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THE STYLE MAGAZINE FOR YOUR HOME NOVEMBER 2018 £4.80

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A L L YO U N EED TO CRE AT E T H E B ED RO O M O F YO U R D RE A M S

NOVEMBER SPECIAL 27 Essential buys to update your bedroom, from the latest linen looks to luxurious beds.

Plus, expert tips to help you get that elusive eight hours of shut-eye

STYLE

SLEEP

51 Decorating We reveal the newest fabrics, paints and wallpapers

54 Design detail Our guide to interior

door furniture – knobs, handles and more

57 Behind the palette Farrow & Ball

colour consultant Joa Studholme reveals the story behind nine new paint shades

69 Design hero As a retrospective of

Anni Albers’ revolutionary textiles comes to the Tate, we celebrate her legacy

70 Destination store Introducing

Carl Hansen & Søn’s new flagship store in London’s Pimlico, filled with 110 years’ worth of iconic furniture designs

72 Cultural life Model and designer

60 Colour The natural iridescence

of pearl is bringing opulence to homes

Inès de la Fressange reveals the books, music and art that shape her style

63 Material world Kassia St Clair

75 Kitchens & bathrooms Cutting-

67 Design decoded Why the ‘Cestone’ sofa by Antonio Citterio for Flexform still impresses from every angle

76 Technology How to paint your wall with light and put an end to Wi-Fi bufering woes for good

reveals the history of fabric, from the Paleolithic era to modern times

edge updates, from a marble-trimmed bath to an invisible cooker hood

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

81 Meet the very best interior designers and architecture firms in our edit of the people shaping the future of home. Plus, on the 50th anniversary of the Barbican, we take a look at its enduring appeal

128 Brutalist glamour The smooth patina found in poured concrete gives this London home a delicately industrial edge

138 Empire state of mind Rome’s ancient architecture proved an irresistible draw for the owner of this city-centre apartment

148 Desert calm This environmentally

responsive holiday villa has a poetic connection to the extremes of the landscape

158 Pioneering shelter Once home to hay

bales, this agricultural outbuilding in Bavaria is now a beautiful family home

FINALLY

HOMES

118 Earthy delights Let these pieces inspire you to embrace the change of seasons by falling for sumptuous textures and naturally comforting colours 24

Subscriptions Check out this month’s fantastic offer for our most loyal readers

189

Competition Your chance to win a £200 Heal’s voucher or a Lee Broom table lamp

195

Stockists Love something you’ve seen in this issue? Here’s where to buy it

210

Fine print ‘Rarity’ by Groundworks at Lee Jofa

THE COVERS

166 Restoration drama Renovated by

Norm Architects after a devastating fire, this Copenhagen villa was once home to lighting designer Poul Henningsen

ESCAPE

177 News The art exhibitions, restaurants and rural escapes to put in your diary this month. Plus, a look inside The Jafa, the stunning new John Pawson-designed hotel in Tel Aviv

191 Getaway Why now is the time to book a trip to the

Finnish capital Helsinki, home to a burgeoning design scene 18 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

Our newsstand cover (left) features ‘Cila’ chairs by Lievore Altherr for Arper and an ‘Ordinal’ table by Michael Anastassiades for Cassina.

The subscriber cover (right) shows a detail of ceramics by Kose and BoConcept. Photograph by Paul Raeside. Styling by Hannah Bort

PICTURE: JAMES MCNAUGHT

Follow me on

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ARCHITECTURE

AND

DESIGN

In modern philosopher Alain de Botton’s excellent The Architecture of Happiness, his 2007 exploration of the links between buildings and our wellbeing, he states: ‘Bad architecture is in the end as much a failure of psychology as of design.’ I couldn’t agree more. The structures that fill our towns and cities have to be well thought out, to be focused on function as well as aesthetics, and to come from a particular mindset. From lofty skyscrapers to small, cleverly designed homes, the places where we reside need to have heart and genuine resonance for them to succeed.

This issue, I wanted ELLE Decoration to explore this idea, focusing not on characterless, cold edifices, but spaces that are warm and wonderful inside and out. These inspirational places, created by a roster of talents – both in the UK and abroad – are reinvigorating our collective sense of what home could and should be in the 21st Century.

We also look briefly to the past, acknowledging an icon of British architecture: the Barbican estate in London. It’s one of my favourite buildings, for its visual impact and all that it represents. If any development has the power to afect the happiness of its residents, it’s this one.

Speaking of wellbeing, we now understand, more than ever, the important role that sleep plays in our health. As an occasional insomniac, I know this first-hand. If you haven’t already read Matthew Walker’s Why We Sleep, do, it’s enlightening. He talks to us on p43, as part of our annual focus on everything that can aid a good night’s slumber. From the best beds, linens and bedroom furniture to other innovations and elixirs, I will be trying as many as I can. I’d advise the sleepy among you to do the same.

Executive Editor

Twitter: @ELLEDecoBen

Visit elledecoration.co.uk NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 21

House of Hearst, 30 Panton Street, London SW1Y 4AJ Editorial enquiries elledecoration@hearst.co.uk (020 7434 1044) Homes submissions homes@elledecoration.co.uk GROUP EDITO RIAL DIRECTO R SUSY SMITH PA to Group Editorial Director Sandra Tear E XECUTIVE EDITO R BEN SPRIGGS GROUP EDITORIAL PRODUCTION Workf low Director Carly Levy Group Managing Editor Ingrid Eames Chief Sub Editors Clare Sartin, Michele Jameson, Helen Bonthrone Deputy Chief Sub Editor Julie Pannell-Rae Sub Editor Rebecca Hastings

ART Art Director Philippe Blanchin Art Editor Roger Browning Designer Jack Melrose Junior Designer Victoria Smith Art Intern Jade Stephens PICTURES Picture Directors Sharon O’Neill, Patricia Taylor Picture Editor Anita Isaacs Picture Researcher Phoebe Lowndes

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Contributors Amy Bradford, Eliza Honey, Emma Love, Becky Sunshine, Sarah Slade, Hannah Bort, Sania Pell, Amanda Smith-Corston, Suzanne Stankus, James Williams

CH IEF BR AND O FFICER, LIFEST YLE & H OM ES SHARON DOUGLAS PA to Chief Brand Oicer Helen Hart Brand Development Director, Lifestyle & Homes Alistair Wood CLIENT DIVISIO N Managing Director, Beauty Jacqui Cave Managing Director, Fashion & Luxury Jacqueline Euwe Managing Director, Fitness & Health Alun Williams Director of Endorsements & Food Laura Cohen Director of Travel Denise Degroot Director of Motors Jim Chaudry Client Director, Personal Finance Jacquie Duckworth AGEN CY DIVISIO N Chief Agency Oicer Jane Wolfson Executive Assistant Tanya Stewart 020 7439 5532 Lifestyle Group Regional Director Lisa Bhatti 016 1962 9254 Lifestyle Group Agency Director Matthew Downs 020 7339 4583 ENQUIRIES Senior Client Manager Stephanie Tomlinson 020 7439 5462 Client Executive Maire Power 020 7439 5650 Head of Business Management Lucy Porter 020 7439 5276 Business Manager Rose Sweetman Head of Classified Lee Rimmer 020 3728 7707

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L AGARDÈRE ACTIVE Chairman and CEO Lagardère Active Denis Olivennes CEO ELLE France & International Constance Benqué CEO ELLE International Media Licenses François Coruzzi Brand Management of ELLE Decoration Sylvie de Chirée SVP/International Director of ELLE Decoration Valéria Bessolo Llopiz SVP/Director of International Media Licenses, Digital Development & Syndication Mickaël Berret Editorial Executive of ELLE Decoration Linda Bergmark Marketing Executive of ELLE Decoration Morgane Rohee Syndication Coordinator Audrey Schneuwly INTERNATIONAL AD SALES HOUSE Lagardère Global Advertising CEO François Coruzzi SVP/International Advertising Stéphanie Delattre stephanie.delattre@lagardere-active.com Lagardère Global Advertising , 10 rue Thierry Le Luron 92300 Levallois-Perret, France

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24 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

ST YLE NEWS

S LEEP S P EC I A L

/ SHOPPING/ EXPERTS/ TRENDS

Edited by CL AUDIA BAILLIE

From the best new beds to luxury linens and advice on how to get that elusive eight hours of shut-eye, we have everything you need to slumber stylishly

HOUSE RULES The recent launch of Soho House Amsterdam has heralded new additions to the Soho Home range.

This ‘Dawson’ throw (£295) takes its cue from the stainedglass windows of the Bungehuis building, a former trading oice in which the new house is situated, while the graphic ‘Jordaan’ rug (from £395) is inspired by the Amsterdam School style of architecture (sohohome.com).

SLEEP SPECIAL

IN YOUR ELEMENT Magnesium is nature’s sleep aid, which can be easily absorbed via the skin. Rubbed into the stomach and lower back twice a day for two months, Buly’s pure magnesium, extracted from the Zechstein seabed, is said to encourage better sleep for a year. £56 (buly1803.com).

VANITY FAIR The ‘Latis’ collection by British designer Samuel Wilkinson is crafted from steam-bent ash and woven Vienna straw, which is light in appearance yet reassuringly sturdy to use. Chair, £795; desk £2,695, both The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk).

BOARD MEETING Be bold in your bedroom with a beautiful custom-made headboard by specialist upholsterer Lorfords. The new range of six designs, including ‘The Amalfi’ (above, from £295) is handcrafted in the brand’s Cotswold workshop and can be specified in custom sizes and upholstered in any fabric or finish. Complete bespoke designs can also be made to order (lorfords.com).

PICTURE: PIERRE MAHIEU

CLASSIC CASE Luxury linen company Frette is moving away from its seasonal collections with ‘Style of Living’, a range of timeless pieces that can be mixed and matched. ‘Doppio Ajour’ pillowcases, £130 each (frette.com).

LAID-BACK LUXE A clever combination of vintage-inspired stripes, plaids and floral motifs come together in the new ‘Islesboro’ collection from Ralph Lauren, making it easy to throw together a comfortable and effortless look. From £75 for a scatter cushion (ralphlauren.co.uk).

NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 29

SLEEP SPECIAL

1

WISHLIST

SWEET DREAMS

1 ‘Nuvole al Tramonto’ wallpaper in ‘Dusk’ by Fornasetti, £395 per roll, Cole & Son (cole-and-son.com) 2 ‘Lavender Garden’ paint, £46 for 2.5 litres, Mylands (mylands.com) 3 ‘Kivi’ mirror in antiqued brass, £179, Swoon Editions (swooneditions.com) 4 ‘Hammershøi’ teapot by Kahler, £95, Skandium (skandium.com) 5 ‘Hammershøi’ mug

by Kahler, £24, Scandinavian Design Center (scandinaviandesigncenter.com) 6 ‘Eos’ side table, £5,214, Sé (se-collections.com) 7 Checked linen cushion by Communauté de Biens, £53; 8 ‘Vice Versa’ cushion by Maison De Vacances, £98, both Smallable (smallable.com) 9 ‘Mandarine’ bed by Emanuela Garbin and Mario Dell’Orto for Flou, from £3,100, Aram (aram.co.uk) 10 ‘Joule’ floor lamp, £249, Heal’s (heals.com) 11 Single loop and cut pile rug, £395 per square metre, Amy Kent (amykent.co.uk)

Calm colours and organic shapes create a soothing bedroom scheme 2

3

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4

COMPILED BY: KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES

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NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 31

SLEEP SPECIAL

SYSTEM ADDICT Conceived in 2012 by MA/U Studio, the minimal ‘R.I.G.’ system is now available with modules tailored towards wardrobe organisation. Launched this year, additions include spacious drawers and accessories for keeping clothing and shoes neat. From £12,000, Boi (boiuk.com).

P E R F E C T M AT C H Bookmatched oak veneer and elegant brass handles feature on these handsome drawers, part of the new ‘Drio’ bedroom range from high-street favourite Habitat. The result is a sophisticated combination of warmth and glamour. £695 (habitat.co.uk).

FULL OF BEANS Combining retro styling with technology, the ‘Barisieur’ (available to pre-order) is an alarm clock which eases you into the morning with the sound and smell of freshly brewing cofee. £345 (barisieur.com).

SLEEP SOUNDLY These ultra-comfortable wireless ‘Sleepbuds’ come pre-loaded with ten ‘sleeptracks’ and use noise-masking technology to hide external sounds beneath relaxing audio. £229 (bose.co.uk).

32 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

BIG SPLASH Cotton is blended with Tencel, a botanical yarn, to create Undercover’s eco-friendly bedlinen.

This ‘Lido’ design is inspired by Hockney’s pool scenes. From £40 for two pillowcases (undercoverliving.com).

SLEEP SPECIAL

THE EDIT

LUXURIOUS BEDS You spend, on average, one third of your life in this most important of furniture buys, so invest in a design worthy of your time ‘Stella’ by Nicole Fuller, £19,265, Savoir Beds (savoirbeds.co.uk)

‘Matera’, from £3,099, Heal’s (heals.com)

‘Curtis’ by Rodolfo Dordoni, £10,030, Minotti (minottilondon.com)

‘Victoriano’ by Roberto Lazzeroni, from £4,678, Lema (lemamobili.com)

‘Richard’ by Antonio Citterio, from £4,406, B&B Italia (bebitalia.com)

34 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

PICTURE: THOMAS PAGANI

‘Boston’, from £2,500, And So To Bed (andsotobed.co.uk)

SLEEP SPECIAL

T R E AT T I M E

CAT NAPS Japanese designer Kenzo Takada’s signature tigers prowl across this 1980s archive print, which has been brought to life once more as ‘KBamboo’, a wild new bedlinen range from the French fashion house and fine bedding manufacturer Yves Delorme. From £42.50 for a pillowcase (uk.yvesdelorme.com).

Yoga and sound healing are just some of the classes available at Bamford’s new London flagship spa, Bamford Haybarn. Also on ofer are treatments, such as ‘b Silent’, which includes a foot bath and massage using products from the wellness range of the same name (from £20; bamford.com).

VIBRANT NIGHTS Our love afair with linen shows no sign of abating (see p45) and the ‘Biella’ bedding collection by Designers Guild is one good reason why. Available in joyful colours, including this fuchsia and cassis combo, each reversible set is washed for softness, with no need for pressing. From £25 (designersguild.com).

LIGHT TOUCH Designer Matilda Goad has teamed up with Liberty to produce her scalloped lampshades (£140 each) trimmed and lined with three of the store’s iconic prints – pair with the ‘Roman Pillar’ base (£295), also by Goad (libertylondon.com).

NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 37

SLEEP SPECIAL

BOXING CLEVER The new generation of online ‘bed in a box’ brands have taken the legwork out of buying a mattress, delivering it to your door. Here’s what they have planned next…

LEESA

SIMBA

Simba started out in 1979 making thread for mattress stitching – until 2002, when it decided to design its own.

Today, its ‘Hybrid’ mattress (from £379 for a small single) works for many body shapes – the company claims it could meet the sleep needs of 95 per cent of the population.

‘In the beginning, we saw that no-one had really integrated technology into mattress design,’ says Emily Wynne-Jones, head of product development. ‘We spent over a year testing cutting-edge materials, consulting sleep experts and interpreting body-profiling data from ten million sleepers to create our mattress.’ It turns out that worrying about whether yours is hard or soft is something of a red herring – Simba’s designs incorporate responsive memory foam and small pocket springs that ‘intelligently shape themselves to anyone’s frame’.

Now, the brand has three new innovations: the ‘Motion’ bed base (from £695) that adjusts to any angle, helping you to find the perfect sleeping position, and a ‘Hybrid’ pillow (£95) and duvet (from £195), both with temperatureregulation technology. simbasleep.com ➤

WORDS: AMY BRADFORD

This American brand has enjoyed huge success in the UK. Simplicity is its watchword, both in terms of the design of its mattresses – for which all unnecessary filling materials are stripped away – and the layout of its online store.

Its UK-made mattress (from £399 for a single) is constructed from three layers of foam, each specifically targeted towards cooling, pressure relief and core support. In late 2018, it will be followed by the ‘Sapira’ design, incorporating a layer of ‘active pocket springs’ that adjust to individual pressure points.

‘We’ve also just launched a pillow (£79) that uses temperaturecontrol technology developed for NASA,’ says Richard Tucker, Leesa’s managing director in the UK and Europe. ‘It’s designed to cool your head while keeping your neck and spine aligned.’

For those who want to try before they buy, the company has recently unveiled a partnership with West Elm, meaning customers can now test out the Leesa mattresses in stores in London and Kingston upon Thames. leesa.co.uk

NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 39

SLEEP SPECIAL

Most startups begin with a tiny team and big ideas. Eve was diferent, however. Before launching in 2015 – with its trademark yellow-edged, high-tech memory-foam mattresses (from £349 for a single), which arrive at your door vacuum-packed in ecofriendly boxes – the company did an impressive amount of research, testing 70,000 prototypes. Having mastered mattress comfort, it now aims to become an all-round ‘sleep brand’.

‘We want to be the name people think of when it comes to sleeping well,’ says co-founder Kuba Wieczorek. ‘To that end, we’ve just launched cotton-jersey bedding (from £85) that flexes with you as you sleep, and hired German design talent Felix Monza to create products that simplify your life – including a modular bed frame (from £299) that requires no tools for assembly and has built-in holes for cables.’

There’s also some new styling: black-and-white bedding by British designers Custhom (from £65) and a colour-splash bed

by Copenhagen’s Mijo Studio (from £449). evemattress.co.uk

40 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

FROM HIGH-TECH SLEEP-ENHANCING MATTRESSES TO SMARTLY DESIGNED BEDS, PILLOWS, BEDDING AND MORE

CASPER

US brand Casper has all the hallmarks of a hot, young startup – ethical credentials, a place on Time magazine’s Best Inventions list of 2015 for its signature mattress, and a cool headquarters in New York’s trendy Flatiron district, complete with mattress-filled pods for laid-back meetings. It also follows the now classic bed-in-a-box formula of combining smart tech and low overheads to deliver a premium product at an afordable price.

