Top Ten Reasons Why You Need To Be At The Historic Buildings Parks & Gardens Event 2014

The annual Historic Buildings Parks & Gardens Event is just around the corner and we have compiled a list of our favourite top ten reasons to attend this major heritage conservation day. (In no particular order). 

The Historic Buildings Parks & Gardens Event 2014

The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Broad Sanctuary, Westminster London SW1P 3EE

Tuesday 18 November 2014 9.00am – 5.00pm

• Over 75 companies and organisations will be offering products and services involved in the care, repair and conservation of historic buildings, parks and gardens will be exhibiting.

• The superb major heritage event has been running for over 30 years and is currently held at the  Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster, London.

• The Historic Buildings Parks & Gardens Event will be held in parallel with the Historic Houses Association's AGM 

• During the event visitors are invited to listen to three interesting and insightful speakers from 11:30am, 11:55am and 2:45pm (subject to seating availability).

• This years 2014 HHA AGM guest speaker will be Chairman of The National Trust, Sir Simon Jenkins.

• The last lecture, in association with HHA and Smiths Gore, will see French brothers, Jean-Charles and Alexandre de Vogüé, of Château de Vaux leVicomte,  talk about their ambitious restorations plans for the château and gardens.

• From the traditional to cutting-edge technology, the exhibition will provide an opportunity to gather information and to discuss such issues as building conservation and repair, carpet restoration, computer systems, estate management, gates, gilding, glasshouses, insurance, interior decoration, ironwork, terracotta, textiles, windows and even vehicles and visitor attractions. 
  
  
• The event is exclusively for owners and guardians of historic buildings (private, commercial and industrial), parks and gardens, as well as management staff, professional advisers and predefined organisations and their members. 

• Visitors can register free of charge on the day (providing you are one of the above).

• And finally, over 1,200 visitors attend the event every year - will you be one of them!

We are looking forward to the Historic Buildings Park and Gardens event and showcasing our modern Zardi & Zardi take on historic textiles and paintings.

Please be aware the event is not to the general public unless you belong to one of the above. Organisations that are invited to attend, are as follows:

20th Century Society
AHSS
Ancient Monuments Society
Architects & Surveyors Institute
Association of Garden Trusts
Association for Independent Museums
Association of Preservation Trusts
BADA
British Antique Furniture Restorers' Association
British Society of Master Glass Painters
Cadw*
Civic Trust
COTAC
Council for British Archaeology
Council for the Care of Churches
Council for the Prevention of Art Theft
CPRE
Country Landowners and Business Owners Association
English Heritage*
English Historic Towns Forum
Fountain Society
Garden History Society
Georgian Group
Green Wood Trust
High Sheriff’s Association
Historic Houses Association
Historic Royal Palaces
Historic Scotland
Institute of Conservation (ICON)
Institute of Historic Building Conservation
Institute of Horticulture
Institute of Leisure & Amenity Management
Institute of Maintenance and Building Management
Institute of Paper Conservation
International Council on Monuments & Sites (ICOMOS)
Landscape Institute
London Parks and Gardens Trust
Museums Association
National Association of Decorative & Fine Art Societies**
National Churches Trust
National Council for the Conservation of Plants & Gardens
National Trusts (England, Scotland & Wales)*
Professional Gardeners' Guild
Royal Forestry Society of England, Wales & N Ireland
Royal Institute of British Architects+
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors+
Royal Town Planning Institute+
Society of Archivists
Society of Architectural Historians
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
Society of Garden Designers
Society of London Art Dealers
United Kingdom Institute for Conservation
Victorian Society

* Management and professional staff
** NADFAS Volunteers
+ Relevant groups only
The above list is not exhaustive and other organisations may be invited to attend

Our Experience - Decorex 2014

This year marked the 37th annual show for the UK's leading luxury design and interiors event.  Decorex International, returning to it's former home in Syon Park played host to over 400 exhibitors and over 13,000 visitors during the inspiring 4-day fair in September 2014.

