Indholdsfortegnelse for April 2024 i Living Etc

I’m embroiled in my bathroom refurb. We had planned the whole thing for months around one specific bathtub from Landmade – the luxurious Torrens, which comes in at a rather decadent length of 180cm and width of 100cm. Technically, my floor space was big enough, but when I actually got the tape measure out and factored in that I’d also need a sink, WC and room to move around then, well, let’s just say my eyes were bigger than my square footage. So what I wanted to do with this month’s issue is look at homes where space isn’t infinite. Many of the houses we feature are sprawling, so by shining the spotlight on apartments and their confines we’re showing ideas that can be taken and used almost anywhere. The…

It’s the return of London Design Week to Chelsea Harbour, a series of inspiring events. Our own editor in chief Pip Rich is hosting an enlivening panel discussion on How to Turn Your Passion into a Business, bringing together a trio of designers who have done just that. Tickets and info can be found at dcch.co.uk. You’ll also get to see the latest launches from some our favourite brands, such as Salvesen Graham, Rose Uniacke and Samantha Todhunter. From 11-15 March…

what is sculpture?’ ponders American potter and designer Jonathan Adler. He’s asking because this once-rarefied genre has had something of an overhaul. ‘People are taking the idea of art off the walls – we’re entering into a fabulous free-for-all.’ What’s more, he adds: ‘Sculpture used to be the preserve of the wealthy, but there’s been a huge democratisation and you can now get it at all price points – this is the era of the great blurring.’ Indeed, more and more homes are being decorated with sculpture – and in innovative ways. It’s actually essential with modern architecture, notes interior designer Georgia Collett, who turns to sculpture when decorating open-plan spaces with vast windows and fewer walls. ‘You can’t hang a painting in the middle of the room in the…

LIVING ROOM A mini office was created in one corner. The desk was positioned at an angle for a more relaxed look and to zone the space. DINING AREA The round table is ideal as it allows for better movement around the open-plan living and dining room. ‘We chose one whose colours and texture echo the decorative elements of the fireplace,’ says designer Olga. LIVING ROOM ‘We took as many opportunities as we could to reflect the light,’ says Olga, who backed the alcoves with mirrored panels. She also put a framed mirror between two windows and added a light. LIVING ROOM ‘We added panelling to the walls for an elegant Parisienne look,’ says Olga. ‘And I enjoy the tension created between linear and rounded shapes.’ The fact that interior…

LIVING ROOM ‘We wanted the cosy feeling of being in a small restaurant or bar – a kind of modern approach to a curiosity cabinet; a room where you can sit and look at a lot of things,’ says owner Mike. DINING AREA ‘I like curtains – I have a lot of them. They add cosiness and softness, keep the heat in with old buildings and can be used to hide spaces or make them look more organic,’ says Mike. just how do you introduce personality and joy into a small, rented apartment without it feeling crowded? There may be a lot going on in these pictures – surprising shapes, strong colours, plenty of quirky objets – but there’s also a sense of order and calm. The secret to this,…

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This kitchen may be satisfyingly minimal, but there’s just so much going on. Initially, the eye wants to linger on the alluring deep blue matt-ness of the splashback, surface top and curved extractor, but it gets distracted and rolls off its beautiful bends into the rest of the room and its curious contrasts. ‘The space is a concerted effort to restrain expressive excess, resist architectural blandness and amplify a sense of joyousness and delight,’ says Adriana Hanna, director of architecture at Melbourne practice Kennedy Nolan. ‘Colour is deployed to create varying, distinct intensities of saturation, and we explore laminate’s ability to create dramatic sculptural forms.’ The contradiction of the rugged terracotta tiles and the surrounding laminate flatness demands immediate attention. The textures here could not be more dissimilar – coarse handmade…

FOSTER & GANE The easiest way to start introducing antiques into your home is via an accent chair and Foster & Gane is the first place I look. It tends to have a selection that feels less ‘obvious’ – any piece bought feels less like something borrowed from your nan and more like an engaging find that has loads of interest and detail. TWENTYTWENTYONE I get that antique isn’t for everyone, but I do think there is a rite of passage in buying a design classic, be that new or old. Every house should have one – for me, it’s a mark of a well-rounded home, regardless of the style – and Twentytwentyone is my first point of call. One of my favourites has always been Arflex’s Botolo chair –…

SHAPE OF THINGS Curves make way for pentagons and rectangles in Dambo, the modular sofa system by Piero Lissoni for B&B Italia. ‘Pentagonal’ isn’t a shape you’d normally associate with seating, sure – but the geometric base of this design, combined with its high back and petal-like adjustable arms, make for an intriguingly proportioned piece that feels light and versatile, angular yet cosy. Price on request, B&B Italia PRESENT TIME The name Greeks Bearing Gifts is a little misleading because everything on offer from this luxury brand – who source the most beautiful homeware and fashion from select designers and artisans – is something you’ll no doubt want to buy for yourself instead! Three Graces set of 3 brass candleholders & 50 candles by Zeus + Dione, £285, Greeks Bearing…

