Innehållsförteckning för July 2024 från Living Etc

I’m writing this having just got back from Salone del Mobile in Milan, the annual event where all the biggest trends begin. And of all the new designs and ideas I saw, I particularly loved the emergence of burnt orange, the rise of the cocktail lounge and the return of chenille (I know, I was shocked too). But the biggest trend seemed to be the smiles on people’s faces. There was a joie de vivre (or should that be gioia di vivere?) and delight at how uplifting design can be. Whether it was the supersized balloons wedged into windows at the historic Alcova location or the serotonin-inducing sparkle of the new fabrics developed at Edra, delight seemed to be everywhere. It was design making people happy, which is what good…

NATURAL NUANCE Stones like granite and marble bring their own quiet pattern through veining, so they make a great choice for kitchens and bathrooms that embrace Playfulism. Parisian architectural designer Hugo Toro combines a golden Breccia Siena marble bath with a pink travertine table from his collection Amanecer. IN THE MIX There’s more than a touch of nouveau boho about Playfulism – it’s the curved furniture, the natural textures and, of course, the pattern clash. It’s a soft maximalism that benefits from subtle, small-scale prints rather than oversized murals: for this room, Amsterdam interior design studio Atelier ND Interior mixed understated textiles with a faded look and handcrafted feel. ON THE TILES Tiles are as important as wallpaper in bringing pattern to walls in Playfulist schemes: one of their benefits…

Colour, for me, is a very emotional, instinctive thing. Most of my palettes are custom created: I have a painting degree, so colour and paint as a material are things that I address in the very beginning stages of a project. Rather than working from a paint book, I tend to mix my own colours with gouache, a high-mineral paint I’ve been working with since college: it’s very opaque and there’s a lot of pigment in it. I love playing around and mixing colours I’ve seen in movies and paintings to inform my palette for a project. Doing this means I can create something really custom rather than something that’s trend based: it’s a journey based on instinct and individuality. I watch films and source artwork before I even look…

Textiles are at the very heart of this playful way of decorating, thanks to their ability to integrate pattern and colour into a scheme in a softened way – and, of course, we’re looking to A Rum Fellow to get our fix. The brand’s Irma collection of handwoven brocade textiles incorporates the pinks, blues and earthy tones that are fundamental to this look – and takes inspiration from organic forms, recreating them stitch by stitch. These designs look as good framed as artwork as they do used on upholstery – it’s a collection that encourages thinking outside the box.…

SIT DOWN The Wave chair takes a team of expert welders to construct the elegant lines and refined form. The final outcome is something that’s more akin to a piece of sculpture than a practical perch (although it very much delivers on the latter, too). Wave chair in Black, £860, Rachel Donath 1 BE BOLD What better way to bring a sense of bright modernism to the scheme than with an Amechi rug? Splash rug, from £1,420, Amechi Mandi x Floor_Story 2 PINK GLOW Add a pop of pastel pink with this contemporary and curvaceous artisan free-blown glass pendant light. It’s a work of art. Single Crest Tassel pendant, £2,650, Curiousa 3 GO ROUND Craftsmanship is a keystone theme here, so Ralph Pucci’s latest collection fits right in. Scarp dining…

FULL OF LIFE We’ve long been admirers of Tamara Kaye-Honey, the founder of Montecito and Pasadena interior design studio House of Honey – she’s created a female collective of interior designers whose work is authentic, fun, never boring. Just take the many elements of surprise in this space – the two-tone sofa, the brazen rose-gold coffee table, the pop of pink in the parasol outside. The entire property is an ode to the joy of design – turn to page 92 to see more.…

LIVING AREA ‘The mood here is bright and conversational, with concrete ‘benches’ (left) that wrap around the room for seating,’ says the architect Madeleine. DINING AREA The courtyards provide green vistas and the wide openings encourage the family to wander in and out. Set on a street that is regularly thronged with people heading down to Gordon’s Bay beach, the first challenge with this house was to create a sense of seclusion. So, instead of a straight path from pavement to front door, tumbled limestone pavers are arranged, stepping-stone style, to meander among lush tropical planting. The effect is to slow the pace, engage the senses and create a sense of disconnect from the hectic world outside. ‘Seclusion, surprise and transparency are all at play before you even step inside,’…

