BMW's Precision & Poetry in Motion

With over 300 events taking place as part of this year's London Design Festival, there is no getting away from the scale and brilliance of the capital's most important week for design. Nothing emphasised this more than the opening reception held, as always at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The Raphael Gallery showcases Raphael's seven surviving tapestry designs commissioned by Pope Leo X for the Sistine Chapel. In to this celestial space, Adrian van Hooydonk, Director of Design for BMW Group [and apparent advocate for using a pencil a fashion accessory; check out his pocket] introduces us to Ed Barber and Jay Osgerby's awe-inspiring 'Precision & Poetry in Motion'. Two gigantic chrome aerofoils that slowly and independently rotate in the cathedral like hall.

Reflecting, distorting, and almost brushing the priceless artworks owned by the Queen [and also the heads of the guests beneath it!], the superstructure was assembled entirely on site and precariously swings from a superstructure that seems too dainty to support it. Make no mistake, if BMW's name wasn't firmly attached to the project I wouldn't have have stood anywhere near the gigantic flattening irons of doom; no matter how much the Belle Epoque flowed. Without doubt however one of the finest things I've seen in a museum since Brancusi's Bird in Space landed at the V&A in 2003. See it. See it *right* now.

Design Trawler meets Tom Dixon

Well if it isn't the father of metallic hues and expensive trinkets made of copper and marble. Ever since Habitat's Head of Design left to set-up under his own name, Tom Dixon's influence has been commanding an ever increasing grip on interiors.
First there were the Beat lights that popped up everywhere from Sau Paulo to Shenzhen, followed by recherché curiosities like copper brogues and candles promising the scent of 'London' that Design Trawler first spotted at K11. Mr Porter's marble and brass spice grinder then followed, and who could forget the achingly charming wingback arm chair.

2014 is certainly Tom Dixon's year; what with his own corner at Harrods, the Modrian's first London hotel decked out in his maximalist style, a new range of suitably enigmatic candles [the scent of fire anyone?] and an engineering inspired range of desk accessories called 'cog'.
But will it be enough to put a smile on the face of the famously grumpy Dixon? Unlikely. The UK's answer to Philippe Starck and Marc Newson does a fine trade in celebrating Britain's status as the original designer of rainy drizzle, rush hour commuting, parking attendants and queueing. Don't be surprised if Tom Dixon's next range of candles are named accordingly.

Design Trawler's Kitchen Rider

Van Halen famously requested a bowl of M&M's with all the brown ones removed. Axl Rose had a thing for cubic melons, while Lady Gaga once insisted her dressing room feature Union Flag bunting, Pimm's, and fish & chips. The 'rider', is the list of demands presented to a venue by an artist before a performance.

Design Trawler's kitchen performances are known to rival anything that Lady Gaga can offer, and the 'kitchen rider' should be a staple for any chef exécutif. That is, the list of demands required for culinary performances. Presented in Ultraloft on an acacia wood board; simple tools and seasonings that underpin all dishes performances. Cole & Mason Seville grinders, a black marble pestle and mortar, smoked garlic, and Barbera's exquisite Lorenzo D.O.P Sicilian olive oil. Cubic melon optional.

Shown against a backdrop of vintage grey mix tiles from Topps' Boutique collection - because good graphic design is deserved in every room of the house as prophesied in our recent bulletin!

The Wine Room at Ultraloft

Ultraloft, LONDON [2015] - Design Trawler is today pleased to announce the successful completion of 'Phase B' of the Private Wine Room project at Robert's Bar.

Doubling existing capacity from 130, to 260 bottles of cellar storage; spanning six digitally temperature and humidity controlled zones. The Private Wine Room at Robert's Bar will be Ultraloft's premier wine storage tasting drinking facility. 'Phase C' of development will see custom cabinetry adjoin the North and South sections with glazed storage for excessive and extravagant fleets of Riedel crystal stemware. [Ends]

Playful, Bold & Considerate at Heart

Almost one year after taking on Ultraloft, the first room renovation is complete. Starting with the heart of the home, Design Trawler's kitchen scheme takes inspiration from Clive Christian, the Southern Med and the open restaurant kitchen for a look that's warm, sharp and packed with character.

Minimalist it may not be, but if the kitchen is the heart of the home, far better that heart to be playful, bold and considerate, than generic, sterile and plain. Read on for the what and why for each element...

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Pinstripe Blankets for Blokes

In 2010 Design Trawler introduced the concept of the 'man cushion' and now, as the leaves begin to fall and temperatures drop, it's time to introduce a whole new category of masculine soft accessories! [well, apart from Iberian wolfskin throws and also those of the reindeer variety favoured by President Obama]

Continuing the theme of sartorial tailoring in the home is the pictured wool and cashmere pinstripe throw by Joop! Made in Italy, it perfectly sits alongside the suitably herringbone and crew cousins of that very first blokey bolster. Design Trawler advises against wearing it in to the office as some kind of dapper man-pashmina. The world probably isn't quite ready for that.

