Indholdsfortegnelse for August 2021 i Living Etc

My home life has been anything but relaxing lately, so the theme of this issue is wishful thinking for me but I’m hoping it’s a reality for all of you. If you follow me on social media, you’ll have noticed I’ve given up the Insta-sham of posting curatedly perfect pictures – I simply don’t have the content – and have been sharing shots of wallpaper stripping, concrete drilling and vegetable-patch building instead. But in all the renovation chaos it feels like we’ve turned a corner. By the time you read this, we will probably be back in, only the last of the builders ought to remain and my kitchen might have been nearly completed. I actually can’t imagine what I’ll do with weekends when there is no DIY left. Hopefully,…

With an abundance of colours, vegetable prints and positive vibes, FEAST is iconic chef Yotam Ottolenghi’s first collection of tableware – a collaboration with Italian artist Ivo Bisignano and Belgian design label Serax. Encompassing 100 pieces, the expressive range reflects everything the chef stands for and is created with the most joyful of gatherings in mind – a coming together with friends and family, sharing great food and exchanging stories. Prices start at £6.15 (ottolenghi.co.uk)…

1 cool continuity For a great talking point, consider laying a dramatic tiled front path in contemporary colours, then continuing it into the hallway. Change the door furniture to a finish you have used in your interior – antique or polished brass will add some glamour, while matt black or bronze will look timeless and elegant. Beth Dadswell, founder, Imperfect Interiors 2 warm welcome A beautifully painted front door is the way to my heart. Even though neutrals are popular for interiors, external schemes often fall flat without the gusto of a generous splash of colour. My favourite front door colours are those that put a smile on your face. Blues would be my first port of call, and then pinks and greens. Choosing the perfect shade is a considered choice…

ghanian-born Akosua Afriyie-Kumi moved to London aged 18 to study fashion design. Eight years later, inspired by basket-weaving in Ghana, she decided to launch her own business showcasing its techniques. So she moved back to her home country and in 2015, AAKS – her fashion and homeware brand – was born. Akosua’s pieces are now stocked internationally in stores like Anthropologie, Nordstrom and, more recently, John Lewis & Partners and help support her local communities. How has work and life changed in the last year? Dramatically. I had been gaining momentum with the business and then the world came to a standstill because of the pandemic. Production stopped but fortunately I had enough bags in stock to sell online. Then I woke up on 2 June last year to an…

When Isatu Funna’s husband, Philipp von Hammerstein, landed a new job that involved the family decamping from Berlin to London, it took them some time to find the ideal spot to put down roots. This was in part down to the fact they needed a house with walls of sufficient scale to display their burgeoning art collection. ‘We looked at maybe 60-plus houses,’ says Isatu. But when they saw this one in north London, Isatu knew it was the one. For a start, it had a space in the living room that could fit her favourite painting, a three-by-two-metre floral piece painted on glass from a triptych by German artist Stefan Sehler. ‘It was always about finding that wall. I thought, “We’re not moving unless we can fit in this…

janet Parrella Van Den Berg knows what she likes and what she likes is white – lots of it. Co-founder of pale-and interesting brand White & Faded, along with her husband Dino, Janet has turned a love of the chicest version of upcycling into a full-blown phenomenon. The duo specialise in restoring antique furniture and homeware from across Europe – the company began as an online shop in 2011 before branching out into interiors and product design. Next in the pipeline is a paint range – five shades of (you guessed it) white, which launches next year. For Janet, it’s in the blood, kind of. Growing up in Holland, the family home was full of historic furniture, her dad opening an antiques shop in his retirement. ‘When I bought my…

Extracted from Curate: Inspiration for an Individual Home by Lynda Gardener and Ali Heath (£30, Mitchell Beazley) octopusbooks.co.uk. Photos © Marnie Hawson…

July is a funny month. There’s so much to taste, smell, watch and touch in the garden, and in the wild that time sort of warps and I don’t notice it passing at all. The month whirls past at speed, but each day seems to go on forever. I can spend a whole morning sitting in the grass watching ladybirds go about their business; an afternoon gathering up veg, cooking and eating it in the sun. In my garden I’m gathering fresh, crisp cucumbers, sun-sweet tomatoes, buckets full of courgettes, salads and herbs. This part of growing food always feels like an exchange. I gave time and love to the soil, I sowed seeds, cultivated a healthy ecosystem and in exchange the ecosystem, soil and plants feed me. That cycle…

