Style and colour of the 1940's and 1950's

Second in my series of decades and colours is the 1940's to 1950's. The reason Ive grouped two decades together in this series is that it's never clear cut from one decade to another where one style stops and another starts, so I'm going for a general overall impression of the colours that were popular during those eras and how to replicate that feel with modern paints and products.

Sadly the 1940s being a time of World War gives a hiatus to style and colour as utility and functionality took precedent over design and art for arts sake. Having said that, the events during that decade did shape the progress of inventions and practicalities in dress and homes.

The reaction to the end of that time of repression and rationing was the explosion of frivolity in the fifties. Clothing became more flamboyant and consumerism started in ernest.

The age of the slow Ocean Liner was surpassed by the age of Air travel, and the scientific and engineering progress which came about during the war was to influence designs in home accessories and fabric and print design.

Colours that stand out to me are pastels with pops of red. A primrose yellow, a special shade of blue and mint green that remind me of ice cream colours. Black and White checkered floors, and the 'atomic' shapes which came about after the Festival Of Britain.

Let's have a look at some films that will put us in the mood. The film industry was dominated by Alfred Hitchcock classics, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Strangers On A Train. James Dean, Audrey Hepburn were making their debuts and the film industry moved into colour in full glory.  America dominated the style, and in the UK we craved the American fashions.

Above in my own kitchen I decided to go retro with appliances because it was the best way to add colours. We all know that SMEG sell these glorious Fridge/Freezers in classic retro colours with handles reminiscent of old Fifties car door handles and that smooth sleek rounded corners of old American fridges. The fabric I've used to hide the washing machine is original fifties barkcloth. The background being pale grey with pops of red, blue yellow and green which were fashionable then. The little scenes are of European influence, like Italy and the Mediterranean, places that were now accessible.  

The room that is the easiest to style in these decades for me is the kitchen.  There's a fabulous array of items available from high street and online stores for appliances that scream American fifties. Have a look at online store Wayfair.co.uk for the clocks Ive featured and the 'petrol pump cd rack'. It's quite easy to buy kitchenalia from that period too, as the enamelware lasts forever!

Young couples like my parents wanted everything modern, Britain was rebuilding at a rapid rate and they had big aspirations. In kitchens the labour saving devices were king and surfaces were Formica in an array of new colours and patterns. The new transistor radio brought rock n roll and the teenager was born, having their own fashions for the first time, rebelling against their parents buttoned-up lives. 

During the 1940's there was still an abundance of floral motifs on walls, floors, curtains but as time moves on into the 1950's this changes into these more 'atomic' shapes and the abstract takes over.

I took this photo at Bletchley Park, this green was one of the few colours available during the war

There's a pinterst board featuring more of the forties and fifties over at this link https://www.pinterest.com/JaniceIssitt/1940s-to-1950s-home-styling/

Hope you find this useful if you are going for a vintage look, see you soon in the sixties and seventies. 

Coastal Art and Colours - Lewes to Rye

I thought I'd just do a little round up of my  latest trip to the coast with some recommendations of lovely grownup things to do if you are interested in art and interiors particularly.

We drove to Lewes as our first stop, which unfortunately didn't give us a very pleasant hotel experience, having left it a bit late to book we chose what seemed to be ok location wise but was a very run down and overpriced place. In fact the worst hotel on our trip and the most expensive, I won't name it but its a pub/inn on the high street.

The best part about this location was its proximity to three things we went to, firstly the Vintage Fair in Firle, then Monks House the former home of Virginia Woolf and then Charleston House, the home of Virginia's sister Vanessa Bell, an artist. Have you been watching the tv series about them "Life In Squares" - love in triangles. Its worth catching on iplayer to get the general feel of the stories behind this set of bohemians and is also filmed at these locations.

Monks House

The best part about Monks House for me is that you can take photos inside and their welcome to visitors is very warm. The green colour in the lounge was mixed for them by Farrow and Ball and is truly stunning. 

Monks House is not as decorative as Charleston but the garden is just as stunning and the collections inside are also lovely. 

Firle House vintage fair was glorious, mostly because we had a really sunny hot day.  I knew the traders would have great stock as lots of the vintage sellers from the south coast go across to France buying. Disaster number two came when my other half got stung by a wasp on the lip! we are calling it wasp gate. The traders there were so kind, they found him some medicine and remedies. Naturally I picked up a few cute things as souvenirs and then we headed down to the coast to Eastbourne. 

