food that makes your heart sing)? I love proper street food. Favourite tipple? I don’t think anything can beat a cold beer after a long, hot uncomfortable day of travelling. How do you like to unwind? Lie back, close my eyes and listen to my music. Inspirational quote that you live by? You’re here for a good time, not for a long time! Travel Bites is published by Wattle Publishing (www.wattlepublishing.com), an independent publisher. Travel Bites is available now in paperback and digital format. Available from Amazon.co.uk for £8.50. A.A. Miln Tells us a bit about yourself... At university while studying three-dimensional design, I became fascinated with how you could combine (set) gemstones and metal. It was this fascination that was the start of a love affair with jewellery design. I believe that my non-traditional jewellery background is what's captured the attention of my customers and retailers. They love how I approach each ring as a micro-engineered piece, paying attention to every minute detail and ensuring that each view is considered, balanced and beautiful. What influences do you draw upon to fuel your creativity? It's more of an intuitive process than anything else. I can see a change in my style as my life experiences change and I am aware of certain themes that run through the collections – such as fluidity, the importance of the sense of touch etc. Of late, there has also been an homage to the classics, whereas this did not exist in the first few years of my career. What is your current passion project? Working on the Cannelé Twist, which is proving to be a real hit with retailers and customers. This range has a twisting fluted theme running throughout and is a classic approach – with the inimitable AG ‘twist’! I have created an engagement ring, wedding ring and cufflinks and I'm now in the throws of creating other elements to add to the collection. '10 in 10' - We ask our favourite innovators, creators, movers & shakers, 10 questions in 10 minutes or less... What music do you listen to when: -You want to unwind? None – quiet please! -You're hosting a dinner party for friends? Perhaps some jazz – depending on the guests! -You're in the mood to dance? As a 40 year-old, I can feel that i am trying to hold on to my youth. Heavy Bass Dubstep gets me jumping all over the kitchen! What are your must-have travel essentials? Books, no laptop, shorts, flip flops. Favourite travel companions? Back in the day, a good friend who i met doing kung fu. But now, it's the Missis, my boy, and of course my trusty hound, Wilbur! What life lessons (if any) have your travels taught you? Be open to change. In fact, embrace it! What city do you find the most: -Inspirational? Tiruvanamalai. -Invigorating? Capetown. -Relaxing? Rural France. -Like your home away from home? Rural France. Top travel tip? Talk to everyone! What's your soul food (e.g. food that makes your heart sing)? Loving plantain fried in coconut oil with a little rosehip syrup, at the moment! Favourite tipple? Tipple days are over. It used to be tequila, but it wasn’t much to do with enjoying the taste! How do you like to unwind? Meditation. Inspirational quote that you live by? Not so much a quote, but more or a reminder, “I am awareness.” To view Andrew's work, visit: www.andrewgeoghegan.com Cocktail rings - http://www.andrewgeoghegan.com/the-collection/rings/cocktail-rings Engagement rings - http://www.andrewgeoghegan.com/the-collection/rings/engagement-rings A.A. Miln |
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