Innehållsförteckning för October 2016 från Home Journal

All good things must come to an end – I keep this sobering mantra in mind whenever a trip comes to a close. Once the holiday blues kick in, the only thing that cheers me up is the prospect of travelling again. This is, as most travel lovers know, the only antidote to wanderlust. As a daughter of a pilot, I was bound to catch the travel bug. For my father, however, travelling doesn’t require a plane ticket – it was enough to explore a new district or try unfamiliar flavours. He taught me that indulging your sense of curiosity and thirst of discovery are the most important, and addictive, aspects to travel. Travel has been a muse of many creative types where a destination isn’t just the inspiration, but…

As one would expect from design fair mainstay Maison & Objet Paris, this year’s edition was overflowing with countless exciting furnishings, accessories and other decoration items. Among the treasure trove of new designs, however, certain shifts in trends clearly emerged. Aside from the obvious love for Scandinavian design – as seen in minimal aesthetics and pastel shades – this year’s fair was full of products that can easily be customised and personalised. The continuous research on new finishes and details, as well as the different design combinations that can be created with them, are also an obvious demonstration of how 2016 was all about one aspect: versatility. Here, we round up our top picks of new products that showcase this theme – and that we can’t wait to add to…

British interior designer Tom Dixon didn’t walk the usual path towards a career in design. Completely self-taught, he created his first pieces with his welding skills, often using found objects. By the late 1980s, he was working for Italian brand Cappellini. Now, he heads up his eponymous brand Tom Dixon as well as interior design and architecture arm Design Research Studio, putting out eye-catching, unconventional designs that have become instantly recognisable. The firms create spaces for restaurants, residential and commercial design clients across the globe – including Jamie Oliver’s Barbecoa restaurant in London and Hong Kong’s recently opened bar and grill Alto. We are committing more and more to Asia in general, with our expanded office in Hong Kong, new partnerships in Korea and a store in Japan. We are…

It’s already 10 in the evening and the sky is still cobalt blue. This is how a typical day ends on the cusp of summer in Helsinki; it’s something the Finns have been waiting for after a long winter. In the capital, a crisp, cool breeze from the Baltic Sea cuts through the hum of activity. It looks and feels exactly as you’d imagine a place that’s consistently ranked as one of the most liveable cities in the world. Of late, Helsinki has been referred to as a burgeoning design destination, a description that neglects how intrinsic design is to Finnish culture and society. It’s not a nascent industry here – the mere mention of Alvar Aalto dispenses with the notion of design as "emerging" – but an essential…

     “EDITING IS ABOUT ESTABLISHING THAT BALANCE - OF COLOUR, OF SHAPE, OF OLD AND NEW”   “I'M A BIG FAN OF MONOCHROMES AND WOULD ARGUE THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE THE MOST VIBRANT COMBINATION OF ALL”      There are a number of charming Edwardian townhouses in the peaceful suburb of Croydon in the Inner West of Sydney that appeal to buyers seeking properties with personality and a historical atmosphere. One such buyer was a Lebanese couple with two children; they were looking for a space with interesting foundations that could be built upon to create their dream home. Once they found their ideal three-bedroom, split-level Croydon property, they reached out to renowned Australian interior designer Greg Natale for a full makeover. The couple requested that the exterior of the 3,000sqft…

       “IF YOU COLLECT THINGS BECAUSE YOU LOVE THEM, IT’S AMAZING HOW EASILY THEY GO TOGETHER”   Giving up on a spacious standalone house with a blooming garden in front and a grassy yard out back is one of the many concessions people make when moving to Hong Kong. In this city, it’s a given to swap space for convenience and greenery for city views – and if you’re lucky, a glimpse of Victoria Harbour from a high-rise luxury condominium. When Chris and Nicole McMillan moved from their native Australia, they only brought their favourite belongings, knowing that most of their antique furnishings wouldn’t fit into their new city flat. They weren’t sure what was in store for them in terms of accommodations, but they knew they wanted to stay…

TEA COUNTRY CEYLON TEA TRAILS It’s nearly impossible not to think (and drink) tea in Sri Lanka, as it is the world’s fourth-largest producer. Since the industry began exporting in the late 1800s, it has become central to Sri Lankan culture, identity, and economy. The three-hour drive on winding roads at Bogawantalawa Valley is perhaps the best introduction to its ubiquity – and there’s no better place to experience living history than the Tientsin Bungalow. One of the five original tea plantation houses, it’s now run as boutique accommodation by Resplendent Ceylon. Built in 1888, a stay here is a window to a bygone era, with its charming colonial architecture coupled with impeccable butler service, though thankfully it doesn’t require foregoing any creature comforts. Time here moves at a slovenly…

