Living Etc May 2020

A trip on the Eurostar earlier this year for Paris Déco Off, the annual fabric and wallpaper show, reminded me how much I love the French capital. Paris does for my spirits what I think good design ought to always do – lift them, fill them with optimism and an appreciation for the world around us. There is a smartness to the city that makes it feel like anything is possible, where ornate architecture, cobbled streets and glamour all come together in one perfect package. I feel lighter in Paris, like I could fall in love before lunchtime. Or at least find a very good croque monsieur. It’s for that reason that two of the homes in our portfolio sit in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower – whereas we…

1 PLAYFUL SCANDI The new school of Nordic decorator is proving that Scandi interiors aren’t all whitewashed walls and pale woods. All hail Pernille Lind, the brains behind Couverture & The Garbstore’s tile-tastic shop (pictured), and, of course, Beata Heuman’s gorgeously eclectic shoppa.beataheuman.com. 2 BUNKING UP ‘Friendcations’ are on the rise as we crave quality time with geographically scattered mates. And how better to catch up than by sleeping en masse? Stacked arrangements at New York’s Sister City hotel (pictured), Italian alpine resort Albergo Miramonti and The Siren Hotel in Detroit are both pretty and practical. 3 TASTES GO DARK Make a beeline for Mediterranean grocer Belazu this month and add its all-new black tahini to your basket without passing go. Extra dark and made with black sesame seeds for double the drama, it’s the…

INTERNATIONAL DESIGN doing it all Integrated living is the MO at Italian firm Scavolini, whose new Everyday Living col lection rejects the fragmented home in favour of one that’s seamless, sociable and has choose-how-you-use customisation. Take its Fluida wall system – a piece that can start in your kitchen, extend into the living room and incorporate a pop-up of fice. It works with Scavol ini’s DeLinea kitchen and is designed by Vuesse. THE INVESTMENT PIECE and relax Upholstered in a gorgeous olive-tone leather, Poliform’s Gentleman Relax ottoman by Marcel Wanders is the type of piece that just adds cool, grown-up (and timeless) style to a room. £1,741.32 (poliform.it) TREAT YOURSELF collector’s item Brought to us from Strawberry Hills in New South Wales, Australia, Dinosaur Designs is an insider’s favourite for handcrafted tabletop treasures and jewellery, and its aptly…

TOM DIXON in his element Elementary is the theme for Tom Dixon’s 2020 launches, reflecting his back-to-basics experimental approach to design. Tom can’t resist trying out multiple permutations, taking basic units and layering them into pieces that are sculptural as well as functional. A good example is the new Melt chandelier shown here. (tomdixon.net) MAHARAM check mates American textiles company Maharam has new products with long-time collaborator Paul Smith, who is celebrating his 50th anniversary this year. A modern take on plaid, upholstery fabric Wool Check is also available as a throw. (maharam.com) DEDON hang tough Dedon’s new collection includes Kida, a classic hanging chair reimagined by innovative New York designer Stephen Burks. German manufacturer Dedon is known worldwide for its strong design credentials, creating products used by the finest hotels and private homes. Kida’s fibre-wrapped aluminium frame…

THE FUTURE CLASSIC in the frame ‘Go big or go home’ seems to be the thinking from Molteni & Baron, the design team behind the just under-two-metres-high Odino Ovale mirror from Porada. Yet it’s not all about size; just look at the way the oval mirror seems to hover in the rectangular frame. We’d expect nothing less from Porada. THE POWER COUPLE soho nice Take Soho Home’s classic furniture and textile shapes, cover them in jacquards from Pierre Frey’s Le Manach line, and you get a collection stamped with the best of both brands. The launch marks the Soho House Group’s 25th year – let’s hope all its birthdays look this good. Boma cushion (background); Congo cushion, £145 each (sohohome.com) JUST LAUNCHED light touch One look at the W203 Ilumina table lamp – hot off the press from…

CRAFT SCOTLAND hot seat A multitalented medley of makers from north of the border were showcased by Craft Scotland. We love Angus Ross’ sculptural wood furniture, which is sawn, carved, steamed and polished in his Perthshire workshops. The aptly named Resilience bench in Scottish oak and ash is destined for a lifetime of lovely lounging. £6,600 (angusross.co.uk; craftscotland.org) VEZZINI & CHEN flower power Vezzini & Chen’s ethereal Lotus lights are an otherworldly fusion of translucent hand-carved porcelain and free-blown engraved glass. Designed for either wall or table, each piece comes in two sizes (39cm or 30cm wide) and is made in London by the Italian-Taiwanese duo Cristina Vezzini and Stan Chen, who showed in the Ting-Ying gallery space. From £4,200 (vezziniandchen.com; ting-ying.com) MINT rock on London’s Mint gallery exhibited the Source Collection of limited-edition pieces by US-based designers…