Spring Fashion into Spring Interiors Guide

S/S12 Fashion trends are amazing this year so we thought we'd convert the trends of the fashion world into usable interior design ideas. The main themes we're focusing on are mermaid sequins, CMYK colour blocking and soft lace.

From left: Givenchy, Carven, Alexander McQueen 

Mermaid Sequins:

Dwell Dance Cushion, £29.95

Zig-Zag Sequin Cushion, £12

Dear Prudence Mini Jewelled Oval Frame, £4

Ritchie Armchair in Silver, £329

CMYK Colour Blocking:

Kay Mug, £5

James Joyce Limited Edition for John Lewis Bottles Cushion, Blue, £50

Pac-Man Clock, £10

Finch Arte Chair in Turquoise blue, £299

Soft Lace:

Little Lace Pendant Lamp White, £42

Lace or Crochet detail Porcelain Mug, £25

Bloom Felt Table Runner, £99

Droog and Barry Friedman Crochet Chair

Pretty in Pink

Isn't it strange how, as soon as the sun comes out, we start thinking in bright, fun colours... like pink! Pink works so well with monochrome colours that sometimes we even consider changing all the green in our office to pink.... but only for a second (we love green). 

1. Porden Wallpaper by Designer Guild - Heals, Price: £37.60

2. ePure DECT Cordless Telephone in Black - Swissvoice, £64.99

3. Louise Bedside Table by John Reeves - Heals, Price: £380

4. Pink Armchair - Impressionen, Price 299 Euro

5. Floor Lamp With 3 Shades - Dexter, Price: £154

6. Zig Zag Rug 152cm x 213cm - Urban Outfitters, Price: £65

7. Odetta, Block Heels with Shiny Metal Detail - Sam Edelman

8. Unikko Red and Pink Cushion - Marimekko, Price: £58

Our Favourite Mugs

When the weather is as grim as today, we try to keep our spirits up at the office by drinking tripple the amount of of tea as usual. This has got us thinking about mugs and the incredible quantity and variety available out there. So, we thought we'd wade through the plethora of choices and pick some of our favourites... and try our best not to end up buying anything!

1. Cath Kidston - Provence Green Mug, £5
2. Royal Albert 1951 Festival Mug, £20
3. Orla Kiely Stem Print Mugs, £8.50
4. Green Reactive Glaze Mug, £2
5. Kulku Mug - Red by Iittala, £16
6. Barnaby Mug, £5
7. Broste Hessian Mug, £4
8. Catalonia Mug, £2
9. My London Ealing Broadbean Mug (See also full range on John Lewis), £4.99
10. Linea By Mary Fellows The Boss Mug, £7
11. Denby Halo Large Mug, £7.87
12. Le Creuset Dijon Stoneware Mug, £10

Cool Plant Pots

We're thinking ahead of this cold weather to plants and the other lovely greenery that spring will (eventually) bring. Here are some of our favourite, creative planters that we found.

1. Boskke Sky Planter

2. I <3 Lamp

3. Growing Plant Pot

4. VONDOM Planter 10

5. Manga Farming by Koshi Kawachi

6. Tetris Planters

Other creative uses of plants in interior / exterior design:

Spring Colours Design Palette

Last week we did a feature on this season's colours, so today we thought we'd combine those colours and create a lovely spring-themed design palette for you.

1. John Lewis Florian Ceiling Light, £180

2. Sophie Conran Arthouse Wallpaper, £18.99 / roll

3. Harlequin Boutique Wallpaper, £41.40 / roll

4. Madison Pleated Duck Egg Curtains, £69.98

5. Costello Lounge Chair in White, £299

6. Bayliss Pleated Cushion, £21.60

7. ASDA Barrell Pink Glass Vase, £10

8. MADE Stroller Desk in Green, £299

9. Brink and Campman Fresh Pastel Stripe Rug, £465

10. Pink Dog Pac-a-mac, £18.47

11. Vivienne Westwood for Melissa Dragon Lady VIII Heeled Sandals, £120

Here is some spring pastel inspiration:

Sunday - Grey

We chose grey as the colour of Sunday because we always get the Sunday blues...however, we see grey as one of the most beautiful, versatile colours of all (although technically it's not a colour). It looks amazing in various materials, such as metal and concrete and is most striking when paired with a vibrant colour, such as green, yellow or fuchsia, or with natural colours such as beige. So grey on Sunday is mostly a way for us to fight the Sunday blues rather than to succumb to them.

1. Searchlight Marie Therese Smoked Glass Chandelier, £205.44

2. Herdy Salt and Pepper Grey, £20

3. Amy Winehouse Limited Edition Photograph, 40x50cm, £99

4. Stickle Grey Rug, £250

5. Authentic Recycled Tableware, £6-£25 (individually priced)

6. Marimekko Lumimarja Grey and Lime Cushion, £58

7. Moon Chair, Vintage Silver, £499

8. Ella 2-seat Sofa, £880

9. Faux Fur Stool Grey, £79

We love the combination of the colour grey with various colours and materials in the images below:

Saturday - Tangerine

While Pantone declares Tangerine Tango (17-1463) the colour of 2012, we declare tangerine the colour of Saturday. Fun and optimistic, tangerine is an exciting, vibrant colour not for the faint hearted. Tangerine says be bold and brave. We say, do not use in moderation.

