Flowers for my mother. She would have loved the crazy idea of covering the walls of our new/old summer house found (for free) by Georgina on Facebook marketplace. I can hear her giggling at the sheer madness of it. This is my current mode of “organised fidgeting” 40 paintings and the roof/ ceiling to be painted too. Inspired by the over-the-top decorations of Castell Coch.
Mother’s day. This photograph of my Mum, taken by Charles, is my favourite image of a very special person. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t think of her.
My mother was a huge influence in my life. Her childlike delight in discovering a new flower in bloom was contagious. She would take me by the hand to show me a hidden treasure – a cluster of white violets under the linden trees that lined the avenue to Stowe School. Our home was built at the side of the second Stowe avenue. It was my mother who taught me to knit, crochet and embroider. She did not like machine sewing much – she found it tiresome. But she always had something creative for the evenings – sitting quietly by the fire with what she called ‘organised fidgeting. A phrase that I too use when doing creative ‘stuff’ while the television is on in the background.
It was my mother who found an advertisement for a postal course in textile design in a magazine – perhaps The Lady which she shared with her friend Nora. My mother thought I would be good at this art form because I loved drawing flowers. I only did a couple of the exercises and only remember one comment that one should veer away from designers like William Morris. I knew nothing about him and when I went to the local library and found out about his art I was smitten.
I didn’t do anything with textile art until years later but my mother just knew that was where I was meant to be. She was like that – a gentle, funny, wise and unassuming woman who always put others first. So the flowers that I am painting for our summer house in the following post are a tribute to my mother.
Today is our 60th wedding anniversary! I don’t think I would recognise me if I met me in a street. 60 years is astonishing. A wonderfully weird wedding. My father-in-law gave me away because my parents lived in New Zealand. My cousin’s vicar husband married us.
We did not have cars because the reception was just across the road from the church. I had made my sister’s November wedding dress which I altered for my day. I made the bridesmaid’s dress, my mother-in-law’s complete outfit including her hat. With the help of the In-laws I made the cake and decorated it.
Charles had to leave the house (I was living with his family before the wedding) to practise his and his best man’s speech. He was so nervous he ended up stealing Harry’s speech. No idea what Harry said instead. We caught a train to South Wales but stopped for a one-night ‘honeymoon’ in Birmingham. I wonder how many people choose Birmingham for their honeymoon?
And that was the beginning of our life together. We have been partners in everything, love, work, play, creativity and everything else between, including sparing with verbal badinage occasionally – well it would not be natural not to have the occasional spat! So here we are looking so young and innocent – never imagining the incredibly interesting and varied life we were embarking on. A shy secretary and a physicist dressing some of the most exotic women in the world. I still can’t believe it myself how the twists and turns of our life have taken us on a rollercoaster ride.
We are clearing a space by selling off a collection of remnants that we have accumulated over the years. So we are holding a fabric remnant sale specifically for film and theatre production costumes or set design. These are luxury fabric remnants that really need to find a purpose rather than cluttering up a small printing table that we need to be able to use for shorter lengths of fabric. So I have started just sorting out some in groups of colours as recently requested. I will be adding more as and when I can get the photographs done. Fabric lengths and prices will be added as quickly as I can get my head in focus! Prices are reduced between 65% – 85%. Sizes will be put on here in the next couple of days.
Blue section:
No. 15 a fairly heavy weight ribbed cotton in a rich blue and printed in gold. £18 per metre
No. 16 is shadow printed with red under the gold – slightly offset to give an interesting dimension. £25 per metre
No. 17 is printed with a copper print – viscose/cotton —- £16 per metre
No. 18 – printed gold viscose cotton – £16 per metre
No. 19 – viscose/cotton – printed silver —- £16 per metre
No. 20 – cotton/wool (a bit like vyella) printed with silver. — £12 per metre
Fabric remnants for theatre productions
Fabric remnants greens costume theatre
These fabric remnants are perfect for theatre productions. They are bold and created on pretty robust fabrics and are perfect for the rough handling associated with theatre work.
