We are lucky enough to have Kate Guinness take the reins on This & Tat this week. Kate is an extraordinary interior designer. Her knack for scheming is envy making. Every one of her projects manages to create colourful interiors which don't overwhelm. Each one I would feel more than happy to move straight into. I knew she would be an excellent proprietor to a This & Tat Round-Up, and I wasn't wrong.
I have a growing collection of beautiful hand-painted coffee cups, serving plates, and jugs painted by hand in Waterford. Having my morning coffee in a colourful spotty cup fills me with complete joy.
We were lucky enough to design the interiors of this wonderful cafe on the river in Hammersmith. Welcoming and colourful with comfortable linen banquettes and playful artwork to reflect Lindsay’s personality. Lindsay and her team cook the most delicious food and bake sensational cinnamon buns! The best spot for a relaxed weekend brunch.
I’ve used a lot of Ottoline’s wonderful wallpapers in recent projects. They are so different from anything else around: colourful, fun and modern but also somehow timeless.
My wonderful friend Adam Bray introduced me to this colour when I was trying to decide what colour to paint our kitchen back in 2016, it was absolutely the right choice. At around the same time, I was starting my company and I loved the colour so much that helped me decide the shade for our logo.
I’m mad about a good stripe and Namay Samay has some of the very best stripes around. I would upholster everything in my house in them if I could!
Madeleine makes chandeliers and lanterns out of old jelly moulds, teacups and cutlery. They are completely beautiful as well as being utterly unique. She made me one for my own house, combining some old chandelier pieces I bought in a French market when I was 20 along with some jelly moulds and glassware.
Somehow the sun always shines for the second weekend of June when the wonderful Festival of Writing & Ideas is held in Co Carlow, Ireland. The Festival has become known for its casual, friendly atmosphere, and for its extraordinary line-up of speakers. It takes place each year in the magnificent surroundings of Borris House, situated at the foot of the Blackstairs Mountains with the River Barrow meandering by.
Matisse Cutouts
A favourite since I was about 12, I never get bored of the shapes and colours Matisse created when he could no longer paint. I tend to seek them out whenever I know there are some on show!
Dunlewey Church
A pretty magical place and known locally as the ‘sheep church’ as it has no roof and the sheep roam freely. It sits on a lake surrounded by mountains with the Poison Glen behind. I have a very personal attachment as it’s where my husband Julian and I got married. As I write this I am excitedly preparing to travel there tomorrow for the first time in 3 years.
I am proud as punch of the Denyer bedside table that we designed and developed in-house. After spending so much time hunting for a bedside table to fit the regular brief of needing adequate storage as well as being well proportioned and great to look at, we turned our hand to product design. Inspired by my Irish heritage I love the subtle detail of crenelations that we’ve spotted in some Irish Georgian furniture. Available to order via our online shop.