Innehållsförteckning för January 2022 från Living Etc

what i’m into this month 1 Having my morning shower by candlelight. Adding ritual to a daily task feels so cheering. 2 Crucial Trading’s wool/sisal mix carpets. Planning to lay them soon. 3 Skye McAlpine’s brand new Tavola tableware. I’ve had a sneak preview and it’s as lovely as you’d expect. I don’t believe the new year is the only time to try and create a positive change. For inquisitive people like us, who are interested in interiors and absorbing the latest trends via these pages, we’re always looking to better our surroundings, to put new ideas into place that can transform our homes – and perhaps how we behave and feel in them, too. That said, the dawn of 2022 is as good a time as any to really…

Black and white homeware has had a regal revamp and it’s simply marvellous, dahling…

at the heart of every A-list event Fiona Leahy designs, the ethos is always the same: ‘make guests feel really welcome and seen,’ she says. For the past 15 years, Fiona’s mastery of tablescaping (where the tabletop is a canvas for an ephemera of tableware, flowers and linens) has taken her around the world. From Mexico to Mongolia, she has created unforgettable moments in unforgettable places for Hollywood stars, Middle Eastern royals and brands such as Dior, Versace and Aerin. Her first taste for tablescaping came as a child, helping to lay the tables in her family’s small hotels in Tipperary. A stint at fashion college in Dublin led to time as a fashion stylist in New York before returning to London to work alongside Jade Jagger, then creative director…

LOWER GROUND FLOOR Three steps (see left) lead from the kitchen-diner to the sunken lounge area, which is very mid-century modern. The cook space looks discreet as most of the functional parts are concealed, while the bench built into the island is a clever space-saving solution. The serene, modern and beautifully pared-back interiors favoured by Scandinavians have always appealed to Liam Wilde, so when he bought a dark and warren like mews house in Knightsbridge he knew that adapting it to his taste would require a great deal of ingenuity. ‘I was living locally when I spotted the house on the market. The kerbside appeal was relatively grand for the street, but internally the layouts were poor and it suffered from a lack of natural light. In spite of this,…

KITCHEN-DINER It’s the gold that brings this eclectic scheme together. Linking the lights to shelving and baseboard, owner Marie-Ange could then run riot with pattern and still keep it cohesive. LIVING ROOM A pair of vintage armchairs pick out the hues of the informally hung art. ‘I love colour because it’s life,’ says Marie-Ange. home profile THE OWNER Marie-Ange de Charry, an estate agent and interior designer, and her dog Potiche, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel. THE PROPERTY A first-floor apartment in a 19th-century neoclassical building on Paris’ Left Bank. It has a kitchen-diner, living room, two bedrooms, both en suite, a cloakroom and a laundry room. even in the depths of a Paris winter, this Left Bank flat is full of joie de vivre. That’s partly down to its…

Tucked in If you live in a period home, like this one owned by interior designer Ana Engelhorn, you’ll be used to the architectural quirks. Making a feature of these not only highlights the character, but can also create storage space. Alcoves are a good example. Build in low cupboards and keep the rest as open shelves. Painting the interior in a contrasting colour to walls will make a focal point of the area. Divide and conquer Contrary to popular belief, storage solutions don’t have to be relegated to the sides and corners of rooms. Choosing a piece that both looks striking and has shelves which can be accessed from multiple angles can help separate spaces in an open-plan or multi-use room. This design from Gallotti & Radice is an…

"There is nothing better than sinking into your favourite chair with a book and a cup of tea after a long day being fabulous, or sitting soft after a lovely home-cooked meal. Maybe you love hosting salon-style drinks parties with all your pals or perhaps it’s Friday night Gogglebox and board games sitting on the floor around the coffee table, tails wagging. Whatever the weather, when designing a living room there has to be a focal point – without one it’s pretty impossible to build the rest of the room. As tempting as it might be to erect a black rectangular box above your fireplace please don’t do it! Artwork doesn’t have to be expensive and having one centralised in the room makes all the difference. Most recently I designed…

