What a Divine & Savage journey it has been! We opened for business online in 2017, and opened the doors of our very first showroom and shop six years later...! Our new little home is in the unofficial design quarter of Bath, on Margaret’s Buildings, right between The Royal Crescent and The Circus.
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Geometric Aviary in Gold Leaf | Wild Wild Woods (Coming Soon!)
Luxe Loungewear | Fringed Lampshades
The Brambles in 'Antique Rose' Fabric on Loveseat (Coming Soon!) | Lovebirds in 'Honey' Fabric on Chair (Coming Soon!) | Cat-titude 'Gold' Fringed Recycled Velvet Cushion
Where the Wildflowers Grow in 'Sage' Fabric on curtains | Extinctopia in 'Volcanic Sunset' Wallpaper
Extinctopia Wallpaper in Jurassic Coast
Bye Bye Birdie Wallpaper in Buttercup
Pikes Hotel is one of the few places that still has the authentic, carefree vibe the island became known for, mixed with an up-to-date rock and roll energy for this century. We love how the renovation of their Garden Suites balances the history of the hotel with new amenities and layers of interest. The concept for the revamp is described as 'Brit-eccentrics meets timeless Rock 'n Roll', which to be honest could be an alternative description for us. The furnishings are midcentury, which has a style that fits both the past and the present, and they also combined the talents of emerging and established British designers with local makers and craftspeople from the island ensuring a very unique result.
Gershwing Velvet Fringed Bette Lampshade | Gershwing in Gold
ZsaZsa Recycled Velvet Cushions
"Let me take you to the place
Where membership's a smiling faceBrush shoulders with the starsWhere strangers take you by the handAnd welcome you to wonderlandFrom beneath their panamas"
Icons like George Michael (above and below) and Grace Jones are dotted throughout the hotel keeping their history alive and well.
Little Botanize Recycled Velvet Fringed Bette Lampshade | Deco Martini Cushions | Forbidden Bloom Velvet Cushions
Forbidden Bloom Recycled Velvet Cushions in Deep Blue | Forbidden Bloom Linen Cushion in Black
We're suddenly becoming a lot more interested in tennis after seeing these pictures, funny that. Perhaps bright pink and neon green is the magical incentive to exercise and sportiness? It also doesn't hurt that the court colours mimic our Forbidden bloom print seen on the cushions above so nicely...which may be very necessary for lounging post-tennis exertion.
Little Botanize Wallpaper in Historic Sage
Deco Martini Recycled Velvet Cushion in Teal
The Fierce & The Fabulous Fringed Bette Lampshade in Warm Parchment | Deco Martini Recycled Velvet Cushions in Moulin Rouge
The Fierce & The Fabulous Recycled Velvet Cushions in Archive Green | Gershwing Recycled Velvet Bette Fringed Lampshade in Gold | The Fierce & The Fabulous
Bye Bye Birdie Recycled Velvet Lampshade in Buttercup | Botanize Heritage Recycled Velvet Cushions in Whale Blue
A big thank you to Pikes and Lucinda K Designs for including us as part of your Brit-eccentrics. We are so looking forward to visiting soon for a stay, and in the meantime, you can book in your own visit! If you're lucky enough to be heading to Pikes this summer, please let us know how many items you can spot in your Divine Savages scavenger hunt (we may have a little finders-gift for you)!
Sant Antoni de Portmany, Illes Balears, Spain
Photography by Sofia Gomez Fonzo
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Truthfully, we hadn't realised how strong our affection was for green until we rounded them up together – over 30 patterns. So many we had to split them into two groups...from the sweet peppermint to teal and dark jewel tones. We’re here to share some of our favourite 'divine' spaces when decorating with ‘Gentle Greens’ - we hope you find some inspiration for your next green interior design project!
Poochi Flocked Wallpaper in Pistachiow-chow
Botanize Heritage Wallpaper in Peppermint
Extinctopia wallpaper in Peppermint
Forbidden Bloom Wallpaper in Peppermint
This new copper twist on our Crane Fonda print is one of our latest releases. We love the soft aqua paired with copper and blush pink. It's soft, sophisticated and glamorous...just like Crane Fonda herself.
Little Botanize Wallpaper in Historic Sage
Rozalia wallpaper in Vintage Blanche
Extinctopia Wallpaper in Galapagos Green
Rozalia Wallpaper in Sophia Green
Portobello Parade Wallpaper in Park Green
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Bloomin' Marvellous Wallpaper in Blush Green
Are you more gentle than gregarious? Check out our roundup of green spaces that are more divine here.
Our faunacation print, featuring jungle foliage and big cats was originally designed in a few green colourways, but this new sophisticated twist in Hunter Green feels like its always existed. The subtle lustre of luxurious metallics and a mix of deep greens is great as a bold kitchen wallpaper or in a powder room.
Cat-titude Wallpaper in Green Envy
Botanize Wallpaper in Blackberry
Going bold doesn't have to mean a wild colour palette. These large scale patterns use tone on tone teals for a quieter look that still packs some punch.
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It's no secret that we have cocktails running through our veins here at Divine Savages... after all, drinks appear within our logo, our prints, and in our hands come Friday 6 'o' clock. So it's no surprise this new event space really lands at the intersection of some of our favourite things...a cocktail club, playful pattern and a UK design legend. What's not to love?
—The Cocktail Club is a new Birmingham hotspot brought to life by award-winning interior designer Matthew Williamson, renowned for his love of Maximalist design, playful pattern and vivid colour. You know we have a passion for interiors of this ilk, so we were absolutely delighted to be included in his vision.
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Faunacation Recycled Velvet Fabric in 'Bombay Blue'
Move over feature wallpaper wall, it’s time for the feature curtain…
Our new recycled velvet collection is perfect for adding a dose of glamour, no paste required.
Poochi Flocked Wallpaper in 'Pistachiow-Chow' | Deco Martini Recycled Velvet in Arsenic on Footstool | Deco Martini Cushion
Bottom: Deco Martini Recycled Velvet in 'Teal'
There are a few more ways to inject some Divine Savages glamour that doesn’t require consent from your landlord. Our Deco Martini Print in recycled velvet looks great on a vintage footstool and this dramatic headboard. Or skip the DIY and snuggle in with one of our pre-made cushions.
Deco Martini Wallpaper in 'Arsenic' | Bathroom by Wood Freaks by Omri Lahat
You don’t have to wait for a full-on renovation to make a massive impact. And if that space is small it can even be a weekend job. This half bath is such a bold delight hidden away in a calm space. Our Deco Martini Arsenic wallpaper coordinates perfectly with the green tiles and brass detailing in this Brooklyn brownstone.
Deco Martini Wallpaper in 'Midnight Gold' | Design by @emilyrickardstylist Photo by @oliverperrottphoto
Sometimes all a space needs is something a little unexpected to make it feel completely new. This space does that so well with its sophisticated, monochromatic room down below and a cheeky dash of Deco Martini above. It maintains a distraction-free eye line around the desk while still embracing some inspiring detail.
Top: Poochi Flocked Wallpaper in Pistachiow-Chow Bottom: Crane Fonda Limited Edition Print & Crane Fonda Wallpaper in 'Coral' | Office by @justsultanto
Has your WFH limbo turned more permanent? It’s time to move off the couch or dining table and claim at least a corner or bit of wall to call your 9-5 home, the micro office if you will. Give this newly carved out space some personality with some characterful co-workers. If you can't touch the walls, a piece of art or two could be enough to give you some motivation come Monday morning.
Top: Bloomin' Marvellous Wallpaper in 'Belle Blue' | Photo by Always Sunday Bottom: Portobello Parade Wallpaper in 'Big Smoke' | Photo by Always Sunday
Whilst we love a room in full pattern, there is something so joyful in sprucing up an unexpected space. So once you’ve done the obligatory purge, clean and organisation of your closet, cupboard or cabinet – make use of the free space for some wallpaper to make you smile.
