Cool radiators!

As we enter October we start to think about turning the heating on! Radiators are an efficient method of heating a space and as such are a feature of many interiors, yet despite the amount of resources we plough into our designs the conventional steel panel radiators are often the primary source of heating.

The key to radiator efficiency is surface area which makes the panel radiator, with its large hot surface, a well performing and functional piece of equipment however they often have a bulky appearance and are difficult to conceal.

Underfloor heating can be an ideal way to free up your wall space and maximise the flexibility of the room however this can be a costly and disruptive solution.

Fortunately there have been some significant advances in radiator design of late and we have put together some of the more stylish and quirky radiators on the market which combine efficiency with good design to demonstrate how cool radiators can be!

Rad Art is a new innovation in radiator design which takes the advantages of a conventional radiator and combines it with stunning art which will add colour, visual interest and warmth to any interior. The front panels are interchangeable with a variety of designs available.

The “Calorisfero” wooden radiator uses wood woven around the steel elements to give an alternative natural finish. The wood can be stained or coloured to complement your interior.

These sleek radiators combining shelving, complete with lighting, with a fully functioning heating device would make a Marea a welcome addition in most interiors.

Practical and stylish - this convenient bench is hot!

With so many fabulous options available let Transformations Interior Designs help you choose the right solution to not only heat your interior but also enhance it!

Go Wild!

The wild and exotic elements of the African safari style gained popularity in the early part of the 1900’s when Britain’s Royal Geographical Society explored the African continent and the images captured the attention of Europeans who introduced the exciting style into their interiors.

Today Africa is a still viewed as an ultimate getaway with the African safari style continuing to offer a bold, distinctive yet classic design for the interior.

Key components to creating the African safari style are natural, organic materials combined with bold animal prints and contrasting colour to bring the vibrant and rich wonder of the African experience into your home.

This style of interior design can be adapted to suit most interiors and tastes

ranging from the minimalist touch using clean lines, intricate carvings with a hint of animal print

to a bolder use of the style incorporating a variety of animal prints and furs, colourful geometric tribal designs infused with dark woods, bamboo, tropical leaves and natural materials such as rattan, sisal and jute.

Let Transformations introduce the adventurous, naturally beautiful and exotic African safari style into your interior www.transformationsid.co.uk

Magnificient Maps!

Maps are rarely just about geography and have been used to make statements about their owners power, taste and influence for centuries. Maps have been used to decorate interiors since Roman times when elaborate maps and city plans were laid in mosaic tiles and etched in stone.

Maps were used to great effect in palace galleries to demonstrate the rulers wealth and power and a particularly fine example of this is the Galerie delle Carte Geografiche at the Vatican Palace, Rome where forty maps showing the lands belonging to the Catholic Church and Italy's important cities were frescoed between 1580 and 1585, shown below.

By the 19th century it was common to frame and display maps as decorative symbols in both the domestic and commercial interior. Merchant houses often displayed maps of all types, shapes and sizes to show their trading exploits, loyalties and pride of the homeland or estate.

The trend of displaying maps diminished significantly in the early 20th century however their beauty and flexibility can make a valuable and unique addition to any interior today.


The colourful world map on the wall of this study is a decorative and educational way to brighten up this space.


A quick, easy and relatively cheap method of adding visual interest to this contemporary space is to use a world map decal sticker.

It is easy to introduce the beauty of maps into your interior with these British Isles cushions from Reclaimed Objects



Or this London Tube Map shower curtain would bring a contemporary twist in bathrooms of most styles





Let Transformations bring creative ways to introduce maps into your interior whatever the style or period www.transformationsid.co.uk

Your own private sanctuary!

As human beings we are naturally social creatures however there are times when we like to hide away from everything and everyone, to stop the world momentarily to recharge the batteries, and what better place to do this than in your own home.

A quick and easy way of creating this area is to dedicate a special chair in your home as your chill out chair. A stylish addition would be this wicker Urban Balance Curve hanging chair, made from natural materials it would be the perfect seat in which to relax.

If you occupy a busy space, such as a crowded household or a workspace, create your own private snug which can be accommodated in a space no larger than a cupboard. Take inspiration from the snug pictured below. Furnish your snug with luxurious, tactile cushions and throws to create your own private sanctuary!