POWER PAIRING We do love a clever collab and Bert & May and Little Greene have nailed the assignment. The duo’s innovative collection features eight of Little Greene’s classic colours on two Bert & May signature tiles – 7.5x15cm glossy glazed herringbones and 20x20cm chalky cement squares. We’re all over the Livid tiles, which sit somewhere between blue, green and grey, and are moody yet restful. Cement Square, from £3.40 per tile; Glazed Rectangle, from £1.12 per tile (bertandmay.com) all brass Matki has introduced a new finish, Aged Brass, to its sister range Swadling Brassware’s bathroom collection, which includes hand- and wall-mounted shower heads, basin and bath mixer taps, thermostatic shower mixers and shower door handles. It is also available as a frame accent and hinge option on the EauZone…

Streamlined design, super-slim profiles and modern framing materials are just a few of the features that give pivot doors the edge over more conventional options. ‘They allow for higher and wider doors than traditional set-ups, offer something different to sliders or folding doors, and they give more flexibility in terms of where the door opens and closes too,’ says Daniel Woolfson, architect and director at The DHaus Company. Rather than being hinged to an adjacent frame at the side, pivot doors rotate around a mechanism that’s positioned at the top and bottom of the door panel. It’s possible to choose how far along the width of the door panel the pivot hinges are placed. ‘As the door rotates open, depending on the position of the pivots, this can create one…

projects I step out into the damp cold with a cup of fennel seed tea; the taste takes me back to summer, nibbling on fennel flowers. As I ambled down the garden, the fennel stood green and tall, crowned with umbels of yellow flowers and humming with hoverflies. Winter has turned them to silvery brown skeleton stems, housing all sorts of insects as they hibernate through winter. I gather a bouquet of hardy greens planted out in spring and late summer, some chard, curly kale and spinach, to add to a hearty soup. There’s still some produce coming from the garden but it is limited and not really of the sweet variety, so jars of apple sauce made up in autumn are relished this time of year. Winter is a…

Start by testing your broadband speed if you think your download and upload speeds don’t match what you’re paying for, and if simply rebooting your router doesn’t help, run a speed test (broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk) to make sure. Make sure your router is plugged into the master wall socket using a short cable that isn’t old or frayed. Also ensure any landline phones are unplugged and that your computing devices are up-to-date with the latest software from the manufacturer. If your speeds still aren’t what they should be, then there is probably an issue with the line between your home and your local telephone exchange. Contact your broadband provider for help and start by requesting a line test. Your broadband provider has to provide a minimum download speed guarantee. So if your…

Many people think an EV [Electric Vehicle] will cost them more. But while they do have higher ticket prices, their overall cost is often the same as an equivalent petrol car, or even cheaper. For those who do an average mileage (7,000 mile per year), the lower running costs soon pay back the extra outlay. Maintenance costs are lower and EV drivers pay no road tax or other congestion charges. The biggest savings, however, come from the fuel, where prices can drop to as little as 1p/mile if charging overnight at home. The government runs a scheme that offers a £500 grant to households to install an EV charger. This scheme finishes next March for owner-occupiers. After this, the market should open up to new installers, so costs could fall…

“Beautiful new book A New Leaf explores how and why design experts fill their homes with plants. Evocative, inspiring and thought-provoking, we’re all the more partial because it’s penned by our very own editor, Pip Rich. A New Leaf: Curated Houses Where Plants Meet Design, £30, Hardie Grant”…

CURVES AHEAD Our new Arch Collection with Bert & May is the perfect celebration of this look. With graphic patterns and soft colours, arches are truly versatile. We’re also coveting the graphic prints of LA brand Block Shop Textiles and the graceful buildings of London architects Gundry + Ducker.…

PEARL OF LIGHT You will often find us waxing lyrical about the poetry of good lighting, but Fritz Hansen’s latest pendant light takes our ardour to the next level. Just as an oyster hides its pearl, the hand-blown opal glass Clam opens and closes to ‘hide’ its inner light. Brass hardware inside and outside the shades complements the pendant’s warm light. Clam light, from £806 (fritzhansen.com) SEA TREASURE These glossy, shell-like vintage goblets are made of onyx. This pearly gemstone gets its name from the Greek word for fingernail – in ancient mythology an enchanted arrow was fired at the goddess Aphrodite, shearing off her beautiful nails. They ended up coming to rest on a riverbed where they turned into onyx. Set of two vintage onyx goblets, price on request…

