INSPIRATION IMPROVEMENT STYLE
HEAVENLY HOSTING
ISSUE 02
www.homeworksmag.co.uk
A house with social skills
pr o g e t t i n u ov i
Modular without being mechanistic; classic without being stiff. The Turner sofa lets you position the backrests as you please, making any place the perfect space to rest, read, converse, dream.
London Flagship Store: 199 Shaftesbury Avenue T 020 7631 2345 Molteni&C Agency: T 01484 711788 www.molteni.it
London Flagship Store: late night opening to 20.00 every Thursday
Design Hannes Wettstein
BY EDC 77 MARGARET STREET LONDON W1W 8SY T. +44 020 73233233 - F. +44 020 75804020 E-MAIL: SALES@MINOTTI.CO.UK
SEATING SYSTEM ANDERSEN
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DESIGN RODOLFO DORDONI
www.minotti.com
LAURAASHLEY.COM
FOR THE WAY YOU LIVE
YOUR HOME CAN BE WHATEVER YOU WANT IT TO BE Our designers can open your eyes to exciting new ways to decorate your home. Whether a contemporary space or an elaborate period home we can help you reinvent your interior landscape. Laura Ashley Design Service - 0871 223 1555* or design.services@lauraashley.com call may be recorded and/or monitored. Calls cost 10p per minute plus network charges
TOGO seating. Design: Michel Ducaroy. For a catalogue visit www.ligne-roset.co.uk or call 0870 7777202.
Live beautifully.
contents ISSUE 02 DECEMBER 2010
013 MOODBOARD
066 WORLDLY WISE
015 CURRENT
099 ASK A LOCAL
The art of entertaining inspires us this issue: so what makes the perfect host?
Products, events and other designcentric goings-on: feel the flow of new ideas
026 SUBJECTIVE EYE
Inside the colourful mind of designer Valentina Gonzalez Wohlers
032 PARTY PIECE
Fashion designer Jsen Wintle’s house has been remodelled with entertaining in mind
048 SHATTERPROOF
>
Make a design pit-stop at five European nations to discover what makes them tick
Cornwall rules when it comes to great design, according to MARK
101 SOMEWHERE ELSE Balbegno Castle – part ancestral home, part exuberant splurge of fun
113 ADDRESS BOOK
Contact details for all the stockists featured in this issue
114 ANATOMY
Under the skin of good design. This issue: Matthew Hilton’s Cross table
A highly curved glass extension creates new space to be sociable
057 NEW NOËL
Bored of the same old festivities? Six experts explain how to make it fresh
040 THE GOOD MIXER A Kent home whose owner has a flair for combining the best of everything
062 INTO THE WOODS
087 GARDENS
091 FOOD
Will it be a white Christmas, or a black one? Enter a monochrome wonderland
A super-cool chicken coop, and the plants that keep giving all winter
Something sweet: desserts from the UK’s finest chefs
009
HW GARDENS
DUBLIN
PARIS
MILAN
NEW YORK
TOKYO
Photograph by Julian Broad julianbroad.com
LONDON
C O N R A N C L A S S I C – A COLLECTION OF 54 TIMELESS A U T H E N T I C D E S I G N S T H AT W I LL A LW AYS B E A PA R T O F YO U Conran Classic catalogue available now The Conran Shop 81 Fulham Road, SW3 6RD & 55 Marylebone High Street, W1U 5HS. www.conranshop.co.uk 010
EDITOR’S LETTER HW
There’s definite art to being a host (or hostess), whether you’re inviting a friend round for a cup of tea or throwing a lavish do. This issue you’re invited – no RSVP required – inside three homes whose owners know how to entertain in style, from a celebratory after-show at fashion designer Jsen Wintle’s central London townhouse to gluhwein and stollen among friends at Yasmin Hossain’s eclectic Arts and Crafts house in Kent. You’re also on the guest list to discover some seasonal trends – HOMEWORKS has been busy asking several experts in their field, from decorations to flowers, about what’s new for the festive season. Not that we want to obsess too much over the new – especially at Christmas, when it’s precisely the act of settling in to the same rituals that seems to put us at our ease. In the end, being a good host often has nothing to do with your cooking skills or how tidy your house is, and everything to do with being relaxed and creating a welcoming atmosphere, no matter what your space. And whether you’re playing the entertainer or (lucky you) the entertainee this Christmas, HOMEWORKS wishes you a happy one.
EDITOR EMILY BROOKS ART DIRECTOR CHRIS PSAILA EDITORIAL ASSISTANT ADAM BERESFORD JUNIOR STYLE EDITOR Emma Kay
GET IN TOUCH HOMEWORKS magazine is distributed monthly with The Guardian newspaper on Saturdays. We’d love to hear your opinions about it – what you love, what you hate, what you’d like to see more (and less) of. Write to us (at our address, right) or email info@homeworksmag.co.uk
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ADVERTISING SALES CHRISTOPHER GILL (0)20 7681 6524 christopher@homeworksmag.co.uk OLIVER LEE (0)20 7681 6524 oliver@homeworksmag.co.uk
MANAGING DIRECTOR MARC SPITERI
PHOTOGRAPHY ALEXIS CHABALA BETH EVANS BRUCE HEMMING ALEXANDER JAMES ANDREW LEE
CONSULTING EDITOR Rachel Loos
CONTRIBUTORS ADRIAN BLOOM CAROLINE EDNIE BILL HERMITAGE HUGO TUGMAN
PUBLISHING DIRECTOR LISA BORAIN
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HOMEWORKS is published by Writeon UK ltd. with The Guardian on Saturday with a circulation of 372,000. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the Publisher is prohibited. All rights reserved. Dates, information and prices quoted are believed to be correct at time of going to press but are subject to change and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. Neither editor nor publisher accept responsibility for any material submitted, whether photographic or otherwise. While we endeavour to ensure that firms and organisations mentioned are reputable, the editor can give no guarantee that they will fulfil their obligations under all circumstances. © 2010 ™
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MOODBOARD HW
INSPIRATION THIS MONTH:
HOME ENTERTAINING
SOCIAL GATHERINGS AREN’T ALWAYS EASY, FROM GETTING THE RIGHT MIX OF PEOPLE TOGETHER TO MAKING SURE YOU DON’T BURN THE BOLOGNESE. SO, WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE PERFECT SEASONAL CELEBRATION?
Above, left to right: Maybe a cocktail to start? Make it a winter warmer, and include a dash of bitters, the newly resurgent ingredient adorning the best bars; perfect the art of presentation – the little details matter as much as the big picture; add some glamorous tableware – try mixing dark green and teal blue, and keep the lights down low to enhance the mood; sweeten the deal with a goodbye gift – a tree decoration is the perfect thing to remember you by
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SUITA
Suita Sofa. Developed by Vitra in Switzerland. Design: Antonio Citterio
v
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NEWS HW
Santa on safari
CURRENT THE FLOW OF NEW IDEAS >
Christmas and charity go hand in hand, and this year Anthropologie have combined the two with these papier-mache giraffe, zebra and rhino decorations, £14 each. They’re made by Caribbean Craft, a fair trade company based in Haiti that utilises local creative talent. www.anthropologie.com
Alexis Chabala
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NEWS HW
CURRENT >
Creature comfort
Muppet creator Jim Henson’s Creature Shop – the studio he founded in the 1980s to make his signature critters for film and TV – has been reinvented as one of London’s coolest new developments. The Henson sits on the canal at Camden Lock, and of-the-moment fashion designers Felder Felder have created a loft apartment with the same signature leather, studs and unusual bespoke finishes found in their catwalk shows. “We were super-excited when we heard about the history of this amazing building; it’s been a nice challenge,” says Annette Felder. “We made it fitting for the area by taking inspiration from Camden Market, and upholstered some of the furniture using a studded fabric we use in our collections.” www.thehenson.co.uk
Crafting the modern age Now on at Greater Manchester’s Turnpike Gallery, the Crafts Council’s new touring exhibition explores how the digital age is transforming craft. Lab Craft includes experimental work from 26 makers, from fields including textiles, ceramics, furniture and lighting. Products including this beech table from Zachary Eastwood-Bloom are on display, with information on how the makers fused traditional crafts with technologically advanced ways of working. On until 18 December 2010. www.craftscouncil.org.uk
Cultural values
Culture Label is an online gift shop that sells quirky products from leading museums and galleries from the V&A to the Barbican. It also represents designer-makers such as Luna & Curious, which makes these great cresshead bottles for oil and vinegar (from £20). The site’s new Art Store is the world’s first interest-free online scheme allowing buyers to spread the cost of an artwork over 10 months. Its new gift buying service is free: tell the site’s team who you are buying for and what they like, and you’ll receive gift suggestions in your inbox. Lunchtime browsing just became more exciting. www.culturelabel.com
Homewares with heart
Glasgow-based Niki Jones was chosen for the HOMEWORKS-sponsored Emerging Talent award at design show Decorex back in September. Why? Because her beautiful, distinctive products (including some wonderful Christmas baubles) and commitment to hand-crafted products with a focus on provenance made her stand out a mile. A former designer for Habitat, Niki sources most of her range from India, where she also keeps an eye on the working conditions of her suppliers. “Going to markets and seeing reams and reams of fabric, it’s so different to the language of pattern in your country,” she says. www.niki-jones.co.uk
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HW NEWS
CURRENT >
Doin’ the do
Three complementary worlds collide at new Kings Cross venue Drink, Shop & Do. It’s a friendly licensed café selling cakes and finger sandwiches. The vintage furniture (think Formica-topped tables) is all available to buy. And there are inspired crafts nights several times a week, from glass-bauble painting to Christmas knit night. They also stock a range of up-and-coming designers, including welovekaoru, which makes this sweet teacup and saucer for £24. www.drinkshopdo.com
To the letter
Renowned for its creative collaborations with designers and artists, The Rug Company has just added several new pieces to its Designer and Contemporary collections. The new range includes work from Alexander McQueen, Allegra Hicks, Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith, whose Alphabet Blocks wool needlepoint wallhanging (£995) is shown here. www.therugcompany.info
Race you to the living room
One of the most important figures in British post-war design, Ernest Race’s legacy endures via his furniture. To celebrate the 65th anniversary of Race Furniture, his 1955 steel-framed Heron Chair has been re-released. It costs from £1,799, but HOMEWORKS readers can get a 10% discount until 31 December 2010 by mentioning this offer when ordering. www.racefurniture.com
018
The light fantastic
Add a subtle dose of camp to a room with Rothschild & Bickers’ Tassel Light. It’s made from free-blown glass at London Glassworks (one of the last glassworks in the UK), and is available in ruby, grey and amber for £240 at www.rothschildbickers.com
PROMOTION HW
OFFERING 20% OFF FROM 20-28 NOVEMBER
Walk into MUJI and be met with everything you need for a comfortable and functional lifestyle. Whether you need affordable furniture, clever storage, essential fashion or travel accessories, you will find it at MUJI. Plus, with Christmas just around the corner, you’ll find unique stocking fillers, traditional Japanese presents and fun craft gifts for all the family. As a treat for all HOMEWORKS readers, MUJI is offering a special 20% discount between 20th November to 28th November 2010. Simply present this page in store or quote XMAS01 online. Terms & Conditions apply.
