The John Lewis Collector edit
If you have been reading this blog some some time, then you know well my love affair with John Lewis. Not only do I find this brand extremely reliable in terms of service, I also trust their judgment when it comes to picking interiors trends and curating product collections around them. A couple of months ago - July - I reached out to their marketing team to see what is new and was told about an exciting new edit that would hit the shop floors in September.
The Collector's Edit was indeed launched last week and it's turning (customer) heads already. Don't be put off by seeing items as 'out of stock' online - more products are coming in and you can definitely find them in store like I did.
Since the Edit launched, several other retailers are trying to add their own spin to the trend. Just this week, the Style Library launched the latest collection for Morris & Co also with the same title.
It is an accumulation of other key trends, it is fresh, and will re-ignite your love for flea market treasure hunting, antique furniture (lovingly restored) and jewel coloured products all combined with brands of the moment - like FLOS and Tom Dixon.
Expect to find yourself in familiar territory. Unlike the Bohemian trend (which continues to be a success but may still feel hard to introduce in a lot of homes), to be a collector just mix old and new, classic and modern. See how I did that below.
For some time now I have wanted to give the rooms in our home a more opulent, luxurious feel. It is more relevant to my current liking and even my age. Yes, I am growing up. And while my home office still looks modern, for the rest of the house we have chosen a more classic style.
The furniture we have is a proportionate mix of old and new. Certain pieces have aged gracefully in my grandmother's home and been passed on to me. I have agonised over their transport from Greece and have had one of the dining chairs expertly restored when it was broken during transit. I did not tell my mother (and let's hope she will not use Google translate on this post!).
In the dining room the table has scratches and marks, but it is the table where the grandfather I never met (he passed away young) sat with his family, entertained friends, and shared stories.
It has beautiful details like brass inlay and feet, details that are hard to come by in modern furniture. The Pale Wedgwood blue on the wall on one side and the bold Camelia wallpaper opposite (both from Little Greene) perfectly complement its warn wood tones.
The painting on the wall is a piece from the 80s, painted by my grandmother's sister. A family heirloom too. It sits harmoniously next to a light designed by Michael Anastassiades for FLOS (available here).
When I feel like showing off the grain of the wood, I use table mats. For the Collector look, try the V&A Yama side plates or the Contour Gold Willow plates over a gold charger. Use crystal decanters and high quality glassware.
You can see the colourful tumblers from Pols Potten below. They come in a set of six assorted colours, each one decorated with an intricate peony design, hand-blasted onto the glass. Fill your table with vases in various shapes (and colours) - I used pieces from LSA International, including the Flower Colour Bud Vase in peacock and their round Tortoise centrepiece.
No art on the wall? No problem! The Edit includes tasteful reproductions of well known work. I love the Milk Maid by Vermeer, Cezanne's Landscape with Poplars and Children of the Sea by Israels.
The blues, greens and purples - this look requires rich colours. And as for fabrics? They need to feel opulent, so velvet it is! Mix them with metallic shades as much as possible.
Tea time? Serve it in style in a V&A and John Lewis Tobu Tea Cup and Saucer, a decorative pieces, capturing the creative spirit of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
I used a Magpie Spoonbill Oval Platter as a tray, featuring the iconic work from John James Audubon’s Birds of America (and you can catch a glimpse of the pink flamingo from this range and some exotic birds also framed on the wall behind!
And for your tea? The Bia Elephant Teapot, Gold seems like so much fun and you can use the Liberty Earl Grey Tea (£10) available here. Or, if you are picking your order from a Waitrose store, search for the Lost Malawi Tea by Rare Tea. It's my personal favourite.
My favourite pieces from the latest Edit are shown below. What are your thoughts? Do you have a special collection that you want to share below?