LIVING AREA ‘I designed the walls as a warm counterpoint to the original flagstone floor,’ says designer Nicole. DINING AREA Custom seating creates room for a crowd around the table, as well as a peaceful window reading nook. Self-taught interior designer Nicole Dohmen, founder of Amsterdam-based design studio and shop, Atelier ND Interior, has become known for her personality-filled style, where vibrant colours seamlessly blend with graphic prints. Those seeking a peaceful sanctuary that’s also characterful really couldn’t find a better fit than Nicole – and Claudette Halkes realised that from the get-go. Claudette, who is co-owner of boutique publishing house Snor, had sought someone with artistic flair to curate her new home in the heart of Utrecht – and Nicole’s distinctive design language completely resonated with her. As Nicole…

Hello yellow! There’s not a lot of it, but this space by French interior design agency Claude Cartier Décoration is proof that sometimes all you need is a sprinkling of something bold and bright for mega impact. It’s all about cleverly balancing it. The striped ceiling presides over everything in this playful bedroom. A minimalist celebration of the sun’s rays, the bands of purest yellow and crispest white almost order – traffic-sign-like – the space to cheer up to the maximum joy factor. ‘Yellow must arrive on the side lines, otherwise it can become counter-intuitive,’ explains the room’s creator Claude Cartier. ‘It symbolises warmth and sunshine – I like to pair it with geometric shapes for contrast and an element of surprise.’ Forming a delicious design sandwich with the floor, the…

UNSUNG HERO Davey Lighting is the quiet star of the illumination world. Its UK-made designs aren’t showy or scene stealers. Instead it creates timeless classics that we find ourselves turning to again and again. Deceptively simple pieces that are perfect for brightening that dark corner you’ve been trying to figure out or welcoming you into a hall. The finishes are weathered to perfection or glazed in such a way they seem to gleam even when not switched on. A reliably brilliant place to source that’s less light bulb moments, more enduring design.…

SHAPE OF THINGS Is it us or are sculptural baths having a thing right now? And ahead of the curve, of course, is BC Designs, with the launch of Gio – a minimalist and contemporary egg-shaped design that sits off-centre on its base and feels like an open invitation to dive in and relax. Generous proportions, ergonomic curves and a rimless design all mean maximum comfort – but we’re just as interested in the ‘visual rhythm’ this bath’s soft contours bring to a space.…

When you’re looking for drama, few architectural features pack more punch than a vaulted ceiling. But one variation on the centuries-old concept in particular ushers in the soft arches and curves we often crave in contemporary homes: the barrel vault. In historic spaces, barrel vaults were often used for their ability to distribute weight across expansive rooms (without excess columns or supporting walls). But today, when an interior architect installs a barrel-vaulted ceiling in a residential space (or restores an existing one), the vaults are mostly there for decorative and dramatic effect. ‘Brick or terracotta vaults were often used as the structural system in warehouses (like the cast iron buildings in NYC’s Soho), so they can evoke a 19th-century industrial atmosphere,’ says NYC’s Frederick Tang, principal at Frederick Tang Architecture.…

CREATIVE THINKING Sometimes, it’s the workarounds that make a project stand out. In a recent redesign, Lauren McGrady of Chicago’s Rider For Life studio created a budget-conscious cloakroom that’s packed with luxurious touches and clever tricks, such as the walnut vanity (left), which is sealed in matte varnish to make it impervious to water. ‘We fell in love with the vessel basin and wanted to use the same taps that we chose for the main bathroom, but the wall-mounted version was much more costly,’ she recalls. Her solution was to make a walnut cylinder to raise up the tap. ‘We then added extensions so we could position the handles on the front of the vanity.’ WHAT LIES BENEATH If you’ve decided on a wall-hung design or a countertop basin with…

