Olympic Fever...

London and indeed the world is currently in the grip of olympic fever. The London bid was sealed by a promise to inspire the next generation to get involved in sport. Here at d'Erlanger and Sloan we feel we should do our bit to encourage this wonderful initiative.
Although interior design and sporting greatness may not seem to have a natural connection we believe in the positive influence of your surroundings. Therefore if we can help motivate you to add a little olympic spirit to your home, whether it be confined to your children's bedrooms or allowed into the wider surroundings, we hope it will help fuel the sporting dreams of the younger generation (and just maybe get the rest of us out on a run... )

Framed Vintage Olympic posters, would look wonderful up a stairwell or in a playroom

Sure to bring a smile in any cloakroom and inspire you out for a quick knock up. Find many more like this at Antiques by design

For any aspiring equestrian girl this surely has to be the wallpaper of choice, from Rocket St George

Sadly not an Olympic sport being truly British so worth a mention, keep cricket alive with these wonderful Chloe Alberry door handles

For those at a loose end during the summer holidays I couldn't resist this  fantastic cup cake set, surely an excuse to throw an olympic party

Would look fantastic in any study, boxing glove lamps, from Antiques by Design

This fencing wall light will hopefully shine some light on a much overlooked sport

 Tuner Pocock Cazlet tennis wallaper

 wonderful Anthropolgie tea towels, help inspire the children whilst helping with the chores's! Include cycling, diving, running, hockey and sailing

Retreat from the storm, Shetland style...

I have just returned from an incredible week exploring the wind swept shores of the Shetland Islands. These remote islands proved to provide a wealth of inspiration from the their dramatic scenery, the vibrant Up Helly Aa celebrations, astonishing wildlife to the active domestic craft industry that is still alive and kicking. No more so than with the famous Shetland wool that provided jumpers for numerous polar expeditions and the wonderful Fair Isle knits. This industry still shapes the landscape and its products are dictated by that same landscape.
The breathtakingly beautiful soft purple, russet, green and deep brown heather and peat moors interspersed by the soft cream of the roaming Shetland sheep. The moors sweep down to astonishingly vivid seas of turquoise and petrol blue. These are colour combinations made in heaven and have no need of any d'Erlanger and Sloan tweaking.
What could be better in these storm beaten days than to draw from and landscape that has withstood it for thousands of years. Use these incredible hues as the colour inspiration for your room, then light a fire, you will never want to leave. Snuggle under a beautiful Shetland knit and batten down the hatches. You never know, you may even be inspired to knit something yourself...

The procession, Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Sheltland

The Viking ship is surrounded, Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Shetland

The Guizer Jarl, leaves his ship to he flames, Up Helly Aa, Lerwick, Shetland

Blanket from Vaila Fine Art, Lerwick, Shetland

Natural wool rugs from Jamieson & Smith, Lerwick, Shetland

Fair Isle Tea Cosy, pattern from Jamieson & Smith, Lerwick, Shetland

Wall treatment series... No 1: Impact wallpaper

We thought we'd start with the biggest area of your house, your walls. Over the next few weeks we'll look at the different ways to approach these blank and sometimes intimidating spaces.

This week: No 1: Impact wallpaper...

We are often approached by clients who want to use funky papers but are worried of getting sick of them. We have found the best solution to be containing them in small spaces. Whether this be a hallway, cloakroom, bathroom, nook... the impact can be fantastic and gives these often forgotten areas a bit of drama. It may seem illogical to place large scale/intricate/bold coloured papers in restricted spaces but in fact the juxtaposition is fantastic. 

The moral of this story is to not shy away from the unexpected. What could be better than opening the door of your cloakroom and instead of a sorry looking corner basin you are hit by a riot of colour to tantalise the senses. It is the little, forgotten areas that can be the easiest to have fun in. Be bold, let your imagination run wild, you will be rewarded...

We transformed this kitchen nook into a wonderful bookish retreat. Interesting without dominating the room it has become a real focal point. 

Even the smallest area of wall can benefit from a geometric facelift, this walk through wardrobe has only narrow strips of wall remaining but by papering these areas you transform a boring utilitarian area into a quirky and inviting hide away

This paper, with its Chinese inspired balls, would have felt too old fashioned in a conventional room setting. But its use in a hall gives it a new, avant garde feel, and is truly amazing to walk off the street into

This cloakroom setting is the perfect excuse to be bold with your colours . "Red and Green should never be seen...", we beg to differ..

This arabic inspired printed jute not only adds interest to this hall through its elegant pattern but also texture. Its soft colours are easy to live with without being mundane

Geometric at its finest...

This beautiful and quirky cottage, with its misshapen walls and little awkward spaces was perhaps not the most likely candidate for busy wallpaper. However by sticking to monotones it not only feels fresh and up to date, it retains a nod to the past and creates an amazing and unexpected atmosphere. 

An introduction to d'Erlanger and Sloan

Hello and welcome to our new blog. 

We want to begin by introducing ourselves and our work at d'Erlanger and Sloan. Nearly four years ago, in January 2008, Anna and I launched our interior design firm, d'Erlanger and Sloan. We aspire to create understated, inspirational interiors. 

Since our first meeting at university we had the vision of combining our styles and aspirations. Sitting in our Edinburgh flat we dreamt of creating beautiful interiors having been inspired by the incredible architecture that surrounded us. We still like nothing more than drawing inspiration from our surroundings, rummaging through antique shops and creating the beautiful out of the unexpected.

We were joined last year by an honorary member, Rafa, Anna's very naughty terrier. He has proved an inspiration in himself. 

We hope to share with you our everyday influences from work and life beyond it. Included will be tricks of the trade, our favourite interior hunting grounds and updates on the life of an interior designer. 

Here are a few images from the last few years. We hope you like them, please feel free to leave comments. We look forward to hearing your thoughts. If you see anything you like (all these are items we have sourced or bespoke designed) or have any questions please feel free to e-mail us.
www.derlangerandsloan.co.uk

Rafa's first few days at work, sitting on Anna's work...