Homebuildlife: Kaleidoscope at Mint

The Amsterdam Armoire by Scholten & Baijings for Established and Sons has feet made from hand blown glass and interior door panels that are printed with still life photographs.

Kaleidoscope seems a fitting description for London design shop Mint's new Summer Collection. Design art hasn't been getting such good press of late but looking at owner Lina Kanafani's latest bright mix of items, which include a £9775 cabinet with handblown glass feet, she isn't afraid to blur the boundaries and show her support for decadent design.

Left: The Zero-In table by Barber Osgerby for Established and Sons' Estd Collection. Right: Convex Mirror and Two Timer clock both by Sebastian Wrong for Established and Sons' Principal Collection.

The pieces exhibited are described as a mix of design, art and fashion, with each item loosely fitting into every one of these categories. New designs from Established and Sons' new 'Estd' Collection launched in Milan in April were displayed next to bold artwork depicting lounging female figures by contemporary artist Natasha Law.

Left: A Charles Eames Lounger re-upholstered by Bokja. Right: A tubular steel chair by Bojka sits under a Natasha Law painting.

A selection of pieces by Beirut design duo Bokja were scattered throughout the space adding splashes of vibrant colour. Their trademark patchwork of vintage fabrics adorned a Charles Eames lounger and ottoman as well as a selection of tubular steel chairs and Bean shaped sofa.

Left: Frédérique Morrel's 'Bunny' featuring vintage aubusson needlework. Right: Fabien Capello's bar stools made from recycled Christmas trees.

Frédérique Morrel's vintage aubusson needlework Bunny head mount with fur trim blurred the art / design boundaries whilst referencing the recent trend for taxidermy in interiors. Less opulent pieces placed emphasis on the innovative use of raw or recyled timber such as Camiel Weijenberg's Chipper dining and coffee tables made from laminated chipboard or Fabien Capello's bar stools made from recycled abandoned Christmas trees found on the streets of London.

Camiel Weijenberg's Chipper dining and coffee tables.

However most interesting was Kanafani's addition of clothing to her shop floor, perhaps signalling Mint's expansion into a lifestyle store format. Although it should be noted that this is not Mint's first foray into fashion, previous clothing lines sold have included pieces from ‘Society’ and ‘Limonta’ who also supplied Mint with bed linens. However for Kaleidoscope, Kanafani decided to exhibit a selection of limited edition jeans called Gluejean.

Gluejeans and Juxtapose by Gluejeans.

Handmade in the Netherlands, the denim has been glued at the seams using a variety of different coloured glues. The jeans have been artfully displayed alongside a range of denim coats and jackets called Juxtapose, which have been made using the same glue technique. Mint told us "Glue jeans have also launched their clothing at Droog New York and Droog at home in Amsterdam. Their collection is aimed at more of an architecture/design related audience."