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Art & Design Events to See This October

Written by Anya Cooklin-Lofting on . Posted in Events, Interiors, Latest, Lifestyle.

By Anya Cooklin-Lofting

As the days get shorter and cooler, it’s time to retreat into the warm, inviting lobbies of London’s finest venues, museums and galleries to get your autumnal cultural fix. Whether you enjoy a solo skulk around the National Portrait Gallery with a podcast, a rollicking family visit to the Natural History Museum or a romantic stroll through the towering halls of the V&A, ’tis the season to wrap up warm and soak up the cultural delights that the capital has to offer. 

Luckily, October is a time of great cultural importance, especially for the world of art and design, and alongside the programme of annual events that fall in October, including Decorex, Frieze Art Fair and the Goldsmiths’ Fair, there are a number of fantastic exhibitions to add to your ‘must-see’ list. So, this month, I’ll be rounding up some events for your cultural calendar, from decadent decorative arts events to eye-opening exhibitions and beyond.

Goldsmiths’ Fair

A bustling, glimmering celebration of all that glitters, Goldsmiths’ Fair is an annual selling and exhibition event that highlights some of the leading names in jewellery design today. The site of the current Hall, which is just northeast of St Paul’s Cathedral, has been home to the Goldmsiths’ Company since 1339 where two previous Halls once stood. The Hall’s Assay Office is where the hallmarking of fine jewellery began over 700 years ago, and where the painstaking task is carried out to this day. This year, the fair is celebrating its 40th anniversary with an integrated exhibition, 40 at 40, which showcases the work of 40 makers, each of whom is represented by an outstanding piece created after 1983. 

Week 2, 4th – 9th October 2022, The Goldsmiths’ Hall

Frieze London, Frieze Masters and Frieze Sculpture

One of the most prestigious and lucrative art programmes in the world, Frieze takes place annually amongst the gently landscaped parkland of Regent’s Park. The many globally renowned galleries that show their collections at Freize’s purpose-built pavilions attract over 60,000 visitors across collectors, gallerists, fellow artists and of course, the general public. For contemporary art, get yourself a ticket to Frieze London, and for artwork produced before 2000 and antiquities, head to Frieze Masters. For a free-of-charge meander around Frieze Sculpture, head to the south end of the park’s Broadwalk.

Throughout October 2022, Regents Park

PAD London 

Each October, PAD London takes over the leafy Mayfair square to showcase exquisite 20th-century and contemporary design from some of the world’s most sought-after galleries and designers. Amongst the design names to know taking part this year are Rose Uniacke, Galerie Scene Ouverte, Spazio Nobile, Sarah Myerscough Gallery, David Gill Gallery, Gallery FUMI and Carpenters Workshop Gallery.

10th-16th October 2022, Berkeley Square

Decorex

For the latest in interior design, Decorex is the very best place to seek out new trends, meet makers and gather inspiration for your next home decoration project. Set against the backdrop of the soaring Victorian halls of Olympia London, international design studios and makers gather to network, and meet new clients and customers. It’s a riot of colour, pattern and inspiration, especially if you attend a few of the interior design talks held throughout the week on topics from collecting design pieces to making a happy home. 

9th-12th October 2022, Kensington Olympia

StART Art Fair

For emerging artists with fresh, booming voices and innovative approaches to their media, the StART Art Fair is a one-stop-shop. Harti, Illuminati Neon, Tommy Fiendish and a number of international fresh faces will be exhibiting, bringing punchy, political and thought-provoking art to the prestigious venue. Visitors will also have the opportunity to review the entries to the inaugural StART Martin Miller’s Gin Emerging Art Prize, where entrants were invited to create works to respond to the theme, transformation. 

12th-16th October 2022, Saatchi Gallery

Summer Picnic Hacks

Written by Anya Cooklin-Lofting on . Posted in Events, Food, Latest, Lifestyle.

