happy new year! here’s to a lovely start and we get right into it! the year couldn’t start better really. our last blog post was about our upcoming tv appearance (in which we got the starting date of the series wrong… so sorry about this!) but we can now confirm that zita’s (my) episode airs on monday 9th january at 4:30pm on BBC one!
it is a lovely, feel-good kind of show, and it’s been a great, if busy experience - compared to which the episode felt rather short! of course it’s rather difficult to squeeze two months of intense work into twenty minutes, so i’d like to share more about the work behind the scenes and my designs - mainly about the origins of the architectural, brutalist influences for my geometric prints. unfortunately my design philosophy has been left out of the show completely, even though it is very much at the core of what i do, it is the main driver of why i do it, (and what i really wanted to talk about….) and this also explains the modular nature of the printing blocks of course.
so, if you’re interested in more of this, do have a read through this blog, you’ll find plenty of photos of buildings that constantly catch my eye and influence my prints. i also have a series on my instagram on sundays where i directly show how i take the inspirations from them. being from hungary, i had a very typically continental design education with all the bauhaus worship and all, so i personally never found modernist or brutalist buildings ugly, but i know they are a hard sell (and it became truly evident when i moved to the UK!) so making them beautiful, and making pretty things out of the unloved and the mundane in general has become my obsessive mission which would also explain my material choice in the coarser fabrics and why i want to elevate the utilitarian with the help of pretty prints!
this fabric choice seems to have been the main focus of the show for some reason… but i promise i did find all of the mentoring quite helpful and i received a great deal of help with the numbers and business-like thinking. we also worked together to create three new collections - i would have loved to have watched our progress back! but instead, the show’s focus was quite heavily on the jute… i don’t think it’s very obvious after the episode, so i’d like to quickly point out that the jute is not so much my “main thing” (the jute cushions for instance were shown as i set them up for a clearance sale, not because i insisted on keeping them!) however i will always keep it in my range for the rugs and some of the lamps.
my own followers favoured the jute lampshades in a poll at the time of filming and the jute rugs have been selling well and getting into magazines. with rugs in particular, it was just simply not viable to research and develop a new product in such a short span of time - especially when every other alternative is less sustainable or much more expensive. jute is actually a fantastic and very earth-friendly material that has been used in rug-making for a very long time (why not read my old blog post about its environmental benefits) but it also connects me to scotland’s local history, since i’m based so near dundee (and the rough aesthetics of the cloth matches the raw concrete look i’m going for too.)
but if you aren't a fan, you can rest assured, i do have recycled cotton blends now, and pure linen too for my cushions and kitchen ranges… so it’s all environmentally friendly (which i think should really be much more encouraged on TV in 2023!)
and finally, and somewhat most tragically, due to the economic circumstances, the wonderful business boost surprise also had to be cut out of this episode… for the last day of filming, the producers invited the chief buyer from made.com and i was gifted an amazing opportunity to sell my homewares with them. i was so grateful, i received beautiful, enthusiastic comments on my work and it would have been an absolutely life-changing experience.
i spent the rest of the summer getting my cushions ready for them, but due to financial difficulties, they went into administration just before our launch, ceased trading completely, and the whole thing just disappeared into thin air. it was quite heartbreaking, and of course my own little lost opportunity here was nothing compared to the loss of jobs for 700 really nice people. it’s also a shame that such a great, mid-market company that genuinely embraced modern design is now gone. (you can spot some props i use for my studio shoots, bought from them… i was a genuine fan as well!)
so yeah, it truly was a rollercoaster ride. of course, the short episode had no scope to tell about everything that’s been happening, but it was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. i hear it’s been receiving warm reviews and rather pretty viewing figures so it’s probably worth tuning in and catching up with the entire crew of thirty talented makers and their successful and supportive mentors who do give some useful, practical, insightful advice.
i’m delighted to share the episode with the fantastic emmy palmer, with whom i had a little design conversation last year about her mesmerising, colourful glasswares. she has some next-level talent and a lovely person too, meeting all these people was probably the best part of the whole thing.
watch every weekday from 16:30 and on iplayer until the end of year! also coming to britbox in february.
we have been waiting to announce this news for a while, but we’re finally allowed to say it out loud: zitozza will be on TV!
i am absolutely thrilled to have had the chance to participate in a new project for theBBC titled ‘make it at market’, filmed in beautiful leicestershire earlier this year. the idea of the show is to explore how some talented makers and crafters are turning their hobbies into a business with the help of being mentored by an expert designer - and i got selected to be one of these, to be mentored by the wonderful piyush suri of handmade in britain!)
the challenges were a lot of fun, and obviously the business mentoring has been a huge help, all this while also having met all these amazing and talented people completely flourishing from all kinds of creative disciplines made this a really, really inspiring experience. it will be definitely worth a watch, if not for some “zitozza-behind-the-scenes”, then for the variety of creativity and the immense amounts of talent that this show will cover.
the show is finally confirmed to have an airing date: 3rd january 2023! save the date and do tune in…. eeek!
edit: if you want to learn a bit more about how the experience went, read our next blog postabout the episode!
with the festive season in full swing, we’re announcing our upcoming festive market dates - we’re not leaving scotland for this season but we do come to glasgow twice! so make sure you come to one of these to touch our tactile textiles and leave with some brand new handmade homewares - for yourself, or a loved one!
first date: 19-20 november 2022, kibble palace, botanics, glasgow - from 10am to 4pm - a beautiful, unique setting with a bunch of talented scottish designers, as usual with tea green events, the line-up is going to be exciting, colourful and sustainable.
second date: 26th november, CRAFTED market at the dca, dundee - from 11am to 17:30pm - another fab line-up, curated by the team at the dundee contemporary arts themselves, it’s guaranteed to bring you the best of the most cutting edge and contemporary designers. please note this is only a one-day event, not the full weekend, so make sure you come and visit on the saturday!
third date: 3rd - 4th december, wasps studios winter market, the briggait, glasgow - from 10am to 5pm - this is a brand new one for me, but with the hosts being wasps studios, the talent and the quality is guaranteed, at the fabulous setting of the briggait in glasgow. this will be the last one of the year for zitozza, so please do come.
it sure will be a busy few weeks ahead, but it is always worth to meet in person, and new pieces, not yet listed on the website are definitely coming, curated to fit in with the line-up with each of these events so please visit. and although the live events finish on the 4th december, we remain open online 24/7.
for deliveries before christmas though, please place your order before thursday 15th december. thank you and have a fab winter.
as you may have read before on our socials, zitozza will be on TV soon (i really do hope i can share more information about it even sooner…) and having met so many talented makers from far-away disciplines was really an eye-opening experience - it was only natural to decide to give my design conversation series another boost with all these inspiring people. today we’re going somewhere i’ve always admired but knew very little about - glass! i’m bringing you today emmy palmer, whose colourful and tactile blown glass really caught my eye, and i became really curious about techniques and inspirations.
ZITA: hello emmy, first things first - could you say a few words about yourself, what you do and how you got there?
EMMY: hello zita! throughout my life making anything is where my joy has been, although i never saw my creativity as a career choice until i was in my twenties. this is when i started my journey into applied arts by doing a national diploma in design crafts. i enjoyed trying out a broad range of material practices and learned so many techniques. also during this time i took part in a taster course with a local glass blower...creating my first wobbly glass blobs ignited something in me that has never quenched. in 2004 i moved on to do a foundation degree in applied arts at arts university plymouth (formally plymouth college of art and design). i entered that course very determined to combine large scale metals and blown glass but my learning journey and exploration into what makes me, me, took a slightly different direction, but i'll tell you more about that later. i specialised in bown glass in my second year and followed my foundation with a BA (HONS) applied arts. i was lucky enough during my last year to be awarded a scholarship with teign valley glass studios and have continued a professional relationship with them ever since.
