Welcome to The Art Of Design
  • What luxury interior design trends are we seeing in 2018?

    From unique ways to displays possessions to clever ways of keeping those treasured pieces secure, room and storage trends are evolving to be more sophisticated and meticulous on detail than ever before. Nicola and Sarah Oaten, sisters and Co-Directors of British interior design firm, Bear René let us know what design trends they are seeing in clients’ homes in London and across the country.

     

    Jewellery Rooms:

    Increasingly popular from the ultra-high net-worth (UHNW) individuals and those who invest, are Jewellery Rooms with safe quality doors. Intricately detailed display areas for their jewellery are crafted with trays designed to quickly stow away in commercial grade safes each evening and when the owners are away. Whilst more and more people are investing in precious stones, in particular fancy coloured diamonds, individuals want to wear these items regularly and not keep them off-site or away from easy access. And what incredible rooms these make – where the lighting and material finishes are absolutely key. De Beers Diamond polishing cloths are essential to keep your diamonds free from grease and looking their absolute best. Just wipe over whilst wearing and dispose.

     

    [PICTURE CAPTION: Jewellery display from Guy & Max, London – guyandmax.com]

     

    British designed fabrics:

    We are seeing resurgence for fabrics designed and made in Britain for properties, which have a design thread belonging to each individual space. Velvets can have a ‘Gaufrage’ pattern to mimic an element of the architectural design – such as from an 18th century moulding or from the Gasholder brought back to life in King’s Cross to hold the exclusive new apartments. Again each element should be considered for the specific project and the specific client. Nothing is impossible to achieve with the right budget and imagination and exclusivity is paramount. Encouraging the specialist craftspeople we have left in their country is vital to keep the skills available for future generations.

     

    [PICTURE CAPTION: Custom design Bear René fabric]

     

    Garages:

    Garages are now a major part of house restorations and are given as much importance as key rooms, with budgets to match. Vintage car collections are another stellar investment item and clients want to be able to view and admire these daily, rather like the paintings on their walls. Custom viewing floors for the underside of the cars are installed, specialist temperature controls, and the soft walling and discreet lighting for the room of cars is more akin to a movie theatre than garage.


    Wine Rooms:

    Collecting wine is an interest that bridges travel, style and investment and an intricately and artfully designed wine room is sure to spark the interest of almost any house guest. To create the ultimate property feature, it is essential to marry essential requirements for storing wine with aesthetic beauty – and only the highest quality finishes will do – from distinctive wood veneers to custom metal work. Technical requirements will vary depending on the wine room’s location.

     

    One of the great challenges in designing a wine room is that there is no such thing as a standard-sized bottle of wine – from a Jeroboam to locally sourced wine, there will be huge variations in any collection and they all need to fit comfortably horizontal in the display.

     

    [PICTURE CAPTION: Bear René designed wine room in a London villa]

     

    Contact: Bear René – www.bearrene.com

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