School of Leather – Florence
The School of Leather or Scuola del Cuoio as it is known in Italy, was founded after World War II...
Santa Maria Novella, Florence – The World’s Oldest Pharmacy
The Officina Profumo-Farmaceautica di Santa Maria Novella is often described as the oldest pharmacy in the world. When the Santa...
Gucci Garden, Florence
No visit to Florence is complete without a wander through Gucci Garden, situated in Piazza della Signoria, which comprises a...
Frieze & Frieze Masters, London 2023
October is always our favourite time of the year for the arts. As well as Frieze London and Frieze Masters...
Sofia Coppola Archive
“After each project, stuff ended up in boxes: a mix of references, notes, scripts, and photos from set. I took...
The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels, Oxford
The Randolph Hotel by Graduate Hotels is a true historic landmark in the heart of Oxford. Situated on the south side...
Coronation Display – Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace
It's always an utter privilege to be invited to the Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace each...
The Wedding Cake by Joana Vasconcelos at Waddesdon Manor
Wedding Cake is a 12-metre-high sculptural pavilion in the form of a three-tiered wedding cake, clad entirely in ceramic tiles....
Sani Club, Sani Resort – Halkidiki, Greece
Sani Resort is a luxurious 5* multi-hotel resort renowned as being within a handful of the world's best beach destinations. Located...
Ski Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis – Tirol, Austria
The best Austrian resorts that you've never heard of? The three picture-postcard villages of Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis are full of charm, steeped in...
Magic Millions Festival of British Eventing at Gatcombe Park
Eventing, sometimes referred to as Horse Trials, originally evolved from the training and selection of cavalry horses. Today it is...
Eagles Palace Hotel – Halkidiki, Greece
Halkidiki, the Greek region where Eagles Palace Hotel is located, lies on mainland Greece somewhat north of the usual Grecian holiday...
Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Coronation at Windsor Castle
Last month we had the pleasure of visiting Buckingham Palace to view the exhibition The Queen's Accession, and this week...
Platinum Jubilee: The Queen’s Accession at Buckingham Palace
We always greatly enjoy our yearly visit to Buckingham Palace to view exhibitions as part of the annual Summer Opening...
David Batchelor: Colour Is – Compton Verney
As part of Compton Verney’s year of exploring, examining and enjoying artists’ use of colour, they are hosting the first...
Magnum Photos: Where Ideas Are Born – Compton Verney
Magnum Photos: Where Ideas Are Born, visits artists studios in search of the places where creativity takes shape and ideas...
Edmund de Waal At Waddesdon Manor
Artist, Edmund de Waal returns to Waddesdon Manor this summer. His new exhibition: we live here, forever taking leave, runs...
Hurlimann Thermal Baths & Spa – Zurich Switzerland
Housed in a former brewery, experience the delights of the Hurlimannbad & Spa during a stay at the B2 Hotel...
The Queen: 70 Glorious Years
Published by Royal Collection Trust, The Queen: 70 Glorious Years celebrates the reign of Her Majesty through 77 photographs chosen...
B2 Hotel & Spa – Zurich, Switzerland
The B2 Hotel & Spa is set in the delightful Hurlimann Quarter of Zurich. A largely pedestrianised riverside area on...
SBC Skincare – Green Caviar
When SBC Skincare were searching for a key ingredient to use in their line of skincare that would address skin's...
Matiere Premiere
Matiere Premiere fragrances are very special indeed because their mission is to create perfumes which are built around one natural...
Johnny Loves Rosie
The two female founders of Johnny Loves Rosie, Victoria and Megan, first launched the company back in 2016 when they...
The Seated Queen
The Seated Queen launched its first product in February 2020: a modern day cold cream which has now become a...
Epionce Luminous Eye Serum
Regular readers of CELLOPHANELAND* will know just how much we love Epionce products (see a previous review here). We're always...
Alex Prager, Part One: The Mountain – Lehman Maupin, London
We were delighted to visit Alex Prager, Part One: The Mountain, a show of new work by artist Alex Prager,...
Huus Hotel Gstaad – Saanen, Switzerland
A hotel that has been creating quite a buzz over the last few years is the Huus Hotel Gstaad. With...
The Michelle Morgan Conversation
Michelle, you have written several critically acclaimed books about Marilyn Monroe over the years, what first drew you to her...
Noguchi – The Barbican, London
An exhibition about the Japanese-American sculptor and designer, Isamu Noguchi, would not immediately spring right to the top of everyone’s...
Prix Pictet 2021 – Victoria & Albert Museum, London
American artist Sally Mann has just been announced as the winner of the 9th Prix Pictet, the global award in...
Robert Longo – Storm of Hope: Law & Disorder, Palm Springs Art Museum
Palm Springs Art Museum seems to have always punched above its weight. Perhaps it is thanks to generous legacies and...
Prince Philip: A Celebration at Windsor Castle
Every visit to Windsor Castle is special but now more than ever with the current display, Prince Philip: A Celebration. We...
Hydrea Hotel, Luxury Hospitality – Hydra, Greece
The Hydrea Hotel, or to give its real name Hydrea Exclusive Hospitality, is ideally situated, perched on a raised spot...
The Alex Churchill Conversation
Alex your book, The Night Lawyer which was released last year to rave reviews, is about a female barrister working...
The Tim Fywell Conversation
Tim, your new short film, Night And Day, is the story of two sisters, one a doctor, and one an...
Paul Smith by Phaidon
Sir Paul Smith is probably Britain's best known designer. Over 50 years he has forged a globally renowned brand, his...
The Harold Cleworth Conversation
Harold, you were born in the north of England, and studied graphic art at Manchester School of Art before moving...
Hotel Estalagem da Ponta do Sol – Madeira, Portugal
The Estalagem da Ponta do Sol is the only member of the Design Hotels Group on the Portuguese outpost of...
Weleda Evening Primrose Skin Revitalising Concentrate
As we all know, central heating plays havoc with skin and can cause skin to feel extra dry and dehydrated....
The Victoria Inn, Holkham, Norfolk
The Victoria Inn was built in 1837, the year in which the young Queen Victoria succeeded to the throne and...
Becoming Richard Burton – National Museum Cardiff
Becoming Richard Burton which recently opened at the National Museum Cardiff, is a brand new exhibition which follows the remarkable story of...
Bruce Nauman – Tate Modern, London
Bruce Nauman’s video Washing Hands - Normal is installed at the bottom of the escalators as you arrive in the...
The Ingham Swan, Restaurant with Rooms – Norfolk
In September 2017 a massive fire ripped through the Ingham Swan, a destination that had already built up a national...
Holistic London
Here at CELLOPHANELAND* we are always trying to find beauty and wellness products that are cruelty-free, vegan and clean. As...
The Maids Head Hotel – Norwich, England
The Maids Head Hotel in Norwich proudly claims to be the oldest hotel in the UK, dating back over 900...
Matisse: The Books – Louise Rogers Lalaurie, Thames & Hudson
Matisse: The Books, just published by Thames & Hudson, is the latest welcome addition to the already well recorded story...
AZURE – Planet Friendly Beauty
Just the name is enough! After all, the colour azure is a bright, cyan-blue named after the rock azurite and is...
Afternoon Tea at The Painswick Hotel – Painswick, Cotswolds
Located in a pretty and archetypal small Cotswold town, The Painswick is the finest hotel in this local area by...
Human Food – Organic Smart Food Bars
We're always on the hunt for the perfect health bar that can be eaten on the go without forfeiting essential...
Chāmpo – Ayurvedic Principles In A Modern Hair Care Range
We are huge fans of India here at CELLOPHANELAND* having visited the country several times, and during our travels, have...
Txema Salvans, Perfect Day – Mack Books
Perfect Day is the fifth photo-book from Spanish photographer Txema Salvans, here capturing holiday-making Spaniards at leisure in unexpected corners...
Tullio Crali A Futurist Life – The Estorick Collection, London
Tullio Crali A Futurist Life is the latest exhibition at the delightful Estorick Collection. Located in a beautifully restored 17th...
The Julian Lennon Conversation
Julian, you are Executive Producer of the documentary Kiss the Ground, narrated by Woody Harrelson, which will premiere on Netflix...
Weleda Skin Food
Since the launch of Weleda’s original Skin Food in 1926, the iconic NATRUE-certified moisturiser has steadily become known as a...
Bridget Riley, The Complete Prints, 1962–2020 – Thames & Hudson
Bridget Riley, The Complete Prints, is a highly impressive completely up-to-date catalogue raisonné of this highly respected British artist’s graphic...
RIBOCA 2, Art Biennial – Riga, Latvia
The Riga Biennial of Contemporary Art - RIBOCA is one of the few major art festivals not to cancel for 2020...
The Real Coco Chanel by Rose Sgueglia
There have been numerous books written about Coco Chanel over the years but The Real Coco Chanel by Rose Sgueglia covers...
Eileen Gray, Her Life and Work by Peter Adam – Thames & Hudson
In Eileen Gray, Her Life and Work, published by Thames & Hudson the author, Peter Adam, had the difficult task of...
BIOEFFECT EGF Serum Celebrates Its 10-Year Anniversary
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of BIOEFFECT and its best-selling EGF Serum, the company have launched an exclusive 50 ml...
The Ethan Hawke Conversation
Ethan, you are soon to direct a feature film adaptation of Camino Real by Tennessee Williams, a play in which you acted...
Titchwell Manor Hotel & Restaurant – Brancaster, Norfolk
Titchwell Manor Hotel & Restaurant lies in a delightful spot just a stone’s throw from the North Norfolk coast. It...
Subtle Energies – Ayurveda Aromatherapy
Subtle Energies creates results-based aromatherapy, natural skincare and wellness solutions founded on authentic Ayurveda principles and so has been on...
The Pig Shed Motel – Nr Swaffham, Norfolk
The Pig Shed Motel is not any ordinary motel. We recently visited Mollies Motel & Diner in Oxfordshire (see our...
Legology
With a gargantuan amount of leg firming and anti-cellulite products flooding the market in recent years (and all of them...
Anish Kapoor at Houghton Hall, Norfolk
Anish Kapoor at Houghton Hall was one of the most anticipated exhibitions of the spring. It was however cruelly snatched...
Virginia Woolf in Richmond by Peter Fullagar
Virginia Woolf in Richmond by Peter Fullagar is a must-read for every Woolf fan. The book does much to debunk...
2020 Deutsche Börse Photography Prize – The Photographers Gallery, London
The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize is an annual award, originated by The Photographers' Gallery, to recognise and support the most...
Stephen Shore Transparencies: Small Camera Works 1971-1979 from Mack Books
‘Transparencies: Small Camera Works 1971-1979’ by Stephen Shore is extraordinary... [it] provides us with a fascinating insight into the making of...
Ian Fleming’s Inspiration
James Bond is known the world over, and is one of the most well known fictional characters in history. The...
Weleda Wild Rose Skincare
We love to feature brands with a history, and Weleda is one such company. Since it was founded in 1921...
