Inspiration

Your Seasonal Switch Up; Styling Our New Ando Collection for Living

6th October 2022

This season’s Ando collection is one of our most ambitious yet. The goal of the new range has been to create a set of timeless and unique pieces that inspire a feeling of wellness within the home and create a haven, away from the pressures of modern life. Inspired by Eastern traditions and techniques throughout the design process, we named the collection after the Japanese word, Ando - meaning peace, comfort and calm. All of which mirror the reflective quality of the range and what we hope to bring to your interiors.

Discover future heritage pieces that can be paired with seasonal add-ins without any compromise on style. Soft, trailing florals coordinate with Japanese-inspired motifs, leafy bamboo prints and raw, earthy materials. Our new Peony design pays homage to traditional Bingata decoration, while embroidered napkins reinterpret Sashiko stitching techniques. On tables lacquered bobbin candlesticks sit against woven reed placemats and pencil-cut glassware for a look that feels rich in heritage, yet fresh and original. Luxurious soft furnishings coordinate with on-trend accents and classical pieces so that the range can be mixed and styled with ease. New additions to our artist collective add to the versatility of the collection and give the opportunity to create a rich, seasonal look on any scale.

COMFORT FROM THE GROUND UP

When switching up an interior for the new season, one the easiest and simplest ways to instantly change the feel of a room can be through introducing a new rug. As the colder months set in, you may want to opt for one with a deeper pile and softness underfoot for extra comfort throughout winter. One of our hero pieces from the new collection is the Dayra rug. Designed by Birdie and hand-woven in Northern Afghanistan, these exceptional rugs are created by hand using a traditional knotting technique known as the Turkoman Baft. There are between 75,000 and 90,000 hand tied knots in each square meter, creating an incredibly soft and thick pile. The ‘Gabbeh’ design of the Darya Rug is achieved using natural dyes to create playful, abstracted patterns that will complement both traditional and contemporary interiors.

THE QUICK FIX

Another easy seasonal refresh is to switch up your cushions. Dark nights call for evenings spent in front of the fire surrounded by luxurious textures and rich colours. Soft velvets are particularly comforting this time of year, our Shisho embroidered range are generous in size and come in three deep colours, choose from Carmine Red, Indigo Blue and Forest Green. The rich tonal Shisho cushions make a bold statement on any sofa or armchair and are easy to add to existing schemes. As with every collection, our range of cushions are perfect for mixing and matching. Layering varying prints, sizes, colour and texture adds warmth and depth to your home. Add the Edo Stripe Cushion to your sofa arrangement for a contemporary touch, the versatile print works well alongside other Ando cushions - add in a leafy bamboo print or Peony trailing floral to balance the scheme. Keep your arrangement interesting by using a selection of different cushion sizes and aim for balanced asymmetry. Finally, add an Ori throw to your sofa for added comfort and warmth. Made from natural wool, these generously sized throws have a pleasing aged texture that allows them to sit harmoniously alongside a variety of different textiles.

GET THE RIGHT LIGHT

As the natural light of our summer evenings starts to fade, winter provides the perfect opportunity to create cocooning ambience within our homes. Complete your seasonal switch up by introducing a new combination of lamps into your interior. Try mixing different styles and heights of lamp to achieve the perfect light within your space. The Ando collection features a variety of wooden, ridged glass and ceramic lamps. Head here for Birdie’s guide to getting the lighting right in any room.

Whether you are a dab hand with a brush or planning to get someone in, here are a few ideas of ways to enhance your space using our new paints.

Color swatches labeled with names from 'Birdie Fortescue' collection by Fenwick & Tilbrook.

Dining table setting with floral arrangement, candles, and plates in a room with a framed artwork on the wall.

Light and dark

Console table with decorative items against a green wall with floral artwork

This is a classic look for two reasons. Aesthetically speaking, splitting your wall into two distinct shades of light and dark – in this case, Nar above and Bure below – creates a sense of height and space in the room. The darker tone helps to ground the room while the brighter shade creates lightness and lifts the eye. From a practical perspective, the darker colour on the dado rail and wainscoting is also more forgiving for the wear and tear that our homes endure. It is also a very effective way to showcase paler coloured items of furniture like our Marble Top Crackle Console Table. We used our Coloured Wall Lights to link the lighter wall back to the rich tones of our Varuna Hand Tufted Trellis Wool Rug.