SHAPE SHIFTER One of the basic premises of surrealism is to subvert traditional forms. Here, this striking chair plays with scale and convention. EXCITING THE EYE The interplay between classic lines and free-form shapes delivers a visual feast. STATE OF PLAY Interesting interior spaces challenge norms and expectations, and in doing so transform the recognisable into the unfamiliar. THE EDGE OF DESIGN What should homes really look like? Today’s best spaces play with lines and shapes to great effect. Surrealist pioneer André Breton said, ‘The mere word “freedom” is the only one that still excites me’. OUT OF THE ORDINARY Reach beyond the rational with unusual objects and compositions. In contemporary interiors, even something as simple as a clever mix of vintage and new furniture can start this conversation. FINE…

Successful interiors merge the rough with the refined, polished with raw, and matt with sheen elements. Similarly, colourful spaces also need moments of respite, so neutral shades with strong pops are my go-to. I’m drawn to extreme or unlikely pairings, like velvets with woven straws. As much as I love coloured natural stone, I feel marble especially has somewhat saturated kitchens in recent years. I’ve pared back its use to glorify its beauty again, like for a floating vanity in a bathroom. We’ve been crafting some spectacular oversized marble door pulls and adding custom lazy Susans with energising tonal patterns to circular timber tables. Both are a great way to utilise marble offcuts as opposed to committing to purchasing entire slabs and finding purposes for them through the home, which…

KNOCK ON WOOD To create her wonderful ‘woodsculpture’, Danish multidisciplinary artist Tilde Grynnerup assembles hand-carved wooden sections into exciting abstract forms. Position one as a standout feature or group multiple works together to make a gallery-style setting to add pizzazz to any room. Prices on request, Tilde Grynnerup architectural forms Since embarking on her first solo show in 2016, UK artist Emily Forgot has become renowned for her creations. Her wooden Assemblages are bringing joy to interiors across the world as well as featuring in the V&A and Somerset House. This single-colour, stained plywood design is called Build. £520, Emily Forgot FLOWER POWER Textile artist Elodie Blanchard brings new life to unconventional materials. This piece, Bouquet 5 – a collage made from remnants of fabric, plastic bags, foil balloons and packaging…

we are, perhaps quite understandably, a bit wary of an interiors trend that surfaces from social media. However, there’s a recent export from TikTok that seems like it may be impossible to ignore in the design landscape. You may have already heard of the ‘unexpected red theory’ – a term coined by TikTok user Taylor Simon to describe the concept that a seemingly random injection of red into a room will make it look more elevated. It’s not an entirely new concept, but it seems to have coincided with a mood in design to which it lends itself very well. Red was an unlikely hero of Milan Design Week, from the dark burgundy of the Rosso Levanto marble in the hero pieces of a number of brand showings, to a…

LIVING AREA ‘Given this corner is exposed to ample light, the teal curtains cool it, as do the black mosaic tiles,’ says designer Yasmine. LIVING AREA The toffee-coloured plaster ceiling has a wonderful mottled velvet finish. ‘We’ve created spaces with tranquil tonal intensity,’ says Yasmine. KITCHEN ‘The island that glitters like a black diamond acts as a partition yet maintains open sightlines and conversations towards the dining and lounge areas,’ says Yasmine. yasmine Ghoniem of YSG design studio is not afraid to turn convention on its head. In lesser hands, choosing glass bricks or crazy paving could be a cause for concern for those who remember them as signifiers of suburban 1960s and 1970s design, but Yasmine’s skill set is in using such materials in a way that makes them…