Picture taken from Elle Decoration

Let Transformations create a private sanctuary for you in your interior www.transformationsid.co.uk

9th May 1977 - what a day!

The 9th of May 1977 was a memorable day for my family because it is the day I was born!

On this special day I thought I would have a look at the trends in interior design from that time which has been dubbed the Hi Tech or Industrial Style.

Discos and nightclubs were popular during the 70’s which influenced design greatly. Residential interior design changed during the decade from wild and crazy to clean lines but bold use of colour remained a constant theme throughout the decade.

Although considered a relatively new concept environmentally friendly or green design emerged during the 1970's.

Verner Panton was an influential designer during the early 1970’s who created radical and psychedelic interiors that featured his curved furniture, an excellent example of this is the Room Installation for the Visiona II exhibition by Bayer at the Cologne fair in 1970 pictured right.

The decade that gave us funky-kitsch designs from the space age, made a feature of the circular form, used shag pile and moulded plastic extensively was iconic of mid-century modernism which is reinforced by the popularity and high prices that retro pieces command.



Transformations can take your interior back to the 1970’s either with a faithful reconstruction or with a contemporary twist www.transformationsid.co.uk

The beauty of tiles!

Tiles have been used in interiors for centuries with early examples of glazed earthenware tiles being widely used in the 9th Century to create extravagant geometric designs on the floors and walls of royal palaces and places of worship. Tiles have continued in popularity throughout the years with the blue and white chinoiserie inspired tile designs from Delft being very popular throughout Europe from the 17th century onwards and hand painted tiles being an important feature of the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements.

In warmer climates tiles have long been used as a floor and wall covering to maintain a cool temperature indoors. Tiles are a very practical material, hard wearing, easy to clean and water resistant. These properties have made them a popular material for use in kitchens and bathrooms in the UK but another advantage of tiles is they are available in an enormous range of colour, size, pattern and texture meaning that whatever the size, style or design of your space there is a tile for you and their use should not be restricted to the kitchen or bathroom! One wall in the lounge pictured right has been covered using a variety of patterned tiles to great effect. Picture courtesy of Elle Decoration.

On a recent visit to Sledmere House near Driffield I discovered the fabulous and unusual Turkish Room, pictured left. The walls are decorated entirely with tiles and the effect is amazingly beautiful. The room takes inspiration from one of the Sultan's apartments in the Yeni Mosque in Istanbul, the tiles were made in Damascus and shipped over to England during the First World War. The chandelier is also decorated with mosaic tiles making it delightfully different. This room is an excellent example of how using materials in a slighly unusual way can produce stunning effects.


Mosaic tiles are very small tiles which, when used in a bold way, can work very well to create a unique and powerful design statement. The bathroom pictured left is decorated with traditional Moroccan mosaic tiles which are a feature of each of the bathrooms at Hôtel Nord-Pinus Tanger in Morocco, photo taken from World of Interiors.



For a more fresh, vibrant and contemporary style these mosaic tiles from The Yard create a serene yet funky washroom which would be a pleasure to use at any time of the day.

The term mosaic means “the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of coloured glass, stone or other materials” and for a bathroom with extreme WOW factor make use of mosaic tiles with 3D images such as this tropical island scene from Glassdecor.


Let Transformations help you use tiles to fabulous effect in your interior www.transformationsid.co.uk

Fly the flag with confidence!

As the majority of you will know the Union Flag, or the Union Jack as it is commonly known, is the flag of the United Kingdom. The original flag was introduced on 12th April 1606 after James VI of Scots inherited the thrones of England and became James I of England. The flag represented an amalgamation of the Flag of England (St Georges Cross) and the Flag of Scotland (St Andrews cross). The current design, which now also incorporates the cross of St Patrick representing the merging of the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland, dates back to 1801.

Whilst the Union Jack was very popular as a design symbol during the 1960s it has enjoyed a significant presence on the catwalk this season and is also hot in interiors right now. With patriotic pride increasing in the run up to the Olympics in 2012 this trend is only set to gain popularity!



Fly the flag in the kitchen with these eye catching appliances. The Smeg fridge, iconic in any event but very patriotic with this Union Jack design or heat it up with this Union Jack range cooker from Falcon.














