Innehållsförteckning för September 2021 från Living Etc

I took a welcome break from my house renovation to help judge the first Livingetc Style Awards recently. Sat in a room with two of our columnists, Linda Boronkay and Minnie Kemp, along with the fashion guru Lucinda Chambers, it was fascinating to hear their thoughts on what constituted style today. Style, we decided, comes from the ease in which a piece can be used to bring life to a room, a smile to anyone who views or uses it, and the way a design can get better with time. Casting our eyes over hundreds of products, we whittled it down to just over 50 that we think are the best buys you could make today – see the edit on page 29. They vary massively, covering everything from a…

THE CORE PIECE change of gear Injecting interiors with a portable layer of bold architectural appeal, the brutalist-inspired Gear side table by Kristian Sofus Hansen and Tommy Hyldahl feels like just the kind of statement piece to shake things up. Cast in a lightweight fiber concrete it’s impressive but not impractical, balancing a hefty circular table top and fluted legs with a poetic hand-painted textural finish. Gear side table, £320, Norr11 (boundconcept.com) CRUSHING ON wfh wonders Combining practicality with our penchant for scalloped details, Objects is a collection of pastel desk accessories from Katie Leamon and handmade from concrete. Items include shallow dishes, perfect for paper clips and erasers, narrow pots for pens and pencils, and wider pots, ideal for plants. Work never looked this good. From £24 (katieleamon.com) THE…

1 a fabulous foundation What you don’t want is for the abundance of white to look stark, flat or minimal. It needs to have soul and tell a story. Clean White from Paint & Paper Library is a favourite when I’m looking for a pure white for ceilings or woodwork that can be combined with other colours – and can work across all tones. Clare Gaskin, founder, Clare Gaskin Interiors 2 pole position First assess which way the room faces. In the UK, northern light is least affected by seasonal changes for example, whereas a room facing west will get a warmer, mellower afternoon light. Then determine what time of day the room will be most inhabited and whether you want something cooler or warmer in tone. Harriet Anstruther, founder,…

Old phone, new tricks Galaxy upcycling is a brilliant initiative from Samsung that repurposes your old smartphone into a variety of smart home devices, such as baby monitors, security cameras and motion detectors. By using the SmartThings app, your old smartphone can be adapted to recognise a baby crying or dogs barking, for instance, sending your new phone alerts just like a smart home security system, and even turn on lights automatically when the old phone senses darkness in a room. (samsung.com) Wonder wall The construction industry creates 100 million tonnes of waste each year, but thankfully Kenoteq has developed a way to turn this waste back into building bricks. Invented by Gabriela Medero, the K-Briq creates less than a tenth of the carbon emissions of a standard brick, but…

“Country and contemporary unite in this boundary-breaking room. A blushing terracotta pink, inspired by trips to Sicily, frames the kitchen, balanced by warm neutral walls. A concrete worktop and modern brass hardware bring the look back from the brink of feeling too rustic”…

■ 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/letcsep21 two simple ways to subscribe ONLINE AT magazinesdirect.com/letcsep21 BY PHONE 0330 333 1113 QUOTE CODE BF29. Lines are open Monday-Friday from 9am-5pm UK time. T&Cs: Offer closes 5 September 2021. Offer open to new subscribers only. Direct Debit offer is available to UK subscribers only. *£34.99 payable by annual Direct Debit. Please allow up to six weeks for delivery of your first subscription issue (up to eight weeks overseas). For full terms and conditions, visit www.magazinesdirect.com/terms. For enquiries please call: +44 (0) 330 333 1113. Lines are open Monday-Friday 9am-5pm UK time or e-mail: help@magazinesdirect.com. Calls to 0330 numbers will be charged at no…

IN THE GARDEN 1 Towards the middle and end of the month I’ll be sowing hardy annuals to overwinter somewhere sheltered and give flowers early next summer, including love-in-a-mist, borage and calendula. 2 Save seed! Just pick a couple of seed heads from any plants that caught your eye to share and propagate. 3 Sow hardy greens to take you through autumn and winter – try claytonia, mibuna, mustard, mizuna and rocket. INDOORS 1 There’s so much to harvest, it’s a fun time to experiment with preserving. Dry, pickle, ferment, syrup and jam to make it last longer. I love recipes using local ingredients, like raspberries fermented in a raw, local, happy-bee honey – it’s a sweet fizzy jam with all the gut-healthy perks of fermentation. 2 Sow leafy cool-weather…

