Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2020 i Living Etc

When we sat down at our team planning meeting to discuss what to do with this February issue, it was unanimously agreed that a spotlight on wellness and the happy home was needed. A challenging 2019 by all accounts, plus a wet autumn folding into a cold winter, made us feel we should kick off 2020 with inspiration for creating an indoor retreat to hunker down in. Then we read John Lewis & Partners’ annual Retail Report. Its headline finding? JOMO (joy of missing out), which has replaced FOMO (fear of missing out). I can’t deny that I am very much on board. John Lewis & Partners has seen this trend reflected in the sales of products, such as linen bedding (an increase of 187%), houseplants (up 43%) and home-cinema…

Designer Ilse Crawford and Spanish brand Nanimarquina are launching a collection made from entirely natural, locally sourced fibres, including Afghan wool, hemp, seagrass and raw cotton, with each piece geared towards achieving a feel-good home full of warmth and tactility. Expect a wall hanging, throw, rugs, cushions and, yes, a hammock – because wellbeing should always encompass putting your feet up at the end of a long, hard day. Chubi hand-knotted rug, from £960; Tapestry wall hanging, £1,380 (woven.co.uk)…

“I love Scandinavian brands and I dress both myself and my home in a classic, minimalist way” When Pernille Teisbaek married Philip Lotko in 2017, her self-written vows included a promise to be present and together with her husband and young son in a world full of noise and temptations. Their home – a serene, white-walled space in the residential district of Frederiksberg in Copenhagen – helps make that happen. ‘The first time I set foot in this house, I immediately sensed a good energy,’ says Pernille. ‘It’s close to the city, but also a peaceful place to raise a child.’ Pernille’s work as a fashion stylist and street-style icon, not to mention the influencer marketing agency she runs with Philip, means the family’s suitcases are barely unpacked before they…

home profile THE DESIGNER Interior designer Roisin Lafferty of Dublin-based studio Kingston Lafferty Design created this home for property developers Eric and Niamh Walsh and their three children, Jack, eight, Finn, six, and Maeve, three. THE PROPERTY A four-bedroom, three-bathroom house in the grounds of a stately home just outside Dublin. On the ground floor is an entrance hall, an open-plan kitchen and dining area, two living rooms, a nook, plus a tiled indoor/outdoor area and a WC. Upstairs there are four bedrooms, two en suite, and a family bathroom. even before we started work, this house was totally spellbinding,’ says interior designer Roisin Lafferty. ‘You don’t normally find vaulted spaces in residential buildings and this had so much character. The owners Eric and Niamh knew straight away that they…

printed pyjamas Early nights are twice as nice in luxurious nightwear pretty pillowcases Sleep easy with super-soft linens just made for you to lie back and dream bedtime beauty Overnight skincare and slumber-boosting remedies modern bedside tables Store night-time essentials on a contemporary piece eye-catching rugs Wake up to statement bedroom flooring with serious style credentials top tech You snooze and you don’t lose with these clever gadgets adjustable reading lights Chic swing-arm designs to illuminate your favourite bedtime reading…

FRESH STYLE Luxury kitchen brand Smallbone of Devizes has launched Brookmans by Smallbone, an affordable line with the same cutting-edge design and attention to craftsmanship. Think a diffusion brand, just like fashion’s Miu Miu is to Prada. Exclusively available at Heal’s, there are two collections – the K1, shown, is a contemporary take on Shaker style, while the K2 has a mid-century vibe. Brookmans by Smallbone kitchens, from L25,000 (brookmans.co.uk) Shelfie love Purveyor of droolworthy kitchens, DeVOL has expanded its growing collection of metalware with the launch of the Classic shelf bracket. A regular feature of its famously open-shelved kitchens, the brackets are now available to buy separately for the first time. With industrial styling, the hand-finished design comes in two options – aged brass, shown, and oxidised brass, a…