Large Wooden Tree £12.95, Press Out Giraffe £3.95, Patchwork Piglet £14.95, Slippers £17.95, Mini Clock £19.95, Acrylic Reindeer £3.50, Pendulum Clock £35. Terms & Conditions: Discount is valid from 20th November until 28th November 2010. 20% discount is valid on all full price MUJI products in store and online only, on presentation of this page. Offer is not valid in Selfridges concessions. Photocopies of this page are not acceptable. This discount is only valid once and not in conjunction with any other offer or discount. There is no cash alternative. Promoter: MUJI Europe Holdings, 8-12 Leeke Street, London WC1X 9HT.
TM
MAGAZINE
perfectly crafted furniture
Sofa featured, Hinton in Roslyn. One of 35 sofa styles in the Wesley-Barrell range.
Since 1895 we have been making the finest English furniture by hand in our family workshops in Oxfordshire. The perfect craftsmanship is visible. Inside the natural materials, the quality springing, and the many traditional methods give each sofa a strength that will last for generations. Wesley-Barrell - character, heritage and reliability.
For our brochures phone 01993 893130 (24 hours)
www.wesley-barrell.co.uk
showrooms Beverley 01482 861845 Bournemouth 01202 757985 Bristol* 0117 923 8915 Cambridge* 01223 460377 Cheltenham 01242 512087 Chester 01244 343438 Guildford* 01483 537717 Harrogate 01423 531073 Leamington Spa 01926 334506 London W1* 020 7629 2019 Manchester* 0161 834 7466 Marlow* 01628 481114 St Albans* 01727 845828 Tunbridge Wells 01892 536286 Witney 01993 776682 * These seven showrooms are open Sundays.
NEWS HW
CURRENT > “RELEVANCE IS A WORD THAT ARCHITECTS ARE VERY SENSITIVE ABOUT” ARCHITECTURAL EXPERT HUGO TUGMAN WONDERS WHAT, EXACTLY, BUILDINGS ARE TRYING TO SAY s architecture a profession that doesn’t know how to express itself? Last month the RIBA had its annual moment in the sun as the prestigious Stirling Prize dinner, shown live on BBC2, concluded with the announcement of the prize winner as Zaha Hadid for Maxxi, a museum of contemporary art in Rome. Clever as this building is, one can’t help but think that the reasons for choosing it had much to do with a lingering guilt that she had not won previously, because to be honest this is a building that owes more to Damien Hirst and the Sensation culture of the 1990s than to 2010.
Javier Callejas
I
SHIP AHOY
Making housing out of freight containers is not new, but rarely is it so neat. Forward-thinking French architectural firm CG Architectes has created this striking new house called Crossbox. Composed of four freight containers – two at ground level and two on top stacked crosswise, with the overhang creating space for a small car – it is sustainable, eye-catching and functional.
Relevance is a word that architects are very sensitive about and yet, as a body, struggle to cope with. Alongside the main prize, the shortlist for the less well-known RIBA Manser Medal, awarded for the best private house of the year, was announced (the final winner was picked last week, after this magazine went to press). The list included two remodelled farmhouse idylls that in different ways play modernist new forms against rustic backdrops, as well as Piercy Connor Architects’ exquisite conversion of a Martello tower in Suffolk – all beautifully done, but what can the urban and suburban British take home from that?
Will Pryce
TOUCH THE SKY
London Mayor Boris Johnson’s commitment to making better use of the capital’s rooftops recently received a stylish boost. The Skyroom sits on the roof of 136-148 Tooley Street, the home of (among others) The Architecture Foundation. Designed by David Kohn Architects, the steel structure has copper mesh facades, larch flooring and a roof made from ETFE (the same plastic used for the Eden Project’s biomes). Jutting out from the top of the five-storey building and offering impressive views of work-in-progress behemoth The Shard, it’s worth a visit. Open until 31 December. www.architecturefoundation.org.uk
There is a townhouse on the shortlist (but one so sombre and exclusive that you could not imagine ever actually having any fun in it) as well as two homes built for architects themselves, including Bateman’s Row (also nominated for the Stirling Prize), a mixed-use block that cleverly incorporates offices, sub-let apartments and a posh flat for the architect’s family. This one seems to be there because it is an inventive response to a specific urban context, and to me that is just the point. Architecture can mean a million different things to a million different people set in a million different contexts. Picking out a prizewinner is as random and irrelevant as choosing a prize pig. What matters is what everyone’s bacon tastes like and if architecture wants to commune with the public, it needs to do so building by building and user by user. HW Hugo Tugman is the founder of Architect Your Home (www.architect-yourhome.com) and author of a book of the same name, published by Collins and Brown
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NEWS HW
TABLEWARE FOR OPULENT NIGHTS IN Photography Alexis Chabala Styling Emma Kay Background: Feather wallpaper by Ferm Living, £59 per roll from 95% Danish. Covering table: cotton velvet Taormina fabric in peacock blue, £42 per metre from Sanderson. On table, left to right: glass Herräng candle holder, £9.99 from Ikea; porcelain Star small bowl, £10 from Heal’s; black glass cake stand, £4.95 from DotComGiftShop; porcelain Cockatoo jug by Sena Gu, £65 from Do; glass and bone china vintage decanter by Kathleen Hills, £82 from Roost Living; aged metal Pinecone candelabra, £22.99 from Ciel Bleu; stainless steel Oro Viejo cutlery, from £3.99 a piece from Zara Home; porcelain Teema bowl by Iittala, £12.50 from Skandium; porcelain Classic dinner plate, £7.99 from Zara Home; crystal Boston wine goblet, £19.95 from Villeroy and Boch; porcelain Gold Finch, £32 from Shan Annabelle Valla. For stockists, see page 113
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PATTERN by Orla Kiely Conran Octopus, £25 Part autobiography and part dissection of how and why pattern works, this is a great sourcebook for anyone with a passion for Orla Kiely’s distinctive graphic style WALLPAPER The Ultimate Guide by Charlotte Abrahams Quadrille, £30 A visually rich look at the best wallpaper designs old and new, and how to use them creatively for maximum impact
PREFAB HOUSES by Arnt Cobbers Taschen, £44.99 Fans of kitsch, social historians and would-be housebuilders will love this good-looking guide to factory-made houses down the years
KNOLL A Modernist Universe by Brian Lutz Rizzoli International Publications, £45 Essential reading for fans of twentiethcentury furniture, this traces the history of a company that changed the face of contemporary design
MORE THAN WORDS Coffee-table books make the perfect gift for the design-lover in your life (or for yourself). Here are the year’s best
VINTAGE LIVING Retro Style for Today’s Homes by Nathalie Taverne and Anna Lambert Terra Uitgeverij, £14.95 Want to create that effortless oh-I-picked-it-up-at-aflea-market look? Find inspiration right here
TOOLS FOR LIVING A Sourcebook of Iconic Designs for the Home by Charlotte and Peter Fiell Fiell Publishing, £29.95 An authoritative room-by-room guide to the ‘ultimates’ – thoughtfully designed objects that are the best of their kind
THE CENTURY OF MODERN DESIGN by David A. Hanks and Martin Eidelberg Flammarion, £35 An image-rich, chronological guide to Montreal’s Stewart Collection, one of the world’s most important collections of twentieth-century design
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SUBJECTIVE EYE THE VIEW FROM A DESIGNER’S MIND
“I like furniture that’s made to last, and that grows older with its owners, becoming more than just a material possession: this take on design invites users to interact with it, play with it, question it – and enjoy it. The themes behind the selection here echo these ideas, with pieces that are playful (Gerald the dog, the wonderful creation of Manchester-based designer Liam Hopkins), surprising (Moroccan photographer/designer Hassan Hajjaj’s pouffe, made from a Coca Cola parasol) and colourful (Donna Wilson’s big, bold, comfy Hue sofa for SCP).”
Photography Alexis Chabala
ABOUT THE DESIGNER
Born in Mexico City, Valentina Gonzalez Wohlers moved to London in 2005 to study contemporary furniture design, and stayed. Her native country makes its presence felt in her work, from her exuberant Prickly Pair chairs – Rococo-style chairs transformed into giant cacti – to coffee tables inspired by the temples of prehispanic Mexico. www.valentinagw.com
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NEWS HW
Back wall: Plywood and metal Eames Storage Unit by Vitra, £1,556, Vitrapoint; ceramic artwork by Alexandra Hill; punched metal lantern, £65, Larache; zebra ‘alebrije’ figure, £75, Milagros; glass orange bowl, £70, Milagros; glazed ceramic plate by Brigitte de Bazelaire, £34.99, SCP; glazed ceramic bowls by Brigitte de Bazelaire, £52.99 each, SCP; Hopsack Womb chair, £2,808, Knoll. Middle ground, left to right: transparent polyester Ghost of a Chair, price on request, Valentina Gonzalez Wohlers; parasol fabric Coca Cola pouffe, £80, Larache; Hue sofa by Donna Wilson, £1,840, SCP; cotton and felt cushions, £58-68, Camilla Meijer Design; fibreglass and composite material Twiggy lamp by Foscarini, £1,042.73, Viaduct. Foreground, left to right: woven plastic rug, £65, Larache; powder-coated steel and glass Abstract Tenoch coffee table, price on request, Valentina Gonzalez Wohlers; glazed ceramic plates and bowls by Brigitte de Bazelaire, as before; bespoke-sized cardboard Gerald the Dog, £350, Lazerian; MDF and iron Spillikins table, £39.95, the Conran Shop; glass vase, £85, Milagros For stockists, see page 113. Location provided by Spaced Up (www.spacedup.co.uk), specialists in the rental of artist’s studios and live/work units in London
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Welcome to my kitchen
110 Wigmore Street London W1U 3RW t: 020 7487 5077 33 Parkgate Road London SW11 4NP t: 020 7228 8088
Cinqueterre design Vico Magistretti www.designspacelondon.com
NEW - electric VOLA towel warmer Built-in modular heated towel rail for individual design solutions. Comes with temperature regulation and timer function
VOLA Studio I 32-36 Great Portland Street I London W1 I Tel: 020 7580 7722 I sales@vola.co.uk I www.vola.com VOLA UK Ltd. I Unit 12, Ampthill Business Park I Station Road, Ampthill I Bedfordshire MK45 2QW I Tel: 01525 84 11 55 I sales@vola.co.uk I www.vola.com
SPACES HW
SPA C E
S
>
We think of our homes as places of privacy, but actually, they’re a blend of areas largely unseen by others, such as bedrooms, and more sociable spaces. It once might have been the front parlour that was the ‘public’ space, as in this Arts and Crafts house (right); today it’s likely to be a show-stopping kitchendining area, as is the case for the other two homes we’ve featured in this issue. Either way, creating a definitive space for gatherings makes us more inclined to invite people in.