Love in the IKEA Carpark

It could only happen in the Ikea car park. On a quick trip to said purveyor of quality meatballs and mock-intrecciato placemats, Design Trawler's classic Saab 900 coupe made a new friend. Of all the car parks in all of the world, it had to be at Ikea! I came back to the valet station [vintage Saab's need hand valeting, obviously] to find this incredible 1978 precursor parked-up next door.

The chances of pulling up alongside a classic Swedish design icon are about as likely as finding a complete set of screws with your BESTÅ bookcase. Only 17 of Design Trawler's 1987 coupe remain on the roads, and even fewer for it's elder brother. Comparing the design side-by-side is a real treat, and it's easy to follow the evolution of one model to the next. Here's to you TWT 134L!

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How to Steal a Kandinsky

Not satisfied with pinching Damien Hirsts from Mayfair couturiers, Design Trawler's next great art heist sets the bar a little higher. How about a grand master? Something like a Kandinsky; grand master indeed of modernism; having taught at the Bauhaus and being credited as of of the world's first abstract painters. A learned economist and lawyer, I'm sure old boy Wassily would appreciate this heist. So let's begin...

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The Design Family Tree

Design Hero Sir David Tang excellently calls out in his famous FT article the contrived designers and homeowners that specify books by the meter and artworks for particular spots in the home. In much the same way, [and most likely in the same homes], the Christmas tree and decorations will exude taste, effortlessly matching the decor of each room with bespoken ornaments all bought from the same book, and installed while said owners are out of town by an army of Christmas decorators.

While trees of the hotel lobby variety are invariably elegant, for the home they lack narrative. Ultraloft this year inherited the family tree with its multitude of brightly coloured decorations and lights gathered over the 30 years that the tree came down from the loft every December to proudly stand in the bay window of the family home. I said it in 2012, and it is particularly relevant in this instance...

"Establishing a narrative over time is as important for a collector as it is for an artist. Where collections are concerned, it's easy to make new additions, but considerably less easy to make old additions."

I can't imagine a day when the family tree won't stand proudly in at least one room of whichever Ultraloft I happen be living in. I'm especially pleased and excited by the opportunity to add to its narrative with my own collections, and Blue Dog by Britto [pictured bottom left] fits right in alongside the Iberian fur throw.

The Festive Collection

One of the wonderful things about the home as art gallery is that it makes your chosen exhibits very accessible. Well, at least to you, and those privileged guests that you chose to let through the doors at cocktail parties and celebrations [admission prices in 2015 are increasing to one bottle of Krug per visitor].

Christmas is almost upon us, and Design Trawler feels it only appropriate to allow Ultraloft's 20th Century Italian newstype sculpture to partake in the festivities. That's right, not even fine art will escape the decorations this Christmas. Expect the Hirst to decked in holly and Graham the springbok bathmat to don a suitably Rudolph themed red nose. Well, if you can't have a little fun with your collection...

Petrus, Thunderstorms and Pipe Tobacco

Call me a kleptomaniac, but I can never quite bring myself to leave a cork [correctly presented to diners by a smart sommelier] on the dining table after I leave a restaurant. Likewise, even when I open up the cellars of Ultraloft for a splash of Petrus on a Tuesday evening, the noble cork will be salvaged.

From restaurant table to pocket, or from home cellar to hand, corks of all designs and pedigrees invariably end up in vases or crystal platters scattered around Ultraloft. Who needs dried flowers smelling of moon harvested orchids and Indonesian ylang ylang when you can apply a fine mist of 'Thunderstorm' or 'Pipe Tobacco' from Demeter to said bottle-stoppers? This is home fragrance done right.

Why I Listed My Home on AirBNB

"Are you crazy?!", "YOUR apartment?", "Aren't you worried?", These are the typical reactions I've had when I mention that I listed Ultraloft on the vacation rentals website AirBNB. Or to be more accurate, the study which has a generous sofabed, reclaimed neon signs and a digital shark. And to be fair, I was asking myself the same questions after I hit the 'list your space' button... But I'm pleased that I did.

The reason I listed Ultraloft on AirBNB was born somewhat out of my recent visit to the Grand Apartment Budapest; a living tribute to a pair of amazing jetset octogenarians, and part challenge to myself. AirBNB takes care of the damages threat, providing $1m of cover for all hosts, I'd only be offering up the spare room; mostly to single travellers; mostly when I'm in the country; and in the apartment, and quite frankly I have a lot of cool stuff that others might want to see [that, or they just need somewhere to stay for the night that has an ounce more character than a Travelodge]...

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Perucchetti Pop

Hovering, quite literally, in a style between Jeff the balloon dog, [named after king of contemporary pop, Jeff Koons], and Mauro Perucchetti's vibrant, translucent resin sculptures, is this gorgeous red balloon.

