COUNTRY HOMES & INTERIORS
ALARMS: Alarm clocks and radios are a match made in heaven. Many feature multiple alarms with either a beeping tone or the radio to wake you; others also
have a timer function perfect for use in a kitchen.
PHONE CHARGING: Anyone who lives in a busy home knows that there are never enough places to charge your phone. Most of the latest radios reflect that need with added USB ports for wired smartphone charging, while others feature QI wireless charging, too.
PORTABILITY: Some radios come with a built İn power pack, or have one as an optional extra and others are mains powered. This may not be a big concern, but buiIt in power allows you to move from room to room without missing parts of your favourite show, and allows you to listen to music outdoors.
Available in black or white lacquer, plum, saffron (right) or rich wa|nut veneer surrounds, with a clear and bright OLED screen, the R1 Deluxe’s timeless design is paired with intuitive controls. It has 20 station presets (10 DAB,10 FM) and doubles as an alarm clock and speaker (via BIuetooth).There’s a smartphone USB port and you can go wire|ess with the rechargeable Backpack || (£59.99).
An alarm clock/radio hybrid, the Siesta Charge also doubles as a Ql charging pad, so it can wire|ess|y charge your phone as you sleep (for phones without Ql technology, there’s a USB port on the back for wired charging). Available in Polar and Graphite, it plays FM, DAB/DAB+ and boasts 40 station presets. It also works as a Bluetooth speaker and there’s a headphone socket for private |istening.You can set up to three alarms (for different days) and the LCD display won’t keep you awake, thanks to the
auto dimming function.
Alexandra Gallagher is part of the Runway Gallery, an online showcase of contemporary art. From her home in Lancashire, she combines oil paints and digital printing to create exotic, decorative works. Here, she tells us about the inspiration for her latest series, the exu berant and surreal Birds with Birds.
Tell us about your background in art. I started out as a portrait artist but,10 years ago, I began exploring other styles. I had small children my daughter was only about two or three and I started taking photos of her and making collages from them. Recently, I’ve developed the Birds with Birds series, which grew out of a wedding present commission. I was asked to create a piece for a friend, but then the creative process seemed to click, and wanted to take it further. How would you describe your style? love rich colours and vibrant, exotic motifs. work digitally, arranging an intricate mix of photos and vintage images, then moving them around intuitively until I arrive at an image that feels right. I never plan a piece — when ldo, it doesn’t work! I’ll try a bit of this, a bit of that and, all of a sudden, it starts to tell a story. The next stage in the process is to take the rough image and transfer it onto a canvas. | square it up and sketch it out. If it’s a mixed—media piece, I’ll get certain elements of the image printed and paint in all the other details, usually with oil paints. Where do you look for inspiration?| love design and fashion and I think that’s why my pieces attract interior designers. But I’m also interested in women’s experiences of growing up in Western society — the good and the bad. Part of it is my own history, but I don’t want to be one of those artists who puts their whole life story up there. The painter Jenny Saville is a creative influence. Her works are very empowering in the way they present the female form. How would you display your works in a country home? Although I love colour, my palette is quiet elegant and subdued, which works well in a period property. The paintings are lush and decorative, and would provide
such a beautiful focal point above a fireplace or in a bedroom.