ZITA: large scale metals and blown glass? that sounds awesome, but i do notice you’re doing something different! the very first thing that caught my eye about your work is your use of texture and shadows. i love your use of knitted textiles, i think that’s really unique. can you explain a little bit about your process, what gave you idea for these pieces, and how you work your cloth into the glass?
EMMY: knitting is a huge part of my life not only in my creative practice. i see knitting as a real form of self care, it has gotten me through some really tough times in my life. i love to find new techniques and stitch combinations. you're right playing with light and the shadows is something i love to do. glass bends light in similar ways to water and i love to exploit its refractive qualities. when i moved to plymouth for university, i was so inspired by living by the sea for the first time in my life.
ZITA: i know exactly how that feels, having moved to scotland from a landlocked country… i love glass but i know so little about it - apologies for some of the more stupid questions about materials, but how did you even find out what was possible with this technique? is there anything you have to be really careful with? For instance, can you use anything for knitting, wouldn’t it melt or burn away from the hot temperatures?
EMMY: my knitted work started from very humble beginnings and was a real experimental journey. initially i was combining the glass and knitting by creating cosies for the outside of the glass using different materials. this led me to purposely finding ways of burning those textiles away in the hot glass process to leave residual patterns. somewhere amongst this i started experimenting with oxides and different metals. you're right though, combining glass that in its molten state is 1500 degrees centigrade and metals with a lower melting temperature can be tricky. i had varying results with different types and gauges of wire. my mum has a little collection of wobbly pieces that beautifully illustrate my journey to refining my technique of encasing knitted wire into blown glass. i also use my open lace knits as templates to create some of my work so it appears as if knitting is suspended in the blown glass when in fact the original piece of textile is no longer present. i secretly love how these pieces often baffle people.
ZITA: that’s so clever! i also love the metal bits and i do have a thing for industrial influences – i think my favourite bits from your collection is the ‘del mar’ series, it’s the metallic wires that i’m really drawn to. can you share a little bit about how they were made and what inspired them?
EMMY: knitting and crochet are skills that have been passed on through the women in my family from generation to generation. when i think of my little nanna (who was my mum's grandmother) i see her in her arm chair with a hook in hand and the crochet blanket she is masterfully creating at the speed of light draped over her lap. my foundation degree really made me explore what made me, me, and what i wanted to share with the world. i realised back then how knitting and crochet was actually really fundamental to my creative practice. i also found myself living by the sea for the first time and i was obsessed with the water.
the barbican in plymouth, where all the fishing vessels are docked, with the reels of fishing nets and piles of lobster pots led me to some extensive research into fishermen sweaters. my del mar series was born out of this time in my life. the knitted wire is completely encased between the layers of blown glass and i cut and polish them once cold so that you see a cross section through the piece. it took me a long time to find the right metal and a knitting technique that didn't restrict the glass bubble but stretched with it to a certain extent. they were a real labour of love and were born out of a new and exciting time in my life, so for this reason they are still my favourite pieces to make!
ZITA: theirs is a real success story i think! so is that where you usually go for inspiration? do you have a specific place that can get you in the “zone”, or do you just let ideas find you spontaneously?
EMMY: i'm really in love with plymouth and its surrounding areas, it really is the most beautiful place to live. as a family we spend a lot of time in nature. we have so much around us to choose from and i consider ourselves very lucky and privileged. we live right next to a woodland nature reserve that leads us to the banks of the river tamar. it's a five minute drive to be on dartmoor and only a few minutes more in the other direction to be at the sea. like many of us these days i document a lot of this with snap shots of views and interesting things i see. we live a holiday style life and spend most of the spring and summer months out and about with sand between our toes so i am never short of inspiration. sometimes i find my ideas by accident, i make something and i think of how it could be improved or tweaked and this leads to other ideas.
ZITA: if you were a textile designer, this would be the bit where i’d ask about sourcing sustainable materials but i know so little about glass. what would you say are the biggest challenges of turning your ideas into these fabulous pieces? how has glass blowing been changing?
EMMY: glass blowing has essentially been done in the same way since the romans. the basic equipment and techniques are all the same but the fuel has changed. most studios run on gas and this is becoming economically difficult and unsustainable for the future. very recently glass studios all over the country have been closing down or temporarily shutting down their furnaces due to the rising cost in fuel and with this the idea of glass blowing being a dying craft is seeming all too real. fortunately, with technological advancements there are some great electrical alternatives being produced and in fact the furnace at teign valley glass studios where i work is electric and most recently they have been trialling a prototype glory hole which is the heat chamber that we use to keep a piece warm and workable.
ZITA: i met you at the filming of our new TV show, and for all of us it’s been quite an intensive journey with the help of a mentor. how did you find this process? can you share a little bit about how you have developed your work and maybe about some of the new pieces? (no spoilers, please!)
EMMY: it really has been such exciting times and it was a joy to meet such amazing creative individuals like yourself. the show gave me the kick up the bum that i needed at just the right time. i think we all must have done a year's worth of work within a few months. i definitely felt a tad frazzled at times but hugely empowered by the end of filming. my mentor was a real task master but he is a real inspiration and made the whole process really positive. the show hasn't even aired yet but has already given my business a massive boost. i've already worked on and sent bespoke samples to a retailer and received my first big order!
ZITA: that’s really exciting, congrats. i hope to see your work shared widely! have you got any new ideas you’re working on, or experimenting with, that might turn into your next collection?
EMMY: yes definitely! i have so many exciting ideas that i've been sitting on, i am determined to put a little more time aside to play with colour combinations to expand my KOPO (knit one purl one) range. i'm quite a colourful person and i use a huge amount of colour in the clothing that i knit and wear. i would love to bring some more of that into my creative practice.
ZITA: and now the question i ask from everyone - can you recommend a book? or an artist or a maker whose work is worth looking into? something that keeps you thinking or help us see the world the way you do?
EMMY:richard glass is an aptly named glass blower/designer that i have the pleasure of working with over many years. he is an under celebrated glass maker who designs and makes a huge variety of glass that is sold internationally. his work is often sculptural, colourful and very much inspired by our local surroundings. i love to see him making his ‘waves’, the process is so dynamic and the results are beautiful. richard runs teign valley glass studios where i produce my work and he has been so supportive throughout my glass career and especially since i started back in september last year. not only is he a great glass maker but he is also actively working on sustainability in glass blowing by exploring electrical options. he is also launching his own range of glass blowing irons. he'd be the last person to shout about his own achievements but is definitely an artist to look into.
ZITA: i will do that, thanks for the recommendation! and lastly but most importantly, where can we see your work now, and where will catch you next?