Its mattress (from £375 for a single) comprises four separate layers for enhanced pressure relief (including an open-cell top layer that keeps you cool at night) and a washable cover. The next move, says co-founder Constantin Eis, is to make the industry more eco-friendly. ‘We now not only deliver and unbox, but also take customers’ old mattresses away to be recycled,’ he says.

Intriguingly, Casper has also begun to migrate offline, opening 200 stores across the US that will allow customers to test its mattress in semi-private environments – if successful, the brand could be heading to UK high streets. casper.com

WORDS: AMY BRADFORD

EVE

SLEEP SPECIAL

Why is sleep so important? It’s a minutes, with British people big question, one that took me an clocking up six hours 49 minutes, entire book to answer. Firstly, it’s and the Japanese a mere six hours essential to realise that every 20 minutes. Millions of years major physiological system in the of evolution dictated the need for body and every operation of the eight hours, yet in less than 80 mind is wonderfully enhanced years we’ve compressed that by when you get enough sleep, and 20-25 per cent. Sleep is as essential demonstrably impaired when you as food, water and oxygen – don’t. It’s not an optional lifestyle imagine a change that constrained luxury, it’s a non-negotiable, the amount of oxygen we breathe biological necessity and the single by that same percentage. most efective thing that we can Stigma also comes into play, and do to reset our brain and body. in the 21st century, sleep has an The decimation of good sleep image problem. We’ve labelled throughout industrialised nations getting suicient shut-eye as being is having a catastrophic impact, lazy or slothful, and some wear and this silent, sleep -loss epidemic their sleep deprivation like a badge of honour. Also keeping us awake is fast becoming one of the greatest health challenges of the current are anxiety and stress, which are century. In fact, every disease we the principle causes of insomnia. fear in the developed world has This revved-up, fight-or-flight significant and often causal links state of mind makes it diicult, if to insuicient sleep. not impossible, to fall asleep.

So, what can we do to encourage We should be sleeping around eight hours a night. How do we a good night’s sleep? My number know that? Quarantine a group one piece of advice is this: go to of people who say they only need bed and wake up at the same time six or seven hours by cutting them every day, no matter what – on of from family, friends, phones, weekdays and at the weekend.

Even if you’ve had a bad night’s clocks and daylight, tell them to rest as their bodies wish and, once rest previously, you need to reset they’ve cleared their ‘sleep debt’, the following evening. Next, avoid they will average eight to nine cafeine and alcohol. A single cup hours. When that figure drops of tea or cofee robs you of around below seven hours, objective brain 20 per cent of REM sleep, which and body impairments can be helps clear your body of the toxic measured, and the number of proteins known to be associated Neuroscience professor Matthew Walker, author people who can survive well on with Alzheimer’s, and is critical of the international bestseller ‘Why We Sleep’, six hours sleep or less without for emotional first aid, providing explains why better slumber could improve your showing any detrimental efect, the brain with a form of overnight life and the steps you can take to achieve it rounded up to a whole number therapy that makes you feel better and expressed as a percentage of able to cope with any difficult experiences. In context, a human would need to age ten to 15 years the population, is zero, which is quite a definitive statistic.

Several things have distanced us from our natural sleep rhythms, to reduce their REM sleep by the same amount. Drinking alcohol and the first is light. As a modern society, we’re deprived of darkness; at night is also known to negatively afect your REM sleep – it may we wake up, go to school or work and come home again accompanied be a sedative, but sedation is not sleep. by electric light. Even on a cloudy day, the strength of natural light In the hour before bed, try to stay away from all digital screens is greater than the brightest oice, but we exist in a dull consistency, (including smartphones) and turn of half of the lights in your without introducing our bodies to the rise and fall that regulates house; you’ll be surprised at how drowsy you become. Heat is also us and signals when we should be awake or asleep. Darkness releases a contributing factor when it comes to poor rest, as bodies need to melatonin, a hormone that encourages the onset of sleep, yet in drop their core temperature by about one degree Celsius, which is the evening we bathe ourselves in electric light – often at computer why it’s easier to fall asleep quickly in a cold room. 16-18 degrees screens, whose blue LED light suppresses that melatonin, so our Celsius is ideal – open the window if it’s safe to do so. If you still brains don’t realise it’s time for bed. The result is that we can’t sleep, don’t stay in bed restless for too long. Why? feel drowsy during the day and alert at night, regularly Because your brain quickly learns to associate your bed hovering between wakefulness and sleep. with being awake. Many people tell me that they nod of Work hours, commutes and entertainment consumption easily on the sofa, then get into bed and can’t sleep. If have all increased over the past century, while our allotted sleeplessness lasts for more than 20 minutes, get up and night’s sleep gets squeezed in a vice-like grip. A 1942 go somewhere diferent. Don’t eat, don’t check your survey by poll organisation Gallup found that the average emails, but try reading in dim light. Only head back to adult slept around 7.9 hours per night. Now, data shows bed when you’re tired, in order to reprogramme the bedthat the average American adult sleeps six hours 31 sleep link. ‘Why We Sleep’, on sale now (£9.99, Penguin)

AS TOLD TO: CLAUDIA BAILLIE

THE MAGIC EIGHT

NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 43

SLEEP SPECIAL

LINEN FOR LIFE

WORDS: AMY BRADFORD PICTURE: LUCKY IF SHARP, COMPILED BY KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES

Many people are swapping cotton for linen as their bedding fabric of choice – not just for its textural tactility, but because it could also grant you a better night’s sleep

High-thread-count cotton, preferably ironed to crisp perfection, was once considered the epitome of luxury for bedlinen. Now, as the mood for home decoration is becoming more relaxed around the edges, it seems that the most covetable fabric for sleeping on is linen. Fuss-free elegance is key to its contemporary appeal: who could fail to love a fabric that looks best when unironed and gently rumpled?

Linen is also naturally breathable, insulating skin in winter and cooling it in summer. ‘Something that often gets overlooked is linen’s heavier weight,’ says Jessica Mason, founder of bedlinen brand Piglet. ‘Weighted bedding is growing in popularity, as it’s believed to help reduce anxiety and insomnia.

I find that linen eases me into a relaxing sleep.’ ➤

From top ‘Blue Grey’ pillowcases, £35 each, The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk). ‘Leesa’ pillows

by Leesa, £79 each, West Elm (westelm.co.uk). Bottom sheet from the linen duvet cover set, £79.99, H&M (hm.com). ‘Sage Green’ duvet cover; ‘Blush’ duvet cover, both £138, Piglet (pigletinbed.com). ‘Blue Grey’ duvet cover, from £150, The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk)

NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 45

SLEEP SPECIAL

‘MY LOVE OF LINEN BEGAN WHEN MY GRANDMOTHER LEFT ME HER SHEETS, EMBROIDERED WITH HER INITIALS’

From top Crushed linen pillowcases in ‘Tea Rose’ and ‘Sea Green’, £45 each, Volga Linen (volgalinen.co.uk). Duvet cover in ‘Thistle’, £95, The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk). ‘Dove Grey’ pillowcase, £32 for two, Piglet (pigletinbed.com). Pillowcase in ‘Salmon’, £40 for two, Larusi (larusi.com). Crushed linen pillowcases in ‘Tea Rose’ and ‘Sea Green’, as before. ‘Saten’ pillowcase in ‘Verbena’, £150 for two, Society Limonta (societylimonta.com).

‘Dove Grey’ pillowcase, £32 for two; ‘Sage Green’ duvet cover, £138, both Piglet (pigletinbed.com)

46 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

WORDS: AMY BRADFORD PICTURE: LUCKY IF SHARP, COMPILED BY KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES

While linen bedding might be a new experience for some after years of cotton, it is in fact one of the oldest fabrics in the world. Fragments of woven linen have been found in prehistoric caves, still intact after millennia. Because the flax plants that make linen are labour-intensive to grow and process – the fibres tend to break during weaving, so great skill is required at the loom – the material was regarded as a luxury in the ancient world. ‘It was known as “woven moonlight” due to its sensual, light-reflective quality,’ says textile designer Bernie de Le Cuona.

When not left in its natural oatmeal colour, linen was traditionally bleached white, which meant it was associated with purity. Angels in The Book of Revelation are described as being clad in white linen, while Greek philosopher Plutarch writes that the material is ‘plain and cleanly’ next to the skin, because it is derived from plants – unlike wool, which comes from farm animals. ‘In medieval Europe, it was believed that linen guarded against witchcraft,’ says Inga Lukauskiene, founder of LinenMe. The link between linen, whiteness and cleanliness has continued uninterrupted to this day.

Over the centuries, it has been used for every imaginable purpose, from making books and banknotes to artists’ canvases. It was for this reason that the Romans named it Linum Usitatissimum, which translates as ‘most useful linen’.

A weaver in 18th-century Flanders or 19th-century Belfast – both famed for their fine linen industries – would have been familiar with several diferent weights of the fabric, now largely forgotten; these include cambric, a delicate cloth used for handkerchiefs, and damask napery, a woven jacquard.

Such textiles were often handed down through families, a practice that has added a romantic sheen to linen’s story.

‘My love of linen began when my grandmother left me her exquisite sheets, embroidered with her initials, which she had owned since her marriage,’ says antique dealer Appley Hoare, who sells vintage linen bedding from her shop in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. ‘They’re now over a century old, but I’m still using them.’ Hoare points to the Provençal tradition of dying old bedlinen soft blue or deep indigo to update and put your own stamp on it.

Modern linens, meanwhile, will become the heirlooms of the future. ‘Over time, they soften, hang better and grow more relaxed,’ says Souad Larusi, founder of the eponymous textile brand. ‘They become like beloved friends.’

SLEEP SPECIAL

H I S T O RY O F A B R A N D

HÄSTENS The Swedish maker of iconic and dreamy handcrafted beds With the current wellness obsession at its zenith, there has never been a better time to be an expert in good quality sleep. For more than 170 years, Swedish manufacturer Hästens has been producing handcrafted beds using natural materials – flax, cotton, wool and horse tail hair. Sustainable and non-toxic, they also aid sleep: horse tail hair is hypoallergenic, with its natural coils creating ventilation, cotton is lauded for its breathability, and wool for its temperature control. Back in 1852, when master saddler Pehr Adolf Janson started making beds (at the time, saddle and mattress making went hand in hand), this was simply the way mattresses were constructed.

Janson’s son, Per Thure, and later his grandson, David Stefanus, took on the saddlery and wisely zeroed in on making beds as the arrival of the automobile began to reduce the demand for saddles.

In 1917, Hästens (which translates as ‘horses’ in Swedish) was born, complete with an equine logo, referencing not only the brand’s roots, but its primary material too. The Jansons invested in their own horsehair mill and grew the business steadily, becoming a household name in Sweden. By the time of the company’s centenary in 1952, King Gustav VI made Hästens a Royal Purveyor.

The cementing of the brand’s status, however, came much later, thanks to the marketing genius of Jack Ryde. He ran the company with his wife Solveig Janson from 1963 and, in the late 1970s, developed its iconic and instantly recognisable ‘Blue Check’ pattern.

With the family business now in the hands of its fifth generation – CEO Jan Ryde has been at the reins since 1988 – the brand continues to capitalise on the sleep-enhancing benefits of its traditional manufacturing methods. Visit Hästens’ headquarters in Köping, a Modernist building designed by British architect Ralph Erskine, and you can see the beds being hand-sewn, the same way THE CLASSIC they have been for decades.

‘BLUE CHECK’ The production methods may not have changed, but Hästens’ PATTERN HAS reach has never been greater – MADE HÄSTENS’ under Ryde, it has expanded to 40 countries in the past 15 years, as HANDCRAFTED as branching into bedlinen, BEDS INSTANTLY well pillows and sleep accessories. This RECOGNISABLE month, the brand’s new ‘Sleep Spa’ debuts in Notting Hill, London.

In this serene new concept space, customers will be able to test the beds in person – actual naps are allowed – to determine which of the many models are best for them, be it the bestselling ‘2000T’ (from £13,740) or the bespoke ‘Vividus’, which takes up to 360 hours to make and has a starting price of £109,000. Luckily for Ryde, a good night’s sleep has never been more in demand. hastens.com

‘2000T’ bed with a double mattress, from £13,740

48 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

Down boots, £60

‘Satin Pure’ linen, from £71 for a pillowcase

‘Anatomical Pillow’, from £180

‘Original Blue Check’ linen, from £40 for a pillowcase

WORDS: ELIZA HONEY

THE EDIT FIVE DESIGNS TO KNOW

DECOR ATING /

FOLK TALES Sunbrella has extended its hard-wearing upholstery fabric range to include four brand new capsule collections. Perfect for this season is ‘Folk’, with its mix of versatile plains in autumnal shades, classic pin stripes and tartans (sunbrella.com).

From left ‘Edward’ in red; ‘Bengali’ in lime; ‘Oliver’ in lilac; ‘Oliver’ in yellow (on floor); ‘Bengali’ in yellow and red; ‘Mosaic’, all from £58 per metre, Sunbrella (sunbrella.com)

MILKING IT Creamy neutrals can be durable, and Alternative Flooring’s ‘Wool Milkshake’ carpet will convince even the most scuf-averse to go pale underfoot.

Made predominantly from wool, it also contains hard-wearing, sustainable fibre Tencel. Available in seven shades, including ‘Raspberry’ (above). £69.50 per square metre (alternativeflooring.com).

QUIET INTENSITY Atelier Ellis, known for its wonderfully understated natural colours with strong pigments, has joined forces with heritage brand Mylands, which now produces its paints. To celebrate, 11 new colours have been added to the carefully curated collection. We’re taken with the warmth of ‘Boro’ (bottom right) and the intensity of ‘Palette Red’ (top right). £46 for 2.5 litres (atelierellis.co.uk).

WORDS: KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES

GILDED AND GLORIOUS Originally commissioned by interior designer Scott Sanders for an attention-grabbing bathroom project, the ‘Labrado’ wallcovering by De Gournay mimics the 17th-century technique of bas relief, in which leather was gilded, then a design carved out by hand to create a raised surface. No leather is used to produce this contemporary wallpaper, but the efect is still brilliantly opulent, capable of adding instant glamour to any room. From £785 per metre (degournay.com).

NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 51

D E C O R AT I N G

TILE ICONS To coincide with the 150th anniversary of London’s St Pancras train station, British Ceramic Tile has created a selection of tiles, available in either terracotta or grey, influenced by the building’s iconic Gothic architecture.

From £30 per square metre (british ceramictile.com).

NO-MESS MORRIS Seven original designs by William Morris, including ‘Strawberry Thief’ and ‘Poppy’ (pictured in ‘Olive’), have been upgraded for messy modern life by fabric brand Perennials. The iconic patterns have been produced using 100 per cent solution-dyed acrylic, which means that not only are they waterproof, they’re also resistant to stains and colour fading.

Use them indoors or out, whatever the weather.

From £182 per metre (perennialsfabrics.com).

ALL IS DANDY Lelièvre’s ‘Collection 23’ has a strong retro vibe, reminiscent of the smoking rooms and gentlemen’s clubs of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Deep pile ‘Vulcain’ velvets in the richest of colours (orange pictured) and the decorative shirting-style motifs of ‘Skif ’ combine with ‘Tweed’ (used on chair, below), with its heavy wool tailored weave, and ‘Vetiver’, a statement jacquard.

From £72.90 per metre (lelievreparis.com).

The signature design from Brian Yates’ new ‘Wild’ wallpaper collection, this pattern evokes sunshine passing through jungle leaves. The illusion of depth is created using a smart printing technique that produces a combination of matt and lustred sections, which shimmer as light dances over the surface. £107 per roll (brian-yates.co.uk).

52 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

WORDS: KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES

W I L D AT H E A R T

D E C O R AT I N G

FIVE OF THE BEST DOOR FURNITURE M A N U FA C T U R E R S BEST FOR UNDERSTATED DESIGN Ochre Since Ochre was founded 22 years ago, it’s become renowned for its refined aesthetic. The collection includes walnut and oak ‘Viking handles’ and saddle-leather handles – both with distinctive patinated bronze or pewter knuckles. Leather handle, from £319.20 (ochre.net).

INTERIOR DOOR FURNITURE Get a handle on these important – yet often overlooked – finishing touches What is door furniture? In layman’s terms, door furniture includes door handles (that you pull), levers (that you push down), knobs (that you turn) and kick plates and push plates, which protect against fingermarks.

Why should I update an interior door? ‘You may redecorate a room every five to ten years, but you generally keep the door hardware for a lot longer, so think of it as a longterm investment,’ says Paul Cliford, managing director of Croft. Make sure that what you choose is in keeping with the door itself. ‘For example, a square rose lever looks good if the door has a geometric panel,’ says Wayne Dymond, sales and marketing director at Turnstyle Designs. Keep the look consistent with the style of your home as a whole, too.

Should I choose lever handles or door knobs? Levers are the more practical option, as they are easier to operate. They also don’t require such a strong grip, so are ideal for older users. Door knobs, on the other hand, are trickier to install, as they require a deeper backset (this is the distance from the edge of the door frame to the metal rod of the knob).

‘If the door was originally fitted with a lever handle and you want to swap to a door knob, just check the backset dimensions,’ says Dymond. ‘If it’s less than 75mm, then door knobs really aren’t suitable.’ ‘If you’re starting from scratch, though, the decision comes down to personal preference,’ says Sarah Ehrlich, managing director of The Nanz Company.

What else should I think about if I’m replacing door furniture? It’s crucial to always fit new latches at the same time as new door handles – don’t just change the knobs. ‘This ensures you have the optimum springing – and, therefore, that your lever handle will sit horizontally,’ explains Dymond. ‘Also, if using door knobs, you will need a two-way action latch so it can turn clockwise and anti-clockwise.’ After all, there’s no point in having a stylish new handle if it won’t turn because it doesn’t line up with the internal hardware.

