Innehållsförteckning för February 2021 från Living Etc

Happy New Year! How are you feeling? What are your plans and how was your Christmas? I hope that this issue finds you full of positivity and excitement for a fresh start and a chance at another beginning, a sense of hope in the air. No matter how tumultuous 2020 was, I always think January brings with it a sense of opportunity, and I’m optimistic this year will be no different. In my own life, there ought to be lots of newness – at time of writing I’m tantalisingly close to exchanging contracts on a house and beginning a life I’d never have dreamed I’d be embarking on this time last year. All being well, as you read this, I’ll be looking round the new place, planning the Neptune kitchen…

THE BUILD show and tell New year, new start, new house? If you’re hankering after a bit more space – perhaps some double-height ceilings, full-length windows and some serene green views – then our new project could be right up your street. Or at least, up a street that just happens to lead to a quiet and architecturally incredible new development in Cranleigh in Surrey. Livingetc is excited to announce that we have partnered with FABRICA at Amber Parkside, designing the interiors of this exciting development’s show homes. It’s a brand new collection of two, three, four and five bedroom houses, all with considered layouts that lend themselves perfectly to our contemporary aesthetic. We’ve been delighted to see how well the spaces work with our take on modern design, and…

1 think alternatives If you’re looking to change flooring but don’t want to spend a fortune, there are now numerous alternatives to real wood, marble or slate. As seen here, there are porcelain floors that can replicate a wooden floor – affordable and easier to care for. Enass Mahmoud, founder, Decor by Enass 2 first things first Planning is key to hitting budgets. Think of your room like a painting and start with the floor and walls first, then add the larger items before you focus on the details. Lots of lovely little bits will look odd in a room where the flooring and wall colours are a little off, whereas a room with a great floor and wall colour will no doubt need fewer items in it. This may…

“A refined colour palette and restored Georgian features align in this beautifully curated kitchen designed by Kerri Lipsitz. It’s a functional space with ample storage – bespoke cabinetry shows off the proportions of the room – yet still feels like a place to entertain”…

LIVING AREA ‘The bookcase is the focal point,’ says Rayman. ‘I love blue because it makes me happy, but it’s also universal. There isn’t a bad shade.’ LIVING AREA ‘Photography is my thing,’ says Rayman, who has pieces by Bruce Weber and Arthur King. “I always mix things together because it’s the clashing that makes it interesting” early on in his 25-year-plus career in interior design, Rayman Boozer was dubbed the ‘Colour Guru’ by Time Out New York and looking into his one-bedroom apartment, it’s not hard to see why. With an overarching theme of blue, the mainly open-plan space is saturated in bold hues, fabrics, art and souvenirs from a globe-trotting life. Previously owned by Joe Jonas – yes, of Jonas Brothers fame – it was a typical bare…

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I’m really fond of Pure & Original, a paint company that, as its name suggests, only uses natural ingredients. Its colours are also soothing to be around. I’m currently working on a project where we’ve painted the family room in a Pure & Original shade called Skin Powder. It’s a calming, nurturing colour – perfect for spaces where people will spend a lot of time. I also love Paint & Paper Library’s Architectural range. Each colour is formulated using different strengths of the same pigment and then numbered I, II, III, IV or V according to its tonal weight. This allows you to achieve subtle colour shifts within a space. In the kitchen at my current client’s home, we’ve painted the woodwork one of the darker shades of Wattle, the…

One minute with GG Stokes Creative background? I did fine art at school, but I’ve always loved images of all kinds. I studied fashion photography at the London College of Fashion. Creating fashion images was the perfect vehicle for me at the time, so I stepped away from painting and into photography. Inspiration? I’m obsessed with images from the past, whether that’s David Bowie and Elizabeth Taylor from the 70s or war photography by Lee Miller. At the moment, it’s fashion shots. Your style? I love figurative painting and messing with perspective. My work is about a feeling I need to assimilate. What’s the process? I shoot lots of options before I edit and manipulate the image. Then I start painting on canvas. Career highlight? Selling my first painting within…