EMMY: There are a few places i can't share because i'd hate to spoil the TV show for you. i have had some busy and exciting times recently. my work is already stocked by a number of wonderful galleries and retailers i will soon have a list of these on my website but you’ll also get to see me with my work at a few places this year and I’ve already planned ahead into 2023! i’ve been working with a wonderful mother and daughter team georgie and tara rowse at curator & maker. i've had the pleasure of making bespoke sets of nutcracker inspired baubles for their christmas pop up 2022. this opens on november23rd until december. i’ve been making some lovely gift size items for the ‘present makers’ exhibition at thethelma hulbert gallery, honiton. this runs from 12th nov to 24th december.
i’m looking forward to 2023 in march where amongst other things you will find my work at the affordable art fair in battersea with BANG blackstone art next generation. and also me and my work at crafts festival cheltenham town hall10th-12th march.
it’s becoming a busy autumn / winter season here for us at zitozza, but we do manage to escape on the occasional break to take an inspirational trip to admire some great architecture and forms. there has been a recent trip to lisbon, portugal, and we have some fabulous brutalist buildings to cover as well as the country’s signature tile designs - surely that requires an article at some point in the future.
but we can start with an easy one, a true little 1960s gem in the heart of the city, a five minute walk from the square of marques de pombal, there is a little brutalist church in amongst the residential buildings - the sagrado coração church, on rua camilo castelo branco. it is hard to see it is a church from the outside, as it stands on an elevated level from the street, with stairs inviting up to a square embraced by offices and some residential units. on the sunny day of the visit, it felt like a relaxing island just off the busier streets, but it was by stepping inside it revealed its wonderfully peaceful and serene atmosphere.
inside, it is clear what the architects - nuno portas and nuno teotónio pereira - were trying to achieve. the use of concrete is consistent, but not in an overwhelming, intimidating way as the material is broken up and softened with textures. the wall has a bricklay texture to it, while the ceiling reveals an even rhythm of the angles of the structure. the ceiling does not seem to be at an uneasy height, yet the smoothness of the columns do make it appear quite heavenly.
it is however the light, that seems to play the main role of bringing the spiritual and the godly inside. the light comes in at angles that must have been very carefully designed and is parallel to the staircases, casting shadows on the textures inside, while at the chapel it comes through unfiltered and in full, as if it was almost ready to listen to the prayer.
this article on hidden architecture has the floor plan (along some sketches by the architects too), and it does reveal the scale of the open space, and the even proportions unlike the traditional aisles. the sketches also reveal the careful planning of lights and shadows - its role in reaching some kind of spiritual peace is universal and not dependent on religion, just think of junichiro tanizaki.
this church isn’t dimly lit, or dark, nor is it overwhelmingly clear and bright. concrete has its reflective quality on light but also has its own texture to break it, which the architects also played with here by adding more, and the artificial lights are also carefully placed to interact with it. atlas obscurarecommends a visit during night time too, to experience the different light circumstances.
lisbon is an amazing city and churches are found from every style and era. its famed cathedral is almost a millennium-old and some of its most famous sights are the gothic monasteries and the golden baroque altars - all worth a visit and appreciation. i hope you don’t mind me picking this brutalist gem though, as one of my favourites. the building won the Valmor prize in 1975 and in 2010 it was recognised as a national monument, so it earnt its place on the visitor attractions and please do visit when you get a chance in lisbon.
if you liked this, you can subscribe to our newsletter below and you’ll be amongst the first to be notified of any new inspirational tours (always with plenty of photos!) see you next time
my oh my, it’s been a while since we had a good, deep design conversation hasn’t it! the talent of course has always been there and shining, but we now finally had the time as well, to meet some and explore their fabulous work. i’m very excited to introduce jessica clements of JESS ANNE today. she is a woven textile designer whose gorgeous works, with incredibly bold and bright colourways caught my eye immediately, and we’ve gone into process, materials and inspiration to bring her vibrant textiles closer to you.
ZITA: hi jess! first things first - could you say a few words about yourself, what you do and how you got there?
JESS: of course! so hello everyone my name is jessica, i’m 26 years old and live in broadstairs in kent and i’m the founder of JESS ANNE! i started my brand in 2019, just before the pandemic and i really wanted to create a brand that explores woven cloth featuring bright colours that spark joy!
ZITA: and it’s working i think! the first thing that really catches the eye about your work i think are your vibrant colourways! i just love the high contrasts and the neons so much. could you share a little bit about the thoughts that go into putting your wonderful schemes together?
JESS: it’s hard to explain but typically i don’t have a source of inspiration as such, it’s more of a feeling that i have. when i look at colours i don’t tend to think of trends or “what’s in”. i tend to think do they spark anything within me, do these colours remind me of a pleasant memory or place, or do they make me feel like if i wore those colours, i would feel confident? pretty? bold? i just sense my way through the colour choices rather then trying to have an elaborate explanation behind them. if the colours feel right, it feels right! obviously, every individual will have different tastes or opinions on style, however, the colours i choose express who i am as a designer and just as a human being!
ZITA: as a fellow pattern lover, i find weaving – and your particularly geometric patterns fascinating, i guess weaving is very “mathematical”. can you explain a little bit about the process of designing your patterns? what does it look like when one of your colourful patterns come together – is it a long chain of trials and errors, or do you nail it most of the time?
JESS: so, weaving is definitely not for those who don’t enjoy maths. weaving is one of those processes where accuracy and maths is everything and could make or break a pattern or even the physical cloth. when i begin my design process i always start with the colours (obvs!). from there, i tend to experiment with whatever i feel like i need to personally conquer as a weaver who is always trying to progress. as i’ve said before i’m not too driven by trend or styles, but much rather just expressing who i am as a designer and where i am in my personal development as a young creative. the geometric patterns was a real test for me! however it was one I wanted to conquer and prove that i can push my limits (and my own confidence!). when developing a design, the maths has to be spot on, and the maths can shift/change depending on the types of yarns and patterns chosen. i experiment with smaller samples first, writing every calculation to make sure I have the right amount of yarn ends and that i’m using the correct size of equipment such as the reed for the cloth i desire.
it’s definitely a trial and error thing! i wish i could say i nailed it on the head every time but that wouldn’t be true. sometimes yarns do not want to cooperate, even if you double checked every calculation and detail. sometimes, even the smallest of details overlooked can dramatically change the look and feel of the cloth. however, once the sample is nailed and its something that i feel proud to put my name too, i would then expand on this sample to create a range of products!
ZITA: what a fascinating process. i find the abstract nature of your work very interesting – i particularly love your woven artworks, it’s like you deconstructed your own craft into something else, something a bit more abstract, they feel quite architectural to me but also remind me of op-art a little bit. can you share a few thoughts about these pieces?
JESS: oh the card windings! i love these little pieces. when studying, we were taught that these card windings were used initially as just a development stage, to try out colourways and warp patterns. however, I started to expand on these using different shapes of card and found they deserved to be mini pieces of art in their own right! carefully hand wrapping card with desired colours in any order?! who wouldn’t?! i think the woven structure will always have an element of being architecturally inspired because the typical woven form relies so heavily on being constructed in a way that it will structurally hold together! not only do they help inform the woven cloth designs but they create such dynamic little studies that are interesting enough to want to hang on the wall!
ZITA: i think they work brilliantly, i really love them. now, let’s talk materials! what kind of materials do you work with – do you mix them often, or do you stick to one or two that works? what works?
JESS: oh good one. i’m a typical creature of habit, however as i’ve been designing, i’ve been trying my hardest to break free from my comfort zones. i tend to weave mainly with lambswool, however, in my most recent collection i have really been trying to expand on my products and offer lighter alternatives to the heavier & warmer wools and been experimenting with cotton/linen blends. i tend to use cottons for my card windings and happen to find myself using these now in my newer designs as a supplementary yarn. i’m hoping the more i evolve as a designer, the more i will be adventurous and try more yarns! eek!
ZITA: have you found that sustainability and ethical sourcing has become more of a point with your customers as well as in your supply chain? how do you find this – have you always worked with such materials?