Any rules when it comes to finishes? ‘Firstly, choose one finish and make sure that it’s available for every element of the door hardware,’ says Dymond. ‘Also, some finishes are more robust than others, so select something that is suitable for the environment you are in.’ Living finishes – those that develop a patina – such as the brass ‘Lama’ handle by Gio Ponti for Olivari, used by Universal Design Studio for a recent retail project (above), are popular. ‘Living or unlacquered finishes will change over time,’ explains Robert Fodor, director of sales and marketing at SA Baxter, ‘but that is the beauty of them.

54 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

BEST FOR CLASSIC & CONTEMPORARY STYLES Croft British brand Croft offers everything from Art Deco and Victorian to Georgian ranges. Its latest ‘Elements’ collection is refreshingly contemporary. Oval knob on school board backplate, from £78.20 (croft.co.uk).

BEST FOR MODERN DOOR HANDLES Mandelli 1953 A contemporary style characterises Italian company Mandelli 1953’s new handles, ‘Grint’ and ‘Kuki’ (right, from £173.93).

The former has spherical engravings on the neck; the latter comes in a choice of finishes (mandelli.it).

BEST FOR BIG NAME DESIGNERS Olivari Italian manufacturer Olivari has teamed up with heavyweights Rem Koolhaas, Piero Lissoni and Vincent Van Duysen on its newest door handles. ‘ABC’ handle by Rem Koolhaas, £103.80 (olivari.co.uk).

WORDS: EMMA LOVE PICTURE: CHARLES HOSEA/COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN STUDIO

D E S I G N D E TA I L S

BEST FOR CUSTOM HARDWARE The Nanz Company This US manufacturer makes custom handles, hinges, locks and fittings. There are nearly 100 finishes to choose from, including verdigris, burnished gold and red bronze. ‘No. 2028’ lever, price on application (nanz.com).

D E C O R AT I N G

BEHIND THE PALETTE

Farrow & Ball’s international colour consultant Joa Studholme reveals the secrets of creating this season’s nine new, covetable shades Words KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES

What is your biggest influence as a colour expert? I’ve had the privilege of working with Farrow & Ball for more than twenty years, so a lot of the magic of adding to these palettes has become innate. It is a gut reaction that comes from being immersed in a world of colour day in, day out. However, when the process starts there are three broad influences. The first is trends – colours that feel relevant to the modern home, such as ‘Jitney’, which heralds the use of earthy tones and the end of grey mania! Secondly, there may be existing colours that just need to be adjusted for today’s market, such as ‘Smoked Trout’ (that felt a little too mushroomy), which has now been replaced by ‘Sulking Room Pink’ (a touch warmer). Finally, some popular colours just beg to have lighter or darker friends. ‘School House White’ is the ideal paler version of ‘Shadow White’ and ‘Shaded White’, creating a group of neutrals that are timeless and incredibly easy to use. However much we love colour, neutrals will probably have the widest appeal!

PICTURE: DYLAN THOMAS

Wall painted in new shade ‘Preference Red’

Where did you find the inspiration for the new paint shades? Every time I washed my son’s workwear I would look at the colour and long to paint it on the wall – even more so when it had been laundered over many years. From this thought, ‘De Nimes’ was born. ‘Rangwali’, meanwhile, had been lodged in my brain since I was at the Holi festival in India, where everyone is sprayed with vibrant colours. When I looked in the mirror that night, the powder I had been covered in included this fabulous pink. Our new green, ‘Bancha’, began life as a stronger version of ‘Olive’, an archive hue, but I spent a huge amount of time trying to perfect it. I eventually came across it in tea made by a Japanese friend.

How do you feel growing colour trends reflect the way we live now? As homeowners have become braver and started to move away from the grey palette of the past ten years, the natural progression has been towards the ➤ NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 57

colours of nature. Deep greens and blues feel protective, so have started to be used in living rooms that we retire to at night. Also, in times of international turmoil, we all tend to gravitate towards warmer red-based colours that make us feel like we are being given a great big hug and can forget about the outside world.

Is creating a new palette a lengthy process?

As soon as a set of colours is finalised, my head is bursting with ideas for the next ones. Their creation starts in the simplest of ways: at my kitchen table, where ramekins are filled with shades that are mixed and remixed. It may seem very basic, but it’s extremely efective.

Of the nine new shades, which do you think will win the most decorating fans? ‘Paean Black’ is the most fashion forward. I feel that the modern home is ready for deep, warm tones after years of ubiquitous charcoal – and who can resist this bohemian dark that conjures up ancient libraries? However, not everyone will want to embrace the drama of this hue, so for

T H E N E W PA L E T T E ‘School House White’

‘Jitney’

‘Rangwali’

‘Sulking Room Pink’

‘Preference Red’

‘Treron’

‘Bancha’

‘De Nimes’

‘Paean Black’

Wall painted in new shade ‘School House White’

58 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

easy living there’s ‘Jitney’, inspired by beaches in the Hamptons, which is less grey than ‘Elephant’s Breath’ but not as warm as ‘Oxford Stone’. Hopefully it will become a favourite.

The colours’ names are so evocative – which did you have the most fun dreaming up? We try to make all of the names intriguing, so that one’s imagination runs wild trying to visualise the colour. However, they are never invented on a whim. The tone of ‘Sulking Room Pink’ was influenced by paints used in traditional ladies’ boudoirs. I spent time considering the boudoir and how it got its name and quickly realised that it is derived from the French word bouder, which means to sulk. ‘De Nimes’, meanwhile, translates as ‘of Nimes’ in reference to the French town where denim, the inspiration for the shade, was first woven. Another new colour, ‘Treron’, is a slightly greener version of the Farrow & Ball classic ‘Pigeon’, so the name comes from a green species of the pigeon family.

When colours have to be placed in the archive to make way for new shades, is the decision a tough one? Colours are retired with a heavy heart. Some may have fallen out of fashion, some are deemed too close to another Farrow & Ball shade, and others are reinvented with a twist.

How many shades do you have in the archive?

Are you keen to bring any out and return them to the colour card? There are 87 colours currently in the archive – each as cherished as they were on the day of their creation. They are still available to buy on request, so they no longer need to be part of our curated palette.

What’s the heritage behind Farrow & Ball’s paint shades? We have many that have been found in historic houses, such as ‘Calke Green’, ‘Book Room Red’ and ‘St Giles Blue’. In this set of new colours there isn’t a direct link to a house, but ‘Preference Red’, with its Baroque quality, is reminiscent of ancient drapes used in Venetian palaces. Despite that it is achingly fashionable for those who favour a luxe look. The paint’s moniker was chosen in honour of our company’s original trade name, Preference Paints.

Which of the new colours would you use in your own home? I am lucky enough to have used all of them. It is essential to look at how they react in diferent lights and in diferent finishes – I am happy to be the guinea pig! Like many people, I love to create some drama for guests on arrival, so my hallway is painted in ‘Bancha’, while the kitchen is made to look as light and bright as possible with ‘School House White’ on the walls. Smaller, darker rooms are painted in the stronger colours to create intimate spaces – a boot room in ‘De Nimes’ and pantry in ‘Rangwali’ are particular favourites. I am not afraid of wearing colour either, but I would hate to detract from the real heroes on the wall!

All Farrow & Ball paints, from £45 for 2.5 litres of Estate Emulsion ( farrow-ball.com)

PICTURES: JAMES MERRELL, LUCKY IF SHARP

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COLOUR

PEARL The natural iridescence of this precious organic material is bringing subtle opulence to homes

PEARL IS RAREFIED AND EXPENSIVE. PRISED FROM ITS SHELL, IT ALLOWS THE WEARER TO BASK IN ITS REFLECTED GLOW

PA I N T S T O T R Y

‘Colours Feature Wall Pearlescent’, £11.73 for one litre, B&Q (diy.com)

‘Pearlescent Glaze’ in white, £55 for 0.94 litres, Benjamin Moore (benjaminmoorepaint.co.uk)

‘Gardenia Pearl Efect’, £69.95 for 2.5 litres, Craig & Rose (craigandrose.com)

60 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

WORDS: KASSIA ST CLAIR PICTURES: GETTY, LUCKY IF SHARP

It would take a hopelessly mundane soul not to find poetry in a pearl. Each usually begins life as a humble piece of grit caught in the shell of a mollusc. The poor creature, irritated beyond endurance, enrobes the intruder in layer upon layer of nacre (also known as mother of pearl), transfiguring the fragment of grit into a smooth, iridescent orb, which may later be prised from its shell and worn as a decorative bauble, allowing the wearer to bask in its reflected glow.

But even if neither poetry nor pearls are your thing, nacre, from which the surface of a pearl is made, should impress you.

If you were to examine a sample under a microscope – as many spellbound scientists have – you would see it is composed of hexagonal platelets laid in brick-like layers and fixed together with a mortar-like substance. The platelets are made of calcium carbonite, like chalk, while the mortar’s a mixture of biopolymers: chitin, lustrin and silk-like proteins. It’s these layers, which are between three hundred and five hundred nanometres thick, that produce the iridescent efect – they interfere with wavelengths of visible light, making them shift and shimmer.

Nacre is one of nature’s super-materials. Quite apart from its unquestionable beauty, it is impressively tough. Some species of mollusc use it to line the interior of their shells as a form of protection. Squeezed by a crab’s nutcracker-like pincer or a pair of researcher’s tweezers, nacre demonstrates an extraordinary resilience. Small cracks may appear, but they are inhibited by the form of the nacre, and, because the cracks don’t spread, the structure stays largely intact, protecting whatever lies within.

Pearl is rarefied and expensive, but should you find yourself overwhelmed with the desire to make like a mollusc and coat the walls of your home with it, there are options. The most literal – and luxurious – way to do so is with tiles made from the real thing. Maya Romanof has a range of shimmering tiles made from hand-inlaid capiz shells in various coloured finishes, from the bright white ‘Natural Pearl’ to the creamy ‘Oyster’ (mayaromanof.com). It’s also possible to buy homeware made from mother of pearl. Milan-based designer Lorenzi Milano crafts pearly tableware, from spice spoons to curlicue butter knives, available at Mr Porter (mrporter.com).

A less on-the-nose, cheaper and more contemporary take can be found in the rise of products with iridescent finishes.

This is something of a slow-burn trend – LSA’s ‘Pearl’ glassware, for example, which has the rounded shape and colourful lustre of soap bubbles (lsa-international.com), has been around for some time – but it has recently been gathering steam. Patricia Urquiola, Tom Dixon and ceramic artists Dimitri Bähler and Maurizio Tittarelli Rubboli have all been playing around with oil-slick pearlescence. No matter how adept these design grandees, however, it is very hard to imagine them ever managing to fully replicate the consummate excellence of the molluscs who conjure glowing gems from a simple core of grit.

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I

f you take your eyes of this page and look down, you will see that your body is encased in cloth. (I am assuming here, dear Reader, that you are not naked.) Perhaps you are sitting on the cushioned seat of a railway or metro carriage, or in the bosom of a plump sofa. You may be enrobed in a flufy towel, confined within the colourful enclosure of a tent or enfolded in bedsheets. All are made of cloth, whether woven, felted or knitted.

Fabrics – both man-made and natural – have changed, defined, advanced and shaped the world we live in. For much of recorded history, the four principal sources of natural fibres – cotton, silk, linen and wool – have borne much of the strain of human ingenuity.

They have been pressed into service to give warmth and protection, demarcate status, confer personal decoration and identity, and provide an outlet for creative talent.

We live surrounded by cloth. We are swaddled in it at birth and shrouds are drawn over our faces in death. We sleep enclosed by layer upon layer of it – like the pea that woke the princess in the fairy tale – and, when we wake, we clothe ourselves in yet more of it to face the world and let it know who we shall be that day.

Clothing and home furnishings are the most obvious use for textiles, but threads and fabrics reside in many places we do not expect them. When I look beyond the cushions and curtains in my living room, I see that my boots are laced with jaunty braided strands of red cotton, and, as I type this, my wrists occasionally bump against a suede-like material called Alcantara that covers my laptop keyboard and is more usually found in high-end cars.

Indeed, the designers of consumer electronics increasingly incorporate fabric, aiming to soften technology. If you own a Google Home, for example, you may have noticed that portions of it are bound in a comforting blend of polyester and nylon. Tech devices are now so much a part of our daily lives, it no longer makes sense for them to look hard-edged and futuristic. Instead, their makers want them to effortlessly blend into our homes, another ➤

MATERIAL

WORLD ELLE Decoration columnist Kassia St Clair’s new book charts the history of textiles, from the dawn of civilisation to now. This exclusive extract will make you rethink your relationship with fabric Illustration PAUL HOLLAND

D E C O R AT I N G

STITCHES IN TIME A brief history of textiles, from the Paleolithic era all the way to today’s high-tech uses C. 32,000 BC The earliest fabrics that we know of

were made by human hand using fibres from flax plants.

C. 5,000 BC Earliest known depiction of a boat with

a mast, dating from this period, has recently been found in the Persian Gulf. Cloth sails meant longer voyages.

C. 4,400 BC The first looms were developed in Egypt.

C. 4,000 BC Silk was developed in China, where they

managed to keep the secret and retain the monopoly on its production for around 5,000 years.

C. 800 BC The ancient Greeks developed the warpweighted loom, using weights made of clay or stone to build up fabrics thread by thread.

C. 100 BC The Silk Road, a map of trade routes that had started around 300 BC, flourished, bringing fabrics from all over the East to the West.

12TH CENTURY Wool became Britain’s most valuable

commodity, creating fortunes for some and even being used to pay the ransom for the return of Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade.

16TH CENTURY Lace became the most potent status

symbol of the European aristocracy, so much so that laws were passed prohibiting commoners from wearing it.

FABRICS OF ALL KINDS HAVE CHANGED, DEFINED, ADVANCED AND SHAPED THE WORLD WE LIVE IN cuddly component of our domestic landscapes. But the idea of ‘softening’ tech products using textiles is inherently odd when you realise that cloth is the original technology, older than pottery or metallurgy, perhaps even than agriculture and stock breeding.

Textiles of all kinds are vital to our lives, and the way we wear and surround our home lives with cloth is central to the future development of our cultures and civilisations. The fabrics we choose and where we get them from still have butterfly-efect consequences on the lives of the people who make them and on the world around us. Perhaps it is time to stop being like early Egyptologists, eagerly tearing through mummies’ linen coverings to grab at the treasures they might contain, and instead aspire to care for, pay attention to and generally admire the materials and the craft of creating cloth itself. We have, after all, been spinning fibres into threads for well over 30,000 years, and then weaving, knitting and knotting those threads into all manner of marvellous objects. A little more attention to all that detail shouldn’t be too much to ask. ‘The Golden Thread: How Fabric Changed History’ by Kassia St Clair, on sale now (£20, John Murray) 64 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

18TH CENTURY The Industrial Revolution was about

more than coal and steel, as over the course of a century the spinning jenny, the water frame, the power loom and a host of other inventions exponentially increased the rates of textile production.

1858 It may have grown on Earth for between ten and

20 million years, but, finally, a senator from South Carolina proclaimed ‘Cotton is King’.

1862 Britain was home to two-thirds of the world’s

mechanical spindles and almost half of all the country’s exports were yarn or cloth.

1951 The singer Bing Crosby wore a denim tuxedo

made by Levi’s, unintentionally paving the way for the denim jacket and changing the course of fashion.

1969 Gore-Tex was created by the American firm W.L.

Gore and Associates from a finely stretched Teflon bonded to nylon or polyester, allowing for clothes to be breathable and more durable in extreme conditions.

2008 The global average for days spent wearing jeans

was reported to be three and a half per week.

2015 Google developed jeans with Levi Strauss & Co

that function like a touchscreen. Smart fabric has been heralded as the wearable tech of the future.

STYLE

DESIGN DECODED

‘CESTONE’ SOFA This woven design by Italian brand Flexform is a contemporary classic that celebrates craftsmanship

WORDS: BECKY SUNSHINE PICTURES: DOMUS

Launched during the Milan furniture fair ten years ago, Italian architect and industrial designer Antonio Citterio’s ‘Cestone’ sofa for Flexform is a modern design classic. The key to its success is that it looks good from all angles, thanks to its hand-stitched and woven strips of 100 per cent Italian saddle hide. It’s a favourite material for the brand – having been secured over a sleek metal structure, it forms the sofa’s back and sides.

As a result, the sofa can live successfully as a centrepiece of a living room, rather than being pushed against a wall. ‘What sets every Flexform product apart,’ says Citterio, ‘is the fact that it is quickly recognisable, conceived for everyday living and always easy to use’.

But what exactly makes the process of this sofa’s construction so special? Put simply, it’s Flexform’s decades-long commitment to supporting Italian craftsmanship. Skilled artisans at its factory in Meda (where all of the brand’s products are made) cut the

THE KEY TO THIS DESIGN’S SUCCESS IS THAT IT LOOKS GOOD FROM EVERY POSSIBLE ANGLE Italian-sourced cowhide strips by hand in a time-honoured tradition, ensuring that there are no imperfections, before weaving and stitching everything into place.

Next, the woven section is secured to the metal frame of the seat back and armrests using aluminium buttons. Then, to create its relaxing, cloud-like softness, the sofa’s base is layered with padding, which is bonded to a protective fabric, before seat cushions – available in a collection of 13 fabrics, including four suede options – are placed on top.