No. 1 – dark green silver print – satin viscose/cotton — £16 per metre
No. 2 – soft lime green – phantom print. — £16 per metre
No. 3 – soft lime green – crackle print in gold. — £16 per metre
No. 4 – heavy satin – tones of green with a deco cube print in gold – shadow print? – £32 per metre
No. 5 – viscose/cotton – dark forest green – copper print – £16 per metre
No. 6 – heavy rib silk in dark green — £20 per metre
No. 7 and 8 – viscose/cotton – dark green – gold print — £16 per metre
No. 9 dark green satin (has a soft feel) gold print. £25 per metre
Fabric remnants drama opera golds ginger orange
Opera drama fabric remnants in golds, ginger and orange.
Nos 1, 2 and 3 Rich gold satin – printed with gold. cotton/viscose — £20 per metre
No. 4 – viscose cotton satin is tabacco printed with gold crackle print.—£25 per metre
No. 5 – heavy satin – bright orange shadow printed with gold. — £32 per metre
No. 6 7 and 8 – viscose cotton printed with gold — £ 25 per metre
No. 9 – cotton/wool (a bit liky vyella – bright orange with all over print. — £12 per metre
No. 19. Dark chocolate cotton/viscose satin printed with a pewter motif.— £25 per metre
Pastel colours for feminine performance costume designs.
Nos. 21 and 22 – viscose cotton in a soft aqua colour. One has a stripe print in silver and the other an all over print in silver. £16 per metre
No. 23 – soft pink with a silver all over print – viscose cotton — £16 per metre
No. 24 – smokey mauve with a silver print – viscose/cotton — £16 per metre
fabric remnants purple mauve royal drama
Royal purple drama fabric remnants
No. 11 – Heavy satin in a rich mauve – gold flecked print – viscose/cotton — £25 per metre
No. 12 – lighter weight viscose satin lustre pink (a mauve kind of pink) with a copper print. £16 per metre
No. 13 – heavy cord weave cotton – this has painted insets within the print and the whole piece has been stressed and tarnished to add age. It does not show up this detail well on this snapshot. Purple – not as blue as it looks with a bold gold print.— £25 per metre (ON HOLD)
No. 14. – heavy cord weave cotton – again more purple than it looks. Shadow printed in gold over red. This was made for lining campaign tents for a Charlemagne period film! £25 per metre (ON HOLD) – there might be another piece of this lower down the pile!
I am creating a new leaflet to let people know what we do and to remind those that know us what other things we can do.
Inspired Textile Art
Luxury creative art in clothes
Luxury creative art in clothes
As the print is a bit small on the image I have typed out the text from ‘luxury creative art in clothes’.
Charles and Patricia Lester design and create unusual and timeless clothes for discerning women. They have made clothes for some very exotic women from all walks of life – icons of film, business women as well as many extraordinary gems of women they meet every day.
There is a large collection readily available from which too choose to buy or that might inspire ideas of how you want to look for those special days in your life or just something to wear every day.
As every garment is made individually, right through from the painting, printing or pleating by hand, it is possible to create a bespoke outfit that is made just for you.
Because the Lesters and their highly skilled team love exploring all sorts of different fabrics, the collection consists of a variety of unusual fabrics. There are choices available for every day wear, evening, bridal, mother of the bride, red carpet events, cruises, garden parties, beach weddings or just curling up with a good book on a chilly evening in front of a fire.
Bespoke Interior Art
Bespoke interior art
The words on this page ‘bespoke interior art’ are not quite so small, but I will type it out anyway.
Charles and Patricia have spent many years designing and creating original art pieces for the home, a luxury yacht or even an exotic creative touch for a business or for a dramatic art statement in a corporate boardroom. Using their unique and original textile art they create all sorts of beautiful items for comfortable and luxurious living.
Their unique Wall Hangings and screens are created out of silks that are hand painted and pleated. This is a new art form using pleated silk as a medium to create an impressionistic style of textile art.
The sensual velvet throws and comforters work brilliantly with the luxury cushions made our of the silks and velvets.
Inspiration and team creativity
Inspiration and team creativity
For the page ‘Inspiration and team creativity’ again I have typed it out because of the small print on the image.
Are we unknowingly moving into a golden age of appreciating real creativity? Fast food, fast fashion, on-line shopping have taken away the joy of shopping. Is the one-to-one relationship between the creator and the final part of the creation – the customer – a new and exciting journey into service.
To achieve this lovely relationship this is how we work. There is a large collection in the studios in Abergavenny. There is a capsule collection in Liberty’s of London. In the studios you can browse through all the shapes, colours and ideas. There is no hurry. Once we find the style that suites your body shape the best and is something of the atmosphere that you love – then we can make up that choice especially for you.