JESS: i think by now most consumers are concerned with the environment, as they should be! it’s so important for people to realise the impact the textile industry has on the environment, and this should definitely be more integrated into our buying habits. as an independent designer and so early on in my journey, i handweave all of my designs, eliminating the risk of buying into any sort of sub par factory conditions or any sort of exploitation (although, it’s of my understanding now these regulations are in place and finally the textile world is shifting into a much more ethical way of producing). the yarns i order are from smaller independent shops in the UK, who also do their own background investigations into where they source their yarns. the company that i purchase my lambswool from and the cottons are very transparent in their processes which makes the selection process much easier. it’s so difficult to navigate through the world of industry, however, i remain conscious of my purchases and in the future when i have built up my brand, i strive to be a designer who is part of the ever so important sustainability movement.
ZITA: i think it’s growing really quite fast, nearly all designers i know are now considering this. i got to know you as a fellow participant of a new TV Show and you’ve also been through some thorough mentoring and an intensive development process i guess! how has it been for you in the last few months? without any spoilers, can you share a little bit about how you have developed your work and maybe about some of the new pieces?
JESS: so the show really helped me become who I am today in just a short amount of time! the mentoring was pretty intense to say the least and it was difficult at times to break old habits and ways of thinking, but it was exactly what I needed to tap in to the potential for my woven designs! before filming i lacked confidence and found my development of designing was very slow, as i was always very nervous of trying new patterns/yarn in case they didn’t work out (yes, i am one of those people that if i don’t nail it first time, i get very frustrated!) however the mentoring on the show really helped me overcome that fear and removed the barrier between me as a designer and creating much more statement designs. the designs that will feature in the show really came from a place of needing to push my own boundaries rather then a specific source of inspiration. i view this collection as a natural progression from my previous broadstairs project and i think there something really lovely about my projects linking this way.
ZITA: this is very exciting and i can’t wait to see al this progress on TV soon. development is an interesting process, have you found any new sources of inspiration? where do you normally go to or look to? have you found it’s changed lately?
JESS: i think my design process and sources of inspiration changes almost constantly. as my practice and skills develop and as i continue to design, i find my inspiration shifts so frequently that’s its hard to even keep up with myself! i was inspired mostly by nature and my surroundings in my home town, however i found that more recently my work is more inspired by my own feelings and the feeling i wanted to provoke in people if they were to wear my design. i’m starting to really explore how fabric design and colour combinations can provoke different emotions.
ZITA: fascinating! and where do you want to see your work most? what’s your dearest ambition, where do you want to take your work next?
JESS: i would absolutely adore to see my brand grow and eventually develop into a fashion brand. the dream has always been to see my fabrics on garments such as beautiful, tailored suits and dresses and feature in glossy magazines (i think most designers have this day dream!), TV, instagram… and just generally see my work being used by all over the world! the sky is the limit!
ZITA: yeah, you go girl! and now the question i ask from everyone - can you recommend a book? or an artist or a maker whose work is worth looking into? something or someone that keeps you thinking forward?
JESS: oh my goodness there’s so many artists and designers that inspire me from across the board i couldn’t possibly narrow It down! there’s so many amazing weavers out there such as margo selby, ptolemy mann, rita parniczky, theo rooden… the list is endless! i think any of these artist would be good start if you wanted to understand more about woven design and what is possible!
ZITA: and lastly but most importantly, where can we see your work next?
JESS: so as i’m typing this i have no current exhibitions or markets coming up, however my products are available through my website and i welcome emails orinstagramDMs enquiring to commission or purchase. i’m currently still in the process of re-branding and re developing my website and i’m communicating with smaller retailers about becoming stockists. exciting! ahh!
ZITA: sounds like you have a lot on your plate, but i’m sure it will work out. thanks so much for talking with me!
well, it’s been another long pause between blog posts, but it’s not been forgotten, only postponed, due to, uhm, general life happening at a pace, i guess. but when things get busy and exhausting, there comes the need to take a break and go somewhere else to recharge. so let’s take a road trip. let’s go, from scotland, to somewhere nice in the sunny south of great britain. anywhere. if you like going fast, you’ll take the motorway, the m6. it’s not the most scenic of routes, so it gets monotonous, and since tiredness can kill, there will be a time to take a break. and there, you’ll eventually come across a fabulous concrete tower emerging in the landscape with a futuristic footbridge arching over the motorway, and suddenly you feel compelled to indicate your exit to spend some time in this fascinating piece of architecture - we’ve arrived to forton services!
i have always been obsessed with logistics. the excitement of things and people moving never gets boring, and the systems that make it all work are fascinating pieces of engineering - seemingly everything and everyone in it has its place and function, a well oiled machine itself that can take care of millions of people and things getting where they are meant to be when they are meant to be. but while the architecture that serves this system has to be purely functional, for curious travellers who are excited to be somewhere new soon, the associations fill all of this functional stuff with positive meanings, the typefaces on vans and reg plates, the smell of the handwash soap, the hot touch of the disposable coffee cup are all symbols of the anticipation of getting there. so from this point of view, a well designed, interesting motorway station is a piece of happiness on earth, and for someone who makes textile prints of road signs, is somehow a piece of inspiration too - doubly so if it’s brutalist of course!
forton services today belongs to the moto bk chain, and you’ll find it on the m6 between junction 32 and 33. it opened in 1965, and according to SOSbrutalism, the designers were bill galloway and ray anderson of the architecture firm tp bennett and son. (yes, that’s of the same thomas bennett of the saville theatre, amongst other things - today they do a lot of interesting commercial projects - totally worth a look!)
there are some two-storey buildings on both sides of the motorway with restaurants and cafes, connected by a high-tech looking footbridge forming a light arch over the motorway. to walk across it is a great exercise to stretch the legs a little and the eyes to the distance too. the timber ceiling panels of the inside of the bridge somehow creates a very nostalgic mood in the warmth of this texture reflecting the light directly below it. that just further excites about the travel - i’m not sure how materials do it but’s definitely the timber. the tunnel view of the inside of the bridge has an octagonal frame with the joins at each window panel cutting your corners diagonally. the outside view of course is the endless motorway and the crowds of cars going somewhere.
of course, it’s most distinctive point is the pennine tower, emerging from the landscape on the northbound side with its cantilevered hexagon at the top. it used to be some accommodation and a restaurant - this blog has some archive images of the fabulous decor in its full glory (as well as the whole structure when it was pristine white!) it reminds me of the early decor of the UFO bridge in bratislava a little bit (more of that in another blog post i think…) and i would have loved to enjoy a meal there, the views across then countryside must have been breathtaking on a sunny day.
unfortunately due to the strict fire regulations, it is now closed to the general public and it is now grade II listed, even though it might be hard work to re-open it.
it was intentionally designed to resemble an airport’s traffic control tower and that all i can feel is the anticipation of getting somewhere, perhaps it’s succeeded in its job. it is a cliché to say that we must enjoy the journey as much as the destination, but in the case of how motorway stations ought to be, there is definitely truth in it!
and if you enjoyed this journey, come with us next time to another architectural visit (and until then, subscribe to our newsletter in order not to miss it!) see you next time - and don’t forget, tiredness can kill, take a break.
hello! this is just a short announcement but a very, very exciting one: zitozza is now coming to handmade oxford, a 4-day festival of arts and crafts, taking place between 23rd june till 26th june at waterperry gardens in oxfordshire, organised by handmade in britain.