Renowned for its beautiful chalky finish and timeless aesthetic, matt paint diffuses light, and because of this, any imperfections appear less noticeable (within reason!). Colour consistency is enhanced as light sources tend to have a minimal effect on walls painted in matt paint. The great thing about matt paint is that it can be used in any style of interior, from period properties to modern homes. It’s elegant, refined and fantastic for retaining rich colours and with its tactile matt finish, offers a cocooning effect. It’s probably best to avoid using matt paint outside as external and masonry paints have special finishes. Some internal spaces need to be well ventilated as matt paint and condensation aren’t a good match, so check the packaging before use. As with any paint, preparation…

An easy way to create a colour scheme is to use the 60-30-10 rule. Your dominant colour should take up 60% of the space: picture it on the walls and large pieces of furniture such as the sofa. The secondary colour takes up 30% of the space: use it for medium-sized objects such as rugs. Finally, the accent colour is 10% of the space. Use it for accessories such as vases or trinket trays. Make sure that your dominant colour is featured through the largest pieces of furniture within your room as this will tie the space together. Your secondary and accent colours will then elevate the main shade. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different tones within your three colours. Let’s say you’ve opted for a pink on your…

CAULIFLOWER TABULE serves 4 1 cauliflowerHalf bunch mintHalf bunch corianderHalf bunch parsley2 tomatoes, chopped1 red onion, choppedJuice from 1 lemon4 tbsp extra virgin olive oilCuminSalt75g Greek yogurt 1 Using the large holes on a cheese grater, grate the cauliflower into a large mixing bowl. Chop all the herbs as finely as possible and add to the cauliflower with the chopped tomatoes and onion. Mix well. 2 Season the cauliflower mix with lemon juice, olive oil, cumin and salt to taste. Place the yogurt in the centre of a plate and gently pour the cauliflower mix on top. You could also add a sprinkle of za’atar, sliced cauliflower, herb leaves, pomegranate seeds, crushed hazelnuts and pink grapefruit segments. This Asian-inspired dish is quick and easy – perfect for a relaxed summer…

DESIGN & THAT The first time Livingetc walked through the doors of Design & That, a boutique in London’s Shoreditch, was the first time we’d ever seen Bauwerk paint in all its textured glory. The little store, the first UK supplier of the Aussie paint brand, was swathed in a complex and compelling grey limewash – the ideal backdrop to the covetable pieces within. Now online only, Design & That has gone on to be the first port of call for all manner of clever, contemporary and dynamic design. Artfully curated by Emma Shone-Sanders, it’s here you’re guaranteed to find a piece or four for a life that is beautifully lived. Co Chair lounge chair in dark stained oak/city velvet, £819.95, designandthat.com…

what style means today Great design can make people happy, and over the past year creating a space that enhances and nurtures our physical and mental wellbeing has been more important than ever. From the colour of our walls to the sofa we sit on and the mug that holds our morning coffee, we’ve truly appreciated that the products we choose can have a huge effect on the way we feel. This was the thinking behind the first-ever annual Livingetc Style Awards, a way of highlighting the pieces and products that exude style, all filled with the potential to make your home a more wonderful place to live. With entries ranging from big statement items of furniture and tabletop accessories to brand-new launches and enduring classics, the edit you see…

How has the design of consumer technology changed in recent years? Platforms like Pinterest and Instagram have led to people being more design-savvy, and over the past six years we have seen increasing demand for eco-conscious products. Sustainability has been a focus for designers, and we’ve always offered our clients sustainably conscious options, but these approaches always carry more weight when it’s the consumer calling for them. Technology can’t just function brilliantly any more can it? Absolutely not. Technology needs to be sustainable, attractive, accommodating of an existing ecosystem and fit with one’s surroundings. There’s a desire for more personalised or customisable technology, which is the result of many years of owning the same products as other people. What role does 3D printing have for you and what benefits does it…