New years resolutions often include a long list of self-care routines. In our book, this includes a calming introduction to each and everyday – courtesy of the ensuite bathroom. We love how this freestanding tub, glazed tile and Safari Soiree wallpaper combine for a spa-like retreat. Pass us the face mask!
Top Left: Forbidden Bloom Recycled Velvet in 'Bone White' | Right: Forbidden Bloom Chair by RelovedUpholsteryandDesign Bottom: Safari Soiree Linen in Bleu Coming this Spring
Revitalise your favourite, comfiest seats with a new velvet. We offer a large range of our prints in a recycled velvet fabric (and linen coming soon). They are perfect for upcycling a beloved piece and giving it the look it deserves. Not only is extending the life of furniture good for the environment but our 100% recycled velvet is created from plastic waste (primarily plastic bottles).
Crane Fonda Wallpaper in 'Black Gold' and 'Soft Copper' | Bathroom by Always Sunday
Perfect for the Maximalist-curious, a mix and match of the same pattern but in different colourways. It's a more subtle take on the pattern drench trend (covering a room in contrasting patterns) with more cohesion and less clashing.
Gershwing Wallpaper in 'Charleston Blush'
Create a soothing space to start and end the day for resting and recharging. This bedroom embraces neutral blush tones, contrasting tactile velvet and our new subtle metallic Gershwing Charleston Blush wallpaper.
Inspired by the rural idylls and pastoral romance of classic toile de jouy designs, our own blue and white interior design edit adds a contemporary twist, with striking wallpapers that work well in both regency townhouses and country cottages alike.
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Do you think more pink than true blue when it comes to creating your dream interior space? Check out our roundup of some divine pink spaces here.
Inspired by the rural idylls and pastoral romance of classic toile de jouy designs, our own blue and white interior design edit adds a contemporary twist, mixing a cast of mischievous characters with delicate flora and fauna to create striking wallpapers that work well in both regency townhouses and country cottages alike. The strict colour palette of porcelain whites and blue evokes a delicate delft-like touch further enhancing the myriad historical references.
Crane Fonda Ecru Blue Wallpaper / Photo of Andrea Gelardin's en suite by Beth Davis for Mylands
Jump for jouy with our toile-tastic print Safari Soiree! Featuring a cast of well-dressed exotic beasts as they party in a fantasy garden, choose from Bleu or Heron Blue to get your blue and white interior design fix!
Crane Fonda Ecru Blue Wallpaper
Safari Soirée Heron Blue wallpapered bathroom / Photo by @oliviaemeryinteriors
Portobello Parade Jellied Teal Wallpaper / Photo by @thequeensberry
Crystal Wings Pearl Blue Wallpaper
Deco Martini Powder Blue Wallpaper
Extinctopia Glacier Blue Wallpaper / Photo by @houselust
Top: Bye Bye Birdie! Delft Wallpaper Bottom: Bye Bye Birdie! French Blue Wallpaper
Safari Soirée Bleu Wallpaper / Photo by @bayswaterbathrooms
Safari Soirée Heron Blue Recycled Velvet Fabric on chair & Safari Soirée Heron Blue Wallpaper
Extinctopia Glacier Blue Wallpaper
Botanize Heritage wallpaper / photo by @thegeorgebuckden
Pink and green should always be seen – this colour duo works so well, especially so when more on the pastel side. The Powder Room at The George Hotel, Buckden is a great example of how to decorate with pink, and is elegantly dressed in our Botanize Heritage ‘Plaster Pink’ wallpaper and combined with soft tones of peppermint and blush for a luxurious space you just won’t want to leave! That unexpected black and white chequerboard floor adds a bold yet traditional geometric finish.
Arboreta wallpaper
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Are you more peaceful than powerful when it comes to creating your dream interior space? Check out our roundup of some divine pink spaces here.
We can’t get enough of this Palm Springs house designed by Laurel Harrop, aka Busty Lush. Her wonderful home is bursting with personality, pattern and powerful pink perfection; it definitely doesn’t shy away from a heavy dose of the pink stuff. It’s a dash of Boogie Nights meets tropical safari where you’ll spot our Gershwing ‘Charleston Blush’ wallpaper, as well as our Crane Fonda Coral velvet on those sleek mid-century dining chairs.
Forbidden Bloom Blush Wallpaper / photo by @chrispicasso with @beauvamp
Crane Fonda Coral Wallpaper / top photo by @lance.gerber & @bustylush
One of our favourite bedrooms to sleep in (ever) is this beauty by Lexi from Always Sunday. She recently transformed a tired old cottage in the city of Bath into a new holiday let, part of her Always Sunday Boltholes. She opened up the ceiling and went all out with powerful pattern courtesy of out bold floral wallpaper – Bloomin’ Marvellous in Duchess Pink. We love how the booms trail up into the roof space above, and waking up to that view is really special!
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We're always being asked if you can use wallpaper in a bathroom. We say, yes - of course, you can! Embracing pattern in a small room is great and can actually make it seem bigger, plus it's the room all guests are bound to see when they pop over...it's the perfect place to get creative and have some fun!
Lions, leopards & lemurs stroll casually through Regency inspired streets and parklands in our Portobello Parade print.
Portobello Parade wallpaper in Jellied Teal
Adding panelling is a great way of injecting period detailing into a more modern home.
Bye Bye Birdie wallpaper in Buttercup
Create exciting design moments by pairing tiles with a bold wallpaper, a particularly pleasing look, especially when using a single accent colour.
Kyoto Blossom wallpaper in Lotus Pink
Divine Plumage wallpaper
Using tiles in areas prone to splashing can favour function over style, but it needn't be boring, we love this uneven join when pairing tiles vertically with a statement wallpaper.
Tom recalls, “We wanted to respect the design styles of the arts & crafts movement of the Victorian era but found those traditional prints weren’t quite quirky enough. I’m an avid collector of curiosities and all things kitsch and wanted to inject some of this passion and personality into our home decor.”
Their first design, inspired by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, was based on both Tom and Jamie’s love of cocktails. Deco Martini became the first wallpaper put into production, now a longstanding bestseller, and Divine Savages was born.
Determined to do interiors their way, Jamie, whilst working a full time job in TV, worked on the commercial side, building the backbones for what is now a thriving business. Tom left his job as a graphic designer to focus on creating an initial range of prints for wallpapers and fabrics, fine-tuning the look of Divine Savages that we now know to be flamboyant, eccentric and quirky.
“We wanted to nurture a passion for daring design. To help our customers be braver in their choice of pattern and bolder in their choice of colour. We want to celebrate both the divine and the savage in us all.”
Taking inspiration from history, culture, fashion and the natural world to create an eclectic mix of influences, they have, to date, created myriad designs whose personalities come across just as much in their names as they do visually. Take for instance Zsa Zsa, inspired by old 1920’s Hollywood technicolour movies, “Zsa Zsa is our party girl, she represents both the divine and savage sides of us. She’s glam, sophisticated and she loves a party” says Tom.
In the years that followed many iconic designs were born including Crane Fonda, a fabulously elegant grey crowned crane amongst lush palm trees, Gershwing, inspired by the decadence of Art Deco, and Forbidden Bloom, the product of a 2019 collaboration with the world famous Natural History Museum in London.
In line with their commitment towards a sustainable future, Divine Savages fabrics, wallpapers and lampshades are all made in the UK. “We work closely with our British suppliers to create beautiful products, quality and care is utmost.” says Jamie. “Small-batch production means we don’t overproduce. We have a seasonless approach to design, with the emphasis on quality and forever style over fleeting trends.” adds Tom.
