Living Etc January 2020

I have a weakness for January issues. No matter how tumultuous the ‘outside’ world may be, they can provide a joyful way to escape. After all, celebration is what this time of year is about. And there’s no doubt about it, this month’s Livingetc is a celebration of both the now and the next. Starting with the now… We’re showing sparkly Christmas decorating ideas, last-minute gifting inspiration (see page 30 for 50 gifts under £50) and houses dressed up to the nines. The pages are teeming with colour and confidence, because if you can’t go for it at this time of year, when can you? We also linked up with glam food writer and blogger Anna Barnett; she let us into her flat to show us how she brings in the…

1 PECAN CHEESECAKE Up +4,042% in Pinterest searches ahead of December, begging the question: has the traditional Christmas pud had its day? Try, too, peach cobbler variations and churro cheesecake bars, both also soaring in the search-bar charts. Who knew? 2 THE DOLCE LOOK Thought a statement earring was enough to elevate your outfit from humdrum to haute? Not in Dolce & Gabbana’s book, where sequinned tailoring, bows, brocade and Gatsby-feel feathers channelling the golden age of Hollywood are your answer to NYE party dressing. 3 THE CHRISTMAS PILGRIMAGE High-ho it to the capital this month for a jaw-dropping designer affair. Start at Claridge’s for Christian Louboutin’s pop-up; marvel at Luke Edward Hall’s folksy tree at The London Edition and finally cross the river for Holly Fulton’s Art Deco bonanza at Aqua Shard. 4 3D WALLS There’ll…

THE DETAIL reeding You won’t find a flat surface in sight as reeded detail, found on everything from walls to furniture, continues to bring tactility and texture to interiors. Trove – the first furniture collection from Studio Duggan – uses this surface detail across chic case goods in unexpected shades of green and yellow, while both rustic getaway Le Barn in France and Surrey’s Beaverbrook hotel (pictured) feature delicately fluted bar-fronts beautiful enough to distract you from their cocktail menus. “Red clay will be a big colour trend for SS20; think shades of rust and turmeric yellow woven with pops of fuchsia and lilac. Architecture, meanwhile, will keep proving to be a great source of inspiration in the design world and in 2020 we’ll see launches influenced by statement buildings from around the…

MAISON ARABELLA WHO? Interior design firm headed up by Arabella Bassadone. London-based but with global ambitions and an international client base. WE LOVE The studio’s debut Objet collection. Think, sleek, standout pieces – from furniture through to soft furnishings – with a focus on craftsmanship and function. A two-part coffee table in resin and solid brass and the small but perfectly formed Stool Objet have shot to the top of our SS20 wishlist. (maisonarabella.com) CHILD STUDIO WHO? With the now Insta-famous interior of the Humble Pizza café in Chelsea to their name, Taiwanese furniture designer Chieh Huang and Russian architect Alexey Kostikov of Child Studio may need no introduction. The duo work across spatial design, furniture, photography and video. WE LOVE Their nostalgic approach; the Millennial-pink Humble Pizza took its cue from Fifties Formica-clad diners. We…

THE SEASONAL BUY supporting role A Scandi-style Christmas would be nothing without a hearty helping of natural wood, and so Danish firm Skagerak’s take on the tree base – until now largely available as the unremarkable, plastic green kind – comes in teak or oak wood with brass-plated steel tops, meaning you can place the star at the bottom, not the top, of your tree. How novel. Stella Christmas tree base, £259 (skagerak.dk/uk) HERITAGE REMIX sit soft Arne Jacobsen’s 1955 Series 7 chair for Fritz Hansen is a certified design classic, but how do you make it relevant for a new generation? Just add velvet. In the contemporary colours of Misty Rose, Autumn Red and Grey Blue, the newly upholstered model brings a smothering of Italian cotton velvet by Redaelli Velluti to the iconic Scandinavian…