1. Signature Three-Ring Binder from Russell + Hazel, $24
2. Le Creuset Large French Oven, 12.5 litre
3. Philippe Starck for Kartell Mr.Impossible Chair, Red / Orange, Pair, £460
4. Wild and Wolf Orange Trim Phone, £34.95
5. Rockett St George Large Stag Head Wall Sticker, £34
6. Sisley Hydrating Long Lasting Lipstick, Mandarine, £27.90
7. Orla Kiely Rowan Sideboard Orange & White Doors, £1515
8. IKEA FILLSTA table lamp, orange, £9.99

Here are some tangerine interiors for your amusement:

(PS. That's the Ikea Saralisa fabric on the cushion in the middle, 

we upholstered our Louis chairs with it) <3

Friday - Pastel Pink / Fuchsia

Associated with subtlety, childhood, purity and femininity, the colour pink is often  seen in little girls' or teenage girls' bedrooms. But it should not be thought of only in this innocent way, as it has a wide range of shades - hot pink, as the name suggest, can when used in decoration, add a contemporary touch.

1. OPI Nail Polish 'Pink Of Hearts' - OPI, Price: £8.95 

2. Pink Retro Dial Telephone - Totally Funky, Price: £60

3. All Star Core Hi Canvas Pink - Converse Allstar, Price: £35

4. 'IT GIRL' Watch - Thomas Sabo, Price: £169

5. Pink Flamingo Cushion - John Lewis, Price: £12.50

6. Bright Hot Pink Turned Wood Table Lamp - Heals, Price: £180

7. Tulip Chair - Knoll, Price: £948

8. Pink 'Bayswater' Handbag - Mulberry, Price: £595 

Thursday - Sky Blue

We've made it past hump day, the week is improving and we are slowly nearing the weekend. That's why the colour for thursday is Sky Blue. Blue is calming and serene, used for symbolising religion and peace in some cultures. A natural colour, blue is said to provide a peaceful night sleep if used in the bedroom. Anyway, the point is that everyone likes blue.

1. Lomography Blue Sprocket Camera, £90
2. Habitat Lucia Jug, £15
3. ASOS Link and Plate detail Belt, £12
4. Dwell Flock Branch Cushion Blue, £19.95
5. Washing up Bowl by Caroline McGrath, £65
6. Dar Lighting Blue Glass Table Lamp, £57
7. Pill Garland with Blue LED's, £10
8. HUNTER Original Wellies in Gloss Blue, £79
9. Love Chair in Moroccan Blue, £899

Be inspired by these calming blue interiors:

Wednesday - Yellow

It's hump day, we're all feeling a bit down and counting the minutes till the weekend, so the colour we've chosen to cheer us all up on Wednesday is Yellow. Bright and cheerful, bold and powerful, who doesn't love a bit of sunny cheer! Use in moderation as an accent colour with neutrals like grey, white and black, or just go crazy!

1. Coral Light By Studio Aisslinger

2. Verner Panton Flowerpot Pendant, £177

3. Verpan Panton Pendant Light by Verner Panton, £199.75 - £212.50

4. John Lewis Bricks Cushion, Yellow, £25 

5. Solstrale Vase, Yellow, £4.99

6. Vita Audio R1 MKII DAB Radio Alarm Clock in Gloss Yellow, £179

7. Pantone Mug, Yellow, £10

8. Net Chair by Sam Johnson, £299

9. Georgia Yellow Cardboard Sideboard, £149

10. Sense Touch-free Yellow 50l bin, £50

Tuesday: Mint Green / Peapod

Mint ice cream, 50's retro kitchen... grandma's house? Forget the old, mint is making a massive come back in spring/summer 2012! Use it sparingly or bravely and pair with either white or hot pink, mint green is a sure spring winner.

We've also discovered a new favourite material: Jadeite - a pale (jade) green material used for making dishes (See image below). Jadedite was used in the United States from the 30's to the early 70's. It was heavy, durable and cheap and therefore used in restaurants, cafes and even hospitals. It was sometimes packaged as a giveaway in food and cleaning products... nowadays it's not so widely used but we're hoping that the spring/summer mint trend will bring it back into fashion!

1. Barry M Nail Paint - Mint Green, £3

2. Asos Punchout Backpack, £38

3. Retro Jello Mould Tupperware Pendant Light by BootsNGus on Etsy, $50

4. Matthew Izzo Areaware Piggy Bank, $95

5. Niba Rugs - Current Collection

6. Smeg 50's Style Fridge Freezer

7. Pazific Mint Green Bar Stools, 2 for £49.99

8. Jadeite Cups and Bowls (Look on etsy or ebay for great retro deals)

Here are some interiors using mint green:

Monday - Violet

Seasonal colour and style trends are very important to observe for interior designers and here at Pair Studio we've been studying to Spring/Summer 2012 fashion, style and colour trends. To celebrate the importance of this new colour palette, we've dedicated a whole week of blog posts to seven of our favourite S/S12 colours.


For Monday, the first day of the week (and often a depressing day for many, having to wake up early and face the reality of work), we've chosen Violet, a serene, calm colour... deep breath. Violet is a mystical color which has an historical association with royalty and is very powerful. Although it is an extremely pleasant color it is important not to apply it in to large surfaces or as the only color - for a better visual balance, combine with contrasting colors, such as yellow and green. Now make a cup of tea and let's get the week started.

1. Romilly Ceiling Light -  John Lewis, Price: £105
2. Keep Glam and Rock On Mug – Heals, Price: £11.50
3. Union Jack Crewel Cushion – Dunelm, Price: £10.39
4. Eyeshadow in Crazy Cool – Mac, Price: about £10
5. Ferm Living Children’s Butterflies Violet Wall Sticker – Heals, Price: £35
6. Purple Acrylic Drawer Knob – Debenhams, Price: £2
7. Swan Chair in Purple Wool - Arne Jacobsen, Price: £268
8. ’Original Gardinia Tall’ Purple Wellies – Hunter, Price: £79