At the end of May, I went to my very first Chelsea Flower Show. The New Craftsmen had been invited to curate the Artisan Sheds and surrounding area and invited me to come along and take a look. I dragged along dear friend and interior designer Daisy Riordan and we had an absolute ball.
The main show was absolutely stunning with highlights from Dan Pearson (the man behind the Maggie’s London garden) and the Brewin Dolphin Garden by Darren Hawkes, but I am new to gardening, and if I’m honest, I found it slightly overwhelming. It gave me so many ideas that at one point Daisy asked me how many gardens I was planning! Once we got into the area curated by the New Craftsmen, I felt back in my own territory – design. There were five ‘artisan retreats’ featuring work, and a little hint of the creative process, from Gareth Neal, Gina Marris, Katherine May, Michael Ruh, Nic Webb and Silvia K. I absolutely loved what they had done with each shed, really bringing the work of each designer to life. But even more than that I loved the surrounding area – ladders mysteriously hanging from trees, one long communal picnic table under a string of festoon lights, and a really informal atmosphere. It was here that I finally found the right approach for my garden – somewhere I can work and be creative (I have my studio in a shed too!), somewhere I can spend relaxed time with friends and family, and somewhere filled with colour where I can find inspiration. Thank you The New Craftsmen! Now I’ve just got to make it happen!
Further reading for the especially geeky:
- out and about :: the fiera edit
- out and about :: stockholm
- out and about :: twelve at stockholm furniture fair 2015
- out and about :: ambiente frankfurt
