Get wings and lift your look

The bird as a motif is now the cupcake of the design world –  an innocent indulgence that simply makes us happy. CATHY O'CLERYchecks out why all things feathered are flocking into our homes

DURING THESE TURBULENT times many of us feel the need to return to a gentler world and surround ourselves with things that make us feel comfortable and good. When it comes to design, inspiration from the natural environment has been a long favoured device to help distract us from our daily toils and troubles.

Style trends are often a reaction to issues in the current climate. Through the last two decades the antidote to rampant conspicuous consumerism has been for all things nostalgic. Cath Kidston created a flowery vintage style and brought domestic ephemera into vogue, and Rachel Ashwell glorified flea-market finds and distressed paint finishes with the creation of Shabby Chic. They introduced brands that portrayed a lasting cultural history and design provenance opposed to the lewd gratification of instant fashion.

As the recession kicked in there was a further backlash against the throw-away society and designers focused more on source and substance. The mantra became reduce, re-use and recycle and we were obliged to become eco-conscious and fair-trade mindful of what we put in our homes. The unbleached replaced the faded floral and the “previously loved” took over from the “genuine reproduction”. All worthy stuff, but adhering to it required major lifestyle choices at a time when we could least afford them. Shopping became a somewhat sombre affair: checking for sustainable sources or calculating eco-credits – where was the fun?

After several years of economic downturn the only real reduction we have seen is in our purchasing power and we are now more likely to spend dwindling cash resources on a cushion or a fridge-magnet than on a sofa or a freezer. Therefore most of the design energy now is going into smaller products (which also sell well online).

When major trends change, so do the design applications. In domestic design, cabbage roses and polka dots, the insignia of the property boom, are now giving way to a more cheery emblem which is popping up everywhere and can be easily applied to decorating accessories – the humble garden bird.

Delicate, fragile and carefree, our feathered friends have become today’s design pick-me-up. Inoffensive and delightfully pretty, the bird as a motif is now the cupcake of the design world – an innocent indulgence that simply makes us happy. And we don’t need that “whole look” that was encouraged with Shabby Chic, or need to feel guilty about saving the planet – just one or two little birdie bits is all that is needed to bring a bit of amusement and life back into the home.

Feather your nest

High on the covet list has to be the beautiful Birdie Blossom, hand-woven, wool tapestry cushion, (£325/€389), designed by Paul Smith for The Rug Company (5). See therugcompany.com, tel: 00-44-207-2295148.

Pigeon fancier

Not the most popular of birds when it comes to city living but a cheeky pigeon light, £67, by Ed Carpenter, described rather aptly as an “urban souvenir” is perfect for perching on a shelf. It can be purchased online through Thorsten Van Elten. See thorstenvanelten.com, tel: 00-44-207-7397237.

Flying high

A cheap and instant decorative fix, wall stickers have left the domain of the nursery and moved on to grown-up rooms. There is a plethora of birdie stickers to choose from and they are an ideal thing to buy online. The Binary Box offers the most timeless and sophisticated selection. The flock of birds is a room-transforming snip at £24.99. See thebinarybox.co.uk.

Worth netting

Two emerging artist-designers, whose whimsical talent sings from the tree tops, are creating the collectors’ pieces of the future. Abigail Brown makes hand-crafted bird sculptures from new and old fabric scraps (4). Each bird is unique and cannot be replicated. Prices start around £200. And French designer Mathieu Challières has taken the idea of a gilded cage to a new level with this enchanting lamp, La Volière (€50), available to order from The Conran Shop in Arnotts (3). See abigail-brown.co.uk, tel: 00-44-794-0497488. See conranshop.co.uk, tel: 01-8050400 (Arnotts)

A bird in the hand

Pip Studio is a Dutch company devoted to designing products to make people happy, and that they certainly do. Apart from their upbeat designs the quality is something to behold. Pip Studio’s porcelain is currently on sale at Avoca stores, or direct from Pip Studio’s online shop, prices from €12.95. See pipstudio.com

Love birds

Shan Valla’s loveable gold finches (2) are made from porcelain and would nest neatly in any home, but she also suggests they make the perfect topper for a wedding cake. They cost £30/€36 each or £50/€60 for two. See shanvalla.co.uk, tel:00-44-796-6240175.

Flights of Fancy

Birds on trailing branches are an all-time favourite in wallpaper design. One of the most outstandingly luxurious examples, Earlham, is from the collection of historical Chinoisere wallpapers hand painted on silk from De Gournay. The de Gournay wallpaper is priced per panel so for one panel 915mm wide, any height, the price starts at €621 (plus Vat). See degournay.com.

Cole Son’s Hummingbird wallpaper, €113 per roll, is just as beautiful and a great favourite with the customers of wallpaper specialists Charles Newhaven (6). And for a contemporary flutter, Louise Body’s Pavilion Birds wallpaper, €70 per roll, brings a modern twist to the genre. Both are available to order from Charles Newhaven. Seecharlesnewhaven.ie, tel: 059-9162882.

Rare bird

Belfast-born silversmith Raymond Kinghan has created a precious bird in more ways than one (1). Part of a limited edition, it is crafted with hallmarked Irish silver, an 18 carat gold-plated beak and citrine eyes (€1,740). See raymondkinghan.com, tel: 01-4549588.

Great bird blog

For more birdy inspiration follow the design blog Wee Birdy which gives a cheering inside track on what’s happening in the design world. See weebirdy.com.