MATERIAL MATTERS It can be tricky to add texture to a kitchen, since soft furnishings are pretty much out of bounds – but Dutch brand Keller proves that a strong material palette is within reach with its new Urban Nude range, which combines stone-effect surfaces, wood decors and fluted glass for a richly layered space. Shown here with ‘sea salt’ units, coffee oak fronts and fluted glass units with matt black aluminium frames. Kitchens from around £20,000 to £25,000, Keller YES CHEF If you love colour, a Bertazzoni appliance always makes a bold statement – and this jaunty red colourway from its Professional Series is now available on the new 120cm induction range cooker with teppanyaki grill. The new launch boasts six cooking zones, including the grill, plus Bertazzoni’s 11-programme…

URBAN PLANNING This apartment is part of the first step by Rotterdam-based design office Shift towards Domūs Living, an urban concept for compact apartments with the benefits of shared amenities and a ready-made community on your doorstep. But while the apartments are small (43-60m2), they’re designed to be spacious and flexible, with a modular approach to living and private spaces defined by dividers – including an alcove for the bed that can be shut away as needed. INTO THE FOLD Materiality reigns supreme in this São Paulo apartment designed by Coletivo Arquitetos. Opening up a once fragmented floor plan into a bright and open home, the studio used slatted wood cladding to emphasise the expanded space. Separate from the main living area, a more private snug is hidden behind panels…

Cowley Manor, Cotswolds IN A SENTENCE The hotel gets a Livingetc-friendly makeover under new ownership of the Experimental Group. Walls in Farrow & Ball’s Inchyra Blue and chairs by Egon Eiermann sit on vast checked rugs (designed in-house) we’d be happy to feature in our shoots. DESIGN DOWNLOAD Dorothée Meilichzon is the creative vision behind all the Experimental hotels and brings a sense of contemporary flair. This is a country manor done for a modern sensibility, with colours as bold as the decorative choices. ON THE SPA MENU Two swimming pools (indoor and out) plus treatment rooms offer therapies like Lime and Walnut Body Wrap, which is as invigorating as it sounds. HOTEL HIGHLIGHT The grounds are exquisite. Blowsy flower beds flank the back of the house, looking out onto…

SCIENCE OF SCULPTURE I spotted Abid Javed’s work on Instagram and thought his pieces would be an excellent addition to [my ecommerce design platform] Curio as I love the unique inspiration behind the sculptural forms. His work breathes life into the unseen world; with his degree in biochemistry influencing his process, his pieces are informed by molecular biology, drawing inspiration from geometry and abstraction. His sculptural pieces push the boundaries of clay work, delving into the integration of ceramics with materials like paper, metal and wax. The attention to detail and level of craftsmanship are spectacular, employing pinch, coiling and slab techniques. It is beautiful to see how each piece effortlessly blends form, colour, texture and space. I’m eager to see him flourish. abidjaved.com; curio.space…

LAYERS ON LAYERS There’s a real momentum right now behind designs inspired by traditional and handcrafted techniques, especially in the world of fabrics – and Larsen’s latest collections are a case in point. Take Conga, a set of cotton-blend jacquard weaves all of which are the perfect dose of pattern and texture when used on upholstery in a chic minimaluxe scheme. Of course, doing fabric well is all about the layering: pair with rich velvet cushions and sheer, floaty curtains for a palette that’s soft, sensual and seriously elevated.…

We know how much everyone loves zellige tiles from how every feature we write on them over at livingetc.com just flies, and the innovative ways to use these decorative darlings are keeping us feeling inspired. A prime source (for both zellige and creativity) is London’s Mosaic Factory, which has adorned this fireplace beguilingly in green. As seen at the showroom on Columbia Road and on its website, the brand has so many colourways, shapes and styles to choose from. From terracotta herringbone to cobalt pyramids, how will you style yours?…

DINING ROOM ‘Creating the délabré [dilapidated] wall effect took almost a month of work with a sponge and water, but we are super proud of it,’ says Nicola. DINING ROOM The couple’s dream of a green marble table became a reality after the discovery of a striking marble slab. LIVING ROOM ‘We wanted Mario Bellini’s Camaleonda sofa so it dictated the colours of the room’ says Nicola. this house is our very own cabinet of curiosities,’ say Nicola and Arianna, the owners of this striking Italian apartment. ‘We live surrounded by elements that inspire and stimulate us: colours, objects and wonders found during travels or browsing in vintage markets. We have played on the similarities and contrasts between furniture from the 1960s and 1970s and modern works of art by…

