Bethan Gray is one of the real unsung heroes of British furniture design. When she graduated in the late 1990s she was soon snapped up by Habitat where she spent nearly a decade creating some of the company’s most popular ranges. She eventually became its head of furniture design.
A couple of years ago Gray set up her own studio and has since designed independently for companies such as View more
People who actually like their house to look like a home can rejoice: minimalism is officially dead! When House of Hackney launched its first interiors collection a couple of months ago the couple behind it decided to showcase the range in their own house. With not a surface uncovered by prints, and not a table top unhampered by random objet, the old trend for stark, white interiors was well and truly over. An allergy sufferer’s nightmare, the look is all about dust gathering knick knacks, about fil...View more
You packed your rusty portable barbecue, got the sand out of your windbreaker and battled the traffic to escape to the seaside for the weekend. Then you spill ice cream on your shorts, step on some seaweed and get rained into the pub. Fortunately, the high street has a much better way of making sure life’s a beach, with coastal chic being one of the biggest trends of the season. With its neutral whites and blues, it’s calming without being cold, and feels sunny insid...View more
Did you know that Sir Terence Conran is the man credited with introducing the "continental duvet" to the UK? He was so taken by seeing them in Europe, he decided to sell them in his 'habitat', which he opened in 1964. And although he’s arguably best known as a designer of furniture, he actually trained as a textile designer in the 1950s at the Central School of Art and Design (later Central Saint Martin's) before starting his first job working on designs...View more
Summer still seems a long time coming, but behind closed doors, it’s hot, hot, hot! Yellows, pinks and purples have all been trends in their own right of late, but this year sees the high street throwing these pop colours together in one big clashing collage. Without a hint of the beige that has made the last few years so forgettable, this is colour blocking in its purest form. By mixing together bold accents such as a fuchsia lamp here or a bright blue chair there...View more
Read our interview with textile designer Niki Jones who explores craft in a contemporary way in her beautiful homewares. Before starting her own company, she worked as style coordinator at Habitat and design director at Wedgwood. Here, she explains why she feels so strongly on keeping craft alive and how she went about starting her business…
ACHICA Living is delighted to share this exclusive interview with Godfather of Design - Sir Terence Conran. We take a look inside the design legend's home, find out what his alternative career would have been, chat artists and inspiration and discover how to ease the torment of 'designer's block'...
What’s the best thing about being a designer?
That it's never felt like a job – everything I do that is connected to my work I would do for pleasure and design i...View more
Sometimes trends are easy to work (a Chesterfield sofa has never looked bad) and sometimes they’re impossible (that brown was once a hot colour for accessories still manages to amaze). Then there are some trends that ought to be wrong, but somehow manage to just about stay on the right side of brilliant. And this year, that trend is hot pink. Yes, it’s loud and it’s proud (pink has so many connotations), but before you go turning entire rooms into a plac...View more
We're intoxicated (in a good way) by the vibrant colour that has come bursting onto the scene. A bold, luscious palette reigns supreme in the latest furniture and accessories for your home and garden. It's all about juicy purples and pinks that really pack a punch and clash comfortably with zesty shades of orange and yellow.
Using such powerful shades means patterns can sit happily alongside each other, whether it's a bold stripe or more intricate floral.
These delicious delights won't fail to bring your home and summer garden soiree to life...View more
I got chatting to design royalty, author and domestic goddess Sophie Conran to talk interior trends, dad Terence Conran and her imminent Bermuda wedding...
You’ve obviously grown up with a strong design influence, from your dad Terence and food-writer mum Caroline, but did designing always feel like a natural career path? Yes. When I was six I started drawing pictures of rooms and planned how they would be laid out. I used to avidly decorate my dolls houses ...View more
Emily Peck
Emily is the Founding Editor of the blog. Her experience includes writing and styling for Grand Designs, Stuff, Real Homes, Ideal Home, Woman&Home, Wired UK, C4 and the BBC.
Pip McCormac
Guest Editor Pip is the Commissioning Lifestyle Editor for The Sunday Times Style magazine. He's also written for Stylist, Elle Decoration and StyleJunkee.
Emma Morton Turner
Guest Editor Emma has written and styled for Woman&Home, Style At Home, Feel Good Food, Woman and Ideal Home to name a few. She's also fab at making stunning cakes!
David Nicholls
Guest Editor David holds the position of Design Editor at Telegraph Magazine, sourcing stunning homes around the world and reporting back with the best designs from high street to high end.
Zia Allaway
Guest Editor Zia is a gardening expert, author of books including How to Grow Practically Everything and editor of Beautiful Gardens magazine. She also contributes to Homes and Gardens and The Garden Design Journal.
Katie Treggiden
Guest Editor Katie writes award-winning design blog, Confessions of a design geek, and is the author of design book Interviews. She's also a regular contributor to We Heart, Heart Home Magazine and Design Milk.
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