The Women Writers’ Handbook
The new edition of The Women Writers' Handbook, published by Aurora Metro, features poems, stories, essays and interviews with over...
Japan: Courts And Culture
Japan: Courts And Culture edited by Rachel Peat, is an exquisite book that tells the story of 400 years of British...
Rio Perdido Hotel and Thermal River – Guanacaste, Costa Rica
The thermal Rio Perdido, or ‘lost river’, is at the heart of a huge private reserve in which wonderful [tp_link hotel_id="hotelId=6981721"...
HEINRICH BARTH
Here at CELLOPHANELAND* we are always excited to discover on our radar, new vegan and cruelty-free beauty products. The HEINRICH...
The Fleming Villa at Goldeneye – Jamaica
Without Jamaica, there would be no Bond. British born Commander Ian Fleming, creator of the world’s most famous secret agent...
The Best Cool Hotels – Palm Springs, California
Here is our personal selection of the very best cool hotels in Palm Springs. California is always a great place...
The Frederick Keeve Conversation
Fred, you have worked in Hollywood for many years alternatively as a producer, writer, director, actor, and composer. Growing up...
Apropos of Nothing – Woody Allen
“Rather than live in the hearts and mind of the public, I prefer to live on in my apartment.” The...
John and Yoko Bed-in, Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth Hotel – Montreal, Canada
The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth Hotel, Montreal celebrates Lennon’s 80th birthday and the 51th anniversary of the John Lennon and Yoko...
Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo – Taormina, Sicily, Italy
On the top of CELLOPHANELAND's luxury travel list is the Belmond Grand Hotel Timeo, Sicily. Built in 1873, the Belmond Grand...
Napo Wildlife Centre – Amazonia, Ecuador
We Amazonia to review the Napo Wildlife Centre deep in the Ecuadorian rainforest.
The Power of Transcendental Meditation
What is Transcendental Meditation? It was introduced to the world in 1957 by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Basically it’s connecting with the self,...
Choco Story, The Chocolate Museum Bruges, Belgium
“The waterfall is most important! It mixes the chocolate! It churns it up! It makes it light and frothy!” This...
Foundation Prada- Milan, Italy
Located in the southern part of the city, the or Fondazione Prada or Prada Foundation Milan is spectacular and well...
Christie’s The Jewellery Archives Revealed by ACC Books
Christie’s Jewellery Archives Revealed by ACC Art Books is a glorious glimpse of the world’s greatest jewellery collections, and the stories...
El Mangroove Hotel & Spa – Gulf of Papagayo, Costa Rica
El Mangroove Hotel & Spa faces the one of the best - the sandy and naturally shady Coco beach in...
Chaplin’s World Vevey, Switzerland
Visitors are taken on a spectacular journey through the sets of Charlie Chaplin’s greatest films, and it is obvious that...
The Francis Ford Coppola Conversation
Francis, are there similarities in your approach to making films and wine? Winemaking and filmmaking are two great art forms...
Terry O’Neill Rare & Unseen – A Portfolio of Vintage Prints
For the first time in Terry O’Neill: Rare & Unseen – A Portfolio of Vintage Prints, O’Neill selects a range...
Prestat Chocolate Makers to Her Majesty The Queen, Unveil Their New Easter Treats
Prestat, chocolate makers to Her Majesty The Queen, are renowned as purveyors of luxury chocolate. Founded in 1902 in London, by chocolatier,...
The Maharishi Peace Palace – a Retreat in Rendlesham, Suffolk
A visit to the Maharishi Peace Palace in Rendlesham, was long overdue. Here at CELLOPHANELAND* we have been practising Transcendental...
Meditation Creativity Peace: A Documentary of David Lynch’s 16 Country Tour
– The human mind will not be confined to any limits. – Johan Wolfgang von Goethe 1749 – 1832 Last...
Kaiser Karl: The Life Of Karl Lagerfeld – ACC Books
Kaiser Karl : The Life of Karl Lagerfeld was originally published in French last year by Editions Albin Michel, and was...
El Silencio Lodge & Spa – Poas, Costa Rica
El Silencio Lodge & Spa is hidden deep in the forested heart of Costa Rica - an area dominated by a...
Hotel Grano de Oro – San Jose, Costa Rica
The Hotel Grano de Oro is by far our favourite place to stay in San Jose. Located in the heart...
Steve McQueen Tate Modern, London
This Steve McQueen Tate Modern exhibition reminds us that although he is now familiar to us for his critically acclaimed...
Zermatt Resort & Spa – Midway, Utah
The excellent Zermatt Resort & Spa is our favourite place to stay in the Park City Utah region. Delightfully secluded,...
Dora Maar Tate Modern, London
Henriette Théodora Markovitch, otherwise known as Dora Maar, perhaps had the misfortune of being one of Picasso’s many muses and...
Mollie’s Motel & Diner – Buckland, Oxfordshire
Mollie’s Motel & Diner has been a huge success in reviving drab UK roadside stays. With a nod to 1950s...
Always Audrey: Six iconic photographers. One legendary star. Acc Art Books
Always Audrey by ACC Art Books is a magnificent homage to an actress who is a shining symbol of not...
Sundance Mountain Resort – Sundance, Utah
Robert Redford’s Sundance Mountain Resort resort lies surrounded by magnificent forest on the eastern slopes of 12,000 foot high Mount...
Academy Museum Of Motion Pictures – Los Angeles
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will open on Monday14 December, 2020. Tom Hanks will be a museum trustee and...
William Blake, Tate Britain
The largest collection of work by William Blake (1757 -1827) in the UK for a generation. Tate Britain have mounted...
The Complete Papers Thomas Demand – from Mack Books
Thomas Demand is something of an enigmatic figure. Outside the art world he remains little known and there have been...
The Dominican Hotel Brussels, Belgium
The Dominican hotel is a hotel with a history. Located in central Brussels on the the site of a former...
Antony Gormley Royal Academy – London
The latest show at the Royal Academy is entitled simply Antony Gormley. This is probably because an awful lot of...
The Hugh Mendes Conversation
Hugh, why were you drawn in particular to painting obituaries, and do you remember the moment when you first had...
The Boulevard Leopold – Antwerp, Belgium
The Boulevard Leopold Antwerp is set in a city that once controlled around half of the entire world’s trade? At...
The Derek Boshier Conversation
A interview with Derek Boshier. We have a conversation with one of the founders of the influential Pop Art movement in...
Lucian Freud Self Portraits – Royal Academy, London
Lucian Freud Self Portraits provides an insight to to a an artist who is not an easy person to nail...
Maurizio Cattelan Blenheim Palace: Victory is Not an Option
It is fair to say that the new Maurizio Cattelan Blenheim Palace exhibition has been rather more notorious than the average. Entitled Victory...
How to Fest – Visiting Sundance Film Festival
Visiting Sundance Film Festival is close to the top of the list for anyone seriously interested in film and the film business....
Magnum Streetwise: The Ultimate Collection of Magnum Street Photography from Thames & Hudson
With Magnum Streetwise: The Ultimate Collection of Street Photography Stephen McLaren brings us a comprehensive overview of more than 70 years...
Stanley Donwood – There Will Be No Quiet
Stanley Donwood is a multimedia artist who is, most famously, the preferred collaborator of the band Radiohead and the author/subject...
Ski Pyrenees – St Lary, Cauterets & Grand Tourmalet
Our ski Pyrenees safari took in four resorts: Saint-Lary-Soulan, Cauterets, Bareges and La Mongie – the latter two combining as...
Frieze London Art Fair 2019
The ‘game’ for reviewers at every annual iteration of Frieze London is to try a spot some sort of a...
The Poseidonion Grand Hotel – Spetses, Greece
Arriving at Spetses from Athens one building in particular immediately catches the eye, the Poseidonion Grand Hotel. Around it the...
Rock ‘n’ Horsepower Presents The Golden Stone Years: A Tribute To Brian Jones
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the untimely passing of Brian Jones who was often referred to as ‘The...
Chateau Marmont – Los Angeles
The Chateau Marmont hotel, stuff of legend, is definitely the heart of our personal L.A. Built in 1927 on Sunset...
The Raffles Hotel Singapore
Raffles Hotel Singapore is one of the few remaining great nineteenth century hotels in the world – how lucky we are...
Modernists and Mavericks & Man with a Blue Scarf by Martin Gayford – Thames & Hudson
In Martin Gayford's latest offering from Thames & Hudson Modernists and Mavericks: Bacon, Freud, Hockney and the London Painters he actually seems...
Summer Opening at Buckingham Palace: Queen Victoria’s Palace
To mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria, a special exhibition: Queen Victoria’s Palace at this years...
Manchester International Festival 2019
This year’s Manchester International Festival (MIF19) which ran from 4 – 21 July, was one of the city’s most exciting...
The Westbury Hotel, The Doyle Collection – Dublin
The Westbury Hotel is right in the heart of Dublin. Briefly explore the centre of the city and you will...
Cindy Sherman National Portrait Gallery – London
At Cindy Sherman National Portrait Gallery we see gallery after gallery of the artist in all her guises and disguises....
Exhibitionism: 50 Years of the Museum at FIT
Exhibitionism: 50 Years of the Museum at FIT celebrates the 50th anniversary of “the most fashionable museum in New York...
Van Gogh and Britain – Tate Britain, London
Van Gogh and Britain looks to expand on the artists love of Britain. In the first half of this exhibition,...
Hermosa Inn, Scottsdale – Paradise Valley, Arizona
We are at The Hermosa Inn Scottsdale. Hummingbirds flit around our our heads and water cascades from 16th century style...
Hotel Des Indes The Hague (Den Haag), Netherlands
Hotel Des Indes The Hague is our choice of hotel in the Dutch capital. The old adage is that Dutch...
The Gary Daly Conversation
Gary, exciting times and massive congratulations! Your new debut solo album, Gone From Here, is going to be released on 31...
Christian Dior Designer of Dreams – Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Christian Dior Designer of Dreams is the V&A’s biggest fashion exhibition since Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty in 2015. The exhibition...
Hotel du Lion d’Or Cauterets, French Pyrenees
Hotel du Lion d'Or Cauterets lis in a particularly historic town. In the France of one hundred or so years...
The Best Thermal Spas In The Hautes-Pyrenees
The Hautes-Pyrenees has always been popular for thermal spas. In the 19th century, the region had some 30 hot spring spa...
Bauhaus Museum – Weimar, Germany
Weimar is a delightful small and cultural city not only famous as home to Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang von Goethe and...
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer – New Pomegranate & Cassis
Philip Kingley’s cult Elasticizer has won numerous awards over the years, and has gained recognition as an iconic hair care staple...
Minimal Film: The Cinematic World Reimagined Through Graphic Design
Minimal Film: The Cinematic World Reimagined Through Graphic Design by Matteo Civaschi invites the reader to see cinema from a...
Toulouse Capitole – Toulouse, France
The dusky pink neoclassical Toulouse Capitole building really is the vibrant heart of the city. Sitting proudly on the Place...