This stretch of the coast is classic British and really quite smart and clean. We booked a comfortable hotel on the beach front, one of the old Victorian buildings. Laying in bed listening to the sea and seagulls was so lovely. What else should you do there? well buy some fish and chips and eat them on the pier of course.

We didn't do so much in Eastbourne, just sat on the beach and collected shells, soaking up the sun and fresh air.

From there we tried to stick to a coast road and in my search for a nice cappuccino we stumbled across the De La Warr Pavillion which is showing an exhibition of Bridget Riley paintings. I have wanted to see her work up close for so many years, I couldn't believe it! The exhibition runs to the 6th September with information here http://www.dlwp.com/event/bridget-riley-the-curve-paintings the cafe was also very nice so that was a totally unexpected bonus. 

Style guru Jeska at Lobster and Swan gave me some recommendations for shops she thought I would like in Hastings and thank goodness she did as I don't think we would have found them. Theres an amazing selection of vintage shops in lovely old buildings in the old town near George Street. The High Street and Post Office Passage will keep you amused all day exploring if you like a rummage. Butlers Emporium was recommended to me and it is really beautifully curated. I bought a few lovely things which will be featuring in my photos soon. We ate in Nazar a Turkish restaurant with very good food, its on Robertson Passage. We love lots of 'picky bits' so a Meze is perfect for us, me who grazes and the other half who eats like a horse. 

It was quite sad to say goodbye to Hastings, I could have done with another day there but Dungeness was calling. Since I worked at Mute Records with musicians who put music to Derek Jarman's films, I have wanted to visit his cottage and garden. It is so lucky for us that it is still possible to just drive up to the cottage and wander round, but please respect the occupiers. The cottage is called Prospect Cottage and you can see its location on google maps.

I read that Derek Jarman chose the yellow of the windows to reflect the yellow in the plants which grow there. Please do some research before you go so that you can better understand about the planting and how the garden grew into an art work organically.

We lost the good weather but somehow grey and dreary does really suit the area of Dungeness, a truly strange place.  Theres a toy train which the school children still catch, but we didn't actually ride on it ourselves. 

Our hotel in Rye was such a joy after a windy drizzly day. Perfectly located and with lovely decoration, the Hope Anchor was great value for money with very good breakfasts. Just round the corner from great shops and beautiful old winding cobbled streets. Mermaid Street has been used in so many films, transporting you back with buildings from the 1400's.  The Mermaid Inn is on my bucket list of places to stay, maybe next time, its one of Englands oldest Inns having been rebuilt in 1420.  

The George and The Standard are great places to eat, but you need to book. A lovely combination of interior design shops and antiques. It is good for mens clothes which is unusual. Rye is definitely another place to go back to and quite magical.

Tomorrow I pop over to Amsterdam to visit an old friend. Rosey is a very stylish girl and Im sure I will have some lovely photos of her cool house to share.  Have a lovely weekend everyone, and please don't forget to vote for me in the Amara Awards the link is here :
http://www.interiorblogawards.com/vote/janice-issitt-life-style/

Your support is really appreciated. 

Amara Interior Blog Awards #IBA15

I can't quite believe that Ive got through to the next round of voting for an #IBA15 in the colour inspiration category. This journey of blogging came quite by accident and at a time when I really didn't think it would lead to anything.

Initially I started blogging as a place to put my photos both of my home improvements and places discovered around where I had just moved to.

It seems that whilst all around are favouring the black and white, or all white minimal home styling (which I do love and admire), I simply can't do it myself. I love collecting, family heirlooms, bits of memorabilia, just lovely stuff. I find it comforting and inspiring, my brain just seems to respond to colour and maximalism. 

So this is me asking please, that if you like any part of what I do, to vote for me in the Amara Interior Blog Awards. Im pleased that this company are sponsoring such a thing as I often purchase from them.  While I like old, there are some things that just have to be new like bedding, kitchen stuff etc.  Also its good to support clever new designers like Pip Studio and the more established companies who respond to current trends and styles (Im so pleased the fashion for white 'white goods' is over, all hail the retro styles and colours of kitchen appliances. 

Voting in the Awards starts on Monday 10th August at http://www.interiorblogawards.com/ 

This weekend Im travelling along the coast, my previous post just got me in the mood, so I told the other half, I want to see the coast and I want to see it now. 

