Living Etc May 2022

Contrary to the big words above (and on the cover, if you have the news-stand version), I don’t always agree that more is more. Or, at least, I don’t now. I used to, back when I was househunting. In fact, I got so seduced by the size of a house that I could just about afford if I moved to a beautiful but remote and amenity-free part of the countryside that I didn’t think about the practicalities – or lack of them – in owning a big space. Furnishing it and keeping it warm require mortgages of their own. With the cost of living price increases (sorry, this will get more fun soon), I’ve sometimes wished I’d not bought at the top of my budget and chosen more modestly. By the…

1 MARVELLOUS MOVING PRINTS Motion is the influence behind some of the best new-season textiles TAKING FLIGHT What’s more beautiful than starling murmurations? Not much, according to fabric specialist Villa Nova who has collaborated with potter Kyra Cane for a collection of ‘engaging and uninhibited textiles’. This design captures the motion of twisting and turning in the sky, while mimicking the natural fluctuations of shadow and shade – a true delight. 2 SPHERICAL LIGHTING Whether singular or in groups, globe lights are taking centre stage DIVINE DROPLETS Looking like a raindrop caught in motion, the Blow pendant lamp by Italian brand Bontempi Casa is delicate, elegant and bang on trend. There are two size options to choose from – small and medium – and we like both, especially when they’re positioned together for dramatic raindrop effect. £274…

World-renowned creative genius Matthew Williamson started off as a fashion designer in London in the 1990s, dressing Kate Moss, Jade Jagger and Alek Wek. He gradually and naturally switched to interiors, and now creates commercial and residential spaces, still known for his trademark brights. He sells a charming mix of antique and modern pieces via his own website and this month launches a collection of bed linens, soft furnishings and accessories for John Lewis & Partners. PIP RICH Hi Matthew, how’s life in Spain today? MATTHEW WILLIAMSON It’s good thanks. I’m sitting on my terrace, drinking coffee, looking at the sunshine. “It’s true I’m no minimalist but I think of my look as organised bohemia, which is calming” PR It sounds so peaceful – which fits with my image of you. I’ve always admired…

i was really lucky to find a house with beautiful ocean views,’ remembers Jane Tang, a young, fashion-obsessed drum teacher and musician. The location, however, didn’t dictate the interior design of this newly built house in Vancouver, British Columbia, that Jane, in her early 20s, shares with her mother, cat and dog. Although a ‘beach house’, Jane didn’t want the typical nautical or whitewashed aesthetic that tends to dominate seaside properties. ‘We avoided the typical tropes of design for a beach house’, says Ben Leavitt, creative director at PlaidFox Studio. So instead of a light and bright palette of blues and white, the designer opted for a moody take on the space, which initially lacked any substance. ‘The inspiration was Hollywood Hills; we wanted to create a home that had character…

home profile THE OWNER Rosh Mahtani, founder of Alighieri Jewellery, lives here with her partner, designer Fred Rigby, who runs a furniture and interior design practice. THE PROPERTY A two-storey flat occupying the ground and basement floors of a Clerkenwell residence. On the ground floor there’s an open-plan kitchen-diner and living room, with a bedroom, bathroom, office and courtyard garden in the basement. the blueprint from growing up in Zambia and reading French and Italian at Oxford to establishing a demi-fine jewellery brand rooted in literature and art, Rosh Mahtani, creative director of Alighieri Jewellery, has now created the most elegant and zen-like home in the middle of the city. ‘I absolutely love how hidden away my little square is; an oasis in central London. I can walk to work at the Hatton Garden studio and…