Innehållsförteckning för August 2024 från Living Etc

It’s officially sunlounger month and I’m hoping you have nothing more taxing on your to-do list than choosing between a nap and another cocktail. Traditionally, this is the month I use to idly plan the rest of the year, thinking of the projects in my work and home life that I’ll turn to once the weather cools. And having finally – finally! – finished my bathroom renovation, perhaps I’ll start contemplating (how I might possibly be able to afford) an orangery… My bathroom project was fraught. It ended up being completed over ten weeks later than planned, a big delay for a relatively small space. Supplier delays, tradespeople dramas – you name it, I went through it. So if you have a renovation of your own coming up, let me…

There’s something about the combination of limestone and terracotta paving in this shot from Artisans of Devizes that instantly whisks us away to the Med – the wash of sunshine helps too, of course. The set-up is part of its new-season launch, which includes five creamy limestones in seasoned and tumbled finishes that are perfect for use indoors and out (because you know linking the two makes for a more spacious-feeling home). The terracotta tiles are another new addition to the collection. We’re so ready to bring a bit of this holiday spirit into our own gardens this summer.…

gwyneth Paltrow has one. The iconic interior designer Brigette Romanek has one (having first installed the one in Gwyneth’s before wanting one herself). Beyoncé sat in a Lee Broom one for a music video. We’re talking swings, and swinging is back with a vengeance not seen since its 1970s heyday, except this time it’s a design trend, not a lifestyle one. Designers have been adding indoor swings into projects with increasing regularity, and they’ve been spotted hanging out in some of the most beautiful new homes of the year. Why? Quite simply, because they’re fun, a joyous addition that can lift your spirits as they lift you off the floor. ‘They help you to relax,’ says Brigette. ‘They put a smile on your face. To me, they’re another form of…

GARDEN ROOM ‘The table is a sculptural ceramic, blurring the line between form and function,’ says Thomas. ‘We designed the shelves at Framework with a blacksmith who made them in hand-beaten stainless-steel to contrast with the original beams.’ ‘We decided to create this house purely to suit us,’ says designer Thomas Geerlings of his 17th-century canal-side home in Amsterdam. I didn’t want to think about its future value, nor whether it would be trending on Instagram – it was just about what we loved and what we needed.’ His wife Danielle, who runs a fashion agency, was totally in step with this vision. ‘In fact, she was the main inspiration – she wanted a home that was outspoken and flamboyant, not all good taste, tone-on-tone colours,’ he adds. Thomas’ skill…

BALCONY ‘This terrace has been kept entirely in its original state, with the terrazzo flooring inspiring the colour scheme of the furniture,’ says owner and designer France. DINING AREA ‘We wanted to create something rather minimalist with rounded, comfortable shapes,’ says France. The chandelier is a creation of a local artist. Covered in plaster, it truly captures the spirit of old Provence.’ KITCHEN ‘To integrate the cook space seamlessly into the main living area, we used the same walnut timber that we used for the library section and the same Calacatta Viola marble as the fireplace,’ says France. Can a hallway ever really be truly ‘compelling’, something that stops you in your tracks and pulls you onwards? French interior design duo Bleu Gris – aka France Bittel and Olivier Chanard…

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EXPENSIVE TASTE A dark white backdrop allows warmer washes of beige and brown to stand out in this London apartment by Elicyon. The aim, says founder and director Charu Gandhi, was to ensure that ‘the quality of the spaces speak for themselves’ – something that this particular shade of white can deliver well, thanks to its ability to make spaces feel more expensive. LIGHT AND SHADOW This airy dining room showcases the duality of dark white. As the light shines into the space, areas of white feel crisp and bright; elsewhere, they feel softer and serene. ‘Balanced layers of colour are key at the moment, so bright white trim is less in favour; use a white that is complementary to your wall colour, or indeed a “darker” white on the…

