“Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple...” 

― J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

As Summer slowly fades and the colours of Autumn begin to emerge outside, we are looking to a new season of inspiration. This week we are case studying all things Orla Kiely in the garden.

Orla Kiely, the hugely successful Irish Designer and the Queen of retro prints has branched out in to interiors, fashion and home wares.

Orla everywhere

She’s dressed our Kate, adorned London transport,

re-worked the Union Jack

and even designed a car

The CItROËN DS3 by Orla Kiely

Last Autumn we found ourselves drawn to Orla’s prints when we were styling and designing gardens, both newly constructed and projects still at the drawing board stage.

The limited palettes of Orla Keily’s designs complimented Autumnal gardens and the graphical patterns evoked thoughts of Spring and Summer. As the light shifted to its Autumn hues the presence of Orla’s patterns in garden contexts seemed to lift lounge and dining areas and promised bright new seasons. We were then elated when we discovered the Orla Kiely exhibit in the Artisan Living area of the Chelsea flower show this year.

Orla was finally in the garden.

Or was she?

-Orla Kiely-

She was certainly getting outdoorsy, 

with luxury glamping gear,

stylish garden tools,

wellies for potting around in,

planters for potting up,

flasks for outdoor refreshments,

retro radios for some garden tunes

brollies...

and even soaps for washing up at the end of a day of hard garden graft.

Then the trail ended,

and it was apparent that Orla was just ‘dabbling’ with the outdoors.

Or was she teasing us?

Inspired by nature, Orla Kiely’s prints can comfortably sit when they are placed in outdoor settings.

Perhaps of late there has been a danger of over saturation of Orla Kiely’s designs on the market. With the release of the book series to inspire a new generation,

and one for the grownups,

then every home ware item you can think of embellished by her prints in stores and online, and particularly since she has recently signed up to create an affordable homes ware range for US retail giant Target. Regardless of all this we would like to see an expansion of the Orla outdoor range here in the UK.

We have found that when applying the prints to garden contexts that less is definitely more.

Just as you would accessorise your interior, a hint here and there of Orla Kiely patterned accents alongside other blocked colours is the most effective way of introducing them.

Minimalist gardens, courtyards, balcony gardens and outdoor lounges provide the perfect foil for these details.

Once the Orla Kiely patterns are present the introduction of bold flowers like Shasta Daisies or blocks of one colour borders compliment the look nicely.

Tea on the terrace anyone?

The retro feel is not for everyone or every garden but we hope to start seeing some more Orla Kiely in the garden. Perhaps at least some parasols please Orla? The Orla Kiely ranges are available to view online here  divided in to three accessible areas depending on where you live. UK/worldwide, USA & Japan. Heals is the official retailer here in the UK but others such as John Lewis and many online retailers stock ranges. The flagship Orla Kiely shop is in Covent garden.

(31 Monmouth Street 
Covent Garden 
London
WC2H 9DD)

Orla’s new season ranges promise more nature inspired prints and scrumptious colours. Here’s a clue to her biggest and boldest new entry to the brand…

The new Orla Kiely Fox print. Autumn / Winter 2012 sneak preview

all Orla Source Book: Hendy Curzon Gardens, Mukla, Heals, John Lewis, Amazon, Jane Foster, Print Pattern, The Telegraph, unknown, Not on the Highstreet, Designbit. For Orla Kiely books click on our Amazon widget on the left sidebar of this page. And as for those cakes… Nibble & Scoff. Want to comment on this blog? Please do so over on our facebook page.

We find ourselves inspired and influenced by many surprising things. Sometimes they are small, simple or even incidental. Other times they are big and bold and thwack us about the head like we have been hit with a baseball bat. Either way, being jolted by the unforseen is what keeps us all evolving. Popular trends can tend to influence choices but it's the unexpected when it throws us a curve ball that ultimately gives us our drive. This drive then motivates us to think outside the box, even if it is a tiny box.