Surround by beautiful parkland the vast Decorex marquees showcased both established brands alongside fresh and emerging talents (designers and makers), such as  Liberty Art Fabrics Interiors, Eley Kishimoto, Maya Romanoff, Interior ID and Scapa House. This year also saw Decorex coinciding with the 300th anniversary King George I ascension to the throne and therefore a Georgian theme was set.   Perfect for Zardi & Zardi as many of our wall-hangings have Georgian origins.

Our stand was located in the second marquee opposite established french business Veronese, whose luxury Murano glass lighting fixtures and mirrors twinkled as they caught the sunlight and MARI IANIQ, the latest name to the London design scene whose statement contemporary furniture, lighting and accessories were real eye-catchers.

Our Zardi collection of wall-hangings, curtains and fabric walling complemented these other stands perfectly and made our corner an interesting mix of heritage and contemporary designs.  

This was the first time we had exhibited at Decorex by ourselves and we were delighted by the feedback. Debuting our new collection, 'Neutrals', our stand set itself apart with its historic designs , as we showcased a variety of looks that not only look fabulous in modern settings but period interiors as well.  For more information on our 'Neutrals' Collection, please visit out website www.zardiandzardi.co.uk/neutrals.

Decorex International is always a magnificent event and well worth a visit, we are already looking forward to next year and sharing our unique take on modern historic tapestry designs.  For 2014 show highlights visit Decorex.com.

In the meantime here are some great tweets that summed up this years show:

One of the most unique exhibitors at #Decorex, we adore the #beautiful historic fabric printing of Zardi & Zardi.... http://t.co/t9tP3V7v94

— Decorex (@Decorex_Intl) August 19, 2014

Original #circular #lighting from @Baroncelli_ will certainly be one of our #Decorex 2014 highlights! pic.twitter.com/gNYziYrKSE

— Decorex (@Decorex_Intl) September 24, 2014

Mind blowing 3D printed ceramics @Decorex_Intl !!! #Decorex2014 pic.twitter.com/DUUfXm3nDD

— Dudgeon Sofas (@DudgeonLtd) September 24, 2014

We chat with Mari Ianiq at Decorex 2014 http://t.co/CcKSYxO12R #decorex

— Inside ID (@InsideID_UK) September 27, 2014

An amazing contribution to this year @Decorex_Intl Lapicida at Decorex 2014 UK: http://t.co/JYaf1pH7kO via @YouTube

— Simone (@Simone_Decorex) October 1, 2014

The entrance to the Decorex 2014 show is always special and this year was no different.  Unlike last year... http://t.co/mgfWKA5S3y

— nylonliving (@Nylonliving) October 7, 2014

A great round up of #Decorex 2014 in images by @ArthousePR http://t.co/3FCuNEXord

— Decorex (@Decorex_Intl) October 17, 2014

Classic Collection Wall Hangings Now Available to Buy Online

We are very excited to announce Zardi & Zardi are now accepting online payments from our website. 

Which is just in time for a stunning new fabric Collection launch and our 10^th anniversary.  While we had a complete website overhaul last year, it is only now that we have decided to add the ‘buy now’ service for our luxury Belgian linen wall hangings.

“Everything we create is made to order, but that fact that we now have a buy now button on our website is a significant move for Zardi & Zardi, and rather exciting”, says Director PJ Keeling, “This year marks a real turning point for the company, not only are we celebrating our 10^th anniversary but we are also launching a new fabric Collection in September at Decorex and we now have e-commerce, as my staff say we have arrived in the 21^st century!”

Classic Collection Wall Hanging in Neutral colour way displayed as Bedhead

Initially the online ‘buy now’ payment system will only be available for retail wall hanging purchases. Customers who wish to enquire about Bespoke Collection, Unique Commissions and trade options are encouraged to email or call us directly.

 

Our Zardi & Zardi fabric wall hangings are made using state of the art photography and printing equipment. Beautiful heritage tapestry designs are carefully sourced from a variety of public and private collections, and are then printed onto luxury Belgian linens.  

The Classic Collection and Neutral Collection wall hangings are priced at £1,100 each. Sizes per individual product do vary, but range between 125x175cm (4” x 5’9”) to 220x140cm (7’2” x 4’7”). UK postage and packaging is priced at £25.00 per wall hanging.