LIVING ROOM ‘This room gets a green light filtering through because of the trees outside, so we used earthy shades to balance it,’ explains owner Isabelle. LIVING ROOM The board-and-batten panelling hides a wall of cupboards, including this pull-down office space. when the iconic, oversized Charles Zana sofa that Isabelle Dubern-Mallevays bought for her Parisian-chic-meets-London-classic apartment wouldn’t go up the stairs, she hired a crane, took out a window and made a hole in the ceiling to allow it in. ‘It was worth it as it set the scene for the flat and is a major contributor to the slightly masculine London club atmosphere I wanted to achieve,’ she says. Eight years ago, Isabelle employed those same problem-solving skills when she dreamed of owning a Pierre Yovanovitch Papa Bear armchair,…

LUXE TWIST Covering walls with fabric is very much a decorating trend we can get on board with. It’s elegant, luxurious and statement-making – everything we want from, say, a dining room or home bar area. Now, it’s not one for those with small kids or mucky pups, sure – but if your home is free of grubby hands and serial furshedders, might this dramatic draping idea from Zoffany’s new Suffolk Damasks & Stripes collection persuade you to take the plunge?…

LEV ROSENBUSH Brooklyn-born Lev Rosenbush was an NCAA soccer player for three years in America before he transferred to a BA in ceramic design at Central Saint Martins. Somewhat unusually, he manages to combine both his passion for the beautiful game with his artistic practice, and it’s this, along with the eye-catching forms and colours of his creations, that sets him apart in the world of ceramics. Now living and working between Brooklyn and London, Lev has designed pieces for retailers and collaborators across the US, including a black stoneware range for the launch of Jeremiah Brent’s Atrio. But his link to football goes back to his days playing for Kenyon College in Ohio. ‘The craft centre [at the back of the campus] was where I would often find myself…

VOLA Considering how central a role they play in our everyday lives, taps can often become an afterthought in a room’s design. Not so with Vola, whose sleek designs turn this functional item into a centrepiece. With more than 50 years of manufacturing under its belt, the Danish brand has perfected a kind of understated Scandinavian minimalism that nonetheless commands attention, and applied it to the staples of modern homes, from taps to towel rails. Its designs are particularly suited to contemporary spaces – think spa-like bathrooms with functionality hidden away, or kitchens in open-plan spaces where appearances are everything. If you enjoy the aesthetic, you’re bound to find the right product for your project.…

1 OPEN ACCESS In this small laundry room, interior designer Whitney Romanoff kept things simple. ‘To save on extra material costs we repurposed and painted a cabinet from the home’s guest bathroom, then added open shelving for easy access to cleaning supplies and hid the cats’ litter box behind a block-printed sink skirt.’ Whitney Romanoff, founder of Meet West 2 UTILITIES UNIFIED When you’ve got varied storage requirements in a small space, whether it’s tall cabinets for vacuum cleaners and mops or larger cabinets for integrated washing machines and tumble dryers, the design trick known as ‘colour drenching’ can help simplify the look of your space. ‘To unify all of these practical functions, paint the whole space the same colour so the cabinetry, walls and woodwork all become one unit. This…

ON THE BENCH Created in collaboration with expert craftsman Gudmundur Ludvik, the Timbur outdoor bench from Carl Hansen & Søn is simple beauty at its best. The rustic nature of the untreated teak creates an exquisite juxtaposition against the bench’s refined profile, with Ludvik’s cabinetmaking background shining through. With an optional seat cushion, this unassuming design mirrors the reflective moments you’ll have when perched on it, looking out onto a vista. From $1,700, Gudmundur Ludvik for Carl Hansen & Søn SET, MATCH With a sleek silhouette, contemporary colour and smart detailing, the Ville outdoor chairs by &Tradition will have you sitting pretty. Designed by Norwegian duo Anderssen & Voll, they are part of a wider collection including this matching table and bench. From £340, Anderssen & Voll for &Tradition PARISIAN…

PUMP IT UP Unleash childlike excitement with the Balloon collection by designer Jan Waterston, which references the playful forms of balloon animals. Our pick is this upholstered chair: its Douglas fir frame and wool boucle details merge good humour with elegant sophistication, whilst finding a sensitive balance between art and design. £3,060, Jan Waterston CREATURE COMFORTS Seating, footrest, side table… the delightful Little Monster stool by Dara Maison is many things, including beautiful. With its inviting velvet seat, shearling upholstered legs and brass detailing, it brings a multitude of texture – and joy – to the home. £595, Dara Maison work of art With its Picasso-inspired surface and sculptural details, the Rainbow table by Laura Gonzalez is, well, a masterpiece. The multicoloured raku marquetry, expertly finished by Fabienne L’Hostis, might…

the artist and designer Simone Brewster would love to share how her various collectors around the world display her creations – from jewellery and paintings to sculptures and furniture – but she can’t because she’s signed NDAs. Yes, Simone is contractually bound not to reveal the identity of her VIP fans who have paid up to five figures for her work. It’s yet another indicator of success for the 40-year-old polymath. Others include the acquisitions of her work by notable institutions, namely the Smithsonian, the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Museum of London, and that in May, she’ll be releasing a rug collection for Habitat. Genre-defying, politically engaged and high-concept, Simone is one of the most exciting design names of her generation. Although she trained as an architect, she…