it’s a very special opportunity for us to meet a new crowd of interested buyers and clients, so we are preparing to launch some new collections for this. it feels really amazing to be included in the line-up with so many talented makers from all over the UK, so we’re working on making a good impression there! we are incredibly busy growing our product range and develop new surface pattern designs, it will all be worth the wait and we really look forward to debuting there! you can buy your tickets here and we hope to see you there soon!
hello again - long time no see, in an architectural regard at least we haven’t really been able to publish a new post for a while. that’s all about to change as we have visited a few more sites and we’re keen to show you all the photos in several posts coming (as one-off episodes probably, so no more series for now.)
let’s start with the best - the building of leicestershire county council, also known as county hall. it is hiding behind leafy greens in glenfield, on the outskirts of leicester, next to the A50 leading into the city centre. it was built in 1967 and has been used as the county council headquarters since then. names are hard to find, but it was designed by the council’s own in-house architectural team - the RIBA picture database names the architect as thomas locke and the council’s architectural office.
seen from the road, the building emerges slowly from behind the lush trees, showing off its sleek facade. it is only by going closer where the site reveals its enormity - it expands across a huge field, many council departments are located here - but the layout is clear, spatious and airy. from the front, the slightly concave arches on the window frames remind me of a japanese pagoda towering above extending ground floors and an elevated wing standing on v-shaped legs that frame the green view below.
going under these we find a leafy court surrounded by shiny office windows, revealing a cast concrete mural of antony hollaway that depicts the river soar. his style reminds me of the town artists in the new towns of scotland, particularly the art of david harding in glenrothes.
in the centre of the court, there is also an armed forces memorial, added in 2012 titled ‘stand easy’ by kenny hunter - it’s a group of 1:1 life-size sculptures of young personnel. apart from being meaningful piece of art, somehow their placement in the centre also helps reveal the deeply human scale of the surrounding building and how the architects thought about the proportions - you get an inviting, peaceful sense of place here.
there are so many interesting and thoughtful details - the lightwell in the corridor roof above each window section (presumably to maximise the natural light inside) is not just functional but creates a slick, interesting spatial play - it’s a shame the day was not that sunny, i would have loved to see the shadows it creates. the extensive use of glazing overall did make me wonder about the light inside too.
on the left of the tower, there is a relief pattern in the arcade ceiling - here there are two small stairwells that lead to the outer end of this elevated corridor - from here you can take in a nice view of further out of the town, and what i presumed were fountains (i wish they were working that day.) it’s a really beautiful building and i’m happy to see it loved, maintained and functioning as it was intended to - i was not the only photographer on site on the day of my visit indeed!
it is in a remarkably good state compared to many other buildings of the same era i visited and it makes me slightly suspicious that a state of neglect in the case of brutalism could be in some cases a conscious or semi-conscious decision, to have these buildings replaced rather than renovated. but i’m glad that i managed to find one that’s working as it was intended to.
i hope you enjoyed this short visit, there are plans to travel to get out of scotland more often - subscribe to our newsletter to be the first to read about them here! take care.
hello readers! it’s been a while, but i have been blogging, i promise. just not here, but over there at the support the makers, whose network i joined earlier this year, and decided to introduce myself in a short blog post, in which i share a little bit about my background, my motivations and what really is behind the zitozza brand. go have a read for yourselves here!
unfortunately, my participation in their 1st may market at bellfield, portobello (the one announced in the march newsletter), had to be cancelled again - at least not due to covid, but for a much more exciting reason which i will be able to share later! however, it’s still worth a visit so please do go and support the line-up of talented makers from all over the UK.
i’m sure i will be there at some point with other of their markets (a pop-up shop in london is also in the works now - more of that later!)
i will have more exciting news and markets to announce soon, and until then, please keep an eye on the blog, our instagram and of course the newsletter!
much like everyone, we've been left speechless at the invasion and the scale of destruction in ukraine. particularly as a brand that seeks beauty, art, peace and inspiration in the architecture and built structures of eastern europe, it is heartbreaking to watch this assault on lives and livelihoods and we are unable to stand by and watch in silence.
we are a small business and we don't have powerful tools for major fundraisers or campaigns, we have simply donated privately to the british red cross, and we ask our blog’s readers to do so, if you can.
we’re hoping to publicise any other appeals for rebuilding too as soon as they become available for donations. until then, it’s important that help gets where it’s most needed. the red cross is an international organisation with presence inside ukraine providing aid to residents, at shelters as well as helping those fleeing at the borders in neighbouring countries.
we feel it's important that our neighbours are supported and see through this crisis.
first of all, please accept my sincere apologies for reporting on this event so late - as i promised about a month ago, i did indeed visit the scottish interiors showcase in late february and i was really looking forward to telling you all about it! but then, after managing to avoid it for nearly two years, i caught covid, and although luckily i escaped with mild symptoms, it was hard to concentrate in front of a screen for too long. isolating at home with little energy for anything whilst a horrific war breaks out in europe in a place close to my heart really annulled my motivation levels. i’m really sorry that blogging and posting has been a bit neglected.
however, life, and the love of beautiful things must, and will win under any circumstances, i really believe in that. so i’m trying to get back in shape and i’m finally ready to bring you what i promised, with highlights of what i found the most interesting developments from the world of interior design in scotland.
1 - SUSTAINABLE FAVOURITES
so, you know me by now, and as you’d have guessed, the one thing i kept asking every single sales rep that would talk to me was, “how much of this is sustainable?” the replies i got varied, but there was a growing interest and efforts by almost all brands and they mentioned that it’s a question that keeps getting asked. my first focus is on this angle, and here’s my top 3 that delivered:
1.1 william yeoward
the british household name had, as expected, some fabulous products on display. but the best news to report is the launch of a brand new rug collection, from 100% recycled PET. it didn’t look or feel synthetic at all, and the colourways are simply gorgeous. (link to visit)
1.2 designs of the time
i’d say the linen offerings of yvan puylaert’s company was an absolute highlight of the show to me and the tactile qualities of their linens were just a joy to look at. everything is 100% natural and mostly linen. the rep mentioned that they have a hemp line too, but it wasn’t on display as “it’s not popular in the uk - much more so on continental europe”. who’s with me to change that and try to get that here? who’d love more hemp (and of course, jute!) in british interiors?! (link to visit)
1.3 casadeco
the french group has always been one of my favourite supplier at these events, as i do love their geometric pattern designs. their happy surface patterns were no exception this year either. their newest launch is their cushion line, but their wallpapers were also very popular - for good reason too. however, i’m pleased to report on their wide range of plain, natural and recycled fabrics. (link to visit)
2 - SURFACE PATTERN DESIGN FAVOURITES
perhaps unlike other material expos, this particular event tends to be quite fabric-heavy and the vast majority of the exhibits were an eye-popping display of colour and patterns. i really recommend visiting as it really is a total surface pattern feast! for this reason, the next top 3 is selected from this angle, although it was quite a challenge!