Due to celebrate its 5th birthday in 2022, Divine Savages has quickly become a success story both in the UK and abroad with a growing fanbase in the USA, adorning the homes of Beau Ciolino & Matt Armatto of Probably This, authors of the recently published book “Housewarming: A guide to creating a home you adore”, along with the hugely popular Instagram doyennes @arianna_danielson, Kyla Herbes aka @houseofhisptersblog and Laurel Harrop, founder of @bustylush, who says “I cannot remember how I was fortunate enough to stumble upon Divine Savages, but what I will tell you is that the brand literally helped inspire the design of my house in Palm Springs, CA. Tom and Jamie have created such a fresh, fabulous, tasteful, and sophisticated line of wall coverings and fabrics. There is a quality and aesthetic that is not like any I could find in the US. Divine Savages is an absolute experience. I feel so blessed to have found them that I sometimes don’t even want to share them with anyone else!!”
“We are proud to be launching our brand officially in the USA this year at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York City. We are so excited to showcase our collections in this iconic city, steeped in Art Deco design history, a period we’ve been influenced by since we started Divine Savages. It’s a huge milestone in our brand’s history to date and we look forward to meeting with both buyers and press who share our passion for eclectic and original luxury design. We believe we have a unique offering for the US market comprising both the quirk and playfulness of British history paired with the daring attitude of our American friends that we have long admired and wanted to inspire".
Kickstart your 2022 interiors game with a touch of the Divine & Savage! If you’re starting to think about some décor updates for your home this New Year and perhaps seeking some design inspiration, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite customer projects to date. We just love the way they have introduced bold pattern, print and colour to these spaces, creating rooms bursting with personality. It's what we live for here at Divine Savages! Take a look and remember to tag us in your interior projects so we can feature your home next time around!
Our Top Tips When Planning Your Perfect Outside Space
The Jungle Escape Shopping List
Pavers - 'Gea' porcelain paving from London Stone
Chippings - Blooma green slate decorative chippings from B&Q
Oak deck boards - 200mm x 30mm Oak sleepers from The Luxury Wood Company
Hay Pallisade Table and Chairs
Plants and shrubs sourced from Provender Nurseries (one of the most exciting places I’ve been!)
Tree ferns from The Palm Centre
Cox & Cox Gifted Products:
]]>Welcome back to our Sofa Soirée where we sit down with a special guest to talk home, interiors and everything in between – and we are kicking off 2021 with a good one!
As you probably know by now we have a passion for adding various antique pieces, vintage furniture and quirky collectibles into our home – it’s something you can see and read more about in our house feature in the current issue of Reclaim Magazine - so we were really excited to get the opportunity to sit down with none other than Drew Pritchard! Antiques dealer extraordinaire and star of TV’s Salvage Hunters, Drew has a wealth of experience in the trade and we couldn’t wait to hear his secrets of the antiques market, tips on finding the right piece for your home and how he built his business. His book, Man with a Van: My Story is out Feb 11th!
Divine Savages: Hi Drew! Thanks so much for joining us for our Sofa Soirée, we’re huge fans of your work, you have an incredible talent for finding the most beautiful pieces. When did you realise your passion for antiques and that you had an eye for spotting the treasure?
Drew: I’ve always had a love for finding things since being a child. It sounds made up, but I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t utterly fascinated by discovering something rusty and old! I’ve always wanted to be an antiques dealer before I actually knew what that was. As a kid growing up in deepest, darkest North Wales in the 1970s, it really was the middle of nowhere - we used to play football in the middle of the road all day it was so quiet. There was a local tip, basically just a field where people threw their rubbish, and we were all fascinated by pulling stuff out of there. Even at aged seven or eight I knew I could make money from it.
Divine Savages: We love that image of a young Drew scrambling through the local tip!
Drew: We’d go there a few times a week as there would always be new stuff people had thrown away. We also lived near the Conway estuary so we’d pull stuff out that would wash ashore, then we’d line it up at the side of the road and sell it. People would come up and say ‘that’s my oar! I dropped it overboard last week’ and I’d charge them a tenner for it!
Divine Savages: That’s brilliant! Digging through the tip and finding stuff that people throw away – that still happens, and for us the thrill of vintage and antiques and why we love it is that we rescue things people no longer want, and these items can live on. With a little bit of love and care they can be brought back to life.
Divine Savages: Can you remember your first buy - where is it now?
Drew: Well, my first buy is going back some time…I was buying and selling things at school. My parents couldn’t afford to buy me new Dr Martins boots or a Harrington jacket or new records, so I had to do it myself. I loved it – that thing of creating money out of nothing. One of the first things I remember buying at an auction house were two crappy mirrors. It wasn’t the best experience - the auctioneer took the mick out of me for not bidding properly and it kind of put me off auctions for about ten years!
Divine Savages: How has your business grown, and how has the antiques market changed over the years you've been trading?
Drew: It’s changed massively. When I was starting out I tried to get a job at an antiques firm but they wouldn’t take me – they only wanted your help for lifting stuff on and off the van, they didn’t want to actually teach you about antiques. So I got my first job as a stained glass restorer at sixteen, thinking this was a way into the business. On day one a van pulled in with ‘architectural antiques’ written across it and inside were loads of old doors, stained-glass windows and fireplaces and I was immediately hooked, that definitely lit the fire for me.
Divine Savages: So was the antiques market quite hard to break into back then?
Drew: Antiques used to be a very closed group – in the 1980s/1990s it was like trying to join the mafia! You had to know certain people, there was a strict hierarchy of dealers and those in the know. I started at the very bottom. I worked at my first job till I was about twenty-two, learning all that I could. When one day the business sadly closed, the very next day I started my own business up – doing stained glass, door polishing and architectural antiques. I put an ad in the local paper saying, ‘cash buyer, salvage wanted’ and I was inundated with people selling me stuff.
Divine Savages: We love how you soaked up all there was to learn and made a success your own way!
Drew: My first antiques fair was a huge success. I rolled up with my big truck and I took more in the first twenty minutes than I’d ever made before in my life, and I finished the day with over £20k. This was the early 90s when the market was very vibrant. That was it, I never looked back, and just continued to learn from experience. There’s no manual on ‘how to be an antiques dealer’ no one’s ever written one.
Divine Savages: Maybe you should write one… it would be a bestseller!
Drew: You basically had to learn by doing. You’d buy something and then learn about it by reading a book, or find someone who’d be able to tell you about it, shed some more light on the history, and you then find out if you can make a profit or not. There was no internet to ask back then! A dealer friend of mine once said ‘all we can do is find the beauty in things’ which kind of sums it up really, and I’ve done that my whole life.
Divine Savages: How has the internet changed things? We now have the likes of eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, Vinterior – a wealth of platforms dedicated to buying and selling used/vintage/antiques…
Drew: it’s democratised it for sure. I went online in 1999, quite early actually. I saw a friend selling used car parts online and thought that could work for me too. I set up my website and was amazed at how the sales went. If you have something good, and someone wants it, and the price isn’t stupid – it will sell.
Divine Savages: It also opens up your shop to the world – people don’t have to be local, or on your doorstep, right? Who is your ideal customer?
Drew: Exactly! I sell mostly to designers and to other dealers, that’s my business model. About 70% of my business goes back into the interiors trade. It’s what I’ve become known for and where I feel comfortable.
Divine Savages: Does that then influence the pieces you focus on and the things you source and buy?
Drew: Not so much actually. I just focus on the things I love and that I would gladly have in my own house
Divine Savages: That’s exactly how we design here at Divine Savages – patterns and prints that we’d love to have in our own home. What kinds of antiques are you drawn to then?
Drew: I have an imaginary house in my head, as I’m walking around looking at things to buy. I picture them in this house, and I think about what my clients would want and how they live - I’m fascinated by how people live. I like the comfortable, warm, safe environment that all my items give off. They’re all beautiful, fabulous things but you don’t have to be precious around them. You can spill a bit of tea, scratch it a bit or whatever and it’s fine. I like my antiques to show their age, yet to be the Rolls Royce or Jaguar of their type – just beautiful design, that’s the key.
Divine Savages: Plus all these scratches and marks or stains, these all tell a story about the piece right?
Drew: Absolutely, it’s had life! If something is pristine it makes you scared to use it. You want your house to be like a cocoon - you get home, kick off your shoes and relax. That is what I try and install through the antiques I source and sell.