By Anya Cooklin-Lofting

From antique rugs on the lawn pulled casually from drawing rooms to fully-realised dining tables in fields of wildflowers, the picnic, humble or otherwise, can take many forms. For the Instagrammers and Pinteresters amongst us, picnics provide the perfect opportunity to really hammer home an aesthetic. You can take your picnic design ideas to the nth degree with place cards and menus, little floral sprays in bud vases dotted down the table, and your most prized tableware (formerly for indoor use only). 

But never fear, you don’t need to be a professional stylist to achieve the perfect afternoon picnic with friends and family or for date night. Beyond tasty food and cold drinks (that stay cold), there are a few hacks for making sure your picnic has a considered edge. Just a bit of housekeeping: Keep single-use plastic to a minimum, take any rubbish home with you, remember your SPF and add frozen fruit to your drinks instead of ice cubes, which will dilute your picnic tipple of choice.

In the age of curation, styling and photographing everything we do and eat, take some time to think about how your picnic will manifest itself, especially if you’re throwing it for a special occasion. A loose theme is a good start, even if it’s as vague as ‘Italianate dinner party’ or ‘English summer luncheon.’ Not only will this influence the colours you choose for the picnic blanket or the style of crockery you opt for, but it will also make menu planning easier. Bruschetta and Aperol, anyone, or perhaps it’ll be pâté and citron pressé?

The idea is not to do away entirely with tablescaping – just try your hand at blanketscaping. It’s about creating texture, layers and dynamic heights around a centrepiece, even if that centrepiece is a beautifully arranged tray of homemade sandwiches. Depending on how much you can carry (or how many hands on deck you can wrangle), incorporate the crockery and serveware you use inside at home to give the picnic a highly considered, even magical feel. A collection of mismatched plates and trays looks charming on your dining table at home, so imagine quite how gorgeous it would look laden with food on the grass in a more casual, relaxed setting. This also goes for cutlery and glassware. Bettina Ceramica has some beautiful options for ceramic serveware (above) – a fantastic spot if that Italian theme speaks to you…

It’s no secret that our summers here in the UK are getting warmer, so it’s time to invest in some proper outdoor cushions and a good-quality picnic blanket. Accessories like throws and cushions are not only essential for the comfort of your fellow picnic-ers, but they also add an almost dreamy, cloud-like quality to the scene, encouraging people to relax and recline. There are some absolutely exquisite outdoor cushions available these days, many of which could very easily pass for indoor cushions. For example, Liberty’s new outdoor fabric collection, The Liberty Garden, reworks the company’s iconic prints and patterns in polyester to make them picnic-safe, while Andrew Martin’s outdoor cushions (above) and rugs are almost indistinguishable from its interiors ranges.

As much as it feels like summer has only just begun, as we approach high summer, the days will start to shorten, so it’s important to consider a light source if you plan on extending your picnic suppers late into the evening. Candles, especially citronella, create a particularly useful and atmospheric feel, with the benefit of keeping away pesky mosquitos. So too do cordless lamps, of which there are many available today. Pooky (above) and Lights&Lamps have collections of long-lasting, rechargeable wireless lamps that you can take outside to keep the party going into the early hours. 

Festive Table Laying Tips

Written by Anya Cooklin-Lofting on . Posted in Food, Interiors, Lifestyle.

By Anya Cooklin-Lofting

Never have we known a table richer in expectation or weightier in tradition than the Christmas dining table. From the jolts of nostalgia to the eye-stinging gratitude it brings, the sight of the Christmas table positively shuddering under the weight of its cumbersome contents is a touchstone many of us simply won’t do without. Whether you’re laying a festive table for just one household or are welcoming guests this year, make sure to set a memorable, joyous table that brings those you love together. Even if you’ve eaten far more meals around the table together over the last two years than you may have expected, seeing the table dressed and ready for the big day will bring a little more festive cheer to the season.