SMART STORAGE SOLUTIONS WHISK AWAY THE CLUTTER AND MAKE YOUR AESTHETIC SHINE 01. EMOH Practical, contemporary and fun, Emoh’s Shift Shelf delivers a bright pop of colour to your living room decor. Crafted from solid ash with painted wooden legs, this stackable, versatile shelf is ideal for storage. 02. LAMINAM Laminam worktops deliver superior scratch-resistance and are extremely thin and lightweight despite their durability. The 1620x3240x12mm slabs, with their natural textures and variety of colourways, are ideal for tabletops, kitchen work-surfaces and bathroom counters. Available from Po Kwong Stone 03. BLUM Blum’s key principle of "perfecting motion" will make your kitchen the most efficient it’s ever been. BLUMOTION functionality ensures drawers close seamlessly and silently, while the Orga-Line accessories range keeps everything safely in its place. 04. FENDI CASA Fendi…

Japanese design brand Nendo takes a walk down memory lane this month in its retrospective exhibition Looking Through the Window; over 200 works will be taking over Taiwan Design Museum’s six galleries until October 30. The architectural structure — a former tobacco factory — was specifically selected for its unique corridors and windows that the pieces will be framed and viewed through, from the graphic range of manga chairs to the clever Draftsman 01-Scale watch. tdm.org.tw…

From walls to soft furniture, tiles to homeware, it’s not hard to notice that blue is having its moment in the limelight. The soothing hue encompasses a spectrum of tones, ranging from cool to warm, and gives a sense of depth and calmness to any space. While warm blues (such as slate blue) help make a room feel cozier and is particularly favored by decorators applying in social areas like the living room or kitchen, cool blues (think cobalt or ice blue) enhances spaciousness for a compact place as it encourages tranquility and focus; using it in bedroom or home office would be ideal. Deep blue is also a preferred choice to black as it gives a rich, sensual look without the harshness black might provide. Freshen up your space…

"I have a very low boredom threshold," says Charlotte Sumner, gesturing around at her eclectic Hackney sitting room with its orchid-print walls, vintage cocktail shakers, 1960s furniture and deep leather chairs. "One minute I love monochrome Scandinavian style, and the next I’m into a colourful Caribbean tropical. It’s slightly schizophrenic – but I think it’s the reason why our house looks good." Situated in the heart of London’s most experimental borough, Charlotte’s house – which she shares with her partner, Rob Fagg – is an ode to all things imaginative and in many ways encapsulates the unbridled creativity for which East London is renowned. The bedroom in particular – which boasts a birdcage, a feather chandelier, a hidden walk-in closet and multiple prints dotted around the room – feels more…

   THE OWNER COUNTS SCOURING FLEA MARKETS AND AUCTION HOUSES AS A LIFELONG PASSION      “WE’RE VERY LUCKY BECAUSE THE STRUCTURE WAS THERE AND IT WAS EASY TO IMPROVE UPON IT”   Six years ago, this French family of four was desperate to find a new flat in Happy Valley – and had the good fortune of chancing upon this hidden gem with the help of their realtor. "We got kicked out of the last place and didn’t foresee that we would find something so much better," recalls the homeowner. "So I learned that whenever something happens, you always have to think of the good opportunities coming up around the corner." The immaculate low-rise residential building dates back to the 1930s, with traces of the period’s Bauhaus movement expressed through…

"I always wanted to live in a hotel, but never have to pay the bill or check in or out," explains Taiwanese interior designer Eugene Yeh with a smile. His solution was "to build his own hotel". And so, in 2012, after 20 months of carefully planned construction work, Eugene opened the Cabochon Hotel – an elegant, colonial style building in the heart of Bangkok. With a clear vision in mind, he designed the Cabochon (which means a polished gem) from the ground up to encapsulate his refined aesthetic sensibilities. Eugene, who lives both in Taiwan and Thailand and owns restaurants and a thriving interior design business in Taipei, set out to create something unique. Although a new building, the hotel feels authentic as it embodies the period features and…

GUGGENHEIM BILBA O SHOWCASES SOME OF FRANCIS BACON'S BEST WORKS pick MASTER WORKS While most of you won’t be rushing to hang a Francis Bacon piece in your living room anytime soon – that is, unless you have a spare US$142 million, which is how much his record-breaking triptych Three Studies of Lucian Freud sold for in 2013 – you can view 90 of his paintings at the exhibition Francis Bacon: From Picasso to Velázquez. The show will be held at the Guggenheim Bilbao until January 8, 2017 and includes rarely shown works. guggenheim-bilbao.es TRUE AS STEEL For the third year running, auction house Artcurial will be organising a special design auction that takes place during the Foire Internationale d’Art Contemporain in Paris. With the theme Heavy Metal, the sale…

BLACK MAGIC (Opposite page) Craft a classic, timeless home office in monotone, but keep it hip and casual by adding metal finishes and lively plants. Make your own desk accessories for a personal touch – clean off a tin can for a pencil holder and add decorative details to your liking. Chair by Muuto; lamp by Akimbo; vase by Notre Dame. WHITE ON WHITE (Top) White isn’t dull when you choose shades with delicate details and finishes. Pair exquisite ceramics with glass or silver objects to add depth and variety to the look. Plates and cup by Kahler; glass carafe and tea pot by Notre Dame; salt mill by Muuto; jar by Stilleben; gloves by Akimbo; silver pearls by Liebe. CRISP FINISH (Bottom) White vases in various shapes, finishes and…