The ‘Cestone’ is available as a sectional two-, three- or four-seater sofa. There are also side tables and a cofee table, which both attach to the sofa, and a matching armchair. Citterio once said that ‘time authenticates the validity of the idea’ – and he was right. A decade after this design’s inception, we’re still appreciating both its entirely relevant construction and its timeless appearance. flexform.it Above and left ‘Cestone’ sofa by Antonio Citterio, from £9,083, Flexform Details The sofa’s recognisable cowhide strips are cut by hand, then weaved and stitched into place

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STYLE

DESIGN HERO

ANNI ALBERS

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WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK PICTURES: © 2018 THE JOSEF AND ANNI ALBERS FOUNDATION/ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK/DACS, LONDON, © THE JOSEF AND ANNI ALBERS FOUNDATION, CONNECTICUT AND ALAN CRISTEA GALLERY, LONDON, © TATE, OLI DOUGLAS/CHRISTOPHER FARR

The Modernist German textile artist and prolific printmaker is finally receiving the recognition she deserves

Despite the Bauhaus school’s progressive values – making design accessible to all and committing to equality – in 1922, the 23-yearold, Berlin-born student Anni Albers (1899–1994) was refused entry to its painting workshop because she was a woman. Instead, she was recommended to enrol in the school of textiles, deemed more appropriate. ‘My beginning was far from what I had hoped for,’ she has said of the time. ‘Fate put into my hands limp threads!’

Albers, undeterred, brought her painter’s mind to the loom, and strove to weave said limp threads into innovative, narrative works of art for the next 70 years. Abstract, geometric designs, they are loved by Bauhaus bufs and textile industry insiders, but lesser known by the public. Her artist-educator husband, Josef, creator of the legendary ‘square paintings’, usually takes the limelight.

Happily, this is set to change when the UK’s first solo retrospective of Albers’ work opens at Tate Modern (11 October–27 January 2019; tate.org.uk), in time for the Bauhaus school’s 100-year anniversary next year. The show’s curator, Ann Coxon, points out how modern creatives, from Lisbon artist Leonor Antunes and American sculptor Sarah Sze to British textile designers Eleanor Pritchard and Margo Selby, are producing pieces reflecting Albers’ influence.

Coinciding with the exhibition, London’s Alan Cristea Gallery is holding a show of Albers’ South America-inspired prints produced in her last 20 years (1 October–17 November). Plus, British fabric brand Christopher Farr is bringing more of her enduring patterns into our homes, with two new materials created using the designer’s terrazzo-esque prints, plus a rug available exclusively at Tate.

‘When work is made with threads, it is considered craft, when it’s on paper, it is considered art,’ Albers once wrote. This winter, her own work – on show, on sale and on sofas – suggests that the boundaries she long fought against are finally beginning to blur.

Clockwise from top Albers at her loom. Wall Hanging (1926) by Albers. Do II (1973)

by Albers. Cushion, £75, Beatrice Larkin (beatrice larkin.com). Blanket by Eleanor Pritchard, £295, Tate Shop (shop.tate.org.uk).

Chairs upholstered in one of Christopher Farr’s new fabrics (christopherfarrcloth.com)

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STYLE

D E S T I N AT I O N S T O R E

CARL HANSEN & SØN Full of modern pieces and furniture from the golden era of Danish design, the brand’s new flagship store in London’s Pimlico is a must-visit

What will I find inside? Housed in the 220-square-metre location are iconic designs from every era of the brand’s 110-year history – Frits Henningsen’s ‘Signature’ chairs sit in harmony with Ole Wanscher’s ‘OW150’ daybed and the ‘CH002’ dining table by Hans J Wegner, all overseen by a wall dedicated to the piece most synonymous with the brand, Wegner’s ‘Wishbone’ chair. A bespoke, blackened oak kitchen, made from bookcases and cabinets by Mogens Koch, will host private events, and Louis Poulsen lights are artfully dotted throughout.

Why should I visit? Furniture aside, it’s worth a trip for the sheer beauty of the space. A palette of dark greens, burgundy reds, navy blues and subtle greys gives the store an intimate air, while vertical wall tiles and flowing curtains add texture. ‘I wanted to create a new destination where visitors will feel an emotional connection, and that will reflect the brand’s celebration of natural materials,’ explains designer Despina Curtis, who transformed the store. ‘We added subtle design details with the tile-clad columns and curved window plinths’. Not simply for shopping, this is a place for wandering, dreaming and gathering inspiration. carlhansen.com 70 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

‘I WANTED TO CREATE A NEW DESTINATION WHERE VISITORS WILL FEEL AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION’ From top A kitchen made from furniture by Mogens Koch will host events in-store. The new flagship’s exterior. ‘Addition’ sofas by Kaare Klint, from £5,190; ‘Shell’ chair

by Hans J Wegner, from £2,250; ‘MK98860’ folding table by Mogens Koch, from £775, all Carl Hansen & Søn

WORDS: AMY MOOREA WONG PICTURES: BEN ANDERS

What’s the story? Joining Carl Hansen & Søn’s Clerkenwell store, opened in 2015, as its new UK flagship, 48A Pimlico Road expands the brand into west London, ready to cater to private customers as well as the interior designers and architects that already regularly frequent its first outpost. With its modern design ethic, the new store stands out on the street, which is known for its antiques shops selling artworks and more traditional oferings. And with pieces from the likes of designers Kaare Klint, Hans J Wegner and Arne Jacobsen, the space easily upholds the area’s reputation for fine furniture.

STYLE

M Y C U LT U R A L L I F E

INÈS DE LA FRESSANGE An arbiter of taste tells us what they’re reading, watching and more French model, designer, businesswoman and author Inès de la Fressange has been a paragon of Parisian style since the 1970s, when she was dubbed ‘the talking mannequin’ thanks to her inclination to give forthright, feminist opinions to the press. Now 61, she continues to run her eponymous fashion brand and write a popular weekly email newsletter, as well as being Roger Vivier’s global ambassador. A book published this month, titled Maison: Parisian Chic at Home (£30, Flammarion) sees de la Fressange visit 15 stylish homes and their owners in the French capital, along with co-author Marin Montagut (@inesdelafressangeoicial; lalettredines.com).

‘BOOKS ABOUT BUDDHISM CHANGED MY WAY OF SEEING LIFE AND PEOPLE’

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My favourite museum is the Musée Rodin in Paris – I would actually like to live in it.

When my daughters were tiny and it was a sunny day, I used to take them to visit its garden. The Kiss is probably Rodin’s most famous sculpture, but I love all of his work.

The last exhibition I saw was a showcase of the French-Russian painter Nicolas de Staël’s landscapes (3 Sicily, 1954) at the Caumont Centre d’Art in Aix-en-Provence. When an exhibition is this extraordinary, it sparks the desire to go and make things yourself.

If I won the lottery, the work of art I’d buy would be a painting by Jean-Baptiste Sécheret – he’s a contemporary artist I’ve just discovered and I adore his work. Some Delacroix drawings, a Matisse painting and a piece by Basquiat would also look perfect in my home!

I collect baskets. It’s actually become a bit of an addiction. I cannot resist buying them.

I’d start a free day in London by eating scones at my hotel (Brown’s). After that, I’d buy fudge at Fortnum & Mason, have lunch with Bella Freud, pick up a lotion from gentlemen’s barbershop Truefitt & Hill, order a suit at Anderson & Sheppard on Savile Row, then go to the V&A (4) and the Tate.

My favourite place in the world is Jaipur in India (1). I like to go to the Gem Palace jewellery shop to visit my friend [ jewellery designer] Marie-Hélène de Taillac, sit by the pool and walk through the bazaar. I’m always just so happy to be there.

Home is the happiness created by the sum of tiny details. The way I decorate changes according to time and place. I want to feel as if I’m on holiday the moment I come home.

WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK PICTURES: GETTY, ALAMY

My all-time favourite piece of music is diicult to choose – it’d be easier to ask me if I prefer my mother or my father! My taste in music varies wildly depending on where I am, so I listen to everything from Ed Sheeran to Maria Callas, Mozart to the Rolling Stones. But since you’ve asked nicely, I’ll answer: That’s How Strong My Love Is by Otis Redding (2).

I’m currently listening to I Believe by Alex Hepburn. I think she’s the new Janis Joplin.

The books that have influenced me are those written by the Dalai Lama, and Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. I’m very interested in Buddhism, and these books have changed my way of seeing life and people.

At the moment, I’m reading a classic that I have never read before: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (5). It’s a big book, but I can’t stop devouring it – it’s like a drug!

A quote I particularly like is ‘At this precise moment, everything is fine’. Often, we all forget to stop and appreciate the present, so repeating this can transform your life.

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KITCHENS & BATHROOMS /

GOOD LIFE Life Kitchens’ ethos is to create ‘kitchens for living’, designed around the way each customer uses their space. With no pre-conceived aesthetic, the brand encourages you to mix and match doors, surfaces and handles, and ofers a palette of 32 paint shades – no two kitchens will be the same. Its Waterloo showroom houses a 4D virtual reality theatre, so you can even walk around your chosen design before building work begins. Kitchens from £25,000 (life-kitchens.co.uk).

T O P TA P Beautifully

SHINE ON Bagno Design’s ‘Monroe’ vanity unit is a masterclass in how to subtly use metallics in the bathroom – finished in ‘Platinum’ (left) or ‘Gold’, it’s topped with a slice of blackened wood. £1,899 (bagno designlondon.com).

pared-back and minimal in design, Grohe’s ‘Atrio’ tap – available in more than 30 versions in three finishes – is a simple cylindrical arc that rests on a circular base. £568.80 for the basin mixer in chrome (grohe.co.uk).

INVISIBLE EXTRACTION So minimal you can barely see it, Falmec’s ‘Alba’ cooker hood is a feat of kitchen engineering.

Its only visible element is an ultra-discreet glass frame slightly protruding from the ceiling (which also doubles as an LED light) – the inner panel can be painted to match its surroundings. £1,800 (falmec.co.uk).

WORDS: AMY MOOREA WONG

R O C K S TA R Give bathtime a luxurious edge with THG Paris’s ‘Montaigne’ tub by French interior designer Stéphanie Coutas. Sitting atop a piece of ‘Grand Antique’ marble, it’s part of a collection that also includes marblehandled taps and accessories. £15,036, West One Bathrooms (westonebathrooms.com).

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TECHNOLOGY / BYE BYE BUFFERING Fast, reliable internet is the secret to a happy family home.

Netgear’s ‘Orbi RBK20’ tri-band whole home Wi-Fi system eliminates dead zones and maximises the reach and quality of your signal. £230 (netgear.co.uk).

LIGHT FANTASTIC Paint with light, using the new wi-fi-enabled ‘Beam’ smart light by Lifx. Create the ambience of a sunset or select a 1980s Miami-style spectrum from the 16 million colour options available. With ten lighting zones per beam, shades can be blended together via the free app and controlled using voice commands. £199 for a starter kit featuring six LED strips (uk.lifx.com).

CLIMATE CONTROL

WIRELESS WONDER Marie Wolt’s wireless charging pads are more than just a fuss-free way to power your smartphone. Designed in Sweden, they’re things of beauty. Compatible with new iPhones and most Android devices. £40 (mariewolt.com).

Netatmo’s ‘Weather Station’ helps create healthier living environments. The aluminium cylinders monitor everything from CO2 levels to humidity – indoors and out – while the optional ‘Rain Gauge’ (£60) tells you when to water your garden. £140 (netatmo.com).

A TV needn’t dominate your living room. Samsung’s ‘Q9F’ QLED 4K TV artfully blends into any space thanks to its ambient mode. Take a photo of it on the wall using the ‘SmartThings’ app and the TV will match the pattern or texture, making it (almost) invisible. A magical efect, and a great way to work a big screen into your home. From £1,999 (samsung.com).

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WORDS: TOM BAILEY

HIGH-TECH MINIMALISM

PROMOTION

Every element of an interior needs to be balanced, which is why Philips TV believes the best technology deserves a design standard to match. Its process focuses on how each model will complement your lifestyle and home. The 803 OLED TV embodies this ambition, combining exceptional technology with award-winning design for a television that fits seamlessly into modern spaces.

Winning a coveted EISA Award for Best Buy in 2018-2019, the 803 OLED TV is designed to enhance the ambience of your home. Its razor-thin frame incorporates Ambilight – intelligent LED lighting that projects a multi-coloured glow matching the image on screen onto your walls, creating a truly immersive viewing experience.

Unlike conventional LED TVs, the 803 OLED’s screen doesn’t need a backlight. Instead, each pixel

produces its own light and colour, reverting to true black when it’s of. Colours are vivid, while details have more depth. The true blacks ofer a contrast so exceptional that you’ll appreciate every nuance, and motion is so smooth that you’ll enjoy every bit of the drama, no matter how fast the action.

This superior visual quality is matched by DTS HD Premium Sound, which delivers high-end audio processing for an enveloping sound that preserves the purity of the original content, with deep bass and reliably crystal-clear dialogue.

Combined with effortless controls that offer intuitive operation, the result is a television that functions both as a focal point and a discreet addition to your living room. When every element of your home is considered and curated to perfection, why settle for anything less? philips.com/tv

‘We design products aimed at enriching the lives of people and their homes’ Rod White, head of design at Philips TV

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX

Great design meets cutting-edge technology in the 803 OLED television from Philips TV – soon to become an integral part of your living space

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DESIGN & A R C H I T E CTURE INSPIRING INTERIORS

/ LANDMARK BUILDINGS/ NAMES TO KNOW

Edited by A MY MOOREA WONG

PICTURE: RORY GARDINER (PHOTOGRAPHY), EMMA ARCHER (STYLING)

Meet the creative forces shaping the houses we live in, from innovative architects to interior designers with vision.

Plus, a personal look at London’s Barbican estate

The Florida Street house in London’s Bethnal Green

by Paper House Project

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

A rc hit e c t ure dire c t o r y Our guide to the most innovative UK-based, globally recognised architecture practices and the inspiring buildings they’ve created Words JAMES WILLIAMS

PICTURE: MARCUS PEEL

H AY H U R S T & C O This east London studio is the one to commission if you want to build a house on a small, urban plot, or to extend your home. For Hairy House, an extension to an end-of-terrace Victorian property in west London, the firm playfully created an angular structure to form a new indoor/outdoor space, while masking the building with a wild grass meadow roof that resembles a fine head of hair (hence its name). More recently, the practice completed Whole House (pictured), sited on an old garage plot in south London. Its two storeys are organised around a central glass-walled courtyard, allowing light into both levels, with built-in storage keeping the interior looking as minimalist as the build. hayhurstand.co.uk ➤ NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 83

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ULTRA-MODERN NEW BUILDS AND SMART INTERVENTIONS THAT

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TRANSFORM HISTORIC HOMES

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DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

SIMON ASTRIDGE ARCHITECTURE WORKSHOP Simon Astridge heads up a collective of highly skilled architects, designers and craftspeople. Past projects include Wine Cellar in London (1), a darkly dramatic space featuring concrete and black metalwork, as well as the acclaimed Clay House, a home covered floorto-ceiling in natural clay, dug up by hand in north Cornwall. This year, the studio completed Brass House in west London – its honey-coloured metallic features, used throughout, were inspired by the homeowners’ memories of the opulent interiors seen on holidays in Portugal and Israel. simonastridge.com

RURAL OFFICE FOR ARCHITECTURE

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These architects know a thing or two about building rural homes. Last year, the practice won the RIBA House of the Year accolade for Caring Wood, a modern reimagining of a traditional country estate, in Kent.

The design was lauded by RIBA president Ben Derbyshire for ‘displaying ideas that will influence UK housing for many years to come’. This year, the innovation has continued, with Alma Grange (2), a light, modern addition to a 150-year-old home on the Cardigan coast. ruraloiceforarchitecture.co.uk

PA P E R H O U S E P R O J E C T

PICTURES: KEITH COLLIE, JOHAN DEHLIN, JOSÉ HEVIA BLACH, ALAN WILLIAMS, BEN BLOSSOM, WHOLE PICTURE, NICHOLAS WORLEY, RORY GARDINER, JAMES BRITTAIN

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L I D D I C O AT & G O L D H I L L Husband and wife duo David Liddicoat and Sophie Goldhill set up their east London practice in 2011, taking a real hands-on approach – the studio’s architects often design as they go, on-site. It’s an unusual way of working that’s far from the norm, but it works, as demonstrated in projects such as the Ancient Party Barn in Kent (6) and Makers House in London.

The latter, with its palette of raw concrete, narrow brick and reclaimed mahogany, has been shortlisted for the 2018 RIBA House of the Year Award. liddicoatgoldhill.com

TDO ARCHITECTURE Tom Lewith, Doug Hodgson and Owen Jones founded this practice in 2012, following a one-of commission to design an architectural dolls’ house, and haven’t looked back since. This year, the trio created a standout installation for Clerkenwell Design Week, made of sustainable polystyrene, which was recycled after the festival. One of the studio’s early designs, Forest Pond House (7), a contemporary wooden folly built in the grounds of a home in rural Hampshire, is emblematic of the team’s approach to design: simple, geometric forms and honest, exposed materials. tdoarchitecture.com

J O N AT H A N T U C K E Y D E S I G N

Set up by architect James Davies, this young, east London-based practice creates trendy living spaces, reworking industrial, warehouse-style sites with beautiful, hard-wearing materials. Davies recently transformed a dilapidated warehouse in Hackney into a chic two-bedroom home (3), with black powder-coated Crittall windows and door frames, polished concrete floors, black marble details and dark-stained oak furniture. paperhouseproject.co.uk

Having previously worked for British architects David Chipperfield and Fletcher Priest, Jonathan Tuckey founded his own studio in 2000. His passion is to encourage others to design within existing buildings, rather than demolishing historic structures in favour of new builds. He recently completed apartments within the cast-iron circular framework of the grade II-listed Gasholders (8) in King’s Cross – preserving a feature of the London skyline that has stood for the past 150 years. jonathantuckey.com

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NIMTIM

This award-winning practice is known for creating intricate and considered spaces, including Paul Smith’s Mayfair store, with its complex cast-iron façade, and the contemporary warehouse home and studio of fashion photographer Juergen Teller. This year, it completed Coastal House (4) in Devon, stripping back the building’s thick stone walls and air-dried oak beams to enhance its original beauty. It’s this elegantly light touch that earned the team a nomination for the 2018 RIBA House of the Year Award. 6a.co.uk

This studio, set up three years ago by architect couple Tim O’Callaghan and Nimi Attanayake, has a penchant for injecting quirky touches of pattern and colour into every project. Yellow House (9) in London is a perfect example, with its sunny detailing. Completed this spring, Slot House, also in the capital, shows how architects can add value to existing buildings. The Georgian semi-detached home was badly lit and had a complicated layout, which Nimtim addressed by slotting in a double-height window. nimtim.co.uk

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D AV I D K O H N A R C H I T E C T S

In the past 12 years, this practice, headed up by Patrick Michell and Claire McKeown, has built up a diverse portfolio ranging from cultural and educational buildings to large housing schemes. Last year, it completed Backwater (5), a cedar-clad holiday home in the Norfolk Broads, winning a RIBA East Award.