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GLASSETTE I love collecting glassware – I think on a summer table, what you’re drinking from is really important. I love the glassware Laura Jackson has created for Glassette – as a collection, they’re such well-sized pieces. REBECCA PROCTOR Rebecca is a potter down in Cornwall who does interesting things with colour and glazes: her pots are pink and off-shades of beige and brown. They feel like little paintings in themselves. I love her vivid pink rhubarb glaze – I have a couple of bowls in this finish that are perfect for a summer table. PIP HARTLE I have really nice salad bowls from a potter local to me called Pip Hartle. I’ve been lucky enough to go and see her studio. Her stuff is really good for family –…

LIGHT IT UP Our very own colour expert Amy Moorea Wong has designed Dusk, a limited-edition collection of table lamps for Heathfield & Co. Inspired by a sunset palette, it includes hand-painted matt ceramic bases in five colourways, which you can mix and match with two-tone lampshades in contrasting colours – the perfect mood-booster for any home. Dusk table lamp, £595, Amy Moorea Wong for Heathfield & Co CHEERS! Pretty glassware is a summer must-have, and these hand-blown wine glasses from Nkuku’s high summer capsule collection are ticking all the boxes. Made with recycled glass and flecked with colour, they’ll look perfect on your alfresco dinner table. Taja wine glasses in Sea Blue, £45 for four, Nkuku DECOR ATIVE DETAIL Cotswolds-based designer Emma Diaz launched her environmentally conscious Westridge furniture…

HEAV Y METAL If you’re so over the handleless look that’s dominated kitchens for aeons, some hard-hitting hardware will show you mean business. Look no further than Joseph Giles’ new collab with Studio Indigo. Like tiny, sculptural works of art for your cabinets, the Tiro Collection’s handcast organic shapes will elevate any kitchen style, not to mention your mood. They are crafted from solid brass or bronze in 10 finishes and multiple shapes and sizes. We predict a sell-out. Tiro cabinet pulls, £95.66 each, Joseph Giles SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED It’s six o’clock somewhere, right? Bring cocktail hour closer to the kitchen with L’Ottocento’s Dioniso standalone cabinet in this year’s hottest hue, brick red. Created in collaboration with Italian design force makethatstudio, this shapely module is beautiful inside and out. Its…

GREEN WALL Deep green metro tiles are a throwback to the old pubs of Melbourne in this weatherboard house, extended by Circle Studio Architects. A play on the idea of a ‘green wall’, they move and change with the light and act as a contrast to the red brick of the neighbouring properties, as well as the warm timber cladding that follows the curve of the wall. BACK TO NATURE We’re very taken by the combination of uniform square tiles and green pigmented concrete in this project in Dilbeek, Belgium, by architectural practice Madam. It’s a good example of using tiles in a climate and landscape much closer to that of the UK, creating a connection with the greenery of the garden; at the same time, the tiles help to…

HOME HACKS Journalist and DIY supremo Katherine Ormerod is impressive to watch (on her social media). The things she knows how to do – from sticking adhesive tiles to a powder room floor (and elevating it from zero to hero space in the process) to entirely re-plumbing a new kitchen sink unit – are the skills that, frankly, we should all have. Her new book, Your Not Forever Home (£24, Quadrille), is bursting with decor ideas that are written for rental spaces but can of course be tried by anyone, ranging from simply uplifting your dining style to making and fitting skylight curtains that will change the light, feel and mood. A must for projects big and small.…

SIGNATURE STYLE Laura Gonzalez is, in many ways, a trailblazer of Playfulism. Her work is vibrant, often whimsical, often a celebration of pattern and texture. Her Rainbow table showcases the beauty of marquetry; her Mawu chair inspires brands and designers to create lookalikes. So, of course, we had to spotlight her in this issue, with a focus on her work decorating Hotel Hana, a Parisian hotel opened in February and bearing all of the hallmarks of Laura’s work, with a Japanese twist. Next up, she’s designed a series of suites for Hotel Byblos in Saint-Tropez – keep an eye out for your preview in an upcoming issue.…

