Innehållsförteckning för April 2021 från Living Etc

A couple of days ago, the government started making noises about March 8 as the day schools may reopen. If they manage to stick to it, by the time you read this many of you might be about to have a very different home life. Perhaps your kitchen table won’t be cluttered with worksheets, perhaps there won’t be a child keen to avoid their maths lesson by watching some more YouTube on your sofa. Perhaps, unencumbered by all of this, you’ll be feeling a little… lighter. I don’t have kids myself, but I’m still keen to let the sunshine into my life this month – both figuratively and literally. All the decor updates I have planned for my new house are on hold while we figure out the dull stuff…

The dresser gets a bold, modern-day makeover at Neptune. While embodying a classic Shaker style, its Suffolk design is painted in contrasting Burnt Sienna Orange and Deep Blue Ink, making an object which traditionally acts as a backdrop just as much a part of the conversation as the pieces being displayed on it. Made from oak and tulip wood, it’s also accented with subtly backlit glazed elements and easy-close doors. From £2,900 (neptune.com)…

British designer Faye Toogood has released her first full range of interiors products, Toogood Homeware, comprising two capsule collections echoing the studio’s signature style of exaggerated shapes and material exploration. The Dough collection includes a mug, jug, platter, bowl, vase and a centrepiece, and is named after the act of kneading – common to both baking and pottery – with the plump, pillowy and inf lated shapes (akin to rising dough) formed by hand in the Toogood studio before being cast in earthenware. Plough features two handwoven throws, decorated with an abstract broken pinstripe pattern reminiscent of freshly ploughed country fields in eco-friendly merino wool. ‘This has been over two years in the making,’ says Faye. ‘We’re so excited to share our functional yet sculptural pieces with the world, and…

home profile THE OWNERS Martina Bjorn, a photographer, and her husband, David Van Severen, an architect, and their two children, daughter, Aliona, nine, and son, Roman, 10, plus two cats. THE PROPERTY A 19th-century townhouse in the centre of Brussels set over three levels. The lower ground has the master bedroom, two bathrooms, a dressing room and a laundry room. The ground floor holds the main entrance hall, the children’s bedrooms and a bathroom. On the upper level is an open-plan suite of rooms that comprises the living room, dining room, kitchen and library. There is also a small outside terrace overlooking the garden. When it comes down to life, people, work projects and, yes, even decrepit buildings, it’s always worth considering the potential. As someone who shoots fashion, architecture…

Waters Baths of Ashbourne has launched its first space-saving stone back-to-wall bath, £1,995 (watersbaths.co.uk)…

Suzy Hoodless, interior designer The kitchen has evolved from a utilitarian workhorse to a more varied living space with paintings on walls where previously would have hung traditional wall units. In my own kitchen, I have a combination of open shelving for close-to-hand storage of everyday crockery, as well as the closed base cupboards for my trusted equipment and the bulkier and often unsightly appliances. Increasingly homeowners are open to a more varied kitchen environment as we move away from a sometimes clinical aesthetic of the ‘built-in’ to a more mixed design with layering of vintage and new; creating a fluidity between the free-standing and the fixed elements that make up a well-designed and functional kitchen. We frequently combine unique pieces of furniture that were not designed for a kitchen.…

1 THE INSTA FOLLOW For your interiors radar Like many of us, Sarah-Jane Axelby (who goes by SJ) was triggered into a different way of working and keeping active during lockdown. For SJ this meant embarking on a ‘sketch a day’, which got her noticed on Instagram leading to ‘a stream of private drawing commissions, book illustrations and a whole new career.’ Look out for SJ’s work in the new book from designer Kit Kemp, Design Secrets, launching May 2021. Follow @sjaxelby to be kept up to speed with SJ’s latest projects and commissions. 2 THE BOOK TO READ Enjoy the literary event of the year Klara and the Sun is novelist Kazuo Ishiguro’s first novel since winning the Nobel Prize in Literature four years ago so the anticipation around…

HOUSE OF QUINN As seasonal palettes come and go, one trend has emerged as an overarching theme of last year and now. That trend is beige, in all its guises, and the draw is its comforting, cool and cosy vibe. House of Quinn’s textiles fit this mood to a tee. Founded by craftsman Julius Arthur, his designs centre on playful daubs in a brown palette with beige at its heart, like this En Tir quilt, £620. They create a subtle exuberance you just want to wrap your home in. houseofquinn.co.uk…

1 go with the flow The first place to look is at the light reaching your windows externally. Can you increase exposure by trimming a hedge or moving a garden shed to a different location? Sometimes a thorough clean of the windows can make a positive difference immediately. Internally, window shutters are an ideal solution, allowing you to control the amount of light coming through. While they are an investment, they allow you to direct the light as well as having heat and noise benefits within the home. Paul Nulty, founder, Nulty Lighting 2 light wells Where possible, consider expanding the window space within a room. There are many options available, such as interior glass doors, light wells between floors or small windows above doors. If you are working on…