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PARTY PIECE
A central London home that delivers fabulous entertaining space, but also serves as a private sanctuary when the fun’s over Words Adam Beresford Photography Alexander James Styling Emma Kay
032
The kitchen, as seen looking down from the ground-floor reception room: Moroso’s Antibodi lounger provides the focal point
SPACES HW
Flowers: Jamie Aston
The basement kitchen is the hub of the house when guests are over. A table by Bonacina Pierantonio and white chairs by Vitra match the slick bespoke cabinetry
he candles never burn down, the wine never runs dry, the music never goes off.” This is Jsen Wintle’s recipe for a good social gathering. He derives great pleasure from entertaining friends, but as a fashion designer, it’s also an essential element of his work. So when he and partner Josh Bell were looking for a new home, space for parties was a priority. Discovering a six-storey house in London’s Fitzrovia was a start. But having housed a family for 50 years who had only occupied the lower floors and installed “disgusting” carpets provided a challenge. The outgoing family’s son “remembered his dad ripping out the cornicing and smashing the original fireplaces,” recalls Jsen.
“That wasn’t necessarily a terrible thing for us: I didn’t want it to be overwhelmed by its features.” All that remained was the original mahogany banister and the windows, which were duly restored. Being tall and thin, the house was not, on the face of it, a natural space for entertaining, but the basement had threemetre-high ceilings, which provided the key. Graham West of West Architects, who was charged with remodelling the house, created a huge kitchen/ dining space in the basement, with a double-height ceiling at its far end ‘cut out’ from the entrance hall above.
arrive through the front door, hear the social buzz going on downstairs, and peer into the kitchen to see it all happening. It’s all about the anticipation. “I’ve been to an after-show party at the house, and it’s great to see exactly what you envisaged happening,” says Graham. “People walk in, and are drawn towards the square aperture. They look down to the party below, and the people down below look up and see the new arrivals.” He continues: “It’s not easy to conceive exactly how things are going to work in practice. It was only once the house was functioning and inhabited that we really understood what we’d designed.”
“The entrance vestibule becomes a point of arrival and orientation,” explains Graham – which means that visitors can
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“MY WORK IS FAST AND WE’RE ALWAYS TURNING OVER CREATIVE IDEAS. IF WE HAD A HOUSE THAT WAS ALWAYS THE SAME, IT WOULD BE LESS CONDUCIVE TO THAT”
The ground-floor reception room showcases Jsen’s eclectic belongings, including a horse weathervane from Transylvania (in the fireplace), a mirror salvaged from a pub and Established & Sons’ Torch lights
034
A cantilevered balcony hangs over the crisp white Poggenpohl kitchen, with vibrant flashes of colour provided by Plank’s Muira stools, designed by Konstantin Grcic
SPACES HW
Masks worn by models at one of Jsen’s catwalk shows
A chair rescued from a market fills an otherwise redundant space on a landing
The kitchen/diner ideally suits Jsen’s needs: “After a show, we’ve had about 150 people down here, but I quite often have big press dinners, and I’ve done little previews of my collection here – it’s easy to wheel things in and out.” As for dinner parties, he says: “I love people milling around while the cooking is going on. I like it to be on the louder side – there’s nothing worse than a quiet dinner! A feeling of abundance with everything is crucial and the guests can have pretty much what they ask for – it makes it feel like the evening never really ends.” As for the decor, Jsen doesn’t consciously adhere to a style, but he definitely has the magpie instinct: “I like to pick up things at random markets and on the street, and have done for years. The house isn’t massive but we’ve got a storage vault, so we change things over and it’s in a constant state of flux. It never feels finished or staged or completely ‘done,’ it’s always evolving. My work is fast and we’re always turning over creative ideas. If we had a house that was always the same, it would be less conducive to that.”
Architect Graham West has introduced an incredible amount of natural light into the basement kitchen
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Gentle neutrals are restful for the bedroom, but Foscarini’s O-Space light adds some fun
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Colour-coded magazines, plastic globes and an old apple box are cheerfully displayed together. The wooden pew came from a church sale in the Netherlands
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Originally from Sydney, Jsen wanted a house that made the most of the available light. “I didn’t want a typically ‘British’ space. I wanted to walk in and have it feel like a breath of fresh air. We had the luxury of just the two of us living here, so I wanted to be really decadent with space.” The couple tend to stick to the upper floors during the week when it’s just the two of them – spending time either in the glamorous living room or the crow’s-nest office space at the very top – and the lower floors at weekends when guests come. As you go up the staircase, you leave the party house behind and enter a more private space. Sometimes one spills over into another, though: passing two ceramic rabbits on the sill going up the stairs, Jsen explains how things can sometimes fall victim to boisterous behaviour: “The bunnies, instead of multiplying, keep decreasing. There were four of them, but they keep getting smashed.” HW For stockists and other contact details, see Address Book, page 113
The first-floor living room is a private place to relax. A 1960s Italian table takes the weight of some sumptuous coffee-table books
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With BT Tower visible from the balcony, there’s no mistaking the location: “When we saw the view, we said ‘We just have to have this house’,” says Jsen
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THE GOOD MIXER Whether she’s throwing a Christmas party or decorating her house, meet a homeowner who knows that the secret to success is to shake it up Words Emily Brooks Photography Bruce Hemming Styling Emma Kay
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Left: The free-flowing ground-floor rooms make the house ideal for social occasions. This image: The littlest bedroom has been converted into a place to relax
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he Arts and Crafts vicarage in which Yasmin Hossain lives with her family in Faversham wasn’t what she had in mind when she decided to move from London to Kent: “I wanted a big Georgian house in the middle of the countryside – picture windows, lovely proportions. So at the time, this house was a disappointment of sorts. But in time, it’s become the right house.” ‘Disappointing’ is the last word you’d use about this handsome, doublefronted home, filled with a mix of treasures from as near as the local charity shop, and as far as south Asia. Yasmin’s business, Bornhof, designs and imports hand-embroidered textiles from Chennai, and these (literally) form the common thread running through all the eclecticism. “Things that are handmade help to underpin us, I think,” she says. “Everything is so fast in today’s world, but these things have a nurturing quality to them – because the process is slow, they’ve been made with care. I like that to have that around me, and I think when people create things with absolute sincerity, they make something quintessentially beautiful.” Bornhof adheres to the grassroots principles that Yasmin and her Chennai-based business partner learnt when they were working for NGOs in south Asia: employees have good local wages, a pension, healthcare, and access to unconditional loans to pay for family affairs such as weddings.
“I wanted this room to be cerebral, calm and peaceful – quiet colours, but uplifting,” says homeowner Yasmin about her living room. Here she mixes Vitra’s Noguchi coffee table with a sunny yellow Chesterfield sofa, bought locally and re-covered in Kvadrat fabric
In the house, intricately embroidered curtains, and cushions originally destined for the trousseaus of Indian brides, compete for attention with a mix of objects that have been chosen because they share this same feeling of sincerity. “I’ve always had eclectic tastes – no one likes to be typecast, do they? – but I think we’re all a product of lots of different influences,” says Yasmin. “You’ve got to like what you like, of course, but for me it’s about design integrity.
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DESPITE THE PARTY-FRIENDLY, FREE-FLOWING GROUND FLOOR, THIS IS A HOUSE WITH PLENTY OF COMFORTABLE NOOKS AND CRANNIES
Designer style meets vintage style in the bedroom: the grand maple bed is by Italian brand Giorgetti, but the ‘matching’ maple bedside table was picked up at a local bric-a-brac shop, as was the lamp and curvaceous chair
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“These are heirloom quality,” says Yasmin about these cushions, hand-made in India by her firm. Each takes about two weeks to stitch and is incredibly detailed
Yasmin’s office displays some of her work-in-progress, including her new Bornhof Tresor range for babies. Here the mix is as eclectic as ever – an IKEA desk, vintage chairs and an overhead light from a London antique dealer
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Even the mass-produced things, like my coffee table, they’re not just churned out; someone’s put a lot of thought into it.” Yasmin has a nice way of subverting the norm: her Victorian Chesterfield sofa is covered in fabric from contemporary textile brand Kvadrat, while the formal panelling is made informal with blue-grey paint (“I’m not sure you’d notice how wonderful the woodwork is without it”). In a world where huge open-plan kitchen/ living/dining spaces are most coveted, how easy is a Victorian house for a modern family to live in? “It is open-plan, in its own way – you can circulate all the way around the ground floor – and that means you can live in a contemporary way, but with the flexibility to close off areas to make them more private. It flows very nicely, which makes it good for entertaining too. People seem to fuse really well here.” Yasmin’s annual gluhwein and stollen party at Christmas (the culinary influence comes from her German husband, Axel) is one of many unmissable gatherings at her house, and just as with her taste in décor, she recognises that successful hosting is all about the mix: “I think you need variety in everything. I’m drawn to big, warmhearted people regardless of their walk of life. When you have guests like that, it makes it easy.” Despite the party-friendly, free-flowing ground floor, this is a house with plenty of comfortable nooks and crannies – a vintage swivel chair in which to curl up in the TV room, for example, or a luxurious day-bed draped in exquisite embroidery, tucked into a little room upstairs. Yasmin’s passion for textiles feels like a continuation of the ethos of the Arts and Crafts movement, and the idea that there is inherent integrity in traditional, handmade objects, but as she points out, “if I were to put more and more of the same type of things in, you wouldn’t see [the Arts and Crafts elements] for what they were. Juxtaposing genres makes each one come alive. It’s the same with people – opposites attract.” HW For stockists and other contact details, see Address Book, page 113
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The Fritz Hansen Series 7 chairs in the kitchen were picked up second hand. Below: Preparing for Christmas, with a typical eye for the unusual
DINING TABLE, CHAIRS AND LIGHTING FROM MALERBA, CHINA AND CUTLERY FROM HÈRMES, VASES FROM MOSER, GLASSES AND LED LIGHT FROM BACCARAT AND CANDELABRA FROM CHRISTOFLE. ADD ANOTHER DIMENSION TO YOUR HOME MODERN FURNITURE, THIRD FLOOR
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SHATTERPROOF > Glass has transformed this traditional Glasgow home both inside and out, from its high-drama curved extension to its ice-cool staircase
Words Caroline Ednie Photography Andrew Lee
en Cairnduff is unequivocal when it comes to his verdict on the recent reimagining of his four-storey villa in Glasgow’s verdant and venerable West End. “It’s a spectacular house. In fact I think it might be the best house in Glasgow. I don’t mean to sound big-headed, but a great deal of time, effort and expense, as well as a lot of clever people working very hard, has gone in to creating it.” Ken’s comments are certainly not without foundation – the mantelpiece already boasts the first in what promises to be an ever-increasing trove of architectural
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awards. An achievement that’s all the more surprising considering that when Ken and his wife Margaret first saw Lochgarry House it was home only to a flock of West End pigeons. “The property had been empty for four or five years,” explains Ken, a commercial property developer. “It had been a home for boys and a nursing home and then a developer bought it and ran out of steam. But it had a very large garden, which is rare for the West End, and although it’s an end terrace it feels like a detached house. It was a fine big house and we liked the idea of starting from scratch.”