Handy hint: Rather than testing a paint colour directly on your walls, apply it to an A4-sized sheet of art card. That way you can audition the colour around your room and see how it changes with the light. You can also hold the painted card against your existing furnishings to test how they work together – and take the colour out with you when shopping for the room.

Beyond the pale

For those who think pale colours are a bit too safe or dull, please think again. For when used correctly they can create a wonderful space that is both warm and engaging. Here we have embraced the lightness, by using a combination of our Waveney paint above and Tud below. These hues provide a calm backdrop against which exquisite patterns like our Dumaloq Suzani can truly shine. The icing on the cake in this scheme is the sophisticated stripe of our Felipe Border pasted directly above the dado rail. Notice how it picks up on the accent colours within the Namda Felted Rug, and our Lattice Crewel Work Cushion.

Handy hint: Wallpaper borders are an easy way to create character and add a sense of structure to a plain room. If you are planning to paint a room just one colour, consider how a well-chosen border might add that extra something along your skirting boards and around the perimeter of your door frames.

Paper and paint

Here at Birdie HQ we love a patterned wallpaper but we also appreciate how four walls of it can feel a bit much. This is where a well-chosen paint comes into its own. For this scheme we combined the small-scale geometric tile pattern of our Sintra wallpaper with the deep calming

tones of our Wissey paint. The pair work wonderfully together creating a space that feels layered and considered. A bolder style such as this sits well with plainer pieces like our Abacus Floor Lamp and a treasured antique like this French 1970s Ulphostered Armchair, helping to bring out their sculptural qualities. Just a few judicious pops of pattern like our Crewel Work Cushion and the paintings of Lucy Innes Williams are all that is needed to complete the look.

Handy hint: When choosing your paint colours remember to consider how they will look against your flooring. For a more seamless look you may want to paint your walls and skirting boards the same colour. This works well in smaller spaces where you want to maximise the sense of space. However painting the skirting boards a different colour can be useful for balancing the transition from walls to floor – and adds an extra layer of interest to your scheme.

Gallery walls

Blue and red dining room with Fenwick and Tilbrook painted walls

If you own a very special piece of art, why not let it lead your paint scheme? Remember, you do not require clinically white walls to show pictures at their best. All you need is a sensitive eye and some thought as to what colours speak to you in the work and how they might translate into your room. This will ensure that your décor is complimenting not competing with your art. In our dining room, a rather splendid print by Keith Haring inspired our choice of Thurne for the richly painted dado and wainscoting, while we used Burn for the walls to allow the artwork space to breathe. Thurne’s bold red colour continues as an accent in the scheme from our Pumpkin Candlesticks and Ladder Stripe Napkins to our colourful Ziggurat Kilim Rug which provides a wonderful grounding for the space.

Handy hint: When your project is complete, be sure to transfer any small paint leftovers into a jam jar. This will come in very useful for touching up any future bumps or scrapes in the paintwork – and the paint will keep better as there is less air in the jar than the original tin. Should you find that you have a lot of paint left over, consider using it to paint the inside of a cupboard or an old piece of furniture that would appreciate the boost.

Neatly made bed with decorative pillows in a bedroom setting.

Which paint colour best suits my style?

Whether you’re drawn to soft, timeless neutrals or rich, characterful hues, our new paint collection has been carefully curated to bring warmth, depth, and individuality to your home. Each shade has been thoughtfully blended in collaboration with Fenwick and Tillbrook to harmonise beautifully with our furniture, lighting, and accessories - making it easy to create a cohesive and inspiring interior.

From grounding dark tones to uplifting pale shades, these paints offer endless possibilities to refresh and transform your home. Explore the collection today and discover the perfect colour to complement your style - available exclusively from Birdie Fortescue.