Recently my husband stood me up for dinner - nothing to do but walk the streets of London alone. Aww. Fortunately, that is rarely dull, especially when around the windows of New Bond Street. This particular evening, it was Other Criteria at number 36 that especially delighted.

Not only was the entire facade wrapped in black glossy chintz, but it was co-ordinated to the clothes on display inside the (alas now closed) Mother of Pearl gallery. Loving this!

If you have not yet discovered it, Other Criteria is the publishing company founded by Damien Hirst in 2005 and they have a very good website at https://www.othercriteria.com/

I had to go back and photograph it for you properly by daylight.

The windows were created by some of the creative team behind Mother of Pearl (Maia Norman, Hirst’s wife)

It cheered me up to no end.

Nicky Haslam and Colette van den Thillart from NH Design will be designing the Sloane Square Lobby for 2011.

NH Design is proud to be a part of Decorex International 2011 and will be designing the Lobby this year. The Lobby will reflect Nicky’s and Colette’s style which is distinguishable for its humour, charm and wit and is recognisable all over the world with projects undertaken in cities such as London, New York, Barbados, Monaco, Los Angeles and Paris. Decorex International is an exhibition of high end interior design products for the professional interior designer and interior design retailer and will be at the South Grounds, Chelsea Royal Hospital from the 25^th-28^th September 2011.

Under the guidance of Nicky Haslam and his Creative Director Colette van den Thillart, NH Design’s creative team combines a unique sense of history with a modern contemporary outlook and the firm works on projects all over the globe including the English countryside and London, New York, Morocco, New Orleans, Denmark, Montreal, Barbados and Moscow. Clients have included, among hundreds, Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, Rod Stewart, The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Hong Kong and the playwright Hugh Bush.

This weekend sees the opening of the annual Hackwood Art Festival in the grounds of Huish House at Old Basing in Hampshire. The festival promotes contemporary artists and at the same time raises money for charity. I was asked if I would loan a collection of my interior watercolours from past and present projects, as I believe I am almost the last designer who initially visualises an interior with paint and not pixels. One of my closet friends Bryan Ferry very kindly wrote the introduction to the exhibition for the catalogue. Bryan, a keen collector of early 20^th century British artists, has a discerning eye for a painting and over the years has formed a superb art collection.

I am very impressed by the quality of the work that is displayed in the show, particularly Jo Burton and her witty interpretation of interiors through paint mixed with gold lustre and the collages of Darrell Pockett, who used to be a senior designer at the BBC. I would recommend a visit, with temperatures set to soar this weekend escape the hoards and the heat and head to Hackwood.

I actually remember the first time I was shown how to burn the edges of paper and use wax and charcoal to produce antique effects. It was a mystical moment, and recollected recently when I saw these junior projects on the wall at my daughter’s school.

Don’t we all still adore this? Torn love letters splashed with pink paint.

Or our very own Czainski’sfeats of Trompe L’oiel…

My friend and conservator Julie Fitzgerald travels the world painstakingly restoring works on paper including things like this 18 Century lampshade…I like to tease her that I generally prefer the ‘before’.

And, as usual, this idea crosses the arts, into fashion, and even video…super cool.

These young artists in Vienna walk the streets with self authored miniatures pinned to white overalls. The works are small vignettes of their canvases, and they are for sale. It takes chutzpah to self promote like this….I like it.