DIGITAL AG E Designer Jeni Allison showed her digital Drape blankets at London Design Festival’s The Future of Home exhibition curated by studio Local Heroes. Her cruelty free lambswool blankets are created by virtually draping fabrics in a 3D simulation, then turning the renders into files readable by industrial knitting machines. Blue Drape blanket, £350 (jeniallison.co.uk) ABSTR ACT ATTRACTION Bonaldo’s New Perspective mirror plays with depth and perspective, giving the illusion of a room beyond the mirror. The lines that decorate it are drawn freehand directly on the reflective surface and naively reproduce a different environment to the reflected one. Price on request (bonaldo.com)…

“Natural tones and textures place beige (yes, this hue is back) centre stage in the new Beni Rugs showroom in NYC. The palette is both warm and cool, courtesy of the rich woods and shelves of artisan pottery – all inviting barefoot contemplation and evoking a Moroccan hols vibe”…

Cork is the bark of the cork oak tree, mostly grown in Portugal. It’s a renewable material with a lifespan of 200 years and can be harvested every nine years. It’s essential this is done by hand, not machinery, to protect the tree and to be able to continue to harvest its bark. It’s great for sound and heat insulation; reducing energy usage and utility bills and significantly improving the acoustics of a space. It’s also waterproof, so can be installed in any room. Flooring trends have been heading towards being eco-friendly and organic and more people are rediscovering the benefits of natural materials, so it’s unsurprising cork is having a revival. The classic cork pattern can vary depending on the size of the grain and how it was manipulated…

THE EXPERT Sam McNally is co-founder and director of London-based architectural design studio Echlin. For the Knightsbridge mews project, he crafted banquette seating and custom sofas to achieve the restaurant-style aesthetic the client was after, as well as helping to define and divide the space. In large cities we are constantly challenged for space, and custom-made seating is all about making every centimetre count, he says. TOUCH WOOD For timber built-in seating you should commission a carpenter or joiner, the latter being generally more qualified, working in the factory making more specialist pieces. Having reference images will make life a lot easier. For wooden seating it’s important to factor in comfort levels. We considered ergonomics when designing this kitchen seat, giving it a gentle rake while the seat pad is…

1 careful consideration A room with fresh linens and comforts shows care for the person staying there. I like dressing tables in guest rooms, so visitors can have all their things to hand. The bed will have at least four pillows and extra cushions covered in our Flora Fantasia print. Frieda Gormley, co-founder, House of Hackney 2 snoozy hues A good night’s sleep is at the forefront of any bedroom I design. I consider colours that promote relaxation. At Inhabit Hotel we used gentle greys and blues – studies have shown that these reduce stress. I’m a big believer in using natural materials, too; oak bedside tables and handwoven linens. Where space is limited, every inch counts including under-bed storage and open shelf bedside tables. Lastly, I hang art that…

"A walk-in pantry doesn’t need as much room as you may think. It is more about the bespoke nature of the space, but as a guide I would say you would need to be able to host a standard size door at 762x1981mm. But if you don’t have space for a walk-in pantry, there are alternatives. Depending on the space you have available and the style of kitchen, pantries can be built into a large alcove or unused nook; you can opt for a breakfast pantry for your cereals, bread and jams or a double-doored full-size style that will keep all of your tinned, boxed and dried goods in one place. The biggest consideration is effective storage, which is of course the primary function of the pantry. This comes down to…

projects "I believe I might be coming to the end of my honeymoon period with the new house. The cracks are beginning to show (literally) and the imperfections that at first seemed quaint now consume my admin list. I’m still absolutely in love with this home, but the winter brought new findings; an Arctic and leaky conservatory replaced the ‘garden room’ we signed up for and the low morning sun barely penetrates the pokey kitchen windows. The conservatory is home to a grapevine which grows in from the outside and became the obsessive focus of my plans for the house to begin with. My extension and reconfiguration designs for the ground floor were centred around keeping this long-standing, ridiculously charming and fruitful-at-first appearance tree, so at first I steered clear…

"Remember the Swatch watch? Samsung has channelled a similar bespoke vibe for its beautifully designed Frame TV. Adding to its chameleon-like appeal, you can now buy a colourful range of replacement bezels that snap on magnetically, excitingly updating your decor″…

