Living Etc April 2021

A couple of days ago, the government started making noises about March 8 as the day schools may reopen. If they manage to stick to it, by the time you read this many of you might be about to have a very different home life. Perhaps your kitchen table won’t be cluttered with worksheets, perhaps there won’t be a child keen to avoid their maths lesson by watching some more YouTube on your sofa. Perhaps, unencumbered by all of this, you’ll be feeling a little… lighter. I don’t have kids myself, but I’m still keen to let the sunshine into my life this month – both figuratively and literally. All the decor updates I have planned for my new house are on hold while we figure out the dull stuff –…

1 COLOURED GLOSS Gone are the days when gloss paint was reserved for skirting boards and door frames. Instead, bring it inwards for some high-shine impact. ‘Gloss is now being used to deliver a shot of modernity to interiors,’ says Dominic Myland (Mylands Lolly Pop No. 275 gloss is on the bed). Brushes at the ready! 2 SLATS Fluted detailing has had a long reign; now it’s time to usher in a new era of vertical (and beautiful) three-dimensional lines. Flat slats are dominating furniture design, soon to be seen adding depth and subtle pattern to a piece of homeware (Superfront, pictured) near you. 3 YKB SOFAS Remember the teal sofa craze? Us neither. We’re focusing on rich, Yves Klein-y blue upholstery (Cappellini at Chaplins, pictured). As the man himself said: ‘Blue has no dimensions;…

1 THE SHINING Tibor is one of my go-to fabric houses for beautiful colour combinations. This has a slight sparkle and is reversible, which makes it diverse. Luna Rose fabric, £245m, Tibor 2 IN THE FOLD Who doesn’t want a soft cloud floating in their room? Sculpted from layers of banana fibre, it gives out a beautiful glow. Anders light, £1,435, Pinch 3 ON POINT The handmade nature of these elegant candleholders ensures each piece is completely unique. A La Pointe candleholder by Laurence Brabant, £30, &YOU 4 SIT BACK This 1957 piece is beautiful from every angle and can be dressed with loose cushions. Lounge chair and ottoman by I lmari Tapiovaara for Esposizione La Permanente Mobili, €5,500, Morentz 5 PHOTO FINISH Shira Barzilay’s style is very graphic, fun and instantly recognisable. 2/12 Handdrawn doodle print by Shira…

Tuck your kids into the sweetest of dreams with Forivor’s illustrative bedding range, a delightful array of organic cotton duvet sets, cushions and quilts. Delve into the Enchanted Forest, Legends of the Sea or The Space Above Ground collections and explore underwater lands, woodland creatures and a starlit cosmos. Each piece is reversible, one side showing a sunlight daytime world and the other darker night-time landscapes, to inspire the most imaginative of slumbers. Cushion, £60; quilted blankets, from £154 (libertylondon.com)…

Many happy returns to Louis Poulsen’s iconic Panthella table lamp, which is celebrating the big 5-0 this year. It’s getting all dressed up for the anniversary in a gleaming new golden coat, and is also available in a medium size for the first time since its inception by legendary Danish architect Verner Panton in 1971. One of the designer’s most loved pieces, the light is an embodiment of Verner’s boundarypushing approach to form, material and colour, the brass finish referencing his fascination with experimental materials and daring colours. The high shine mirrored effect amplifies the lamp’s mushroom-like silhouette, adding warmth and bouncing reflections into its surrounds like an interactive sculpture. Panthella 320mm table lamp in brass, £705 (louispoulsen.com)…