Divine Savages: What kind of home do you live in, and what pieces do you surround yourself with?
Drew: My place is a fairly small, two bed cottage in Conway. It’s unfussy, simple – I’m in my office now with the best Modernist desk I’ve ever seen, sat on a Regency walnut armchair that only cost me forty quid, with a Compctum wardrobe I use for storage. It’s a mix of things I love. I don’t think an interior is ever finished – you’re always adding to it.
Divine Savages: One benefit of your profession is you are constantly finding such lovely things. Do you often keep pieces for a bit to enjoy them and then sell them on?
Drew: Ha! Literally this morning my kitchen table got swapped over. I found the perfect piece, a big old Irish mahogany dining table, covered in marks and scratches but I love it. My son moved it in to my kitchen today.
Divine Savages: Any tips on how to find your style?
Drew: Next time you’re shopping, if you see something you like, just buy it. Whatever it is – a cushion, throw, lampshade, plate, could be anything. Just buy it if it speaks to you. Take it home and enjoy it. Then the next time that happens buy it too. It doesn’t have to match, just has to have that feeling that sparked something in you. Then you start to create that rarest of things – ‘taste’. So, you can start to put together your own taste or style…and you then find out whether you’ve got good or bad taste, but at least you’ve got it!
Divine Savages: Exactly, we always say if you love it, and personally it means something to you - it’ll never go out of style. We mix different styles all over our home and love to add to our various collections. Is there anything in particular that you collect?
Drew: I collect fragments of old buildings – old plaster pieces or sections of stonework. That’s one particular thing I love – but ultimately, it’s a collection of things that come together that brings me joy.
Divine Savages: Have you regretted not buying something, anything particular you kick yourself for letting go?
Drew: Thousands of things! I always say if you’ve got the money to buy something, trust your gut and get it. You only regret the things you didn’t buy!
Divine Savages: This is the best advice! We recently experienced this as we saw a beautiful plaster statue of a nun from an old French church at Sunbury antiques but didn’t buy it at the time, and of course kicked ourselves when we got home. Luckily though we managed to track the seller down, so we got it in the end!
Speaking of which, we love a good antiques market or fair, do you have any tips on haggling!? How can you get a bargain?!
Drew: The most important thing is to be kind and courteous. If you’re at a market or fair, remember those sellers have been up all night packing their vans and driving to the event. A good technique is to say, ‘look I really love that piece, and I can take it away now, what can you do’? You’ll find they’ll offer you their best price. But then you must take it, don’t back track!
Divine Savages: Do you have any tips for someone wanting to find a diamond amongst the rough?
Drew: Educate yourself. If there’s a particular style or pieces you’re interested in, then read up on it. Find exhibitions on the subject and soak it all in. It takes time, you have to learn about your subject.
Divine Savages: Where do you see antique pieces in the home going next? Are antiques & vintage becoming more popular than ever?
Drew: People are certainly looking at antiques more these days. I’ve been championing so-called ‘brown furniture’ for years – it’s never been cheaper, and you’ll never get better for your money. In the last three years there’s been a huge growth of younger people buying antiques which is great. My son is now dealing in vintage clothing – although he says things like ‘it’s ancient, from 1985’ ha!
Divine Savages: We hear you on the brown furniture. We got a great deal on a piece for our office – a round table that we’ll use as a desk.
Drew: Also pieces like that will hold their price – you can enjoy it and then sell it on to make way for your next piece.
Divine Savages: Drew, it’s been an absolute pleasure chatting with you today, thanks for joining us! Before you go, we’ve got to ask - would you say your interior style is more divine, or more savage?
Drew: Well, I don’t believe in divinity, so I’m definitely more savage!
Divine Savages: Brilliant! We like the sound of that!
Don’t forget you can see all the new stock that Drew finds in his bi-weekly newsletter, every Wednesday and Friday. Head to drewpritchard.co.uk to discover more!
Read more about How To Add Vintage Charm To Your Interiors.
Make sure you join us next month for another edition of Sofa Soiree!
]]>We curate some of our favourite pieces on this shelving unit, mixing the old and the new. We found this vintage nun statue recently, one of our most cherished pieces. We named her Emmanuelle as she was from a French church.
Vintage pieces not only add a sense of story to your home (we love hearing the tales behind various pieces we’ve bought, and if we don’t know then we have some fun making them up!), they also add the all-important personality factor! Pieces you choose to collect, big or small, help to add your individual stamp on your home, which for us is such a crucial element and helps you tell your interior story.
We all love the thrill of a bargain, and that’s all part of the fun when shopping for vintage treasures. We’ve managed to grab some amazing pieces online for a steal, like our most recent purchase, a beautiful antique dining table for our garden studio. It’s in near perfect condition and cost us just £50, there’s no way we could have found the equivalent new for this price. True, some pieces are more expensive, but it’s a worthwhile investment – classic vintage pieces often hold their value, so unlike that new sofa you may have bought, if you decide you want to sell something on you’ll be surprised at what you can get for it, rather than having to pay for someone to take it away!
We love this unexpected pairing of a Georgian antique parlour table we found at Sunbury Market with these modernist, sculptural blue velvet armchairs and vibrant colourful rug.
Buying antique or vintage pieces is also a great way in helping to do your bit for the planet. New furniture is often made abroad and has a much higher carbon footprint compared to something you find at your local charity shop or flea market. So instead of buying new consider finding a retro gem - be that a stately Georgian number, a classic Mid-Century piece or a delicious Art Deco item – not only will you be saving money and the environment, we guarantee they’ll bring a little bit of magic to your home.
We replaced a pair of boring chest of drawers with this Mid Century sideboard, perfect for displaying other pieces from our collection, and these bedside G Plan cabinets, fabulously revamped by the wonderful @designretrobrighton, are still some of our favourite pieces.
You may wonder where our love for all of this comes from? Myself and Tom have childhood memories of being dragged round car boot sales and antiques fairs, Tom’s parents actually ran a local one in Hampshire, and whilst at the time we may not have appreciated it, it clearly made an impression as it’s now our idea of a great day out! Together we have a pretty eclectic taste so it’s a good job we love mixing different styles - we’re always drawn to quirky things – vintage pulp fiction novels with risqué covers, Staffordshire dogs, religious artifacts, Victorian illustrations. The list goes on and on!
We have a slight obsession with collecting Karl Ens ceramic birds, and I think we’re becoming chair hoarders, we have seven seating options in the living room alone.
Whether you’re an avid fan of vintage or just starting out on the adventure, we hope you find some inspiration from our collections and the way we incorporate them into our home. We always get asked where we find our pieces, so thought we’d share some of our favourite places to shop, both in real life and online. Read on below for the inside scoop!
Lastly, stay tuned later this month as our Sofa Soiree guest is none other than Drew Pritchard! Host of TV’s Salvage Hunters, no one knows more about buying and selling antiques than Drew, so you don’t want to miss this!
Here’s our vintage sourcebook, shhh, don’t tell anyone!
Sunbury Antiques – resistance is futile, we never come away empty handed!
Spitalfields Market – a smaller event, but one of London’s best and always a great selection of vintage sellers
Always Sunday Store for gorgeously curated homewares including a collection of vintage finds from founder Lexi who has the best style
Old Stock Antiques – one of our favourites on Instagram. Beautifully styled antiques with plenty of quirky, one-of-a-kind items
We also really love a good eBay search. If you know what you’re after definitely have a look here as chances are you’ll find it. We mostly source smaller pieces here that are easily shipped, although if you’re prepared to organise transport, furniture bargains can be found!
Hungry for more? Read our top tips from the experts on vintage treasure hunting now.
]]>Get Your Claws Into Our Cat-titude Wallpaper!
With our Beloved Beasts collection of designer wallpapers we’re celebrating the fierce creatures who bring joy into our lives...pets! Whether four-legged and furry, or exotic and scaly, discover three luxury wallpapers with our signature Divine and Savage twist.
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Get Your Claws Into Our Cat-titude Wallpaper!