Pierre Bonnard Tate Modern : The Colour of Memory – London
For the first time in twenty or so years the Tate gives us a major Bonnard exhibition, Pierre Bonnard Tate Modern: The...
Epionce Renewal Eye Cream
Epionce Renewal Eye Cream is a name to remember. Eye creams can be one of the trickiest beauty regimes to get...
Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort – Sundance, Utah
Robert Redford’s Sundance Resort resort lies surrounded by magnificent forest on the eastern slopes of Mount Timpanagos, which soars to...
Lovebird: A Film By Georgios Hartofilakidis
We’re currently raving about new short comedy drama: Lovebird written and directed by Georgios Hartofilakidis, which has just been released...
The Neon Museum, Las Vegas
Founded in 1996, the Neon Museum in Las Vegas is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying and exhibiting...
Epionce Restorative Hand Cream
For a while, Epionce has been known as one of the best anti-ageing skincare lines in the US, and now...
Beach Boys to Headline 16th Cornbury Festival
Despite the 2017 Cornbury Music Festival being announced as the last, we can confirm that the original ‘Poshstock’ is very...
Gartenhotel Theresia – Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria
We were very excited indeed to visit the Gartenhotel Theresia in Salzburgerland Austria. For us the biggest selling point of...
The Cow at Dalbury Lees – The Peak District
An example of one of the very best local dining pubs with accommodation is the Cow at Dalbury Lees, one...
The Nobis Hotel Copenhagen, Denmark
For CELLOPHANELAND* it is Copenhagen's position as a capital of design that draws us to the city, and where else...
Pocket Venus – The Rise, Fall & Rise Of A Hollywood Starlet
Mildred Shay was an American film actress of the 1930s. Although never a Hollywood leading lady, this never stopped Mildred...
Titanic Hotel Liverpool – Stanley Dock
Entering the grounds of the Titanic Hotel is rather like arriving at an imposing Victorian prison. Castellated turrets resembling giant...
Myconian Utopia Mykonos Relais & Chateaux, Greece
The Myconian Utopia Mkonos is part of the Relais & Chateaux Group and is located 300 metres above Elia beach....
Olafur Eliasson Experience – Phaidon
Olafur Eliasson: Experience is the wonderful new artist monograph from Phaidon. Eliasson was born in Copenhagen to Icelandic parents and...
The Bristol Hotel Doyle Collection – Bristol, UK
The Bristol Hotel Doyle Collection is right on the harbour, and any regular visitor to Bristol will know that the...
The Aegialis Hotel Amorgos, Greece
The Aegialis Hotel Amorgos lies on the Island made famous by the 1988 cult classic The Big Blue directed by Luc Besson. It...
Atlas of Brutalist Architecture – Phaidon
Phaidon must be praised for their commitment with Atlas of Brutalist Architecture - a substantial book which in style, size...
The China Crisis Conversation
China Crisis are currently on tour around the UK and Ireland, including dates in New York, where you will be...
Frieze London 2018
As soon as Frieze makes its annual appearance in Regents Park everyone knows that it is time to check out...
Le Delta Hotel Le Grand Bornand – Haute Savoie, France
For our stay in the Aravis ski area we selected Le Delta Hotel Le Grand Bornand– a modest size property...
The George Moore Conversation
How did the idea for Paul Is Dead first come to you, and were you aware of the Paul McCartney...
Boston Harbour Hotel – Boston Massachusetts
There is a spectacular start to your stay at the Boston Harbour Hotel. We have always thought that the best...
Helens Tower Bangor – Co Down, N Ireland
As we take in the mightily impressive views from the top of Helen’s Tower Bangor, an Irish Landmark Trust property, we...
Prince & Patron at the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace
‘I have always been captivated by the astonishing range of fascinating things in the Royal Collection that have been collected or...
Breac House B&B Donegal, Ireland
Our visit to Breac House B&B seems to have come just at the right time. Tourism in Donegal seems to...
The Museum of Lost Art – Noah Charney
In the follow up to his recent book, The Art of Forgery, art historian Noah Charney promises to take us...
Masseria Torre Maizza – Fasano, Puglia, Italy
Masseria Torre Maizza is situated in Fasano, Puglia, an area best known for the charming trulli that scatter the landscape....
Palazzo Margherita Family Coppola Hideaways – Bernalda, Basilicata, Italy
Palazzo Margherita – the latest addition to Francis Ford Coppola’s expanding stable of award-winning Coppola Hideaways. We recently had the opportunity to...
Kennedy Homestead Dunganstown – County Wexford, Ireland
The Kennedy Homestead Dunganstown, Co. Wexford, Ireland is where John F. Kennedy’s great-grandfather, Patrick, was born in 1823. Patrick Kennedy was...
Sextantio Le Grotte della Civita – Matera, Italy
Sextantio le Grotte della Civita Matera is a remarkable 'hotel' that consists of a series of caves carved in to the...
Photo London at Somerset House, London
In the London photography world Photo London takes over Somerset House for the biggest event of the year. It is also...
California Captured by Marvin Rand
Phaidon’s latest publication, California Captured is a very welcome look at the pioneering architectural photography of Marvin Rand. It reminds...
Americas Cool Modernism – the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
The Ashmolean Museum's latest exhibition America’s Cool Modernism: O’Keeffe to Hopper serves to remind us that most histories of modern art...
Liver Birds Flying Home at Royal Court Liverpool
The Liver Birds was a hugely popular and ground-breaking British sitcom set in Liverpool which first aired on TV in...
The Setsuko Ono Conversation
You have just completed your inaugural London Exhibition at Asia House. Can you tell us how it went? I think...
Ocean Liners: Speed and Style, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
The V&A have excelled in their reimagining of the golden age of ocean travel with Ocean Liners: Speed and Style. Three...
The Spa Village, Pangkor Laut Resort, Malaysia
The Spa Village at Pangkor Laut Resort is a unique retreat unlike any other. A genuine haven that promotes the...
Le Boutik Hotel Annecy, France
Le Boutik Hotel, Annecy is situated in the delightful medieval town of Annecy, about 20 miles south of Geneva. Sitting...
The George Seaton Conversation
George, can you tell us how the Liver Birds Flying Home musical first came into being? It was a chance remark....
The Kenneth Womack Conversation
Ken, you have written several books about The Beatles. Was a biography about their producer, Sir George Martin, a natural...
The Ragnar Kjartansson Conversation
You are now well known for your multi-disciplinary art installations, often based around music. Your latest work is ‘Sky in a...
Glenn Brown, Come to Dust – Gagosian Mayfair, London
“I am rather like a Dr. Frankenstein, constructing paintings out of the residue or dead parts of other artist’s work....
Hotel Goldgasse Salzburg – Austria
We always stay the delightful Hotel Goldgasse Salzburg when we visit the city. Salzburg is one of those places that...
Pangkor Laut Resort & Spa – Malaysia
We are at Pangkor Laut Resort & Spa in Malaysia. A pair of six foot long monitor lizards clamber over giant...
Number 444 – Palm Springs, California
There are few destinations where you can take advantage of sure fire winter sun without compromising on quality of accommodation...
Petit Ermitage, West Hollywood
Bohemianism is a way of life. A state of mind. An atmosphere. It’s about living richly and irreverently, beyond convention....
Chalet Des Lys – Arc 1950, France
We were delighted to arrive at our cosy log cabin; stepping over our slate and stone threshold in to the...
Hotel Majestic Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia
We have always eagerly anticipated a stay at the Majestic Kuala Lumpur and on this Malaysian trip we eagerly inked it...
Salvador Dali Museums – Figueres & Port Lligat, Spain
The coastal region around the Spanish French border is a particularly beautiful and scenic area, and as with Provence the combination...
La Lancha, A Family Coppola Hideaway – Peten, Guatemala
Francis Ford Coppola is no stranger to trilogies, and good ones at that. The Godfather series was probably the best...
The Erratics – Darren Harvey-Regan
Darren Harvey-Regan is an artist who forces us to question our perception of reality. Working between sculpture and photography he...
Wim Wenders: Instant Stories – The Photographers Gallery, London
Anyone familiar with the work of Wim Wenders may suspect that he has more than a passing interest in photography....
Basquiat: Boom for Real – The Barbican, London
Do not come to the latest Barbican Gallery exhibition Basquiat: Boom for Real expecting a straightforward show of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s...
The Joshua Greene Conversation
Joshua, with your own photography, what subject matters are you drawn to? I do love architecture, gardens and flowers, food,...
Blancaneaux Lodge, A Family Coppola Hideaway – Belize
Belize is a part of the world of which Francis Ford Coppola is clearly very fond. Three of his Hideaways are tucked away in...
Turtle Inn, A Family Coppola Hideaway – Placencia, Belize
Francis Ford Coppola is clearly a man who does not like to rest on his laurels. Aside from being a master...
Rachel Whiteread – Tate Britain
Now that Frieze, Frieze Masters and the PAD art & design fair are packed up, we can move our attention...
Les Arcs European Film Festival – France
Mixing ski resorts and film is not a new idea. Sundance is not only Robert Redford’s amazing festival but the...
Frieze London 2017
October is the very best time of year to see art in the capital. The city is abuzz with the...
Smith Tower – Seattle, Washington
Downtown Seattle sits in a spectacular location right on the edge of the Pacific ocean, with a compact centre that is filled...
The Essential Marilyn Monroe: Milton H. Greene, 50 Sessions
The Essential Marilyn Monroe: Milton H. Greene, 50 Sessions is the must-have book that every Marilyn fan has been waiting...
The Jupiter Hotel – Portland, Oregon
Where should we stay in Portland, the self-styled capital of cool? A luxury hotel or an international brand somehow don’t...
Franco Grignani : Art As Design 1950-1990 – The Estorick Collection, London
In a peaceful square in the heart of Islington, the Estorick Collection is easily overlooked but well worth a detour....
Salish Lodge & Spa – Snoqualmie, Washington State
“Diane, 11:30 a.m., February Twenty-fourth. Entering the town of Twin Peaks, five miles south of the Canadian border, twelve miles...
A Tour of Twin Peaks
As Twin Peaks: The Return ended on Sunday evening, it left many of its fans feeling bereft. David Lynch and...
Glazebrook House Hotel – Dartmoor, Devon
One of the first things that you will no doubt notice stepping in to Glazebrook House is the stuffed flamingo...
The New Sackler Courtyard at the V&A London
Do you remember Spiral, the £100m Daniel Libeskind proposal for the Victoria & Albert Museum? Hugely controversial it proposed the...
Haunted Hollywood – at the Culver Hotel and other Hollywood Haunts
There is no doubt that Hollywood is a hotbed of ghost stories. There are several ‘Haunted Hollywood’ tours with an...
The Polaroid Project: At the Intersection of Art and Technology ed. William Ewing and Barbara Hitchcock
Remember that time, not so very long ago, when we all rushed down to the local Boots to drop in...
Magnum Manifesto edited by Clément Chéroux
Any history of photography would be incomplete without substantial mention of the famed photographic agency Magnum, now celebrating its 70th anniversary....