Spa elegance A cement-based coating creates a simple look in this stripped-back space, echoing minimalist, relaxing spa vibes. Called microcement, it has a seamless, smooth finish (negating the need for grouting) and is available in a range of colours and textures. What’s more, you won’t need to remove any base material (as long as it’s stable), so you’ll save on construction costs, too. Best of all for bathrooms, microcement is impermeable if installed correctly. Use a specialist for a quality finish. Vertical growth Soften hard edges with a stress-busting living wall, a system which uses a modular framework that can be tailored to your needs. ‘Whether you’re looking to improve air quality or create an acoustic barrier, we look at light levels and location to ensure plants will thrive,’ says…

“Sparkling new wellness emporium Linnaean, inspired by a Swedish naturalist, is bringing better living to the buzzy Embassy Gardens development in Nine Elms. Find a medi-spa, beauty studio and restaurant offering a seasonal menu, all wrapped up in an enchanting garden-meadow interior”…

THE PATTERN act discreet Fabric house Mark Alexander has become a byword for understated luxury, no better exemplified than on its Scribe fabric from the just-launched Rhythm collection, which takes its cue from African mud cloths. Look closely at the screen-printed pure linen and you’ll see part of the pattern has been embroidered by hand. Scribe in Vellum and Indigo, £167m (markalexander.com) THE INNOVATION go for the burn Love your log-burner but worry about the CO2 contribution? Patricia Urquiola’s Wall stove for MCZ is pellet-burning, ensuring low emissions for an equally clean eco-conscience. Proving ‘eco’ doesn’t mean ‘ugly’, its sleek shape cleverly hides unsightly grilles and handles. From £3,766 (mcz.it) THE QUICK CLICK hang fire If ‘carefully curated’ and ‘easy to browse’ are your online shopping stipulations, head to digital…

“You can’t argue with interior designer Sheena Murphy’s philosophy that thoughtful design contributes to wellbeing. This dining space, created for a young urban couple, has a tranquil palette of whitewashed brick, cloudy glass and marble for a calming refuge from their busy city lives”…

Our lives in the city are so busy, we needed a tranquil place to relax,’ says Japanese-born Masahiro Katsume of the beautifully black zen-style retreat he built with his Danish wife Mette Fredskild. Both architects, the couple spend the working week in their Copenhagen apartment; the rest of the time, they can be found here, enjoying simpler pursuits such as gardening and fishing. ‘It’s a summerhouse, so we didn’t need to make it fancy,’ says Masahiro. ‘We could just focus on the essentials.’ Set in Kulhuse, an hour’s drive outside the Danish capital, the tree-filled plot borders a graveyard and the ref lective waters of Ise Fjord. When the couple bought the land in 2016, it came with an old house, which they lived in for a year before deciding…

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from outfitting office spaces in The Gherkin to panelling The Connaught’s penthouse and working with designers such as David Rockwell and Sir Terence Conran, Sean Sutcliffe’s Benchmark furniture company has been raising the bar on natural, sustainable design in the UK for the last 35 years. ‘I always liked making things,’ Sean says of his passionate pursuit of joinery from an early age. ‘I remember being about 17, at my mum’s house, spending the day making a boot jack in the garden shed. I’d never had a happier day. When she asked if I’d ever thought about being a furniture maker for a living, suddenly my eyes were opened to the possibilities.’ So Sean, fresh out of school and initially self-taught, established his own small carpentry business in London to…

“Two years ago, everybody was saying, ‘I have to have a dark-blue sitting room.’ Right now, everybody’s talking about green. But just because something’s on trend doesn’t mean it’s right for you. What matters is your innate sense of what you’re comfortable with. Above all, choose colours that make you smile. There are no ‘bad’ colours, but some will work better than others depending on the light. For example, if your space is starved of light or north-facing, then colours with a green base can look even more green. When sampling paints, look at how the colour changes throughout the day and don’t forget to check it in the evening. I tell clients to pull the curtains and light candles if they’re decorating a dining room that they only use…