When NYC-based designer Noa Santos started out in the business, his mission was to make interior design accessible to all. His start-up, Homepolish, linked young designers with young clientele on a ‘no project is too small’ basis and, in the process, garnered myriad column inches, accolades and a huge Insta following. But then, as has been the way with many start-ups, it sadly folded when Noa was unable to secure funding to keep the business afloat. After retreating and recalibrating, Noa is back and this time his business, NAINOA, is a very different proposition. It’s a high-end boutique operation that needs to be selective about the projects it takes on, as these days Noa wants to give every design his unfocused attention, rather than juggling a million balls. One such…

‘It strikes the right balance between being a dynamic space and a rejuvenating bolthole,’ says Omar. Just as cut and brilliance are behind any good diamond’s bedazzle, so the appeal of this diminutive apartment lies in its behind-the-scenes precision detailing. Located in the heart of Hatton Garden, known for its clutch of diamond dealers, the fourth-floor space was once the studio of a gem specialist. But there was little precious about it when owners Chris Marks and James Brennan stumbled upon it back in 2016. The compact one-bed had no decorative features, a dated kitchen and an awkward layout. Hankering after an interior that reflected its cosmopolitan setting, the couple hired Space Shack’s Omar Bhatti to inject it with his own brand of contemporary cool. ‘Chris and James wanted to…

“Take inspo from this living room we created for developers FABRICA under our Studio Livingetc design service. Swathed in Little Greene’s Pearl Colour Dark 169 and with crafted pieces from Holloways of Ludlow and Julian Chichester, it does artisan, elegance and effortlessly cool all in one go”…

PERFECT MATCH Already a hit for its retro feel and deliciously rounded edges, Claybrook’s Smithfield basin now comes paired with a leggy industrial-style washstand. Not to be outshone, the popular basin can also be in a matt black to match the stand, which has a handy towel rack and rail. An elegant addition to any bathroom. 60cm Smithfield basin in matt black, £700; Smithfield metal stand, £1,375 (claybrookstudio.co.uk) Great outdoors This summer’s biggest kitchen must-have? An outdoor one, of course. Thankfully Brookmans by Smallbone has done the hard work for us with its Alfresco kitchen. Designed with flexibility in mind, it comes in modules in various sizes to build a bespoke configuration that can accommodate a sink, cooking area, prep space and refrigeration. You can throw in a sleek six-burner…

Your hallway should give guests an insight into who you are. Choose colours that show off your favourite art, textiles or photographs. Choose a finish that’s tough, and easy to wipe clean and touch up. Hallways are busy thoroughfares, so need to be practical. Colour blocking is a good way to add colour to a hall. For example, use a different colour above and below dado and picture rails and cornicing, or add blocks of colour to the underside of stairs. Dark colours under the dado rail combined with fresh white woodwork and light colours above work well to hide any scuffs and marks. This effect also adds lots of light to what can be a narrow space. In a small hallway, paint the ceiling the same colour as the walls.…

“Sealing the deal on the growing appreciation of fine Mexican cuisine, El Pastor taqueria takes over the site of Soho brasserie Hix, bringing tacos, mezcal and a fiesta spirit to London’s West End. The evocative textured terracotta walls sing of the faded grandeur of late 19th-century Mexico”…

1 BY THE SEA These tiles are full of personality. The patterns are almost childlike in their naivety and you can’t help but fall in love with them. Blue tiles, £10 each, Maude Made 2 PLATE UP Did you know that in symbology fungi represent good fortune? This plate is so charming with its hand-painted finish. Mushrooms, €210 for a set of six, The Platera 3 GLAZED OVER The blue tableware trend continues and while I’m not a big follower of such movements I’m still enjoying a reactive glaze in a lovely deep blue hue. Deep stoneware plate, £9.99, H&M Home 4 TABLE TALK This table is naturally dyed with beetroot juice, how lovely is that? It also comes in natural and ebonised oak. Beetroot pedestal table, £550, Galvin Brothers…

1 Stylish sowing Supplied with everything you need to get growing – apart from seeds – this minimalist hydroponic system, in green, grey or white, doesn’t need soil. Instead you plant a seed in the supplied growing medium, add plant feed, fill the water reservoir, plug it in and let nature do the rest. Perfect for home-grown chillies and basil. Botanium, €64 (around £55) (botanium.se) 2 Vertical growing Click & Grow makes a range of self-watering planting systems, but here it has combined three nine-plant units with a Scandi-style wood and metal shelving unit. Each planter uses pre-seeded soil plugs (there are 50 to choose from) and, when combined with the built-in lights, they provide the ideal conditions for growth. The Smart Garden 27, €599.95 (around £515) (clickandgrow.com) 3 App…