MAKE A SPLASH With design names including Henry Holland, Camille Walala and 2LG on the roster, is it any wonder that 10x10, the new series by east London rug dealer Floor_Story, is an explosion of colour? Celebrating a decade of collaborating with talent from the world of art, craft, print, fashion and, of course, interiors, the collection is a design event in itself. It’s also just really fun. Keep an eye out for Kangan Arora’s bold geometrics and Diane Bresson’s playful abstracts – these pieces were meant to inject your home with vibrancy and dynamism. WHERE TO FIND AMAZING ACCENT TABLES, THE HOT PIECES ARRIVING FROM AMERICA, OUTDOOR POOL IDEAS, MODERN MARQUETRY AND MORE…

Thanks to the characteristically up-and-down nature of British summer weather, a swimming pool isn’t necessarily at the top of most people’s project wish lists – until, that is, we visit a hotel or rent a private villa abroad and realise what we’re missing. An outdoor pool can be a beautiful addition to a garden landscape and a design feature in its own right. ‘A swimming pool provides a dynamic aesthetic feature to a home and surrounding landscape,’ says Luke Carter, director of Sydney and Canberra architectural practice Sandbox Studio. ‘Pools allow for a multitude of possibilities,’ says Hillary Littlejohn, principal of her eponymous design studio in Dallas, Texas. ‘They can become focal points or supporting actors positioned as water features with swimming capability. A pool often grounds a large expansive…

A STEP AHEAD Interior designer Amy Adams of No Ordinary Space has come up with an ingenious way to stop the water sloshing that is the bane of most wetroom owners, while not ruining the flow of her beautiful bathroom projects – and that’s to double down on the use of tiles. Making a feature out of the step between the shower space and main floor area by cladding it in the same ridged surface as the walls, this subtle demarcation is a considered and beautiful solution. SUMMER PROJECTS INSPIRATION – SMART KITCHEN AND BATHROOM BUYS, FAB FLOORING, EXCELLENT EXTENSIONS AND OTHER ARCHITECTURE NEWS…

DORNBRACHT The concept of a spa bathroom is gaining traction in interiors – after all, who wouldn’t want one of their own? Furthering the cause is Dornbracht, which launched the Aquahalo sculptural experience shower at Milan in April. Designed with reference to crystal chandeliers, it features three flow modes, including a spot for light and water integrated into the ceiling. It aims to deliver a meditative and invigorating experience within the comfort of your own bathroom – and having seen it in person, we can confirm it’s definitely one of the most beautiful showers we’ve laid eyes on.…

FULL SWEEP With its sweeping roofline spanning the length of the structure, Brown Hill House in Victoria, Australia, is a truly elegant piece of architectural design. Architects Eldridge Anderson planned the structure to echo the natural way that the site falls away; stepped floor-to-ceiling windows all the way along maintain this shape while allowing a generous amount of light to flood the interior. ATTENTION TO DETAIL The devil really is in the detail in the renovation of this Federation house in Tasmania. Local studio Licht Architecture drew inspiration from the archways of the existing veranda in designing a new addition to replace a lean-to. We love the way the facade references the decorative details of Federation architecture in a suitably contemporary way – an example of how old and new…

ALL GREEK TO US We’re taking you for a spin through some of our favourite Greek stays in our travel pages this month, but if you can’t make it to the sunnier climes of Corfu or Santorini, may we recommend Gaia, the hottest Greek restaurant in London? Located on Mayfair’s Dover Street, the interiors more than nod to the quintessential Mediterranean look; windows are lined with ceramic and terracotta pots and vases, sections of the dining area divided with domed arches and the bar is finished with hand-tiled mosaic flooring. The fish counter display hints at what’s to come from the menu: seafood is plentiful here, as are traditional meze dishes such as taramasalata and smoked cod roe. Start (and finish) with one of the herbaceous cocktails – close your…

ME TIME There is a trend in interiors at the moment towards solo spaces – niches and furniture pieces carved out for one person to enjoy, but luxuriously, with more space to stretch out than a standard armchair or daybed can offer. Ethimo taps into this desire for retreat with Hut, which it describes as ‘a nest on a human scale’ – a cushioned seat surrounded with Accoya wood slats that provide enough privacy without being too antisocial and allows you to stay connected to the outdoors while giving you a sense of shelter. Of course, you could curl up here with a loved one for socialising on a more intimate scale – but why share when you could have this all to yourself? DESIGN IS HAVING FUN – FROM…