1 You’ll spend about a third of your life in the bedroom, so make sure it’s a relaxing space. Encourage sleep with neutral colours, then focus on the energy. ‘Choose a bed with a headboard and position it against a solid wall,’ says feng shui expert Priya Sher. ‘Then place bedside tables either side. Keep electrical items to a minimum – the bedroom should be a space to charge our energy, not our phones.’ 2 Next, think about the position of your mirror. According to the ancient Indian practice of vastu, it shouldn’t be adjacent to the bed. ‘This is because it’ll collect stress and reflect it back at you,’ says Jasmine Hemsley, author of East by West. If your mirror is fixed, place a piece of fabric or a…

One of the key figures in the clean eating movement, along with her sister Jasmine, Melissa Hemsley has made famous all things green and nutritious with her vibrant recipes that promote wellbeing. Her new book, Eat Green, shares flexitarian recipes to help us reduce our meat intake in a gentle, accessible way. We caught five minutes with Melissa to discover her east London wellness secrets. East London is well known for its hip health food stores. Tell us about one. I’m so happy we’re getting more refill stores (bring your own containers, fill up what you need, pay by weight). No plastic packaging! A big shout out to Re:store (restorerefill.co.uk) and look out for refillable candles from Every Origin and shampoo from Beco. Table to book in advance? I am…

THE HIGH-STREET HERO in season Craving a New Year digital detox? Need to make a dent in that pile of hardbacks? Then park the Sling armchair from John Lewis & Partners in your cosiest corner. Its leather-slung back and pocket-spring seat promise comfy hibernation. £699. Anglepoise Original 1227 floor lamp in Linen, £255 (johnlewis.com) JUST LAUNCHED switched on Haute hardware is the latest design obsession and Corston Architectural Detail is here to fill a gap in the market for discreet fittings and fixtures. We’re into its transparent Perspexsockets and switches, while itssolid brass offerings are made 1.5mm thin to sit almost flat against the wall. Time to get the electrician round… Clear Bronze 3G dimmer switch, £85 (corston.com) THE CRAFTED PIECE light up Porta Romana is focusing on new design…

1 go with the flow Water is known for its soothing properties – imagine your mood during a walk by the seaside – and it’s time to bring it closer to home. Houseplants are getting wetter and wilder with Pinterest searches for ‘indoor water gardens’ up 334%. ‘Plants literally breathe life into our homes and being around them can produce feel-good effects,’ says Nik Southern, founder of florist and indoor plant specialist, Grace & Thorn. Propagating home water gardens means that pothos plants, fiddle-leaf figs and succulents take less looking after than they normally would, while greenly purifying the air around them. Take a deep breath and enjoy. 2 lighten up The crisper the colour of the light around you, the more you are able to focus, and the clean,…

Once upon a time, this former workman’s cottage in New York’s Hudson Valley was a forlorn shell covered in asbestos shingle siding and bereft of attention. Today, it stands resplendent in five acres of extraordinary nature – a high-spec example of designer vision and a transformational renovation. When the owners, Robert Highsmith and his wife Stefanie Brechbuehler, bought the house eight years ago it served as a weekend bolthole from their busy lives as interior designers in the city. Then, in 2015, it was temporarily shifted to the back-burner when the pair moved to Charleston, South Carolina, to work on a series of exclusive design projects. Just as life seemed to be rolling along, Robert and Stefanie discovered they were going to be parents to twins and decided to return…

Palest greens, delicate foliage and natural materials give this home’s lofty spaces a serene feel, but it wasn’t always the case. A doorway with ‘Public Bar’ etched into its frosted glass is a reminder of the building’s previous life. ‘It closed in the 1970s, but I’d guess it was a proper local boozer with dark corners and a snug,’ says Mary Mulryan who, with her husband John, created its fresh feel. The pub had already been converted, but the couple, with the help of Areta Soare from Glen Howells Architects, largely rebuilt the added wing and then reworked the interiors. The result is a calm, contemporary home that connects cleverly to its outside spaces. Yet celebrating the structure of the building lies at the heart of the redesign. ‘We wanted…