2.1 ohpopsi
i have never heard of this company before, but their stand was beautifully arranged and proved to be very popular visitors. they also sent the friendliest reps to the fair, who were very keen on sharing some background info as well on their manchester-based company. they offer a wide range of wallcoverings, not only repeat patterns but also mural-style, non-repeating too, with really impactful effect on interiors. i did like some of the brutalist geometries but they do have some amazingly colourful patterns. (link to visit)
2.2 ian sanderson
now, if you are a regular reader, and you know the kind of homewares zitozza has, you know that it’s not a botanical type of brand at all. however, traditional, rich, heritage-based designs dominate this fair quite heavily, so it wouldn’t be fair not to mention at least one of these brands. i’m picking ian sanderson because they have everything you want, from the meticulous reworking of original block prints, through fabulous wovens and a collection of a versatile, cute range of coordinators that are made in the UK. (link to visit)
2.3 prestigious textiles
the pattern powerhouse delivers again, need i say more? i’ve been to a few fairs before and, as a lover of pattern, colour and texture, the pt display is always my favourite. in line with zitozza’s own aesthetics, i was looking for happy geometries and i wasn’t disappointed. the colourways are inspiring me to try some schemes that could work well with these! (link to visit)
3 - MATERIAL FAVOURITES
i keep mentioning that this is a very textile-heavy show usually, however, i want to mention a top three of flooring and hard finishes, because they are an important part of home interior styling. i enjoy looking at interesting surfaces and i can certainly get obsessive with where i want to lay my jute rugs.
3.1 crucial trading
this company had a lovely display of sisal floor coverings in all possible textures and colours. sisal is a natural, sustainable fibre that is even more durable than jute. the gold colour is similar and i got really attracted to this abundance of tactile samples. (link to visit)
3.2 miller’s 1893
i’m currently on a mission for hardwood floors in my own house (also home to the zitozza studio) so i was very happy to find this company. my favourite of their offerings were these antiqued hardwood floors that although they looked like they were reclaimed, they are entirely purpose-made for this somewhat industrial look. really, really fell for these. (link to visit)
3.3 la fabbrica
there weren’t many suppliers of stone or ceramics present, so i feel obliged to mention the la fabbrica range that put lovely, lovely slabs on display of some very interesting surfaces, which i’m sure that fellow fans of brutalism would also appreciate. (link to visit)
4 - OTHER INTERESTING FINDS
overall, it was a great experience to visit, and it’s great to see what some of the best of british and international interior design brands are up to, without having to travel too far, so i do recommend visiting again next year. we’re nearly at the end of this roundup, but i want to mention a few more observations.
4.1 nautical is in!
this one took me by surprise (a very pleasant one, may i add), as i do have my own range of nautical homewares. i do it because it matches the golden, raw jute materials i’m working with, but it was nice to see that quite a few brands, such as fryett’s (on left) and mulberry(middle and right)also offers interior fabrics and wallpapers to complete such looks. you love to see it!
4.2 ikat & travel inspired patterns
as i’ve written about before in my previous trend-forecasting post, travel inspired decor nand boho chic are going to dominate interior trends for a while. this can take a few interpretations, my personal favourites were from ilivfabrics (left), whose newly launched collection ‘kasbah’ has been evoking the ikat patterns (they also have a sustainable plains range!). for smaller accessories in travel-inspired style, glasgow-based premier housewares(right) had a room full!
4.3 happy geometries
i already touched on a little bit how i was hunting for geometric surfaces in this jungle of floral and heritage-inspired prints, and i think there is a genuine desire for clear-cut shapes and abstract angles. i’m showing you my two favourites here. this wool sample by moon(on left)really made me think of bernat klein, and the geometry reminded me of the architecture of peter womersley. love this pattern and they also released it on throws! the second image is of a print by studio g of the sanderson group(on right) who were present with many collections. it’s the slight handmade, block printed effect on this particular collection that i really picked up on and i hope this proves to be popular!
well that’s it for this year’s roundup! i hope you enjoyed this visit with me, it certainly was a great experience and it’s always a pleasure to take a dip in a pool of pattern, print and lovely interiors.
to keep this already long post slightly more concise, there is no separate section for the links, but you’ll find them all in the text. for further questions, please don’t be afraid to get in touch and for future posts, feel free to subscribe below!
good afternoon - this just a very quick announcement that zitozza joined the support the makers network and will be attending the spring market on sunday 6th march, at bellfield, portobello, edinburgh (16b bellfield st, portobello, edinburgh EH15 2BP) between 11am and 4pm.
this is a ticketed event (costs £1.50) so hurry up and purchase yours now - and see you there soon!
UPDATE 03/03/2022
many apologies but due to a positive covid test zitozza will be unable to attend the market. we are definitely, definitely going to the next one though (same place, in may), so stay tuned and i will leave this post here because i’m sure that it will be still worth attending!
first of all, i apologise for the late post on interior trends, since we’re well into february already. to keep this post concise and focused, i’m going to concentrate specifically on colour and material trends that you might find easy enough to implement in your home (maybe with some zitozza stuff!) and i will expand on the current round-up suppliers and designers offer with a further post after having visited the scottish interiors showcase in a few weeks time. i’m really excited to visit (it’s been two years without trade fairs!), and i thought i’d share a little bit of research of the colour and material trends i expect to see.
1. RECYCLED & RECLAIMED
okay, sustainable design choices are not so much a “must-have-trend” but a pressing, urgent and permanent imperative change, so i shouldn’t really include this in the list but i do because it is getting embraced by more and more, and it may give some ideas to look further and think about what useless old thing you can turn into something cool. for us, it means, patchwork rugs and zero-waste, for others, this could be reclaimed wood, a bit of DIY upcycling, granny’s old nightstand-turned-houseplant shelf? all good and here to stay!
2. EARTH TONES
you may have observed that terracotta was kind of a big deal in 2021 - i hope you liked it, because it looks like it’s going nowhere, just growing and growing with many shades of earthy browns. expect to see plenty of fabulous, warm schemes usually paired with tactile surfaces and interesting shapes and textures, for a cosiness and warmth. it’s all about keeping it natural and down-to-earth - and it can result in a very serene, calming, loving home.
3. GREENS WITH GREENS
it seems that greens with greens in all possible shades are absolutely go this year. it may come in the form of breakfast room green by farrow and ball as one of their 2022 colour of the year, or a paler, more sagey october mist by benjamin moore. or you may achieve it simply with even more houseplants. or why not do all of them! the more green, the better. pale with deep jungle, dark teal with mint, dark olives with sage. they’re all in, and there is very little to go wrong with green!
4. WORLD PATTERNS
this is a very nice one - lord, how i missed travelling! but we are able to do so again so the travel-inspired details are back, with all the patterns from all the cultures and crafts of the world. of course there are more exotic interpretations of this trend than others, but the idea is to show off the individualities of the handmade, crafted details of traditional techniques. embroidery, print, weave - if inspired by experience and seeing the world, all good!
