Image: Katherine Pole

The Legendary Decorative Fair Returns to Battersea Park

The UK’s most exciting antiques, design and art fair is running its Spring Edition from Tuesday 6th to Sunday 11th May. The Decorative Fair is rightly renowned in the interior decorating world as the best source of antique and vintage furniture, lighting, accessories, textiles and objects for unique decoration. For forty years the Fair has been the haunt of international designers, collectors and savvy private buyers searching for distinctive, beautiful and practical pieces that bring personality to a space.

The Fair offers a diverse and interesting mix for interiors and gardens amongst the Fair’s 130 dealers. Up on the Mezzanine, attend inspirational talks at The House Directory LIVE involving interior decorators, authors, stylists and experts. There will also be daily artisan workshops, and the Green Grads will present their purpose-driven projects and products.

May is the perfect time to visit The Decorative Fair and enjoy Battersea Park at its blooming best.

For more info visit www.decorativefair.com/spring-fair and follow @decorativefair

Willow Bloomfield

A Journey of Discovery at London Craft Week

London Craft Week is a city-wide festival running from 12th to 18th May that celebrates exceptional craftsmanship from around the world. Through a curated programme of events, the creative talent behind some of the world’s most beautiful objects tell stories of their inspiration, process and materials. Since its first edition in 2015, the festival has grown in scale, with nearly a quarter of a million visitors expected this year to enjoy the work of over 1000 makers at events put on by around 200 partners from more than 30 countries.

Events range from the craftsmanship of the Capucine bag at Louis Vuitton and wig making at the English National Opera, to Sacred Art from the Forest at the Rebecca Hossack Art Gallery and Where Angels Live at Battersea Power Station exhibitions and a tour of Westminster Abbey.

At London Craft Week discover hidden workshops, independent makers, heritage craftsmen and jewel-like shops alongside events in great luxury houses, leading department stores, national museums and contemporary galleries, some with famous artists and designers, others with emerging talent.  

For the full programme visit:

https://londoncraftweek.com/events/

Elephant Family’s Big Egg Hunt

This Easter, wildlife charity Elephant Family, which works to protect endangered Asian elephants and their habitats, is uniting some of the world’s renowned creatives for a city-wide spectacle of art and conservation. The Big Egg Hunt sees London transformed into an open-air gallery, with over 100 large-scale eggs, exquisitely decorated by leading names in art, design, interiors, food and retail. Showing until 27th April, the interactive trail stretches across iconic London locations and landmarks, with the impressive 2ft sculptures nestled in historic neighbourhoods and cultural hotspots. Participants can ‘collect the eggs’ they find via an app, unlocking exclusive prizes along the way. At the end of the exhibition, these one-of-a-kind sculptures will be auctioned to raise funds for Elephant Family’s conservation efforts.

To celebrate the artistry of tea and hospitality as part of The Big Egg Hunt, luxury townhouse hotel The Adria, and Newby Teas, transformed the classic Easter egg into an exquisite silver teapot paying homage to a Fabergé silver teapot from 1893, from the private Chitra Collection of historic teawares. The hotel is also offering an afternoon tea experience featuring a selection of Newby Teas alongside further pieces from the collection.

For more information visit:
https://elephant-family.org/our-work/events/the-big-egg-hunt/

To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/page/the-big-egg-hunt

www.newbyteas.com www.theadria.com

How to Home Podcast

Maxine Brady and fellow interior stylist Gemma Gear are hosts of a trending interiors podcast How to Home, covering everything interiors and home design. Each week this podcast deep dives into a hot home decor topic, offering inspiration, practical solutions and personal insights. Maxine & Gemma have transformed thousands of rooms across the UK, as well as styled shoots for magazines, interior brands and TV shows, and in this fun and informative podcast they also share anecdotes and tips from these experiences. 

A must listen for anyone who loves interior design, home trends, renovations, decorating and home decor, Series 4 launches in late spring and will feature themes of how to decorate with a partner without arguing, how to make a small home feel bigger and how to choose the best colours for your home, as well as a Q&A session.  

Listen here: How to Home

Luster Perula in Lagune

Lustrous New Wallcoverings

During the Spanish Colonial period, capiz shells were often used in windows instead of glass as they were easier to obtain and also filtered the light beautifully. Although the Latin name of this shell is ‘Placuna placenta’, capiz shells are more commonly referred to as windowpane oysters due to their delicate, glass-like appearance.

Capiz plays a starring role in four distinctive designs from inventive wallcoverings brand Arte’s latest collection, Luster. Each tile displays a captivating relief, created through a detailed technique where threads are applied to the subsurface, followed by the printing of water-soaked capiz onto the pattern. Available in 4 different designs, each with two subtle and two bold colour options.

www.arte-international.com

A Vibrant Scent for Spring

Luminous, warm and sensuous, Soleil Vibrant from Lalique reflects the spirit of the exhilarating Soleil collection.

The fragrance features fresh, light top notes of pear, bergamot essence and Corsican clementine, sweet and spicy heart notes of jasmine sambac, saffron and orange blossom, and exotic dry-down notes of Bourbon vanilla and cedarwood.