Pure, simple and calm, this work by interiors stylist, writer and photographer Hans Blomquist is a pared-back masterpiece. Based on earthy palettes, and centred around natural textures and organic materials such as linen and wood, these schemes are the perfect antidote to the noise and haste of the outside world. A contemporary decorating style that makes you stop and reflect – it’s a new mood for a new year.…

‘Many modern acrylic paints are made from plastic with chemicals added to make them stick to walls and dry quickly,’ says Emma Bulmer, director, Edward Bulmer. ‘Furthermore, the manufacturing process is carbon intensive and waste paint needs to be consigned to a licensed tip. Fortunately, there is a new generation of paints made from natural materials, using a process that is not polluting and leftover paint can be put on a compost heap. Natural paints also let walls breathe, which helps improve indoor air quality.’ ‘Paints that contain virtually no chemicals will make for a healthier environment as they give off less fumes during painting and long after the paint is on the wall,’ says Cathryn Helsby, marketing manager, Earthborn. ‘You also don’t have to compromise on aesthetics. When Earthborn…

We know that the routes into the design world are not open to everyone; that the industry is not as diverse as the nation, and that there is work to be done on getting a good representation of the country into creative fields. So we are excited to be partnering with Habitat for an inclusivity initiative, opening doors to everyone. If you have a bright idea for a piece of furniture, some lighting or textiles, now is the chance to have it created, sold and be paid fairly for your work by Habitat, one of the UK’s leading retailers of contemporary design. We’re looking to champion new talent: people who have never had their work put into production before and who have the potential to become the next big stars…

1 Plant GET GROWING FOR WELLNESS Millions of us now harness the restorative powers of houseplants in our homes and self-confessed plant geek, Michael Perry, who preaches the benefits of greenery, is thrilled. His advice is backed by the NASA Clean Air Study, which was devised to find ways to detox the air in the space station. It found that common houseplants such as the Boston fern and English ivy do the trick. NASA recommends roughly one plant every nine square metres for optimal air filtering. Try The Plant Life Balance app to assess your plant/life ratio – based on room size and number of plants. When it comes to keeping greenery alive, Michael favours an old-fashioned approach. ‘Use the right plant in the right place,’ he says. ‘You’re not…

One minute with Simone Webb Describe your style. I combine traditional and digital techniques to create pieces that capture nature’s fleeting beauty and give it a sense of permanence. Flora and fauna bloom and decay in painterly gestures across stark backgrounds – a fusion of their life cycle. And your creative process? I paint elements in acrylic, which I then scan into my computer and combine digitally before printing and adding accents, mainly gold leaf. I’ll begin a piece with certain colours in mind, but they often change. I just go with what feels right. Artistic influences? I love the works of Jacob van Walscapelle and James Jean. I take a lot of colour inspiration from 18th-century artworks, the rococo movement in particular. Career highlight? My first solo show –…

serves 2 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed300g red or curly kale, or cavolo nero, leaves removed from stems, cut or torn into 5cm pieces 1tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzlingSalt and freshly ground black pepper1tsp smoked paprika1/4tsp cayenne pepper2 x 200g blocks feta, halved horizontally to make3cm-thick pieces30g pumpkin seeds1tbsp tahini3tbsp extra-virgin olive oilJuice of 3 lemons You can mix leftovers with scrambled eggs or use on top of cooked grains with the dressing 1 Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6 with a baking tray inside. When the oven is ready, remove the baking tray and carefully add the chickpeas and kale, then toss with the oil, salt, pepper and spices, using a wooden spoon. Spread the ingredients evenly, then create little pockets to nestle the feta into,…

LA COLOMBE D’OR It was through recommendations of other travellers in the know that I discovered this gem in the hilltop town of Saint Paul de Vence. Once a retreat for 20th-century luminaries such as Matisse and Picasso, today it is an art-strewn hotel-restaurant that boasts Gallic charm in spades. I always grab a spot outside for poolside gossip and afternoon cocktails, all underneath a magnificent – and priceless – Alexander Calder mobile.…