We are fitting in some cultural stuff too, like Virginia Woolfs house, (Monks House) which I will talk more about soon. But to my surprise the lounge had walls the same colour as Ive just been painting in my kitchen. I was told that Farrow & Ball had mixed this colour especially, it is called Monks House or something similar, I will look into it more. 

Also the seaside heralded some great colours and atmosphere, the sky was so blue, it was a really hot day, the first for ages, so it made the rather horrendous car journey all worthwhile. 

All the best for now, love Janice. 

Seaside colours - DIY Kitchen ideas

Where I live in Buckinghamshire is about as far from the coast as anywhere you can get. Is it any wonder then, that during August I long for the seaside, maybe because as a youngster my Dad would pack me and Mum off to Broadstairs for the school holidays to stay in his Uncle Toms guest house, right next door to Oliver Postgate's house on Chandos Square.  Yes, it was the sixties, ice cream parlours in shades of pastel, donkey rides, sand castles and the gift shops, with things made from shells.

So this week, when it seems like the world and his wife have gone to Cornwall, or some other cool resort in the UK or abroad, I've been hankering for the colours of the seaside.

This is also my birthday month and so often August treats are trips to the coast and a few extravagant purchases. These often take the form of something for the home, the first time I did this was my fridge freezer ..... the pale blue SMEG

When we moved to this house a lot needed doing to update it. As Im not much of a cook and neither is the other half, the kitchen was a dilema, I didn't want to spend lots of money on it, also the units were wood and it seemed a shame to rip them out. The kitchen isn't very big but for us its totally sufficient, and, at the end of the day, it really is just a home for pretty kitchenalia.  Oh yes, not being able to cook doesn't damper the spirit for collecting associated objects.

Actually, I think that the lack of ability to create gourmet food can be balanced with presentation, its smoke and mirrors at my dinner parties.

Last month my kettle broke, and I was getting fed up with our cheapish toaster which looked nice, but took forever to toast the bread for some reason. 

I had a look around for a nice kettle only to discover that SMEG do beautiful ones, and, of course, I also learnt they do gorgeous toasters too.  

Why is it that whenever you get something new and shiny it shows up how tired its surroundings are.  We had painted the kitchen cupboards in a few different colours, quite muted but with different coloured knobs on each cupboard. The top cupboards in a classic Farrow and Ball white (Pointing I think), still looked good and throws the light around the room but the bottom units were a bit dull in comparison to the new appliances so I mixed up a few different paints to zshusch them up.

Since working with Annie Sloan Chalk Paints as a Painter In Residence, I find that barely a day goes by without me painting something.  Often a backdrop for photos where I like to see how different colours work together, and sometimes on walls and furniture.

On one side of the kitchen where I now have my swanky new Nutribullet in purple, I have painted the bottom units with red details and stencils for a folk look. Choosing some different knobs from Anthropolgie to add the finishing details.

On the other side of the kitchen where the new SMEG kettle and toaster sit, I brightened up the units with a variation of paints that I mixed myself. Using up leftovers and tester pots. 

While I was painting the kitchen one morning over breakfast, I was taken to thinking about Vanessa Bell, having just watched the new tv show about the Bloomsbury Set "Life In Squares". 

I spend a lot of time on instagram, posting photos of colourful inspiration, and as it has a square format I started to think that my life is in squares too. Annie Sloan was kind enough to say that my style was reminiscent of The Bloomsbury Painters, in that every surface of my home is painted and decorated. As these were the first true bohemians I can see why my style is considered Bohemian Chic.

I snapped this through the window at Charleston House, home of Vanessa Bell

The other half bought me a Nutribullet and I started to use it this week.  I was sceptical but a few friends raved about it so, Im giving it a go and so far so good, I feel slimmer, less bloated and have a bit more energy.  

Nothing adds a splash of colour to the kitchen like a fruit bowl full to the brim. 

I may try to post a few of my favourite nutribullet drink combinations, so far I definitely like to add almond milk in the morning with some porridge oats and dates. 

If your kitchen needs a spruce up and the kitchen cupboard doors are wood, or wood veneer, then perhaps think about painting them. I find that Farrow & Ball paint lasts very well and can be wiped down, but you will need to prime and undercoat well before using it. 

Chalk Paint is a quicker fix but has to be well waxed to protect it from splashes and spills. If you clean a lot then the chalk paint may not be the best if you want to scrub it regularly.

I'm now looking at the Amara site for ideas about what else would look good, perhaps a Delonghi Espresso maker in pale blue ... mmm
also some new linens like the animal prints from Thornback & Peel.