In the frame Introducing Doorpaper by Italian wallpaper brand Instabilelab, which is revolutionising an oft-overlooked area of the home and viewing it as an opportunity for creativity. Choose from designs ranging from painterly florals and abstract patterns to textural effects and trompe-l’œil images. Simply measure up the panel and apply to a smooth surface to transform your door from drab to dashing. Profonda 03, around £72sq m (instabilelab.com) Welcome to the era of eccentrically shaped rugs – if it’s got right angles we’re not interested. Join in the fun with Nani Marquina’s collaboration with Barcelona-based artist Santi Moix, a three-piece collection that depicts different stages in the life cycle of a flower. Sizes can be customised. From £1,440 (gomodern.co.uk) INSIDE OUT Make an impactful first impression with Wall&decò’s Out System,…

“A feast for the eyes, S Is for Style: The Schumacher Book of Decoration by Dara Caponigro (£50, Rizzoli New York) is a style guide from US fabric and wallpaper house Schumacher, best known for its joyful prints in bold colours. Delve into some extraordinary interiors in this collection of riches”…

the signature style of interior designer Amber Lewis effortlessly encompasses authentic California cool, and her debut book Made for Living (£32, Clarkson Potter) shows how we can achieve this laid-back look on this side of the pond. We snatched five minutes with Amber to ask how we can live like a local in Venice, Los Angeles. First things first, where should we stay? When you land at LAX, head to Hotel June (thehoteljune.com). It recently opened up in a mid-century building given a modernist makeover in West LA and looks great – though you might be tempted to spend all your time by the outdoor pool! Best place for a smoothie? The Greentastic smoothie from Kreation Organic Kafe & Juicery (kreationjuice.com) is my favourite – it’s delicious and healthy, too. It’s…

1 ALPACAS On the lookout for a new animal to add to your livestock collection? It has to be an alpaca – their coat is softer than cashmere, incredibly strong and naturally hypoallergenic. Failing that, try French brand Innata’s alpaca textiles at George Spencer Designs (pictured), which help support remote Peruvian communities. 2 COLUMNS Grab your favourite objet and display it on a plinth, immediately. Or at the very least tap into the trend for Roman column-style fluted pillar shapes – see Broste Copenhagen’s Rillo podium (pictured), Flos’ Last Order table lamp and J. Adams & Co’s Flume chandelier to start the ball rolling. 3 RUFFLES Skirted furniture is back! Dress your chairs and sofas with ruffled edges in bold prints for a modern take on country house chintz, à…

swinging seventies For a real groovy look follow fashion’s lead with curvy shapes and pops of bright colour hot metal Ready, steady, glow – this season shiny brass, mesh finishes and perforated forms stand out circus act Step right up and join the fun – think bold geometric shapes mixed with primary hues. What a show!…

grey carpet. White desks. Artificial light. It is almost as though someone wrote a list of all the things which mess up our circadian rhythms and lower our productivity then used it to decorate traditional office buildings the world over. It’s baffling. So while last year threw up more than its fair share of challenges, it has given the new-found homeworker the chance to get things right. The danger is that this visual language filters into how we make our own spaces look. If you’ve spent years either working in, or being exposed to ideas of an office which is cold, hard and grey, it might not occur to you that you don’t have to replicate that in your own workspace. Emma Morley has designed more than 80 offices since…

DINING AREA The rosewood chairs were bought from a dealer in Milan and thought to be by Tobia or Carlo Scarpa. ‘I was intuitively drawn to them,’ says Danielle. LIVING SPACE Danielle is drawn to sculptural forms and the curves of the furnishings reflect the shape of the window niches. The doors open onto a view of the harbour. ‘It’s a big thing creating your own home. It’s about trying to identify the core of who you are,’ says architect Danielle Siggerud. ‘When we moved, my husband and I spent a huge amount of time discussing how we wanted to live.’ The result is somewhere between the laid-back luxury of a hotel and a set of individual apartments, with the couple’s home spread across four open-plan floors of a town…