5 Top Reasons Why You Really MUST Visit Decorex 2014

Decorex 2014 is only 5 weeks away and we are super excited here at Zardi & Zardi HQ. The highlight of the interior decorating world, this years event promises to bring an insight into fabulous trends for the forthcoming year, seminars from leading industry experts and a whole host of new product launches.

Decorex is being held at Syon Park, London between 21st to 24th September 2014 and we have come up with 5 Top Reasons Why You Really MUST Visit!

Reason 1 - The Entrance:

The highly anticipated show entrance created by design royalty.  Set to be quite spectacular, it will see eight magnificent Georgian scenes based on the series of paintings by 18th century English artist William Hogarth entitled 'A Rake's Progress'  reinterpreted in a contemporary way.  The fantastic leading brands and industry designers who will be contributing are:

Nigel Coates, Harlequin London, Fromental, Russell Sage, Timorous Beasties, Retrouvius,  Shaun Clarkson, Altfield, De Gournay and Kit Kemp

Reason 2 - The Exhibitors:

Over 350 exhibitors showcasing everything from walling to lighting, entertain to education and accessories to furniture plus everything in-between. 

Reason 3 - The Seminars:

A fantastic line up industry experts hosting inspiring seminars talking about topics ranging from trend forecasts to brand building and hotel design influences. The insightful seminars will run throughout the four day event and speakers include Daniel Hopwood, Nigel Coates, Sara Cosgrove and Corinne Julius. 

Reason 4:

The interactive installations showcasing amazing master weavers, skilled sculptors and specialist printers creating luxury interior products. Exhibitors in this area include, Watts of Westminster, FRONT London, Spina and Locker & Riley.


Reason 5 - Zardi & Zardi!:

We will be there! Yes we are excited to be launching the latest collection in our portfolio entitled Neutrals. This fabric collection, ideal for wall hangings and floor-to-ceiling fabric walling, will see our original historic designs reinterpreted in a neutral colour palette. It is set to challenge the perceptions of what a traditional tapestry should look like. 

Visit Zardi & Zardi at Decorex Stand K52

Plus here are a few more….kindly mentioned to us after we spoke to Decorex on twitter!

You're making us blush @ZardiandZardi, but we couldn't agree more! #Decorex

— Decorex (@Decorex_Intl) August 26, 2014

Well of course @ZardiandZardi! Our Champagne Bar, Future Heritage, Lapicida Tent, Decorex Food Market, Bocca Di Lupo restaurant...

— Decorex (@Decorex_Intl) August 26, 2014

@ZardiandZardi... and so much more! #Decorex

— Decorex (@Decorex_Intl) August 26, 2014

Of course! The champagne bar! Looking forward to that one.. …as well as all the other exciting exhibits @Decorex_Intl

— Zardi & Zardi (@ZardiandZardi) August 26, 2014

@ZardiandZardi How could you forget the bubbles!? It wouldn't be #Decorex without champagne! #Enjoy

— Decorex (@Decorex_Intl) August 26, 2014

What are you most looking forward to at Decorex this year?

#7 Brilliant Reasons Why You Should Use Fabric Walling

Fabric walling is a fantastic wall décor that is often over looked. But why! It is a beautiful medium that can transform the entire look and feel of a space. Whether upholstering every single wall in a room or simply decorating one wall with a fabric mural.  Fabric walling can invoke the senses like no other wall-covering can.

We have explored the web and spoken to interior decorators and come up with 7 top reasons why fabric walling is a fantastic and stylish way to decorate your home.

1.  Looks Fantastic In Both Modern And Period Spaces

"Wonderful in old English and French country houses as well as brilliant for adding warmth, pattern and texture to more modern spaces".

Sarah Reed - Hard Hat Property

2. Perfect For Absorbing Sounds

"Attached with battens and padding fabric walling is great for absorbing sound and creating ambiance - perfect for Home Cinemas".

Mille Couleurs

3.     A Wide Variety of Fabrics To Choose From

"From linens to velvets, leathers and wools, there are so many different fabrics to choose from when deciding on your fabric wall décor".  

Zardi & Zardi

4.    Cleverly Hides Imperfections

"Fabric can often be a better option than having to prepare and smooth poor quality, rough walls as the fabric can disguise uneven services".  