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Lochgarry House’s curved glass extension adds dramatic new living space as well as more direct contact with the large garden (which includes the family cricket pitch)
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Low-iron glass, which unlike most glass is truly colourless, was used for the sweep of curved windows in the garden room. The furniture was brought from the family’s previous home
Transforming the fine big house into a spectacular big award-winning home got underway when the couple enlisted the help of the Glasgow office of architecture firm Archial. “Our big idea was to make it into a large user-friendly family home, one where the kids and their pals could feel comfortable,” explains Ken. “We didn’t want a museum piece or a house that people were scared to move about in. It was to be luxurious but comfortable.” The most high octane aspect of the development is a seamless curved glass extension at garden level, which continues
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up to create a balustrade for a roof terrace above, where the family can enjoy the upside of outdoor lounging while avoiding the downside of Scottish garden midges. The extension is a tour-de-force of engineering. “We wanted something elegant and modern, achieved as subtly and minimally as possible, keeping the clarity of the detail,” explains architect Calum MacCalman. “But there is often a cost for simplicity, and in this case there was only one plant in Europe that could make these bespoke sheets of doubleglazed, curved low-iron glass at 4.2
metres high.”This new garden level, which includes a large open-plan living, dining and kitchen area, as well as a gym, media room, office and utility rooms, features simple yet sumptuous contemporary finishes. The light neutral palette of the nude ceramic floors and crisp white kitchen are beautifully offset by the dark stained oak staircase wall panels, with splashes of colour provided by the bar stools around the kitchen island and some bright accessories. A cantilevered glass gallery above the kitchen leads to another kitchen and dining area on the ground floor.
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“THE GARDEN ROOM IS THE FAMILY SPACE. IF THE KIDS HAVE PALS ROUND THEN THIS IS AN IDEAL PLACE TO HANG OUT”
A cantilevered internal balcony hangs over the crisp Poggenpohl kitchen, with vibrant flashes of colour provided by Plank’s Muira stools
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“WE DIDN’T WANT A MUSEUM PIECE OR A HOUSE THAT PEOPLE WERE SCARED TO MOVE ABOUT IN”
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The second floor has been completely reconfigured and now includes an en-suite master bedroom, dressing room and lounge – effectively a luxury one-bedroom flat within the house
SPACES HW “We use the garden kitchen and dining area by far the most,” says Ken. “It’s the family space – it’s much more informal and if the kids have pals round then this is an ideal place to hang out. The ground floor kitchen and dining area is a bit more formal and we use this when we’re entertaining.” The ground floor, which also features the main living room and library, has been largely reinstated, with many of its traditional elements, such as the oak-panelled staircase, sumptuously reinvented. The first floor includes bedrooms for the family’s three children, and a dramatic crystal clear glass staircase leading to an upper level with the couple’s private living quarters and master en-suite bedroom. “The staircase was quite disconcerting at first – it’s almost like stepping into thin air!” laughs Ken. “But once you get used to it, its quite spectacular. It also allows a huge shaft of light from the new skylight to penetrate all the way down through the house. It’s a traditional stone building, so we went to a lot of trouble to bring additional light into the house.” “I think that we managed to get the balance right between contemporary and traditional, and this is central to the success of the house. I can’t think of anything that I would change,” admits Ken. “Saying that, I did go to a great deal of trouble to make sure that the details were just so, that the small things as well as the big things were perfect. But that’s fine. That’s the way I like it.” HW For stockists and other contact details, see Address Book, page 113
The oak-panelled staircase from garden to ground level is a contemporary companion to the traditional oak staircases elsewhere in the house
Encased in oak panelling, the ground-floor living room is furnished with Italian contemporary furniture, such as the Porada side tables
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CHRISTMAS IS MAGICAL PARTLY BECAUSE IT NEVER CHANGES – RITUALS AND TRADITIONS HELP TO CEMENT FAMILY TIES AND BRING A SENSE OF COMFORT. BUT THE FESTIVE SEASON TAPS INTO WIDER TRENDS, TOO, SO HOMEWORKS ASKED SIX EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD, FROM DECORATING TO COCKTAILS, WHAT’S NEW
Photography Alexis Chabala
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> Tableware: colour-coded Better known for its beautiful stationery, Ruth Kaye Designs now also makes equally lovely paper table accessories. Here’s Ruth’s take on laying a fashion-forward party table: “I’m a big fan of Christmas, and I always end up doing it at mine, with my partner, my ex-husband, my ex-mother-in-law and my partner’s parents, to name a few! Laying the table doesn’t take long, and if it’s done well it can look amazing, but for some people it doesn’t always work – it’s like buying all the right clothes, but not wearing them in the right way. “It’s nice to buy different fabrics in that season’s colours for using as tablecloths, to bring things up to date. If your crockery and cutlery’s all the same, then it’s quite fun to mix up various fabrics. “People have more informal tastes now. Proper fabric napkins are OK, but they always seem to look quite faded after a few washes, and I think paper napkins are fine as long as they’re biodegradable. My company is pretty fashion-led in its approach, and this year it’s definitely all about a bright, electric blue – I always have a tree with different-coloured matching ribbons on it, and it’ll be in the same shade of blue this year.”
< Food: game on Ravinder Bhogal, food columnist, author and co-presenter of Channel Four’s Food: What Goes in Your Basket? on the edible trends that will make their way to the Christmas table: “Turkey’s been done; goose has been done; I think this might well be the year for small game birds. Game is becoming really accessible – it’s not just something rich people eat after shooting it – and people are realising that you can serve everyone an individual bird, they’re so small. It also pairs well with Christmassy things like chestnuts and parsnips. So I think that’s going to be massive. “Everything we enjoy eating has a sense of nostalgia attached to it, but I think Christmas is also a time to create new traditions to pass down. People are eating fewer Christmas puddings and becoming more casual and openminded, turning instead to English classics such as sticky toffee pudding. “At my house, we have a family meal and always have turkey because the children love it and request it every year. Being Indian, there’s always a little bit of spice, though: cumin on the parsnips, little touches of our own culture.”
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> Decorations: bold and bright Geraldine James, Selfridges’ buyer for the store’s 460-square-metre Christmas department, on decorations: “Traditional designs and colour schemes – red, green, gold and silver – are at the heart of what we do, and we’d be silly to try and make customers buy anything else. Fashions still come and go, though: we’ve got some acid, fluorescent colours in this year, while another range is about bringing out the kidult in all of us – a strong primary palette of red, green, yellow and some pink, and child-like motifs such as sweets and toy aeroplanes, but with a grown-up twist, so it appeals across the ages. “Most people have been collecting their ornaments for a long time and just add a little to it every year. My tree is full of completely random things, loads of odd items I’ve come across for work over the years. I like the cute side of Christmas, rather than the sophisticated side, so there’s little squirrels made from twigs, hand-knitted decorations, or things my daughter made when she was little.” Right: Decorations from a selection, Selfridges
< Flowers: simplicity rules Jamie Aston’s floristry boutique and flower school on London’s Great Portland Street supplies the capital’s best addresses. Here’s what he’ll be up to this Christmas: “Floristry is very trend-driven, mostly dictated by fashions in interior design: last year there were a lot of greys and purples, for example, and this year there are more crimson reds, as well as a big fad for the Scandinavian look – dried flowers and seedheads, all very rustic. “You can dry the lovely rusty-red hydrangeas that are available in October and November; they’ll go crispy and slightly paler, which looks amazing, you can even add a light coat of white spray paint so that they go a reddy-pink colour. Use them en-masse in a simple vase, or several vases at different heights, and place hurricane lights around the base, and you’ve basically got a display that won’t die. “I have a huge hallway with a big dresser, which I cover in hurricane lamps and church candles, and very tall clear glass vases full of white amaryllis. Amaryllis is always going to be there at Christmas – it’s the cheapest thing you can buy at that time of year to get some colour and impact. They last six or seven weeks and look really architectural.”
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< DIY Christmas: all sewn up Kay Mawer, the businesswoman behind the revival of sew-ityourself 1970s clothing brand Clothkits, on how to make do without missing out: “Making stuff in the weeks before is all part of building up the atmosphere – it’s half the fun. When I was a child we used to make biscuits to hang on the tree with ribbon, and woollen pom-poms. Last year I made tons of paper chains with my two daughters, and popcorn garlands are also very popular in my house – just thread them on to some nylon wire. “This year I think we’ll have more of a stitched Christmas. You can make your own stuffed Christmas decorations using up all sorts of fabrics: I love Liberty prints but graphic Scandinavian prints work really well, too. Stick to simple shapes such as trees, stars and circles, and you can stitch buttons on over the top of the fabric. Bunting’s also really simple to make: cut fabric shapes into triangles, using pinking shears for the two longer sides so you don’t have to hem them, and then ‘trap’ the top of the triangle in some ribbon or bias binding using the sewing machine. You can have two pieces with different fabrics back-to-back, or, just stick with one if it’s only going to go against a wall.” HW
> Drinks: be bitter Julian de Feral, head bartender at London restaurant and members’ club Lutyens, on cutting-edge winter cocktails: “Recently, the drinks world has seen an explosion in bitters [alcohol infused with herbal essences]: there are five or six times the number on the market than there were three years ago. Whisky-aged bitters are a favourite of mine – they’re subtle, but they really make a difference. “If you have people coming over, try serving them hot-buttered Guinness. This is a drink where the combination is greater than the sum of its parts: it’s sweet but dry; it’s spicy; it has some fruit notes to it; and the butter gives it texture. It’s got a Christmassy flavour, but it’s complex, soft and easy drinking.” Julian de Feral’s hot-buttered Guinness: 100ml Guinness 25ml rum 25ml simple syrup (unrefined sugar and water mixed 1:1) 2 dashes bitters (Julian uses Fee Brothers whiskey barrel-aged bitters)
Pinch of ground mixed spices (a combination of cinnamon, coriander, caraway, fennel, clove, ginger, nutmeg and turmeric) Small knob of butter
Warm up all ingredients in a saucepan (or with the steamer arm of a coffee machine), and pour into a toddy glass (or a regular mug if you don’t have one). Grate a bit of nutmeg over the top.