Recent projects include Kings Road, a family home in west London with a sculptural exterior that cascades into a series of terraces at the rear, perfectly filling its awkward triangular plot. platform5architects.com

Busier than ever, this practice is currently working on major projects with the likes of the V&A, Oxford’s New College and the ICA. Before moving on to huge cultural builds, however, Kohn rose to fame designing highly acclaimed homes, something the studio continues to do today. A highlight is Carrer Avinyó (10), a luxurious, wedge-shaped apartment in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter that features a floor decorated with patterned tiles by Mosaics Martí, the firm that supplied the Spanish city’s most famous architect, Antoni Gaudí. davidkohn.co.uk ➤

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DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

Specialising in producing well-crafted, environmentally and socially sustainable homes, Jake Edgley’s Londonbased practice was founded in 2004. It’s known for its minimalist aesthetic, with each property the firm designs responding to its location. Pear Tree House (above) in southeast London, for instance, was constructed around a 100-year-old tree from the site’s Victorian orchard. Meanwhile, Secret House, located near a busy London market, is hidden away from the noise. Surrounded by high walls, it’s cleverly lightened by strategically placed skylights. edgleydesign.co.uk

THAT CELEBRATES CRAFTSMANSHIP MCLAREN EXCELL Founded by architects Luke McLaren and Robert Excell in 2010, this practice focuses on producing minimalist homes that celebrate detailed craftsmanship and honest materials – Kew House (below) in west London is a true example. Its seamless polished concrete floor and poured concrete kitchen island are softened by oak panelling and decorated with slender, fluted details that have the efect of visually heightening the walls. mclarenexcell.com ➤

PICTURES: SIMONE BOSSI

ENVIRONMENTALLY SUSTAINABLE

HOMES AND A SITE

EDGLEY DESIGN

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CARL TURNER ARCHITECTS

C H A N + E AY R S

Known for its high-impact, low-cost designs, this south London practice, set up by architect and lecturer Carl Turner in 2006, champions the use of innovative materials. Key builds include the rural Stealth Barn in Cambridgeshire (above), with its plywood and chipboard interior and Slip House in London, which won the RIBA Manser Medal in 2013.

The firm’s currently working on a luxurious home in Brighton, described by Turner as ‘a cool example of low-slung Californian Modernism’. ct-architects.co.uk

CREATIVE APPROACH TO COLOUR

PICTURES: TIM CROCKER, TOBY LEWIS THOMAS

London-based husband-and-wife team Zoe Chan and Merlin Eayrs are all-round creatives, considering not just every fixture, fitting and piece of furniture, but the photography used to present their work, too. The pair say they spend at least two years on every project, honing new skills. This year, they completed The Beldi, (below) situated in a former shoe factory in Shoreditch, London. Attention to detail is obvious in this space, from its mint green accents to the difering patterns of flooring tiles, used to create zones. chanandeayrs.com

MATERIALS AND ANDA MATERIALS

INNOVATIVE USES OF UNEXPECTED

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DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

View f ro m the top

Frida Escobedo, the architect behind this year’s Serpentine pavilion, tells us why the look of her Mexico City home is dictated by its urban vista

Words JOSH SPERO Photography NIN SOLIS/LIVING INSIDE

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‘CREATING SOPHISTICATED OR COMPLEX THINGS DOESN’T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH USING EXPENSIVE MATERIALS’

A rc hit e c t

Frida Escobedo takes a much more harmonious and considered approach to the natural world than many others in her profession.

When she moved into her apartment in Mexico City earlier this year, she decided that the view – ‘this beautiful urban landscape, the trees, the buildings’ – was unmatchable, and that she would design her home to complement it. ‘Why would I choose to fill this space with things?’ she asks. ‘Instead, I can play with the idea of having small compositions, a well-placed piece of art or a photograph.’

Following this ethos of restraint, the apartment contains just a few, carefully selected pieces of furniture, including a Marcel Breuer ‘Club’ chair (a gift from her father), a sapphire-coloured Calvin Klein rug and a seat made of volcanic rock, designed by Frida herself. There are objects that straddle the practical and the creative, such as the geometrical copper maquette, originally made for an Aesop shop interior, that has been placed on a bookshelf.

The result is a tranquil aesthetic that Frida has developed with help from her friends – many of them artists, with whom she exchanges pieces. Her latest is the abstract monochrome panel in the entrance hall, which is by her best friend, Rodolfo Díaz Cervantes.

Frida’s own recent work includes this year’s Serpentine pavilion (she’s the youngest architect ever to take on the world-famous commission). Inspired by a style of Mexican latticework called

celosia, its walls are a web of grey concrete roof tiles, arranged so that the light within constantly changes as the sun moves through the sky, or behind this summer’s rare patches of cloud.

The concrete tiles might seem a utilitarian choice, but this focus on the practical is a characteristic of Frida’s architecture. From early on in her career, she relied on using cheaper items, assured in her belief that, in her words, ‘creating sophisticated or complex things doesn’t have anything to do with using expensive materials’.

Unlike her home, where the location dominated all design decisions, Frida knew that the pavilion would only be in situ in the grounds of London’s Serpentine Gallery for a few months, before being moved to an as-yet unspecified location. This uncertainty influenced her process: ‘The pavilion breaks with the notion that architecture is site-specific and permanent. The notions of place and temporality completely change.’ Those strong yet delicately

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

Living room A Marcel Breuer ‘Club’ chair and a ‘Paulistano’ chair by Paulo Mendes da Rocha are placed alongside the sofa, which is a flea market find.

The large rug is by Calvin Klein and the woven stool is from Txt.ure Stockist details on p195

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MANY OF THE OBJECTS IN FRIDA’S HOME STRADDLE THE PRACTICAL AND CREATIVE

latticed walls, however, will always look spectacular, with the sun turning them into a spectacle, whatever its eventual setting.

Frida’s other major design projects span the fields of art and architecture. They include the former home of artist David Alfaro Siqueiros (now a museum) in Mexico, and an installation, consisting of rectangular and curved platforms, unveiled in the John Madejski Garden at London’s Victoria & Albert Museum in 2015. They may initially seem very diferent, but Frida’s designs all have a shared DNA. ‘Initially, I thought they were separate, but now I see that it’s the same thing,’ she says. ‘We’re talking about space in diferent tones, but always using the same language.’

Back in Mexico City, Frida is still putting her stamp on the place, making quietly confident decorative statements with each piece of furniture she adds. At first, she didn’t spend much time here, due to her work commitments, which have included a stint at California’s Stanford University and working on a ‘civic stage’ – a wooden platform that people can climb on – in a public square in Portugal.

Now, however, she is a more permanent resident. She may be settled, but her home, she says, is ‘constantly evolving’. fridaescobedo.net

Dining area Located at the back of the living room, this ‘2485’ desk by Florence Knoll is perfect for work and entertaining. It is surrounded by ‘Standard’ chairs

by Jean Prouvé and lit by the ‘Two Arm’ wall light by Serge Mouille Detail, left The bookcase, a design by Frida, displays curated objects, such as a small piece of blue marble from Marmol Stockist details on p195 ➤

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DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

FRIDA’S TRANQUIL HOME FEATURES ART BY HER FRIENDS AND PLENTY OF GREENERY Lobby, above and right Homeowner Frida sits beside a Tom Dixon ‘Form’ bowl, that is placed beneath a ‘Marble Pendant’ light by Hay Below Plants create an urban jungle – the Monstera deliciosa was a gift from artist Max Hooper Schneider Stockist details on p195

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DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

Int e rior d e sig n dire c t o r y We move inside to meet the internationally admired designers creating original, stylish and inspirational living spaces Words EMMA LOVE

NOTE DESIGN STUDIO, STOCKHOLM Since being founded a decade ago by Johannes Carlström and Cristiano Pigazzini, this design collective (which has seven interior architects in its 12-strong team) has garnered a reputation for using bold shades that challenge the norms of Scandinavian minimalism. ‘We only do private homes when we get carte blanche in terms of style,’ explains one of Note’s interior designers, Daniel Heckscher. ‘We try to be courageous in our work and, when we have clients who are the same, the results can be mind-blowing.’ notedesignstudio.se ➤

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HARDING & READ, LONDON Whether she is designing a live-work space for students in Surrey or rejigging a Regency villa in London into a family home, Nicola Harding (she started the company 11 years ago; Orla Read joined in 2011) is passionate about buildings. ‘My key source of inspiration is historic properties, anything from a 1970s café to an ancient castle,’ she says. ‘And I’m fascinated by antiques, be they fabric remnants or pieces of furniture.’ In practical terms, this translates into Harding and Read tracking down secondhand treasures, collaborating with craftspeople on bespoke pieces and championing unusual colour combinations. hardingandread.com

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

LIM + LU, HONG KONG This young interior design and architecture practice, co-founded by husband and wife Vincent Lim and Elaine Lu three years ago, has already scooped a rising talent award at Parisian design fair Maison & Objet (Lim is also named in this year’s Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list).

Experimental colour combinations and clean lines are key for the couple, who met at Cornell University in Ithaca, US. They launched their ‘Mass’ series – a daybed, sofa and pullout bed, all using brass and pastel tones – in 2017. ‘We approach interior design with an architectural mindset, so spatial planning is important,’ says Lu. limandlu.com

S T U D I O D AV I D T H U L S T R U P, COPENHAGEN A Scandinavian take on shape and a palette of contemporary materials are the two ideas that form the backbone of David Thulstrup’s pared-back interiors (he often posts his latest moodboards on social media). The designer, who worked for Jean Nouvel and Peter Marino before setting up his studio in 2009, also puts an emphasis on what the Danish call stedsans (it translates as the idea of a sense of place) and how that afects interiors. Residential projects include the home of photographer Peter Krasilnikof (above), built around a mirrored atrium. This year, Thulstrup also completed the interior of the new Noma restaurant. studiodavidthulstrup.com

PICTURES: AMY BARTLAM, PETER KRASILNIKOFF

ETC.ETERA, LA Since joining forces two years ago, interior designer Sally Breer and creative director Jake RodehuthHarrison have produced some of the coolest hangouts in Los Angeles, including Cafe Birdie in Hotel Covell.

Their studio creates narrative-driven spaces that mix new, custom and vintage pieces. ‘We try to include a wild card in every interior – that element that doesn’t quite fit, but somehow its oddity is what makes it work,’ says Rodehuth-Harrison. Alongside the full design service, the studio also ofers ‘Design Lite’, where it puts together a room concept and clients do the rest themselves. etcforshort.com ➤ NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 101

CROSBY STUDIOS, NEW YORK First it was pink (below), then royal blue, and now it is purple, as seen in a range of playful furniture launched in May this year: for Harry Nuriev, who founded Crosby Studios in Russia in 2014 before relocating to New York, an obsession with a single colour is a recurring theme. ‘Each shade I work with represents a diferent phase of my life,’ he has said. The overriding one in his Williamsburg apartment (which doubles as his showroom) is blue, with a powder-coated sink and a pendant light in the kitchen made from Bic ballpoint pens.

He has just finished designing a yoga studio in Moscow with a black, white and mint green interior. crosby-studios.com

PINZAUER, LONDON Interior designer and property developer Danny Pine regularly collaborates with architect William Smalley on his residential projects, which he describes as being characterised by a restrained elegance. ‘There is nothing bling or faddish, so you’ll see harmony between the architecture of the building and its interior,’ says Pine.

For a recent townhouse (above) in Notting Hill, London – named The Disco House because it was inspired by the dramatic style of Italian socialite Marella Agnelli of the Fiat empire – the cohesive interior featured furniture by Gio Ponti and Carla Scarpa, with a design informed by the reed-like pattern in its oak cladding. pinzauer.com

‘My methodology for each project involves considering the context of the neighbourhood, the history of the building and the client’s personality,’ explains Massimo Adario, who set up his studio 11 years ago. ‘These three factors play of each other in surprising ways.’

Where possible, he makes use of what’s on his doorstep – reinterpreting typical Venetian Palladiana flooring in a modern way, say, or leaving marmorino plaster deliberately unfinished. Current projects include a villa on the edge of a clif in Portugal, ‘which has phenomenal vistas and a wild topography’, a large private residence in Milan and his own home on the upper floor of a Renaissance palace. massimoadario.com

PICTURE: BARBARA ROSSI, ANSON SMART

MASSIMO ADARIO, ROME

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

ARENT & PYKE, SYDNEY When Juliette Arent and Sarah-Jane Pyke went into business together 11 years ago, they made a conscious decision to move away from the minimal interiors that were so prevalent at the time. Instead, says Pyke, ‘we wanted to create homes with warmth and spirit, full of personal objects, art and books, so that people are more connected to the spaces they live in’. Natural materials, considered colours (they often favour dark, cocooning bedrooms) and layered lighting are all signature threads that run through their work. They also pride themselves on always using bespoke designs, whether it’s custom cast-iron and brass handles by local designer Henry Wilson or furniture by Gary Galego. arentpyke.com ➤

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DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

BICKER, MELBOURNE Jenna Densten and her husband Josh (she is in charge of design, he is a plumber by trade and looks after project management) set up Bicker six years ago, after taking part in The Block, an Australian TV show where contestants renovate houses and sell them at auction. Since then, they have established a clear, honest style – lots of warm woods and neutral tones – as well as a reputation for using of-the-shelf building materials, such as plywood and dowel, in innovative new ways. ‘We have lots of fun customising designs to fit tiny spaces and tight budgets – it’s our speciality,’ says Josh. bickerdesign.com.au

D A R I A Z I N O VAT N AYA , ST PETERSBURG Ukrainian industrial and interior designer Daria Zinovatnaya likens the way she uses diferent coloured planes and simple geometric forms in a limited palette to the work of the Suprematist art movement. ‘I start with a single colour, then add in contrasting and complementary shades to create a harmonious composition,’ says Zinovatnaya, who set up her eponymous practice in 2015. Currently, she is working with colour-brave clients on interiors for private homes in Kiev, Moscow and Madrid, as well as putting the finishing touches to her soon-to-launch ‘Cherokee’ chair – a piece inspired by the Bauhaus school of design. zinovatnaya.com

PICTURES: NIKOLE RAMSAY, KAREL BALAS

FESTEN ARCHITECTURE, PA R I S French design couple Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay are perhaps best known for injecting a touch of thoughtful modernity into Paris’s classic Haussmann buildings. The best compliment for the seven-year-old practice (the name means party or feast – the kind of celebrations that often happen at home), says de Tonnac, is that ‘a space looks like it’s always been there’. Its interiors often mix natural materials, such as plaster, ceramics and marble, with a tonal palette. Past projects include a luxury wooden beach shack in Cap Ferret, France (right). festenarchitecture.com ➤ NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 105

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

GISBERT PÖPPLER, BERLIN Gisbert Pöppler describes his rooms as having a ‘composed playfulness’. They combine unconventional materials and textures – a high-gloss cupboard next to a handlacquered one, where the brushstrokes are a deliberate feature, for instance. ‘Pieces produced by craftspeople are rooted in my work,’ he says, ‘whether forged by a smith or hand-knotted on a loom.’ For him, the biggest challenge is to get the structure of a space right – colours are the icing on the cake. gisbertpoeppler.com

VENTURA, MADRID

To see insider guides to decorating from more of our favourite interior designers, head to elledecoration.co.uk 106 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

PICTURE: WOLFGANG STAHR

After working on several projects together, it seemed a natural step for interior designer Reyes Castellano and architect Juan Carlos Fernández to set up Ventura.

That was three years ago, and since then the duo has become known for its quietly confident, inviting spaces.

‘We like to leave materials in their natural state and give a lot of thought to lighting; it is one of the most important aspects of our design style,’ explains Fernandez, citing the studio’s current list of projects as including a residential scheme in Mexico City, which involves designing not just the building itself but the apartments inside, too. venturaestudio.com

In advance of the 50th anniversary of the Brutalist icon that is London’s Barbican estate, a new book by past resident Stefi Orazi celebrates its longevity Photography CHRISTOFFER RUDQUIST

I remember vividly the first time I visited the Barbican estate. It was 1997, I had just graduated from university and got a job as a junior designer for a men’s magazine. It was a hot summer and the Labour government had just got into power. I was broke and in debt, but it didn’t matter – there was positivity in the air.

After a work night out in Soho, a group of us ended up going to Tony the art director’s flat in the Barbican. We got into the lift, went up to the sixth floor and into his (Type 36) apartment and I was speechless. A double-height living space, walls painted in Corbusian brights, simply furnished, books everywhere, wooden ➤

Around the blo ck

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open-tread stairs – it was stunning. We all cooed as Tony explained the curiosities of the Barbican, from the centralised Garchey waste disposal system to the underfloor heating. Some of us ended up staying over and, in the morning, I had to navigate my way through the estate to the tube station.

In the daylight, Gilbert Bridge, which spans the Barbican lake, was a totally diferent experience. To one side of it was the waterfall, and on the other, fountains – what the hell was this amazing place?! And so it was by pure luck that a few weeks later, having found myself with nowhere to live, Tony suggested I could stay in his spare room for a while. What was meant to be a few months stretched to eight years, and my love afair with the Barbican and its architecture has endured. At that time, the Barbican hadn’t reached the fashionable Brutalist status it has today. It was like our little secret. Most people still thought of it as an eyesore,

sometimes topping polls to be named Britain’s ugliest building. It was (and often still is) perceived as a council estate – a notion that seemed bizarre to me, having grown up in one. I’d never come across a council estate that was so impeccably designed and maintained. Stairs, lifts, lobbies, all cleaned and mopped every day.

