Percy Bass ltd

Percy Bass ltd

184 Walton Street, London SW3 2JL

http://www.percybass.com/

Percy Bass is an interior design company run by Jane Morris. The Percy Bass shop is a small but wonderfully rich room full of surface design. Shown above is the book titled 'The decorators guide' written by Jane Morris and Jennie Elias, it is full of every designer that Percy Bass has ever used in their interior design buisness. The book lists every designer plus contact details, it is a great resource for potential work experience placements. Percy Bass also like to purchase some of their items from young designers, if they are unique and well manufactured. Jane Morris can be found in the shop and is very approachable.

Octavia Foundation The Community Charity Shop

211 Brompton Road, South Kensington, SW3 2ED, London.

Located on Brompton Road not far from the main entrance to the Victoria and Albert museum, Octavia Foundation supply designer second hand clothing at reasonable prices. For a young designer they also have affordable homeware products and a selection of handmade papers, gift wraps and gift cards. There is also brand new gifts available to purchase aswell as second hand ones.

Victoria & Albert Museum

For a surface designer the Victoria and Albert museum is probably one of the most resourceful and inspirational museums in all of London. There is such a vast range of artifacts to discover, you can visit the V&A a hundred times and always discover something new on each visit.
If you are ever stuck for inspiration then take an afternoon to explore the V&A, there are numerous types of patterns and multi cultural masterpieces to look at, you will easily be inspired to create something beautiful after looking at what the V&A has to offer.
The William Morris section at the V&A is a must see for a surafce designer, they display Morris's original designs and explain his method of woodblock printing, located near by is a selection of 18th century Japenese woodblock printing which is arguably just as important for a surface designer to see.
There is just so much to see in the V&A I find it difficult to narrow it it down, I recommend that you explore it for yourself , but whilst there it is vital to pay a visit to the museum shop as it is a magnificent reflection of surface design. 

http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/d/designers/

This link will take you to the V&A website and its section for designers, it has numerous invaluable articles for designers.

The Victoria and Albert Museum is located at Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL, nearest tube is South Kensington

Opening times

10.00 to 17.45 daily
10.00 to 22.00 Fridays

Customer experience at Harrods

As a customer entering Harrods I was cautious about the reception I would recieve from staff and onlooking customers. I was quick to judge Harrods before I had been there because of its reputation as a high class department store, in a well known wealthy area. In actual fact I was more welcomed than I have previously been in some of the hight street stores in Oxford Street. Harrods are obviously keen to create a warm atmosphere and train their staff to high stadards to accomplish this, and its probably one of the reasons why they are so successful in maintaining a tourist trade.
As a designer I find that Harrods like Harvey Nichols is a great resource where all designers are accessible, and you can comfortably explore their current lines for market research. I found that I was able to spend my time walking around with my sketchbook and take notes, feel the fabrics and I did not get judgeful looks from the staff. Whereas before when I had been to the designers actual outlets also available in Knightsbrige, I did not feel welcomed inside so I had to do my research from the window displays.
Harrods also has an in store gallery called the Halcyon gallery located on the second floor. The Halcyon gallery deals in rare masterpieces from period to pop art, there are a few Warhol editions available but you are not permitted to take photographs.
As a designer I recommend Harrods as great learning resource for the design field, you just have to walk around the departments and explore the variety of surface design attainable. I hope you have as much of  a welcomed experience as I did and if you take yourself beyond the ground floor then I promise you will be enlightened.

Harrods In store Furniture and Interior Design

http://www.harrods.com/

Listed below is the furniture and interior design departments that are available in Harrods, which I have taken from the official Harrods website. If you are interested in these fields then there are essential contact numbers for portenial work experience or placemnet inquiries.

Harrods furniture department

A world of expert craftsmanship and cutting-edge design awaits in Harrods furniture department. From the ornately traditional to the ultra-modern you'll discover distinguished collections and limited-edition pieces from the following designers: And So To Bed, Angelo Cappellini, Artistic, BoConcept, Cattelan Italia, Christopher Guy, Clive Christian, Collins & Hayes, Duresta, Fendi, Giorgio, Hästens, Hülsta, Ian Dickson, Jensen, John Richard, Jonathan Charles, Lema, Ligne Roset, Malerba, Mood, Natuzzi, Opera, Parker & Farr, Porada, Reflex, R.E.H. Kennedy, Roche Bobois, Rolf Benz, Savoir, Selva, Starbay, Vi-Spring, Wade & many more.