With our Beloved Beasts collection of designer wallpapers we’re celebrating the fierce creatures who bring joy into our lives...pets! Whether four-legged and furry, or exotic and scaly, discover three luxury wallpapers with our signature Divine and Savage twist.
Here at Divine Savages we encourage you to embrace colour, pattern and print to create a space that makes you smile, elevates your mood and injects a dose of happy. Now that we're spending more time indoors and working more frequently from home, let’s focus on some easy changes that we can make to our homes to help lighten the mood.
Here are our top tips for creating a cosy, happy home…
Our Divine Plumage velvet cushion brings plenty of happy to this armchair. Think about adding layers of texture in the bedroom.
The Power of Pattern
Bringing pattern into your home always raises the spirits. You could tackle some relatively easy DIY projects at home that can add a pop of pattern in a flash. Wallpaper is an obvious place to start but this magical stuff doesn’t just have to be for walls. Take a leaf out of Kyla Herbes’ book and add wallpaper to your closet, creating a vibrant punch of pattern where you least expect it – guaranteed to make you happy! We’ve been planning to adopt this idea for our laundry cupboard where we hope it’ll make this chore a little more fun! Also be sure to check out our luxury shower curtains which are perfect for adding a splash of pattern to your bathroom.
Geometric Aviary tablemats expertly styled by Miss Dolly Vintage, and Crane Fonda wallpaper in House of Hipster's closet!
Add Colour
Whether you’re one to embrace colour, or run a mile from anything brighter than grey, a good pop of the bright stuff really can make you feel better. Go with colours that make you happy – everyone’s different so just search out those shades that bring a smile to your face. You can add colour in a number of ways and it doesn’t have to involve picking up a paint brush if you don’t want it to. Add doses of your favourite, uplifting colours through soft furnishings like cushions, towels and bedding, or some fun new stationery to keep motivated when working from home.
Forbidden Bloom velvet in 'Blush' for all your creative needs, plus our Nocturnal Faunacation velvet transformed this vintage armchair.
Tactile Textures
Adding different textures and materials to your home creates a tactile environment that can really transform the feel of a room. Layer different textures in the bedroom, from cotton sheets to a velvet throw – create a sumptuous space that’s perfect for relaxing in. Consider reupholstering that old chair you’ve had in storage for years, we have a delectable range of velvets that are perfect for the job, or instantly add texture to your sofa with a velvet cushion, and go extra with lavish fringing – perfectly strokable, if you don’t have pets this is the next best thing! Discover our collection of lovingly British-made cushions here.
Achieve instant happy with out luxury shower curtains - Zsa Zsa and Gershwing Parakeet.
Vibrant Artwork
Another way to create an uplifting atmosphere at home is to add vibrant artwork to your walls. If you already have a gallery wall then think about adding some new prints or switching up some older ones to revitalise the space, if you don’t have the room then curate a smaller collection that can either be hung in a smaller group or styled on shelving or pieces of furniture like bookcases or a chest of drawers. There’s always room for artwork as you can choose to go big or small – check out our range of limited edition prints offering an eclectic mix for any home.
Our hallway with an eclectic collection of artworks and floral carpet by Alternative Flooring.
We hope this gives you some food for thought on how to make some small changes to help create a happy home, and remember the Divine Savages emporium is always open online and if you have any questions at all then just get in touch and we’ll be more than happy to help.
For more interior delights, get inspired by these six beautiful homes.
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Brand new and just in time for Christmas (you're welcome) are our luxury notebooks, perfect for that extra little gift. Printed with some of our most iconic designs, choose from Nocturnal Faunacation, Forbidden Bloo & Zsa Zsa to bring a splash of pattern and print to your scribblings. Plus our favourite Cat-titude also gets in on the action, bringing his trademark sass to your stationary collection!
Add a touch of the divine and savage to your wardrobe, or gift the perfect accessory this Christmas with our beautiful silk scarves, bring a little bit of luxury to the everyday. We've added our jungle-inspired Nocturnal Faunacation to the collection, and we're pleased to say that our Gershwing Parakeet is back! Stock is limited though, so don't miss out!
If you’re searching for a gift for that special someone this Christmas, then look no further than our super-luxe cushions. Expect sumptuous velvets galore, piping and fringe details and plush duck feather fillings. Available in our iconic designs to bring a taste of the unexpected to interiors and elevate that favourite bedroom chair or living room sofa to a whole new level of comfort and style.
For art lovers this year, discover our growing collection of limited edition prints – perfect for those gallery walls! Our high quality art prints are embossed and hand numbered to deliver a unique and collectible print fix that promise to transform any space. Choose from our latest Cat-titude 'Double Trouble' for fierce feline fun, or the elegant Bird Song, a celebration of nature's feathered wonders. You're guaranteed to find something special for that special someone!
Here at Divine Savages our aim is to inject a shot of colour and pattern into every room, and that includes the humble bathroom. Often so overlooked when it comes to bold print, yet the bathroom is one of the best spaces that you can easily embrace daring design. Our shower curtain range allows you to instantly transform a smaller space. Emblazoned with our iconic designs these will keep your bathroom looking just as gorgeous as you, plus we now have six colourful designs to choose from!
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Can you believe it's been one year since we launched this epic collaboration?! We wanted to celebrate this landmark anniversary with a little look back at the collection, the designs and the inspiration...
Divine Savages & The Natural History Museum – a collection billions of years in the making, and was the first wallpaper collection in collaboration with London’s iconic museum (in fact, it still is!).
The collection, available across our luxury British-made wallpaper, fabrics and cushions, is a wild reworking of the traditional, inspired by the Natural History Museum’s vast array of specimens, original illustrations and paintings that span centuries of natural history exploration.
Here at Divine Savages our mission is to inject a splash of wonder into your home and our designs reflect our passion for flamboyant, daring, interiors. Bring a little bit of history into your home with this exclusive collection.
Discover our beautiful prints...
Welcome back to our Sofa Soirée where every month we sit down with a special guest to talk home, interiors and everything in between.
As the extended school holidays come to an end and with kids finally heading back to school, it got us thinking about children’s interior design, and we’re delighted to catch up with Vicki Broadbent who runs the award winning blog Honest Mum, is author of bestselling book Mum Boss and mum to two boys, Oliver 10 and Xander 7, to get her expert take on what’s important to consider when decorating your little savages’ bedrooms!
Divine Savages: Hi Vicki! Thanks so much for joining us tonight for our next Sofa Soirée, we’re really looking forward to chatting with you about how to decorate a kid’s bedroom and get your unique take on what to do and what not to do! There’s the opportunity for some amazing creativity when it comes to kid spaces, some designs we’ve seen are so good we secretly wish they were our bedroom!
Divine Savages: As a mother of two boys, can you describe how you decorated their spaces within the home?
Honest Mum: We're mostly gender neutral here so their bedrooms reflect that, plus we're in an apartment temporarily at the moment whilst our house sale is going through. I’ve opted for a minimalist approach to the decor throughout so neutrals and clean lines, and I've used original art along with framed photos of our family to provide some personality and colour. I do love bright colours usually and our house in Yorkshire is a real mix with some rooms swaying more neutral, others with pops of statement colours and prints in the wallpaper and furnishings.
Divine Savages: Adding colour and personality through accessories is a great idea for when you’re in temporary accommodation or renting as you can easily switch things up. When you finally get in your new house is there a Divine Savages wallpaper you have your eye on?
Honest Mum: Yes, your Extinctopia print is so playful and fun - I adore this collaboration with the Natural History Museum!
Divine Savages: Have your boys been involved in the decorating process?
Honest Mum: Yes, to some extent, they chose items like their beds which have desks and storage underneath and annually they select a few of their paintings/artwork that I frame - the rest hit the recycling bin because there's only limited storage here and I hate clutter. Parents need to stop feeling guilty if they don't want to save everything their kid makes - you'll end up swamped by artwork they won't even remember painting!