Another way that we work is through your own involvement. If you find an inspiring picture, such as the unusual colour combination in this picture, then we can make up your outfit or indeed your interior scheme in this colour combination. We can even add crystal beads to emulate the dew!
No doubt your email inboxes are overflowing as ours have been with various announcements about GDPR and the new European Privacy laws. For us it has been a veritable tsunami of declarations of respect and the whys and wherefores of businesses collecting information. It has been a overwhelming to say the least.
So we chose not to add to the bombardment and decided to wait until the dust had settled before we sought to reassure you that we too treat your information with a great deal of respect.
Fortunately for us we have always been pretty rigorous in ensuring that we treat people’s personal details with the care that they deserve. This includes making sure that there is published information on the website about what we collect and how we use any information that we have. We do however rely on your attention to keep us up to date about any changes.
By the very nature of our business, we perhaps do collect more information than some other businesses but then as we create unique garments specifically for individuals looking for something uniquely original and special then we do need to record whatever is relevant in being able to continue creating outfits that are unique to each person. will continue offering the high level of personal attention to detail that we do already.
We do have different mailing lists for different purposes. So it is important that we know what sort of thing interests you so that we can ensure that you get the most pertinent details for your particular needs and desires. Essentially we always welcome being kept informed about anything you feel that we need to know. You can read our full privacy policy here >> https://charlespatricialester.com/privacy-policy/
The eyes of the world can’t resist watching the fairy tale romance and magic of British Royal Weddings. Who can blame them? Harry and Meghan’s wedding was a delightful parade of all the tradition and romance. What seemed to be different about this wedding was that it was so much more about the eclectic diversity of culture and individual style rather than a crowd conforming to the trends of the day.
Meghan’s dress was beautifully simple and elegant. The wedding guests in their chosen outfits was an amazing display of different designers and unique styling. Long gone are the days where we have to be seen to be wearing skirts of a certain length or donning the typical uniforms of wedding guest attire.
The enjoyment of colour should be part of everyone’s life and if it is colour that a bride wants for her wedding then we can create a gown in any colour that she has a passion to be married in. The traditional white gown often ends up in the back of a wardrobe – not so with one of colour. A colourful wedding gown can be worn many times without being out of place at all sorts of functions.
As always, at these events, there is much discussion about the wedding, the dress, the cost to the taxpayer and on and on. But all other things aside, what a refreshing change to watch a happy loving couple getting married, with all the amazing pomp and ceremony that the British do so well. Did we all weep watching the exuberant and joyous crowds cheering them on? What a wonderful blast of happiness thrown into our lives which relieved the continual negativity that pervades the media these days.
The dress – well I thought it was lovely in its elegant and understated style. Maybe there was symbolism in the simplicity and the delicate mistiness of the veil. Had they thought that deeply that it should be a reflection of an ordinary girl marrying her charming prince – but the encrusted crown of diamonds confirming her new status – who knows?
The simple bouquet and the hairstyle slightly loose were perfect and natural looking. Some said the dress did not fit properly, but the fabric, the style and the occasion would have dictated that the poor girl would have to be comfortable and also be able to wave to the crowd without being restricted by too tightly fitted sleeves. And the fabric did not crush like the crumpled paper of Princess Diana’s dress – it looked pristine throughout the day. Too much lycra is used these days to give that unforgiving body shaping. This was not a day for lycra – it was a day for the luxury of pure silk.
What I did enjoy, more than anything, was the wonderful fashion parade. How fabulous to see hundreds of lovely clothes that were not ‘red carpet/reveal all’ completely sex orientated. Elegant ‘anyone can wear’ clothes and lots of glorious and diverse hats were there to enjoy. One hat in particular, worn by Kate the Duchess of Cambridge, really appealed to me – I loved the flowers tucked under the rim instead of plonked on the top. I did think some hats were selfishly chosen when you see poor Elton John hidden behind a big tilted hat. We could sit there and marvel at the elegant simple polka dot dress worn by one of the guests and gasp as the green leprechaun outfit adorned with old fashioned Christmas crepe paper frills.
I loved Doria Ragland’s outfit and our hearts went out to her sitting quietly, on her own, so gently serene and dignified – I wonder what thoughts went through her mind on this beautiful surreal sunny day in the grandest of ancient English Castles in a land far far away! And wasn’t it special to see our own Royal Prince of Wales take her hand to lead her to the vestry for the formal signatures.