Mountain Shadows Resort – Paradise Valley, Scottsdale AZ
Five minutes through Passport Control, bags waiting, and a super fast rental pickup? Arriving at Phoenix airport after phase one...
A Crystal Sound Bath at the Integratron – Joshua Tree, California
Greetings Earthlings. Not sure what you need after after a hard days sightseeing at the beautiful Joshua Tree National Park?...
40 Tage by Gerhard Richter – Heni Publishing
There is a temptation to think of Gerhard Richter solely in terms of his painting. Everyone knows the colourful squeegee...
Vaya Solden – Ötztal, Austria
The name is Q, Ice-Q. Majestically overlooking the resort of Solden, high in the Austrian Oetztal Alps, is this ultra...
The Avli Lounge Hotel – Rethymnon, Crete
Which Crete do you want to visit? It is the inevitable question when planning a trip to Greece’s largest and...
Skiing in the Otztal – Solden, Obergurgl & Hochgurgl, Austria
The Otztal region of the Austrian Alps is one whose name may have a ring of familiarity. Perhaps it is via Otzi...
Mas Salagros Eco Resort & Aire Spa – Near Barcelona, Spain
Barcelona has become one of the most popular short break destinations in Europe. And with good reason – it is...
The David Mach Conversation
David, you will soon be creating a new sculptural installation ‘Incoming’ for the Griffin Gallery in west London using about...
The Langham Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood – Boston
Back in 1840, Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, would become rather peckish around four o’clock in the afternoon. With...
Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable – Damien Hirst in Venice
We all know that Damien Hirst has been up to something. In tantalising press releases over recent months ‘clues’ have...
The Nockberge Biosphere Reserve – Rural Austria at its Best
The people of the Nockberge Biosphere Reserve in Austria feel rather ignored – and that is just the way they...
Revolution Russian Art 1917-1932 – Royal Academy of Arts, London
With a frequently expressed sentiment that that we are currently living in troubled times it is interesting to reflect with...
Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur
The Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur is part luxury hotel (managed by Taj Hotels), part museum, and is also one...
Bailey, NW1 – Heni Publishing
In pride of place in the CELLOPHANLAND* office hangs David Bailey’s iconic black and white portrait of Paul McCartney and...
Ski Talini – St Martin de Belleville, France
St Martin de Belleville is a very special resort indeed. High in the French Tarentaise mountains, this improbably pretty village enjoys...
Hotel Straf – Milan, Italy
Literally just steps from Milan’s Duomo cathedral and La Scala opera house, Hotel Straf, is the perfect place to stay...
Wolfgang Tillmanns 2017 – Tate Modern, London
This is photography Jim, but not as we know it. Visiting the latest Tate exhibition Wolfgang Tillmans 2017 many unfamiliar with...
Hotel Palazzo Victoria – Verona, Italy
It is rather unfortunate that any mention of tourism in Verona is inevitably linked with Romeo and Juliet. In advance...
Hockney – Tate Britain
Writing about the latest David Hockney exhibition at first seems rather like trying to write about a Stones concert. These...
The Clifford Slapper Conversation
Cliff, at what age did you begin to play the piano, and who or what were the influences which led...
Hotel Baur au Lac – Zurich, Switzerland
Arriving at Zurich’s original ‘Grand Dame’ hotel, the Hotel Baur au Lac, on a grey and snowy mid-winter day we...
The Gombit Hotel – Bergamo, Italy
It is not often one gets an offer to stay in hotel in a medieval tower. As this one was...
C-Hotel & Spa – Como, Italy
Following closely on the heels of our review of the B2 Hotel in Zurich we move through the alphabet to...
Ferrari Museum – Maranello
“The best Ferrari ever made is the one which is yet to be built” – Enzo Ferrari “Live the dream!”...
B2 Hotel & Spa – Zurich
There seems to be a definite trend towards giving hotels short – very short – names, in fact just letters. As...
Hotel N’vY – Geneva, Switzerland
Hotel NvY is part of a rather unique hotel chain. The Swiss Manotel Group to which it belongs, consists of...
Das Almdorf Luxury Chalets & Eco Cottages, Carinthia, Austria
Imagine, if you can, a cross between an Austrian mountain hamlet, a five star hotel and a conference resort –...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
“It was a voyage of discovery, a quest for excellence that inspired universal trust and faith. In that brief unfinished...
A Tour of the White House – Washington DC
Every U.S. President, except George Washington, has lived and worked at the White House since John Adams in 1800. The...
A Visit to The U.S. Capitol, Washington
The United States Capital is the most widely recognised symbol of democratic government in the world. It has housed congress...
White Fences Inn, The Hamptons
Situated between Bridgehampton and Southampton, the peaceful hamlet of Water Mill is home to the beautiful White Fences Inn, built...
Robert Rauschenberg at Tate Modern, London
‘I don’t want a picture to look like something it isn’t. I want it to look like something it is....
Painters’ Painters at the Saatchi Gallery London
Painters’ Painters is a good exhibition with much to commend it, but the Saatchi Gallery has again created a problem with its title....
Fleur de Lys – Arc 1950, France
We were delighted to arrive at our cosy log cabin; stepping over our slate and stone threshold in to the...
The Mike Garson Conversation
CELLOPHANELAND* interview Mike Garson - hugely talented pianist and musician and David Bowie's 'Piano man' for over 1000 concerts.
The Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel – Boston
Our arrival at the beautiful Fairmont Copley Plaza was enthusiastically greeted by Carly, the attractive raven-haired hotel ambassador. Sadly she soon...
The Sea Crest Beach Hotel – Cape Cod
The Sea Crest Beach Hotel at first sight is a somewhat conventional resort hotel, so it is rather a surprise...
The Griswold Inn – Essex, Connecticut
“The Griswold Inn, sometimes known as the ‘Gris’, is an inn with the most extraordinary atmosphere in the nation. Indeed...
The Hotel Dylan – Woodstock NY
Woodstock is of course most famous as the location of the iconic Music festival back in 1969. Except it never...
Bridgehampton Inn, Southampton, Long Island
Bridgehampton hamlet is situated in the town of Southampton, on Long Island. Shortly after the founding of Southampton in 1640,...
Colorama at the Southampton Arts Centre, New York State
In 1950, the Eastman Kodak Company installed the first Colorama on the interior east wall of Grand Central Station. These...
The Hotel Giraffe – New York City
So often top hotels do not fulfill their potential. A fabulous property in a perfect location is not necessarily a...
The Library Hotel – New York City
Arriving at our room at the Library Hotel we found a book entitled Karma on the bedside table, another about...
Ragnar Kjartansson & Barbara Kruger, The Hirschhorn, Washington DC
Arriving at the eye-catching and doughnut-shaped Hirschhorn Museum one can hardly miss its wonderful recent sculptural acquisition. Still Life with...
The Dupont Circle Hotel, Washington DC
With Washington being the nation’s capital, a first time visitor might expect a dynamic hub, busy with traffic and streets...
Hotel Ta’ Cenc and Spa, Gozo
Hotel Ta’ Cenc sits on the island of Gozo’s highest point. Nestled in the middle of a bird sanctuary, this...
Abstract Expressionism at the Royal Academy
Abstract Expressionism was a watershed moment in the evolution of 20th-century art, yet remarkably, there has been no major survey...
Bowie/Collector Sothebys London
Any passing thought that David Bowie was a casual collector of art disappears within moments of viewing his remarkable collection,...
Palazzo Prince d’Orange Luxury Suites – Valletta, Malta
Malta as a destination has perhaps slipped under the tourist radar in the last few decades. Their beach hotels have...
Quaint Boutique Hotel Nadur, Gozo
Gozo is the island home of Calypso in Homer‘s Odyssey. In love with Odysseus, she holds him captive for years using...
Beautiful Disorder – CASS Sculpture Foundation, Chichester
Having had the recent pleasure of a wonderful short break at the Goodwood Hotel nearby we took the opportunity to revisit...
The Waterbeach Spa – Goodwood Hotel, Chichester, West Sussex
The Waterbeach Spa is an important component of the overall Goodwood experience (read our review here). Situated within the hotel’s...
Edward Burtynsky: Essential Elements ed. William A Ewing
Nature transformed through industry is a predominant theme in the work of Edward Burtynsky. He searches for subjects that are rich in...
The Edward Burtynsky Conversation
We are here at the Flowers Gallery at an exhibition of the new Salt Pans series. Meanwhile upstairs there is a...
The Richmond Arms – Chichester, West Sussex
Strangely the original name of the delightful 18th century building that is now the Richmond Arms was Waterbeach. Apparently it...
William Eggleston Portraits – The National Portrait Gallery, London
Think of a William Eggleston photograph and it most likely will not feature any people. You most likely may recall simple slices of...
The Tim Mendelson Conversation
An interview with Tim Mendelson, Elizabeth Taylor's personal assistant for over 20 years, talking about celebrity, parties and of curse...
The Goodwood Hotel – Chichester
A love of hunting brought the Duke of Richmond to Goodwood in the beautiful West Sussex countryside over three hundred...
Inside – Reading Gaol Opens for Tours, Talks & Art
Each narrow cell in which we dwell Is foul and dark latrine, And the fetid breath of living Death Chokes...
Reservoir at Arrive Hotel – Palm Springs, California
Just in case you hadn’t yet noticed, we should point out that Palm Springs is one of the hottest spots...
Fashioning a Reign: 90 Years of Style from The Queen’s Wardrobe at Buckingham Palace
A Queen does not dress to impress. Having no social superiors she does not need to. Visitors to this year’s...
Wolfgang Tillmans – The Maureen Paley Gallery, London
Wolfgang Tillmans’ approach to image-making is fascinating in its non-hierarchical approach to both subject and theme. This, along with his...
Cecily Brown, Madrepora – Thomas Dane Gallery, London
‘I want there to be a human presence without having to depict it in full’ – Cecily Brown Located mid way...
The Pullman Hotel – Liverpool
Location, location, location! OK, Liverpool is not a particularly large city, and it isn’t difficult to be within a reasonable...
Alex Katz: Quick Light – Serpentine Gallery, London
“It’s the instantaneous light. If you get it right then you get it in the total present tense – that’s...
Liverpool Biennial 2016
‘Liverpool Biennial 2016 explores fictions, stories and histories taking viewers on a series of voyages through time and space, drawing...
Georgia O’Keeffe at Tate Modern
‘When people read erotic symbols into my paintings, they’re really talking about their own affairs’ – Georgia O’Keefe This is...
The Mandeville Hotel – London
The Mandeville Hotel occupies a fantastic position smack bang in the centre of Marylebone and just minutes from Christopher’s Place....
Summer Exhibition – The Royal Academy, London
It is somewhat difficult to ‘review’ the latest Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Pretty much every gallery is hung by a...
tibits Restaurant – London
It is not that many years ago a vegetarian option in a restaurant was just an salad or omelette and...