Monochrome magic Having a black and white floor certainly doesn’t mean that it has to be plain. Choosing a geometric design can turn a room from simply tasteful into a cool contemporary space. Make sure to include a sense of movement in the pattern, such as stripes or triangles angled in different directions – this dynamism will feel considered. There are multiple types of tiles, so keep in mind the use of the room before choosing the material. Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) works in most spaces, but is especially useful in high-traffic areas thanks to its hard-wearing and easy-clean qualities. GET THE LOOK Designers’ Choice The Stage LVT, from £70sq m, Amtico Cemented status There’s something about a smooth, solid floor that feels so effortlessly chic. Up the ante even…

magazine Subscribe for your monthly fix of forward-thinking design. Head to magazinesdirect.com website Livingetc.com is a trove of daily spaces, shopping & style inspo house tours Join us in Primrose Hill to tour six incredible homes – see livingetcevents.com/housetours product We’ve launched an amazing new paint collection with Lick – check out lickhome.com/livingetc instagram Discover designers to love and dream rooms to inspire – @livingetcuk…

We are so ready for our summer of freedom and Livingetc’s new paint collab with Lick is the pure embodiment of the way we want to be feeling. Palette 01: Neo Deco pastels is our take on the energy and optimism of Art Deco. Ranging from the uplifting sky tones of Blue 10 and the pastel softness of Pink 05 to the golden warmth of Yellow 03 and the dark richness of Purple 03, any combination is guaranteed to work together perfectly. Our palette box is meant to be played with, safe in the knowledge that whatever shades you choose will bring a burst of sunshine to your space. Order peel-and-stick samples now and get ready to play around. £38 for 2.5ltr (lickhome.com)…

“Design rules are thrown out the window in this mind-bendingly marvellous room by NYC designer Noa Santos, where patterns clash and materials mix. Bardiglio marble adorns the lower walls, while a table made from onyx takes centre stage, providing the ideal base for lavish feasts”…

After eight years of living in New York City, Tina Orlando and Ian Waring made the call to return to the UK, choosing Chelsea as their new base. ‘We’d only intended to stay for two years but we loved life stateside then discovered Shelter Island in the Hamptons, buying a holiday home there and becoming transfixed by it,’ says Tina. The island, surrounded by thick forest and sandy beaches, was to have a resounding impact on the family’s values as they searched for a new home in London. Opting for a tall, narrow, five-storey Victorian townhouse – in stark contrast to their old Manhattan loft apartment – Tina and Ian enlisted the help of Tom Rutt of TR Studio to refocus the property for a young family. ‘A huge driver…

■ save 42% on cover price ■ never miss an issue with every copy delivered direct to your door ■ exclusive subscriber-only cover each month magazinesdirect.com/letcaug21 two simple ways to subscribe ONLINE AT magazinesdirect.com/letcaug21 BY PHONE 0330 333 1113 QUOTE CODE BJ25 Lines are open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm UK time. T&Cs: Offer closes 5th August 2021. Offer open to new subscribers only. Direct Debit offer is available to UK subscribers only. *£34.99 payable by annual Direct Debit. This price is guaranteed for the first 12 months and we will notify you in advance of any price changes. Please allow up to six weeks for delivery of your first subscription issue (up to eight weeks overseas). The full subscription rate is for 12 months (12 issues) and includes postage and packaging.…

Things aren’t always what they seem… and the image I currently have in pride of place on my mood board is a case in point. Taken in 1939, a woman stands beaming in a dress, radiant in its deep red, yellow and orange diamond weave pattern. But look closer, below, and you’ll find the outfit is made almost entirely from grapefruit peels, its trim cut from beets, carrots and turnips. It was made to celebrate Rio Grande Delta’s harvest season, and there is just something so romantic yet wrong about stitched grapefruit. So impractical, irrational but fabulous and stunning! The picture whispers a reminder to me: ‘Think outside the box, Minnie, anything is possible…’ Not only does my fruit-wearing companion, photographed by B. Anthony Stewart for the National Geographic, serve…

Naked Kitchens’ new brushed limed grain oak finish is a modern spin on a classic design. From £10,000…

For me, the design process is quite focused on the floor. Especially in new spaces, the type of floor sets the precedent for how the rest of the room goes. Think about the floor like a wall; people care about what’s on their walls and they should care about what’s on their floor just the same. As much as I like breaking the rules, I actually like respecting the rules of historic buildings. I’m working on a 1970s building, which originally had cork flooring, and I can’t think of a better way of doing it, so we’re adding in cork tiles, and it just feels right The floor will always have movement, so it’s important to allow for movement joints. It takes a while for a building to settle down,…