Rubbish collected from a nifty little two-way cupboard daily, with milk delivered to the hatch above. Private gardens that were pruned and watered to perfection and the Arts Centre literally a lift ride away. This really was a utopia.

Since then, I’ve seen the demographic and the perception of the Barbican completely transform. Had I been smart enough, I would have started saving to put a deposit down on a flat in those early days. A typical Barbican resident back then would have been a middle-aged City worker. The estate was convenient for them location-wise, and very safe – plus, if the exterior was not to their ➤

DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

’AT THAT TIME, THE BARBICAN HADN’T THE FASHIONABLE STATUS IT HAS TODAY. IT WAS LIKE OUR LITTLE SECRET’

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DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

There are 140 diferent types of flats and houses within the Barbican, and the individuality continues inside, with interiors to suit all tastes

taste, that was okay – you could chintz-up the inside of your apartment to your heart’s content. I remember there was a family with children in the apartment across the corridor from us, but apart from them I don’t remember seeing any other kids. The residents’ gardens were barren and, in the summer, I was often the only person sunbathing there. I don’t know when it started to change, but slowly my best-kept secret was no longer a secret. The

Barbican began to be appreciated. Designers, artists and architects with families began to move in and today the gardens are populated with children running about, as the architects envisaged.

With its housing – from tiny studios to townhouses – across 20 diferent blocks, it’s a unique and special place. Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the first residents moving in. It’s hard to imagine anything like it ever being built again. ➤

‘I’VE SEEN THE DEMOGRAPHIC AND THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION OF THE BARBICAN COMPLETELY TRANSFORM’

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DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE

From statement arched windows to sinuously curving banisters on the staircases within the flats, details add to the Barbican’s appeal

A B R I E F H I S T O RY O F THE BARBICAN’S BEGINNINGS

BY JOHN ALLAN The Barbican estate in the City of London is the most complete realisation of a Corbusian vision of modern urbanism anywhere in Britain. As the achievement of a receding era, it has now become increasingly hard to comprehend how a work of such magnitude and tenacity was accomplished, and impossible to imagine that anything of comparable ambition could ever be achieved again.

It is witness to an order of civic valour of which this country no longer seems capable. The Barbican was born from the War, when aerial bombardment efectively created – except for some remnants of The City’s Roman wall and the shell of St Giles’ Church – a tabula rasa site so extensive that nothing less than a strategic plan of commensurate scale would be an adequate response.

After years of deliberation, in 1960 the noble vision emerged of creating an entirely new residential quarter, complete with all the associated amenities and cultural facilities worthy of its central location in a great city, with architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon at the helm. The vast plans included 140 diferent types of apartment, each one a progressive model of domestic design.

Unifying them all was a standard of quality, indeed opulence, that would distinguish the Barbican from the conventional municipal equivalents. Best exemplifying the quest for innovation were surely the kitchens. Of critical importance to the viability of most of the type plans was the need for kitchens and bathrooms to be internal, thereby enabling floorplate depths to be fully exploited and exterior walls to be reserved for habitable rooms, taking inspiration from the design of boats.

The Barbican demonstrates that, contrary to popular myth, dense urban estates can work splendidly when they are well planned, well built and well managed. Its prestigious location, schools, Arts Centre and abundant public realm contribute inestimable added value to the area, but its lasting lesson – so painfully learned in innumerable under-funded system-built estates – is surely that there can be no shortcuts when creating a durable community. Extracted from ‘The Barbican Estate’ by Stefi Orazi, on sale now (£40, Batsford) 114 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

‘IT IS HARD TO COMPREHEND HOW A WORK OF SUCH TENACITY WAS ACCOMPLISHED’

earthy delıghts Embrace the change of the seasons by falling for sumptuous textures and naturally comforting colours – from clay-like shades of pink and grey to deep scarlet, russet and terracotta Photography PAUL RAESIDE Styling HANNAH BORT Styling assistant STEPHANIE ILES

From left ‘Hornblende’ paint (on wall), £48.50 for 2.5 litres, Paint & Paper Library (paintandpaperlibrary.com). ‘Blueberry Twig’ linen wall chart by HK Living, £58, Abode (abodeliving.co.uk). ‘Square’ pouf, £870, Lema (lemamobili.com). Pasta bowl, £34, Tine K Home (tinekhome.com). ‘Loafer’ armchair by Space Copenhagen, from £1,595, &Tradition (andtradition.com). ‘Slinkie’ runner rug by Patricia Urquiola for CC-Tapis, £4,808, Silvera (silveraltd.co.uk). ‘Hase’ floor lamp by JT Kalmar Design Team, £1,714, SCP (scp.co.uk). ‘Gentry’ sofa by Patricia Urquiola, £8,664, Moroso (moroso.co.uk). Yellow cushion, £540, Marta Sala Éditions (martasalaeditions.it). Velvet cushion in ‘Terra’ by HK Living, £38, Darlings (darlingsofchelsea.co.uk). Aluminium coffee table by Max Lamb, £1,464, Deadgood (deadgoodltd.co.uk). ‘Unity’ quarter circle tray, £35; ‘Manu’ candle extinguisher, £32, both AYTM (aytm.dk). ‘Lucca’ glass tumbler in ‘Amber’

by Bitossi, £9, The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk). ‘Ash’ wooden bowl by Rosaria Rattin, £643, Kose (kosemilano.com). Striped cushion, £970, Marta Sala Éditions (martasalaeditions.it). ‘Cesar’ side table, £975, Minotti (minottilondon.com). ‘Kyoto’ striped mug by HK Living, £5, Bringing The Outside In (bringingtheoutsidein.co.uk). ‘Tanka’ vase by Sonia Pedrazzini, £98, LeMorandine (lemorandine.it) ➤

This page, from left ‘Mimosa’ fabric in ‘Poudre’, £127.25 per square metre, Lelièvre (lelievreparis.com). ‘Poppy’ pouf by Nina Jobs, £1,300, Fogia (fogia.se).

‘Labyrinth’ rug by One Nine Eight Five, £749, Heal’s (heals.com). ‘Red Earth’ paint (on back wall), £45 for 2.5 litres, Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com). ‘Alton’ armchair by David Lopez Quincoces, £4,655, Lema (lemamobili.com). Cushion, £540, Marta Sala Éditions (martasalaeditions.it). ‘Enfold’ sideboard by Thomas Bentzen, £1,549, Muuto (muuto.com). ‘Theca’ leather boxes, from £43 each, AYTM (aytm.dk). Bowl, £20, Tine K Home (tinekhome.com). ‘Asfalto’ clay bottle

by Rosaria Rattin, £355, Kose (kosemilano.com). ‘Bloom’ vase, £179, BoConcept (boconcept.com). ‘Achille’ table lamp by Lazzarini & Pickering, £3,176, Marta Sala Éditions (martasalaeditions.it). ‘Aeron’ side table by Rodolfo Dordoni, £1,310, Minotti (minottilondon.com). Mug, £13, Tine K Home (tinekhome.com). ‘Globe’ vase

by AYTM, £64.99, Trouva (trouva.com) Opposite ‘Cesar’ side table, as before. ‘Tanka’ vase, as before. ‘Kyoto’ striped mug, as before ➤

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From left ‘Beetlenut’ paint (on wall), £48.50 for 2.5 litres, Paint & Paper Library (paintandpaperlibrary.com). ‘Zet’ shelving by Kaschkasch, £919, Menu (menu.as).

White ceramic bowl by Kasper Würtz, £120, Sigmar (sigmarlondon.com). Brown ceramic jug, £39; ‘Kyoto’ striped mugs, £5 each, both by HK Living, The Old Mill Stores (theoldmillstores.ie). White ceramic dinner plates by Kasper Würtz, £60 each, Sigmar (sigmarlondon.com). ‘North’ bowl, £64, BoConcept (boconcept.com). ‘Tumulte’ rug by Inga Sempé for Golran, £10,200, Moroso (moroso.co.uk). ‘Ordinal’ dining table by Michael Anastassiades, £5,635, Cassina (cassina.com). ‘Scatola’ rectangular vase by Sonia Pedrazzini, £98, LeMorandine (lemorandine.it). White vase, £1,088, Humble Matter (humblematter.com).

‘Chemelea’ pink vase by Chiara Andreatti, £125, Paola C (paolac.com). Candleholder, £26, Tine K Home (tinekhome.com). Candle, stylist’s own. White ceramic plates by Kasper Würtz, £40 each, Sigmar (sigmarlondon.com). ‘Kyoto’ dessert plates by HK Living, £9 each, Folk Interiors (folkinteriors.co.uk). Ceramic bowls

by Kasper Würtz, £50 each, Sigmar (sigmarlondon.com). ‘Cila’ chairs by Lievore Altherr, from £460 each, Arper (arper.com). ‘Pazi’ fabric in ‘Rose Thé’, £214.50 per square metre, Dedar (dedar.com). Candleholder, £33, Tine K Home (tinekhome.com). Cider jug, £49; ‘Lucca’ glass tumbler in ‘Amber’, as before, both by Bitossi, The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk). Ceramic bowl by Kasper Würtz, as before. ‘Brick Lane’ spoon, £5, Designers Guild (designersguild.com). ‘Orion’ pendant light, £2,550 as pictured, Lee Broom (leebroom.com). ‘Hornblende’ paint (on wall), as before. ‘Alphabeta’ floor lamp by Luca Nichetto, £620, Hem (hem.com) ➤

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Opposite, from left ‘Tumulte’ rug, as before. ‘Cila’ chair, as before. ‘Ordinal’ dining table, as before. ‘Kyoto’ rustic dinner plate by HK Living, £17, Folk Interiors (folkinteriors.co.uk). ‘Brick Lane’ cutlery, from £4 per piece, Designers Guild (designersguild.com). ‘Unity’ half circle tray, £43, AYTM (aytm.dk).

‘Kyoto’ dessert plate, as before. ‘Drupe’ spice mill in ‘Dark Green Ash’, £49, Ferm Living (fermliving.com). ‘Lucca’ tumbler, as before. Vase, £363, Humble Matter (humblematter.com). Pasta bowl, as before This page, from left ‘Basket’ rocking chair by Vico Magistretti, £2,435, De Padova (depadova.com). ‘Hornblende’ paint (on wall), as before. ‘Obi’ fabric in ‘Brique’, £74 per square metre, Lelièvre (lelievreparis.com). ‘Marmaduke’ writing desk by Flexform, £7,181, Harrods (harrods.com). ‘Uma’ notebooks, £17.70 each; ‘Even’ weekly journal, £21.30, all Notem (notem-studio.com). Ceramic vase by HK Living, £12.50, Collard Manson (collardmanson.co.uk). Blue ceramic cup by Kasper Würtz, £40, Sigmar (sigmarlondon.com). ‘Tip’ table lamp by Jens Fager, £245, Muuto (muuto.com).

‘PK11’ chair by Fritz Hansen, from £2,738, Skandium (skandium.com). ‘The Moor AP6’ rug by All The Way to Paris, £1,530, &Tradition (andtradition.com)

HOMES ROME

/ L O N D O N / C O P E N H A G E N / M U N I C H / G R E AT K A R O O

BUILT TO IMPRESS Be inspired by the homes in this month’s architecture special, all of which show the possibilities of great design

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PICTURE: LUCKY IF SHARP, COMPILED BY KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES

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1 ‘Luxor’ tile, £45 per square metre, Claybrook (clay brookstudio.co.uk) 2 ‘Honed Bianco Carrara’ tile, £156 per square metre, Salvatori (salvatori.it) 3 ‘Casablanca Mono Decor 12’ tile, £48 per square metre, Mandarin Stone (mandarinstone.com) 4 ‘4033 Rugged Concrete’ tile, from £550 per square metre, Caesarstone (caesarstone.co.uk)

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The smooth patina found in poured concrete gives this home a delicately industrial edge

BRUTALIST

Words EMMA LOVE Photography LUKE WHITE & GILBERT MCCARRAGHER Styling SARA MATHERS

Dining area A specially commissioned industrial glass table on castors is paired with mismatched seating, including an aluminium and velvet chair by Mark Brazier-Jones and the ‘Costes’ design by Philippe Starck for Driade. To one side, a blackened steel wall is the backdrop for glass shelves that display the owner’s objects Stockist details on p195 ➤

this former industrial unit has been transformed into a ground floor studio oice to let and a lateral first floor, five-bedroomed family home. ‘It’s an unusual site in that the gardens of the neighbouring Victorian houses back onto it on all four sides,’ says Andrew House, an associate at Carmody Groarke, the British architectural practice that undertook the renovation.

From the outset, the property’s owner was keen on using exposed concrete for the interior, and wanted to create a warehouse-loft feel with an open-plan living space. ‘Poured concrete is quite sculptural – as a material, it has traditionally been used in construction, but in recent years, it has been appreciated much more for the qualities of its finish,’ explains Andrew.

Bringing in additional industrial-style materials that complement the concrete – such as a wall lined top-to-bottom with oak doors in the hallway, a blackened steel shelf unit by the dining table and a double vanity unit made from finely veined Carrara marble in the main bedroom’s ensuite – prevents the home from looking too stark.

‘Each room has a glass door that faces a small, intimate courtyard, which allows lots of light to pour into the house,’ says Andrew. ‘The glass doors in the living space slide right back into the pocket of the wall so that the room opens up completely, creating an uninterrupted view of the garden, which sits on the roof of the studio oice.’

In other spaces – such as the kitchen, hallway and swimming pool – skylights draw daylight downwards from the roof. Together with the minimal furniture, these clever details ensure that the considered palette of materials takes centre stage. carmodygroarke.com ➤

Exterior A small, purpose-built courtyard surrounds the property, while the living area opens up onto a raised garden Hallway A wall of oak doors adds warmth to the concrete interior

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GREENERY BY CALLUNA FLOWERS

TUCKED AWAY BEHIND A ROW OF VICTORIAN TERRACED HOUSES IN LAMBETH, SOUTH LONDON,

THE PROPERTY’S OWNER WANTED TO CREATE A WAREHOUSELOFT FEEL WITH AN OPEN-PLAN LIVING SPACE

Living room The ‘Extrasoft’ modular sofa by Piero Lissoni for Living Divani, positioned in front of the fireplace, is the focal point of this contemporary space Stockist details on p195 ➤

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TOUCHES OF MARBLE AND WOOD PREVENT THE CONCRETE INTERIOR FROM LOOKING TOO STARK

Ensuite bathroom Made from white Carrara marble, the double vanity unit features discreet storage cabinets, framed by a warm, glowing LED light ➤

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‘EACH ROOM HAS A GLASS DOOR THAT LEADS TO THE SMALL COURTYARD, ALLOWING LIGHT TO POUR INTO THIS HOME’

Bedroom A large black and white print of a photograph of Jimi Hendrix by Gered Mankowitz, the ‘S-Chair’ by Tom Dixon for Cappellini and Anglepoise bedside lamps add personality to this otherwise minimal space Stockist details on p195

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EMPIRE STATE OF MIND The artistic bustle and ancient architecture of Rome’s public squares proved an irresistible draw for the owner of this city-centre home

Words CLARE SARTIN Photography HELENIO BARBETTA/LIVING INSIDE Styling CHIARA DAL CANTO

Living area The ‘Avant-Après’ sofa is by Sergio Bicego for Saba Italia.

A ‘Multi-Lite’ pendant

by Gubi hangs above a ‘Pedrera’ cofee table by Barba Corsini, also Gubi.

The portrait on the wall is Axum by Thayaht, from Galleria Carlo Virgilio & C Stockist details on p195 ➤

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ooking out over the crumbling walls of the Imperial Fora, the public squares that were the beating heart of the Roman Empire in Italy, is the home of Stefania Aristei and her partner Daniele.

A lawyer who has now turned her hand to design, hospitality and fashion, Stefania has a deep afection for the ancient ochre-toned buildings and narrow, cobbled lanes of Rome’s central Monti district. So much so that many years ago, she packed up her home in a quiet, residential area on the outskirts of the city and moved to this bohemian neighbourhood, with its community of young designers, artists and craftspeople.

Stefania’s large, shuttered windows look out directly onto the area’s ancient churches and small galleries, and her apartment is blessed with architectural elements that match its impressive setting. The rooms – all connected by a spacious entrance hall – boast impressively high ceilings, complete with wooden beams and original coloured cement tiles. The kitchen and guest room are situated on one side of the living room, with the main bedroom and a dressing room at the opposite end. Historical details are celebrated throughout, but the overall efect is one of modern elegance.

‘I grew up in a large house furnished with antiques,’ remembers Stefania.

‘At first, I thought that contemporary furnishings would look too cold in a historical 19th-century apartment like this.’ But, having commissioned local interior design firm Dispensabile Studio, her eyes were opened to a very diferent aesthetic. The studio’s partners, Germana De Donno, Elena Cardilli and Angela Sabrina Stante, convinced Stefania to decorate using furniture with a Nordic heritage – pieces by Verner Panton and Alvar Aalto, as well as more recent designs by Space Copenhagen and GamFratesi. ‘I discovered that the contrast of eras and styles actually brings out the structure of the building without obscuring any of its architectural beauty,’ adds Stefania.