The enjoyment of colour should be part of everyone’s life and if it is colour that a bride wants for her wedding then we can create a gown in any colour that she has a passion to be married in. The traditional white gown often ends up in the back of a wardrobe – not so with one of colour. A colourful wedding gown can be worn many times without being out of place at all sorts of functions.
A colourful wedding
St. Tewdrics House
St. Tewdrics House is a fabulous venue for a wedding and certainly we had a lovely day there on Sunday for their Wedding Fayre. It was sunny and very lively all day long with an interesting mix of exhibitors from the exotic like Jeff Banks’ very smart men’s wear, Alison Tod’s hats and beautiful flowers by Catherine Gray. I will add more as I remember them although I can’t remember the guy who was tempting us with his pies!
http://www.sttewdricshouse.co.uk/http://www.catherinegrayflowers.co.uk/https://www.jeffbanksstores.co.ukSt. Tewdrics House – ChepstowColour combinations blues and lime
Colour theme wedding – mother of the bride
It used not to be that common to have a colour theme for a wedding, but more and more people are wanting colourful weddings. We have made very few wedding dresses in the traditional white or cream. Colour sings of someone’s personality and on the practical side it means that the dress can be worn over and over again. And the mother of the bride should delight in wearing a glowing colour for herself too.
I have focused this first group on the colours of the sea and fresh lime.
Unusual wedding dresses
Mother of the BrideThe perfect hathttp://alisontod.blogspot.co.uk/
We have known Alison for a very long time and it has been a delight to watch her become such a talented bespoke milliner. So in this small country town a mother of the bride can have something made for her that is rare and beautiful from our studios and then get a bespoke hat to compliment her outfit.
Exotic wedding gowns
Mother of the groom
mother of the groom
The mothers of the bride and groom are still young enough to look elegant, feminine and it is their day too. Choosing an outfit often seems to be traumatic when it should be fun. It is the best possible excuse for the mother of the groom to re-look at herself and realise that she can still turn heads and so she should.
Wedding hats and flowers
wedding hats and flowers
There should be a sense of adventure and excitement in choosing a hat for a wedding – and flowers. Personally I would prefer living plants that I can plant out in the garden as memories but mostly people love their bouquets to be unpretentious and abstract these days intertwined with wild flowers and wispy clouds of babies’ breath.
Grandmothers, sisters, cousins, friends and aunts all enjoying a colourful wedding.
red purples and pink theme
It is becoming more fashionable to have a colourful theme for a wedding – and persuading everyone to wear one colour is sometimes tricky, so giving a broader base of colours that somehow work together is a really good idea. There has to be enough variety that the grandmother, sister, friend, cousin and aunt to be able to find their own distinctive tone of colour.
And my final picture says it all – the maker of the hats – Alison Tod, the flowers – Catherine Gray – and my best friend who was glad to see me home after a long day at St. Tewdrics House.
The perfect wedding planning
There will be a new selection in Liberty’s in London in a week ready for Spring celebrations. Not that I can manage to think of Spring when it is so cold here in Wales.
My passion for butterflies and moths was my first thought when a colour scheme of emerald was requested this week. Nature’s colour palette provides us with such an extraordinary variety of colours and shapes. Butterflies and moths show so many that are perfectly beautiful and also can be rather strange. Look at the wings with a microscope and you see the amazing neatly layered tiles of iridescence.
As for the beauty of emeralds – the gemstones – just perfectly glorious colours and rather mysterious in the way the light plays with the different tones of green.
The beauty of Emeralds
The butterfly shown in this group is one of many with this name – as well as moths. Now for the fabrics:
On the right-hand side is pleated silk that has been painted in tones of emerald and then printed in order to remove the colour in the pattern. It has then been hand pleated.
On the bottom left is a heavy satin painted in rich greens
Centre top is a picture of a section of satin which after being painted has been hand painted with a type of bleach to remove colour.
Pre-Raphaelite art inspiration
Lady and the roses luxury interior art
My title picture, lady and the roses, is a lovely example of Pre-Raphaelite art. Perfect from which to draw inspiration for our luxury interior art.
The bed cover is made up of squares of silk hand painted and pleated. The backing is a deeper colour on crepe-back silk satin with a gold stripe print.
The cushions are a mixture of cotton velvet double printed. The orange cushion is made out of vintage silk velvet which we printed with a gold design.
