Living Etc May 2019

My new guilty pleasure is the podcast Table Manners with Jessie Ware. It launched in 2017, so we are now well into the second year, but I only recently discovered it and ploughing through the archive is now the soundtrack to my downtime. In case you haven’t tuned in, the premise is simple: Jessie and her mum cook dinner for a celebrity and have a good old natter. It’s warm, funny and charming, and a reminder of the beauty of conversation. I’m a truly mediocre cook, but I still love having people over for a relaxed meal and the quality time that comes with it. If you’re similarly all about hosting, be sure to feast your eyes on our alfresco entertaining feature; it sings of sunny afternoons sharing plates and…

SLOWING DOWN If Scandinavian design has its own mood, character and palette (cosy, cool and neutral), then it’s fair to say that it has a distinct pace too (hint: laid-back). Slow, the latest collection from Danish emporium Tine K Home, hones in on this Scandi inclination towards calm and considered construction, championing handmade pieces created for a more laid-back way of life. Think slouchy linen sofas and bamboo sunloungers underpinned by honest materials and workable colours. And when pared back in other areas, there’s more room to play with scale. Note the whopping 60cm diameter on the brand’s raffia Moroccan lampshade; we’d call that slow design that’s bang up to speed. Moroccan lampshade, £288 (tinekhome.com); (designvintage.co.uk) GOOD SHOW Kettal is our go-to brand for outdoor furniture that’s anything but boring. And don’t you…

A slide towards only the crispest, cleanest and most pearly of whites meant fair ladies dominated the SS19 catwalks. At Hugo Boss, the look was laid-back and loose-fitting, while ruffles at Balmain and billowing silk at 3.1 Phillip Lim brought high-drama and an ethereal, almost heavenly, touch. Symbolic of purity and perfection, the non-colour is making waves at a time when clutter-free minimalism is big news on the home front, too, with new designs at Tom Dixon, Fritz Hansen and Foscarini proving pale really is interesting.…

Time to get rough-hewn and ready. From walnut and teak to the more unusual olive, textured woods have landed at the top of the trend pile. Gravitate towards raw edges and natural knots for one-off pieces with heaps of character. The Lobb table at &Bespoke, with its burr elm top, is a cut above. Over at Swoon, a fresh fell of storage designs celebrate timber in all its forms, including textured rosewood, mango wood marquetry and reclaimed pine in parquet patterns. How to take the look from just-sawn to sartorial? Consult Roberto Cavalli’s SS19 show and go for knock-out stripes, waves and flecks.…

HOME PROFILE THE OWNERS Fashion and interior designer Collette Dinnigan, her technology and travel consultant husband Bradley Cocks, their children, Estella, 14, and Hunter, six, plus dogs, Louis, Sooty and Luca. THE PROPERTY The house comprises three adjoining buildings. In the barn-like structure, there is a bedroom, entertaining kitchen, large living/dining space, TV room and bathroom on the ground floor, with three bedrooms and two bathrooms on the first floor. The sandstone cottage has a kitchen, dining and family room. In the main house, there are three bedrooms and bathrooms, a TV room and study, as well as a master bedroom. EXTERIOR After a year spent enjoying an urban lifestyle in Rome, Collette and her family were ready to return to the Australian bush, and couldn’t resist the breathtaking views from this hilltop…