Start With the Basics

Especially if you’re welcoming multiple guests, making sure your proportions are generous involves a little calculation and rearranging. Work on the basis that each guest should have at least a 40 centimetre setting along the table. Of course, much of the joy of a large Christmas gathering is the jostling of shoulders around the table, but if you can, provide as much table space per guest as possible.

Another calculation you may wish to make is whether you have enough of the correct cutlery for each course you plan to serve. A quick, pre-Christmas audit of your cutlery drawer will pay off, and as you’ll read, it doesn’t matter if you need to supplement with a new set or two.

Glassware will play an expectedly large role over the festive season and you’ll be surprised by quite how many glasses guests accumulate between arrival and Christmas dinner. Between reception bubbles, wine pairings throughout the meal, water and digestifs, ensure there is enough room around each place setting for each receptacle. A handy tip is to serve Champagne in flutes rather than coupes as these take up less space on the table and are far less prone to spilling.

Layering Up

Consider the festive season your ticket to full-blown maximalism. Your Christmas table should be filled with colour, pattern and texture to create a memorable, inviting and expressive scene. The best way to achieve this look is through layering pattern and colour from the tablecloth, up, adding highs and lows, textures and points of interest along the way.

So, begin with table linen. A patterned table cloth can be a real crutch to lean on if your crockery is plain, but can also act as a foil for more decorative plates and bowls. Often, you can purchase napkins in the same print or in contrasting colours to make a style statement. Vintage napkins also make a lovely addition, bringing some eclecticism and history to the table.

Placemats are delightful additions to the table and provide the opportunity to bring in a new layer of texture. Rattan or jute options are particularly popular at the moment and bring an unexpected dress-up-able texture to your layering.

Layering up your charger plates will bring more of a sense of occasion to mealtimes like these, and although they can give a more formal feel, you can opt for quite contemporary – or even novelty – styles. The rest of the plates should be stacked at each setting according to the courses you’re serving. This makes for a more impressive table as guests arrive and also encourages a more intimate, ‘hands-on’ approach to dining. Serving pre-plated courses feels fussy and overdone. For example, soups should be served at the table from a tureen, and then the bowls removed after the first course to reveal the next plate and to signal the arrival of new serveware filled with the next, delicious items on the menu.

Finally, don’t be afraid of mixing and matching cutlery. In metallic finishes, they serve as little glinting accents amongst the rest of your table. Using a mix of brass, silver and even gold with enamelled or scrolling, antique detailing adds character and personality to each setting.

Florals and Table Decorations

An honorary part of the layering up of the table indeed, but a sub-heading in its own right, is the Christmas floral arrangement. As integral as it is divisive, greenery on the table can make or break a table setting, so be sure to get it aesthetically – as well as logistically – right. When it comes to the look and feel of your table florals and foliage, keep it seasonal. Spring blooms on a Christmas table looks particularly jarring, so why not opt for sprigs of rosemary, pine or eucalyptus dotted around the table. Clusters of oranges also work well to bring colour and fragrance to each setting. Where possible, source greenery from your garden, or ask your local Christmas tree seller for some off cuts. 

From a practical perspective, it’s important to keep any displays low to stay out of guests’ eyelines as taller, larger arrangements can obstruct conversation. It may also make sense to remove any larger or wider florals, foliage or ornaments before it’s time to eat to clear space on the table for your serveware.

Magical Moments

Little, magical moments around the Christmas table lodge themselves in the minds of children and adults alike, forming memories to last a lifetime. So, this Christmas, imbue your table with considered details and thoughtful flourishes. Super-size pepper mills are hugely popular at the moment, bringing a smile to each face at the table with every grind of the turnplate. Personalised crackers and menu cards will also give your table an enchanting feel, bound with velvet ribbons. 

Finally, there is nothing more magical or festive than the glimmer of candlelight between the bulging dishes and elegant stemware. Choose a mix of little votives, chunky pillar candles and some taller candlesticks to put the proverbial cherry on the top of your Christmas table, adding the qualities of luxury and cosiness that only candles do.