Living Etc April 2022

I’ve been watching The Gilded Age – billed as the new Downton Abbey – set in fin-de-siècle New York (it’s very good, particularly the costumes). The old money aristocrats are shocked at how Carrie Coon’s new money character is lavishly adding period details to her home at will, clutching their pearls at the vulgarity of her shipping in French antiques just because she can afford to. Aside from the fact I love how they all take afternoon tea so lavishly, I’ve never been happier to live now and not then. The way I’ve been decorating my own home, adding character and texture where it has been stripped out over the years, could be seen by some as just as inauthentic. We’ve researched the cornicing a house like mine would have…

Make no mistake, these designs are not to be confused with a traditional side table set-up. It’s all about bringing it into, and onto, the seat. So whether you’re looking for an occasional work spot, or want to keep your G&T to hand while scrolling through Netflix’s top 10, personal (and ergonomic) tabletops are up for the job, slotting snugly next to you. But they weren’t built with just efficiency in mind. Nope, whether sleek or slightly decorative, our edit also has gorgeous good looks. IT’S A WRAP The Cradle armchair’s character, Arflex says, ‘is based on the structure: a classic triangular construction, which is repeated several times around the model so that you can admire it from each viewpoint’. The ‘cradle’ is this metal structure. The table, or ‘tray’ as Arflex…

Kamilah Ahmed’s north London family home was filled with textiles from Bangladesh when she was growing up – namely, saris. It’s having been surrounded by these, along with an extensive collection of Portuguese ceramics from her mother’s side of the family, that Kamilah keenly contributes to her now ‘painterly’ textile work. With her commitment to craft, it’s no surprise that Kamilah was announced as the first recipient of The New Craftsmen Award, a partnership with Cockpit Arts to open up opportunity and build greater diversity in the craft world. We find out more… How did you get into textile design? Originally I was set on becoming a fine artist. However, at Camberwell College of Arts, I swiftly specialised in mixed media stitch. After an MA at the Royal College of Art, I…

OPTICAL ILLUSION Designed by Paolo Grasselli to give a ‘playful perspective’, the Innesti table cleverly makes you think it has two halves. ‘The base is designed to look detached from the upper part,’ says the team at Bonaldo. We love it as it’s entirely suitable for both casual and fine dining and you’ll never have to wash a single tablecloth again thanks to the striking Rosso Carpazi marble top (it would be a sin to cover that veining). Price on request, Paolo Grasselli for Bonaldo (bonaldo.com) SIDE HUSTLE The Plec occasional table by RS Barcelona (equipped in the terracotta marble guise, of course) has a classical aesthetic that will work in all sorts of settings. And with its sheet-steel legs folded like a neat and compact accordion, it comes in at a space-saving…

At a certain point in life you begin to experience adesire for that elusive piece of beautiful statement storage. The sleek wooden cabinets that are gracing the interiors market right now take design finesse to a very desirable level. What are they all about? They are chic-looking pieces that are highly functional, too. The appeal? The linear details appearing on the facades in a regimented fashion speak to our love of a clean aesthetic. KILLER COMBO Everything starts with what Calligaris describes as ‘a minimal lacquered container’, and from that starting point there’s a multitude of ways to specify the Universal sideboard system. It’s in this particular make-up, however, with ‘wave’ worked doors and flush, ultra-thin top, that we think it looks the most stylish. It’s a sleek, modern and highly useful…