‘My choice of designer furniture comes from my desire to surround myself with objects that have a story,’ she explains. ‘These pieces complement the age of the apartment in a delicate, refined and referenced way.’ In a similarly Scandinavian move, the colour scheme for the interior is largely white and soft tones of grey. ‘They are colours that I find relaxing, and suggest balance and harmony,’ says Stefania. ‘Living in such a bustling neighbourhood, those are very important qualities.’ dispensabile.it

Living area ‘Swoon’ armchairs by Space Copenhagen are paired with a ‘Pon’ side table by Jasper Morrison, both for Fredericia Portrait Homeowner Stefania Aristei sits in front of a 3D-mirrored wall panel made of ‘Mirror Sculptures’ by Verner Panton for Verpan Stockist details on p195 ➤

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Dining area ‘Beetle’ chairs and stools by GamFratesi for Gubi surround two dining tables (one black and one pale wood), both the ‘M11’ by Mathias Hahn for Zeitraum Stockist details on p195 ➤

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THE MOODBOARD Italian craftsmanship meets Scandinavian style in Stefania’s home 1 ‘Glace’ rug, from £410 per square metre, Stepevi (stepevi.com) 2 ‘Tuscany Marble’ in ‘Nero’, £140 per square metre, Original Style (originalstyle.com) 3 Brown oak, from £42 for a door front, Custom Fronts (customfronts.co.uk) 4 ‘Tumbled Marble Rosso’, £130 per square metre, Original Style (originalstyle.com) 5 ‘Arno’ fabric in ‘Berry’, £58 per metre, Designers Guild (designersguild.com) 6 ‘Mikado’ velvet, £67 per metre, Osborne & Little (osborneandlittle.com) 7 ‘All White’ paint, £45 for 2.5 litres, Farrow & Ball (farrow-ball.com) 8 ‘Aleatory’ tile, £26 each, Fameed Khalique (fameedkhalique.com) 9 ‘Reclaimed Terracotta’ tile, £109.82 per square metre, Fired Earth (firedearth.com) 10 ‘Lagos Azul V2’ tile, from £656 per square metre, Waterworks (waterworks.com) 11 ‘Como’ velvet, £42 per metre, Kai at Ashley Wilde (ashleywildegroup.com) 12 ‘Scree’ paint, £43.50 for 2.5 litres, Little Greene (littlegreene.com) 13 ‘Luxor’ tile, £44.89 per square metre, Claybrook (claybrookstudio.co.uk) 14 ‘Tiana’ fabric, £94 per metre, Manuel Canovas (manuelcanovas.com) 15 ‘Samarkand’ fabric, £167 per metre, GP & J Baker (gpjbaker.com) ➤

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Hallway This spacious entrance features original floor tiles. Also visible is Stefania’s workspace, with a wall-hung ‘Royal System’ bookcase by Poul Cadovius at DK3. The ‘AJ’ lamp is by Arne Jacobsen for Louis Poulsen and the ‘Acme A-Base’ chair is by Geckeler Michels for Fredericia Bedroom The bed is

by AG Fronzoni for Cappellini and the ‘Big Plaid’ throw is from Society Limonta. A ‘Gras’ wall lamp by BernardAlbin Gras for DCW Éditions hangs over the bed, next to a ‘Slit’ side table by Hay Stockist details on p195

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D ESERT CALM This architect’s holiday home has a poetic connection to the landscape that proves it is possible to design a contemporary, environmentally responsive house able to withstand the most extreme of temperatures Words KERRYN FISCHER Photography ELSA YOUNG/FRANK FEATURES Styling RETHA ERICHSEN

D

ubbed one of the quietest places on earth, the Great Karoo is a vast semi-desert region in South Africa where heat, frost, drought and floods are experienced in almost biblical proportions. And yet, when London-based, South African-born Jennifer Beningfield, founder of Openstudio Architects, and her husband, publisher David Jenkins, were shown an available piece of land here a couple of years ago, they didn’t hesitate to buy.

‘We have holidayed in the Karoo for the last ten to fifteen years,’ says Jennifer, who travels here at least three times a year with her husband and six-year-old daughter.

‘It’s a remote, ancient place, where the light on the mountains changes from hour to hour. With very little light pollution, the night sky is profoundly beautiful.’

Set against the dramatic Swartberg mountains, the house has a sense of remoteness, despite being within walking distance of the arty town of Prince Albert. Jennifer’s vision was for a contemporary structure that would mimic the texture and depth of much older buildings. ‘As part of my design process, I spent a lot of time on the site, feeling the sun and wind in an attempt to associate spaces with the terrain,’ she says.

Essentially a 5.7-metre-high square cube, the living space has windows and shutters located near the ceiling that allow heat to escape and cool breezes to enter. Orientated east to west, the principal rooms in the house all face north, and therefore soak up the full force of the sun. Limewashed, rough-cast render on the brick walls remains cool even in extreme temperatures, while dark brick floors are an important part of the house’s thermal strategy, absorbing the heat of the day and releasing it at night.

The property is laid out over two floors, with the entrance located of a front courtyard planted with acacia trees – in the future, the greenery will provide much-needed shade for visitors. Step inside, and you are welcomed by a large, open-plan living, dining and kitchen area that leads out onto another courtyard. This more informal outdoor space links to the pool and the surrounding thorn trees and scrub. In order to blend in with the landscape, the garden has been planted with bushes and plants which attract the local birds, butterflies and bees.

There are also two bedrooms on the ground floor, with a further two small guest rooms and a roof terrace on the upper level. The terrace is the ideal spot for stargazing at night.

‘My favourite room in the house is undoubtedly the main living space,’ says Jennifer. ‘It looks north towards the acacia trees and south towards the Swartberg mountains.’ The sliding doors that lead to the front and rear courtyards align perfectly with one another, so that you can look straight through the house from one end to the other and out across the Karoo. ‘The last time we were here, both doors were open and two large birds flew right through the living room,’ adds Jennifer. ‘I like that our home has become so much a part of the landscape.’ openstudioarchitects.com

Living area ‘I knew that a brick floor was right for this room, as it was important for the interior and exterior spaces to have identical finishes, so that there is a kind of ambiguity about whether you are inside or out,’ says homeowner and architect Jennifer. The woven ‘Ashanti’ chairs, the ‘Alexis’ corner sofa and the jute mat are all from Weylandts Stockist details on p195 ➤

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N A R ROW W I N D OWS N E A R T H E CEI L I N G A L LOW B R EE ZES TO CI RCU L AT E A N D CO O L T H E H O US E

Dining area/ kitchen A wall of white American ash cupboards conceal kitchen clutter. The ‘Shanghai’ dining chairs and the ‘Dario’ table are from Weylandts Stockist details on p195 ➤

Bedroom The ‘Spati’ four-poster bed is from Weylandts and the linen is from MRP Home Bathroom Tiles arranged in a brickwork pattern echo the flooring. Try Fired Earth for similar glazed designs Stockist details on p195 ➤

‘ T H E K A RO O IS A R E M OT E, A N CI EN T PL ACE, W H ER E T H E L I G H T CH A N G ES FRO M H O U R TO H O U R ’

Terrace The brick floor and seating of this outdoor area soak up the heat of the day, making it a cosy spot to watch the night sky gathered around the firepit

Once home to hay bales, this spacious agricultural outhouse in the Bavarian countryside now provides modern, stylish shelter to one pioneering family Words CHARLOTTE BROOK Photography ELIAS HASSOS/LIVING INSIDE Production RALPH STIEGLITZ

Living room The sage green velvet sofa is the ‘Francis’ from Flexform’s ‘Mood’ collection. The chevron-patterned cushions are

by Dimore Studio and the curtains are bespoke designs made using velvet by Kvadrat Stockist details on p195 ➤

Despite their majestic proportions – three or four times the size of a typical village dwelling – hay barns in Germany’s mountainous Upper Bavaria region don’t have windows. So, when architect Stephanie Thatenhorst’s parents gave her a disused 120-year-old storehouse on their farm, an hour’s drive from Munich, her challenge was to introduce natural light to the property and magic comfort from its voluminous proportions.

‘I wanted to create a cosy and calm holiday and weekend home,’ she says of the project. After inserting large windows and dividing the expansive barn into two floors, containing three bedrooms and an open kitchen/dining area, Stephanie has moulded this empty shell into 200 square metres of family-friendly space.

As it’s one of just three houses that make up this hamlet, surrounded by fields, woodland, cows and snow-capped mountains, maintaining this home’s connection to the agricultural landscape was important. This meant keeping its original beams, plastering the walls with clay tinted with soft grey pigment, and covering the floor with untreated cement. Stephanie reused the barn’s wooden floorboards to build a staircase, but didn’t have enough to clad the ceiling, so she aged new timber in the region’s traditional way, with vinegar, to ensure that the planks would blend in.

No art adorns the walls, but Stephanie uses furniture – much of it made by local craftspeople – like jewellery, adding colour and interest to the sparse backdrop. ‘With simple, plain surfaces and strong, characterful furniture, the challenge is to get the right doses of each,’ she explains. This balance has been achieved by selecting beautiful designs that fall into one of two distinct styles: humble, handmade items fashioned from natural materials and 1970s-inspired statement pieces, such as the sage green velvet Flexform sofa and brass chandelier by Dimore Studio.

If they aren’t out mountain biking around the lakes, Stephanie and her family can be found skiing down the mountains. Did she deliberately build the interior from hardwearing materials to suit their robust weekend activities? ‘Not really,’ she says, ‘I don’t really care when things get slightly stained or worn. It just makes them even nicer.’ stephanie-thatenhorst.com

Portrait Homeowner and architect Stephanie Thatenhorst Dining area Dimore Studio’s ‘Lampada 093’ chandelier hangs above the table, which is also by the Milan-based designers. The tea set is from Neri&Hu’s accessories brand Design Republic. The ‘Superleggera’ chairs – ‘the most perfect seats ever,’ according to Stephanie – are by Gio Ponti for Cassina Stockist details on p195 ➤

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‘With simple, plain surfaces and strong, characterful furniture, the challenge is to get the right doses of each’

Kitchen Munich-based joiner Thomas Kandler crafted the cabinets from elm. The oven is by Gaggenau Opposite A cushion covered in Dimore Studio’s geometric ‘The Brown Click’ fabric sits on a vintage chair by Swedish designer Yngve Ekström Stockist details on p195 ➤

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Almost no art adorns the walls, but Stephanie uses furniture – much of it made by local craftspeople – like jewellery

Bathroom This pared-back space is enlivened by metallic accents, such as the shower by Italian company Mamoli Bedroom The turquoise throw on the bed is from Luiz, while the freestanding oval bath is from Brussels-based brand Aquamass Stockist details on p195

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Restoration

Drama Once a retreat for famed Danish lighting designer Poul Henningsen, this elegant Copenhagen villa has been revived by Norm Architects following a devastating fire Words KARA O’REILLY Photography JONAS BJERRE-POULSEN

In a previous life, this minimal, modern home was the summer retreat of renowned mid-20th-century Danish critic and lighting designer Poul Henningsen. In 2014, however, the handsome villa to the north of Copenhagen was nearly razed to the ground by a disastrous fire, which left just the four ground floor walls standing. Thankfully, this historic home’s fortunes improved when its new owner, a lawyer-turned-property developer, bought what was left and turned to design firm Norm Architects, known for its gently neutral colour schemes, to take on the renovation.

The property’s significant fire damage gave Jonas Bjerre-Poulsen, the lead architect on the project, flexibility in redesigning what was a very traditional space into somewhere more suitable for a 21st-century family – the owner lives here with his two children and mother. ‘We had many conversations about what type of house this should be,’ says Jonas. ‘The idea was to create something contemporary and simple, but reminiscent of the villa’s history.’

In a build that took nearly two years, Jonas extended the top floor of the house by slightly increasing the height of the building’s outer walls, adding three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and opened up the ground floor, which has been divided into a series of poky spaces. The new open-plan living area is flooded with natural light thanks to expansive windows on all four sides, and is only loosely broken up into diferent zones by the addition of a large bespoke kitchen cabinet and a centrally positioned floating staircase.

Where appropriate, period features were sympathetically recreated, from handcrafted wall panelling and casement windows to a beautiful oak parquet floor. However, any excess decoration, such as the elaborate plasterwork usually found in houses of this age, has been consigned to the past. Instead, the focus is now on the quality of the new materials. ‘We worked with a bit of ornamentation, but juxtaposed it with cleaner surfaces,’ explains Jonas. ‘It was about refining the elements, so that the space has character but is still minimal.’ The result is an elegant, almost monastic, home that has a calming feel. No surprise, given Norm Architects’ stated ambitions to create designs that focus on detail and durability. normcph.com

Living room The white marble ‘Plinth, Low’ cofee table and ‘Ofset’ sofa (previous page) are both by Norm Architects for Menu. They are modern additions to the vintage armchair and teak sideboard – try Danish Homestore for similar designs. The ‘JWDA’ light and ‘Troll’ glass vase are from Menu Stockist details on p195 ➤

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Kitchen The smoked-oak cupboards were designed by Norm Architects for Reform. A bespoke sink, crafted from Porcellanato ceramic stone, is paired with a tap

by Arne Jacobsen for Vola. Above the island hang two vintage Poul Henningsen lights – try the ‘PH 2/1’ for Louis Poulsen at Skandium.

The ‘Afteroom’ stool is by Menu Stockist details on p195 ➤

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THE MOODBOARD Quality materials and a neutral palette are key to Jonas’ home 1 ‘Stone’ surface from the ‘Tonal’ range, £25 per square metre, Clayworks (clay-works.com) 2 ‘Continental Oak’ flooring in ‘Megève Charred Ultramatt Hardwax’, price on application, Ebony and Co (ebonyandco.com) 3 ‘Smooth Rum’ oak plank flooring, £152 per square metre, Junckers (junckers.co.uk) 4 Bianco Carrara marble in ‘Honed’ finish, £240 per square metre, Salvatori (salvatori.it) 5 ‘Loft White’ paint, £43.50 for 2.5 litres, Little Greene (littlegreene.com) 6 ‘New Black’ paint, £53.50 for 2.5 litres, Paint & Paper Library (paintandpaperlibrary.com) 7 ‘Oak August’ flooring, from £76 per square metre, Ecora (ecora.co.uk) 8 ‘Cemento’ concrete-efect plaster, from £100 per square metre, Viero (viero.co.uk) 9 ‘Magni’ leather handle, £16.99, Dowsing & Reynolds (dowsingandreynolds.com) 10 ‘Troll’ vase in ‘Amber’, £39.95, Menu (menu.as) 11 ‘Deco Glass’ tile in silver, £174 per square metre, Fired Earth (firedearth.com) 12 ‘4033 Rugged Concrete’ surface, from £550 per square metre, Caesarstone (caesarstone.com) 13 ‘Skyscraper’ handle, £13.99, Dowsing & Reynolds (dowsingandreynolds.com) 14 ‘Barlby’ wallpaper, £125 per roll, Fox Linton (foxlinton.com) 15 ‘Velour’ velvet in ‘Mole’, £29 per metre, Prestigious Textiles (prestigious.co.uk) 16 ‘Supersoft’ calfskin in ‘Pacific’, £252 per metre, Edelman Leather (edelmanleather.com) ➤

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Bathroom Made from Porcellanato, the same stone used to create the kitchen island, the sink and bath are bespoke designs. The natural brass taps are by Arne Jacobsen for Vola, while the ‘Darkly’ mirror is by Nick Ross for Menu Bedroom The marble bedside table is the ‘Plinth, Tall’ by Norm Architects for Menu and the table light is the ‘TR Bulb’

by Tim Rundle, also for Menu Stockist details on p195

ESCAPE T R AV E L

/ R E S TA U R A N T S / C U LT U R E

Edited by CHARLOT TE BROOK

APARTMENT LIFE

PICTURE: WICHMANN + BENDTSEN

The Apartment, the sensationally well curated by-appointment ‘shoppable home’ style concept store in Copenhagen, has added a two-bedroom space next door for overnight guests. ‘It has long been a dream to bring the design sensibility of the gallery to a more intimate level,’ says its founder, Tina Seidenfaden Busck. ‘Now you can truly be at home at The Apartment.’

From £889 per night (theapartment.dk).

ESCAPE

PASTA, PRESENT, FUTURE The days may be getting shorter and the nights colder, but there is one positive outcome: pasta is back on the menu.

Here are three of the most stylish places to find a warming, delicious dish of Italy’s best-loved edible export in London L I N A S T O R E S The Soho deli, which has been supplying Britain with panettone, foil-wrapped Torinese chocolates and legs of prosciutto since its launch in 1944, has opened a pasta restaurant. The exterior of the mini trattoria, two streets away from the original shop, is painted in the same peppermint-cream green. Inside, diners are treated to delicious antipasti (the octopus and crispy lemon is a highlight), but the star of the show is the pasta. Try spaghetti with Dorset crab and chilli or Lina Stores’ famous pappardelle with rabbit ragu (linastores.co.uk).

B A N C O N E In Covent Garden, an afordable but

beautifully designed osteria has opened, serving seasonal arancini, small plates of tagliolini with clams (above) and potato gnocchi with sage butter. Everything, from the marble countertops (bancone is Italian for counter) to the olive-green leather banquettes, is the vision of owner Will Ellner, whose head chef Louis Korovilas trained under Italian cooking legend Giorgio Locatelli (bancone.co.uk).

PICTURE: MILES WILLIS

‘ O V E R The focus here is street food as served in

Napoli (meaning mostly pizza), but the Southwark restaurant’s lobster and parsley linguine is a lesserknown luxury. Taking its cue from the venue’s name, which means ‘truth’ in Neapolitan dialect, London’s Quiet Studios filled the interior with a simple yet stylish combination of Japanese wood vases, fiddle-leaf fig trees and secondhand tables and chairs (overuk.com).

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A C T I O N S TAT I O N S It’s the dream of every director of a small, publicly-funded art gallery to gain an anonymous benefactor. And South London Gallery in Peckham got exactly that when they received a very special donation: a Grade II-listed former fire station (London’s first to be purpose-built, in 1867).

British practice 6a Architects (read more about them in our directory on p83), which worked on the main site’s extension in 2010, has redesigned it to make way for brand-new exhibition and education spaces, as well as an archive, an artist-inresidence’s studio and a communal kitchen.

