Blue Skies Ahead
Turning the Design Avenue into an uplifting spectrum of colour, Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour’s Design the Rainbow installation is not only a message of thanks to NHS and frontline staff, but a vibrant source of decorating inspiration, shining a spotlight on standout pieces from showrooms.
There’s a pop-up space for all seven colours of the rainbow, with Blue Skies Ahead featuring a classic blue and white scheme. Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2020, Classic Blue, was chosen for its reassuring quality at a time of global instability: Pantone little could have guessed that the seismic change that 2020 would actually bring, and the idea that blue brings a sense of comfort has taken on even greater significance. Although blue is rarely seen in plants and flowers, in nature it’s the colour of wide skies and endless seas, representing boundless possibility as well as freshness and purity.
In the Design Avenue, the scheme is anchored by Iksel – Decorative Arts’ ‘Exotic Chinoiserie’ scenic wallcovering, which is based on the Frederick Crace-designed wallcovering in Brighton Pavilion’s music room; and a lustrous ‘Satara’ carpet by Jacaranda Carpets & Rugs, made from Tencel, which beautifully reflects the light and moves like silk-velvet when walked upon.
This ‘Goga’ chaise longue (above) was sourced from Miles x Bookshop and is the work of London-based furniture company, Felice James, founded by interior designer Rebecca James and furniture maker Andrea Felice. Made from blackened oak with solid brass sabots and upholstered in a sumptuous cotton velvet, it’s both opulent and understated.
Miles x Bookshop also lent these ‘Moon Jar’ ceramics (above) to the scheme, made by Italian-born, London-based ceramicist Violante Lodolo D’Oria. They typify her complex and colourful glazing technique, where several layers of matt and shiny glaze are left to drip and blend into one another.
A selection of white accessories offset the beauty of the blue. Made to look like pleated fabric but in fact crafted from porcelain, the scheme’s ‘Plisago’ ceramic tables (above left) are by Fürstenberg from Ceccotti Collezioni, while Man of Parts’ ‘Mainkai’ floor lamp (from Tollgård; above right) is made from stacked shades of opaline glass with a black marble base.
The paint is Sanderson’s Yacht Blue, a shade that takes inspiration from the nautical and seaside themes, while the outside wallcoverings are ‘Tamarindo’ in By The Bay, a faux suede by Arch8 at Whistler Leather.
Ceccotti Collezioni, First Floor, Centre Dome (open Monday – Friday, 10am – 5.30pm)
Iksel – Decorative Arts, Second Floor, South Dome (open Monday – Friday, 9.30am – 5.30pm)
Jacaranda Carpets & Rugs, Second Floor, South Dome (open Monday – Friday, 10am – 5.30pm; by appointment only on Fridays)
Miles x Bookshop, Ground Floor, North Dome (just outside) (open Monday – Friday, 10.30am to 5.30pm)
Sanderson, First Floor, South Dome (open Monday – Friday, 11am – 4pm)
Tollgård, First Floor, Centre Dome (open Monday – Friday, 9.30am – 5.30pm)
Whistler Leather, Second Floor, South Dome (open Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm)