George Shaw: My Back to Nature – National Portrait Gallery, London
“The longer I spend here, the earthier and more profane the collection gets. Even the religious paintings eventually get down...
Greco Philia Hotel & Suites – Mykonos, Greece
Mykonos has become the ultimate Greek island destination. It is an intoxicating mix of natural beauty, traditional charm and exclusive...
Nammos Restaurant – Mykonos, Greece
Nammos is something of a Mykonos institution. When planning a trip to the island and soliciting suggestions as to where...
Posada Del Angel – Antigua, Guatemala
One of our favourite destinations in the world is Antigua, a jewel of a city in the central higlands of...
Conceptual Art in Britain 1964 -1979, Tate Britain
This exhibition is most definitely not a whole bundle of fun. And the clues come thick and fast before you...
The Culver Hotel & The Bruce Lurie Gallery, Los Angeles
Whenever we visit Los Angeles we always make sure to include a visit to the fabulous Culver Hotel (see our...
Photo London 2016, Somerset House
Only founded last year, Photo London has already become the biggest Photographic fair in the UK and with 85 exhibitors from...
Jeff Koons: Now – The Newport Street Gallery
This exhibition by Jeff Koons at Damien Hirst‘s new gallery brings together two titans of the commercial art world. Sitting...
The William Kopelk Conversation
William, what first led you to study architecture and design? I think it was aesthetics and my environment. My parents...
Hilton London Bankside – London
There is little doubt that the coolest London spot right now is Bankside. Twenty years or so of steady improvement has...
Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones, Saatchi Gallery
We knew that Exhibitionism: The Rolling Stones was going to be massive, but we were unprepared for just how comprehensive...
Hotel Rifugio Fuciade – Italian Dolomites
It is not often that we recommend a winter sports hotel that is over half an hours snowy walk from...
The Tom Moriarty Conversation
Tom, who were your musical influences growing up? Weirdly my first thought to that was, I dunno. When you’re young...
A Classic Italian Recipe – Risotto al Prosecco di Cartizze
Risotto is one of the most Italian of dishes. It’s origins lie deep in the past, probably introduced to the...
Hotel Cortina – Cortina d’Ampezzo, Dolomites, Italy
Cortina in undoubtedly Italy’s most exclusive destination. This pretty and historic mountain town is overlooked by spectacular peaks of the...
Strada di Prosecco – The Prosecco Route, Italy
At the summit of a small hill in the Veneto pre-alps it is rather surprising to come across a solitary...
Hotel Villa Abbazia – Follina, Italy
The rolling Alpine foothills of Veneto have long provided refuge for Venetian nobility seeking relief from the searing summer heat....
Paul Strand: Photography and Film for the 20th Century
This month, the V&A presents the first retrospective of the American artist, Paul Strand, in the UK for over 30...
Wang Guangle: Yellow – Pace Gallery, London
“The sensation of the passage of time always inspires me. Time changes everything, and when I can detect the pure...
Saul Leiter: Retrospective – The Photographers Gallery, London
“I like it when one is not certain what one sees. When we do not know why the photographer has...
Queen: The Studio Experience – Montreux, Switzerland
One of the more unexpected attractions of the beautiful and historic lakeside town of Montreux, is making a visit to the...
The Cambrian Hotel – Adelboden, Switzerland
With Cambria being the Latin term for Wales it would be legitimate to wonder why a hotel deep in the...
Gathered Leaves – Photographs by Alex Soth, The Science Museum London
Despite the process of photography being somewhat scientific, Gathered Leaves – Photographs by Alex Soth, is on first appearances a...
100 Works Of Art That Will Define Our Age – Kelly Grovier
We’re usually a tad sceptical about anything featuring numbered selections. Nowadays hardly anything seems to reach the pages of a...
Champagne Life at The Saatchi Gallery Chelsea
Champagne Life is the title of a work by Julia Wachtel in the Saatchi Gallery exhibition of the same name. Kim Kardashian...
The Great Northern Hotel, London
The Great Northern is one of London’s great railway hotels and is an important part of the city’s cultural heritage....
Vogue 100: A Century of Style
Vogue 100: A Century of Style which has just opened at the National Portrait Gallery in London, is a major new...
Jimi Hendrix Museum at 23 Brook Street, Mayfair
Jimi Hendrix fondly referred to 23 Brook Street, Mayfair as ‘the only home I ever had’. His former, girlfriend, Kathy...
The Wild Duck at Ewen, Cotswolds
One of the wonders of the Cotswolds is how so much seems to be squeezed in to such a relatively...
La Société Bistro Restaurant Review – Montreal, Canada
In Montreal and hungry? This wonderful city just happens to be the location with the largest number of restaurants per capita in...
Loews Hotel Vogue – Montreal, Canada
We love Montreal any time of the year, but to us there is something extra special about being there in...
Frank Sinatra’s Twin Palms Estate – Palm Springs, California
“I was working on a Sunday, and Frank Sinatra just walked in the door. He had a little white sailor...
Art Visionaries by Mark Gertlein & Annabelle Howard
Art Visionaries is the latest publication from Laurence King Publishing, specialists in publications on the creative arts. This handsome and substantial...
30,000 Years of Art – Phaidon
Follow my blog with Bloglovin Our historic – and largely still current – curatorial approach to archaeological and artistic objects has...
Best Album Art – Art Vinyl Awards 2015
One of the most unfortunate aspects of the decline of the album, and to some extents the CD, has been...
James Turrell – The Skyspace Project, Lech
“A Turrell Skyspace is a specifically proportioned chamber with an aperture in the ceiling open to the sky. Skyspaces can...
The Kristiania Hotel, Lech Austria
Lech is one of the most exclusive of Alpine resorts. Tucked at the very end of a high mountain valley within the...
The Culver Hotel – Los Angeles, California
Culver City is the perfect place to stay when visiting Los Angeles. This is not something one would have imagined...
Bill Viola, Thames & Hudson
Bill Viola is one of the most important artists of our time and the foremost video artist of the era. He...
Bill Viola Artists Rooms at The Wilson, Cheltenham
Video art is an art form that is frequently neglected by major galleries. Extra equipment and particular viewing requirements mean that many give...
Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon at The Wilson, Cheltenham
Having missed Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon during its run at the National Portrait Gallery this summer, we were...
One Aldwych Hotel – London
One Aldwych has been on our list of luxury five star London hotels to feature for several years now, so...
700 Nimes Road by Catherine Opie
Rooms, hallways, closets, rugs, shoe boxes, scents, clothing: what does any of it mean when the body that has helped...
Indigo Restaurant at One Aldwych Hotel, London
London is our favourite place in the world for restaurants. On the one hand it is always a joy to...
Barnebys And How to Search Auctions Worldwide
In the past bidding and buying auction necessitated a personal visit to your local auctioneers. If you were lucky your salesrooms...
The World of Charles and Ray Eames, Barbican Centre
Charles and Ray Eames are amongst the most important designers of the 20th century. They are best known to the...
Derek Boshier: Rethink/Re-entry, Thames & Hudson
Derek Boshier is one of more enigmatic figures of British Pop Art. He was an vital figure at its inception...
Derek Boshier Rethink/Re-entry Flowers Gallery London
Pop art is very much alive and kicking. The World Goes Pop is currently at the Tate following on the heels of...
Frieze London 2015
The preview day of Frieze always provides plenty of visual stimulation – both on and off the exhibiting gallery walls....
Liberty In Fashion at the Fashion and Textile Museum, London
Arthur Lasenby Liberty founded his Liberty empire 140 years ago. What began as a warehouse supplying fashionable goods from the...
John Hoyland: Power Stations Paintings at Newport Street Gallery
The Newport Street Gallery is the culmination of a long stated Damien Hirst ambition – a desire to publicly show his...
Ryan Gander Fieldwork, Lisson Gallery, London
The title Fieldwork hints at some sort of preparatory work of rough ideas taken from the world at large – the...
Agnes Martin at Tate Modern, London
My paintings have neither objects nor space nor time nor anything – no forms. They are light, lightness, about merging,...
The World Goes Pop at Tate Modern London
This is pop Jim, but not as we know it. There are no Warhol Brillo Boxes, Roy Lichtenstein Whaams or...
Brutal Utopias: a National Trust celebration of Brutalist architecture
Brutalism is not brutal. At the very beginning of a behind-the-scenes tour of the Southbank, we were embarrassed to discover...
William Kentridge at Marian Goodman London
People fleeing from hunger, war and political oppression have always been a staple of the daily news and with the...
Ai Weiwei at the Royal Academy, London
The notorious Chinese dissident artist has clearly been very busy since his recent, and not insubstantial, exhibition at Blenheim Palace...
E Pellicci Cafe – Bethnal Green, London
As Working Title’s film, Legend, opens this week across the UK, it seems fitting that we shine the spotlight on...
Legend Of The East End, Bethnal Green, London
Organised to anticipate the release of the film, Legend, on the 9 September, this exhibition offers a fine photographic overview of the...
The Hoxton Hotel – Shoreditch, London
It has been a couple of years since we last visited the excellent original Hoxton Hotel in Shoreditch. The local...
We Want More: Image-Making & Music in the 21st Century
Music and musicians have always been powerful magnets for photographers and artists. The narrow outlook of the past would tend towards...
Curated by Tony Cragg at Blain Southern London
Arriving recently for a stay at the excellent Ham Yard Hotel near Piccadilly (reviewed here) I was surprised and delighted to find a...
A Royal Welcome at Buckingham Palace
This summer visitors to Buckingham Palace will experience what it is like to attend an event at the invitation of...
Ham Yard Hotel, London
Arriving at the recently opened Ham Yard Hotel the first thing that strikes you is the quite astonishing location. A two...
Shoes: Pleasure and Pain at the Victoria & Albert Museum
The transformative power of extreme footwear is explored in the V&A’s summer 2015 fashion exhibition, Shoes: Pleasure and Pain. On...
James Turrell LightScape at Houghton Hall
One of my most eagerly anticipated exhibitions of this summer has been this: the arrival of one of the giants...
Torri e Merli Hotel – Paxos, Greece
The island dozed below us, shimmering like a water-picture in the heat-haze: grey-green olives; black cypresses; multi-coloured rocks of the...
An umbrella to brighten the dullest of days
The English summer seems to be rather late in arriving this year, and umbrellas are still a necessity well into...
Seafresh Fish & Chips – Pimlico, London
On a recent visit to Pimlico we had the opportunity to visit one of the most famous ‘chippies’ in London...
The Artists Residence – Pimlico, London
Pimlico has always seemed to me to have been unfairly ignored despite lying adjacent to fashionable Chelsea and elegant Belgravia....
Florilegia at Grimaldi Gavin London
Grimaldi Gavin (formerly Brancolini Grimaldi) is a modest sized Mayfair gallery that specialises in Contemporary Photography. However you will find...
Thea Porter: 70s Bohemian Chic, Fashion and Textile Museum
The Fashion and Textile museum have mounted the first serious exhibition to showcase the work of fashion designer, Thea Porter....