I have a pinterest board for Bloomsbury Painters and styles over at https://www.pinterest.com/JaniceIssitt/bloomsbury-art-styles/

Here you can see the work of Vanessa Bell and the home where she lived called Charleston House. 

Next week I may not be blogging as its my birthday and Im going to Amsterdam.  I will of course be taking lots of photos there and Im keeping an open mind about what I will find to report back on, but I have a suspicion there will be some tattoos and flea markets covered.

Inside Out

Yay, we have some summer here in the UK, at least a whole weeks worth so far! It takes a lot to get me out of the house, so when I venture forth I like to take a few luxuries with me, even if its only into my own garden.  I have a lot of old furniture thats been used as props for photos, or projects and such. Some of it ends up in the garden shed as we can't bear to part with it, one such item being a single wooden bed that I bought on e-bay.

This was such a good purchase as it's assembled in minutes, just slotting pieces of wood together and laying the slats down, when it's taken apart it hardly takes up any space. And so, we set it up in a cool spot in the garden.

cushions and scarves are from Van Asch

We had some old foam in the shed as well so used that as the mattress and then took a lovely Kantha quilt and cushions out from the house.

Another old prop was the screen which I use as backdrops in photos, painting it different colours, this one has some stencilling on that I did a while back. 

I also made a wig-wam for myself, to keep the sun off and for my blind cat Coco to get cool in. I started off by pegging Kantha quilts to the washing line and then giving structure with bamboo poles and bits of wood we had lying around.  We keep a couple of old rugs in the shed as well for a ground covering.

By the evening we had got quite into the spirit of things, and took some chairs out to the paddock at the end of the garden.  To add to the fun my other half took some light shades out and hung them in the trees.

There are alpacas at the bottom of the garden, I think you can just see them, they are very curious creatures. We sat and watched them from our garden palace.

Another favourite spot for us is the lavender farm at Hitchin. We took half the house with us and bought food from their cafe as they do such nice platters.

All these items are from Holy Cow Home 

enormous bag from The Future Kept

All items from Holy Cow Home

cushions from Van Asch, quilt mug and plates from Holy Cow Home

At Hitchen Lavender you pay 4.50 each to go into the lavender fields and pick your own, the sound of buzzing bees is hypnotic. 

There are open air film showings in August so we shall hopefully return, maybe for my birthday.

Have a lovely time wherever you are. 

Colour Inspiration in Nature

I was wandering around the garden snipping at some flowers for vases when I had the thought that often the word 'natural' is used to describe an off white, pale beige sort of colour.  Actually, when you look at natural plant life every colour is there and in such vibrancy, particularly in countries like India where the Bouganvillea is the most dazzling pink you have ever seen.

Colour combinations are my passion, I try to find clashing colours to see how they make me feel, I constantly push the limit of experimentation to experience the emotions in colours. Does that sound a bit hippy drippy, sorry. 

Sorry about the deceased bird, and without launching into the dead parrot sketch from Monty Python, let me explain. I have four cats and live in the countryside so mice and birds are sadly par for the course. We do try to re-dress the balance by rescuing wildlife for a hospital and do our best to liberate them if they still have life.

This bird was so beautiful I just wanted to photograph it. 

The colour of these yellow and pink roses is almost sherbet like. 

This colour combination makes my mouth water, the pink rose, blue delphinium, offset by the pale turquoise/aqua of the plate. Looking at this I could see it working on a wall, the main colour being the dreamy plate colour with a stencil or wash containing the darker blue, violet, green and pinks.

All the background colours here are using Annie Sloan chalk paint which I have mixed myself and worked several colours together with water.                                                  

I would love to hear about your favourite colour combinations, I have a pinterest board called Paint Passion where I've invited some guest pinners to join me and we are picking interesting textures and moods created with paint. 

Individuality is about stepping to one side of what everyone else is doing, not playing it safe and definitely not playing by the rules, do that and you will look and become one of the sheep.  Me I'd rather be a Lion, one that wears a big purple hat. 

Great artists the world over have contributed many theories about paint, colour and nature affecting the human soul. Jeff Koons said that his father taught him to think - how do turquoise and gold make you feel, now think of how black and red make you feel. It's different right?  Hundertwasser actually believed that "The straight line leads to the downfall of humanity", that there are no straight lines in nature, only those created by man, therefore the straight line is ungodly.

So heres my advice, colour outside the lines, be a Lion not a sheep.   

Warning - by Jenny Joseph

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple

With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.