Battersea Spring 2024: Interior Route Guide with Nicki Bamford-Bowes

Nicki Bamford-Bowes, Interior Designer and star of BBC / Netflix’s Interior Design Masters chooses her favourite and trending artworks to look out for, from the 1,000s of pieces on offer at Affordable Art Fair Battersea Spring. Take it away Nicki!

“When choosing art for a room, thinking about the atmosphere or energy you want to create in that space can be helpful. Do you want to feel calm and peaceful, energised or creative?”

Nicki Bamford-Bowes

2. Gina Cross Gallery, stand E4

Gradients galore! The gorgeous pulsating heart of a painting blends contemporary décor trends, such as gradients, peach and unexpected red, in a graphic, minimalistic form. Gradients offer soft transitions from soft to vibrant colours, creating depth and dimension. The trend was born in graphic design but is an exciting element in décor. This artwork was created digitally, blurring the boundaries between photography and painting. I see it as a powerful focal point, bringing energy into a space such as an office or gym.

Statement art lifts any scheme. I chose this painting because I felt an emotional connection to it. I love the colours and the energy. To me, it feels passionate. It’s fiery and captivating. Again, we see my love of the trend colour peach, but this time mixed with black, which gives depth and drama. This painting could work in a monochrome or minimal scheme where all the focus is on the flash of colour. Or, in a dark, colour-saturated room, it might have a more subtle impact. The elements of transparency and layering play into the decorating trend for using a spectrum of similar tones but different textures. I’d love this in my tonal colour-drenched bedroom, with its rich, claret-coloured walls and enveloping velvet curtains in a tonal shade. The swish of pale lime yellow in the right-hand corner adds a note of surprise, which I love introducing into my schemes. 

“If you are choosing art for a space, works that reflect the overall style of a room will help create a cohesive look.”

Nicki Bamford-Bowes

3. Pigment Gallery, stand H1

When choosing art for a room, thinking about the atmosphere or energy you want to create in that space can be helpful. Do you want to feel calm and peaceful, energised or creative? This piece is perfect to create a relaxing, calming vibe. This dreamy piece can act like a window in a space, offering a visual escape into another world. I live in a very urban part of London, and looking at this painting has a similar effect to gazing at a sea view. The way the waves are painted creates a sense of texture, giving an interior scheme depth and interest. This is absolutely beautiful. I can imagine this in a bathroom, bedroom, or anywhere you want to wind down and feel at peace.

4. Degree Art, stand A3

This could hardly be more of a contrast visually, but it does the same thing as my previous choice; it changes the energy of a room. This incredibly dynamic, punky, contemporary piece is exciting and would fit perfectly in an industrial loft apartment. It would also bring a bit of urban life into a country home. The friction between the two settings would add an unexpected note, which is always fun. I couldn’t see this in my sitting room, but my skateboarding teenage son would go crazy for it in his room. It’s always worth thinking about choosing art to fit not just your taste but that of your family. It helps make their home feel as if it belongs to them. Kids love it when you show them you value their taste.

5. Newinger Art, stand C2

The ‘Squashy English’ look is massive this year. A craving for comfort and tradition has brought florals, chintz, brown furniture, inherited art and granny-would-love-it soft furnishings back into fashionable homes. This painting plays into that trend, but there’s nothing remotely twee or fusty in this dramatic take on European Old Master floral paintings. While at first glance it looks traditional, the artist has mixed English garden flowers from all seasons with tropical blooms. Instead of a classical column, the bowl is perched on top of a concrete column. This makes for an exciting, unexpectedly modern piece. Its dramatic scale, typical of Flemish flower paintings, means it would look fantastic above a bed in the bedroom or in a dining room, where the nod to tradition would add a touch of wit. There are so many beautiful colours here that could be picked up in, for example, painted skirting, window frames or even the ceiling, all of which would be fiercely on-trend. I’d pick out one of the gorgeous blues in the painting and put it against a dainty wallpaper in pink shades. This would play into the traditional English trend while keeping it modern. This is not your grandma’s flower painting!

“In almost any scheme, this painting, with its sensual, monumental central figure, will draw the eye. Which is what you want when you’ve invested in a unique piece of art.”

Nicki Bamford-Bowes

6. Art Friend, stand J5

I’ve chosen this painting primarily because it’s red. ‘Unexpected Red theory’ is an interiors trend that has taken off on social media. Whether on the Dior catwalk or in home décor, the power of a dash of red to transform a look or a room has caught the imagination of designers and stylists. Red works with almost any other colour and will always look great. I love it in a duck egg blue or pale green room where it’s an instant energiser. You don’t need too much to get the effect. In almost any scheme, this painting, with its sensual, monumental central figure, will draw the eye. Which is what you want when you’ve invested in a unique piece of art. 

7. Brook Street gallery, stand A9

If you are choosing art for a space, works that reflect the overall style of a room will help create a cohesive look. Bold minimalism is a 2024 trend with a less-is-more aesthetic blended with bold elements, often inspired by typography. Morton is a London-based abstract artist inspired by Chinese calligraphy. She works in ink to create timeless, minimalist artworks with enduring appeal. This delicate, textured piece on rice paper would work perfectly in simple, restrained scheme. I could see it standing alone above a mantelpiece, in a corner or above an intensely coloured sofa. It would also look beautiful as part of a display with other minimalist or monochrome pieces, such as works from the same artist. You can always add trend-led colour in the form of accessories and soft furnishings and swap them out if you tire of them.

Thanks so much to Nicki Bamford-Bowes for sharing her highlights! If you’re keen for more Interiors expertise, don’t miss Nicki’s Tour of the fair on Thursday 7 March, 2pm, as she shares her highlight artworks, along with top tips for buying art for interior design projects. Find out more.

Book your tickets today and get planning your visit!