The Vinyl Factory Press at White Cube
To coincide with Christian Marclay’s solo exhibition at White Cube, The Vinyl Factory Press – a unique hydraulic vinyl pressing...
Number Sixteen – Firmdale Hotels, London
Number Sixteen is located in a quiet street right in the heart of South Kensington just minutes away from the...
Hotel Stary – Krakow, Poland
A visit to a city where amongst the main tourist attractions are a Nazi death camp, salt mine and Jewish ghetto is...
Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas – Iguassu Falls Brazil
A visit to the amazing Iguassu (or Iguazu) Falls, located on the Brazil/Argentina border is an essential part of any...
Faena BA hotel – Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires is a wonderfully eclectic blend of European cities that at the same time, has an identity all its...
Hiroshi Sugimoto – Still Life at Pace London
At first glance, the latest exhibition at Pace London appears to be the work of a formidably talented wildlife photographer....
Allen Jones RA at the Royal Academy
It seems that any debate about the artistic merits of Allen Jones’s works are almost entirely overwhelmed by the public reaction to...
Pipilotti Rist at Hauser & Wirth London and Somerset
I am relaxing in a deep duvet as vividly coloured and seductive images glide gently by. Ill-defined body parts morph...
Into The Woods
Into The Woods, the new musical fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall, from Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, premiered in...
Love Is Enough: William Morris & Andy Warhol
“Art isn’t about what you make but what you make happen.” – Jeremy Deller When artist, Jeremy Deller, was invited...
Bowie’s Piano Man: The Life of Mike Garson
“It is pointless to talk about his ability as a pianist. He is exceptional. However, there are very, very few...
Damien Hirst Schizophrenogenesis at Paul Stolper
Editions are not our favourite form of art. There is the criticism – usually justified – that they are an...
Asphodel Cottage – Cirencester, The Cotswolds
I am sure everyone has found it difficult to find that perfect little weekend getaway spot for when you just...
Eric Fischl Art Fair Paintings at Victoria Miro
Visiting one of the big art fairs, such as Frieze or art Basel, it is quickly evident that many of...
Ai Weiwei at Blenheim Palace
Ai Weiwei at Blenheim Palace is the inaugural exhibition of the Blenheim Art Foundation and one’s first instinct is that...
Edward Steichen: In High Fashion, The Condé Nast Years 1923 – 1937, The Photographers’ Gallery
Edward Steichen: In High Fashion, The Condé Nast Years 1923 – 1937 has its UK premiere at The Photographers’ Gallery, presenting...
Richard Serra at Gagosian London
Richard Serra is not a particularly prolific artist – quite understandable given the scale of his individual works. His works...
The Hoxton Hotel – Holborn, London
The latest incarnation of the ‘Hox’ has recently opened in the beautifully renovated, former BT building right on High Holborn...
Daniel Buren: Catch as Catch Can at the Baltic Centre
It is easy to think of Daniel Buren simplistically as the ‘stripe man’. Whilst it is useful for some to remember, and...
Bia Bistrot Restaurant – Edinburgh
Strangely the most annoying things about real French bistros can also be the most appealing. Slightly uncomfortable chairs sit around...
Restaurant Mark Greenaway – Edinburgh
Mark Greenaway is perhaps familiar to British television viewers following recent appearances on the likes of BBC’s Great British Menu,...
The Kathy Etchingham Conversation
Kathy, you were already an established DJ working in London when you met Jimi Hendrix in 1966. How did your...
Jewelry By Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers adored jewelry. That much was obvious; whenever you think of her, you think of the bold glitzy statement...
Artist’s Studio Mews House – Edinburgh
Whilst visiting Scotland for the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, this charming Georgian mews house really was the most perfect find....
Oudolf Field at Hauser & Wirth – Somerset
Some unseasonably warm weather this week prompted us to take a journey out to Dursalde Farm, location of the latest...
Antonio Marguet at High House Gallery
The oasis of High House Gallery, lying within the Cotswolds contemporary art desert, has come up with yet another excellent exhibition. Their...
Horst: Photographer of Style, V&A
Horst P. Horst was one of the leading photographers of the 20th century. During an illustrious 60-year career – working...
Pangea: New Art from Africa & Latin America – Saatchi Gallery
The title of the latest show at the Saatchi Gallery, Pangaea, suggests an artistic reunification of this ancient continent. It...
The Human Factor: The Figure in Contemporary Sculpture at The Hayward
If there is one reassuring constant of sculpture over the ages, it is the repeated attempts at representations of the...
Copacabana Palace Hotel – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
If the Copacabana Palace Hotel looks somewhat familiar it might just be that it was inspired by two of the...
The Charlie Hotel – Los Angeles, California
The Charlie really is one of West Hollywood’s hidden gems. A cluster of 17 British style shingled cottages set amongst...
Barbara Kruger at Modern Art Oxford
You have already seen Barbara Kruger’s work. Whether you realise it or not is a different matter, but the bold...
Royal Childhood – Buckingham Palace, London
This year’s special exhibition to coincide with the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace, chronicles the lives of royal children over...
Raffles Hotel – Singapore
The Raffles Hotel Singapore, is one of the few remaining great nineteenth century hotels in the world. How lucky we are...
Dennis Hopper – The Lost Album at the Royal Academy
As well as being a famed actor and director, Dennis Hopper was a prodigious snapper. For a period he took...
Adrian Ghenie – Golems at Pace London
Adrian Ghenie is one of the chief figures of The Rumanian ‘Cluj School’ (Victor Man, Mircea Cantor and Ciprian Muresan...
True Blue Cuisine, Restaurant – Singapore
It is not often that restaurant catering involves cyanide – hydrogen cyanide to be precise – the very same substance...
Malevich at Tate Modern
Despite Kasimir Malevich being widely feted during his lifetime, exhibitions of work since his death in 1935 have been few...
Hauser & Wirth Somerset opens with Phyllida Barlow – GIG
Hauser & Wirth are one of the powerhouses of worldwide contemporary art with galleries in Zurich, London, New York, Los...
Naumi Hotel – Singapore
Singapore is one of the world’s great cities. Expanding rapidly, it is an international hub for trade and finance, and...
Table by Rang Mahal at Naumi Hotel – Singapore
There are few better places in the world than Singapore for a full-on shopping experience: designer shops galore, discount fashions,...
Spa Village Resort, Tembok, Bali
Spa Village in Tembok, Bali, couldn’t be any less that with which we associate the word ‘resort’. There’s no hustle...
Rang Mahal Restaurant – Singapore
It does not take long for any visitor to the city state of Singapore to realise that the residents are in semi-permanent crisis about...
How to make Boreh – a Balinese Traditional Body Scrub
Boreh is traditionally used by the Balinese as a healing paste to treat minor ailments. Scrubs are usually made from...
How to make Jamu – a healthy Balinese tonic
If you’ve ever been to Bali you will have immediately noticed how everyone seems to positively glow with health. Shiny...
Pousada Picinguaba Hotel – Paraty, Costa Verde, Brazil
Achieving luxury via a route of simplicity is the stated aim of an increasing number of exclusive hotels. Perhaps they reflect our desire...
Yacutinga Lodge near Iguazu, Argentina & Iguassu Brazil
You can not help feeling that a trip to Brazil is somehow not quite complete without a trip in to the jungle....
Hugh Mendes Obituaries & Other Works at High House
‘It’s a simple idea, and it’s perfect for the genre. The newspaper, that man-made butterfly that ends its brief but...
House Spa at Dormy House Hotel – Broadway, The Cotswolds
Dormy House is not your typical country house hotel. No chintz or swags in sight; rather a beautifully chic hideaway...
David Hockney – The Arrival of Spring at Annely Juda
Following on from the excellent Yoshishige Saito exhibition (reviewed on CELLOPHANELAND* last month) Annely Juda are showing everyone’s favourite Yorkshire artist, David Hockney. Showing...
The Cass Sculpture Foundation
I have been aware of the existence of the CASS Foundation for a number of years but had somehow never...
The Deutsche Börse Prize 2014 at The Photographers’ Gallery
As the most valuable and prestigious photography competition in the UK the Deutsche Borse Prize is always well worth a close look...
The Brenda Blethyn Conversation
“I knew that I always wanted to act, but it seemed like such an irresponsible thing to do” Brenda, you...
The Village Pub – Barnsley, The Cotswolds
I should first of all quickly explain that this is neither in the industrial Yorkshire town of Barnsley nor is...
Wedding Dresses 1775 – 2014 at the V&A, London
Wedding Dresses 1775-2014 features more than 80 of the most romantic, glamorous and extravagant wedding outfits from the V&A’s enviable...
Yoshishige Saito & Taku Aramasa at the Annely Juda Gallery
Despite being just yards from Bonhams and Sothebys on New Bond Street Annely Juda is not that easy to find. On Dering Street...
At the Chapel, Restaurant with Rooms – Bruton, Somerset
Hauser & Wirth already have five dazzling respective gallery spaces in London, New York and Zurich. But their latest opening...
Giacomo Brunelli – Animals at High House Gallery
A duck attacks the lens, a dog snarls at the camera, and a toad lies dead in the road. In...
Martin Creed: What’s the Point of It? The Hayward Gallery
The knowing title of Martin Creed’s solo show at The Hayward, What’s the Point of It? offers an immediate hint at the content...
The Avalon, Palm Springs – California
Citron at Viceroy Palm Springs is a proper destination restaurant. Whether or not you opt to stay at the equally...
Phyllida Barlow Duveen Gallery Commission at Tate Britain
The latest commission for the imposing Duveen Gallery at Tate Britain is dock by sculptor Phyllida Barlow. Anyone who visited her impressive exhibition RIG, for Hauser &...
Parker Hotel – Palm Springs, California
Parker Palm Springs, which opened in 2004, has had several incarnations. Formerly, it was Merv Griffin’s Givenchy Resort and Spa, and...
Richard Hamilton at Tate Modern
It is not often that an exhibition impresses as much as this. The new Richard Hamilton exhibition at Tate Modern, London,...
Sensing Spaces – Architecture Reimagined, Royal Academy of Arts
For its latest offering the august institution of the Royal Academy of Arts leaps in to the realms of architecture. In a brave departure from...
Bergamot Station Art Galleries – Santa Monica, California
The name “Bergamot Station” dates back to 1875 when it was originally a stop and car storage area on the...
Avalon Hotel & Bungalows – Palm Springs, California
Viceroy Palm Springs traces its heritage back to the 1930s when it was a desert inn. Now a leading boutique hotel...
I Used to be in Pictures: An Untold Story of Hollywood
I Used to be in Pictures: An Untold Story of Hollywood is an exquisite, glossy homage to the Golden Age...
Bailey’s Stardust, National Portrait Gallery
“The king lion on the Savannah: incredibly attractive, with a dangerous vibe. He was the electricity, the brightest, most powerful,...
Alex Prager, Face in the Crowd – M+B, Los Angeles
Inspired by the colour images of William Eggleston, self-taught American photographer, Alex Prager, creates scenes using theatrical constructed settings, combined...