The Soleil Vibrant Lalique Roll-on is blended with a base of hydrating almond oil and makes the perfect on-the-go spring scent.

Priced at £39 from https://uk.lalique.com/

Spring Showers bring Extraordinary Scents

Derived by the word meaning “cloud” in an indigenous language of central California, ki’lei, the new eau de parfum from source adage, captures the stages of a passing springtime storm. Starting with fresh, bright accords of citrus, herbs and white flowers, the scent builds in intensity with electrically-charged waves of black pepper, metallic aldehydes and distant smokes notes before resetting gracefully with petrichor essences, wet fern leaves and the cooling sensation of rain evaporating back into the clouds above.

The gender-neutral composition of ki’lei balances both freshness and intensity in a completely unique way, adding to the brand’s already distinct niche perfume collection.

Available now in the UK exclusively from Sainte Cellier. Priced from £47.95
www.saintecellier.com

Play Outdoors in Style

Play-Style outdoor games tables from French heritage brand Cornilleau are a year-round way to bring an extra dimension to homes without the rare luxury of their own games room, but with the privilege of an outdoor space. 

The Play-Style range of billiard and ping-pong tables convert easily into dining tables, and the collection also includes pool and table football in two sizes. All are crafted from premium materials including Moabi wood and steel and built to withstand the elements while combining fun and functionality.

All tables can also be used as indoor tables.

https://uk.cornilleau.com/

Plastic-free Spring Cleaning

WABLU Naked Wonder Tabs are designed to eliminate the need for single-use plastic bottles. These powerful, plastic-free cleaning tabs dissolve in water to create an effective, eco-friendly cleaning solution, without the waste. The tabs are lightweight and space-efficient, significantly cutting down transportation emissions compared to bulky liquid cleaners, and come in fully recyclable, biodegradable packaging. 

The laundry, dishwasher and toilet cleaner tabs, and the laundry sheets in two gentle scents – Spring Florals and Very Berry, as well as in a fragrance-free option for more sensitive skin, are all vegan and cruelty-free.

WABLU can be bought as one-time purchases or as monthly subscriptions with a 10% discount.

Available from https://wablu.care/

Go Light on the Alcohol with Gin Essence

Cotswolds Dry Gin Essence brings all the flavours of Cotswolds Dry Gin with a fraction of the alcohol content. It is made using ten times the botanical concentration of Cotswolds Dry Gin, so just 5mls (5 pipettes) make a full flavour G&T, which contains 0.23 units of alcohol.

To make a When Doves Cry low alcohol cocktail place 5mls Cotswolds Dry Gin Essence, 60mls pink grapefruit juice, 25mls lime juice and 15mls agave syrup into an ice-filled shaker, shake and pour over crushed ice. Add a splash of soda and a pinch of sea salt, garnish with a slice of pink grapefruit, stir and serve.

RRP: £18.50 for 100ml (20 serves). ABV: 46%

Available from www.cotswoldsdistillery.com Master of Malt 

Spring into Blue Skies with Canned Cocktails

Betty Booze premium cocktail cans are made with fresh fruits, spices, herbs and premium spirits and just the right amount of bubbles.

Sparkling Tequila with Oak Smoked Lemonade is infused with warm oak, a squeeze of orange and a dash of butter extract to bring a special smoothness to a readymade lower alcohol cocktail.

ABV 4.5%. Available in a pack of 4 x 355ml cans, £12 from: Majestic

Year of the Ladydragón

A new premium tequila blanco is the brainchild of two female founders who juggle motherhood with work, JC Cortez and Heather Ann. Ladydragón is produced using high quality Blue Weber Agave in Amatitán, in the heart of the Tequila region of Jalisco, Mexico. JC Cortez is a first-generation Mexican-American and her father's family has lived and grown agave on their land in Guanajuato for generations. After living in Asia for 15 years, JC was enamoured of the Chinese New Year celebrations and used her Year of the Dragon sign to name the brand. The use of ’Lady’ in the name acknowledges co-founder Heather's English heritage. 

Ladydragón Craft Tequila is free from additives and added sugar, and the flower-covered bottle design is an ode to spring.

RRP: £58.99 for a 70cl bottle. ABV 38%. Available from: Fine Wine Sellers

A Fresh Twist on the Hot Cross Bun

This Easter, enjoy a refreshing Renais Gin Hot Cross Bun Sour cocktail, with tasting notes of baked apple, grape, and baking spices. 

To make, pour 40mls of Renais, 20mls of fresh lemon juice, 10mls of apple liqueur, 10mls of PX Sherry, 10mls of cinnamon syrup, 20mls of egg white (or egg alternative), and 2 dashes of Angostura bitters, into a cocktail shaker and emulsify with a milk frother or dry shake without ice. Add as much ice as fits into the shaker. Shake hard and fine strain into a chilled wine or sour glass. Swipe the Angostura bitters across the surface of the cocktail to create the cross (be careful as Angostura can stain!). 

Renais Gin RRP: £48 for 70cl. ABV 40%

Available from: Renais, Master Of Malt and Amazon