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HW DECORATING
INTO THE WOODS THIS CHRISTMAS, SAY IT WITH MONOCHROME
Photography Beth Evans Styling Emma Kay
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Background: Woodland wallpaper, £135 per 3-metre drop, Jenny Wilkinson Clockwise from top left: plastic giant baubles, £11 each, DZD; lacquered MDF Tree coat stand by Swedese, £638, Skandium; brass bronze Tigarah side table, £99, the Conran Shop, classic black series 302 telephone by Wild and Wolf, £55, Heal’s; metal task Overreach lamp, £525, the Conran Shop; leather Wingback armchair by James UK, £1,449, Places and Spaces; cow-skin rug, £475, Graham and Green; elm and beech nest of tables by Ercol, £525, twentytwentyone; skull candle by Modern Alchemy, £73, Heal’s; leather diary, £140, and address book, £32, Smythson; Milo wine glass, £50 for four, and tumbler, £38 for four, LSA; ceramic Soft clock, £325, Moooi; plastic Rabbit lamps, £305 each, Moooi For stockists, see page 113 063
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DECORATING HW Background: Woodland wallpaper, £135 per 3-metre drop, Jenny Wilkinson Clockwise from top left: cardboard and wood Paper chandelier, £1,700, from Moooi; lacquered MDF Tree coat stand by Swedese, £583, Skandium; paper decorations, from £1.50 each, Re; cuckoo clock by Diamantini & Domeniconi, £190, Heal’s; cardboard and wood Paper floor lamp, £1,910, Moooi; polycarbonate Henry chair, £425, EDC London; cardboard globe, £36, twentytwentyone; ceramic Oppiacei Papaver coffee table, £892, Skitsch; porcelain hare by Theodore Karner for Nymphenburg, £985, Zelli Porcelain; fibreglass, chrome and oak La Chaise lounger by Vitra, £4,501, Vitrapoint; sheepskin cushion, £60, The White Company; porcelain Equus pedestal bowl, £235, Lladro; plastic Rabbit lamps, £49, Caravan; MDF Wave sideboard, £1,595, the Conran Shop For stockists, see page 113
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OUR EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURS ALL HAVE THEIR OWN DISTINCTIVE TAKE ON DESIGN, SO IF YOU WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL YOUR FRENCH FROM YOUR FINNISH, READ ON
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In A Nutshell: Eccentric. “Something that has been typically Dutch for the past two years has been to be conceptual, to the point where it’s overconceptual – an excuse to make semiintelligent ugly stuff that’s not really needed or relevant,” says the outspoken Bertjan Pot, designer of the Lazy Bastard armchair (a beanbag with legs) and Established & Sons’ Jumper chair (half-pullover, half-seat). Moooi, Droog and Dutch By Design are known for highly original design that borders on the surreal. It’s meant to make you smile, and make you think. Wider Survey: A questioning attitude lies at the heart of all this eccentricity, according to Bertjan. “I think that it has to do with a climate where creative people don’t have to make money straight away, so they can experiment,” he says. “Reinvention is also a recurring theme. The crude translation from the Dutch is ‘clever laziness’ – taking things that have been around for a long time and having the guts to make something different.” One To Watch: Wieki Somers (www.wiekisomers. com) combines imagination and a keen understanding of materials to create objects that bend away from their typical uses, like her wooden boat-shaped bathtub, “a vehicle on land where the mind can drift away.” Find Out More: Catch up with Dutch design happenings at www.design.nl.
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“THE BIGGER SCALE OF AMERICAN DESIGN HAS COME TO FINLAND: I THINK WE LOVE IT A BIT TOO MUCH. SMALL CAN BE EXCELLENT TOO. SOME PRODUCTS CAN ONLY BE THAT WAY”
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FINLAND
In A Nutshell: Natural. In Europe’s most sparsely populated country, it’s no surprise that simplicity and nature play a huge part in design. Finnish household names such as Marimekko, Artek and Iittala almost always employ native designers, who take their cue from the beauty that surrounds them, from using local timber to bold floral textiles. Wider Survey: “I think Finnish people know what is beautiful and what works,” says Oiva Toikka, the elderly statesman of Finnish design best known for his highly collectable blown-glass birds for Iittala. “Very often, when things are easily made, they are automatically beautiful and personal.” Oiva’s a bit scathing about the influx of bolder, brasher design from ‘outside’: “The bigger scale of American design has come to Finland: I think we love it a bit too much. Small can be excellent too. Some products can only be that way.” One To Watch: Samuli Naamanka (www.samulinaamanka.com) designs simple pieces in plywood, like his elegantly unfurling Jiella suspension chair. Find Out More: Design Forum Finland (www.designforum.fi) promotes all things Finnish. Above: Samuli Naamanka’s Jiella suspension chair, created for Finnish furniture company Habitek
Above: Bertjan Pot’s Jumper chair from Established & Sons sums up the Netherlands’ irreverent attitude to design
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In A Nutshell: Old meets new. Freed from communist rule in 1989, contemporary Czech design has blossomed, but with one eye on its illustrious past. “Our country witnessed the origin of things that are still influential today,” says Vladimir Ambroz, architect and designer of the Moving Mondrian bookcase. “Take for instance Bohemian glass, Cubist furniture and architecture, or the influence that 1930s Czech Functionalism has had.” Wider Survey: Vladimir founded A.M.O.S. Design just after the Velvet Revolution, and it’s one of the few design companies still around from the immediate post-Communist era. Qubus is its quirkier sibling, often taking ordinary or traditional Czech homewares off into surreal new territory (Maxim Velcovský’s Digi Clock is a brash Baroque mantel clock, but with digital display, for example). Czech glass is still highly prized, with companies such as Verreum, set up in 2009, melding old techniques with modern context to create something strikingly contemporary. One To Watch: Cohn Studios (www.cohn.cz) recently created the simplistically beautiful Ufo carafe, designed by goldsmith and product designer Jan Jaroš: its two glasses upend to form the stopper when they’re not in use. Find Out More: Prague Art & Design (www.prague-art.cz) sells Czech art, design and antiques and its website is a very useful resource. Above: Jan Jaroš’s Ufo carafe continues a long tradition for quality Czech glassware
FRANCE
In A Nutshell: Individual. Design in France is organised in a fragmented way, with lots of regional variation, but that’s no problem according to leading product designer Matali Crasset. “We don’t have a global approach: it’s more parochial, and every designer has their own place, which I think is a good thing,” she says. Wider Survey: Accordingly, established design houses offer a diverse mix of products: Ligne Roset and Roche Bobois, 150 and 60 years old respectively, are the old-school design heroes continually moving with the times, while avant-garde newcomer Moustache, for whom Matali Crasset designs, is a collaboration of designers bringing out witty products. According to Matali, one common thread is industrial design – almost every French child of her generation will have sat on the same school chair, she points out – which means that usefulness and functionality are prized. One To Watch: Jochem Faudet (www.jochemfaudet.com) uses industrial design as the springboard for his creative approach. His Off The Ground table is a recent launch – its angular tabletop is held up using sheet metal legs that grasp the top. Find Out More: The Observeur Design awards, given annually by France’s major promoter of design, the APCI, are a handy barometer: www.francedesigninnovation.fr. Above: Moustache’s Instant Seat, designed by Matali Crasset, has legs inspired by trestles
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ITALY
In A Nutshell: Innovative. Italian design remains at the top of the European design agenda because it invests in emerging talent and new technology, with exceptional results. Manufacture stays within Italy, so the gap is slim between designing something and making it, and products are impeccably made as a result. “Everything is only possible because we have the factories,” says Piero Lissoni, architect and designer for brands such as Cassina, Minotti and Boffi. Wider Survey: “In Italy, because industrial guys are crazy, they like to take incredible risks and they choose new designers, new architects, new creative people, who use the Italian craftsmen [to make the products],” says Piero Lissoni. Brits such as Tom Dixon and Jasper Morrison made their names after being talent-spotted by Italians. Although a household name in his country, Piero is unmoved by his superstar status: “We have a lot of good designers, but it is about continuity and discipline – not nice fizzy wine, beautiful parties, nice girls and nice boys, interviews and shooting. If you want continuity, you have to work first.” One To Watch: The work of Alessandra Baldereschi (www.alessandrabaldereschi.com) is warm and feminine – two words you wouldn’t normally associate with Italian design – but with the same attention to detail. Find Out More: The ADI is Italy’s Design Council and its website (www.adi-design.org) is a good place for an overview. HW Above: Piero Lissoni’s Radar cabinet for Cassina captures the simple logic of Italian design
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R E F R E S H I N G LY
A LT E R N AT I V E B AT H R O O M S . C O M WEST LONDON 020 3375 9000 | NORTH WEST LONDON 020 3375 9001
designerpaint.co.uk
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Muddy Boots Earthborn
Nice cup of tea Graham & Brown
Apple Smiles Paint Library
Cacti Zoffany
Forrest Sanderson Spectrum
Popper Little Greene
Cochineal Fired Earth
Double Decker Bus Graham & Brown
Berry Head Albany Traditions
Cookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Blue Farrow & Ball
Midnight Blue Sanderson Spectrum
the easy way to complement your wallpaper from www.wallpaperdirect.co.uk
wallpaperdirect.co.uk
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the easy way to complement your paint from www.designerpaint.co.uk
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Whichever room in your home you’re tackling next, this month’s product roundup has all the bases covered
With bright colours and playful details, BoConcept’s set of six porcelain cups (£29) is just one of many affordable accessories that can breathe new life into your home. See more at www.boconcept.co.uk 073
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01. Collection Pierre’s handmade furniture, such as this studded Soiree dining chair, is about eclectic, casual elegance and a uniquely French approach to comfort and beauty. www.collectionpierre.com 02. Studio William’s stainless steel Karri cutlery is of such simplicity and sophistication that it’s won a design award. Available individually or as a 42-piece set (£210). www.studiowilliamshop.com 03. Interior Supply’s Mystic rugs are made from a patchwork of antique Turkish carpets that have been decoloured, redyed and sewn together: in various colours, they cost £498 per m2. www.interiorsupply.co.uk 04. These handsome wild pigs enjoying mushrooms in the forest make a heartwarming scene for this cotton canvas cushion. Wild Pig cushion, £31.95, www.ariashop.co.uk 05. These unusual bedside tables are encompassed in embossed metal and blackened to create decorative contrast: they cost £79 each from www.outthereinteriors.com 075
no limits in great design Order in time for Christmas
Lamp £239 · Extendable dining table from £1299 · Throw from £99 ·Mariposa Deluxe dining chair from £329, Rug from £429 ·Sideboard from £889
no design is out of reach. no design is out of the question. no limits in BoConcept. Find great designs that will fit your needs, taste and budget. Visit your local store or visit www.boconcept.co.uk.