Ballards

5. Effortlessly Lends Itself To Casual Or Formal Interiors

"It can be designed to offer either a casual or formal look, creating an inviting atmosphere and a sleek, tailored style".

Mille Couleurs

6.     Brilliant At Creating Hidden Elements

"Practical and versatile, fabric walling is brilliant at hiding modern day elements such as sound systems".

June Perkins Interiors

7.     Super At Keeping Drafts At Bay

"Wall decoration dates back as far as the earliest cave paintings. People have used leather and fabric walling to insulate their houses for centuries".

Squidoo

Which reason on this list would inspire you to use fabric walling in your next interior decorating project? Do you have any other tips or reasons you could add?

If you would like further information about Zardi & Zardi's fabric walling please visit our website or join us this September at Decorex International as we launch our exciting new A/W ‘14 fabric walling collection.

21st September - 24th September, Syon Park, London

Top Ten Interior Decorator Tips

We recently came across a super post on HouseBeautiful showcasing 101 quotes from top interior designers. We were so impressed we thought we would share our favourite ten. 

In no particular order:

• "Use wallpaper in unexpected places: on the ceiling in a panelled room, in closets, hallways, and small foyers. A great pattern or texture in small spaces can be a prodigious twist!" Lindsey Coral Harper

• "A good paint formula for ceiling is the trim colour plus 50% white" Allison Caccoma

• "The perfect amount of space between a mirror and the top of a mantel is 7" J. Randall Powers

• "Always line curtains in the same material all throughout the house so there's continuity from the outside." Susan Zises Green

• "Measure the depth of your dressers, desks, and other furniture before purchasing a rug. The rug should stop before the furniture in most cases."Angie Hranowsky

• "Hang curtains. They make a room seem finished. Think of them as the lipstick of decorating." Peter Dunham

• "I love to use paper-backed linen on bedroom walls. in cream or pale yellow it gives a softness that paint can't make." Libby Cameron

• "When you don't have dimmers, use 15-watt bulbs to simulate candlelight. Works like magic." Mary McDonald

• "Throw pillow with Turkish corners are so much plumper and more luxe than regular knife-edge squares, and they really soften a modern sofa." Nick Olsen

• "A rectangular table is ideal at about 36" in width. This allows for conversation with your neighbours to the right and left and across the table, a real bonus." Charlotte Moss

What do you think? Feel free to add your own tips below:
--
Pia
Zardi & Zardi

Tapestries - The Beginning Of Our Social World?

Do the historic tapestries of yesteryear and today’s trend for social media have much in common? At Zardi & Zardi we recently discovered a blog written by The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) that examined this topic, so we decided to delve into how the social experience of a tapestry could have been one of the early forms of social media too.

The ways in which we absorb content has changed over time, yet there are still undeniable links with the past. The ever growing list of social media platforms, televisions, smart phones, computers, tablets, newspapers and magazines have all been invented to share content and enrich lives, with the majority of these innovations using visual means to communicate. Tapestries can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and therefore, could be argued that this art form is one of the earliest ways in which social visual narratives and messages were brought to the masses.

The social scene starts right at the beginning of a tapestry’s existence. From the creation of the initial cartoon (sketch) by the designers to the weavers intricately building the marvellous textiles, these skilled workers would spend weeks and months working together to create single panels.  As the MET (2014) pointed out “If you thought texting was a great way to communicate, consider the work of these weavers: they literally let their fingers do the talking”.

Following the creation of these magnificent pieces, often completed in the famous European textile houses of the time, we know that most tapestries were appointed for private noble homes; however, there were countless tapestries that were also commissioned for public spaces such as churches, to be used for large celebrations and festivals. But wherever these works of art hung, it would become a sociable viewing opportunity, allowing spectators to admire, discuss and contemplate the intricate tapestries with each other. Similar to ‘sharing’ an interesting or humorous post on Facebook the tapestries of the past were also made for sharing, as with relative ease they could be rolled up and transported to a different venue. Showcasing its splendour to whole new audience for interpretation and appreciation.

As with the different social media layouts of today, think Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest, tapestries were also designed in an array of formats. The three most popular styles were armorials (crests/coat of arms), narratives (stories using humans and animals), verdures and/or landscapes (scenery with the occasional animal).