5. MIX & MATCH
the personal favourite has to be always the one that allows the greatest freedom. if you want to match geometric patterns with organic, modern with heritage, everything with everything, then you’re free to do so! this could mean all-out maximalism, colour blocking with bold, bright colours or perhaps cold, metallic details contrasting warm, earthy tones. or, my personal favourite, layering rugs with more rugs! there aren’t many rules here, it’s all about striking the right balance. it might take some brave choices and a little bit of thinking to pull it off, but it can result in the best looks!
this compilation was put together using the sources below, and the images illustrate zitozza’s interpretations, i hope we can show you that whichever way you wish to implement these trends in your home decor, we’ll be able to offer something useful. happy decorating in 2022!
happy new year! and so sorry it has been such a slow start, this is a bit of an admin-heavy time of the year with an ever-increasing to-do list. it is also a time to make new plans and reflect a bit on the past. in that spirit, i wanted to continue my series on books, but looking through my bookshelf and my past influences, i decided to go a little bit more personal, and share some of my graphic design inspirations.
yes, i am also a graphic designer, and as far as skills and interests go, i certainly got into typography before i got into patterns. let me take you back 20 years, as continental european high-school student, it was also the time i was trying to master english and soak up as much of uk culture as i could. to combine these two main interests, a convenient place to go to in budapest was the book shop where they stocked some of the great coffee table books. today i’d like to talk about in particular titled “GB: graphic britain” (burgoyne, p. 2002 laurence king, london) with the aim to line-up some of the coolest up and coming graphic design works produced in the uk at the time.
the book was designed by a london-based agency called bark, founded by tim hutchinson and jason edwards and i used to really hunt for their bold and colourful work and i did find them - in another book, “graphic originals: designers who work beyond the brief”(austin, j 2002 rotovision, mies) they talk a little bit about their process through a prospectus they designed for portsmouth university where hutchinson was a lecturer. the project itself was a map, a clever visualisation of the course journeys, but what really caught my eye was that it wasn’t just an raw information graphic, but focused a lot on using a lot of photographs of the built environment, the documentation of very mundane things that reflected on everyday life at the university. it was the first time i’ve ever really seen anything like that but that really was speaking my language. it was just inspiring to see real, successful people in the industry do this - take the built environment, and create a feeling of home and belonging in it by graphic, “2D” means. that’s exactly how i wanted to do design and it was a great contemporary example, right in front of me.
but there is another project of theirs that i would like to show you - i’m still hunting it, i believe it must have been self-published at the time. it is one titled lost futurism (according to the caption in GB: graphic britain, it is a book that was printed in 2001 - please do get in touch if you know anything about it.)
the project examines brutalist architectural heritage in a graphic design language - having mentioned portsmouth, this obviously means the tricorn centre, mostly, which i have never seen in real-life but somehow in this graphic interpretation, felt nostalgic and futuristic, alien at the same time. i used to stare at these pages for ages. it was really fun discovering about the building itself but also the graphic representation of it - it was just really, really cool and simple, and it spoke my language of taking a three dimensional form and reducing, or rather, deconstructing it to its image and basic form.
to this day i’m still obsessed with that sort of thing. i used to do a lot of my own experiments with my own photos of my favourite buildings when practicing my computer skills (a useful habit to get into) but it also transpired to other work and i firmly believe they have a place on textiles too. obviously, graphic design is different, it is visual communication, but if the result is decorative, then why should it not be used on textiles too?
so i hope you didn’t mind learning a little bit about this background behind the architecturally inspired textile patterns of zitozza. and if you know anything more about this work, if it exists on its own as a separate book, please, please do get in touch, i think i want a copy! thank you!
-
links:
GB: graphic britain - by patrick burgoyne, 2002 laurence king, london, uk (on worldcat.org)
still can’t quite comprehend how fast it’s been, but thank you so much for keeping up to date with us throughout our first full year. we have a lot of exciting things planned for 2022 and we hope you do too! until then, we wish you a very, very happy christmas and see you in an amazing new year!
good morning december, how did we get here again? i can’t quite believe how fast this month has gone again but with all the busy festive preparations, i hope there is a little time left for inspiring stories and interesting conversations - and i really did bring a good one for you this time, as i managed to get a few words in with matt maurer, designer of the smart and sustainable home office system of arnie.m, featured in our post about interior trends at the start of this year.
ZITA: hi matt! first things first, can you say a few words about yourself – what you do and how you got there?
MATT: i’m the founder and creative director of mr.m ideas studio. mr.m specialises in brand identity, visual communication, digital design and environments. with over 50 design awards and 20 years’ experience i collaborate with creative people in many fields to make great ideas happen.
my journey before arriving at mr.m was studying graphic design at university and spending my earlier professional career working for some of the most renowned design agencies in manchester.
ZITA: and about your product - would you say that developing arnie.m was a long-held dream of yours, or was it something that evolved over time? can you give a little insight into the birth of your business?
MATT: birth is the key word! my studio is based at our small home and when we found out my wife, angela was expecting we also knew that we were presented with a spatial challenge.
life and work need to be in balance especially within the home environment. the limited space presented a challenge but that is what led us to thinking about creating a workspace that could accommodate all my design paraphernalia, yet still be compact enough to shut up shop of a working day and become an attractive piece of domestic furniture.
so, with the help of friends and contacts in the creative and craft industries in and around manchester, we took our design ideas and skilfully translated them into a for-real form – a workspace.
we were swept away as new parents when arnie arrived but once we started to get our heads around everything including sleep deprivation, we began to see how the workspace really helped. when friends and family complimented on the complete ‘office’ it led us to start out on our adventure. it took just under two years of developing and tweaking to turn our workspace in what it is today — arnie.m. (we had to name it after the little man who inspired the idea!)
ZITA: how lovely - and impressive! i actually discovered your furniture in search of home office trends which obviously blew up since 2020 and the pandemic. how has this experience been so far for getting your range known?
MATT: we only truly launched arnie.m at the end of december / january 2021, we are very much still in our infancy. we want arnie.m to be a family adventure for angela, myself and arnie plus the amazing network of skilled people who are part of a wider, very support arnie.m family. i have to say we are still finding our feet but the response and support we have received has been amazing! the highlight for us has been getting arnie.m featured in variety of well-known/high end publications which has raised our profile.
ZITA: modular design systems in general are a smart way of working but there’s also a lot of play in it for your clients. can you expand a little bit about the possibilities or how your furniture can be built up? are there any limitations to your systems or can it be theoretically expanded to huge environments (e.g. contract?)
MATT: we know creating your perfect working environment is personal, so by making arnie.m modular makes it adaptable. arnie.m starts with a frame, and you basically hang the units that best meet your needs on the sturdy (yet elegantly formed) frame. currently arnie.m has a range of different modular units which include a desk unit to several storage and display unit options, this gives you the flexibility to create your very own arnie.m
each arnie.m is handcrafted with pride and attention to detail, we only make to order. this means with the support a small but talented collective we can customise and be creative with the modular design if required, individual unit designs, sizes, even colour can all be considered. this way of working gives arnie.m the flexibility to work in different ways and look at opportunities in different environments.
ZITA: that’s really clever! i think handmade processes always allow a lot of custom tweaks indeed. can you tell a little bit more about the material choice? how important are sustainable qualities for you with regards to both materials used and your working processes?
MATT: we are not, nor do we want to be a mass-producer, having to use cheaper materials like mdf. we love ply it’s basically a ‘green’ product, its beautiful, durable and long lasting. we designed arnie.m to be easily reconfigured to meet your needs over a lifetime, individual hand-made, built to last in natural birch plywood that is FSC certified.
arnie.m has some clearly defined ambitions which focus around sustainability. we want to grow arnie.m carefully for everyone’s benefit, as mentioned we are a family not a vast global corporation. we want to support our small collective. we use only what we need in materials and packaging, avoiding waste and keep production local. by building a sustainable business we want our boy arnie to benefit from the work he’s inspired.
ZITA: this is very inspiring! i love plywood in general, i even print with it - it’s so universal. and beautiful too. what were the aesthetic driving principles of your product? do you follow any particular design school or style, or was it purely driven by function?
MATT: function was at the heart of the idea. simply our brief was to create a practical, adaptable and functioning workspace within a small space, that could also be aesthetically pleasing.
ZITA: it makes perfect sense! and now a question i ask from everyone - can you recommend a book, or another designer, artist or a maker whose work is worth looking into?
MATT: angela was the really driving force for developing the workspace into arnie.m but we were inspired by the books produced by the do book co we highly recommend taking a look at them.