Divine Savages: We think it’s great to get them involved in the design, start them early! Even if it’s just tapping into their imagination on a few key pieces – choosing my childhood bed is still a really fond memory, and that’s what these spaces help create – cherished moments.
Honest Mum: That’s so true! I have also framed some colourful porcelain finger and toe prints I had made when the boys were babies that are displayed on their bed shelves along with beautifully carved wooden 'treasure chests' which store treasured stones, marbles, shells, origami and letters from friends and grandparents they're saving. Storage is key, whether that’s bookcases for all their reads or baskets for soft toys. It's not always easy with kids around but they're both pretty good at keeping things tidy especially now they have a chore list! Invest in an arts and craft cupboard and make it reachable for your kids (in an age appropriate way). Show them where everything is to make life easier for yourself and for them. Ditto with toys. Lockdown was becoming uncontrollable and I'd had enough of LEGO induced accidents!
Divine Savages: Nothing worse than stepping on LEGO!
Divine Savages: Can you describe your interior style?
Honest Mum: Usually eclectic and bold to be honest although our current, rented abode is more pared back and Scandi style. We have lots of pieces in our house where tenants are currently living, and also in storage, from re-upholstered chaise lounges my mum gifted me to hanging lights from Conran and vintage Lloyd Loom chairs that I love because I remember using them as a child. I believe in being brave with pattern and colour and if you're scared at first, start slowly or introduce a statement wall.
Divine Savages: We’re huge fans of vintage and antique pieces, they really help add to the story of your home, and you know we’re always encouraging people to make braver interior design choices – starting slowly is the perfect way. You’ll soon find yourself wondering why it took you so long to make the leap!
Divine Savages: How do you think kids’ interiors has changed from when you were a child?
Honest Mum: I think it's evolved massively, and to some extent has become more sophisticated – more an extension of your whole house's look. It's less gimmicky with character-based beds and wallpaper, to havens that look beautiful and encourage fun, and more importantly sleep. I'm actually obsessed with my mum's style, she has a great eye, and she's helped me style every home I've ever lived in. She's artistic like me but carefully researches and plans her own interior changes, whereas I'm far more impulsive and often regretful!
Divine Savages: Ha! Planning is a really important step, but also be careful not to get too bogged down in the finer details. Research what inspires you, test some informed decisions, then get off Pinterest and crack on with it we say!
Divine Savages: What do you feel are the "must haves" in a kids’ bedroom?
Honest Mum: Comfortable beds so they actually sleep and ideally a cosy armchair or bean bag you can sit on as you'll be spending plenty of time willing them to sleep! We’ve been clever about the space in our boys’ shared room, saving it with raised beds that come with storage, and sorting toys and games a few times a year so we don't hoard. We do spend a lot of family time in the open plan kitchen/lounge, but I'm also encouraging more play and reading time in their room so I get some space too! My advice to parents would be that whilst it's fun to style up a nursery, children grow up quickly and their tastes, and yours, will evolve. So, rather than focusing on a single character or theme, think long term to allow them a space to grow into.
Divine Savages: Great advice, with some careful interior design you can easily achieve a stylish space that will see them through their toddler years to young adult.
Divine Savages: What is your interior guilty pleasure? We all have one!
Honest Mum: Decadent window treatments that drive my husband mad. Also, too many faux flowers in vases everywhere. He's taken to hiding them along with the millions of framed photos I have of our kids so there's only a few out at a time. I'm great at decluttering, just not when it comes to flowers and framed photos!
Divine Savages: What was the last kids’ interior related thing you bought?
Honest Mum: Graphic monochrome dog cushions from Habitat that made me laugh because the dog in the print looks so miserable. The kids want a dog (and a baby sibling) so I said we'd consider both when we move house - just don't tell my husband ;)
Divine Savages: Your secret is safe with us and everyone here! We won’t tell…shhhh!
Divine Savages: It’s been so lovely chatting with you Vicki, thanks for joining us for our Sofa Soiree! Before you go, we’ve got to ask - would you say your interior style is more divine, more savage or both?!
Honest Mum: At heart a bit of both. Right now it's contained savagery as we're living in limbo until our sale goes through and we can buy, but I’m getting excited for the new place…I might go full on boudoir style in the bedroom when we move with lots of tassels and frills on windows, and I love your Deco Martini Rose Gold for the living room, and your new Zsa Zsa ‘Bottle Green’ would be perfect for a bathroom!
Divine Savages: We love the sound of that! We took inspiration from boutique hotel suites when we did our own bedroom, so we say go for it! Create that sumptuous, decadent space just for you guys.
Make sure you join us next month for another edition of Sofa Soiree!
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Images: Ms Vicious Design created a stunning bedroom for her son using our Faunacation wallpaper
We’ve seen growing interest in our wallpaper designs for kid’s spaces so we thought we’d share some of the latest kid’s interiors out there, along with some tips on how to create cool child-friendly spaces for the little ones before they head back to school next month.
Interior design for kid’s rooms or spaces is a market that’s really booming. We don’t know about you, but when we were growing up most kid’s rooms consisted of a lick of paint, a superhero or My Little Pony duvet set, and as the years went by a Blu Tak pockmarked wall of Smash Hits and random movie posters…well it’s not like that anymore!
We’re absolutely loving some of the kid bedrooms we’ve been seeing on Instagram and Pinterest. The great thing about decorating a kid’s room is that it’s a chance to get super creative! Why should the adults have all the fun?! Let your (and their) imagination run wild and think about fun elements you can introduce through the use of colour, pattern and texture, but also exciting design choices. Wallpaper is your ultimate ally in bringing fun and personality to the space – go big and bold with a quirky print that will easily straddle their toddler to young adult years.
We sat down with the fabulous Ursula from Room to Bloom who specialise in creating and designing the best kid spaces to get her expert insight on what you should be thinking about when it comes to decorating your kid’s room with style.
Images: A selection of Room to Bloom's recent projects for stylish kid bedrooms
What are the top things to consider when planning a kid’s bedroom space?
Consider what you’d like to keep of the existing furniture and decor and plan the room around this. In terms of space-planning, start with the layout of the room in relation to natural light and the entrance, and zone the room for sleep, play and study, and create as much storage as possible! In terms of colour, I’d avoid red and yellow as these are too stimulating for a child’s bedroom, but all other colours go, just consider how the natural light will affect colours and test, test, test.
How do you design a kid’s space to keep them from not out growing it?
I avoid themed furniture and fittings, keeping the base simple or more neutral and then styling with age appropriate accessories. This makes it super easy to update a room as children get into new things and their needs change.
What have been the biggest kids’ interior trends this year?
One overarching trend has been nature and this has been felt in kids’ interiors by an increased use of green and blue, jungle themes, rainbows, floral and foliage designs, and the use of natural materials like rattan and bamboo.
How would you use wallpaper for a kid’s room?
I love using wallpaper in kids’ rooms and generally choose “grown-up” designs rather than kiddy themes, as this will lend the room longevity. I usually install it on one wall to create a focal point or use it on two walls (or part of them) to create a cosy corner/zone around a bed or play area for example. For nurseries I love using wallpaper on all walls for a cocooning effect. I also like mixing and matching patterns with a similar colour theme, on walls and behind shelving.
Lockdown has meant most kids have been staying at home - how have people been changing their homes in light of this?
Lots of clients have asked for the addition of desks to their children’s bedrooms to help with home schooling, and people generally have been paying more attention to their surroundings and have finally gotten around to putting plans for their children’s rooms into action.
What is your favourite Divine Savages design to use in a kid’s space?
I absolutely adore the Deco Martini design and in particular the Rose Gold colourway. I think it would make a beautiful background to a girl’s room or nursery – I can’t wait to use it!
Some brilliant tips and inspiration here! We’ve created an exclusive Pinterest board to get you further inspired on kid’s décor ideas, so make sure you check it out!