Bournemouth 01202 587744 · Glasgow 0141 341 4920 · Tottenham Court Road London 020 7388 2447 · Selfridges London 020 7318 3101 · Harrods London 020 7225 6586 Kingston London 020 8546 6050 · Notting Hill London 020 7792 4111 · Fenwick Newcastle 0191 221 0690 · Redbrick Mill Leeds 01924 460483 · Liverpool 0151 236 9280 · Manchester 0161 228 7111 *Delivery schedule confirmed at time of placing the order
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01. Progetto Bagno’s Sinua units have a durable lacquered finish and come in a variety of colours and worktops - gloss units and a white glass top cost from £3,130. From Trevi Interiors: www.treviltd.com 02. Furniture Village’s funky New York dining table and chairs costs from £699 for the set: other chair colours, including fuchsia and green, are also available. www.furniturevillage.co.uk 03. Established bathroom supplier Showerlux has a made-to-measure service, so you can create the perfect bespoke bathroom in almost any space, no matter what your taste. www.showerlux.co.uk 04. Big Tomato Company’s Dollybirds creamware storage jars (£59.95 each) are inspired by swinging 60s graphics: the six luscious icons available include blonde bombshell Honey and fiery redhead Cherry. www.bigtomatocompany.com 05. Alternative Bathrooms offers both no-frills and high-end products as well as its own-label Options Collection (including this La Mancha bath, from £1,930), backed by one-to-one customer service. www.alternativebathrooms.com 077
Express your style with an individual touch Luxaflex速 Roller Blinds An incredible assortment of rich and extraordinary fabrics, the resurgence of jacquards and burn-out designs and a new emphasis on decorative bottom bars, tassels and Swarovski crystals are the key trends that characterise the exciting new Roller Blind collection from Luxaflex速. Luxaflex速 are a world leader in the design and manufacture of innovative window coverings for the home. For stockist information visit www.luxaflex.co.uk
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01. Loft Living’s Italian-designed Apuelio sofa is on sale, reduced from £4,495 to £2,595: its fully removable covers (on both frame and cushions) come in a selection of linen and cotton fabrics. www.loft-living.co.uk 02. Colour your headboard any hue from the RAL colour system with the Natural Bed Company’s new RAL collection (shown is an oak Tao bed in RAL 5018). www.naturalbed.co.uk 03. The Silver Green Slate tiling used in this bathroom came from stone specialists Kirkstone, whose Lake District-quarried English slate costs from £97.50 per m2. www.kirkstone.com 04. Assemblyroom’s iconic furniture employs the best of British craftsmanship, using high-quality materials selected for their function, aesthetic and sustainability. This AR002 sofa costs from £1,495 from www.assemblyroom.co.uk 079
KITCHENS FOR PERSONALITIES
Sold in: Austria, Barbados, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Shanghai, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, UK.
UK Studios in: Cheshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, London, Manchester, Merseyside, Midlands, Northumberland, Oxfordshire, Scotland, South Wales, Surrey.
Warendorf make kitchens for people who love cooking. For those who see the kitchen as a room for enjoyment and sensuality. For those who find cooking an experience. For people who want to develop and show off their individual lifestyle in their kitchen. For personalities. With over 37 years of experience in producing exceptional, stylish kitchens to the highest quality, Warendorf introduces a range of bold new kitchen concepts to inspire both the chef and the entertainer.
sales@warendorf.uk.com
0844 800 2007
www.warendorf.eu
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01. Camerich makes quality sofas with a designer feel (such as this Alice model) in more than 50 fabrics and leathers, starting from £700. www.camerich.co.uk 02. Highly commended in the Wood Awards for being “elegant and intelligent”, Jason Muteham’s hand-crafted timber radiator covers come in a variety of finishes, from £300. www.jasonmuteham.com 03. The natural horn used to make this bowl gives it a luminescent quality and makes each one unique. Medium horn bowl, £14 by Casa Couture, www.houseoffraser.co.uk 04. Toast encapsulates the trend for bright contemporary florals with its Ottoman cushions. Silk/cotton cushion cover, £79, www.toast.co.uk 081
In the picture: Barcelona Crocus on a Karlstad armchair.
www.bemz.com
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01. Surface View creates high quality bespoke murals, canvases and blinds to suit your home, using a unique collection of exciting imagery. www.surfaceview. co.uk (Image: IPC Media) 02. Pah Design Ltd makes beautiful walk-in wardrobes and dressing room furniture designed for you and your way of living, with prices from ÂŁ2,000. www.walkinwardrobezone.com 03. Spineless Classics incorporate the full texts of great novels into elegant designer prints: use the code HOMEWORKS online to get 25% off its Alice in Wonderland print. www.spinelessclassics.com 04. Stained ash Hiip nest of tables, ÂŁ1,055, by Jasper Morrison for Cappellini at Aram Store. www.aram.co.uk 083
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brilliant backdrop New ideas for your walls
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Ever-evolving British lifestyle brand Laura Ashley combines classic florals and muted stripes for its Vittorio wallpaper, £30 per roll (also pictured: Henshaw dining collection (table, £875, chairs, £375 per pair). www.lauraashley.com
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This cerise Cameo wallpaper, from Clarke & Clarke’s Viva Wallcoverings collection, oozes glamour: it’s available in nine eye-catching contemporary colours at around £37 per roll. www.clarke-clarke.co.uk
Need a decorator to achieve your creative vision? Nationwide company Thurlow Decoration Ltd excels in traditional skills and specialist finishes, including wallpaper hanging. www.thurlow-decorators.co.uk
Hamilton Weston’s wallpapers are recreated from period designs – this c.1830 Charlecote Strapwork pattern (£137.50 per roll) is hand- printed to order and can be made in custom colours. www.hamiltonweston.com
Original Style had added new mosaic tiles to its collection that will make a strong style statement – including a harmonious Feng Shui range (pictured) and an extravagant Gold Rush collection. www.originalstyle.com
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GARDENS HW
GARDEN NEWS >
BOXING CLEVER
When it comes to seed boxes, there are options which are far more chic than a dusty shoebox. The Original Metal Box Company, based in Gloucestershire, has created these cupboards which can sit on shelves or be wall-mounted. It’s available in four jolly designs (£82 each), and also in a smaller size without compartments. www.theoriginalmetalbox.com
FRESHLY HATCHED DESIGN
With poultry-keeping on the rise for urbanites and country-types alike, it was only a matter of time before a super-stylish chicken coop came along. The Nogg is the work of British furniture designer Matthew Hayward and creative director Nadia Turan: made of sustainably sourced cedar wood, its glass dome came be lifted out to help ventilation. (For more happy chickens, turn to page 87.) www.nogg.co
PEBBLE TO THE METAL
Hand made in Wales, Pebblecube Planters are a stylish new way to display your plants. They’re made from weather-resistant galvanized steel, while the stones are sourced from a managed quarry. Plants can be planted directly into the planter, or it can house a separate plant pot. From £24.99 at www.gardenbeet.com
GIMME MOORE
This striking hand-made stainless steel bench from Moore Designs is both sculptural and functional, and is available both as a tree-seat (pictured), or with a wooden tabletop. It comes in two halves that slot together, allowing it to be easily moved for mowing or cleaning. From £2,200 at www.mooredesigns.co.uk
Edited by Adam Beresford
LIGHTING THE WAY The Design Museum Shop’s Solar Ball Light is a funky and ingenious way to light the garden. Charged by the sun, an internal sensor triggers at dusk, while a self-charging solar battery provides power. It comes in four colours (£17.95 each) from www.designmuseumshop.com
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Nurseryman and plantsman Adrian Bloomâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Norfolk garden, Foggy Bottom, looks wonderful even in deepest winter, thanks to the structure and movement created by two of his planting passions â&#x20AC;&#x201C; grasses and perennials. Here he shares his favourite plants for a non-stop garden
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GARDENS HW FIVE GRASSES AND PERENNIALS FOR WINTER INTEREST: Elephant’s ears (Bergenia ‘Bressingham Ruby’) Bergenia is useful for ground cover in sun or part shade, but few are as outstanding as this one, with bright green heart-shaped summer leaves that turn to deep ruby red with purple undersides in winter. The best colour will come from those planted in a sunny situation. Here, it’s paired with a winter-interest shrub, Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’, a must for providing colourful bark and stems to stand out against snow.
ince I began the garden at Foggy Bottom in 1967, the key purpose has been to develop year-round interest using a variety of plants, so that the garden is just as colourful in winter as summer. Back then, evergreen and deciduous shrubs (including heathers) and conifers were used to fulfil the winter gardening role, while perennials and the few ornamental grasses grown at the time were usually all tidied up and cut down before winter began. Over time I started planting more perennials in the shaded areas where heathers would not succeed, and in the mid 1980s I began using more ornamental grasses that gave a feeling of movement that contrasted with the more static conifers, gradually bringing in more winterinterest shrubs such as Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’, and then planting still more perennials and bulbs. Thanks to perennials like Bergenia ‘Bressingham Ruby’, Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ and Helleborus, winter colour enhances the shrub plantings. Ornamental grasses such as evergreen Carex and herbaceous Panicum, Miscanthus and Stipa, whose foliage remains attractive enough through most of winter, have added immeasurably to our appreciation of what perennials and grasses can bring to the autumn, winter and early spring periods. And of course, perennials then come into their own in spring and summer, providing the annual promise of things to come. Bloom’s Best Perennials and Grasses by Adrian Bloom is published by Timber Press. To order a copy for £15 (RRP £20) inc. p&p in the UK mainland, call 020 7372 1703 or email info@timberpress.co.uk and quote code BB910
Northwind switchgrass (Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’) This tough and reliable ornamental grass changes colour from steel-blue-green in summer to light gold in autumn and winter. Its erect foliage can withstand wind and snow, while many other grasses with weaker stems flop all too easily before summer is through.
Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) Once established, black mondo grass makes a year-round carpet of jet-black leaves, good in shade where not too dry, and also excellent in a container. It has a multitude of uses – try it as ground cover beneath deciduous shrubs or trees, or as pathway edging.
Golden variegated hakone grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Alboraurea’) In this section of the garden, I’ve tried to create a wave of Japanese hakone grass, Hakonechloa macra (green in summer, tawny then beige through much of winter), which then ‘breaks’ over a carpet of black mondo grass.
Stonecrop (Sedum ‘Matrona’) For versatility, adaptability and long period of interest, Sedum ‘Matrona’ is outstanding. From early succulent grey-green foliage in spring to reddening stems and rose-pink flowers in late summer, it gives excellent value, and the autumn and winter seedheads are a bonus until spring growth begins again.
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FOOD HW
FOOD NEWS >
Have your cake
The Americans know how to make a good cake, and longestablished U.S. bakeware company Nordic Ware makes some brilliantly imaginative cake tins. Made from heavy-cast non-stick aluminium, this cool Igloo tin (£33 from Selfridges) can be used not just for cakes but for jellies, mousses and savoury dishes too. Now you’ve got the perfect excuse to play with your food…
GREEN, GREEN GRASS OF HOME
If you’re tired of turkey, Welsh lamb could step up to the plate as a worthy festive replacement. In season and in its prime at this time of year, it also has versatility beyond traditional roasts: the recipe for these canapés (above) and other dishes are included in a booklet available at butchers and supermarkets or at www.eatwelshlamb.co.uk/recipes-winter
Oh happy lay EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEEZY A competition run by mydeco.com and judged by Philippe Starck has unveiled a new design talent and a sculptural new kitchen accessory. German designer Roland Kreiter’s mysqueeze has just been launched by Alessi to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Starck’s well-known Salif citrus-squeezer. The ‘twisted ellipse’ design creates a pleasing shape, and it’s weighty too. Available for £33 from mydeco, Alessi stores and independent stockists.
