Living Etc October 2019

It is a real pleasure to introduce this October issue. In the interiors world, this time of the year is a bit like Christmas (actually, it’s better!). It’s the season for a burst of inspiration, from new fabric and wallpaper collections to chic high-street buys to a wealth of top-end gorgeousness that filters over to our shores post-launch at Milan’s Salone del Mobile fair in April. London becomes alive with creative events, including design pop-ups, cool talks and immersive installations. We’ve wrapped features on all of this into the following pages. I hope you devour them with gusto. When editing this issue I noticed, perhaps more than ever before, a close parallel between the A/W catwalk and current interiors trends. There are three that resonate most particularly: 1) Statement shapes. In…

1 THE TUBE TfL’s iconic seat patterns, just relaunched as luxury upholstery velvets in Kirkby Design’s second Underground collection, are AW19’s ‘It’ buy. We’re applauding their potential to make you fall in love with the Central line again… 2 FURRY WALLS It’s sensory overload at hip hotel The Standard, London, not least because its flagship restaurant, Isla, features floor-to-ceiling carpet-clad walls. Pause from stroking to enjoy chef Adam Rawson’s seasonal menu before hotfooting it to the rooftop bar for a delish limoncello-infused Mediterranean Martini. 3 COOL COLLAB A bit like two of your best friends getting together, we’d hoped rumours of a Soho Home x Anthropologie collection wouldn't prove to be just that. Yet here it is, packed with Art Deco lines, rich velvets and fluted shapes across textiles, glassware and to-die-for furniture. 4 HAT LAMPS Nab…

THE COOL CRAFTSWOMAN serves you In need of some knockout tableware? Slovakian-raised, Brighton-based ceramicist Silvia K is your woman. Taking their cue from Slovak tinware, her terracotta pieces now come in a cobalt colour. Rounded platter with leather handle, £140, Silvia K Ceramics (thenewcraftsmen.com) WANT IT, WEAR IT brogue trader Time to put away your toes and embrace a more cool-weather-appropriate shoe, but how to do it without being boring? Let us point you in the direction of Rogue Matilda, whose red suede Atomic flats, new for AW19, do desk-to-out-of-office with aplomb. The thinking-woman’s party shoe. £169 (roguematilda.com) THE HIGH-STREET HERO sitting pretty One look at this teak and cane offering and we thought, yep, a definite must-have. This stunner comes courtesy of Zara Home and it’s one of the brand’s first-ever chair designs. The bar has been…

FEATURE MAUDIE MANTON PHOTOGRAPH (BOTTEGA VENETA MODEL) KIM WESTON ARNOLD…

We know that the world of design is a homogeneous one. Years of first jobs being about apprenticeships or internships with friends or connections, and of craftsmanship skills requiring prohibitively expensive degree courses, has led to an industry that is predominantly white and middle class. We also know that talent comes in many forms, and that anyone can have an idea–it’s just that the routes to market aren’t available to all. Design has often been less of a meritocracy than it ought to be. For most of us, this isn’t news, but it’s worth highlighting all the same. When the conversation comes from different sources it is richer, more enlightening, more likely to enhance all our lives. Take the loo, for example. Designed by a man with no female input, it is…

PETER TING Creative director of Thomas Goode Having worked in both China and the UK, Peter understands the duality of blending two cultures EVA SONAIKE Designer and founder of the textile brand Eva Sonaike Using her Nigerian heritage as inspiration, Eva has experience of showcasing an underrepresented style ELLA RITCHIE Director and co-founder of Intoart Ella has initiated a variety of artistic programmes, championing the inclusion of people with learning difficulties KEVIN GREEN Co-founder of STORE STORE’s goal is to get more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into creative fields, and it runs workshops for those who might not have considered these careers…