ZITA: i definitely will, thank you! and last, but not least, where can we see your products at the moment? and what next for arnie.m? are you looking to grow your range?
MATT: you can view arnie.m on our website but we also currently have one arnie.m displayed in a house by urban splash show home in new Islington in manchester.
next year we look to continue to build the arnie.m brand. we are also going to explore adding new units designs to our range. and most importantly enjoy the adventure!
hello! first of all, apologies for not having posted anything for ages, zitozza have been very, very busy in the last few weeks with making stuff and taking them to events… but we haven’t yet shared the best news on the coolest (probably ever!) project - the COP26 housein glasgow. this is a sustainable model house built at the broomielaw for the COP26 climate conference and as an obsessive architecture and sustainability geek, i was eager to learn more about this and with a huge thanks to beyond zero homesi managed to put together a little bit about this.
the house itself is a project of many contributors, designed by peter smith of roderick james architects, developed bymembers of beyond zero homes - a collaboration between developers, architects, suppliers and industry bodies with the single aim to demonstrate how beautiful, affordable, healthy and comfortable homes can be developed with minimal impact on the environment, throughout their lifecycle.
photo by fourfifteen, with thanks to beyond zero homes
there’s an important thing to mention here before delving into the details here - i’d like to emphasise that this house isn’t some kind of futuristic concept, but designed for the present and built using materials and technologies that we have available today and it is very much a present imperative to use them across our building projects if we take our climate goals seriously. so what exactly are these materials and technologies and what makes a building sustainable?
according tothis assessment by daniel doran of circular ecology, the house is an exemplar of embodied carbon. most embodied carbon emissions come from the supply chain of construction products – the extraction of raw materials, processing, transporting and manufacturing and then there’s transporting products to site, installation, repair and replacement during use, and their end-of-life deconstruction and disposal. what makes the house actually carbon negative, beating RIBA’s own carbon target by large, is largely thanks to the material choice of locally grown timber. the uk is one of the largest timber importers in the world which is not only an unnecessary addition of shipping-related carbon, but growing them locally also supports reforestation and capturing carbon.
photo by fourfifteen, with thanks to beyond zero homes
the house is of course eco-conscious in using responsible heat sources and airtight insulation - it is using infrared heating which works by heating the house itself rather than the air in it, so it is much more efficient, comfortable, space saving, and perhaps the biggest benefit in a wet country such as scotland is reduced moisture. of course the insulation is achieved with triple glazing and even theinsulation and the cladding is using timber.
i’m not an expert on construction and structure, but it really amazes me how many places in the design uses timber even where we’re not that used to seeing it and it is also designed to dismantle easily - this will be demonstrated live after the conference, when the house will be disassembled and re-built in aviemore to join an affordable housing scheme of 12 of such houses. i’m going to be honest, i was a little bit sceptical about how much of these houses we can build efficiently in a city though - after all, timber is not known to be hugely scaleable, and in a climate-stable future, we want to spare as much land as possible, don’t we? however, talking aboutRIBA’s operational carbon targets, the architect peter smith said “for larger houses using this same build system, the target is significantly easier to achieve” which leaves me hoping it would work with multiple households too.
photo by fourfifteen, with thanks to beyond zero homes
last, but not least, we should talk a little bit about the decor - the house was styled by roddy clarke who made conscious decisions to continue the use of sustainable and natural materials inside with wood furniture and locally sourced soft furnishings - which is why i’m so proud and pleased to loan one of my jute rugs to the project. (while we cannot grow jute here locally, it is still one of the most sustainable textiles in the world in terms of carbon capture and water footprint.)
it really is a wonderful project and i hope that in the past few weeks, all the important people in the sector has visited and learnt from this model because we need to implement these practices right now if we want to keep our future liveable. it is easy to get into a negativity spiral about climate change, because we are undoubtedly on a depressing course and we are definitely going to feel the effects of our ignorance for a long time. however, it’s not true that we haven’t done anything or that we are unable to. we do have affordable solutions at hand with which we can limit some of this damage and we are able to use them. i do believe we are smart enough and projects such as this house makes me feel hopeful and positive for the future!
well, i hope you’ve had a lovely time visiting the scottish borders scouting for modernist icons by the wonderful peter womersley, because this is the very last stop! we arrived in the town of melrose, on the outskirts, in what seems to be a quiet, residential area, and are standing in front of the boiler house of the demolished hospital that used to be known as melrose district asylum. it is no longer there, except for the boiler house, designed by peter womersley.
built in 1977, it is another one of his award-winning works, for industrial architecure. it is a highly functional building and perhaps much more “brutalist” than the previous ones we visited so far, but it is really far from raw, in the sense that everything is finished to a great quality and the details are smart as always on his buildings.
i’m aware that hospitals use a lot of steam not just for heating the buildings but for keeping things clean and sterile too, however i’m obviously not exactly familiar with the ins and outs of a boiler house, so i cannot write too much about what functions certain parts do. what i can certainly tell (as the most prominent feature of the side of the building) that there are three hoppers on its side, which were used to store the coal and they form a great rhythm of what i call these “upside down pyramids”, built into a wall of horizontal layers and it has inspired some great geometric patterns, so even if i don’t quite understand how it works, i still find a lot of joy in the aesthetic of the building.
aesthetic it is indeed. the concrete is smooth and not worked to timber patterns this time, but the almost minimalist surface is put together from narrow slabs, forming an even, soft pattern on the surface. the joins follow this pattern, somehow it’s so easy on the eye it’s almost a source of tranquility, which is a funny thing to say about a boiler house i guess.
a the time of visiting, it was not in a great state and the concrete was visibly aging. but we’ve left this our last station not just because it really was physically the last stop of the day, but also let’s finish on a positive note: this building’s fate is no longer hanging in the balance, it is being salvaged by being developed into flatsby studio DuB. the plans look amazing, contemporary and also preserving almost all forms (they’re even keeping the chimney!) and i hope it will work out in a residential function. it’s funny to see that something that was designed to sustain one particular function could be turned into something else so beautifully but i suppose it’s always possible if you work with what’s left behind by a genius.
i’m sad to say that even though there are many more buildings around in the uk (and even worldwide) by peter womersley, we’ve come to an end of our tour. i hope you’ve enjoyed it and we hope to join us on the next one - we might have to be taking a little break as we’re getting busy with all things festive, but we’ll find time to immerse ourselves in great architecture and will definitely be back!
we’re pleased to gather you around today, ladies and gentlemen, with a few more announcements to make. zitozza has been selected for the line-up of this year’s tea green festive market at the v&a dundee. zitozza will be there for one day only, on the sunday 7th november, but the event itself takes place on the whole weekend with a whole bunch of brilliant designers and i can hardly contain myself! it will be amazing to be exhibiting at this most prestigious venue and meet fans and makers of high quality contemporary design made in scotland. really cannot wait!
but before that, i’m going somewhere much more local, finally here in the east neuk of fife, at the bowhouse market (also thanks to tea green events) also on sunday only, on the 10th october. there will be three of these in total though, with weekends also in november and december, all with a fabulous line-up of scottish makers, music and all sorts of great stuff here which i love and as a fifer, close to the heart! (and oh my god, the food! THE FOOD!)
so we’ll be looking forward to meeting you all and showcase the latest hand block printed jute stuff to you - please think about christmas in advance to ease the pressure on the poor delivery folk! let’s make shopping an event, treat your home (and yourself) to some beautiful decor and at these fairs - shop local, discover an army of local creatives, and… did i mention the food?
