Spell out your style
GRAFFITI'S no longer confined to public spaces -it's gone posh and is now the most fashionable way to personalise our rooms.
It seems we can't resist the urge to 'write' on our walls but don't think spray paint and Banksy's street art! The most popular way is to use 3D gilded or painted letters to spell out names, inspiring words like Love or Peace or even witty sayings on a mantel or shelf. Designer Emily Readett-Bayley pioneered the use of letters as decoration in 1990, selling them through her interiors company.
Initially she found their appeal was only for children's rooms. But now the trend has become so popular for grown ups that she's launched a new online company, Posh Graffiti, selling a huge range of hand-carved letters in different sizes and print types made from sustainable wood.
Readett-Bayley, aged 45, says: "This has become enormously popular in the last couple of years - it's like posh graffiti for rooms.
"I think people love being able to personalise a room with a word or phrase that means something special to them. Many people may just want to monogram a wall with either their own name or initials or perhaps their partner's, while others do still use them to personalise children's bedrooms with their names.
"But some people love them so much they buy a whole alphabet and regularly change the word or saying they have on a wall or displayed on a shelf.
"I know one woman who spelt out the word 'love' hundreds of times in a border made up of my 3D letters all around her bedroom. We've had a few men who've spelt out their school mottos while other people spell out the title of their favourite song."
In an interesting sign of the times, Readett-Bayley now finds people want to spell out words in text language so she extended her range to include the numerals and symbols to make that possible.
She even provides a virtual 'graffiti' wall on her website so people can experiment with the letters before they buy and is currently selling around 200,000 letters a year.
She adds: "Words go in fashions. 'Bling' was all the rage but that's fallen out of favour now but 'Rock 'n' Roll' is still around.
"Some of the up and coming words at the moment are 'Trust' and 'Hope', perhaps because they're comfor ting words a nd make us feel better at a time of economic uncertainty.
"But other phrases are quite lyrical - a real favourite is 'Stairway to Heaven' for a stairway wall, or short and sweet phrases like 'Relax & Chill'."
Another fan of spelling it out at home is Louise Graham. She is brand manager for interiors company, Graham & Green, which sells a selection of gilded letters from £6-£12.
She says: "Personally I love using letters in my home. I'm always on the hunt for old letters in flea markets and antique shops because I want to spell out all the family's names on our kitchen wall. It's a long term project!
"What's so lovely is that each individual letter I find has its own history whether it's an old mould from a printer's block, from the signage of a long-gone 1950s department store or perhaps hunted down in a bazaar in India.
"Letters and fonts are so varied and unique that they all add a different graphic quality to any space. It's just like putting up a painting or an ornament on a mantelpiece. They all add an element of character and charm to a home."
So get the message and make words work for your home. Here's a selection of buys to write home about - from those fashionable letters to illuminated neon signs and posters. All will speak volumes for your style.
* BRAVE WORDS
AS WE battle with tricky financial times it seems we want those uplifting World War II slogans such as 'Keep Calm And Carry On' to help us steady our nerves.
Pedlars has plenty for the 'stiff upper lip' brigade including t hat 'Keep Ca lm And Carry On' framed poster, which is a reproduction of instructions about coping during an air raid.
It features a crest, bold white lettering on a red background and costs £94. There's a matching tea towel for £11.95 and a mug, £8.50.
There's a similarly-apt poster for our time with the slogan 'Make Do And Mend' as well as another which might be a succinct message from noisy teenagers to parents, 'Don't Talk Over Music'. Both are framed and cost £125 each.
Pedlars owner Cha rlie Gladstone says: "Everyone enjoys a touch of nostalgia and these bold slogans give a real sense of integrity and history. They're hugely popular at the moment."
It's also got signs to delight sports fans - framed vintage London Bus destination blinds featuring key sporting institutions such as The Oval, and The Boat Race. They cost £225 each.
* WORDS TO WOO
IT'S one of the most popular ways of ways of making your feelings crystal clear in the home - spelling out a romantic message like 'I Love You' or simply the word 'Love' in individual 3D letters and either hanging the letters on a wall or arranging them on a shelf.
Emily Readett-Bayley's selection at Posh Graffiti starts from £2.50 each, in gold and silver, white which can be painted, or a natural-wood finish.