“This bathroom in a Victorian house, created by Retrouvius design studio, is like a burst of holiday happiness with its beautiful zellige tiles and decorative faux Iznik insert. It’s finished with a reclaimed iroko wood surround and copper fittings. No suntan lotion required…”…

home profile THE OWNERS Interior design and property entrepreneurs, Katie and Oli Lyons, plus their two daughters, Lila, five, and Coco, two. THE PROPERTY A 16th-century five-storey townhouse within the medieval village of Saint-Paul de Vence, South of France. In the basement is a utility area. On the lower ground floor is a double bedroom with en suite and access to the terrace. The ground floor has an open-plan kitchen/dining/living space and there is a double bedroom and en-suite bathroom on each of the two top floors. When Katie and Oli Lyons sold their London flat to finance buying a townhouse within the ancient walls of Saint-Paul de Vence, it was the marker of their permanent move to the South of France. It was also intended as an expansion of…

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When we were transforming the 1920s residence Su Casa we envisioned the gardens as extended living spaces that reinforced the sense of place. The clear approach for us was to treat the potted plants and furnishings as ‘accessories’. Pots are an ideal way to dress up an outdoor space – they can be planted with a single plant or a combination of plants depending on the style you are trying to achieve. You can play around curating different looks more easily with potted plants, mixing and matching complementing and contrasting tones, heights, shapes and textures. A Chusan palm (Trachycarpus fortunei) in a large terracotta pot will give height to your display. Combine it with Yucca filamentosa ‘Bright Edge’ with its two-tone, spiked leaves for year-round interest. Finally, ornamental deschampsia will…

EXPERT VIEW Planning a pantry Tom Edmonds, design director, Lewis Alderson & Co When designing a pantry keep it simple so that the space can be kept organised and tidy, even though it will probably be hidden by a door. You don’t want it to become a dumping ground so think about what you will keep in there and design shelving around it. Consider having tiered shelves at graduated heights that are not too deep so you can see everything at a glance and fit different sized packets and tins. A slim spice rack is useful, and a stone or marble shelf is great for keeping things cool. If you shop in bulk, it’s a good idea to leave some floor space under a worktop for large items like crates…

There’s a big resurgence of colours and personality in kitchens, which is exciting. I really like pushing the boat out a bit when it comes to kitchen design, adding a lot of personality and doing something different that stands out. People always ask me what kitchen colours to look out for. I say soft yellow is having a bit of a moment in kitchens – I’m a big fan of Hay by Farrow & Ball and Aeoli by Paint & Paper Library. The desire is for cook spaces to feel vibrant at the moment. It’s gravitating towards a quite traditional, wholesome and crafty feel rather than a shiny and streamlined look. For me, glass-fronted cabinets are definitely the on-trend storage solution right now. They make the space feel bigger because…

1 THE SHINING Tibor is one of my go-to fabric houses for beautiful colour combinations. This has a slight sparkle and is reversible, which makes it diverse. Luna Rose fabric, £245m, Tibor 2 IN THE FOLD Who doesn’t want a soft cloud floating in their room? Sculpted from layers of banana fibre, it gives out a beautiful glow. Anders light, £1,435, Pinch 3 ON POINT The handmade nature of these elegant candleholders ensures each piece is completely unique. A La Pointe candleholder by Laurence Brabant, £30, &YOU 4 SIT BACK This 1957 piece is beautiful from every angle and can be dressed with loose cushions. Lounge chair and ottoman by I lmari Tapiovaara for Esposizione La Permanente Mobili, €5,500, Morentz 5 PHOTO FINISH Shira Barzilay’s style is very graphic, fun…

Many happy returns to Louis Poulsen’s iconic Panthella table lamp, which is celebrating the big 5-0 this year. It’s getting all dressed up for the anniversary in a gleaming new golden coat, and is also available in a medium size for the first time since its inception by legendary Danish architect Verner Panton in 1971. One of the designer’s most loved pieces, the light is an embodiment of Verner’s boundarypushing approach to form, material and colour, the brass finish referencing his fascination with experimental materials and daring colours. The high shine mirrored effect amplifies the lamp’s mushroom-like silhouette, adding warmth and bouncing reflections into its surrounds like an interactive sculpture. Panthella 320mm table lamp in brass, £705 (louispoulsen.com)…

Introducing The National Trust Tile Collection by Sarsen Stone Group, a series of nature and architecture-inspired designs drawn directly from historic properties such as Staffordshire’s Moseley Old Hall, Lyme Park in Cheshire and Wiltshire’s Lacock Abbey. The Woodland Glade collection comprises nine patterns drawn from the flora of Winkworth Arboretum in Surrey. Mix and match hexagons covered in softly silhouetted leaves, fronds and dappled shadows in a matt finish. £60sqm (capietra.com)…

i don’t care if I have to sell a kidney, I’m having this house!’ declared Sharlene Lee upon first viewing her new home near Perth. Three days later (and surgery-free!) it was hers. ‘The Shutter House’ was a project between architecture and interior design studio State of Kin and luxury stockist Mobilia, who provided furniture, lighting and accessories by a host of eminent brands. The feature that gives the building its name, and which makes it something of a landmark in the area, is the mechanical linear timber-clad shutters that rise and fall to both shield inhabitants from the blazing Australian sun and create privacy. Shutters up, and views of the adjacent lake flood in; shutters down, and film noir-style striped shadows scatter across the interior. While the exterior certainly…