Keeping an environment which is clean and tidy, happy and healthy is key to improving our mental health, and your bedroom is actually one of the most important areas for you to keep organised. As it’s your place of rest, if it’s cluttered it can absolutely affect your wellbeing. Clutter isn’t just physical, it’s mental and emotional and it has a profound effect on your mind. It’s very common to feel like you can’t effectively declutter your home, but it’s proven to boost your self esteem when you do manage to do it. Try and get yourself into the right mindset for decluttering. It can take a lot of mental energy to do these tasks. Whether you should go bit by bit or do everything solidly in one weekend simply…

Journalist Fleur Britten investigates how some considered decor choices can help make those home workouts an easy and effective part of your routine. Home gyms might seem best tucked away in a basement or in a studio out in the garden – after all, a room full of cold, industrial kit doesn’t exactly inspire aesthetic awe. But with a bit of thoughtful design, it’s possible to create a visually pleasing home gym right in your living space – not least when a spare room or a basement-digging budget isn’t an option. And by virtue of it being visible, it might just inspire more exercise. When choosing the location of your workout space, look for an ample supply of natural light, says Pip Black, co-founder of the boutique fitness studio chain…

1 BE PLAYFUL WITH YOUR TABLETOPS Green marble and marble agglomerates are often found on our material boards – green Alpi is a particular favourite. It makes excellent countertops and brings a natural element and pattern to a space. What elevates them even more than simply the beauty of their natural pattern is when you add edge details, little final touches that demand attention. Either a rough finish or curved corner – a good stoneworker can do this for you. A kitchen counter splashback and matching tabletop might sound too much, but in reality is super dramatic. 2 GOBOLD WITH METALLIC ACCENTS The metallic bar front was made from raw brass foil strips hand-folded and pinned together to create an artisanal finish with a unique wavy texture – you could…

ARC TRIUMPH Ferm Living introduced its USB powered Meridian lamp, inspired by geometric forms, last year and it’s been so popular the brand has updated the model several times already in covetable hues. Just launched – a glinting new brushed steel version for the holidays. £148.52 (fermliving.com) SOFT TOUCH Luxury Italian furniture brand Ethimo has launched a rechargeable table lamp. Teak bases with colourful linen shades prove smart tech homeware can do soft and luxe. Gaia, price on request (ethimo.com) THOROUGHLY CHARMING Pooky’s small but perfectly formed Phileas will elevate any nook with its boutique hotel charm. Choose your own shade to pair with its antique brass base and discreet power button. Phileas, from £115 (pooky.com) Let’s be honest, there never was much of an allure attached to the shelf…

1 WARM FEELING Farrow & Ball’s Blazer is a tone I’m turning to right now. It’s close in pigment to orange, meaning there’s a softness as well as warmth. Blazer estate emulsion, £52 for 2.5ltr, Farrow & Ball 2 LOOKING GOOD A mid-century modern style must-have. The handmade, hand-finished frame gives this mirror so much character. Alexia mirror, $920, Merci Maison 3 DEEP THOUGHT Made from reclaimed wood and hand-blown glass, this unique tabletop sculpture encourages contemplation. Abstract Assembly sculpture, £1,670, Donna Wilson 4 PLAYFUL LINES Hung as art or put on the floor, this tapestry will never cease to entertain with its intertwining faces. Silhouette tapestry, £1,031, Nanimarquina x Jaime Hayon 5 POT LUCK Lydia Hardwick’s ceramics are a talking point – each piece is a beautifully crafted work…

STAIRCASE GARDEN Take your cue for festive fabulousness from this masterpiece by Studio Mim. They’ve gone all out with a garland of olive, fir and eucalyptus foliage interspersed with flowers in blush pink and amber tones – gorgeous and a nice alternative to green and red. Flowers to use include ranunculus, roses, lisianthus and hypericum. And on a practical note, keep your stems looking fresh by incorporating a hidden water source throughout the arrangement. studio-mim.co.uk MANTEL MAGNIFICENCE Floral stylist Juliet Glaves harvests dried teasel seed heads from her flower farm throughout December for Christmas arrangements. This wreath was created using a firm circular wire frame. Working backwards, tightly wire the stems to the frame either in clusters or individually, depending on how abundant you would like the finished look. Once…