LINDA BORONKAY You know, room dividers have been on my mind a lot recently. We’re working on a project where I’m using one less to zone a space, more as a piece of art – it’ll be the backdrop to the sofa in the living room. I’m thinking of it as a 3D piece of art that adds an extra layer to the look and feel of the space. PIP RICH And unlike a piece of wall art, which tends to stay fixed once it is up, I suppose it’s really easy to move around, allowing you to play with the space a little more? LB Exactly. My mum has a vintage collection of screens, and we had them behind the TV, in the corner, not working as you’d expect…

EXTERIOR The gardens surrounding the farmhouse create a dialogue with the natural landscape beyond, anchoring the building in the local countryside. DINING SPACE ‘Breakfast at Son Blanc Farmhouse is laid-back and homely,’ says owner Benedicta Linares Pearce. ‘Guests can get chatty around this walnut wood-topped table made by a local carpenter.’ menorca’s autochthonous limestone, known as marés, is a beautiful natural material that varies in colour between ochre and white and is seen everywhere on the island – from the ancient structures left behind by the Talayotic culture to everyday farm buildings. When Benedicta Linares Pearce and Benoît Pellegrini acquired this abandoned rural property, they knew that its renovation would require sensitivity in terms of preserving the marés stone and also in bringing this beautiful old house into the 21st…

FARA WAY FABRICS The nomadic lifestyle provided inspiration for Fischbacher 1819’s collection presented at Paris Déco Off earlier this year – and it feels just right for summer. The fabrics (and wallpapers) that make up Nomadic Journeys take their cues from global sources – Qashqai, for example, pays tribute to the rich textile tradition of the nomadic community from which it gets its name. The brand describes the collection as ‘[telling] stories of freedom and journeys to remote places’, and that’s the kind of vibe we can get behind – we love the basket-weave pattern and powdery blue palette of Quipu, pictured here. WHY WE LOVE ‘DARK WHITE’, AN ARCHITECT’S GUIDE TO USING COLOUR LIKE A PRO, PLUS CREATIVE CEILINGS AND LIVING SPACES…

1 ALL THAT GLITTERS For the maximalist or the unconventional, ceiling wallpaper is the next frontier. First, it offers extra surface area to play with – why should walls be the limit? Second, it’s unexpected, almost undetectable upon entering a room. For her bathroom in the Kips Bay Decorator Show House in New York this year, interior designer Vanessa Deleon used a gold wallcovering with multilayered metallic leafing by Phillip Jeffries on the ceiling: it offers a reflective contrast to the dramatic emerald walls and draws the brass fixtures from Kohler into the space. 2 TOUCH-ME TEXTURE Look to wallpaper to deliver texture to your ceiling – be it the layered metallics shown on the left or, in the case of Jeremiah Brent’s room for Kips Bay, the soft, soothing…

PROANTIC A platform with a beautiful array of dealers, Proantic is a dream for antique furniture. I love to source from them as I find mixing modern and vintage pieces a great combination for any space. An 18th-century accent table with a modern Italian sofa can do wonders for a living room. INVISIBLE COLLECTION This is my all-time favourite company to source from. The furniture is of incredible variety and quality. The showrooms change regularly and champion different designers. Accent tables are a fun item to look for, and you can find everything from lacquer to wood, bronze to ceramic or glass. My last purchase was a trio of tables with a blue resin top for a project in Athens. PROMEMORIA A staple in Italian design, you can never go…

CONSCIOUSLY CHIC Yarn Collective is a great example of a brand pioneering responsible design. Its new collection of textiles is made from materials selected for their renewable and biodegradable qualities, but the rich colour palette takes things to the next level. Think earthy olives, deep burnt reds and creamy neutrals. Throw in Iris linen satin in Olive, £166m; bolster cushion in Flock wool velvet in Olive, £284m, Yarn Collective SERVING LOOKS Set your alfresco table and style up those salads with our pick of the best new plates and serving platters. STYLISH STRIPES Loving String is fast gaining traction for its colourful cotton lampshades. So we wanted to spotlight one of its cheery pieces for when your home needs an injection of sun. Cozzie lampshade, from £65, Loving String KEEP…

