Ruislip & Eastcote & Northwood Gazette
Hit the right style notes
IT hasn’t been the greatest year for music lovers with summer festival season pretty much cancelled and indoor performances banned since March. And while some parts of the country are now taking tentative steps to get socially-distanced performances back up and running, it could be some months before concerts return to their full glory. If you’re someone who is missing their live music fix, you might be looking for a creative outlet to channel your energy (not to mention the money saved from gig tickets).
The home is the perfect place to express your love of music. But forget piano key-inspired rugs, guitar shaped CD holders and treble-clef shelving, music-inspired interiors have grown up considerably in the last few years, so hitting the perfect style notes has never been easier.
Get lyrical
Everyone has a favourite song. And if yours is one you are not ashamed of admitting to, why not let the world, okay, house guests (current guidance permitted) know about it?
The easiest and probably the cheapest way to do this is with printed artwork. Scour sites such as Etsy and Not on the High Street and you’ll find a plethora of creatives who can bring your favourite song to life in a personalised print.
However, if you’re looking for something with a little more impact, consider getting a customised neon sign with the title or a line from your favourite song emblazoned across it.
Compared to a personalised print, neon signs can be a little on the pricier side but again, you’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to companies offering this service.
So the key here is to do your research and find one that not only suits your budget but also offers plenty of choice when it comes to fonts and colours so you can seamlessly slot this into your existing décor.
Poster power
Hands up if, during your formative teenage years, your bedroom walls were covered from top to bottom in posters of your favourite musicians. Mine certainly were. While the times may have moved on, my love for some of the bands that adorned by bedroom walls has remained firm.
But instead of ripping pages out of Smash Hits or Top of the Pops magazine, framed artwork is now the way forward.
If you want to pay homage to your all-time favourites, you could choose to frame album artwork or a promo
tional poster. However, I am a big fan of re-imagined illustrations such as those by artist Andy Tuohy. His latest collection pays homage to the Gods of Synth, including Depeche Mode and The Eurythmics and are a million miles away from the cheap posters of my 90s childhood.
If the pioneers of electronic music aren’t your thing, there are plenty of artists whose work celebrates bands and musicians across the whole musical spectrum.
Guilty Pleasures
One of the best things about music is the pure joy it brings to the listener, and interiors should have the same effect. Don’t take it too seriously.
Shop around for items that truly bring a smile to your face, in the same way that hearing a long-forgotten yet much-loved tune does.
So, if you fancy drying the dishes with a tea towel featuring your musical icon’s face, do it. Mint & May has launched a fabulous collection of tea towels featuring bold silhouettes of the likes of Amy Winehouse, Liam Gallagher and Prince among others.
Or, perhaps you want to spell out your musical taste right on the doorstep. Red Candy has recently added a Rolling Stones’ inspired doormat to their collection, so visitors can wipe their feet across those iconic lips before entering your home.
And finally, it might be a little too early to mention the C-word, but let’s face it, once the summer holidays are over it will be full speed towards Christmas. And fans of the Fab Four might want to invest in a beauty of a bauble from Rockett St George featuring the one and only John Lennon.
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LEADING scientist Professor Stephen Hawking worked with his daughter Lucy on science fiction series George’s Secret Key To The Universe for young readers. They also brought out Unlocking The Universe, packed with facts about space.
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MADONNA’S first children’s book, The English Roses, became an international best seller after it was published in 2003 and it has been followed by Lotsa de Casha, Mr Peabody’s Apples and Yakov And The Seven Thieves. The English Roses was influenced by her daughter Lourdes and she accompanied her mum on several book tours.
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OF THEE I SING: A Letter To My Daughters was written by former US President Barack
Obama in
2010. The children’s picture book highlighted the lives of
13 groundbreaking Americans from astronaut Neil Armstrong to singer Billie Holiday.
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BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT judge Alesha Dixon’s fifth children’s book, Star Switch, was published by Scholastic earlier this year. The mother of daughters Azura and Anaya said: “I had a wonderful moment recently when Azura wrote her own book, because she’d seen me write mine. If I can inspire her to create something just by watching me, then it makes all I’m doing worthwhile.”