Before you go, we’re also really excited to say that we’re working with the fabulous Amanda from House Lust for her son Otis’ bedroom makeover! When we first started Divine Savages, Amanda bought our Deco Martini Blush wallpaper for her hallway, and so when we heard she’d moved into a total fixer-upper (aka “The Rat House”), we knew there needed to be some Divine Savages style there too!
Here’s what Amanda has to say about her plans for Otis’ bedroom, as well as a sneak peek at the interior design plans.
When I was planning Otis’ new bedroom over at “The Rat House”, I knew I wanted a change of pace from his previous jungle bedroom. I want this room to have a more calming feel, but still be fun and imaginative for his development. I also want the room to feel like a step change for him, as I’m hoping our move will coincide with the transition of moving Otis from a cot to ‘big boy bed’.
Otis is a huge fan of dinosaurs so Divine Savages ‘Extinctopica’ wallpaper was the perfect print to capture his imagination, but also have longevity to not look babyish and date too quickly - the perfect choice for our little boys’ room.
Wallpaper will go on two of the four walls in the Glacier Blue colour way up to the picture rail, whilst keeping the other two walls tonal; painted in Little Green’s ‘James’. All the woodwork will be tonal to match, including the door, with brass hardware for the switches, sockets and door handle. Then above the picture rail and on the ceiling I plan on painting it white to keep it fresh and bright.
I can’t wait for Otis to see it and point out all the dinosaurs and details in the print!
Thanks for reading, and if you want to keep up to date with Otis’ bedroom renovation head on over to Houselust on IG as more will be revealed soon!
Be bold, be brave and stay happy!
Jamie & Tom
]]>Seeing as we are on a bit of a garden mission this month we sat down for a tipple with Propagating Dan. Dan was awarded the silver-gilt medal for his show garden “The Garden of Potential” at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2016 and has been named as one of the “hottest garden designers to know” by Elle Decoration. His garden design business creates gardens characterised by a signature playfulness, weaving a clients’ personality into a timeless dream garden. Why shouldn’t your garden, like your home, also express your personality and who you are?!
Divine Savages: Hi Dan, thanks so much for joining us this evening for our very first ever Sofa Soiree! We are delighted to be chatting with you and finding out more about yourself and your gardening style after having discovered our renewed love and appreciation of the great outdoors.
When was the moment you first realised you wanted to work in garden design?
Propagating Dan: It actually crept up on me slowly. I'd studied graphic design, then worked as a tour manager for bands, and my art school training needed an outlet. I started as a maintenance gardener and quite quickly realised how many possibilities there lay in mixing design with plants and spaces. My love of travel and hiking cemented this love of plants and I've been on many plant-hunting trips since around the world.
Divine Savages: We love the idea of plant-hunting trips, something very Indiana Jones about that! 100% agree, as with interior design, the possibilities are endless in the ways you can mix different elements, be that colour, texture, materials. Whilst we focus on the indoors, we love how the garden or outdoor space is becoming much more an extension of the home, and with that comes the opportunity to get really creative.
You describe your style as playful, unique and bold, how has your style evolved over the years?
Propagating Dan: In recent years I've been much more attracted to the idea of using local and readily available materials but in unconventional ways. I feel that in terms of landscaping, that is the holy grail - a mixture of craft and ingenuity. Planting-wise, I've become more drawn to the subtleties of colour and texture in just the foliage of plants, with flowers being an added bonus. My aversion to plant trends is steadfast, however!
Divine Savages: At Divine Savages we are constantly being inspired by nature, where do you draw your inspirations from?
Propagating Dan: It's an unholy concoction! On the one hand, I revere my experiences seeing plants and natural plant combinations in their natural habitat, such as the Paramo in Colombia, Taiwan's high peaks and the Kyrgyzstani Steppe. On the other hand, I'm a lover of the clash of Postmodern architecture, of artifice and patternation. It can end up in some interesting places!
Divine Savages: What is the best piece of garden advice you have received?
Propagating Dan: That all of gardening is an experiment. All gardeners end up killing plants. The aim is to learn and adapt.
Divine Savages: Am so glad you said that, as we’ll be honest – we’ve killed quite a lot of plants over the years-albeit not intentionally! It’s definitely a learning curve, and when it goes right it’s so rewarding!
Divine Savages: Do you bring the outdoors into your own home?
Propagating Dan: Yes, all the time! I don't think there's a day in the year when there isn't at least a posy of flowers from the garden in our kitchen or dining room. Usually scented. I have plenty of house plants too, including a delicious wax flower that wraps around the exposed joists in our bathroom.
Divine Savages: Our houseplant collection has grown over the years, the ones we can keep alive anyway, and they add such a rich texture to a space, no matter how small – a shelf, a window ledge, in planters on the floor. Bathrooms are a great place to start!
Divine Savages: What is your interior style?
Propagating Dan: We live in an architect-designed house from the 60s, which had never been updated when we moved in, thankfully. We're adding our take on the original style slowly, room by room, and we're almost there. So, fundamentally 60s/70s vibes with some 20s/90s tweaks!
Divine Savages: So lucky it hadn’t been updated, so many places had all the good bits ripped out – we’ve been steadily adding the period features back to our Victorian place and the house feels complete again.
Divine Savages: What is your interior guilty pleasure? We all have one ;)
Propagating Dan: I am in love with our upstairs toilet. It is made from old, but new (as in never used) components of all different colours, which we chose at Broken Bog in Hampshire. A visit is a must. It's a great day out.
Divine Savages: This sounds a dream day out to us! As colour lovers it’s great to see bathroom companies taking note that it doesn’t always need to be white porcelain – we’re also huge fans of Burlington Bathroom’s new Bespoke range.
Divine Savages: It’s been so great chatting with you Dan, thanks for joining us for our first Sofa Soirée, before you leave can we ask you - would you describe your style as more divine, more savage or a bit of both?!
Propagating Dan: Definitely a bit of both! My inspirations come from earnest spiritual moments in nature mixed in with some skip diving and disposable items preserved for posterity.
Divine Savages: Sounds the perfect mix of divine and savage to us!
Check out Dan’s Instagram for more plant-hunting and garden design bursting with personality – just how we like it!
Make sure you join us next month for another edition of Sofa Soirée!
]]>Join us for garden design ideas from the experts, garden landscaping inspiration and more on our very own garden design journey!
You can see the finished results here on How We Created Our Jungle Garden Escape!
As we’ve been spending more time at home and the weather has seen moments of gloriousness (who wants that heatwave back?!) here at Divine Savages we’ve found our fingers getting greener by the day and have discovered our inner Monty Don. As some of you may know, last summer we installed our garden studio which was the first stage of our "Living & Working at Home" plan, and in the last couple of months we have been putting the next steps into action which has been really exciting.
For those of us lucky enough to have outside space, these recent months have been a good time to focus on making it a fun and vibrant space to spend time in. We all use our gardens for different things; I love to have a morning brew in the garden to start the day off and Tom loves to have an Aperol spritz or three on a warm summer’s evening...you’ll find me there too in that case!
However you use your garden, now is the time to embrace it. Our own garden design project has been a learning curve and we wanted to share our journey with you so far and how we were inspired.
As I mentioned earlier our garden studio was built last year, so what was next? Working on the inside, let’s be honest – the fun part! We decided to opt for bespoke storage (individualism is our middle name) with made to measure cabinets hidden within a wall of panelling to help maximise every last inch.
The details:
Cabinetry built by SP Set Building, painted in Farrow and Ball Off Black
Parquet Flooring in Herringbone layout - 3 Oak Flooring (press discount)
Vertical Blinds - Hillary’s (gifted)
Vintage architect drawers from The Retro Bee
Being relative newbies to garden design we needed some help and guidance to find our way, and Sarah at The Garden Creative was our answer. She gave us ideas on how we could best use our space and had all the expertise on how to maximise its potential. We have a lot of jungle plants already, so we'll be planting up more palms, bamboo scented climbers and ferns to create a tropical little corner in South London. We’ll also be creating a flexible decking area that we can use for entertaining. We’ll be using composite decking which is low maintenance and really hard wearing, perfect for doubling up as a dancefloor! Here's a look at Sarah's design...