What do the Plastic Chair by Charles & Ray Eames, the Bench line by Jasper Morrison, the Panton Chair by Verner Panton and the wall clocks by George Nelson all have in common? They’re all produced by Swiss family-owned furniture company Vitra. But Vitra isn’t just a company that produces famous furniture collections. There’s the Vitra Design Museum, which runs exhibitions about design’s relationship to other creative disciplines and people’s daily lives. And there’s VitraHaus, Vitra’s flagship store, which offers up plenty of inspirational ideas for the home. For architecture aficionados, the Vitra Campus offers visitors the chance to learn about buildings designed by renowned architects such as Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and Tadao Ando. Founded in 1934 by Willi Fehlbaum in Birsfelden, Switzerland as a…

      “FOR ME, THE INTERIORS OF EVERY HOUSE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A LINK TO THE ACTUAL PLACE” Geneva-based interior designer Alexandra de Garidel-Thoron has decorated numerous residences for the same clients: a Czech banker and his wife. One of the first was a country house in their native land with a futuristic tunnel that wouldn’t be out of place in a James Bond film. Others have included a chalet in Verbier named Black Bear, after the Xavier Veilhan sculpture that stands near the main entrance. There’s also a villa on Lake Geneva and a historic winery near Cape Town, South Africa. The couple’s favourite home, however, is the one located on Hilton Head Island in the US state of South Carolina, where they vacation with their four young children.…

A FAN OF THE SOVIET CONSTRUCTIVIST STYLE, THE OWNER WAS LOOKING FOR A SYSTEMATIC AND OBJECTIVE APPROACH In the super-elite, upscale suburb of Rublevka to the south of Moscow is a capacious residence, where the formality, clean lines, flat colours and utilitarian characteristics of late Soviet-era constructivism meet the pared-down sophistication of mid-century modern. The owner, an affluent Russian businessman who is also a design connoisseur, commissioned Moscow-based design firm Oleg Klodt Architectural Bureau to work on his new family home. A fan of the Soviet constructivist style, the owner was looking for a systematic and objective approach, rather than a purely aesthetic approach, to solving design challenges. "Our client had a very clear idea about what he wanted," explains Klodt. "He had done his research and analysed the market…

Bliss set in the moment I landed in Male. The warm ocean breeze and the scent of seawater greeted me, signalling the beginning of a holiday, as I strolled onto the open-air arrival lobby. Though this is probably the standard welcome in most tropical islands, here, like most things in the Maldives, it’s taken up a notch – especially if you’re a guest at Cheval Blanc Randheli. Upon arrival, our party of three was ushered into a private lounge to await our seaplane journey. Like all travellers to the Maldives – and there are plenty, as tourist arrivals reached a record 1.2 million in 2015 – I came with high expectations. The resort’s discreetly luxurious lounge was emblematic of the fact that the resort is accustomed to dealing with guests’…

LIVE TO INSPIRE Furnish with light summer furniture in wicker, rattan and bamboo to get the greenhouse feeling all year round. Use colours from nature’s palette, such as sweet green tones, aqua, grey and beige – and of course, add green plants. DINING IN STYLE Chairs in the same style but different shapes come together as a whole around the table. Rustic materials such as linen, ceramics and glass in simple shapes make the table setting timeless and beautiful in a natural way. BEDROOM DETAILS On a bench against the window, a beautiful washbasin evokes a nostalgic way of life. Start the morning afresh by using water in the jug and basin for rinsing off the sleep from your face. ZONE OUT A wicker rocking chair and rice-paper lamps against…

A A.STYLE | G/F 48 Tung St, Sheung Wan; tel 2803 0642, astyle.com.hk AKIMBO | butik-akimbo.dk ALTFIELD INTERIORS | Room 1101, 9 Queen’s Rd Central, Central; tel 2524 4867, altfield.com.hk ARCHETYPAL | G/F 15 Moon St, Wan Chai; tel 2320 0580, archetypal.hk ARTEK | artek.fi ATELIERD&L | atelierdnl.com B BEAN BURO | Unit 2803, 28/F Sunlight Tower, 248 Queen's Rd East, Wan Chai; tel 2690 9550, beanburo.com BLUM FURNITURE HARDWARE HONG KONG LTD | Unit 2505, 25/F Nanyang Plaza, 57 Hung To Rd, Kwun Tong; tel 2572 2816, blum.com.hk BROSTE COPENHAGEN | brostecopenhagen.com BOCONCEPT | 73 Wyndham St, Central; tel 2668 0027 or Shop 118, Level 1, Home Square, 138 Sha Tin Rural Committee Rd, Sha Tin; tel 3468 7102, boconcept.hk BOLIA | bolia.com C CATTELAN ITALIA | cattelanitalia.com CETEC…