‘We wanted to create a holiday home where our children could have regular adventures, in a kind of Famous Five way,’ says fashion stylist turned interior designer Michelle Kelly. And this house, in a once sleepy English seaside town that is fast becoming a little bit of London-on-sea, has turned out to provide exactly that – for children and grown-ups alike. Michelle and husband Ian, who works in music management, bought the detached Edwardian house with two other couples they met when their children were born nearly 10 years ago. ‘We all went on holiday together to Ibiza and talked about buying a holiday home there, but then we reconsidered: somewhere closer to home where we’re all based in east London, would mean we could go more often,’ says Michelle.…

This is my first spring in the new garden. Last summer my partner and I moved from our canal boat in London to a garden (and cottage) in Devon. To say I’m excited is an understatement. I’m entering spring with plans (that I probably won’t stick to) produced while cosily shut up indoors on wet winter days. This month I’ve created a couple of no-dig beds ready for veg, a makeshift germination station and piles of wellrotted manure. An army of seedlings (chillis, tomatoes, kale and more) that are marching towards adolescence and will be clamouring to be planted out before I know it. To me, the pillars of a growing space are compost, water harvest, seed saving and social space. But when working with a new space or growing…

KITCHEN DOOR HANDLES 1 Swarf. Design duo Sam Fish and Kate Worthington proudly use traditional manual machining practices to create modern hardware, and also offer a refinishing and repair service for their brass products. (swarfhardware.co.uk) 2 Yester Home. This small family business based in Shropshire has been making timeless wrought and cast iron hardware since 2011. Pick from pulls, knobs, handles and latches, all with a hint of classic English charm. (yesterhome.com) 3 Dowsing & Reynolds. What started as a website selling industrial-style lighting has quickly transformed into a home decor brand with a huge range of interior hardware. Shop online or visit the showroom in Leeds’ Victoria Quarter. (dowsingandreynolds.com)…

“If, by our increased garden pages, you guessed we’d found our green fingers, you’d be right. And new book Regrown by Paul Anderton and Robin Daly (£16.99, Hardie Grant) is setting us off at an easy level – growing plants from kitchen leftovers. Perfect you-time projects or to do with little ones”…

FENNEL AND CHESTNUT SALAD WITH A HONEY DRESSING serves 4 FOR THE DRESSING 2 tbsp chestnut honey1 tsp Dijon mustard2 tbsp lemon juice6 tbsp olive oil FOR THE SALAD 2 tbsp walnut halves2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and halved, any fronds chopped and reserved2 tbsp olive oil180g cooked chestnuts (vacuum-packed is fine), roughly chopped½ tsp dried chilli flakes1 tbsp chestnut honeyLarge handful of rocket leaves 120g Caerphilly cheese, shaved 1 To make the dressing, whisk the honey, mustard and lemon juice together with a twist each of salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil to make a thick dressing and finish by whisking in a tbsp water to lighten the consistency. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6 and spread the walnuts out on a baking tray. Toast in the oven…

The Brisley Bell NORFOLK A popular local institution, The Brisley Bell has history dating back to the 17th century. The current owners greatly expanded the proposition adding further dining spaces, restoring the gardens and converting some of the stone barns into guest rooms. Interiors have been kept classic and are most lovely in the garden room (above) and green room (left). The bedrooms provide a relaxing bolthole for guests, complete with roll-top baths and homemade biscuits. Rooms from £105 a night. thebrisleybell.co.uk The Bull Inn DEVON This stylish pub in the pretty market town of Totnes is Geetie Singh-Watson’s labour of love, where she has created a haven committed to the highest ideals of ethical sustainability. Everything that enters the kitchen is certified organic and comes from mostly local suppliers…

Originally from Copenhagen, Jeppe Christensen is the founder and CEO of the Dani sh design brand Reform, formed with Michael Andersen back in 2014. He moved to Berlin a couple of years ago with his fiancé, Anne, and their two kids, Winston and Barbara, to give Reform a kick-start in Germany. With showrooms in Hamburg, Munich, Cologne and a second opening in Berlin, Jeppe reveals his favourite spots in the city he now calls home. First things first, where should we stay? Hotel Oderberger in Prenzlauer Berg – a boutique hotel designed in 1898, originally made to serve the public as a bathhouse but reopened its doors as a hotel in 2016. The highlight is the impressive and majestic pool hall that tells the story of the monumental protected building.…