The Union Flag design can be used to good effect in any room with this contemporary take on the Louis XVI armchair from Jane Hornsby or, for a more subtle piece, this Union Jack Chesterfield sofa by Andrew Martin would be at home in most styles of interior.










For a quick and easy update use some of the great variety of cushions available or hang this canvass which is available in a range of colours, both from Art for Urban Spaces.











These are just a small example of pieces utilising the Union Jack but you can get just about anything from rugs to mirrors and from beds to baths so it’s just a case of taking your pick.

Be proud of being British and let Transformations bring the Union flag into your interior www.transformationsid.co.uk

Brighten it up!

It has been proven that colour and the weather are two of the biggest influences of human behaviour. As the weather brightens introduce some brighter colours in your interior to enliven your spirits!

Bright synthetic colours have been around since the early twentieth century, and some even earlier, however these colours faded quickly and therefore weren't widely used in interior design. By the 1960s advances in technology gave bright colours which were resistant to chemical and ultraviolet effect, making them permanent, which is why these colours are often associated with the hippy generation of the late 1960s.

A black and white scheme creates a powerful and timeless style but to give a contemporary twist and add personality to your space introduce a bold splash of colour. The yellow sofa in this interior creates a sense of fun and makes the room a bright, sunny and friendly place in which to relax and entertain.

Bright synthetic colours are big for 2010 with many items being manufactured in playful colours. Get the look by treating yourself to this fabulous armchair and pouff by Molteni & C to relax in style.


Let Transformations help you to be bolder, braver and enjoy colour! www.transformationsid.co.uk

Funky stripes!

The word stripe originates from the Latin "stripus" and refers to a long straight line of colour. Stripes have been used in interior design for centuries and are enjoying a renewed popularity.



Charles Rennie Mackintosh made a bold statement with stripes in the guest bedroom of 78 Derngate in 1919, pictured left, which make a great focal point in this small bedroom and also give the illusion of a four poster bed.





Stripes can be used with any style of interior design from ultra modern to classic and traditional which means they can make a feature of any space. Stripes also have many practical uses and can be used to highlight the height of a room, make a room appear wider or even break up large walls.


Stripes are a great way of giving your interior pattern and colour quickly and relatively cheaply. Use striped wallpaper on one feature wall or quickly make a statement by throwing down a striped rug such as this fabulous one from Crate & Barrel pictured right or for a less dramatic effect update your cushions with a stripe cover.

Pattern gives life to the surfaces it covers so whether you introduce stripe using wallpaper, paint, tiles, rugs, carpets or fabrics you are boldly contributing to the history of the stripe and adding interest to your space.

Contact Transformations now to introduce stripes into your interior and see what pattern can do for you! www.transformationsid.co.uk

The colour of the year 2010!

In 1963 Laurence Herbert created the Pantone Matching System as a solution to the problem of consistently identifying, matching and communicating colours. Today Pantone is used and recognised worldwide as a method of conveying colours.

In 2007 Pantone started announcing a "Colour of the Year" and this year that colour is Turquoise - with the reference Pantone 15-5519 Turquoise for the avoidance of any doubt!

This colour is described by Pantone as "Combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise inspires thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a comforting escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing."

In the interior this colour is very versatile. With undertones both warm and cool it works well with most other colours and is bright enough to act as a good accent colour. It is a fresh yet classic colour which will be popular in 2010.

Let Transformations introduce Turquoise successfully into your interior www.transformationsid.co.uk

Chinoiserie in 2010

Chinoiserie is a french term meaning "chinese-esque" and refers to a design style characterised by fanciful images of China. The style became popular in Europe during the 17th century reaching its peak in 1750-1765 as it blended well with the Rococo style.

Chinoiserie made an appearance at the London Design Week last week with this gorgeous "Pagoda River" fabric from Sanderson. The fabric is available in four colours but we like this lime and taupe which gives it a contemporary twist.

This fabric would combine well with current furniture and accessories to give an interesting interior with an appreciation of the history of Interior Design.

Let Transformations Interior Designs introduce Chinoiserie into your space www.transformationsid.co.uk