Living Etc June 2021
Your life made easier - every day. Livingetc, Britain's best-selling modern homes magazine, is the premium glossy magazine for the design-conscious homeowner. Smart and stylish, it's the only homes title successfully to bridge the gap between fashion and interiors.
in this issue
happiness through design
One minute you were skipping along, living your best life, and the next minute you were home schooling your kids in trigonometry–and not understanding any of it – while fretting over vulnerable loved ones and dangling by a thread. And that’s if you were one of the lucky people who wasn’t on the front lines. Life became a mad scramble to find ways to survive, both mentally and physically. We binge-watched Call My Agent! and Bake Off. We knitted and nattered and needlepointed. We baked and bought exercise bikes and we scrolled through Instagram for hours with a dead expression on our faces. But we also did something else, something rather momentous and fabulous: we decorated our brains out! Overnight, your home became everything! Whether a garret or a mansion, it made…
everyone’s talking about…
1 RETRO BAKES The trend for ordering over-the-top cakes to celebrate absolutely anything has emerged as one delightful outcome of lockdown life. We’ve been coveting gloriously frilly retro cakes by independent online bakeries like @aprilsbakerlondon, pictured, and @coven_bakery. 2 LONDON’S NEW HOTEL Spring sees the most exciting hotel opening in London since The Ned. Designed by New York ‘starchitects’ Roman and Williams – responsible for Ace Hotel NY and New Orleans – NoMad is a 91-room hotel that draws inspiration from its storied building inside the historic former Bow Street Magistrates’ Court in Covent Garden. 3 THE WAVY SHADE This woven and wavy lampshade is a collaboration between the stylish @aconsideredspace and luxury brand Munro and Kerr – and has been an instant sell-out! New seasonal colourways are on pre-order. 4 CHEQUERED PAST The seductive big sister…
alexander girard
THE ARCHITECT AND DESIGNER WHO BROUGHT WARMTH TO THE MODERNIST MOVEMENT Described as a ‘healer of souls’ due to the sense of wellbeing his work elicited, Alexander Girard was one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. He worked alongside the greats, such as Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, and his take on pattern and print can still be seen in contemporary pieces by the likes of LRNCE and Sarah Sherman Samuel. Born in 1907 in New York, Girard’s work spanned the interior design of homes, restaurants, offices and aeroplanes, as well as furniture, graphics, typography and textiles. He had a fascination with folk art and gathered one of the world’s most important collections, subsequently bequeathing it to the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. Girard…
quelle surprise
just launched the joy of home
Nature’s bounty underpins the latest collection of prints, embroideries, weaves and papers from Jane Churchill. Taking its cue from classic pastoral scenes and the freshness of spring growth, the collection turns to the richness of the natural world for inspiration, with playful, handcrafted elements and small-scale designs complementing an overall feel of vibrant eclecticism. ‘Pretty pastels are gaining prominence,’ says design director Sarah MacGregor, ‘but, as with pattern, these colours are layered with more vibrant shades of ochre, red, dark green and cobalt blue.’ Signature decorative fabrics include densely patterned designs conjuring bold takes on the tree of life, combining brights with muted shades. Enriching these hand-blocked fabrics are intricate crewelwork and enticingly irregular geometrics. ‘We’re entering a period of celebrating a more-is-more approach to decorating homes,’ says Sarah. ‘Now…
design radar
1 UNDER COVER I can’t live without hats. This elegant bicolour piece is on my wish list for this season. Sand Capelan hat, €400, Eliurpi at Browns London 2 LIGHT UP This ceramic lamp reminds me of summer days with its straw ‘hat’ and bohemian base. Volta lamp, £525, A New Tribe 3 GLASS ART Coffee tables make or break a living room and while I’m usually cautious with glass tops this one is a spectacular design. Puddle table, £1,392, Pandora Taylor 4 BOWL OVER A recent discovery of mine is a lovely Scandi-inspired brand that sells all things home in an affordable price range. I particularly love its glazed kitchenware. Jules serving bowl, £42, Att Pynta 5 TABLE TALK I’ve got into tableware and linen a lot recently and I adore this Picasso-inspired embroidery detail. Pablo linen dining…