LIVING ROOM Painting the shutters and architrave in the same dusty pink tone brings a chic uniformity to this scheme. HALLWAY The original panelling from 1828 was restored and new solid oak floorboards were laid. When Filippa Knutsson grew up in Chelsea in the 1970s she remembers the north London borough of Islington as ‘feeling like the end of the world’. Yet several decades later, she honed in on Barnsbury, finding it the ideal location for her home, which has recently been sold through The Modern House. Despite having been born in Sweden, the fashion designer’s formative years in the capital imprinted on her heavily. ‘I came to London when I was three and didn’t leave until I was 21 so I do feel culturally part-British,’ says Filippa. Following a…

PLAY AND DISPLAY Colour lifts the spirits and adds a playful touch to this sophisticated scheme. THE CIRCLE AND THE SQUARE A fresh take on a classic steam bent chair illustrates the modernist approach to design and material. CURVES IN ALL THE RIGHT PLACES Rounded organic shapes are a beautiful contrast to the more linear forms in this workspace. CHECK IT OUT A chequered rug in bold emerald adds depth and dynamism to the formality of the structured dining designs. DESIGN DRAMA Revival pieces embrace the strong lines of the interior architecture, including the ultra-high ceilings. SHELF LIFE A solid concrete ledge is the perfect foil for the display of fluid and sculptural objects.…

NATURE CALLS Caesarstone has launched its fifth quartz surface over the past year with the Calacatta Maximus, which cleverly captures a genuine natural form. Created with a white backdrop, it has striking grey veining and a closer look reveals highlighted details in copper and gold. It’s durable, low-maintenance and, red wine lovers will be thrilled to know, stain-resistant. Calacatta Maximus, from £550sq m (caesarstone.co.uk) Mix it up A change of tap is an easy kitchen update and this black monobloc mixer tap by Blanco is versatile enough to use in any scheme. With a 360-degree swivel spout, flexible rubber hose and a removable handset this is one hard-working piece of kit. Further proof? The variable jet options mean it can go from gentle stream flow, perfect for rinsing delicate ingredients,…

Plant power Go big on greenery. Hilton Carter, author of Wild Interiors, says room size matters when it comes to plants. ‘If you’re looking to bring a plant into a room with high ceilings, I’d suggest opting for a larger one or hanging a pot from the ceiling so that it pulls your eye higher up, allowing the space to feel more full. For a small space, smaller plants are key, as well as utilising shelving to get them off the floor.’ GET THE LOOK For a similar chair, try Form velvet dining armchair, £338 for two, Danetti Paint by numbers A quick and easy way to refresh is by painting accent woodwork. Give traditional cornicing and skirting boards a contemporary update by painting them in a contrasting colour to…

YELLOW SPLIT PEA & TURMERIC DHAL serves 4-6 1 onion, roughly chopped8cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped5cm piece fresh turmeric4 tbsp light-flavoured oil3 tsp fenugreek seeds3 tsp yellow mustard seeds3 tsp ground coriander3 tsp ground cumin1½ tsp chilli powder250g yellow split peas600ml coconut milk6 makrut lime leaves TO SERVE  Fruity chutney1 large handful mint, chopped1 large handful coriander, chopped1 green chilli, sliced Coconut yoghurt Pickles, optional 1 Put the onion, ginger, garlic and turmeric into a food processor and mix to create a rough paste. Heat the oil in a large heavy-based pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the paste, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the paste is fragrant. Add the ground coriander,…

Strandhotel Zoomers, The Netherlands North Holland might not be the first place that comes to mind when you think of a beach holiday, but the pale sand dunes of Castricum’s coastline are undeniably beautiful and often blissfully quiet. In a location that is walking distance to the vast dune reserve of Natura 2000, the building that’s become Strandhotel Zoomers was completed early last year, opening in the summer after a top-to-toe interior design by studio The Other Season. They’ve given the space a simple, neutral look in keeping with the surroundings, making the most of natural wood in a scheme of ivory, tan and warm beige. We particularly love the bedrooms and their handsomely chosen art and accessories; they feel like something we might just have put together for a…

