Couple to open eco-paint shop in HarrogateWhy is there so much paint on the pavements in Harrogate town centre?

Anyone visiting Harrogate town centre recently will have noticed colourful doodles on footpaths by Station Parade, James Street and Cheltenham Parade.

It’s not a conceptual art project and has an important purpose, according to North Yorkshire County Council who painted them.

Paint is sometimes added to footpaths before roadworks take place to help engineers identify underground services such as water pipes, electricity cables or broadband.

The £11.2m Station Gateway scheme is arguably the biggest infrastructure project to come to Harrogate in decades and the sheer scale of the project means there is now “gateway graffiti” splattered in front of many shops, cafes and restaurants.

NYCC said the paint is semi-permanent and will wear off, but it could still be there during Harrogate’s busy Christmas period.

North Yorkshire County Council’s assistant director of highways and transportation, Barrie Mason, said:

“The markings are necessary to identify underground services as part of the planning work for the proposed Harrogate Gateway scheme, if the decision is taken for the project to go ahead, and is routine practice to help avoid problems in many situations where contractors will be working.

“The paint is semi-permanent and will wear off over a matter of months but care is taken to keep its use to a minimum.”

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When will work start on the Station Gateway?

The project is still yet to be given the final green light.

A third round of public consultation recently ended.

But last night, Cllr Keane Duncan, executive member for highways and transportation at NYCC, told businesses that work is likely to start next year if councillors approve it.

Cllr Duncan also discussed whether inflation will increase the final cost of the project.

Ripon paint specialists turn steam train ‘platinum purple’ for Jubilee

Ripon paint specialists T&R Williamson have played a part in painting the popular steam train Taw Valley “platinum purple” ahead of the Queen’s jubilee.  

T&R Williamson hold a Royal warrant for their supply of products to the Royal household, used for the Royal mews and Royal carriages.  

Group chairman Abubaker Sheibani said:  

“We are thrilled to have been able to extend this Royal connection to this unique project. It is a fitting and truly memorable way of commemorating Her Majesty becoming the first British monarch in history to reign for 70 years.” 

After a public vote at Severn Valley Railway, it was decided the train will be renamed Elizabeth II during the jubilee celebrations. 

The royal project has also attracted the attention of leading British model company, Hornby, who are producing a collector’s model of the new purple locomotive.  

T&R Williamson, along with Thomas-Howse Paints and Metprint Ltd, have created a “platinum purple” paint tin to mark the occasion. It will be filled with traditional sweets and transforms into a money-box when empty.    

Harrogate estate agent makes historic land sale deal for £4 million

Harrogate estate agent Linley & Simpson has sold a patch of land in North Yorkshire for over £4 million.  

The land in Church Fenton has been bought by Yorkshire Country Properties, which plans to build 50 new homes on the residential site.  

This sale is the biggest this year for the award-winning land and new homes team at Linley & Simpson, and is one of the company’s most significant deals.  

Director David Waddington said:  

“Given the coveted location, there was no shortage of interest among developers in the site, which was sold with full planning permission”.  

The agency says North Yorkshire house buyers are increasingly turning to new builds post-Covid, particularly for family homes in rural areas. They suggest this is also a result of rising energy costs across the country.  

They are hoping this trend will continue, creating more demand among developers for land in prime locations across the region.  

Starbeck shows support for Ukraine with giant painted flag

A group of Prince of Wales pub regulars have shown their support for Ukraine by painting the country’s flag on the side of a derelict supermarket in Starbeck.

The idea came from Starbeck Community Group’s Lucky Hubbard and pub landlady Alyson Griffiths. They wanted to show Starbeck is behind the war-torn country whilst at the same time tidying up the former McColl’s supermarket that was ravaged by fire in 2018.

Within hours, a group of drinkers at The Prince of Wales had volunteered their time and they have been there from 5am to 7am for the last few mornings painting the blue and yellow flag before they go to work.

The group of painters included John Kean, David Stead, Colin Shiel, Nick Mills and John Read.

It still has doves of peace and sunflowers that will be added next week as well as six new planters and hanging baskets donated by Starbeck Post Office.

Farball Coatings donated £500 worth of paint and Jewson donated the timber.

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Ms Hubbard said:

“The difference is unbelievable. It looks a lot cleaner and tidier.”

Andrew Hart, who set up Starbeck Community Group and owns the post office, said he has been in contact with the landlord of the building who was very supportive of the flag being painted.

He added:

“We wanted to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people during this terrible situation.”

A Starbeck knitting group has decorated this post box with the Ukraine flag.

Successful interior design duo launches new Harrogate studio

This article is sponsored by Lapicida

From working on each other’s kitchen tables, to launching a stylish new Harrogate design studio, Rachael Webber and Justine Kirkham have come a long way in just three years.