Vedures and landscapes showcased what the world looked like at that time, a snap shot from your camera phone if you like, it enabled the viewer to look at what type of plants and trees that were in fashion, as well as favoured animals – a captured moment.

Narratives, similar to producing YouTube video, used human figures and animals to project a detailed story to the viewer, often incorporating panels that had a small ‘woven inscription explaining or commenting on the scene’ (MET, 2014). The tapestry shown here, ‘Swan and Otter’, depicts a hunting scene, which was a very popular choice. It shows great details and the closer you look the more it comes to life. Biblical and mythological tales were also popular options for narrative tapestries.

The armorial designed tapestries proclaimed to the world the professional and family status, as well as the wealth of the noble family’s who commissioned it, like your LinkedIn profile though maybe you wouldn’t be quite as elaborate! Click here to see an armorial tapestry displayed at the MET.

Users of today’s social media, especially Facebook and Twitter often use it to express their tastes, wealth, personal achievements and views, as well as to report significant events and/or their political alliance. The tapestries of the past were no different and often commissioned for exactly the same purposes. Social one-upmanship is quite a common occurrence in today’s social press, namely twitter, particularly with celebrities but nothing compares to the battle of power and prominence of the past, when “tapestries were an important measure of these struggles” (MET, 2014).  Great rulers would try and outdo each other by commissioning the most impressive and largest sets of tapestries, often wooven with luxurious materials including gold- and silver-metal-wrapped threads. It was an extremely public way using “the prestigious and expensive medium of the tapestry to make a statement about larger widespread political struggles that ultimately shaped the course of history” (MET, 2014).

As part of the process of commissioning spectacular tapestries, the nobles would also want their likeness or subjects likeness to be pleasing to the eye. Artists in previous centuries are well known for aesthetically enhancing the physical appearance of their subjects and many tapestries also received this treatment. If you think about it today, is similar to an Instagram filtered image. It seems that no matter what era, the viewing public like to see art at its best. The elaborate tapestries were also wonderful for allowing spectators to admire and take note of the fashionable clothing trends, popular architecture, types of interiors, as well as landscapes and horticultural designs. Creating a desire for that very fashion in their own abodes and wardrobes, comparable to designing and viewing a Pinterest board on your tablet or phone.

Social media is the modern equivalent of a grand tapestry communicating to the masses and the technology platforms of today allow us to weave together events, styles and views of our lives for an external audience to see, admire, criticise and comment. There is a whole myriad of other messages that could be communicated through the textiles. Please take a look on our website and see what stories you can uncover in our Classic, Bespoke and Unique Collections. 

“If you ever find yourself lost for words, you can still say it with a tapestry” (MET, 2014).

Dumfries House and Greek Mythological Tapestries

In August 2013 we were commissioned to make four replica printed tapestries for Dumfries House by The Great Steward of Scotland’s Dumfries House Trust.  

Hung in the panelled Tapestry Room, which was designed by the well-known Scottish architect Robert Weir Schultz in 1895, the four magnificent tapestries depict various Greek mythological scenes; ‘The Triumph of Minerva’, ‘The Procession of Bacchus’, ‘The Crowning of Diana’ and ‘Apollo’. The tapestries were fairly large and ranged in sizes from 3.72 x 3.73m to 3.72 x 6.30m.

We began the twelve-week project in August 2013 when Zardi & Zardi was appointed, as the original collection of tapestries were scheduled to be taken down for conservation and cleaning. 

As with all of our commissions, each tapestry was intricately photographed by one of our trusted photographers. Then printed using the latest technology onto beautiful linens, these were then interlined and lined before being hand seamed and weighted in order to give the tapestries the right hang.

 We completed the de-installation and installation in October 2013 and the replicas will hang in the Tapestry Room until spring 2015. Once the original tapestries have been cleaned and returned to Dumfries House  we are set to go back photograph them, which we are already looking forward too. The conservation of these already stunning pieces of art will enhance them ten fold.

It was a wonderful project to have been involved with and everyone had very high standards of how the tapestries should look and feel; this definitely pushed us to achieve an impressive high quality finish that we are extremely proud of.