The fabric in the bottom left-hand corner is some green damask printed with gold.
Lady in Emerald green – textile art for the home
Another fine painting by Rossetti – such an amazing clear green dress so beautifully painted.
The main picture shows another piece of pleated silk with a phantom print.
Bottom right are snippets of silk – the bolder print in the centre is ‘shadow printed’ to give the illusion of depth to the gold print. The second is a piece of silk noile that has a daintier print in gold.
The left-hand corner is rich coloured satin in tones of green with highlights of tan.
Nature’s gift of inspiration for textures and colours
Leaf textures inspiration for textile designs
We constantly draw inspiration from nature and the texture of these leaves as well as the colours are nature’s gift of art.
Silk hand painted and pleated is the main picture.
Bottom left-hand is satin in deep green with a silver print. The design of this was inspired by acanthus leaves.
Raindrops on leaves nature’s jewels
What a glorious colour combination in these leaves that have been be-jewelled with raindrops?
The main picture is a small rug created by Georgina using a traditional method of rag rug making, but instead of rags she uses strips of velvet. This is the most sensual rug on which you put your bare feet! A wonderful colour palette of vibrant slashes of emerald green, rich purples and hints of rust turns this rug into what we call ‘floor art’.
The fabrics in the corner are cotton/viscose satin – painted and printed.
Yucca inspiration for colour and texture for luxury sensual home
I love the colours in the shadows of plants.
The main picture is of the silk pleated bedspread with a mix of emerald green velvet lying on the silk.
Luxury interior textile art
Luxury velvet cushions
Emerald cotton velvet cushions, a silk pleated bedspread, a table cloth in mushroom ‘gill’ coloured satin and a green ceramic panther. The colours are captured in the bevel glass screen made by our daughter Georgina. This adds an interesting dimension of the hard medium of glass to the sensual luxury of the interior textile art pieces.
Painted Bubble art inspiration for interior design
Bubbles intrigue me – the extraordinary way that the colours move in marbled patterns, change emphasis of colour, gradually almost completely disappear and finally pop – it is gone.
The main picture is of a patchwork velvet bedspread made out of many hues of emerald, with touches of purple and golden green.
The silk satin, in the lower corner, is painted in a rainbow mix of muted colours and printed with a design inspired by butterflies and chrysanthemums.
Luxurious emerald green velvet bed-cover
The beauty of emerald as a colour with all it variations are shown in this decadently luxurious bedspread. These bedspreads, bed-covers, throws and comforters, as well as cushions and pillows, can be made to commission in any colour-way to go with a chosen themed interior design project.
Pleated silver velvet for extravagant touch of luxury
The pleated velvet is very difficult to achieve but once done it is really beautiful to wear – it is wonderfully luxurious as a comforter.
Luxury velvet throw for bespoke interior designhttps://charlespatricialester.com/product/dramatic-velvet-bedcover/
We have a large and varied selection of interior art pieces and accessories ranging from very large wall hangings made out of the pleated silk, to bedspreads, throws, cushions, lavender pouches. We are constantly chasing new ideas such as quilted throws and some new experiments with crushed and quilted silks and velvets.
We are always exploring new ways to colour and texture fabrics using craftsmanship rather than the modern way with digital printing and other sophisticated technology. Our work is about the skills of hand-crafting using traditional techniques as a base then pushing out the boundaries by ignoring tradition and taking other routes. There is always something new to learn and develop and we are never averse to making mistakes because those mistakes often lead to a new and exciting process or skill.
Super luxury velvet quilted and beaded
For some more ideas and images with details see: http://www.charlespatricialester.com
For our fashion collection – there is a selection in Liberty’s in London as well as a huge variety at our studios. We welcome visitors who want to see more of what we do and happy for them to ‘play’ with the clothes and fabrics.
https://www.libertylondon.com/uk/home
Oriental inspiration around our home
The current project has been inspired by an extraordinary gallery in San Francisco introduced to me by a friend. The Zentner Collection specialising in Asian and Oriental Art and Antiques is an amazing place to find oriental inspiration.
Another source of inspiration is from a study of the origins of Liberty’s in London.
http://www.zentnercollection.com
For an interior designer who has such a theme then these pieces that we have created will act as a sumptuous foil for exotic oriental antiques and art.