FOLLOW THE THREAD What better way to kick off our section of truly remarkable apartments than with this splash of colour? Pink and green should always be seen, and with the addition of yellow – oh, and blue, and red, and orange! – this space becomes more than a scheme: it’s a real, personality-filled home. This Berlin abode is a masterclass in using colour across a single-storey floor plan, without losing a sense of cohesivity. Read the full story on page 76.…

LIVING AREA The marble splashback with its ‘fire’ and ‘water’ labels is original to the apartment. The bar counter is new and was created by owner Lucilla after the wall was taken down. LIVING AREA This is defined by two vintage sofas, both reupholstered in a green and aubergine velvet stripe. brera, the achingly cool neighbourhood in Milan where some of the most innovative new design is showcased during the annual Salone, is also home to Lucilla Bonaccorsi Beccaria. The eldest daughter of fashion maven Luisa Beccaria, she designs the brand’s fashion and homeware collections alongside her mother, as well as running trunk shows and the commercial side of the family brand, including foreign sales. ‘In short, I never back down when there is something to do,’ she laughs. Her…

HOT TROPIC Pick palm prints on the moody side for an interior that’s sophisticated rather than kitsch. Paint woodwork in the darkest tone pulled from the design to ground the room, and embrace velvet upholstery for a cosy space. MEXICAN MURAL Pulling from the palette of the mural, this scheme has a 1970s aesthetic – but the curvaceous shapes bring the space up to date. The earthy desert tones of clay, terracotta, cactus and spice found in the mural are carried through the interior. BUTTERFLY EFFECT The framing of this simple foliage illustration – a reworking of a classic Chinoiserie style motif – demonstrates how to bring botanical prints into a contemporary space. DREAMSCAPE Ideally suited to an entrance hall, in a clear space where the mural remains the key…

BIT ON THE SIDE Hästens might be best known for its supremely comfortable beds – and, of course, that famous blue check – but the brand has so much more to offer. Case in point: its collaboration with design duo Bernadotte & Kylberg, the first people to reinterpret the Swedish brand’s iconic pieces. Drawing on mosaic-like intarsia knitting techniques, with Cubist style references, the Marwari collection – made up of bed, nightstand and bench – continues Hästens’ reputation as a brand dedicated to craftsmanship, with the intricate pattern of the furniture pieces laid by hand. It’s just the subtle splash of texture our bedrooms need – and the perfect way to tap into the trend for walnut wood, too.…

SHOW-STOPPER We never knew we needed a Harvey Jones x Swoon collaboration, but now it’s here it makes complete sense: the clean lines and attention to texture typical of Swoon combined with the quality craftsmanship of Harvey Jones make for a particularly sleek and characterful kitchen. Combine ribbed and smooth finishes, choose from a palette of eight soothing colours and top with one of the range’s four worktops and – voilà – you get a personalised kitchen that’ll stop you in your tracks again and again.…

1 CUT CORNERS The curtains in this Hamptons home smooth over an awkward corner while adding a statement feature thanks to a bespoke wooden cornice that cleverly edits the room’s architecture. ‘Curtains can act as a cinematic backdrop for a space, but of course they can also close off smaller areas or hide select elements to increase a sleek sense of organisation,’ says NY-based Timothy Godbold. ‘Curtains specifically are elegant; they aren’t fixed or static but move and follow long gestural lines.’ PROJECT BY Timothy Godbold Curtains don’t need to be confined to windows. In a pinch – or shall we say cinch – statement curtains and drapes can stand in for heftier renovations like partition walls, sliding panels, hinged doors and more. And many designers lean into their flexible…

GILT-Y PLEASURE What do you get if you cross an Italian with a French design studio and an English location? No, this isn’t a dad joke, but it should bring a smile to your face as it’s Il Gattopardo – a brand-new restaurant in Mayfair, inspired by the legendary Gio Ponti. The interiors are sumptuous and rich, created by Parisians Dion & Arles to be as decadent as the food. So why have we chosen an exterior shot? Because the gilt edges, vibrant red and hint of contemporary furniture set the tone perfectly for what’s in store. Book your table now.…