She hasn't forgotten the great outdoors, either. You can spread the word in the garden with her large, floorstanding, weatherproof, reclaimed-teak letters, which cost around £45 each. Why not spell out 'DIG' to encourage the gardener in the family or 'RELAX' to set the mood for balmy, summer evenings on the patio.
Love is said to light up your life, and you could prove it with an illuminated sign saying 'I Love You' or choose any warm sentiment of your choice. A bespoke metal light box with space for up to 14 letters is £395, from Pedlars. It also has a selection of printers' block letters.
New York designer Jonathan Adler's porcelain storage pots could be ideal for those who like to keep a lid on their emotions. Based on old apothecary jars, their message is clear - they're labelled 'Love', or 'Joy', 'Hate' and 'Anger' and cost from £23 each.
If you can't find the words in the bedroom, why not let the pillows do the talking? Dress pillows in a pair of pillow cases which, when put together, spell out the word 'LOVE' in decorative Victorian letters in pink or black. They're £25 from on-line company Shop.
* WRITE STUFF
MATCH words to rooms by spelling out 'FOOD' in bold letters on a kitchen or dining room wall, and perhaps 'SPLASH' or 'WAVE' in a bathroom. A sticker showing the word 'EAT' in bold capitals could tickle the taste buds in the kitchen. These are part of Brume's collection which starts from £9.
Julie Savill, author of 101 Creative Touches (BBC Books £4.99) says words needn't stand alone and suggests also using whole pages of text as decoration. She says: "Ditch the tablecloth, and instead give yourself something to read while munching your toast and cereal.
"Decorate a tabletop with newspaper cuttings or pages cut from an old book - how about a cookery book for some culinary inspiration?"
Use PVA glue to stick paper down and make sure it over-laps the table edges. Wipe away excess glue, leave to dry thoroughly and then apply one or more coats of clear acrylic varnish. Allow to dry between coats.
Alternatively, kick sta rt conversation at the dinner table with a Riddle table runner, £25, printed with 300 word puzzles. The questions and answers are mixed up and can be read from both ends of the table. There are convenient ci rcular blank spaces for plates on either end. It's from Dutch by Design.
* SHOPPING FORECAST
COASTAL style is set to take rooms by storm this summer, so it's time to get ship-shape and use words to conjure the look.
Just by saying the words sun, sand and sea we can immediately picture our favourite seashore. So scatter hand-made cushions on deck, or on the sofa, with the lettering 'Sea' or 'Sand' appliqued on them. It also has another, 'Beach Life', for £65. They're from Angel Linens.
Display large letters coated in rea l sand, spelling 'BEACH'. They come in a boxed set by Coasting Along, £14.
Both cushions and letters are available from online company, Not On The High Street, which lives up to its name by featuring quirky, distinctive homeware including a great collection of alphabet letters as well as accessories for beachcombers.
Even landlubbers would find it hard to resist a red and white lifebuoy emblazoned with 'Welcome Aboard', £22, and you could point your guests in the direction of sea, sand and surf (no matter what your location!) with a tin arrowshaped sign, 'Beach', £6.95. Both from Buy The Sea.
Garden Trading evokes salt sea breezes and traditional coastal fare with a blue bucket labelled 'Fresh Whitstable Oysters', £22, or a retro 'Fish & Chips' sign, £13.50.
Add a collection of drift-wood, baskets of shells and pebbles and all you're missing is the pier.
* WALL TALK
'HOME Sweet Home' is a lovely traditional sentiment, and it's the message spelt out on a beautiful rug from The Rug Company's collection. This could be a savvy way of following the trend for words in the home as these rugs may cost a pretty penny but are regarded as collector's pieces. Don't worry if you feel they're too good to walk on; they're to be hung on walls just like works of art. Designer Suzanne Sharp designed the 'Home Sweet Home' rug which is available on a cream or black background for £995. The company also has two other wordy treasures for the wall. There's a rug emblazoned with 'He Loves Me', or one for designer divas - Paul Smith's iconic 'Love' rug in a retro- inspi red colourful Sixties style.
If you really want to embrace the alphabet you could go the whole A-Z with Basso & Brooke's Alphabet wallpaper which has letters randomly scattered across a silver backg round. It costs £24.98 a roll from B&Q.
But my choice for originality is the Mirror Mirror from Dutch By Desig n, £39.95, which has 'You're beautiful.. and stunning' printed across the glass. It would be hard to resist and could be the ultimate romantic present!