Here is a collection of some inspirations from around the globe of designers and artists who are using the wider landscape as their canvas. Some stand poignantly, others are more whimsical, but most commonly they all seem quite brave. These subjective ideas are expressed through a diverse range of mediums and techniques and are all applied with sheer confidence. 

Word above the Street presents The Water Tower Project, a landmark public initiative in New York focused on raising attention to water as a precious resource.

In Spring 2013 NY rooftop tanks will be transformed in to works of art, redefining skylines across five boroughs.

Neil Dawson Horizon, designed to look like a giant piece of paper floating in the New Zealand countryside.

Lean with it series by Paul Octavious

Jose Parla and french artist JR collaborate to create murals in Havanna, The Wrinkles of the City project

Lifesize Lego forest in the Australian outback, artist unknown

Lego bridge in Germany by MEGX

and with all that Lego we now need some coloured pencils...

Ahhh... a coloured pencil tree by Dave Rittinger for a new public park project in Philadelphia. The pencils are made from the limbs of dead trees.

Fiesa Sand Sculpture Festival 2012

American Depress by Ron English in collaboration with Kid Zoom, presented by Grand Scheme

Liu Bolin

Liu Bolin says his art is a protest against the government who shut down his studio in 2005 and a comment on not fitting in with modern society. Inspite of problems with Chinese authorities Liu's live landscape works are appreciated worldwide.

Paola Navone: The Secret Garden for Barovier & Toso at Orto Botanico of Brera

The giant azure nests installed in the gardens comprised of over 10,000 naturally felled hazlenut branches.

One nest housed a guest star appearance by interior designer Paola Navone's infamous chandelier

whilst her iconic table lamp 'Marino' paved the walkways on mass, leading to the nests.

hey - what you looking at?

Inspired by the greater landscape...

Google earth rugs by David Hanauer

goes well with...

Metamorphis bookshelf by Chilean born artist Sebastian Errazuriz

The piece was inspired by Sebastian's grandmother's ivy covered garden

"The dark branches that crawled along the walls were so thick that I would use them as natural shelves for my garden toys."

The Tree table by Chilean born, London raised, New York based artist Sebastian Errazuriz

goes well with...

Sebastian's duck tablelamp.

Following the phenominal sales of these pieces at Southebys Sebastian has returned to the roots of his inspiration (see what we did there?) and branched fully out in to installation art and sculpture in the wider landscape.

 It was “The Tree” that secured Errazuriz’s homeland prominence. In June 2006, two weeks before the World Cup soccer games in Germany, he planted a 45-year-old magnolia in the center of Santiago’s National Stadium, a location the late dictator Augusto Pinochet notoriously used to imprison and torture political dissidents.

“When we dug the hole, we were afraid we’d find bones,” Errazuriz remembers.

It took two years to secure the proper permits, and he nearly went broke in the process. But eventually the stadium, which is currently used for concerts and sporting events, was opened as a public park for a week. On the last day, a match between Chile’s star teams was played around and against the tree trunk.

“It was an attempt to reunite everyone,” Errazuriz says. “It’s a place where heroes usually stand. Now everyone was welcome.” 

and from the UK

Damien Hirst's London Olympics arena Union Jack is destined to become iconic

and in New York JR & Liu B join forces for some urban landscape art and a game of spot the Liu.

whilst elsewhere in NY...

by legendary artist KAWS

After an original unveiling at Harbour City in Hong Kong followed by a trip to Aldrich Contemporary, the KAWS Passing Through Companion finds yet another home outside The Standard New York. The 16-foot statue is set amidst a busy urban setting which compliments the Companion’s body language of “shame.”

KAWS companion sure does get around... and soon it will be floating through the skies for the Macy's NY Thanksgiving parade.

We hoped you enjoyed some of these reloaded landscapes and they didn't have this affect on you -

and we will leave you with two poignant exterior pieces by Sebastian Errazuriz

-Life swings -