David Lynch, William Burroughs and Andy Warhol, The Photographers’ Gallery
A photography show consisting of three very different American iconic artists, already renowned in their separate field of writing, filmmaking...
Cinq-Mars Restaurant – Paris, France
Cinq-Mars on the trendy rue Verneuil in the 7th arrondissement, is the perfect choice if you want to find a...
Hotel Le Bellechasse – Paris, France
Hotel Le Bellecasse ticks three very important boxes for a good stay in Paris: excellent location, blissfully quiet, and all...
Le Surréalisme Et L’Objet, Centre Pompidou, Paris
“Objects with a symbolic function which lend themselves to a minimum of mechanical functioning, are based on the fantasies and...
The Paul Rudd Conversation
“As an actor you just have to give in to the lines” Paul, both your parents are British-born (Dad from...
Cartier: Style and History, Grand Palais, Paris
You know you’re in for a true spectacle, when Kate Middleton’s wedding tiara (the Halo diadem) looks comparatively modest. Cartier:...
Cinema Paradiso : 25th Anniversary
“Cinema Paradiso is about the power of dreams” – Salvatore Cascio – Cinema Paradiso is, without doubt, one of the...
The Artists’ Colouring Book of ABC’s Launch, Serpentine Gallery
Last night, The Artists’ Colouring Book of ABCs launched at the Serpentine Gallery, London. Artists including Grayson Perry, Tracey Emin, Gavin Turk, Mat...
The Kennedy Homestead, Dunganstown, County Wexford
“The best four days of my life”. – John F. Kennedy on his trip to Ireland, 1963. It’s been a...
Hello, My Name is Paul Smith
“Okay at design and okay at business but exceptional at neither” – Paul Smith – Paul Smith’s modesty is refreshingly...
Breakfast with Lucian
This intimate portrait of Lucian Freud by Geordie Greig, is a real must for any art lover. It answers every...
Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!
“Fashion is a vampiric thing, it’s the hoover on your brain. That’s why I wear the hats, to keep everyone away...
Richard II, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford
Much has already been written about David Tennant’s headlining portrayal of Richard II over the last few weeks: playing the...
A Visit to the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-upon-Avon
We’re ashamed to admit it but when we lived in London we hardly ever visited the home of the Royal...
Pearls at the V&A
‘A woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls’ – Coco Chanel Pearls, is a collaborative exhibition between the V&A and...
Feeling Good, Getty Images Gallery
Last week we attended Feeling Good, a beautiful photography exhibition currently showing at Getty Images Gallery. Feeling Good is an...
Ian Fleming’s Thrilling Cities
‘All my life I have been interested in adventure and, abroad, I have enjoyed the frisson of leaving the wide,...
The Real Village of Downton – Oxfordshire Cotswolds
We’re fortunate to live a beautiful sleepy corner of Oxfordshire, and our neighbouring village is Bampton, a two-minute drive away....
39th American Film Festival – Deauville, Normandy, France
Last night, Night Moves, a film about three environmentalists who plot to blow up a dam, took the top prize...
Manoir des Lions de Tourgéville – Deauville, Normandy, France
This week we’re on assignment in France, covering the 39th Deauville American Film Festival for a print client. We didn’t...
The Real Casino Royale – Deauville-Trouville, Normandy, France
“The formalities of getting into the casino need not deter you. All you need is your passport and a respectable...
Summer Opening at Buckingham Palace: The Queen’s Coronation 1953
‘Opposite are row upon row of peeresses mounting towards the very roof: They look like a lovely hunk of fruit...
Fashion Rules at Kensington Palace – London
We couldn’t make last week’s press viewing of Fashion Rules at Kensington Palace, so took the opportunity yesterday, to spend...
The White Album by Joan Didion
We tell ourselves stories in order to live – Joan Didion – We’ve always been a massive fan of Joan...
The Swan Inn – Swinbrook, Oxfordshire
always either on a peak of happiness or drowning in black waters of despair they loved or they loathed, they...
Hafod -Y-Garreg, Monmouthshire – Stay at the Oldest House In Wales
Hafod-Y-Garreg, just outside Hay-on-Wye, is officially the oldest house in Wales, built from timbers that were felled in the summer...
Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc – Antibes, Cote d’Azur, France
Gatsby’s mansion was modelled after Hotel de Ville in Normandy, that we know. But which building did F. Scott Fitzgerald...
Muir Woods – California, USA
Muir Woods is a remnant of ancient coast redwood forests that blanketed many northern California coastal valleys. Located just 11...
The Vogue Festival 2013
This year’s Vogue Festival which takes place at the Southbank Centre in London at the weekend, will be the second of...
Man Ray Portraits, National Portrait Gallery
Last week we were in London to view the exquisite Man Ray Portraits exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Extra...
Le Marocain at La Mamounia, Marrakech, Morocco
La Mamounia is the stuff of legend. Regal to the last, this grand old dame of Marrakech has been welcoming presidents,...
Cafe Zoetrope – San Francisco, California
No trip to San Francisco is quite complete without a stop at Francis Ford Coppola's Cafe Zoetrope. Conveniently located just along the...
David Bowie is, V&A Museum
David Bowie is – which opens at the V&A this Saturday – is a breathtaking tour de force of sound and...
Lifework: Norman Parkinson’s Century of Style, National Theatre
We’ve always been huge fans of Norman Parkinson, and our editor distinctly remembers having a large poster of Young Velvets,...
The Alpina Hotel – Gstaad, Switzerland
Gstaad is no stranger to luxury and glamour, in fact it’s synonymous with both. It has always been the ski...
That Reminds Me by Norman Zierold
That Reminds Me is a charmingly constructed conversational memoir by writer and author, Norman Zierold. Reading the book, we genuinely...
City Lights Bookstore – San Francisco, California
Here at CELLOPHANELAND* we love bookshops. Not chains, proper bookshops: slightly messy, intimate, where the actual smell of books perfume...
Light Show, Hayward Gallery
Let there be light has been our mantra this week, having only just returned from a spell in sunny California, and...
Stanley Kubrick Retrospective at LACMA
Essentially film is a mythological statement. Its meaning has to be found on a sort of visceral psychological level rather...
Watsu at the Thermae Bath Spa
Last week we took time out to visit the Thermae Bath Spa; the only spa in the UK to offer...
Go FiSH at Four Seasons Hotel – Hampshire
We recently had a brilliant stay at the Four Seasons Hotel, Hampshire (see our recent post here) and as our visit...
Four Seasons Hotel – Hampshire
Four Seasons Hotel, Hampshire, sits in the most glorious 500 acres of unspoilt parkland in rural Dogmersfield, just an hour’s...
Fifty Fabulous Frocks, The Fashion Museum, Bath
– frock: historically referred to an article of clothing in the 17th century, specifically a workman’s outer garment: in the...
Manet: Portraying Life, Royal Academy of Arts
This week we attended the grand unveiling of the much-anticipated Manet:Portraying Life exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts. We...
The Richard Burton Diaries
– “At about 12 noon this same day I did something beyond outrage. I bought Elizabeth the jet plane we...
Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington
One of the favourite books in our Christmas stocking this year, was Grace Coddington’s memoir. As Creative Director of American Vogue...
Les Misérables World Premiere, London
Last week we were thrilled to attend the world premiere of Les Misérables at Odeon, Leicester Square, London. On a bitterly...
The Queen: Portraits of a Monarch – Windsor Castle
At Windsor Castle’s Drawings Gallery, The Queen: Portraits of a Monarch is a truly fascinating and rather lovely exhibition which presents...
Transforming Lives From Within Benefit Gala Dinner, David Lynch Foundation UK
Last week we were delighted to attend the Transforming Lives From Within benefit gala dinner; the first of its kind...
Valentino: Master of Couture
I know what women want. They want to be beautiful. – Valentino Garavani – This week we attended the grand...
Hartnell to Amies: Couture By Royal Appointment
Hartnell to Amies: Couture By Royal Appointment, now showing at the Fashion and Textile Museum, is a fascinating and rather...
The Little Black Jacket, Mini Palais
The Little Black Jacket exhibition, consisting of one black tweed Chanel jacket and 109 of Karl Largerfeld’s favourite muses, has...
Paris Photo, Grand Palais
We never require much of an excuse to hop on the Eurostar to Paris, but an invitation to attend Paris Photo...
On The Trail of David Hockney – East Yorkshire
Look at the incredible variety of grasses, look at the marvellous leaves; look at the colour. Isn’t it beautiful…pure joy....
Salts Mill, Bradford, Yorkshire
Salts Mill opened in 1853, 4 miles north of Bradford. Designed by Lockwood and Mawson, it ‘gleamed in glass and...
Marilyn Monroe: A British Love Affair, National Portrait Gallery
Surprisingly, Marilyn Monroe visited England just the once in her short lifetime. During the filming of The Prince and the...
Blue Lagoon Spa – Reykjavik, Iceland
The Blue Lagoon geothermal spa is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland, and certainly always one of my...
Tim Walker: Story Teller, Somerset House
To its earliest audience the most magical aspect of photography was its ability to open windows onto the world: distant...
Hollywood Costume, V&A
Hollywood Costume – a new exhibition which opens tomorrow at the V&A – brings together a spectacular selection of iconic...
Imagine Peace Tower – Veday, Iceland
Love is our energy. Wisdom is our power. It’s time to shed light to all corners of the world. Enjoy the trip...
Hotel Borg – Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavik (which translates to Smoky Bay) is the world’s northermost capital and houses nearly two-fifths of Iceland’s population. It is...
Vanished Years by Rupert Everett
‘When I have fears, as Keats had fears, Of the moment I’ll cease to be, I console myself with vanished...
The Siam Hotel, Bangkok – Thailand
Set on three acres of verdant frontage along the city side of the Chao Praya River, The Siam is a...
Chateau Marmont Hotel – Los Angeles, California
‘If you must get into trouble, do it at the Chateau Marmont’ – Harry Cohn, Columbia Pictures – Los Angeles...
Atlas Film Corporation Studios, Morocco
In the early 1960s when David Lean was directing Lawrence of Arabia, he came to the southern Moroccan town of Ouarzazate,...
The Caves at Negril, Jamaica
Perched on the limestone cliffs of Negril’s spectacularly scenic West End in Jamaica, The Caves is a member of Island...
The Kingham Plough – Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
Since relocating from London to Gloucestershire we’ve been on a mission to find the best gastropubs in the Cotswolds, and...
Firefly, Former Home of Sir Noel Coward – Ochos Rios, Jamaica
“Firefly has given me the most valuable benison of all: time to read and write and think and get my...
Strawberry Hill Hotel & Spa – Jamaica
The ascent to Strawberry Hill is one of the most thrilling rides ever. Leaving the oppressive heat of Kingston behind,...
Palazzina Grassi Hotel – Venice, Italy
Palazzina Grassi is a breathtaking 16th century palazzo situated right in the artistic heart of Venice, minutes from Palazzo Grassi,...