The reintroduction of the curved sofa opened the floodgates to playful furniture shapes. Curved pieces have come in and out of style since the art deco era – but what people have done [now] is make curved seating more playful. That’s because we now have a better understanding of materiality, of how to frame a sofa like that. New materials have led to a new generation of furniture-makers, like Virgil Abloh, pushing the boundaries: they’re taking historical designs and riffing on them, reinterpreting the classics. The way people live has also changed. Formality has gone out the window and so we’re apt to move into a new direction in how we think about seating, in particular – it can be a bit more interesting looking. I always balance engaging shapes…

NEW WAVE You’ll be spending more time in front of the mirror with this curvy design by London-based marquetry expert Kim Jordan. Having honed his specialist skills in prestigious Parisian workshops, he is bringing a playfulness to his creations through unique colour combinations and unconventional shapes. This mirror is part of a collaborative series with Fortnum & Mason, which includes other accessories such as tissue boxes and trays. £495, Kim Jordan FULL CIRCLE Blending age-old craft techniques with modern appeal, the Nusa coffee table by Dooq is a sleek and sophisticated choice. The juxtaposition of its circular form and angular marquetry featuring two distinctive woods brings the design to life and allows the beauty of the natural materials to shine. Handcrafted in Portugal, this piece is part of a wider…

tai Ping, creator of beautiful hand-knotted rugs, is having a busy year. Between the opening of its new London showroom on Fulham Road and a series of exciting launches previewed at Milan, the brand has managed to collaborate with Callidus Guild, the New York-based maker of hand-painted wallcoverings, on a collection of rugs that look and feel like fine art. We spoke to global design and brand director Juliana Polastri to find out more. Let’s talk about your collaboration with Callidus Guild – what was it like combining your two worlds? When we approach collaborators, we want them to work in a different field to us because they don’t see fibre as their ‘normal’ medium – that’s where things become interesting. We were able to visit Callidus Guild’s studio and see…

PIP RICH OK, tell me why you love waves so much – they’re in every project you do and almost every room! LIA McNAIRY They really are! We’re motivated by what doesn’t fit into a box and waves just simply don’t. They create a fluidity of movement, they take a space out of the rigid mode of everything being on an angle. AZAR FATTAHI In California, we battle with new builds. The homes are all cookie cutter, rectangular – there’s a formula. We get hired to deconstruct that, to remove the rigidness, and the first thing we bring is waves and scallops. PR They’re such an important part of the Playfulism movement, and you’re the first people I can think of who really embraced them. AF Well, they create a curiosity,…

BREAKFAST AREA One of design studio Even Eleven’s style rules is to repeat patterns – such as the wavy motifs here – to make them purposeful and coordinated. KITCHEN ‘The cabinets are made from liquid metal, which is quite a new product – the carpenter came up with the idea,’ says Pieter. ‘It’s like a brass colour and when you paint it on it’s very shiny, but you buff it to create the pattern and level of shine you want. We wanted it to look like aged brass, complementing the mirror above the sink.’ DINING ROOM ‘This flows into the kitchen yet stands out as a separate space,’ says Michelle. ‘We achieved this by playing with colours, adding textured wallpaper and laying the floor in a unique pattern.’ when a…

ALL THE TRIMMINGS There is no area better suited to a maximalist frame of mind than trimming – more really is more here. Samuel & Sons has been paving the way for creative new applications for passementerie from the get-go – and its new imagery demonstrates just how much fun a little experimentation can be. Do as the brand does here and use trim to highlight architectural details like dado rails, as well as adding fanciful moments to upholstery – and (look closer) picture frames, too.…

OLD MEETS NEW The heritage of this tapestry, which introduces extra texture to the living room and works perfectly with the patterns and high pile of the rug and cushion, is part of the charm for designer Alida Coury. ‘My mother, who is also a designer, had it in her home over the years and recently gifted it to me,’ Alida explains. ‘She found this particular piece at a garage sale in the Chicago suburbs for $25 in the 80s. I have a love of textiles and textures, so it is easy for me to implement a tapestry because it crosses over artwork in the form of fabric. The scenes are made of rich threads creating multidimensional tonality. In many of my client’s homes, and in my own space, I…