So to help me gather my thoughts I have wandered around our home and taken photographs of bits and pieces. The antiques are either originally from China and Japan, or like the tea-chest something that is inspired by oriental furniture. A number of years ago we went to Hong Kong and bought some interesting artefacts. And Georgina, our daughter, visited China when she was just 18. With our credit card in her pocket she bought some fabulous things that now adorn our home. The crates arrived carrying the carved wooden Tang horse in those lovely faded beaten up colours, the fine cloisonné jars, the carved dogs. Most of all she brought back some enduring memories.
Chinese carved wood ‘Tang’ horse
Shown with this Chinese carved wood ‘Tang’ horse is a wall hanging created out of pleated silk. The fabric has been painted and pleated by hand. It is then intricately stitched into abstract swirls of rich gold autumn colours. The same pleated silk fabric has been turned into luxurious cushions.
Golden luxury textiles for the home
This group has an extraordinary picture of a veined hydrangea flower – one of Charles’s photographs that is so beautiful in its simplicity.
Autumn leaves inspire textures for fabric
One idea for this project was to focus on the colours of autumn. These leaves were just outside our back door and they just looked incredibly beautiful so I took a photograph. I then went into the studio to look for colour and texture partners. I was excited to find ones that had textures that would work well with different aspects of Oriental luxury furniture and artefacts. The lower left hand piece of fabric is a new experiment which is crushed evenly, not randomly to give it an interesting dimension. The muted sheen on the fabric works well with unpolished wood. It is not easy to achieve, so there will not be many pieces like these but this piece worked so well with the tones and texture of the leaves.
Luxury velvet crush quilted with beads
This is another experiment – however I might never do again because it took many weeks of hand work because all the quilting and beading was done by hand. I have two pieces like this which will be turned into very decadent luxury throws. The little Japanese cabinet is a delight – inlaid with egg-shells, unexpectedly we found this in New Zealand and just had to bring it home.
Interior textiles – hand crafted in WalesOpera Iris props – a Japanese story in music and colour
Choosing the autumn colours as a theme I realised that the ‘Sun’ doll from the opera Iris, that we costumed for Opera Holland Park a few years ago, would make a perfect centre piece for this tableau of gold textiles.
Sunset grasses inspires rich browns in velvet and silks
When the sun has almost set it leaves a touch of sunshine on the tops of the grasses that is quite magical.
Interior art inspiration in rocks
Newport cliffs – West Wales – interior art inspiration
The colours in the rocks on the cliffs in Newport West Wales inspired Charles to do a series of photographs. What a wonderful resource of inspiration for our interior art textiles. An echo of colours of tarnished bronze and distressed painted furniture.
Super-yacht interior luxury
Luxury silk wall hangings for a super yacht interiorTerracotta pleated silk wall hangingFaded rose colours for a soft feminine interior theme
For a gentle calm atmosphere – soft weak tea colours and willow leaves echo the delicate colours that a bright pink rose turns as it fades into crumpled petals – so beautiful.
Antique Victorian screen transformed into an art piece for a contemporary home
Choosing the screen for this colour theme – the darker shades of celadon – merging into seaweed, old bronze and tarnished silver.
Oriental inspiration – carved jade
Misted lily picture inspiration for the softer shades of celadon
Another of Charles’s photographs has the perfect tones of colour for the story of oriental inspiration in carved jade – those delicate tones of celadon with echoes of deeper shadows highlighting the softness of the colour.
Soft velvet luxury throw for a feminine bedroom
Velvet is the most sensual fabric for luxurious throws and pillows – luxury to curl up in.
Neutral colours for a modern interior scheme – then a touch of real colour as a highlight.
What exactly is the colour ‘greiges’ – I designed a group of colours a few years ago and in searching for a name I decided on ‘British rail coffee’ – a nasty brew that was a greyish beige colour. The background for this cushion is one of Georgina’s amazing rugs made out of velvet using the traditional rag rug technique. These really are a decadent luxury – delicious for bare feet!
Oriental inspiration – work in progress
Laughing Buddha Oriental Inspiration
When doing the research for costuming the opera ‘Iris’ I found that the Buddhist monks and nuns, who had given up all worldly goods, had nothing to wear other than rags donated by their patrons. If their patron was an ordinary working man – his patched ‘kesa’ would be a patchwork of heavily worn and stressed textiles. However if the patron was a wealthy person, then the kesa would be made, still in patches, but of lavish silk brocades. So our laughing Buddha is wearing a luxurious patchwork of printed silk velvets. I need to study the form again because I seem to remember that the symbolism and order of the patches have special significance. When my memory is refreshed I will add the details to the blog.