‘Vintage, eclectic, bohemian vomit,’ says Paloma Faith, with a dramatic pause between each word. I’d asked her to describe the style of her London home, and it’s a subject she seizes with relish. ‘I became quite fanatical about doing up my house,’ she explains. ‘People thought I had an interior designer, but it was all from eBay and antiques festivals. Pre-Covid, I travelled a lot and I’d often buy another suitcase to bring back pictures and vases.’ Luckily, she has a great eye. ‘I love it when people tell me they would never have thought to put all these clashing things together yet it looks warm, and like a home.’ This is the ethos behind Paloma Home, a collection that encapsulates the retro maximalism of her personal style. From rich…

You can often find us drooling over interior hardware, but these new neutral-hued switches from Dowsing & Reynolds are practically sippable! A curated range of dimmer switches, rocker switches and sockets in finishes with evocative names including Caramel Latte, Cinnamon and Whipped Cream, the collection is aimed at people who are using earthy, tonal colours in their interiors and choosing designs that will make them feel grounded and comforted. From £21.99 for a single plug socket (dowsingandreynolds.com)…

the pandemic saw Instagram awash with images posted by creatives who had turned their hands to their own homes, but few feeds have been as magical or as joyous as that of Nathalie Lété. The French artist – renowned for her naïve works inspired by folk art that have graced everything from ceramics for Anthropologie to tiles for Emery & Cie as well as fashion for Gucci – saw the first lockdown as the chance to decorate her country home. ‘I posted images of what I was doing and the response was incredible,’ she says. ‘I realised that what was keeping me happy was making other people happy and I began to receive images of what others were doing.’ Mixed in with her paintings, which see birds hopping around door…

“Dousing interiors in high-octane coastal pattern, Mind The Gap’s new Sundance Villa collection is flamboyant and fabulous. Wallcoverings depict palm trees in shades of yellow and blue, while tropical leaf fabrics echo the beauty of exotic getaways. Can you feel the sea breeze?”…

WOODEN CHAIRS NATURAL GRAINS TRANSFORM INTO ARTISANAL SCULPTURES TEXTILE ARTWORK MODERN EMBROIDERIES AND WEAVES TO ELEVATE WALLS CERAMIC WALL LIGHTS HANDMADE CREATIONS THAT SHINE BRIGHT HANDWOVEN RUGS ALL EYES WILL BE ON THESE EXTROVERT DESIGNS CERAMIC VASES VOLUPTUOUS SILHOUETTES IN VIBRANT HUES ABSTRACT CUSHIONS FROM COOL COLOUR BLOCKING TO SASSY STANDOUT SHAPES…

My clients love the outdoors and wanted to create a garden for their family – including their two younger daughters and the family dog. Located in the centre of Hitchin in Hertfordshire, it’s an unusually large garden of around an acre but was quite neglected when they moved in a couple of years ago. The redesign was to incorporate a strong visual and social focal point, and the family quickly gravitated towards a natural swimming pool. There are two elements to the planting. Around the perimeter of the pool is marginal aquatic planting – plants suited to the water’s edge. They have different roles, some are to create height and colour, while others provide low groundcover and help to oxygenate the water – these are part of the balance of…

“There is much to delight at Native at Browns, the newest ‘wild food’ offering in London. With a focus on sustainability, Native dishes up seasonal produce and natural wines. The interiors by Red Deer reflect the same consciousness and feature a curvaceous bar made from waste ceramics”…

AEOLIAN-ST YLE SUMMER SALAD serves 4 10 medium-sized, medium-ripe, sweet red tomatoes (vine-ripened are best), sliced into rounds2 tbsp plump capers2 handfuls of pitted green olives2 Tropea onions or small red onions, finely sliced6 anchovies in oil, chopped1 tbsp oregano leaves10 basil leaves, torn FOR THE VINAIGRETTE 2 tbsp saba or balsamic vinegar4 tbsp extra virgin olive oilSea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 Whisk together the saba (cooked grape must) or balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Season to taste. 2 To assemble the salad, carefully arrange the tomato slices on a serving plate and sprinkle over the capers, olives, onions, anchovies and herbs. Season well, then drizzle over the vinaigrette. 3 Set the salad aside for 5 minutes, for all the flavours to infuse and come…

LISA TODD DESIGNS There’s a real sense of abstract artistry in the work of Lisa Todd. Using the colours of the Memphis design movement – pinks and yellows underscored with black – and taking influence from her South African heritage, her textiles and tableware fit perfectly into the gleeful maximalism mood that feels so right for now. There’s always been a sort of old world, Brideshead-style whimsy around summer dining on the lawn but instead eat your egg and cress off these riotously patterned melamine plates, which would clash happily and perfectly with your plaid picnic blanket. A little note of modernism in an otherwise nostalgically romantic scene. £60 for four, lisatodddesigns.com…