‘Ethical glamour’ may seem like an oxymoron when it comes to food, but your fridge can now combine the two. The Happy Egg Co. provides an environment for chickens that includes a play set and swings, and the resulting happy eggs are available at major supermarkets and ocado.com. Give them the storage they deserve in this bling-tastic gold porcelain egg box, £15, from www.notonthehighstreet.com
The cheese course Edited by Adam Beresford
Bwlchwernen Fawr is the longest established organic dairy farm in Wales, and its decision in 2007 to go beyond milk and create its own cheese too has paid off. Hafod Cheese, made by dairyman Sam Holden (pictured), won double gold at the True Taste of Wales Awards 09/10 and was launched in Harrods this September. Similar to cheddar, but with a rich, buttery, nutty flavour, it will make the perfect addition to your Christmas cheese board. www.hafodcheese.co.uk
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Final Flourish Nothing impresses like an amazing dessert, and Christmas is the time to be ambitious with your cooking. For inspiration, HOMEWORKS asked some A-list chefs to come up with a recipe that best expresses the flavours of the festive season
Heinz Beck’s pomegranate jelly with ice cream and pine nuts “I chose this dessert because I think it’s the best way to celebrate Christmas. Pomegranates are at the peak of flavour and ripeness at this time of year, and they’re also a symbol of prosperity: a good wish for Christmas time!” Ingredients Serves 4 For the pomegranate jelly: 10 pomegranates 20 g sugar 1 sheet gelatine For the vanilla sauce: 250ml cream 2 egg yolks 25g sugar 1 sheet gelatine 1 vanilla pod For the pomegranate granita: Remaining juice leftover from pomegranate jelly 10g sugar 1.5 sheets gelatine For the salted caramel with pine nuts: 12ml water 45g sugar 45g pine nuts 1.8g salt
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For the ice cream with salted pine nut caramel: 125ml cream 250ml milk 55g sugar 2 egg yolks 80g salted caramel To serve: Edible flowers (such as pansies or nasturtiums); p omegranate seeds
the juice. Strain and then freeze until the mixture in the outside of the container is frozen: Use a fork to draw the edges into the centre, re-freeze, and repeat until the whole mixture is crystallised. Caramel with salted pine nuts: Toast the pine nuts with salt. Bring the water and sugar to a boil until it forms a caramel. Add the pine nuts. Pour onto a sheet of waxed paper and let cool. Blend until it makes a fine grain.
Method Pomegranate jelly: Cut the pomegranates in half and squeeze the juice. Heat 50 ml of pomegranate juice, and add sugar and the gelatine previously soaked in cold water. Add another 150 ml of juice. Refine and divide between 4 serving plates or shallow bowls. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Use the remaining juice for the granita. Vanilla sauce: Combine the cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla pod. Bring the temperature up to 80°C and incorporate the gelatine, previously softened in cold water. Strain and let cool. Pomegranate granita: Heat 50 ml of pomegranate juice, and add sugar and the gelatine previously soaked in cold water. Add the remaining part of
Ice cream: Mix the egg yolk with sugar. Bring to a boil the milk, cream and add to mixture. Whisk in a bain-marie until it forms a crème anglaise. Allow to cool. Add the caramel and stir in an ice cream maker (if you don’t have one, use vanilla ice cream and sprinkle it with the caramel). To serve: Remove the 4 serving plates from the fridge and form a number of small blobs of vanilla sauce on the surface. Add a few grains of pomegranate in the centre and pour on a tablespoon of granita before topping with a quenelle of ice cream with pine nuts. Garnish with edible flowers. www.heinzbeck.com
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Michel Roux Jr’s walnut caramel tart scented with nutmeg, with dried fruit salad “One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is because, much like the 13 desserts of Provence, a Christmas tradition we have in France, this pudding is full of dried fruits and wonderful spices. It has all the flavours of Christmas in it and is a great alternative if you are bored with mince pies.” Ingredients Serves 8 For the dried fruit salad: 500g mixed dried fruit (apricots, figs, cranberries, sultanas etc) 1 orange 1 lemon 3 tbsp maple syrup 100g light brown muscovado sugar 3 tbsp dark rum For the pastry: 120g unsalted butter 1 tbsp cream 60g castor sugar 1 egg yolk 200g plain flour, sifted For the filling: 130g butter 80ml cream ½ tsp grated nutmeg 130ml liquid glucose 200g castor sugar 200g walnuts
Sweet pastry: Bring the butter, cream, castor sugar and egg yolk together with your fingertips, then gradually work in the flour. Do not over-work the pastry. Wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for an hour. Roll the pastry out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 3mm. Line a buttered 16-18cm flan ring and keep the trimmings to make a lattice on top. Filling: Bring the butter, cream and nutmeg to the boil in a small saucepan, then set aside to cool. In a deep, heavy-based saucepan mix the glucose and castor sugar with 4 tablespoons of water, and place over high heat. Keep stirring and cooking until a dark caramel colour. Reduce the heat and slowly pour in the cream mixture, stirring all the time. Be very careful as the caramel tends to splutter and splash. Finally, add the walnuts, then take off the heat and leave to cool. Pour the filling into the lined flan ring. Decorate with a lattice of sweet pastry strips and bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes until the pastry is golden. Leave to cool.
“This pudding is full of dried fruits and wonderful spices. It has all the flavours of Christmas in it and is a great alternative if you are bored with mince pies”
To serve: remove the ring and cut the tart into slices. Serve with dried fruit salad on the side. www.michelroux.co.uk
Method Dried fruit salad: Put the dried fruit into a bowl. Peel the orange and lemon, and collect the juice in a small saucepan. Add the maple syrup. Cut the peel into long thin strips, blanch in boiling water, then rinse. Do this three times. Put into a saucepan with the muscovado sugar, cover with water and simmer uncovered for 25 minutes. Set aside. Bring the fruit juice and maple syrup to the boil, then add to the peel and cooking liquid. Pour over the dried fruit with the rum. Cover and leave overnight to steep, stirring occasionally. This can be made several days in advance.
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Sapota & Finlay Collections www.romo.com
FOOD HW
Alain Ducasse’s rum baba “The ‘baba au rhum’, lustrous and deliciously fragrant, glazed with apricot jam and ready to be drizzled with rum, is a masterpiece of good taste. It’s a dessert that pays homage to the history and tradition of grand French pastry, and has been on the menus of my three 3-Michelin-starred restaurants since their openings.” Ingredients Makes about 15 For the babas: 200g flour ½ tsp salt 70g butter 8.5g yeast 8.5g honey 250g eggs (about 5 large eggs) For the syrup: 500ml water 250g sugar Zest of ½ an orange ½ scraped vanilla pod, and its seeds
To garnish: 14g apricot glaze (use warm, strained apricot jam); old rum, to taste For the vanilla whipped cream: 500ml double cream 100g granulated sugar Seeds from ¼ vanilla pod Method Babas: Mix the flour with salt, butter and yeast, and knead in an electric mixer with a dough hook. Add the eggs one by one: gradually the dough should become smooth and eventually stop sticking to the sides of the bowl. Allow the dough to sit on an oiled surface for 5 minutes: it should be elastic, but firm. Divide it into 30g portions and place in cylinder-shaped moulds. Allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, until it reaches the top of the moulds. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 180°C until browned (usually about 25 minutes), turning the baking sheet halfway through baking. Allow to cool on a rack and set aside.
Syrup: When the babas are cool, mix together all the syrup ingredients, then bring to the boil and allow them to steep slowly. Plunge the babas into hot, but not boiling, syrup, and use a skimmer to turn them until they are thoroughly soaked. Drain on a rack. Vanilla cream: Split ¼ vanilla pod in half lengthwise, collect the seeds and mix them into the cream. Beat in the granulated sugar until the cream is semi-firm. To serve: Place the baba on a plate and cover with the apricot glaze. Cut the baba in half when serving and drizzle with old rum of your choice. Serve with vanilla cream. www.alain-ducasse.com
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Sweet!
HOMEWORKS’ wine expert Bill Hermitage makes some suggestions for the perfect dessert wines to accompany this month’s recipes
Charles Lakin’s Christmas pudding soufflé with vanilla and rum ice cream “As a chef you can get a bit bored of the usual fare by the time it gets round to your own Christmas dinner, so this makes it a little bit different and is also a lighter take on the original dish.” Ingredients Serves 6 For the ice cream: 250ml double cream 250ml full-fat milk 1 vanilla pod 6 egg yolks 50g caster sugar 50ml rum, more if a stronger flavour is required
For the soufflé: 300g Christmas pudding 75g raisins 1 cox apple, grated 5g orange zest 8 egg whites 80g sugar
Cinnamon sugar and softened butter to line soufflé ramekins Method Ice cream: First boil the cream, milk and vanilla pod. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar and pour over the cream, gently mixing into the egg mix. Return to the heat and gently cook until the custard coats the back of the spoon. Add the rum and pass through a sieve, leave to cool. When cool, churn in an ice-cream machine and set in the freezer. Soufflé: Puree the Christmas pudding in a food processor. Mix the raisins, apple, and orange zest and gently cook for 5 minutes. Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form, then add sugar and whisk until stiff. Half fill the prepared soufflé dishes with the mix. Place a spoonful of the cooked fruit (and perhaps a small coin for tradition), then top with the remaining mix and smooth over with a pallet knife. Gently remove a small rim of the mix to ensure an even rise. Place in a 190°C oven for 7 minutes until well risen. Serve immediately with a scoop of the ice cream. www.themarquisatalkham.co.uk 096
To many people, dessert is the crowning glory of any dinner party. But oh how often I’ve sat there and tucked into a good pud only to be quietly disappointed because there was no wine to accompany it. Serving another wine as you approach the end of your meal not only enhances your final course, but is guaranteed to end your evening on a high. The good news is that matching your dessert with a wine is often far less difficult than with other dishes. With most desserts, sweetness is the overriding factor and as long as your accompanying wine is as sweet, or slightly sweeter, you’ll have found a good match. To accompany the delicious desserts on the previous pages, here are a few pairing suggestions. For the walnut caramel tart, try a sweet Vin Santo or a nutty Malmsey Madeira, whereas for the Christmas pudding soufflé, a light Moscato d’Asti will do nicely. The rum baba might depend on which rum and how much you use, but I would opt for a classic Monbazillac or even a rich Pedro Ximénez from Spain. For the delicate flavours of the pomegranate recipe, try a chilled glass of sparkling Brachetto. HW
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TRAVEL HW
ASK A LOCAL: FALMOUTH Cornwall offers design for life, not just for your summer holidays, according to Anna Hart and John Miller of MARK. The Penrynbased studio is known for both its innovative contemporary furniture and its nurturing of local talent, with Cornwall acting as ‘third partner’ in the business. Here, Anna and John nominate the best design-centric things to do and see on their patch. See more of MARK’s work at www.markproduct.com
01. Building: Bos Dinas Architect Sarah Williams has nearly completed her house, Bos Dinas, just visible from our offices on the other side of Penryn River. It has amazing eco-credentials, yet it sits really well alongside the neighbouring fishermens’ cottages and grander shipowners’ houses, symbolising a progressive vision of Cornwall as both sustainable and liveable.
