The interiors retro love affair continues!

Interiors

Directly on the heels of London Fashion Week comes its Interior Design equivalent, Decorex, where companies showcase new products and design for the coming year. Interior Design Jamie Hempsall presents his picks of the season.

There is renewed optimism in the world of interiors with fabric companies launching a wider number of collections than we have seen in the last couple of years.

The big stories this autumn are geometrical patterns, as design companies continue their retro love affair with all things 1930s and 1950s, and stripes which are returning with renewed confidence and gusto.

There is nothing boring about any of these retro chic interpretations which may take influence from the mid 20th century, but have been updated with injections of strong colour and daring interpretation. Texture and comfort are also very important this season with a range of geometric patterns being introduced in tactile cut velvet. Of note too are some new digital printed fabrics being introduced (in particular by Designers Guild) which are blending photographic quality large prints onto intricate designs. These are bold and brash statements that herald the onslaught of a potential design revolution.

Here are my favourite picks from this season's collections.

The Juniper range from Harlequin (pictured above) is pure 1950s with wonderful visions of leaves (Orletta, £59/mtr) and seed heads (Kerria, £34/mtr or Spirea £52/mtr) in a range of colourways including red, purple and orange on simple backgrounds (www. harlequin.uk.com – 0845 123 6805).

There are brilliant re-interpretations of mid-20th century geometrical patterns in contemporary colours on plain backgrounds in the Casson Range from Romo which also features a series of relaxed woven stripes (from £42.50/m). The Ellise range of decorative weaves from Romo is a beautiful collection of soft contemporary cut velvets featuring almost art deco style patterns in bold, confident colour (from £129.95/m; www.romo.com – 01623 756 699).

The Mosaic velvet cut and loop pile range from Zoffany has a more muted colour palette, but provides a rich, plush feel. The striking designs are easy on the eye and would integrate well into any virtually any style of interior. Patterns have been cut and woven to create both visual and textural interest (£79/m; www.zoffany. com – 0844 543 4600).

More beautiful geometry is found in the Maharani range from Osborne & Little, a range of printed designs featuring interlocking cubes and handsome block stripes inspired by Armenian and Iranian architecture (from £34.08/m; www.osborneand little.com – 020 7352 1456).

Leading the way in the introduction of the modern stripe is Designers Guild with their Bernadini collection (in particular the Phipps and Egmont patterns). These are available in a wide range of imaginative colourways and feature exciting new types of velvet (£70/m; www.designers guild.com – 0207 893 7400).

Equally appealing is the new Oscura stripe from Osborne and Little. This is a range of two-tone stripes blackout fabrics (ideal for blinds and curtains) with a companion strié plain in 16 different colourways (£29.38/m; details as before).

If you are looking for more lightweight fabrics then I would seek out the new collections from Malabar. Their Kilo range features simple, but effective lightweight and sheer linen cotton stripes in an array of muted colours (£29/m).

For those wanting something bolder, their Inka range includes more dramatic stripes and some heavy linen herringbone plains in stronger shades from earthy brown to juicy raspberry (£29/m; www. malabar.co.uk – 020 7501 4200).

A lot of the fabric ranges produced this season come with co-ordinating wallcoverings which echo their geometric designs and contemporary colours. The exciting news for decorators is that new production techniques mean that many ranges are now being developed in non-woven finishes so that you apply paste to the wall making hanging them far easier – seek these out for a hassle free makeover.

•You can contact Jamie Hempsall for advice or more details on any of the new season's ranges at www.jamiehempsall.com or on 0800 0321 180

Curtain call for the tie-back

Curtains frame your window, but how do you make the most of your view?  Interior designer Jamie Hempsall takes a look at using tie-backs.

When it comes to dressing windows the best solution is often a pair of curtains, preferably full length if room will allow. They frame your view beautifully and help to create a feeling of opulence. However, with the exception of eyelet designs which tend to stack back at the sides of a window, most curtains have fairly wide headings even when open which can mean they take up valuable window space and reduce light. So how do you solve this problem and create an extra element of drama?

The simple answer is a tieback and I have included images of some of my favourite designs currently on the market. Whilst this is a very traditional solution, tie-back designs continue to evolve meaning that you can find something appropriate for the majority of interior schemes from traditional to ultra-contemporary.

A myth has arisen over how difficult it is to dress curtains using a tieback and, whilst it does take a bit of effort initially, I have rarely found a client who does not pick up the knack pretty quickly thereby enjoying wonderful results.

The trick is to take time initially to dress your curtains with the appropriate folds – you do need a little patience, but it is worth it. Once you are happy with the effect tie them in position with three or four lengths of soft cloth (such as left over lining fabric) evenly spaced down the length of your curtains and leave hung in position for around 72 hours. This will help give new curtains “memory” as to where a fold should be. After that you should find that as you draw them back to gather up in a tieback your curtains will naturally follow the folds you have decided upon.

Using a tieback to draw curtains back not only increases light, but when draped correctly your curtain will have a soft curve that falls gracefully at the side of your window.
 

To achieve the optimum effect attach your tieback either one third down from the top of the curtain or one third up from the bottom of the panel. Hanging a tieback near the top of the curtain will provide the most light, with a short curve which leaves the majority of the fabric hanging at the side of the window. Whilst using a tieback near the bottom of the window is less about light and more about creating a dramatic, long curve.

One of the simplest options for a tieback is to produce a collar or twist made from the main fabric. As a general guide a standard width curtain of about 137cm wide requires a tieback of 60cm, whilst a double with curtain (about 274cm) needs a 92cm tieback.

However, I like to make more of a statement with tiebacks. They are an important tool in your interior scheme arsenal. The world is your oyster when it comes to design, but it is essential that you opt for colours that are included in the fabric of your curtains. Do not feel you have to go with the obvious choice as carefully matching a colour contained in a small detail of the design is a clever reference point and allows you to use it elsewhere in your room scheme.

Price points vary wildly from around £10 in High Street Stores to upwards of £318 for the statement piece Twiggy tie-back from Wemyss Houles – a true joy to behold. Take time to enjoy these wonderfully tactile additions to your window treatment which you should consider as important a decision as your fabric.

Jamie Hempsall is a member of the British Institute of Interior Design. For more details visit Jamie at www.jamiehempsall.com or why not follow him on twitter (JamieHempsall)

Examples shown:
1) Lead Crystal Tie-Back from Zoffany
2) Briati Tie-Back from Designers Guild
3) Taisho Tie-Back from Osborne & Little
4) Orio Tie-Back from Designers Guild
5) Twiggy Tie-Back from Wemyss Houles