Designing Bond: 50 Years of Bond Style
We’ve always been Bond nerds, (see our previous post on staying at Ian Fleming’s former home, Goldeneye) so was delighted when...
Les Deux Tours Hotel – Marrakech, Morocco
We particularly love Les Deux Tours as it’s based in the Palmeraie area of Marrakech which, in our opinion, is...
Diamonds: A Jubilee Celebration, Buckingham Palace
Last Friday, the day before the official summer opening of Buckingham Palace, we visited a remarkably quiet palace (if you...
Andaz Liverpool Street – London
What we love about Hyatt’s Andaz hotels, is that visually, they are all uniquely different. Recently we stayed at the...
Angels: Dressing The Entertainment Industry
Angels first appeared on our radar a few years back, when hiring a rather fetching Wonder Woman costume for a...
What to buy in Marrakech, Morocco
Our editor first fell in love with Morocco on a trip to Tangier when barely out of her teens. She...
Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950
We were disappointed to have missed the opening of Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 at the V&A a few weeks...
Jardin Majorelle – Marrakech, Morocco
For visitors to Marrakech, this gorgeous twelve-acre botanical garden really is a must see. Designed by the expatriate French artist,...
The Elizabeth Taylor Necklace From The Auction Of A Lifetime
We’re really looking forward to tonight’s C4 documentary, Elizabeth Taylor – Auction Of A Lifetime. The 90 minute feature-length documentary...
Bill Cunningham New York
“I’m not interested in celebrities with their free dresses, I’m interested in clothes.’ – Bill...
Damien Hirst, Tate Modern
You can love him or loathe him, but you can’t ignore Damien Hirst. Regarded as one of the pre-eminent artists...
The Spoken Word: Travel Writers
‘In spite of all hardships, discomforts and sicknesses, the lure of exploration still continues to be one of the strongest...
Andaz Hotel West Hollywood – Los Angeles, California
From the moment one enters Andaz West Hollywood smack bang in the middle of the Sunset Strip, greeted by a host who offers you...
HR Giger and Gruyère, Switzerland
Last night I watched Alien; a film I last viewed around ten years ago, and was once again struck by its...
James Dean And The ‘Little Bastard’
This was the nickname which James Byron Dean gave to his 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder. He purchased the ‘Little Bastard’ new from Competition Motors in...
A Saunter around 20th Century Fox Studios – Los Angeles
Last week we spent a fascinating afternoon wandering around the backlot at 20th Century Fox. A friend is working on a...
Hearst Castle – San Simeon: A Californian Fairy Tale
Every time we visit California, we always have good intentions to visit the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, but for one reason...
Palm Springs, California: The Home of Desert Modern
Palm Springs became a fashionable resort in the 1900s when tourists suffering from ailments requiring dry heat, arrived to take advantage...
Portmeirion Village & Hotel, Gwynedd, North Wales: The Last Folly of the Western World
We crafted the above heading from a borrowed quote in The Times. In 1973, this is how the paper described the beautiful, unique resort...
Leonardo Da Vinci: Painter At The Court of Milan
Walking into a room full of the largest number of Leonard Da Vinci’s rare surviving paintings, is quite something. But being able to...
Hard Rain: What’ll You Do Now?
Hard Rain is a brilliant touring exhibition currently showing at the majestic Kew Gardens. It’s a topical, and sometimes controversial, exhibition which...
Paradise Lost at White Cube, Mason’s Yard
We can’t believe it has taken us so long to head over to White Cube, Mason’s Yard to see Raqib Shaw’s stunningly beautiful...
Elizabeth Taylor’s Jewellery at Christie’s
“I hope their presence and their magic will be passed on to others, loved but not possessed, for we are...
The Museum of Everything: Exhibition #4
We simply adored the last exhibition from The Museum of Everything held at their rambling space in Primrose Hill earlier in the year, and...
New Book by Celia Birtwell
We have just finished reading Celia Birtwell’s fabulous new book. As one of Britain’s best-known and best-loved designers, it was such...
Behind The Scenes: Women in the Mumbai film industry.
It’s well worth a visit to the Saatchi Gallery to see the Women Changing India collection of photographs commissioned by Magnum. The...
Georges Pompidou Centre, Beaubourg – Paris, France
The Centre Georges Pompidou in the Marais, is one of our favourite stops when in Paris. Opened in 1977, it houses...
Lee Friedlander: America by Car
Last week we attended the opening of America By Car at Timothy Taylor Gallery. The exhibition covers the recent work of American photographer, Lee...
Shakespeare and Company Bookshop, Paris, France
– Be not inhospitable to strangers, lest they be angels in disguise – I first fell in love with Shakespeare...
Chanel Promenade at Harrods – London
Yesterday we visited Harrods to see the new and rather fabulous Chanel installation, on view for three weeks. Almost every window of...
Hotel Le Notre Dame – Paris, France
Last week we were in Paris to write a feature (as well as celebrate a friend’s birthday and wedding!) and thought it would be the perfect...
Turner Contemporary – Margate, Kent
This year we have made a conscious decision to spend more time exploring England (as opposed to far-flung corners of the globe) and it’s amazing just...
René Magritte: The Pleasure Principle
Tate Liverpool is currently hosting the most comprehensive exhibition ever staged in the UK of the Belgian Surrealist René Magritte. The Pleasure Principle brings together...
Curtain Call at the Roundhouse
As part of Bloomberg summer at the Roundhouse, internationally renowned artist, architect and designer, Ron Arad has invited his favourite...
La Pausa: Chanel’s Riviera Villa
Coco Chanel’s Riviera villa, La Pausa, is now on sale for £35m. Beyond most people’s budgets of course, but for one...
The Royal Wedding Dress: A Story of Great British Design
Last week we slipped behind the gilded gates of Buckingham Palace to view the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress which, this year, is part...
Ryan Mosley at Alison Jacques Gallery
We recently popped in to Alison Jacques gallery (just opposite the Sanderson Hotel) to see the Ryan Mosley exhibition. This artist has been garnering...
Hotel du Vin & Bistro – Birmingham
Surprisingly, this our my first stay at a Hotel du Vin hotel and we’ve chosen to stay at their largest property:...
Glamour of the Gods
Almost all the photographs in the exhibition are vintage prints collected from the archive of the John Kobal Foundation. There are...
Fashionable Faces at Claridges – London
We were excited to hear that our favourite London hotel: Claridges is to install one of our favourite fashion illustrators: David Downton as...
Jake or Dinos Chapman, White Cube
We’re still not entirely sure if the art at White Cube, Mason’s Yard is by Jake or Dinos Chapman, but ultimately it...
New Chaplin Collection at Musée de l’Elysée
A few years ago we spent a memorable afternoon with Michael Chaplin, strolling around the grounds of his father’s former home,...
Leighton House Museum, London
This week we spent an exquisite evening at Leighton House Museum. Home of Victorian painter and sculptor, Frederic Leighton, this gem of a...
Coco Chanel: The Legend And The Life
The last book we read on the subject of ‘Coco’ Gabrielle Chanel was by French writer and former editor-in-chief of French...
The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900
The Aesthetic movement prized the importance of art and beauty above all else and swept across fine arts, decorative arts,...
Garden Tour & Wedding Celebration Champagne Tea at Highgrove, Tetbury, Cotswolds
This week we visited Highgrove House to take a long overdue tour of the private gardens of their Royal Hignesses The Prince of Wales and...
Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition – O2, London
Friday 15 April 2011, marks the ninety-ninth anniversary of the sinking of RMS Titanic. During her maiden voyage from Southampton to New...
The Highgrove Shop – Tetbury, Gloucestershire
The nearest village to our Cotswold country cottage is the lovely seventeenth century market town of Tetbury, famous not only for its plethora of antiques...
Beast at Pangolin London
Last week we attended the opening of Beast at Pangolin London. A wonderful gallery situated in Kings Cross that is purely...
Pioneers of the Downtown Scene, The Barbican, London
Last week we attended the press viewing of Laurie Anderson, Trisha Brown, Gordon Matta-Clark Pioneers of the Downtown Scene, New York...
The Tamarind Hotel – Barbados
Barbados does old-school glamour like no other resort. Joan Collins, Simon Cowell, Michael Winner, Cilla Black, Cliff Richard, Michael Caine,...
Aware: Art Fashion Identity
The third season of contemporary art at 6 Burlington Gardens examines how contemporary artists and designers use clothing as a...
Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion
Future Beauty: 30 Years of Japanese Fashion is the first exhibition in Europe to comprehensively survey avant-garde Japanese fashion, from the...
David Bailey: Sculpture & Photographs
David Bailey’s (or Bailey as he is known to everyone) first ever sculpture exhibition is currently showing at the Pangolin gallery, Kings...
Damien Hirst: Lost Souls
For sufferers of Lepidopterphobia (roughly translated as a fear of butterflies), it was with more than a little trepidation that we...
American Prince
Tony Curtis wasn’t just an actor, he was a movie star, something altogether different. Although if you asked Tony how...
Gauguin: Maker of Myth
Words are an integral element in Gauguin’s work and we firmly believe that’s why he has always been one of our...
Coutts Bank and London’s Theatreland
Coutts & Co has a long history of supporting the performing arts and has looked after the financial affairs of many...
The Fleming Villa at Goldeneye – Jamaica
“Paw-paw with a slice of green lime, a dish piled with red bananas, purple-star apples and tangerines, scrambled eggs and...
Luxuries of Goa – India
The fabled palm-fringed coastline lapped by the warm waters of the Arabian Sea, also known as the ‘pearl of the...
Haute Living – Luxury Hotels from Haute Couture Designers
Fashion designers never cease to inspire us with their latest collections, but now their well tuned ascetic is no longer...
Choco-Story at the Chocolate Museum – Bruges, Belgium
“The waterfall is most important! It mixes the chocolate! It churns it up! It makes it light and frothy!” This...
Hotel Des Trois Couronnes & Spa – Vevey, Switzerland
Built in 1842 as a small palace, the Hotel Des Trois Couronnes glistens on the shores of Lake Geneva, nestled...
The Aspen Club & Spa – Aspen, Colorado, USA
A ten minute walk away from the celebrity renowned Little Nell hideaway in Aspen, The Aspen Club & Spa is discreetly...
The Shojoshin-in Temple Guest House – Mount Koya, Japan
Set in eerie black clusters of cedars at an altitude of 3,000 ft at the center of the Kii Peninsula,...
Cameron House Resort Hotel & Spa – Loch Lomond, Scotland
Commanding impressive views across the serene shores of Loch Lomond, Cameron House offers the opportunity for real indulgence. Tucked away...
Cinq Mondes Spa at Le Beau-Rivage Palace – Lausanne
Recently we spent a glorious day of pampering at the Cinq Mondes Spa at Le Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne on the edge...
Couture Collection – The Hardy Amies Museum & Archive
To coincide with the 100th Anniversary of the birth of Sir Hardy Amies, Royal Dressmaker to HM Queen Elizabeth II,...