fabricofmylife.co.uk

when you grow up in london you’re used to having incredible heritage architecture on your doorstep, but having moved north i’ve been delighted to discover a wealth of spectacular victorian, georgian and neo-gothic buildings to discover. as i began exploring the city many people told me about the beauty of victoria baths, and i had the pleasure of discovering the venue for myself last year when i attended the manchester gin festival with lovely ladies clare, rebecca and laura

i’m not quite sure how it happened, but somewhere along the way i became a candle collector. it wasn’t really a conscious decision

smuk is a new breed of salon championing beauty, inside and out, which doesn’t just apply to people but the whole salon experience, from the staging of the interior environment to the eco credentials of the products used, the range of organic refreshments offered and overall sense of ambience and wellbeing. as you enter the wonderful world of smuk you’re immediately immersed in a scandinavian design lover’s dream; a light and airy space filled with sleek modern classics from danish design brand menu, including anita johansen’s align daybed, rotterdam-based studio i’m not entirely sure how i’ve not ended up with a better photo of my finished nails than the one below (snapped against insidestore‘s gorgeous charlie oscar patterson mural), but let me assure you they looked great, and the colour lasted almost an entire week – far longer than i’ve managed to sustain a manicure before without chipping! i’m definitely more inclined to spend money on massage and other overall body treatments that promote relaxation having experienced the benefits in recent months, and while i’m probably not going to start treating myself to regular manicures (because i can reasonably adequately paint my own nails), i’m intrigued to try a proper pedicure next, because – shock horror, all my friends were utterly amazed – i’ve never actually had one before!

specialising in line drawings that celebrate architectural elevations, detail and geometry, all of the pieces rom has on display have been inspired by his first-hand experience of the buildings, both from a personal and architectural perspective. having studied architecture at the university of manchester, rom now works at a architectural practice in the city by day, while spending his evenings and weekends working on his architectural draughting. perfect for any architecture or minimalism geek (uh, hello! ), rom’s drawings make a great gift to commemorate a special occasion, first-time meeting or your favourite spot in a cherished city. a strong purveyor of sustainable art, all of rom’s drawings are printed on responsibly sourced, archival quality art paper, and packaged in acid-free recycled tissue and eco-friendly art tubes. as a long-term manchester resident i thought rom would make the perfect candidate for my next secret city q&a!