Furniture, Second Floor

Boutique Design Services

Both Ralph Lauren and Bo Concept offer a full interior design service as well as expansive collections of furniture, soft furnishings, lighting and accessories.

Ralph Lauren Gallery, Third Floor
020 7730 1234

Curtain making

Our team can create bespoke window dressings to your precise requirements, including curtains, blinds, wallcoverings, valances and pelmets, as well as matching soft accessories such as bed-coronas, quilted bedspreads, cushions and upholstery. Harrods expert workrooms will measure up your windows, while you purchase the fabric from the department. Also available are the blinds and panel and hardware range from Silent Gliss for contemporary interiors.
Bespoke trimmings to complement are also possible.

Furnishing Fabrics, Third Floor
020 7730 1234 ext. 2029

Furniture re-upholstery

Choose fabric from our selection in Furnishing Fabrics and we can recover or re-upholster your furniture for you.

Furnishing Fabrics, Third Floor
020 7730 1234, ext. 2029

ABC Carpets

For carpets and rugs, visit ABC Carpets, with over 4,500 pieces including designer, contemporary and antique. ABC carpets offer a fitted carpet service as well as a bespoke ordering service and visits to your home, business or property can also be arranged.

ABC Carpets, Second Floor
020 7730 1234 ext. 8548

Envie D'Art

16 Victoria Grove
UK- W8 5RW LONDON
Open from Wednesday to Saturday

from 10.00am to 6.00pm
T. +44 (0)20 758 982 00

Envie D'Art is a new generation gallery, located in a secluded area it was a lucky find on my trail. The gallery is new exciting and has a vast range of contemporary artists such as Fred Bred, Robert Bradford and Kate Brinkworth.

Medici Gallery, Exhibition Road, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea SW7

Medici Gallery is a small shop located just across the road from the Victoria and Albert museum. It is a treasure trove of gift cards, gift wrap and has a huge selection of surface design knick knacks, aswell as a department at the back of the store that sells original prints and artwork. If you are in the area then you should take a look, it is a great source of market research and you might even want to purchase a gift for yourself!

Kensington Parish Christ Church

I stumbled across Kensington Parish Christ church when I was strolling through the area, and I thought it was charming building that had a lot of charisma. The church could easily be at home in a small countryside villiage, but it is located in a London suburb. I noticed the church steeple as I walking past but it was the sound of childrens laughter that drew me to investigate. The church is home to an after school ballet class for the local children. The laughter that I heard was from parents and children playing in the church garden after ballet had ended. The church welcomes the public to enjoy the garden, which is very well kept. The church building itself is very inspirational and holds classic carved windows with beautiful stain glass. If you appreciate charmingly beautiful churches then I recommend that you pay Christ Church a visit, as a source of inspiration or meerly just to be at peace with your thoughts.

Kensington Gardens

As a student living in central London it is easy to become embedded into the urban landscapes that we are surrounded by, and although it can be very inspirational as artists we can in time forget about nature and what is natural. When I emerged from the countryside to study at the University of the Arts I was dubious that London would have any natural landscapes to offer, Kensington Gardens however, proved me wrong.
Stepping across the busy main road and entering a green enclosure, I realised that I was leaving behind a chaotic city and walking into a pastoral paradise. Kensington gardens becomes inspirational within the first footstep onto green land.
Walking through the endless acres of green grass you forget that you are in London at all, even the noise of the continual city regime is unheard. Instead it is peacful and the fields seem like they could stretch on forever, every now and then exposing hidden green sanctuaries or an enticing lake; there are many secrets that Kensington gardens has to offer.
When I explored Kensington gardens I felt as though I was in a fantasy world, every corner I turned I was discovering nature that I thought unimaginable in London. I recommend the gardens for exploring, because if  you have been looking at concrete for too long then Kensington Gardens will revitalise your imagination. Take a stroll, take your sketchbook and just relax and enjoy the natural beauty because a pastoral paradise like Kensington gardens is a rare find in Central London.