Their business, Stylesmith Interiors, has gone from strength-to-strength, with a surge in demand caused by the pandemic seeing them move to bigger premises on Cold Bath Road.

Modern space

The building, which formerly housed Fit Harrogate and the Joy organic food store, has been transformed into a modern space, which will allow the interior designers to meet clients and network with architects and builders, along with others involved in their projects.

As a retail space, it has been tricky to run a profitable business due to the lack of footfall. Joy closed its doors in August, less than a year after opening its doors.

There’s hope the design studio will be a much better fit, as there isn’t the reliance on passing trade.

The new design studio shows off the duo’s style

Justine said:

“In the middle of lockdown we were accumulating more and more things, as obviously construction carried on. So whereas we thought everything was going to slow down, as it turned out, we were busier than ever. It was great, but also it meant that it was absolute chaos with all the boxes of samples etc.”

The duo soon realised they needed more room, so found a unit at Hornbeam Park.

When they were told the building was going to be demolished and redeveloped after 18 months at the site, it was the push they needed to move to bigger premises.

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After looking at lots of similar office buildings that were tucked away, they realised when everything reopened after lockdown, their clients wanted to visit them in person.

Rachael said:

“This building just happened to come up and we thought it was a bonus that we are visible, but we are not retail so we don’t need the footfall like a retail shop. We are very happy and we love it. “

Experience

Both Justine and Rachael have previously worked for large interior design companies and have 30 years of experience between them. Rachael also has a background in fashion.

The kitchen area downstairs

Justine said:

“What we have realised is you get very much dragged into this corporate set-up where it’s all about sales figures and data and systems and it takes away all the creativity in what you are doing. So when we started talking originally, that was the bit that bugged us.

“We thought it needs to be more client-focused, where it’s all about their experience. So we decided to set-up ourselves.”

To complement the skills of their interior design team, Justine and Rachael also partner with experts and suppliers across the homebuilding and renovation industry. These include builders, architects, kitchen and bathroom suppliers and curtain manufacturers.

The new space, painted in Little Greene’s Harley Green, features elements of design that act as a showcase for the duo’s style. A studio downstairs houses samples, including material, paint and tiles.

Rachael said:
“The space shows what we can do. We have kept it very clean and haven’t gone glitzy. It’s much more how most people actually choose for their houses to be. A bit more colour, to push people outside their comfort zones slightly, but without being blingy.”

The kitchen area in the new studio

Understated

The pair said they didn’t have a specific style when it came to their design ideas, however, personally they had an “understated” take on design.
There are plethora of talented interior designers in Harrogate and a lot of new housing developments and renovation projects going on at the moment.
Some of these also have their own showrooms in the town. To stand out from the crowd, each have their own distinct style, allowing them to become successful in their own right.
Justine and Rachael’s understated modern design already clearly speaks to a lot of people.
Recently I’ve found myself being a fan of maximalism. This is a style that embraces the all-out: beautiful colour palettes, luxurious textiles, patterns and embellishment, Just last month I did an interior design masterclass with Joanie Mac, where I discovered I was very much drawn to that particular style.
But the simple elements of design Justine and Rachael have a lot of appeal.
For example embellishments, like the black taps in their downstairs bathroom and eye-catching blue patterned tiles, made the small space look luxurious.
It is interior design that is accessible.
Justine said:
“We are not trying to be this super duper London-style – very uber cool. Because that doesn’t work up here. But equally we don’t want to be at the blingy, over-the-top end..
“Some people want this very Scandinavian style. We have got loads of people wanting the slightly industrial style. We are doing a barn conversion at the moment where it is very grand, so we are putting a bit of oomph into that. It all depends on the client.”

Compliment

Justine added that they also complimented each other as designers, describing herself as ‘a starter’, who loved gritty building sites and tearing walls down, while Rachael enjoyed adding the finishing touches.
And despite interior designers traditionally been associated with the rich and famous, the pair were keen to stress that anyone could hire their services – even me for my humble 80s semi.
Justine said:
“For example if you wanted to put in a new kitchen or bathroom, or you are looking at flooring or you wanted to knock a wall down, then we are your gals.
“Everybody is doing extensions and creating open-plan living spaces. When you extend and you suddenly have all these masses of space, that’s when you need someone to help you make that work. This is because more often than not, you end up with a very echoey, cold space.

A studio downstairs houses samples, including material, paint and tiles

Stylish

She added that many developers would request neutral schemes, but this could still have a hint of colour, such as a blue or green. This would often lead to properties selling more quickly and for extra money, as they would look more stylish.
I completely agree with this, as, like them, I believe colour can still be neutral. I am definitely not about the magnolia life.
Justine said:
“The whole point for us is we want to be this much more approachable interior design set-up. So it’s not about feeling worried about walking through the door.
“If people come in we will give them a warm welcome and chat about their project and potentials and what they are thinking of doing. That is key really, it feels really intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. It doesn’t have to be really expensive.