March 20th, 2012
Squint Limited is the creation of Lisa Whatmough, a talented designer with a strong passion for textiles and a decidedly British design sensibility. A company that produces richly decorative home wares, all made in the UK, which are a fusion of fashion and the decorative arts, Squint first caught the eye of the Styleture editorial team with its stunning and inviting patchwork couches. We were further excited to learn that Squint offers numerous other stunning pieces like tables and mirrors. With each unique piece, Whatmough imbues her own hip sense of style and has created a clear visual signature. Blending artistic inclinations from various time periods and social and artistic heritages, she creates her own conceptual vision of how we live. Squint offers customers their custom capabilities and can create sofas and armchairs of different widths and depths. The custom nature of piece ensures that whatever you order from Squint, you’ll be in ownership of an original work.
Styleture is quite taken by the works of Squint Limited and Whatmough. We offer you a few of our favorite pieces from their collection:
The Redchurch
The Redchurch sofa is made in England to specification, in the color choices as shown. By the nature of the hand stitched patchworked process, no two pieces are exactly the same. Fabrics used include woven silks, velvets and printed and woven cottons. Read the rest of this entry »
June 22nd, 2011
PURE Inspired Design
We are never surprised that people have strong feelings about design. What does surprise us is when someone takes their love of design and changes careers completely to follow that passion. We recently spoke with Samantha Cobos of PURE Inspired; a line of eco-conscious fabrics and furnishings that she began in 2001.
We love that you just seemed to jump into eco-friendly fabrics and furnishings. How long were you designing before you decided to really take that plunge?
SC: Well, first of all I gave up my eight year career as a computer programmer to become an interior designer. I opened my own business in 2001 right after completing my design degree. I was successful, but the economy went south starting around 2008 and I had a lot of time on my hands. I started studying eco-friendly design as well as sketching patterns. What I discovered was a true passion for patterns and colors, as well as the need for eco-friendly design options! You might be surprised to know that I’m self-taught – I don’t take classes, I just try to figure things out on my own and I never give up 
Samantha Cobos of PURE Inspired Design
How did you become interested in eco-friendly design?
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March 29th, 2011
We’ve all done it – driven by a garage sale or strolled through a flea market to marvel at all the lovely antique pieces only to leave empty handed – because although vintage items look intriguing, we’re never quite sure where to put them. Bronze candle holders and velvet arm chairs may seem like a fun purchase, but how do they fit into your home?
Enter Shabby Chic decorating, also referred to as Cottage Style. This design style can best be equated to buying a pair of worn-out looking jeans – something that looks vintage and yet is stylish.
The Shabby Chic look is achieved by incorporating used, elegant furniture into a more modern and relaxed setting. Sofas and chairs are slightly overstuffed – creating a bit of an English -country feel and side chairs might have cane or rush seats, which is very cottage-like. Tables, dressers, and lamps that have worn down edges and several coats of paint on them that show their age are a staple of this decorating style. Re-purposing old pieces of furniture is key to achieving this look and is a great way to save some money when redecorating. Even buying new furniture and distressing it to make it look old and worn, like an antique heirloom, is a trick of the Shabby Chic decorator.
Fabrics also have an intricate role in Shabby Chic design, usually soft-rose colored florals, gently faded pastels and soft velvets all can be mix-matched perfectly to create a warm, romantic look.
Don’t be mistaken, this isn’t your grandma’s living room; Shabby Chic brings glitz to the vintage look. Think alluring crystal chandeliers, acting as the perfect centerpiece, exuding old elegance with some modern-day bling. A light pastel colored wall usually accompanies this mixed-matched décor and the result: a feminine, romantic room with each piece of furniture luring you in to tell its story.
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November 18th, 2009
Jasper Conran is the son of the famous designer Sir Terence Conran, and has made his own name for himself as one of the most successful present day designers in England. Jasper went to the Parsons School of Art & Design in New York, has designed everything from costumes to interiors and presently he creates thousands of products a year ranging from housewares and tableware to clothing, luggage and fabrics. Jasper has products and designs in a variety of stores and residences that are designed in numerous styles.
Initially it was hard for Jasper to branch out on his own because people would assume that his father was bankrolling his business. Jasper has now had his own fashion business for 30 years and unlike some designers he becomes very attached to the entire process of how his clothes and products are made. He will often visit the factories where his clothing and products are being produced, to see and learn how the manufacturing process takes place.
Jasper’s father was a lover of modernism, but the homes that Jasper has owned have been primarily traditional 11th-century manors and Georgian homes. He has always been obsessed with grand country homes and doesn’t relate his own tastes with his fathers’ (who now also lives in a Georgian house).
Hasper’s elegant tableware can be found in Wedgwood stores and his housewares, fabrics, luggage, eye wear and clothing can be found in the department store Debenhams. Jasper’s own flagship store, 36 Sackville Street in London is a magnificient 8,000 sq ft store in one of London’s finest postcodes in the heart of Mayfair. Here you will find his bridal collections, made-to-measure men’s & womenswear and living and dining room collections (such as tableware, furniture etc.).
Visit Jasper’s website at www.jasperconran.com
S/S 10 Fashion Line
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