FLOCK TO IT Word of Anthropologie’s latest tea towel drop is always cause for giddy excitement (we’re kitchen nerds and owning it). This season’s collab with LA-based print and textile designer Alexandra Farmer doesn’t disappoint. Part of a wider picnic-ware collection, this cheery 100% cotton number promises to bring summertime inside. The Flock tea towel, £22, Anthropologie PROTECT YOUR ASSETS Perfectionists, lean in: Rutland London has developed a clever coating that harnesses molecular technology to protect its metallic finishes, so they’ll stay box fresh for years to come. Shown here in Heritage Bronze, Protect+ is available on a wide range of metallic finishes including brass, nickel, copper and gold. Peabody heated towel rail, £3,882, Rutland London NAKED IN THE CITY Norfolk-based country mouse Naked Kitchens has ventured to the Big…

1 NATURAL WONDER The airy feel of this doorless shower in a bathroom for Studio Andrew Trotter’s Casolare Scarani project is enhanced by the curved architecture and plaster-like wall finish. Of course, creating a scheme like this requires a certain amount of room but the concept can work in smaller bathrooms. ‘In larger spaces, leveraging the expansive nature can create a luxurious spa-like retreat for bathing,’ says Severine Tatangelo, founder of Studio PCH. ‘Conversely, in smaller areas, doorless showers can augment the perception of openness and light.’ 2 TWO’S COMPANY ‘Doorless showers offer practicality across various settings, seamlessly integrating into diverse spaces ranging from compact studio apartments to expansive en-suite bathrooms,’ says Severine Tatangelo. ‘Embracing minimalism and a contemporary aesthetic with clean lines, they lend an air of sophistication. In…

SMOOTH TRANSITIONS London-based interior designer Pernille Lind advocates using flooring to emphasise a hallway’s function and position in the house, marking it out as a space of its own. ‘You can choose to combine subtly contrasting flooring materials to highlight moving from the hall to a connecting space, or use the same material but change the pattern or direction in which it’s laid,’ says the designer, who, in her elegant seaside project, transitioned the soft-hued chequerboard entrance hall into a neighbouring boot room by removing one of the tile colours for a simpler aesthetic. MATERIAL MATTERS Sophie Rowell of Côte de Folk, an interior design studio on the Kent coast, recommends cork as an ideal floor covering for hallways. ‘I use it a lot in my projects; it’s sustainable, durable…

Nobu Hotel Santorini THE USP Luxury in the middle of an idyll, where Japanese fusion food, astrology-based massages (personalised to suit your star sign) and fiery sunsets are all on the menu of the day. THE DETAILS Perched on the northeast tip of the island, Nobu Hotel Santorini is a slice of peaceful island life. The sunloungers face the ocean with a view that tumbles away down the hill between you and the sea – a scene that could only exist in this paradise. WHY CHOOSE THIS ONE If you thought Japandi was a good look, you’ll love Aegeandi, the mix of pared-back Greek architecture with equally blissful Japanese materials. The world-famous cocktails will make sundown your favourite moment, and kids are only welcome if aged over 14. DON’T MISS…

COLOURFUL STORIES ‘I first came across Ana’s work on Instagram five years ago as I was looking for artists to feature in our online shop. I immediately loved her sense of colour and rhythm and there is a feeling of freedom to her work that made me happy. I often get the sense that I want to leap into her paintings and attend the parties and places and meet the people she paints. It feels like there is a strong narrative behind each piece and I can easily make up stories about the characters and relationships within them as there is a whimsicality and dream-like quality that really draws me in. ‘She was a featured artist in our online store for several years and we have incorporated her work into…

for Salone del Mobile in April, B&B Italia described its presentation as an ‘anthology’ that, in part, revisited the brand’s historic collections while also launching new pieces, including those pictured on this page. We spoke to CEO Demetrio Apolloni (right) to find out more. With your recent show in mind, why is it important to look back – as well as forwards – at design? The title of B&B Italia’s presentation was The Collection. Our goal was to trace the path of the brand’s designs, including the heritage made up of records, innovation and projects that have often revolutionised the concept of living. Alongside new products, we displayed some of the most distinctive creations. Are there any past pieces that you think particularly represent a moment of change in how…