EARL OF EAST It’s not just the fonts used by candlemakers Earl of East that are so beautifully simple and relaxing, its fragrances are softly meditative, too. Take the Greenhouse candle, pictured, £50. Hand poured in the brand’s studio, it smells of summers, of long lazy lunches and longer afternoon naps. It will transport you to the romanticised version of Greece that one of the co-owners grew up in, where vine tomatoes ripen on the terrace. All the scents have these magically restorative qualities, an evocative flicker of almost-forgotten climes. earlofeast.com…

1 SOFT TOUCH Once you have a mohair rug you never look back – it’s a new level of softness and sheen. Mohair rug in Stripe Jade, £2,210 (1.83x1.22m) or £990m, The Rug Company 2 SO VEIN This vintage table is an investment but it will last for generations, its character never fading. 1970s marble coffee table, £1,560, AU Bespoke 3 ROCK STAR These vases are all one-offs, made of marble found discarded by quarries in Carrara. Drill vase, €500, Studio EO 4 IN A MOOD I’m always on the lookout for low-level atmospheric lamps, and this works in both a contemporary and more traditional setting. Grey concrete ribbed lamp, £35, houseof 5 POWER UP These cushions add an extra layer to the room, the colours punchy enough to be…

LIVING AREA The natural soft pink of the exposed plaster sets the tone in here. ‘It’s such a relaxing, enjoyable space,’ Gary says. DINING AREA ‘The view from the table is of the staircase running the entirety of the other floors – it has a beautiful sculptural feel to it,’ explains Gary. LIVING AREA Tactile finishes of plaster and brick are juxtaposed with soft textiles, luxe details and a rich pop of red. KITCHEN ‘The green-black kitchen allows the other colours to pop out and make a statement,’ Gary says. We took away about 350 square foot of floor space, which might seem a bit mad,’ says Gary Marshall of the dramatic redesign of his now warehouse-style seaside Victorian home. ‘It’s in Ramsgate’s conservation area, but it isn’t listed which…

LIVING ROOM Statement pieces, such as the gilded mirror and vintage chandelier, share the limelight. LIVING ROOM Teal walls provide a distinctive backdrop to the exceptional artwork and furnishings. It takes courage, and a connoisseur’s eye, to intermingle such a diverse blend of styles, eras and colour combos. Ginevra and Giulio’s Italian apartment is a dedicated testimony to its ancient beginnings (built in the 12th century and once home to King Alboin), but there is another contemporary layer that adds an enchanting modern edge to the mix. ‘When we first saw the property two years ago, we immediately fell in love with it,’ remembers Ginevra. ‘Structurally we wanted to leave the original layout, in respect of its historical value. The high wooden coffered ceilings, wide chimneys, immense fireplaces, doors with…

ZCD Architects Multidisciplinary practice ZCD Architects is run by Dinah Bornat and Cordula Weisser. Ideal for complex projects, their firm’s work covers award-winning buildings, masterplanning and regeneration, but one notable thread is a certain knack for gaining planning permission for ‘sensitive locations and tight sites’. And not by playing it safe: the studio’s portfolio is peppered with eye-catching building facades. Recent projects include a striking skinny terrace home clad in Corten steel, an extension defined by white-glazed bricks and a larch-clad addition that has more in common with a Scandi cabin than a Victorian maisonette. Bradley Van Der Straeten Best friends Ewald Van Der Straeten and George Bradley founded Bradley Van Der Straeten in 2010 after making good on a promise to start an architectural studio together. ‘We wanted to…

“You can use paint to change the feeling of a space. When picking shades, start by considering how you would like to feel in each room. The bathroom, for example, is a space for relaxation so look to warm colours as you don’t want to feel cold in there. It is more important than ever to create a relaxing home environment, and neutrals bring a sense of serenity and calm. We’re seeing a shift towards the warmer tones within the neutral palette. Colours like Little Greene’s Portland Stone and Rolling Fog – both warm neutrals – can be paired with clean whites for a sophisticated contrast or provide a backdrop to bold colour highlights. A move away from grey is definitely on the cards over the next 12 months. These…