Set among lush and mature gardens of indigenous flora, this three-storey house located on a picturesque stretch of the Australian coast with far-reaching vistas of coastal pines and the ocean beyond had already maximised the breathtaking panoramas. Even with its exceptional landscape, however, the potential for the interiors is what immediately convinced Alexandra Donohoe Church, founder of Sydney-based studio Decus Interiors, to deliver this atypical beachside home for a couple with five children. ‘Part of the attraction of this project was that it offered a variety of design detailing to get our teeth into,’ says Alexandra. ‘It had a bit of everything, in that the heritage part of the house required a more traditional approach, while the new extension [designed by Tim Wright Architect] necessitated a more contemporary feel.’ As…

We took the art deco identity of this building and reinterpreted it in a contemporary way,’ says Marie Soliman of this apartment home that’s all about luxury and longevity. It’s on the fourth floor of a handsome building dating from 1929 and while it had retained plenty of period flourishes, it was hampered by a dated and impractical layout. ‘There was a very skinny kitchen near the front door, separate living and dining rooms at the other end of the apartment and, bizarrely, the only bathroom led off the dining room,’ remembers Marie. Her solution was to remove a dividing wall to create an open-plan living space, where tall windows look down on the Mayfair setting, and carve out en suites for the two bedrooms, plus a chic WC. While…

The saying ‘When in doubt, paint it white’ holds true. You almost can’t make a mistake – but keep in mind that most whites tend to yellow over time. I personally like crisp, bright whites such as Benjamin Moore’s Super White and Decorator’s White, which allow furnishings and objects to look more pronounced. Even a shade of white that has a blue or lavender hue is nice. And anything that skews toward bisque (try Benjamin Moore’s Silver Satin) would work in a traditional setting, but not in a contemporary home. Another off-white I enjoy is Benjamin Moore’s Swiss Coffee, which has a slight green undertone. A mostly white room can benefit from a dark anchor wall. I love to do this in a bedroom – painting the wall with the…

Elderberries and blackberries are in season. Bursting with vitamin C and antioxidants, they are a welcome food with autumn around the corner. Make sure to leave plenty for the birds! I stew blackberries and elderberries, strain the liquid and let it cool, then mix in lots of local, raw, happy bee honey, while imagining that the bees who made the honey may have pollinated the blackberry and elder flowers in spring. This sauce is heavenly mixed into dressings for homegrown salads. I’m thinking a lot about the feeling of belonging to a land at the moment. I’ve watched and worked with the garden for a whole year now (I arrived here last summer). I’ve seen it as a naked skeleton in the dead of winter and now I see it…

WALL TO WALL Renowned for her chalk paint for furniture, Annie Sloan has now turned her attention to a dedicated wall paint collection of 32 colours, including 16 existing chalk paint favourites, plus 16 new shades. While Annie’s furniture chalk paint can be used on walls with a coat of wax or lacquer to protect it in high-traffic areas, her new water-based matt emulsion wall paint range needs no such protection from everyday spills and marks. New colours include Carnaby Yellow, £46.95 for 2.5ltr (anniesloan.com) Craig & Rose artisan paints have landed at Rockett St George. The line-up is made of artisan chalk – perfect for marble-effect walls (available in Flax Yellow, Pink Clay, Blue Ochre and Terre Vert) – and three metal-effect paints (Bronze Gold, Rose Gold and Antique…

Raise the roof ‘Using complementary tones within the same colour group creates an incredibly stylish and relaxing space, especially when using green or blue,’ says Charlotte Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball. ‘In this instance, the darker shade has been used on the lower walls, the lighter on the ceiling and slightly onto the upper walls, which has opened up the ceiling view. If you need to create the impression of a lower ceiling, try this in reverse and use the darker shade on the ceiling and the lighter shade on the walls.’ Draw the line The rule of thirds works perfectly in this hallway by interior designer Fiona Duke, who’s created a two-tone wall with a dividing line that picks up the border on the floor. ‘Incorporating…