Luxury statement interior artOriental lacquer inspirations for classical interior design
I love the richness that a background of black gives to painted lacquer furniture and ornaments.
The request for this project was for colour inspirations from garden flowers. What a delight – my favourite thing is to explore colours that nature gives us along with extraordinary textures. So photographs found of our own garden spaces, the lovely garden at Aberglasney and Charles’s sister Sylvia’s delightfully crammed and colourful garden.
Aberglasney garden colours textures inspirationTextures taken from driftwood perfect neutral interior colour scheme
Not exactly garden flowers but the colours that act as a foil for the vibrant or subtle beauty of flowers in unexpected places.
Autumn garden colour inspirations
Cranberry red berries rich velvet luxury decadentRainbow bubble colours transposed to marbled silksHydrangeas in a seaside garden colours for a Mediterranean interiorWarm colours of dahlias interior luxuryColour of old fashioned rose and lime green of the ‘lady’s mantle’Sylvia’s garden acanthus tones of mauve and soft green for interior projectfoxgloves morning mist soft feminine bedroom colours bespoke interior artHydrangea seaside garden sunshine colours of the seaFading hydrangeas – soft lavender and lilac lady’s boudoir
We are bombarded with colour inspirations when by the sea, the sky and the glorious mix of shells thrown up by the waves. So here are a few images of seascapes and our fabrics and interior art pieces that are creations inspired by the sea, sky and shells.
Luxury cruise Mediterranean blue sea
The intense vivid colours of the Mediterranean sea and the coastal gardens brightly spattered with brilliant colours.
Cruise New Zealand in luxury yacht
New Zealand’s amazingly varied features on land and the glorious sea and coastal beauty is something that you cannot imagine being so perfect until you experience it yourself.
Waves in Wales inspiration colour and textures of the sea
The wild coastal waters of West Wales – stormy seas and summer calm – a different atmosphere every single day.
Coast rocks and waves colour theme
Unspoilt beauty of remote villages in West Wales. Dramatic sea, wild-life and the contrast of mill-pond days – perfect for inspiring colours and textures.
Lobster Pots and tangled fishing ropes tones of black silver and steel
Working coastal village where fishermen prepare their lobster pots and a textile designer captures the images of their toil to turn into textile art.
Alisons faded flowers seaweed rockpool colours
Crabs, seaweed, shells, lichen on rust and faded flowers – the muted tones of beachside walks.
Llansteffan Sunset cloud colours over the sea – textile texture inspirations
Every day, all through the day, the sky and sea display a different picture – breathtaking beauty from which to capture ideas for colours and textures.
Sand Ripples Stone shades of nude and shadows super yacht interior design
A walk along the beach when the tide is out and the wind has ceased its creative work with the sand.
Textures taken from driftwood perfect neutral interior colour schemeRetreating tide Llansteffan tones of silver sea
A vies from Charles and Patricia’s bedroom window – imagine waking up to that picture in all its weathered variety every day?
Interior design inspiration shell shapes and colours
The intriguing shapes and organic swirls in shells have inspired designers throughout time – architectural staircases formed like the centre of a shell, textiles, paintings, ceramics, endless variety of shapes taken from nature.
Beach Sunset interior art textilesFaded Flowers and golden shell wall hanging in pleated silkFinal touch of a ginger cat and basket full of shells interior bespoke luxurySunset Flame over the sea opulent richness for creative interior scheme
Luxury velvet cushions
Emerald cotton velvet cushions, a silk pleated bedspread, a table cloth in mushroom ‘gill’ coloured satin and a green ceramic panther. The colours are captured in the bevel glass screen made by our daughter Georgina. This adds an interesting dimension of the hard medium of glass to the sensual luxury of the interior textile art pieces.
Painted Bubble art inspiration for interior design
Bubbles intrigue me – the extraordinary way that the colours move in marbled patterns, change emphasis of colour, gradually almost completely disappear and finally pop – it is gone.
The main picture is of a patchwork velvet bedspread made out of many hues of emerald, with touches of purple and golden green.
The silk satin, in the lower corner, is painted in a rainbow mix of muted colours and printed with a design inspired by butterflies and chrysanthemums.
