Pick of the Pads: Brixton East

We’ve chosen this fabulous factory space for this month’s Pick of the Pads. Dating from the 1870s, the building was disused & distressed when interior designer Andy Luckett bought it 18 years ago. After many years of hardship, discomfort & hard graft he’s created something very special – Brixton East.

The converted factory is featured in the October edition of Homes & Antiques Magazine and now incorporates apartment, studio space & shop.

There are many aspects of Andy’s home that we love. It retains a homely, comfortable feel whilst looking functional & easy to live in too.

The original fabric of the building remains intact with big windows, exposed brickwork & beams. The spaces are now filled with character, colour & texture.

There’s no shortage of unusual, quirky pieces – but it’s very well edited and never enters the realms of being cluttered.

It also looks like it’s evolved naturally over time with antique & vintage finds – some still serving their original purpose, others up-cycled for a new lease of life.

The building is available for event hire and Andy also opens a pop-up shop on the ground floor which should be of great interest to those who share his taste for the enticing antiques & vintage industrial pieces that fill his home – the next sale is in December. For details of the shop, upcoming events and more pictures of the building visit his website at www.brixtoneast.co.uk

Vintage Elle

We bought this lovely vintage Elle magazine on Thursday. Justin certainly wasn’t expecting to pick up Bridget Bardot at Tod market!

It’s a French issue dating from 1963.

In addition to the Bridget Bardot article there’s lots of great fashion photography.

Also some fantastic advertisements such as these for Knirps umbrellas and Helios lingerie.

In fact lingerie features quite heavily in this copy.

Other features include recipes, interviews and a mid century modern house tour.

Keep an eye out for these vintage magazines. We particularly like the era from the 1950s to the 1970s. Titles such as Elle, Vogue, Ideal Home etc. Many of the pages are good enough to frame – and for such a range of interest they offer really great value for money.

Pick of the Pads: Beetham Tower

Welcome to our new blog series entitled ‘Pick of the Pads‘ where we’ll feature homes that attract us, captivate us, bewitch us… sweep us off our feet!

This apartment in Manchester’s Beetham Tower does all of that in spades!

It’s a huge space, the penthouse duplex, taking up the whole of the 47th & 48th floors of the building. It’s the home of Ian Simpson, Beetham Tower’s architect.

As you’d expect from one of this country’s best architects, the apartment is absolutely stunning. There are scores of floor to ceiling windows allowing sunlight to stream through into double height rooms. And being so high up the views stretch right across to the Pennines!

It even boasts an indoor swimming pool, terrace and olive grove – the trees had to be installed before the roof went on!

And of course it’s furnished with beautiful mid century modern furniture, artworks and decorative objects.

For the full tour and more photos check out the September issue of Elle Decoration.

Update (3 April 2016): Here’s a new interview with the architect, Ian Simpson, in his penthouse apartment.

The Simple Things

The launch issue of The Simple Things magazine dropped onto our doormat a few days ago.

We’ve dipped in & out of it ever since and have thoroughly enjoyed it!

It came with us on a simple, quickly thrown together picnic of bread, cheese & fruit that we enjoyed on Saturday – very much in keeping with the ethos of this new magazine.

As the name suggests, it celebrates the simple things in life – friends, food, nature, hobbies, holidays and the pleasures of house & home.

Or as the magazine itself sums it up, “grow, cook, make, share.”

Ingredients and quality of produce are celebrated – there are articles about the slow food movement, a day picking apples and the joy one gardener gets from his allotment… lots of scrumptious recipes too!

There’s lot’s of outdoors-y stuff… things you might see in the park, garden or on a country walk – quite literally the birds and the bees… and the trees!

Interiors with an unfussy, homely feel are featured – in this edition the light & airy spaces of Dagmar & Randy’s Berlin apartment.

It draws in products that bring a bit of pleasure to daily life – whether it be a perfectly functioning tool, a toast rack that brings a smile to your face or a beautiful hand crafted cosy that helps you to savour your tea break.

One favourite piece was a lovely article about the old, gently fading advertising signs that give clues to buildings’ former lives – it reinforces the importance of taking time to notice the environment around you.

With 130 pages in all, there’s plenty more on offer too – interviews, book reviews and craft projects.

The production values of the magazine are excellent – quality paper, photography, writing etc.

It retails at £4.99, with a special offer of three issues for £5.00 which is a great deal.

We’re definitely going to sign up to see how it develops – we’re looking forward to our future copies.

H is for Home Harbinger

Tag: magazine

Pick of the Pads: Brixton East

Vintage Elle

Pick of the Pads: Beetham Tower

The Simple Things