In between potting the plants and pulling the weeds I sat down with Sarah to chat garden design.
How would someone find their garden style?
Firstly look at your interior style at home as your garden should follow that. If you love vintage finds, extend this to your garden with some beautiful architectural salvage filled with lots of different plants, and choose materials with different textures to build up an eclectic feeling. Similarly, if your style is more minimal and contemporary, stick with large bold areas of planting in the garden. Use lots of the same plants in a block rather than a mixture and concentrate on a tight palette of materials for the hard landscaping.
If you’re not quite sure what your own style is, look at the era of your house and follow this through to the garden!
What are we going to be seeing a lot more of in gardens over the summer of 2020?
People are spending a lot more time in their gardens, and many are considering working from home in the future, so garden buildings and offices are going to be BIG for the next few seasons. A garden building can be a great asset to a home and can double-up as a teenager’s den, a music room, an artist’s studio, the list is endless.
Top 3 things a garden should never live without?
A Tree - they provide shade in the summer, a place to hang a hammock, bring birds to the garden and host millions of insects, not to mention carbon-offsetting! Choosing a large specimen or a fast-growing tree like a Eucalyptus means that you can enjoy the benefits within a few years.
A waterbutt - save water and your water bill by reusing rainwater. Slimline ones are available if space is tight or reuse old water tanks and cleaned oil drums.
Flowers for pollinating insects - if you only have a small space, grow from seed or bulbs in pots or buy small plants at the beginning of the summer. Three easy ones to grow are Calendula, Lavender and Rosemary.
Best gardening tip?
Visit a local nursery or garden centre every couple of months and buy something that is flowering, that way you’ll have something that’s not only beautiful but benefits the bees in every season! Flowers that bees love are either flat and open or tubular, look out for signs which will tell you which ones are bee-friendly or make friends with the staff, they are always very knowledgeable.
If you don't have a garden, any tips for how you can add some outdoors inside?
Herbs, tomatoes and even cucumbers can be grown from seed in pots on a sunny windowsill. Elsewhere in the house invest in houseplants, many large-leaved plants love the humidity of the bathroom or a spot with indirect light. Cactus and succulents love a dry spot with lots of sun. Think about hanging plants from bannisters, shower rails and ceilings or trailing plants from the top shelves of bookcases, as well as having some large plants in pots on the floor.
There is so much garden love out there, you can find a tonne of inspiration for your outside space whether it’s big or small....here are some of our favourites:
@myformalgarden – Vas is not only a wizard with the scissors (he’s my hairdresser) he’s also a dab hand with the secateurs! Check out his beautifully designed garden and many helpful tips and tutorials in his Stories
@mygardenthismonth – excellent garden hashtag curating loads of inspirational accounts from all over the world. Photo: @oldcountrygarden
@thenunheadgardener – our local urban oasis full of gorgeous plants for inside and out. We really miss wandering round here so hoping they can open again soon, in the meantime they’re offering local SE London delivery
Thanks for reading, and if you want to keep up to date with our garden journey just head on over to our IG.
Be bold, be brave and stay happy!
Jamie & Tom
We caught up with some interior designers and stylists for their expert tips on how to work our metallic wallpapers into your home, and we’re really excited to share their creative ideas with you! Discover each of their mood boards below!
This sultry Crane Fonda Black Gold wallpaper inspired me to create an exotic room set, inspired by the playful motifs within the print. A colour palette of golds, blacks and a vivid jade green evoke a theatricality that’s emphasised by this incredible oversized feathered floor lamp. The green upholstered sofa with its classic button detailing and the bird cage canopy chair provide statement seating, with animal accessories like brass cranes and leopards alongside lush green palms finish the space with a flamboyant flourish.
This Gershwing Gold wallpaper by Divine Savages is such a distinctive design, lending itself so well to an Art Deco interior scheme. I can see it working perfectly for a homemade cocktail corner where jazz is played throughout the evenings as martinis are served, one after the other. Utilising the Gershwing Gold as the backdrop of a space allows for a statement pendant light, oversized and captivating Including soft and sumptuous textures in a combination of warm tones, adjacent to the cool shine of brass, creates balance throughout.
Complementing the design with other subtle patterns in neutral colours can achieve the best outcome, and allow for Gershwing to spread her wings throughout the space. Here, I’ve opted for a slight shimmer in the flooring, and the silk shagreen effect fabric, along with accents of brass for some luster.
Pair this wallpaper with one or two of the Divine Savages cushions. This Botanize Blackberry fringed velvet cushion extracts the green from the bar stool as well as offering sensual tactility. For that ultimate Gatsby twist, embellishments are essential. Inject this space with feathers, pearls, tassels and fringing, and all the best of glitz and glam to finish!
Divine Savages' Deco Martini wallpaper offers a classic throwback to the roaring 20s, with a flash of modernity in this new shimmering Rose Gold finish. This paper makes a stunning backdrop for an eclectically styled space. I pulled in a bit of 1980s art deco flair in the undulating lines of the sofa and sconces to play with the 1920s deco pattern in the paper. The more traditional Moroccan rug grounds the room and offers a fun pattern play with the paper by picking up the subtle pastels on the wall yet transforms the space into a bolder statement by bringing blacks in through the rug. The blacks are then repeated in the boho mirror to finish out this playful, yet contemplative take on the evolution of 20th-century Art Deco styles.
Look 1
This new Crane Fonda wallpaper in Soft Copper was a dream to style. Sometimes the use of wallpaper can make you feel as though you have implemented enough pattern and personality simply by choosing it and it’s easy to fall into the trap of decorating a space keeping everything besides the walls neutral or block colours.
In your head, this interior scheme with its geo shapes, the coolness of bone inlay, pom poms and a giant leopard print rug probably wouldn’t feel immediately seamless, but by creating this vision in a mood board, I’m certainly ready to curl up in this gothic canopy chair for an afternoon of reading. The drama in this living space seemed like a fitting juxtaposition to the calmness of the soft blush copper tone in the wallpaper.
Look 2
Metallics bounce light around a room making it feel light and bright. To balance the gorgeous reflection of natural light, I’ve grounded the room with fun pink tiles and a plush rug, both in Aztec prints, and I’ve used an earthy, warm colour palette to compliment the soft copper tones. High-end furniture choices, such as the playful terrazzo table and that occasional chair, round out the look and compliment the whimsy in the wall pattern. I love the way framed art pops on a wallpapered wall - the abstract prints here reference the shapes and colours around the rest of the room.
This new Deco Martini wallpaper in Midnight Gold is luxurious and moody. The rich gold velvet sofa complements the dark blue of the wallpaper, highlighting the gold detailing and adding a strong contrast. By keeping the walls dark, this adds to the drama, and by using the same tones on the wall from the paper, the room will flow and feel cohesive. The velvet material adds to the richness of the room, and by keeping the accessories to the minimum, we allow the wallpaper shine bright. I’ve also brought in curved detailing in the rug and the ceiling light to compliment the curves in the wallpaper pattern, then finished this room with two framed pieces of art, pulling all of the colours together.
We hope you’ve enjoyed these top tips from the experts and found some interior inspiration on how to decorate with metallic wallpapers. Our new Metallics wallpaper collection is available to order right now, so grab yourself some samples and start creating your own mood boards for your home now!
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Collaborating with the fabulous Alternative Flooring our carpet runners are all designed and made in Britain, these beautiful patterns aimed at bringing your living spaces alive. Kooky and fun; we believe life is too short to live in dull spaces.
Award-winning British carpet runners takes its cue from true Brit style.
Carpet width: 69cm as standard.
Designed and made in Britain.
Yarn: 80% Wool & 20% Nylon
Total Weight: 2240 (gr/m2)
Total Height: 9 mm
Backing: Woven Jute
Construction: Woven Axminster
TOG Rating: 1.57
Moth Proofed: No
Contract Suitability: Class 23 - Heavy Domestic / Class 33 - Heavy Contract