By Amira Hashish
If embarking on a home revamp seems rather daunting, fear not. Thanks to the rise of online workshops with some of the world’s leading designers you can learn from the best and gain access to the crème de la crème of the interiors world without breaking the bank. From a step by step guide to renovating with Rita Konig to lampshade painting at one of London’s loveliest hotels, these innovative platforms and events will enhance your home makeover skills whilst helping you have fun along the way…
The Ultimate Guide to Interior Design With Rita Konig
Known for her sumptuous but liveable style, Rita Konig’s interior schemes are coveted by the A-List set. The likes of Vogue, The New York Times, House & Garden and The Wall Street Journal celebrate her approach to design but it is more attainable than ever thanks to an online course by Create Academy. Rita opens up her little book of secrets to offer online tutorials from the comfort of her living room. Throughout more than five hours of video lessons, Rita delves into the techniques, suppliers and materials she uses. She also encourages her ‘students’ to be confident with their own skills and discover how decorating can be a little less daunting and a lot more fun. There are plenty more courses to explore on Create Academy as well. Through beautiful, thoughtfully curated videos, the expertise of today’s leading figures in food, interiors, gardening and craft are just a few clicks away.
Enrol me: £127, createacademy.com.
Firmdale Hotels’ Creative Workshops
Kit Kemp has inspired so many interior design lovers with her fabulous Firmdale Hotels and now she is opening their doors to those keen to learn from the best. Leading arts and craftspeople are hosting a series of Creative Workshops at the Ham Yard and Haymarket Hotels this spring. On March 17 set designer and decorative artist Tess Newall will give attendees their very own handmade card lampshade to paint and take home. Inspiration will be drawn from the shapes, colours and patterns found in Kit Kemp’s hotel interiors and in Tess’s own collections. On March 31 you can learn to paint interiors in watercolour with artist, author and host of the cult weekly painting challenge ‘Room Portrait Club’ SJ Axelby. It is over to world-renowned florist, author and designer Willow Crossley on April 17 for a flower arranging workshop on the Roof Terrace at Ham Yard Hotel. Ticket prices include all materials, morning coffee, lunch in the hotel and your completed item to take home.
Enrol me: from £195, firmdalehotels.com.
The Expert
British born, Los Angeles based interior designer Jake Arnold, who counts the likes of John Legend and Chrissy Teigen amongst clients, had the excellent idea of bringing together his network of movers and shakers from the design world to launch a platform called The Expert. The premise is that you can book a video consultation with designers of every kind at varying budgets. Appointments range from £125 to £1,250 and you can opt for a one-time consultation or several video calls for something more in-depth such as a full-scale home renovation. Gaining 1:1 advice from designers who are at the top of their game will give you an instant home makeover knowledge boost.
Enrol me: theexpert.com.
MasterClass: Kelly Wearstler Teaches Interior Design
It doesn’t get much cooler than California design queen Kelly Wearstler. Her eclectic but soothing approach has become the epitome of the modern American home aesthetic whilst the Proper Hotels she puts her stamp on are the stuff of dreams. In her MasterClass series, she goes behind the scenes to demystify interior design. She teaches you to make any space feel larger and to choose colours, materials, and textures with confidence. Through her 17 video lessons, she also offers an insight into where she uncovers her collections of art and objects to create spaces that tell a story.
Enrol me: £14/month (billed annually) for all classes and sessions, masterclass.com.
Upskill…With a Little Help From Noah
Noah is an online platform selling Craft Starter Kits that help you take the first step into a new hobby. Ever fancied making your own pottery? How about learning how to make DIY Jesmonite & Terrazzo? Perhaps some scented candle making is on the cards? Noah’s kits offer step by step guides to making whilst supplying everything you need to turn your new learnings into reality. Fun, informative and fuss-free.
Enrol me: from £26.25 per kit, noahsbox.com.
Paint a Piece of Furniture at Minerva Workshop
This short course aims to introduce the wonders of chalk paint when upcycling furniture. A range of painting techniques are demonstrated such as how to apply paint, age products and apply finishes to ensure your furniture or walls looks good for the long-term. You will use various chalk paints, waxes and finishes and take home painted board to use as a future reference. There is also 10% off any Annie Sloan paint you purchase on the day which could come in handy. Minerva Workshop in Kentish Town offers several other great workshops too, including a regular Design Surgery with textile designer and doyenne of repeat pattern Sarah Campbell.
Enrol me: from £85, minervaworkshop.co.uk.
Tablescaping With Wild at Heart
There is an art to tablescaping and Wild at Heart are here to help. In this workshop, you will learn how to create beautiful bud vases to style alongside tapered candles and tea lights. The team will walk you through the tips and tricks of how colours, themes, placement and flowers come together so that you can wow your dinner guests with your table wizardry.
Enrol me: £225 per person, includes a set of six bud vases, three tea lights and three tapered candles, wildatheart.com.
The Paris Fashion Week Cheat Sheet
By Rachael Perry
Fashion month is well and truly underway, and it will draw to a close with its grand finale in the fashion capital of the world; Paris. It’s no secret that Paris and its people exude ‘chic’, and Paris fashion week is the ultimate opportunity for fashionistas and their fans to flock together to celebrate the diverse craftsmanship that designers have to offer. It’s a feast for the eyes, not only on the runway, but the street style also excels season after season and is an opportunity for everyone to get involved in some way. I’m a red carpet stylist, and private shopper for clients all over the world and I’m here to offer you five insider tips and takeaways that will offer a little bit of insight into how to cope with the hectic pace of fashion month.