1 MODERN AMERICAN New York interior designer Billy Cotton has teamed up with West Elm for his first collaboration with the Brooklyn-based brand, and while he’s known for a penchant for pattern, the 25-piece collection is anything but. His goal was to create pieces that were perfectly simple, neutral and versatile, that could slip seamlessly into a range of styles – and while the collection is mostly monochrome, it’s the metallic pepper mills I’m putting on my wish list. On track with this year’s cool metallics trend, they’ll add visual weight to any dining table (and a bit of edge, too). 2 BRIGHT SPOT There are design enthusiasts who follow Apparatus’ movements like they follow the sun (I may or not be one of them), which makes it all the…

JACOB MARKS The idea of design sparked the imagination of Manchester-born Jacob Marks from an early age, leading him to work for London design studios Jones Neville and Gareth Neal, before graduating with a degree in furniture and product design from Kingston University in 2022. Since then, he’s been creating in his studio in Peckham. The main focus of Jacob’s work is material. ‘A core part of my philosophy is based around the environmental impact of objects, so I try to only work with natural materials,’ he explains. One of his most eye-catching projects to date is Explorations in Pine Resin, a series of vessels crafted from this widely undiscovered material. Jacob marries the material to the slip casting technique often employed by ceramicists. ‘Applied to the resin material, it…

DRUMMONDS You might know Drummonds for its range of timeless baths, showers and basins, but with the launch of its collaboration with interior designer Steven Gambrel, it’s also the go-to for bathroom hardware. This eight-piece collection of storage and accessories, from mirror to shelf, robe hook to towel bar, reflects the designer’s signature architectural style and the result is one of quiet grandeur. Choose from nine finishes: pictured is Antique Brass, which we adore set against a warm grey plastered wall – it’s luxury with a structured and softly industrial edge.…

BRICK BY BRICK For the extension of this Victorian home in west London, London based practice Charles Tashima Architecture turned to shaped bricks, using them to create a basket weave-style formation for a hit of graphic texture. ‘The inky black bricks bring a sense of depth,’ explain director Charles Tashima and project architect Daniel Lauand. ‘We drew our inspiration from the amazing studded facade of Lisbon’s 16th-century Casa dos Bicos, which catches the light beautifully.’ CONCRETE CAST London-based practice Bradley Van Der Straeten boldly metamorphosed the back of a north London Victorian terrace into a playful work of art with concrete. ‘Brutalist architecture was a real inspiration for this project, with the choice of concrete inspired by projects such as the Barbican with its interesting forms and textures, while the…

Saint-Raphaël, France IN A NUTSHELL A less-trodden corner of the French Riviera where you’ll find gorgeous beaches, a town centre with a daily market and fabulous hiking and biking opportunities in the Esterel Massif. WHY GO THERE Take in that famous azure blue coastline in a more low-key setting in Saint-Raphaël, located between Saint-Tropez and Cannes. The town features a daily produce and flower market plus a pretty little port. Top that off with luxe addresses, like the secluded Villa Mauresque (top) and its high-end restaurant Le Bougainvillier. WHERE TO STAY Les Roches Rouges (left and right) is a jewel in the crown of the Beaumier hotel collection, noted for its laid-back, cool approach to luxury. You’ll find mid-century design, a huge terrace overlooking the sea and Michelin-starred dining. DON’T…

CREATIVE EXPRESSION I took part in series three of BBC’s Interior Design Masters as a guest judge and I was particularly drawn to Fran as she had a great sense of style and a lively personality. Fran has all the traits of a great designer. She’s optimistic, energetic, organised and willing to get stuck in. She’s also a great painter and has a wonderfully expressive way of applying colour, pattern and texture. She doesn’t take herself too seriously either, which is another endearing quality! I recently designed the new Design Kitchen space at the Design Museum in London, and I asked Fran to assist me. She went above and beyond her role and ensured that every detail was checked and checked again. I loved bouncing ideas back and forth with…