LIVING AREA ‘This space best demonstrates what I wanted to achieve – minimalism and modernity with the contemporary floor lamp, softened with the velvety artwork and the textured sofa, all juxtaposed with the period cornices,’ says Kayla. LIVING AREA ‘The fire surround was one of the reasons I fell in love with the flat. I spent weeks restoring it with a marble purifier, getting rid of all the stains,’ says Kayla. home profile THE OWNERS Interior designer Kayla Pongrac of Iron & Ivory and partner Luke Ladyman, co-founder of Cheddar, a financial technology brand. THE PROPERTY An apartment in a Victorian villa in northwest London. The entrance hall leads to an openplan kitchen, living and dining space. There is also a main bedroom, shower room/laundry and a second bedroom/study. the…

LIVING/DINING ROOM Bold blues and dusky pinks can be very liveable yet very glamorous at the same time. LIVING ROOM The lush potted plants evoke a feeling of parlour rooms from the roaring Twenties. home profile THE DESIGNER Tiffany Duggan of Studio Duggan designed this house for Victoria and Matt Bartholomew and their two young sons. THE PROPERTY A late-Victorian double-fronted stucco villa in west London. On the ground floor is a study/library, a playroom, kitchen/dining/family room, a utility and a WC. The first floor has a double-aspect living and dining room and the main bedroom with an en-suite dressing room and bathroom. On the second floor are two children’s bedrooms, two guest rooms, two bathrooms and a laundry. On the third floor is a guest bedroom and bathroom. STUDY/LIBRARY…

"The colour-popping maximalism of Archive by Sanderson Design is a masterclass in how more is truly more. The trick is in the layering of hues, picking a joyous electric blue that connects the chair to the screen and blind – a jolting base on which to pile a palette of riotous red, ochre and green″…

"Nobody puts a good pantry in a corner. Instead, take a cue from VSP Interiors and allow it to be a focal point. Glass partitions help to define the space from the main kitchen, while a combination of base cabinetry and open shelving offers a functional yet elegant storage solution″…

If you’ve exhausted the opportunities for adding space above ground, a basement offers a smart solution. If you already have a cellar, one option is to extend outwards on two sides of that zone and dig down by another 0.5m or so to create space for a utility room or similar. If you want to dig out a new subterranean level, irrespective of whether you have an existing cellar, you’ll be excavating from scratch. Typically, a cellar occupies about 15-20 square metres, while a basement could offer in excess of 100 square metres and provide space for a family room, kitchen or bedroom. However, there are several aspects to consider before going ahead. 1 Basement extensions are not cheap. We are currently working to figures of approximately £4,000-£5,500 per square…

original eco It’s been 25 years since Francesca’s Paints became one of the very first British brands to offer sustainable paints, and the collections have simply gone from strength to strength. One of the most popular eco-friendly products is the highly sustainable Limewash (plastic-free with zero VOCs) and it creates an on-trend, mottled effect. Another of our favourites is the water-based, wipeable and breathable eco emulsion which, as well as being solvent-free, even has a delightful citrus fragrance. What more could you - or the planet - ask for? Wall in Moss eco emulsion (Tenth collection), from £27 for 1ltr, francescaspaint.com love your leftovers London-based fashion brand Phoebe Grace has found a creative way to make the most of its unique print designs. A new collection of seven cushions has…

smart home Exercise is about routine, and forming some simple habits can transform your regime. There are several easy changes you can make while going about your home and work, and it needn’t be a massive overhaul or time commitment. 1 For my clients, the hardest part about staying fit is working out at home, where it can be difficult to make the time for it. But there are some easy wins that only take a few minutes. I tell my clients to start their day with something like 50 squats or 10 press-ups – in whatever way works with their fitness level (for example, you could do press-ups with your knees on the floor). Doing exercise on waking needs to become a habit, like your morning coffee. 2 When…

I grew up in Australia and although I’ve lived overseas for many years, I still consider it home. As it’s been inaccessible for the past couple of years, I’ve surrounded myself with little things that keep me firmly rooted there: shells, pieces of soft, sculptural glass collected from a beach walk, paintings by artist friends, a marble table that sits in the garden (and came from the garden of my childhood home). And, of course, there’s always Vegemite in the fridge! I wanted my house to feel like a house from home, so it has a distinctly Australian vibe. It is bright, light and white throughout – except my bedroom which is quite colourful. And it is super relaxing, which is very important to me because I’m someone who needs a…