Pick your shoes wisely…
Unless you’re driving between shows (which is often a rookie error because the roads become chaos!) you’re likely to be on your feet for eight or nine hours a day, so I cannot stress the importance of picking good shoes. Save your heels for the afterparties, and go for a boot or a good loafer for running around during the day. By day three, you’ll be extremely grateful for that decision!
Fuel up…
Anyone who tells you that people in fashion don’t eat is fibbing. It’s perhaps even more important during fashion month because you’re constantly on the move and your schedule is always back to back, so grabbing a bite to eat when you can is essential. You don’t know when your next meal will be. Lunch at eleven am? Absolutely. However, fashion week is also an opportunity to catch up with old friends because it brings everyone together in one place, so use the time wisely. Enjoy the excuse to go out for (a very quick) lunch and make the most of being out and about with the people you don’t get to see as often as you’d like, in places you don’t often get to visit. Paris is especially good for this – charcuterie and a glass of vin rouge is mandatory.
Layers are your best friend…
You’re going from running around outside to whizzing into show venues, jumping into a cab or hopping on the tube, so you want to be able to de-layer if you overheat and keep warm if you’re on the move. Think light sweaters that will fit in a handbag or can be tied around your shoulders if necessary, and long, light coats that are easy to move in.
Say yes to everything…
Take this one with a slight pinch of salt, but generally, fashion week comes with plenty of last-minute invites to parties, presentations and events, and my advice would be to say yes to them all. After two years of lockdown and not being allowed out of the house, it’s more important than ever to embrace all the social occasions that life throws at us, but also you never know who you’re going to meet and what opportunities may arise. Fashion week is supposed to be fun, and not everybody gets the chance to get involved. It’s also an important opportunity for industry networking, and connecting with other like-minded individuals.
Don’t panic if you don’t get photos of everything…
It sounds like a cliché but it’s true; live in the moment and enjoy what you’re watching. The front row consists of hundreds of iPhones trying to capture every runway moment, but filming everything means you risk not taking it in properly in real life. Fashion week is a hive of creativity, an accumulation of thousands of hours’ worth of work that deserves recognition and appreciation. You can find photos of every show online afterwards (and normally the quality is better than an iPhone anyway), and not everyone is lucky enough to be able to attend shows in person so make the most of that.
Getting Your Garden Ready For Spring
By Anya Cooklin-Lofting
Nurturing a garden of which to be proud is no small feat. It involves months of pre-planning, consistent attention and dedication to detail. However, the benefits of nailing your garden design, from layout to colour, function to fragrance, is one of the most rewarding domestic pleasures. Whether you’re creating an oasis for entertaining friends and family, a peaceful enclave for getting in touch with nature, a kitchen garden or a florist’s paradise, now is the time to start prepping.
Getting Started
As an artist preps their canvas, a great gardener gives themselves the best chance of success with a clean slate. Tidying up the garden will give you a sense of clarity about what you want to achieve, how you’ll use your space and what the possibilities are for switching things up. Remove fallen leaves and branches using a rake or a leafblower, cut the grass and neaten up perennials that have sprawled over the winter. While this task won’t be quite as satisfying as picking bouquet flowers for friends or a few veggies to roast for dinner, it will definitely feel like an accomplishment by the end of the day.
On a more technical level, you can look at improving your soil quality. This may sound complicated, but there are actually a few simple ways do to this. Initially, you need to test your soil. The best way to do this, according to Old Farmer’s Almanac, is to dig up one cubic foot of soil, break it apart and search for earthworms. You should find at least 10 earthworms if your soil is healthy. If you find fewer than 10, the advice is to add organic matter into the mix throughout your planting areas, which could include compost, aged manure and leaf mould using a spading fork.
You can also take this opportunity to declutter your shed or gardening toolbox. A clean, tidy shed will help to preserve your gardening equipment and, of course, reduce the stress associated with chaotic, messy spaces, making for a more enjoyable gardening experience. It’s also advisable to clean and sharpen tools like secateurs and trowels for not just easier, but safer usage.
Design Ideas
Getting to grips with how you want your garden to function is the first important step. Work out where you might like to establish dining or lounge spaces, a section for games or play and beds for flowers, fruit or vegetables. Are there any specific features towards which you’d like to draw the eye, such as a pond, an outdoor sculpture or a particularly beautiful tree? There’s no right or wrong way to do this, but giving consideration to these decisions will give you some structure to work to.
Light-touch design ideas could include adding colour in unexpected ways. Paint fences or structures like trellising with bright colours that complement the colours of the flowers you might want to grow. Personally, I love the way paint weathers outside, chipping in places for a rustic feel. Another less intensive design idea is to use colourful pots in varying glazes, textures and sizes to bring different dimensions and layers to patios or decks.
What to Plant Now
Classic spring flowers will thrive in your garden right now. Opt for daffodils and crocuses, fragrant hyacinths and decadent dahlias. Now is the time to lean into tulip varieties, too, which make delightful displays at home, especially using the TikTok-famous tulip petal hack.
Getting ahead of the game on your vegetable garden will bring great rewards right the way through the summer. While it’s best to plant most vegetables in warm weather, vegetables including broccoli, cabbages, kale, Swiss chard, kohl rabi and lettuce can be planted in March for quick results. You can keep sowing seeds throughout the season to extend the harvest period.
Windowsill Gardeners
For those without the privilege of a garden, windowsill options are still rewarding, and there is something charming about miniature gardening. While planting bouquet flowers might be tricky because of the height and space they require, lower-lying plants like hyacinth can be grown in bowls in bright spots around the home very easily. Where your indoor kitchen garden is concerned, growing salad items like microgreens and herbs is a manageable place to start. If you have a bright enough window, the opportunities are endless. Last year, I grew cherry tomatoes all the way through until November!