25 September 2008

Last Week We Dreamt we were in Fixie Heaven

Not quite, but we came close.

Last week at 100% Design we were greeted by these beauties. Fixie's in every colour combo you could dream of, attached in mid air to a display wall. We're still not quite sure what it was about, something about paint finishes but who needs detail when you look up and see this.

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Emamoke Ukeleghe

100% Design exhibitor Emamoke Ukeleghe graduate from the RCA and Network friend produced these beautiful prints. Her imagery and designs influenced by her Nigerian background to produce prints with a contemporary pallet incorporating her family to liven up wall space, interiors, chairs and cushions.

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100%Design

Last Wednesday saw us head down to 100% design.

Based in London, 100% Design is the UK's leading contemporary interiors event for the contract market, attracting key manufacturers, star designers and major specifiers from the UK and overseas. There is no other show that connects the worlds of architecture and design with innovative, contemporary interior products, creativity and an exciting mix of new and established talent. Text from 100%Design

We were happy to see one of our favourite Spitalfields restaurants Canteen. We love their approach to great British food and loved this pop up version of their restaurant for 100% design.

We tucked into their Haddock and mash potato with greens,which was to die for. The furniture showed of Canteen true understated style.

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TENT LONDON

Last week saw us going to design shows back to back and with it being the annual London Design Festival there was certainly more than usual to feast our eyes.


Over the weekend we went to TENT which was at the Truman Brewery. We loved this user friendly exhibition showcasing the best in contemporary and vintage products and furniture.

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We like this quirky and surreal tea set by Tina Tsang.

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In the Circa area loved these original Dax Shell Chairs by Charles and Ray Eames.

17 September 2008

Autumn Fair Revisited

Here are a few products that caught our eye beautiful mug design FiFi by Fiona Howard and the new Autumn collection by Orla Kiely with her signature apples and pear designs.

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We especially liked this usb stick by Suck UK which took you back to the day when you used to make mix tapes to impress the girls. Now you can relive the memory with this cool cassette tape packaged USB stick to give that special girl.

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Here are things that caught our eye for the wrong reason no explanation needed.

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What can you get for 50 pence?

All these at one of the stalls at Spitalfields Farm.

Especially loving the united nations brooch
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15 September 2008

A Day at the Farm

On Sunday we bump into some friends around the madness that was brick Lane, with the music festival that was going on, but that was to raucous for us black Nerds. So they suggested we all go down to the farm (Spitalfields city farm) where they had a festival going on with Land of the Giant vegetables and lots of hippy types.

We were amazed to see in this city oasis entries for best vegetable, cakes, arts and crafts.

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The allotments

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Really like this intricate Hand embroidery and the colours in this geometric one.

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We then ventured into the farm where we saw Itchy the pig, rabbits, goat, sheep, Rosie and Mo the guinea pigs, rats, ducks a Tilly the pony and a Bayleaf the Donkey.

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Got Me Some Nice Set of Wheels

The fixed-gear's renaissance supposedly stems from West Indian immigrants in New York working as cycle couriers in the Eighties. They had used them at home because they were cheap and easy to maintain, and continued using them in the US. Their light frames and speed made them perfect for work. It's popularity spread throughout the courier community, finally crossing to the UK and other countries(The Observer, Sunday March 9 2008).

..So when it was time to get a new bike there was no other choice than a custom fixed wheel bike from Brick Lane Bikes(Although i must add they are BLOODY RUDE in there i wouldn't recommend a visit unless you have developed a particuarly thick skin! However can't let that ruin my fun!

We started with the frame and it had to be cream, the front wheel cost the same of a normal bike and is by Aerospoke which is currently out of stock due to high demand. The back wheel is handmade with custom gold rims.

Welcome to bike royalty.

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Take a look at this short film of 4.43 minutes of bike porn

Macaframa SF Track Bike Promo


12 September 2008

Felt Tip pt3

Still my favourite medium at the moment my beloved £1 shop Felt Tips and the instant effects you can get.

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Pen & Ink

and a little colour pencil, and water equals this........

Banana plants

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Dream Homes

During our stint in Birmingham we were very impressed with the reading provided in the apartment, Time Out guides of various cities, design books and Wallpaper magazine. The book that made us put down Reveal magazine was Dream Homes by Andreas Von Einsiedel and Johanna Thorneycroft, packed with hundreds of aspirational interiors from all over the world. What we liked was the bit on colonial Caribbean homes which made us reminisce of island drives looking at all the pastel shade houses amongst all the lush greenery and blue sky’s. Lazy days of breakfast of breadfruit and saltfish on the veranda, no where else in the world can get away with pastel pink blues and yellows for your exterior walls.

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11 September 2008

Wish you were here

So we at Bnn have been busy these last few days, hence lack of blogs.
We have just got back from Birmingham where we were at the Autumn Fair at the NEC buying lots of new stuff for the new shop.

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We had to say that the Rotunda apartment by Staying Cool made our grey days into a beautiful hiatus after a long day.

The Rotunda Birmingham gets the boutique hotel just right. The round cylinder building gives the apartments a unique shape which has a spacious design led space with all your home comforts and amenities, kitchen, lounge space, work, eating, Mac TV, espresso maker, iPod dock, free Wi-Fi and a floor to ceiling panoramic view.

The interiors also echoed clean mordern design with a 60s twist to respect the era of the building, finished with shades of greys and burst of clashing pink and orange colours. The Felt shades by Tom Dixion, sofas by Naught One

The Apartment
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The View
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