Living Etc

We recently featured a trend report on Livingetc.com covering the new home office must-have that top designers say is essential. For the people behind some of the most beautiful homes in the world, such as the teams at design studios Doshi Levien and L AL A Reimagined, no WFH space is now complete without… a sofa. ‘To be efficient, your workspace doesn’t need to look like a factory. It needs to be functional yet beautiful,’ Nipa Doshi told our content editor Aditi Sharma Maheshwari. ‘The office has become a f luid room, where the sofa adds style, comfort and a sense of casual calm.’ It’s a sentiment I love and it’s helped me recalibrate what I think style means today. An ever-evolving concept, contemporary style is surely all about pieces…

ROCK STAR Inspired by prehistoric stone structures, Ethimo’s Bold dining table is a great fit for outdoor spaces. As if hewn from a solid piece of rock, it juxtaposes the sandblasted textures of its sturdy, weight-bearing legs with the smooth and silky surface of its elegant top. It’s available in a rectangle shape as well as this playful three-legged triangle. Price on request, Ethimo IN GOOD SHAPE Named after a sumo wrestling ritual that builds strength, the Shiko Wien bed by Tuscan-based design practice e-ggs features a headboard which is as monumental and room-dominating as it is light and serene. Its signature soft curves, handwoven in Vienna straw onto a solid ash frame, create the gentlest of giants. £3,790, e-ggs for Miniforms at Go Modern GO WITH THE FLOW There’s hardly a single straight line in sight…

BOX CLEVER Looking more like a chic wardrobe than something workr-elated, the Savio desk by David Dolcini for Porada makes logging in for the day a delight. While the outside is a celebration of the beauty of Canaletta walnut, the maple-wood interior features storage areas, a foldaway leather-topped desk and built-in lights. £19,200, Porada DAY TO NIGHT A sleek, contemporary take on a classic bureau, the Davenport by David Irwin for Another Country is beautiful in its simplicity – slices of pale solid oak furnished only with three surreptitious brass handles. Gone is the traditional angled front, adding enough space within for a computer screen, and inside you’ll find hidden compartments, a pinboard and cable storage. Everything can be easily tidied away at the end of the working day, plus it doubles as a…

This collection feels a bit familiar… The sofas, chairs, side tables, central tables, rugs, lighting and objects are a subtle reinvention of one of my iconic designs. I considered all of my work and my most recognisable furniture, objects, textures, materials, colours and fabrics, and I looked back at my living room from the 80s – which was recently voted one of the 25 most beautiful rooms in the world – as well as the furniture I live with now, and I revisited leading pieces for Zara Home. They’re new design objects with history. Elegant and understated yet very distinctive. Why launch the collaboration now? We’ve been discussing working together for a long time, and symbolically it felt like the right time for me as I’ve just turned 60 – it’s a milestone…

1 SOLID FORM Decorated with abstract carvings, this whimsically patterned lamp base is one monolithic form that will rise to any occasion. Nevelson lamp, €3,400, Roark Modern 2 SMART ART Heath Wae’s poignant pieces explore psychological shifts in the human consciousness – they are mesmerising! White Tea/Minerals artwork by Heath Wae, price on request, The Dot Project 3 GOOD NATURED Inspired by weathered walls and crumbling plaster facades, this plinth echoes textures seen in nature. Mantle plinth, £2,425, Christopher Wall Design 4 PRIZE CUP Olivia Cognet’s creations bring such honesty and magic to the table. This ivory clay coupelle, doused in a deep-sea glaze, is no exception. Olivia Cognet cup, €680, Objets Inanimés 5 GLASS ACT Earthy tones and distinct textures create contrast within Boris de Beijer’s ancient-inspired glasses. Victoria and Henry glasses, €155 and €180, Boris de Beijer 6…

a showcase of great design Great design has to be so much more than functional. It has become increasingly important for it to appeal to the senses and tap into the way we feel, enhancing our lives, outlooks and perhaps even our souls. The right design, whether because of the colour, shape or material, can hold an extraordinary power, not only to invigorate our homes but our wellbeing, too. This is why we launched the Livingetc Style Awards, to shine a light on the products that not only have visual appeal but can have a transformative effect on our day-to-day rituals. Now in its second year, this event celebrating considered design is more crucial than ever. We received hundreds of entries, covering everything from big-ticket items like sofas to home fragrances…