‘Knock Knock’, the opening show, explores the humour in today’s art: expect work

by Brit Sarah Lucas and a flock of concrete sheep by German artist Judith Hopf. Until 18 November (southlondongallery.org).

FRANCE IN FALL

PICTURES: JOHAN DEHLIN, NOMADES

Drive southwest of Paris and, after a mere 40 minutes, you’ll have swapped the avenues of St Germain for a stony track through the forest of Rambouillet, leading to chic rural getaway Le Barn. William Kriegel has run a holistic equestrian school here for years, and has now collaborated with hotelier Edouard-Jean Daehn and cool French interiors practice Studio Be-poles to transform the site. Two converted grain stores now contain 71 bedrooms, while a 19th-century mill in the woods houses a spa.

Food-wise, there is a simple bistro, aswell as a smarter restaurant, called La Serre. Across a paddock is L’Atelier, a workshop that hosts cooking classes by day and becomes a wine bar at night. From £143 per night (lebarnhotel.com).

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SKETCH IT OUT Why not chart your next excursion with a sketchbook instead of a camera? We have the inspiration, know-how and tools you need THE NEW ARTISTS’ HANDBOOK Not a confident draftsperson? Edinburgh-born artist Clara Drummond, a winner of the BP Portrait Award, is on a mission to encourage us all to pause, look, pick up a pencil and chronicle our lives via etchings, as well as words. Drawing & Seeing: Create your own sketchbook (£16.99, Kyle Books) is split into chapters dedicated to diferent drawing disciplines – each one is equal parts inspiration and information. The ‘Crayon’ chapter shows Frank Auerbach’s joyous Study for Primrose Hill (1978), tells the story of crayon brand Crayola and gives further examples of how great painters from Hockney to Henry Moore use the simple colouring tools for preliminary drawings and final works. Every chapter finishes with a visual step-by-step drawing task.

THE DOYEN OF THE SKETCHBOOK

PICTURES: DARIUS ZOMORODIAN, COURTESY OF FRANÇOISE GILOT

Françoise Gilot, writer, artist and muse to Pablo Picasso, is the ultimate inspiration for sketching enthusiasts.

Gilot illustrated her travels to Venice, India and Senegal (between 1974 and 1981) with beautiful abstract figures, all of which have been compiled in Bon Voyage (£135, Taschen), a brilliant fold-out boxset containing hardback facsimiles of her travel sketchbooks. The limited-edition volume ( just 5,000 will be printed) also contains a conversation with the artist about her work.

5 OF THE BEST TOOLS FOR ASPIRING ARTISTS

From top ‘Kuretake-Gansai Tambi’ watercolour set, £20.06; pencil by Conté, £1.50; ‘Opera’ paintbrush by Escoda, £10.10; spiral pad

by Seawhite, from £8.10; hard pastel set by Cretacolor, £16.95; all Jackson’s (jacksonsart.com)

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DO THE CHARLESTON

PICTURES: TONY TREE, AXEL HESSLENBURG

‘It will be an odd life, but… it ought to be a good one for painting,’ Vanessa Bell famously said about moving to Charleston. She and her husband, fellow Bloomsbury group member Duncan Grant, relocated to the 16th-century farmhouse in Sussex in 1916, turning it into a habitable work of art. This autumn, the home, now a museum, embarks on the next stage of its life after a £3 million development. Julian Harrap Architects has turned two of the venue’s barns into an events space and a restaurant, while British architect Jamie Fobert has created a new building (left) to house five galleries dedicated to exhibiting art and literature by the residents and guests of Charleston. The inaugural showcase (open until summer 2019) will feature Bell and Grant’s ‘Famous Women Dinner Service’ – 50 plates, made in 1932, depicting great women from Jane Austen to Cleopatra and Greta Garbo. Crockery with feminist clout – fabulous (charleston.org.uk).

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ON SALE NOW Breathtaking views and cut t ing- edge comtemporar y homes – escape into the latest issue of ELLE Decorat ion Count r y

O R D E R Y O U R C O P Y N O W AT H E A R S T M A G A Z I N E S . C O . U K / E L L E - D E C O R AT I O N - S P E C I A L S O R P U R C H A S E AT Y O U R L O C A L W H S M I T H S T O R E

ESCAPE

THE TOAST OF TEL AVIV

PICTURE: AMIT GERON

We look beyond the lobby of The Jaffa, a groundbreaking hotel in Israel created by British architect John Pawson

Featuring recessed stained glass windows, arched ceilings and ornate plasterwork, the painstakingly restored chapel at Tel Aviv’s The Jafa now serves as the hotel’s bar ➤

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ESCAPE

LOCATION Amid the cobbled streets, bustling markets

and wonderful artists’ studios in the heart of the 4,000-year-old port city of Jafa – around which modern Tel Aviv has risen – is The Jafa, a new hotel with residences overlooking the historic port and Mediterranean Sea. Co-owned by The Luxury Collection by Marriott and the US-based property developer and contemporary art collector Aby Rosen (also behind The Seagram Building and Gramercy Park Hotel), the property, once a 19th-century French hospital, is now an elegant and subtly luxurious escape, created by minimalist British architect John Pawson. Along with local architect Ramy Gill, Pawson has restored the u-shaped venue, carefully adding a recessed penthouse storey, as well as a new adjacent building in which the residences, car park and subterranean spa are now housed.

ARCHITECTURE As one might expect with a design

by Pawson, The Jafa’s success lies as much in what the architect has left untouched as in what he’s constructed. This was a painstaking, but purposely imperfect restoration, which unearthed a 13th-century wall from the time of the Crusades running right through the hotel’s lobby, as well as Roman-style arched foundations, which, having been exposed during a five-metre dig, now form a magical central courtyard. On the first floor, a deconsecrated chapel now houses a nightclub, with refurbished stained glass windows.

‘We wanted to restore the old Napoleonic hospital, then add a wing that respected the view but was completely modern,’ explains Pawson, who has worked on the project since 2006. ‘It’s a resort more than a hotel – there’s a pool and a courtyard, two restaurants and the spa. One of the reasons it took so long was because of the ancient artefacts we unearthed – archaeologists were called in.’

‘John and I wrote the narrative for the space before we placed one brick,’ recalls Gill. ‘We asked ourselves how we could blend old and new. The 19th-century part was returned to its former grandeur, then we created a romance between the two centuries.’

‘JOHN AND I WROTE THE NARRATIVE FOR THE HOTEL BEFORE WE PLACED ONE BRICK, ASKING OURSELVES HOW WE COULD BLEND OLD AND NEW’ another satisfying mix of old and new. The proportions remain grand, but have been humanised by the use of a ‘wet capsule’ – a central glass box which houses the bathroom. Constructed by B&B Italia, the furniture – which includes a bed, upholstered chairs and a chrome minibar – was also designed by Pawson, as were many of the soft furnishings, realised in a palette of pale, sun-faded tones.

‘It’s unlike any other hotel in terms of its design and fittings,’ says Pawson. ‘A huge amount of energy has gone into creating custom pieces to ensure it has a diferent feel.’ The lobby, too, is a visual treat. Travertine tiled floors throughout the hotel ofer a perfect backdrop for co-owner Rosen’s own Damien Hirst Spin Paintings and a minimalist marble reception desk designed by Pawson.

Furniture by Shiro Kuramata, Pierre Paulin, Preben Fabricius and Jørgen Kastholm is more decorative than one might expect from the British designer, but works perfectly in the serene surroundings.

‘There’s so much to see,’ enthuses Pawson. ‘Some will recognise certain pieces or be intrigued by others. Architects don’t always have the chance to also do the interiors, but it’s great to work on both. It’s a fun place.’ From £475 per night (thejafahotel.com).

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WORDS: BECKY SUNSHINE PICTURES: AMIT GERON

INTERIOR The bedrooms, also designed by Pawson, are

W I N A L EE B RO O M TA B L E L A M P O R A £20 0 H E A L’S SH O PPI N G VO U CH ER ELLE Decoration readers get the chance to win a ‘Mini Crescent’ table lamp by Lee Broom (worth £565) or a £200 Heal’s shopping voucher. Follow the link below, and all entrants will automatically be entered into both draws. Good luck and stylish shopping!

LAMP WO R TH

£565

TO ENTER THE COMPETITION, SIMPLY VISIT THE WEBSITE BELOW AND SUBMIT YOUR DETAILS…

E L L E D E C O R AT I O N . C O . U K / O F F E R S 1 8 Terms & conditions Complete your details online and you will be entered into both prize draws. Entries are via the web address only and restricted to UK residents. The competition will also be promoted at the Focus/18 event at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour on our ELLE Decoration stand between the dates of 15–23 September 2018. Competition closes at 12am on 30 November 2018 and winners will be notified by email.

GETAWAY /

HELSINKI Revitalise your mind, body and soul by spending a weekend in the Finnish capital, where a whole host of Scandinavian delights await

THE CITY Finland is the world’s happiest country, according

to the 2018 World Happiness Report, the safest, according to the 2018 Travel Risk map, and has more forest per square kilometre than any country in Europe. Joy, security and coniferous firs aside, the country’s capital is a Nordic gem worth singling out for a short trip, thanks to its modern design credentials, small galleries filled with major artworks and increasingly cool restaurant scene. The path to Helsinki is less well trodden than those leading to its Scandinavian counterparts, but a newly opened hotel is hoping to herald ‘a new chapter’ in the history of Finnish hospitality. Head north now.

WHERE TO STAY We have long anticipated Helsinki’s

newest arrival: Hotel St George (pictured overleaf ). Set in a grand 1840s building, it is the creation of Mirkku Kullberg (a former head of Home at Vitra and CEO of Artek) and, as such, is like a cosy, comfortable design museum, created for visitors and locals alike.

A palette of dusty pink, olive green and grey-brown provides a serene backdrop to works of art, including an Ai Weiwei installation loaned from the Helsinki Art Museum and Finland’s National Gallery, and classic mid-century Scandinavian furniture. What’s more, the pieces – from Louis Poulsen pendant lights to Skagerak’s ‘Edge’ terracotta pots – are available to buy online from the St George Collection page at the Finnish Design Shop (from £141 per night; designhotels.com; finnishdesignshop.com). Alternatively, the chic Hotel Lilla Roberts serves a satisfying breakfast of Nordic specialities (from £164 per night; lillaroberts.com), while Airbnb ofers a selection of excellent light, bright apartments belonging to stylish locals (from £45 per night for a whole apartment; airbnb.co.uk).

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BREAKFAST & LUNCH Start the day at the

Vanha Kauppahalli (old market hall) in the Eteläranta district, which has been a purveyor of Finland’s freshest produce since 1889.

Pick up a punnet of lingonberries and a cup of the house blend from family-run Robert’s Cofee. For a more substantial breakfast, take a pew on one of Hay’s ‘Copenhague’ chairs at Story – its oven-baked porridge and a cup of ginger tea is an ideal way to start a cold November day (restaurantstory.fi). Continue the decadence with lunch at Finlandia Caviar restaurant and shop, which, as well as its eponymous delicacy, serves fresh oysters and perfectly paired Champagne. For a light bite, opt for the traditional roe toast – there are seven diferent varieties to choose from (finlandiacaviar.fi).

WINE & DINE

Start your evening with a martini at Jackie, a former bank that Finnish designer Joanna Laajisto has turned into a bar inspired by 1970s Milanese cocktail lounges – there’s copious walnut, leather, brass, oxblood marble and velvet ( jackie.fi). Behind the National History Museum lies the former studio of 20th-century sculptor Johan Gunnar Finne, which is now the Ateljé Finne bistro. His figurative sculptures and reliefs remain, while the menu changes seasonally (ateljefinne.fi). Also steeped in Finnish creative heritage is the Palace Restaurant, a Helsinki institution serving classic Nordic dishes such as crayfish pie. The interior has been revamped by Stockholm-based Note Design Studio, with the original mahogany and veneered teak panelling and 1950s chairs carefully restored (palacerestaurant.fi).

ART & CULTURE The first port of call has to be the

home of Finland’s modernist master Alvar Aalto – the architect and designer built his house in the Munkkiniemi suburb in 1936.

It remains full of his most recognisable pieces of mid-century 192 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

modern furniture, but also some unexpectedly organic, less ‘functionalist’ elements, such as jute-covered walls and an ‘Armchair 400’ upholstered in zebra print (alvaraalto.fi). Another cultural gem worthy of a visit is the Didrichsen Art Museum, a short ferry ride away on Kuusisaari island. The property was designed by a former assistant of Aalto’s, Viljo Revell, for Marie-Louise and Gunnar Didrichsen. The couple’s extensive private collection, including works by Giacometti, Picasso and Kandinsky, is now on display to the public (didrichsenmuseum.fi). For a glimpse of extraordinary architecture, head to the Temppeliaukio Church, which was carved in 1969 out of the city’s bedrock (@temppeliaukio). Plus, at the Design Museum you’ll find ‘Utopia Now: The Story of Finnish Design’, which runs until 2020 and showcases objects from delicate Iittala glassware to 3D-printed platform shoes (designmuseum.fi).

SHOP Scoop up a secondhand ‘Stool 60’ at Artek 2nd Cycle,

the oicial retailer of pre-owned Aalto furniture (artek.fi), ceramic cofee cups handmade in Finland at gallery-cum-concept store Lokal (lokalhelsinki.com), and anything from Belgian linen to an antique Chinese cabinet at lifestyle shop Casuarina (casuarina.net).

Lastly, pick up a piece of famous Finnish design at cult print and homeware brand Markimekko’s flagship store (marimekko.com).

ESCAPE THE CITY A huge 99 per cent of Finns

visit a sauna once a week, so in Helsinki spending an hour in one is not an indulgence but an essential quotidian task. First, make like a local and head to the fabulously elegant Yrjönkatu swimming hall, built in the 1920s in neo-classical style. There are myriad post-swim sauna options (hel.fi). For a more indulgent spa experience, go by boat to the tiny isle of Lonna, where former storehouses have been turned into a restaurant, café and state-of-the-art sauna (lonna.fi).

WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK PICTURES: GETTY, KATJA HAGELSTAM, JOANNA LAAJISTO, RAUNO TRÄSKELIN, TEEMU LAUTAMIES

G E T A W AY

Clockwise from top left Henry Moore’s Reclining Figure on Pedestal at the Didrichsen Art Museum. The restaurant at Finlandia Caviar. Inside Temppeliaukio Church, which was excavated out of rock.

Shop for ceramics at Lokal. Sea-facing saunas on the archipelago island of Lonna.

Studio Aalto, which the Modernist designed for his team in 1955. Cocktail bar Jackie’s sumptuous interior. The elegant façade of Hotel St George

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NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 195

Advertising feature

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Advertising feature

NEW DESIGNER A collection of the most desirable pieces for your home

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DAVID STUDWELL David Studwell often uses figures that are synonymous with certain eras, in particular the swinging sixties. Marilyn Monroe, Steve McQueen and Elizabeth Taylor all feature in his work evoking a strong sense of nostalgia and bringing elements of the past into the present. He has exhibited in London and also the USA, and been published.

Featured here is Steve McQueen I, a limited edition silk screen (57 x 45cm, £300).

Visit www.davidstudwellgallery.co.uk or email davidstudwell@gmail.com 198 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

EDEN GARDEN ROOMS Whether for work, rest or play, installing a bespoke garden room can add versatility and value to your home. Eden Garden Rooms’ tailor-made approach produces high-quality garden rooms which perfectly suit your own personal requirements, as well as your vision and budget. From design to construction, their skilled team of professionals are specialists in creating visually stunning, practical, timeless garden rooms to the very highest specification. edengardenrooms.co.uk 0800 0935 339 info@edengardenrooms.com

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Classifieds | A – Z INTERIOR DESIGN & ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES

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NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 199

Classifieds | A – Z

TO ADVERTISE HERE, PLEASE CALL THE CLASSIFIED TEAM ON 020 3728 6260

INTERIOR DESIGN & HOME IMPROVEMENT

Brass Sinks and Taps

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Classifieds | A – Z INTERIOR DESIGN

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NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 201

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FIREPLACES, STOVES, HEATING & LIGHTING

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Classifieds | A – Z DOORS, ART & OUTDOOR SCULPTURES

steel reinforced natural hardwood doors entrance doors internal feature doors garage doors oversized doors passive house certified doors made and designed in the UK

urbanfront.com info@urbanfront.co.uk +44 (0)1494 778787 For beautifully handcrafted contemporary handles visit pushpull.co.uk

NORTH4.COM DORGLAZE® VISION PANELS FOR DOORS

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ICONS OF NATURE ANCIENT OLIVE TREES Something special for Christmas Quality colour prints from my original paintings, same sizes as the originals 80X60 – 63X53 – 73X54cm Email your name & address with Post/Zip Code for full details and the choice of Trees.

80 euros each plus pp

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NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 203

Classifieds | A – Z

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FURNITURE, FURNISHINGS & BATHROOMS

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Classifieds | A – Z FURNITURE & FURNISHINGS

NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 205

Classifieds | A – Z FURNITURE & FURNISHINGS

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TO ADVERTISE HERE, PLEASE CALL THE CLASSIFIED TEAM ON 020 3728 6260

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Classifieds | A – Z

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Classifieds | A – Z WINE CELLARS

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NOVEMBER 2018 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 209

‘RARITY’ WALLPAPER BY GROUNDWORKS AT LEE JOFA This statement wallpaper is the standout star of interior designer Kelly Wearstler’s fourth collection for Groundworks. It is inspired by the simplified shapes and colour typically used by Bauhaus, the revolutionary school of art, architecture and design founded by German architect Walter Gropius in 1919.

‘Rarity’ wallpaper in ‘Jade/Noir’ by Kelly Wearstler for Groundworks at Lee Jofa, £710 for two 4.5-metre rolls, GP & J Baker (gpjbaker.com)

210 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2018

WORDS: KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES PICTURE: LUCKY IF SHARP

FINE PRINT /