DEFINING MOMENT In Louisville, Kentucky’s Hotel Genevieve, designed by Bunkhouse and Rohe Creative, the scallop edges of the sheer curtains are outlined by a dark border to add definition to the window dressing. It’s a subtle approach to this use of the pattern, adding a delicate hint of playfulness to the room without drawing focus from the other shapes. FRILL SEEKER Added to curtains, the gentle undulating frill of a scallop trim gives modern window treatments a hint of whimsy. In this space by Sydney studio Arent&Pyke, an opaque red trim adds contrast to the sheer neutral curtains, helping to soften the harder materials of the architecture – and drawing on the other red accents in the room. SHAPE UP Kemble Interiors went all-out on the scallop detailing for this…

FANCY THAT The August issue is one of our favourites for which to pick out houses because, with any luck, it’s the one you’ll be reading poolside somewhere sunny and warm. That means escapism is very much the order of the day – and on that, we can deliver. Still, we want the homes we feature to have real-world inspiration, too – ideas that you can pull out and add to your own mood board. In this new-build modernist bungalow on page 64, the burgundy-hued window frames do just that, delivering a dose of colour to the inside and outside, adding a ton of wonderful character and making the natural surroundings pop. This is the kind of daring we need to push us out of our own project comfort zones.…

It’s the artwork that propels this room into the realm of dictionary-definition ‘colourful’. The blocky, abstract jigsaw of form (a commission by John Goodison) is the dining space’s centrepiece, the tonal, almost-bright, hues linking and pulling together the other colours on its periphery and neatly sewing the scheme together. It establishes a balanced triangle of concentrated boldness with itself, the blue-teal-navy kitchen (Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s Azurite) and the rich red Wishbone chairs. As well as exploring new shades – lime, ochre, orange, all of the blues – the art’s shapes include soothing neutral tones that nod to the room’s natural elements, amping things up and packing a punch while smoothly slotting in like the final piece of the puzzle. So, let’s start at the beginning. Picture it empty, a sea…

1 BRIGHT SPOT While natural and neutral palettes still have a hold on the market, splashes of colour were all the more exhilarating to spot. One of the brightest launches was a playful collaboration between New York designer Sasha Bikoff and Abner Henry, an Amish furniture company based in Ohio. The Darius armoire was a personal favourite with its two-tone cerused wood front and colourful interior like a box of Crayolas. The best part? The collection is customisable – every piece can change size, colour and finish. They’re calling it functional art; I’m calling it a whole lot of fun. 2 STONE AGE It was hard to miss the sheer amount of lighting incorporating stone throughout High Point Market this year–especially illuminated stone, which can emit an almost ethereal glow.…

CARL FOX Abstract marquetry artist Carl Fox finds himself in a creative sweet spot. Not only does he love his craft, he is pushing the boundaries in what is arguably unventured artistic and design territory. ‘I don’t know many people who do what I do,’ he says. ‘My work combines leather and wood marquetry and parquetry on the same boards, so I’ve had to develop my own processes to be able to bring the two materials together.’ From first picking up leathercraft in 2020, Carl was swiftly recognised and awarded a studio space by The Leathersellers and Cockpit studios a year later, and was the recipient of the 2023 QEST Carpenters’ Company Scholarship, which allowed him to train with experts from the world of woodwork. His inspiration stems from modernist…

There is a perfectly plain reason to customise your vanity area: it is often the focal point of modern bathrooms, whether you like it or not. From countertops to sinks and cabinetry (not to forget a bathroom mirror), the amount of details concentrated in one space can create an altogether eye-catching design moment. ‘It’s worth using the excuse to create something beautiful, and there are endless possibilities in combining elements that must exist next to each other to create a functional bathroom interior, and which can be composed to create a unique combination of textures, shapes and solids,’ says designer Katarzyna Baumiller. Designers flex dramatic materials like marble to craft sculptural bathroom sinks in fascinating shapes and colours, or bespoke bathroom storage ideas that maximise space and usher in textural…