A store fitting from the window of Sir Terrance's Marylebone hangout that, in a rare move for any shop, was offered for sale ex-display to keen eyed collectors. A perfect and poetic addition to Ultraloft's first plinth, the gigantic perspex balloon floats above it's Koonsian companion in a display of poignant and equally iconic three dimensional imagery; a subtle nod to Design Trawler's favourite childhood novel.

Steam and Sprezzatura - The Lelit PS21

Luigi Borelli strolls out of his flagship store on Napoli's Via Filangieri. An expertly cut shirt in his shopping bag. Returning home [via the Gran Caffè Cimmino], it's Sunday and Luigi's maid has the day off.

Where any other man would despair at the prospect of having to iron a shirt themselves, Luigi, like Design Trawler pulls off the task with a sprezzatura that's uniquely Italian. For the same commercial, high-performance, high-pressure boiler engineering used to deliver Luigi's espresso is also used to deliver his pristine cotton twill.

The Lelit PS21 steam generator is made entirely in Brescia by a firm that manufacturers only steam irons... and espresso machines. It features a polished steel steam chamber and solid cast iron that may well double as a free weight. Creases stand no chance under the titanic flattening plate; and that's before calling upon the mighty steam reserves. Like a performance roadster, this is a machine designed to be driven by owners, and not domestics. Maids need not apply.

Breakfast of Champions... Sort Of

What can I say. Design Trawler writes about a reindeer blanket and President Obama goes out and buys the same one. Mam Sam Miso Mugs spotted in Warsaw, make an appearance at London Design Week months later. And now, a casual reference to my breakfast cereal of choice, the fictitious Cartier Crunch, has British fashion designer Anya Hindmarch designing couture cornflakes.

Available in limited edition from Waitrose; cleaner was not impressed; summarily binning my carton of Fashion Flakes, lost forever to the Perigot Frisbee. And herein lies the problem. Fashion is fickle, but design ensures. Had Tony the Tiger teamed up with Norman Foster to create Foster-ies, or Sir Terrance to create Conran Flakes, I'm sure said cereal box would have had a less perilous end.

The Writing's on the Wall

Narrow wall spaces can be tricky. If it's anything less than a foot wide, it's probably best used only for light switches or slithers or mirror. Here's another thought however. Next time you're roll home after the polo [Design Trawler recommends Hamptons, Windsor, Sand, or Snow] take two minutes to dismantle some of sidings and take home a pitch-side memento.

Hailing from the last ever Cartier International at Windsor back in 2010, this simple hoarding is a nice way of remembering a summer day in the sun. Just add autographs.

A Seat of Quiet Power

The Cesca chair designed by Marcel Breuer in 1928 is the epitome of a quiet diplomacy in design. The sort of chair you'd find in the canteen at the United Nations, or in Brasilia's Niemeyer designed Congress. It exhibits a soft power that exists in the background; playing a deliberately subtle role.

The chrome tubular frame is objective and intelligent, while the hand-caned supports are honest and reflect a level craft that is neither patronising nor dated. Breuer's B32, [as it was known before being renamed after his daughter Francesca] is the sort of chair you'd want to run for Prime Minister... but in the mean time, these Italian originals from the 1970's will serve Ultraloft exceedingly well.

Blue Bentleys & Herringbone Bolsters

I have fond memories of being carted off to jumble sales at the Great Barn in Ruislip as a child. Rummaging through crates of bric-à-brac, like a young Indiana Jones to chance upon a... well, I haven't the foggiest what I ever chanced upon, as nothing in my collection hails from the 700 year old cow-shed. But the seed, or rather feed, was sewn nonetheless.

Enjoyable as sifting through curios at the Place du Jeu de Balle today may be, the experience is, like those early childhood adventures, largely folly and seldom fruitful. Unlike the Spring Clean event held to support charity Kids Company...

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Furniture as Metaphor - The Grand Piano

Almost four years ago I coined the term 'furniture as metaphor' in reference to a black lacquer sideboard that abstractly referenced an elegant upright piano. The point being that in an environment where a piano wouldn't look out of place, referencing it with an object made from similar materials is a clever visual trick.

Having taken delivery of a smart new dining table for Ultraloft, the same phenomenon appears to have materialised. This time in the form of a much larger, grand piano. A quick glance at said altar, with it's deep and sweeping plateau provides a remarkable likeness to a Steinway's rear end. That, or I'm inadvertently revealing a Freudian fixation with lacquer, ivory and tailcoats.

Every Dog Has Its Day

If the battle of Trafalgar taught us anything, it's that podiums for displaying ever changing whimsical works of contemporary art are of pivotal importance to the nation. This applies in equal measure indoors, and particularly where Ultralofts are concerned [the tall, black and shiny variety are recommended]

Introducing the First Plinth! A space to precariously perch a seasonally curated selection of fine design finds from Design Trawler. Glossy and substantial podiums instantly elevate anything placed on them to artefactual superstardom and encourage a gallery-like rotation of environment. As for the honour of the first exhibit; it has to be Jeff the Balloon dog; the subject of Design Trawler's first article back in 2010.