Absinthe depot Berlin

I love the look of this Absinthe shop/bar in Berlin (see http://absinth-berlin.de/ ) I'm not sure I'm up to drinking such a hard drink as Absinthe, but I love the style of this place - like stepping back in time. Selling over 100 Absinthes and offering tasting evenings it promises a night not to be forgotten!

Absinthe or la Fee verte (green Fairy) as it was also known has such an interesting history I think. It was the toast of Paris society in the 1890s, a favourite drink in the Moulin Rouge and of intellectuals and artists who believed it convoked the muses. It was drunk by Degas, Picasso, and Toulouse-Lautrec who never left home with a supply of it in his walking stick!

Not only were many great paintings done on the topic, but I also love the posters that were created to sell it.

Elizabethan portraits

One thing that has always inspired me are Elizabethan portraits and especially those of Elizabeth I. I remember studiously copying the painting above for ages when I was little - shame I don't still have my attempted copy.

Not only is Elizabeth I an undeniably fascinating figure, but I also love the decorative, sumptuous fabrics, the incredible way the painters painted lace ruffs and fur stoles and the copious quantities of jewels and pearls. This painting is about the Battle of Armada.

I also love that they are rich in symbolism. Above is the Tudor rose which combines the rose of the House of Lancaster and the rose of the House of York, symbolising the unity of the realm. Pearls (and also moons) show Elizabeth's virginity and purity.

Other symbols include gloves which represent her elegance, pelicans symbolising motherly love of her subjects, the phoenix which is a symbol of her longevity, and ermine (as seen above)which represents both her royalty and purity.

Industrial furniture

Jac de Villiers

I have been looking for ideas on how to decorate the other office and came across this post at http://jordanferney.blogspot.com on industrial furniture.

I've always been a fan of the reclamation look and it's a great look for a studio. These photos were all featured in Country living.

Great shops for this in London are Lassco and Retrouvius.

The Retrouvius shop on Harrow Road looks interesting - I really like these old warehouse lamps. Their website is also good www.retrouvius.com It features design projects and their latest stock.

I also like these old patent office shelves that they have for sale at the moment.

Underwater hotels

I was amazed to see this hotel in Dubai which is due to open later this year. The Hydropolis Underwater Hotel and Resort, www.hyrdopolis.com , is 66 feet below the surface of the sea and stretches over 27 acres. This could be the view from your room!

To get to the hotel you have to take a transparent train down into the ocean. Previously, the only underwater hotel was Jules Undersea Lodge and to reach that you had to scuba dive.

Originally a research lab, this hotel was way ahead of it's time when it opened in the 1970s. It looks rather more basic, but has a certain Jacques Cousteau style charm to it! See www.jul.com

Another more luxurious option is the Poseidon Fuji, www.poseidonresorts.com , which is due to open early next year.

Another amazing view awaits you. The hotel is 40 feet underwater in a Fujian lagoon.

It's all quite amazing to me, and the stuff of childhood dreams. So until these open, why not read some Tintin

or watch Wes Anderson's Life Aquatic (one of my favourite films).

The Bowie

Somebody in our office seems to think they are David Bowie, and could happily spend hours impersonating him.

So Jasmine this post is for you and your inspiration. I think we have some gold leaf lying around somewhere....

Thank you

A belated thank you to everyone that came to Top Drawer this year!

We were happy that everyone loved the Patent cards as they are a new direction for us. My Mum took these pictures on her phone - funny how our logo sign came out like a rising sun.

Black lace

I think this season's Valentino lace dresses are absolutely stunning.


I love lace and it has appeared in quite a few Anzu paintings.


This is the bestselling Anzu lace dress card, which we released a few months ago.


Dresses from Marchesa's Spring/Summer 2010 collection,


and I just had to finish on this iconic image from photographer Jeanloup Sieff.

Orange

House Beautiful

Intertwined with my love for Hermes has been my recent love of orange. I'm clearly not the only one. I love the way orange is a thread through this interior above.

Somebody loves Hermes more than me!

via Parishotelboutique

via travelorg.blog

Orange is also the colour of Buddhism and contented happiness, which is why we chose it for the colour to represent Happy on one of our Patent cards.

Hermes Pop-up store at Liberty

As you no doubt know, I am a big fan of Hermes so it was a bit of a treat to go to their temporary shop in Libertys. Love the window above.



and the adapted logo that they have done.

I didn't get a picture of the till, but I think they had taken inspiration from the cover of this 1980s catalogue with piles of boxes. The Hermes boxes looked great all piled up.

With grey padded velvet and orange ropes to hold the scarves, seats covered in silk scarves it was an indulgent and fun shop to visit

If you can be sure to take a look before it goes in October!

Top Drawer 2009

Visit Anzu at Top Drawer

Stand J109

13-15 September 2009

Olympia, London

We look forward to seeing you there!

The creative mind

Last weekend I went to the Walking in my mind exhibition at the Hayward gallery, where they had asked contemporary artists to create art/installations revealing their creative mind. I thought this one by Chiharu Shiota was quite beautiful and evocative.

If only the inside of a creative mind was as simple as this! Yayoi Kusuma's polka dots spilled outside too. But my favourite was Yoshimoto Nara's, which although slightly disturbing had a very contained creative feel. Peering through the windows at all the piles of sketches, artistic influences, and childhood memorabilia was interesting.

All in all I thought it was a really interesting idea for an exhibition. What would the inside of your mind look like?

On a separate note, if you'd like to find out how male/female your mind is, have a go at the fun quiz, which is currently on the BBC website. www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sex/add_user.shtml

An Indian summer

The weather was so hot here yesterday, that I'm actually getting hopes for an Indian Summer and I love these beautifully colourful images of Indian/European decor which I found via http://anindiansummer-design.blogspot.com

These are photographs of Lisa Corti's line of Indian furnishing which she sells in Milan, Florence, Rome and Madrid

I love the look of the shop too. See more online at www.lisacorti.com