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02. Gallery: Falmouth Art Gallery Curator Brian Stewart has worked incredibly hard over the past ten years to put Falmouth on the map as town that has been as influential to artists as St Ives and Newlyn. The gallery recently acquired nine pieces by Anna’s great uncle, Tom Early, which were recently shown here for the first time. www.falmouthartgallery.com 03. Shop: Higher Market Studio Designer-maker Lucy Turner specialises in reinventing tired pieces of furniture with the clever use of laser-cut laminate. Lucy’s Penryn shop also stocks products from other designer-makers in Cornwall and is a great place for distinct design-led products. www. highermarketstudio.co.uk 04. Designer: Skinflint Design Predominantly an online shop, but worth a visit by appointment, is lighting company Skinflint, which offers a great selection of reclaimed lighting products. www.skinflintdesign.co.uk
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WRAPPED IN LOVE
*Christmas sale* up to 30% off selected items. Find your perfect piece.
www.lovevintagefurniture.com
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somewherelse This month’s design-conscious home-from-home: Balbegno Castle, Kincardineshire
here can’t be many scheduled ancient monuments that come decorated with a disco-ball chandelier, but then, the whole point of Balbegno Castle is to play things a little left-of-centre. The creation of Charlie and Caroline Gladstone, who run British interiors brand Pedlars, this place is part ancestral home, part exuberant splurge of fun. It took two years to restore and refurbish the building, which comprises the castle itself, dating from the 1560s, and the early Georgian wing attached to it, containing the bulk of the accommodation. The original castle’s Great Hall, home to that giant sparkly chandelier, has a painted ceiling featuring the heralds of all the Scottish peers as they were in 1561. New plasterwork on the walls has made it sing again. Charlie Gladstone admits that being responsible for such an important building is “an onerous task”, but when it came to the interior fit-out, there were no such qualms. Pedlars is known for mixing old and new with great flair, so the couple mined a stuffed-to-busting barnful of old furniture they’d either inherited or collected to sell. A sourcing trip to France for vintage industrial furniture, and a considerable amount of Pedlars’ own accessories, complete the look. The aim is for grandeur and comfort at the same time, explains Charlie: “We haven’t tarted up all the furniture, but left it loose and relaxed. If it was formal and stuffy then it would alienate precisely the people we want to attract – families with kids.” With isolated beaches 20 minutes in one direction and the Highlands 20 minutes in another, there’s plenty to occupy holidaymakers, but you might not need to stray even that far, given that there’s a garden and trout lake on the doorstep. The local village, Fettercairn, has a small shop and a decent dining pub, the Ramsay Arms (make sure you have a dram of Fettercairn 1824, made in the village’s own distillery). There is a decade-long programme of restoration planned at the castle, funded by the success of this latest venture. And thankfully for visitors, some of the changes ahead are a bit more fun than buildings maintenance: “The pool table’s coming next week.” HW Balbegno Castle sleeps 16 and costs from £2,750 for a week-long stay. www.balbegnocastle.co.uk
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by Grange Design
Available exclusively at C.P. HART
www.grangedesign.com www.cphart.co.uk
BATHROOMS 102
BATHS
BATHROOM BASINS
Kew Hand Basin
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CLOSETS
BEDROOMS
CONTAINERS
CERAMIC TILES
corporion UNIQUE HAND CR AF TED & BE SP OKE TILE S
Introducing from our new range:
Bronze Metallic Parquet Versailles floor and wall tiles. Exclusively available from:
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Myth Collection, Tin Plated Riveted Cauldron
London SW3 2HX 020 7589 7386
Hand-crafted solid copper and zinc containers for both outside and inside
www.waltonceramics.co.uk 103
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contemporary steel reinforced doors www.urbanfront.co.uk 01494 778 787
FIREPLACES 104
DOORS & WALLS
DOORS
速
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FURNITURE
FURNITURE
FLOORING
professional environment
design inspiration
creative library
product selection
stunning results
VISIT THE FIRST UNIQUE DESIGN CENTRE FROM THE UK’S LARGEST MANUFACTURER OF THE FINEST FSC WOOD FLOORING - VIEW MORE THAN 360+ TED TODD HARDWOOD FLOORS - DISCOVER A RELAXED ENVIRONMENT - LET OUR EXPERIENCED STAFF INSPIRE THE START OF YOUR JOURNEY
Located just off j21 M6 at: 18 Chesford Grange Woolston Warrington Cheshire WA1 4RQ For further information call: 01925 283015 For product information visit: www.tedtodd.co.uk
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FURNITURE
FURNITURE
Q. Where can you search over 100 designer furniture showrooms with discounts of up to 70%? A. Please visit Baxter is one of the many furniture collections represented by Domain and is renowned for luxurious leather upholstery. “New classical” pieces are elegant with comfort such as the Baxter Gilbert table & Baxter Paloma chair. The Gilbert tabletop is available with leathercovered wood or marble finishes. The Paloma is leather upholstered. Catalogues can be downloaded from our website. Baxter is one of the many furniture collections represented by Domain. Others include: B&B Italia, Vitra, Knoll, Rimadesio, DeSede, Flexform, Reflex Tel. 01403 784846 Email. mail@domainfurniture.info www.domainfurniture.info
FURNITURE
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DOMAIN HP.indd 1
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To order a brochure pack or fabric samples call 01424 754448 | e-mail info@sfor.com 106
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INTERIORS 107
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LAND ACQUISITION
INTERIORS
LOOKING FOR LAND? Thinking of building your dream home? Often most difficult part getting started on a self-build is normally finding the right site. If you are looking for the perfect plot in the right spot, make sure that we are aware of your requirements: we normally have a good selection of suitable plots available and if we don’t have exactly what you want we can often find it for you! Contact Nick Groves on (01235) 847762 or (07836) 766666 to discuss the plot you require...
Land acquisition agents operating throughout the south of England www.solidgroundland.co.uk nick@solidgroundland.co.uk
LIGHT SWITCHES
INTERIORS
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LIGHTING
LIGHTING
RUGS
The ultimate in modern, classic & designer rugs come see our new & exclusive Pierre Cardin Collection please visit therugswarehouse.co.uk
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TILES, MOSAIC
RUGS
Who said mosaics need to be square? A stunning collection of glass mosaic tiles of various sizes and colours, make this a popular range for designers looking to create that signature wall. For a FREE brochure or samples of this range, please email info@stratatiles.co.uk quoting ref HOMEWORK (HEAD OFFICE)
(SHOWROOM)
Strata Tiles Polar House 6 Midleton Industrial Estate Guildford, Surrey, GU2 8XW
studio62 62 Clerkenwell Rd London EC1M 5PX
0800 012 1454 info@stratatiles.co.uk www.stratatiles.co.uk/mosaics
Tile Displayed ORLY-73
Showcasing the best international designers and the latest trends in tiles, mosaic and stone, Surface’s innovative stores welcome everyone. With beautifully crafted room designs, hundreds of display panels and thousands of samples, Surface is where the design-savvy get their inspiration.
LONDON STORES IN BATTERSEA & ISLINGTON AND WEST MOLESEY, SURREY INFO@SURFACETILES.COM
Showroom now open: Quayside House, Basin Road South Hove, East Sussex, BN41 1WF Call us on: 01273 427934
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FSC-GBR-1045 ©1996 Forest Stewardship Council A.C.
WWW.SURFACETILES.COM
TILES
SHUTTERS
TILES MOSAIC STONE
shutters that don’t cost the earth
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VINTAGE, RETRO & ANTIQUES
Architectural Salvage, Ornament & Curiosities
LASSCO Brunswick House www.lassco.co.uk 020 7394 2100
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WALLPAPER
WALL ART
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ADDRESS BOOK HW
ADDRESS BOOK
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Alexandra Hill (www.mansellhill.com) Alessi 0800 783 0907 (www.alessi.co.uk) Anthropologie 020 3119 2907 (www.anthropologie.eu) Archial Glasgow 0141 204 6500 (www.archialgroup.com) Bonacina Pierantonio 0039 0362 86621 (www.bonacinapierantonio.it) Bornhof 01795 535913 (www.bornhof.co.uk) Camilla Meijer Design 07986 657 033 (www.camillameijer.com) Case 020 7622 3506 (www.casefurniture.co.uk) Ciel Bleu 07903 157 095 (www.cielbleu.co.uk) Clothkits 01243 600301 (www.clothkits.co.uk) The Conran Shop 0844 848 4000 (www.conranshop.co.uk) Crafts Council 020 7806 2500 (www.craftscouncil.org.uk) Culture Label 020 7749 6857 (www.culturelabel.com) Design Museum Shop (www.designmuseumshop.com) Do 020 7494 9090 (www.do-shop.com) DotComGiftShop 020 8746 2473 (www.dotcomgiftshop.com) Drink Shop & Do 020 3343 9138 (www.drinkshopdo.com) DZD 020 7388 7488 (www.dzd.co.uk) EDC London 020 7631 1090 (www.edcplc.com) Established & Sons 020 7968 2040 (www.establishedandsons.com) Foscarini 0039 041 595 3811 (www.foscarini.com) Fritz Hansen 0844 800 8934 (www.fritzhansen.com) Garden Beet 020 3397 2377 (www.gardenbeet.com) Giorgetti 00 39 0362 75275 (www.giorgetti-spa.it) Graham & Green 0845 130 6622 (www.grahamandgreen.co.uk)
Hafod Cheese 01570 493 283 (www.hafodcheese.co.uk) Happy Egg Co. (www.thehappyegg.co.uk) Heal’s 0870 024 0780 (www.heals.co.uk) The Henson (www.thehenson.co.uk) IKEA (www.ikea.com) James UK 0191 584 2320 (www.jamesdesignuk.co.uk) Jamie Aston 020 7387 0999 (www.jamieaston.com) Jenny Wilkinson 07939 401631 (www.jennywilkinson.com) John Lewis 01993 867078 (www.johnlewis.com) Knoll 020 7236 6655 (www.knoll.com) Kvadrat 020 7324 5555 (www.kvadrat.dk) Larache 020 7729 7349 (www.hassan-hajjaj.com) Lazerian 0161 337 0999 (www.lazerian.co.uk) Lladro 0800 015 2413 (www.lladro.com) LSA 0193 278 9721 (www.lsa-international.com) Milagros 020 7613 0876 (www.milagros.co.uk) Moooi 01483 209 350 (www.moooi.com) Moore Designs 01444 473 898 (www.mooredesigns.co.uk) Moroso 0039 0432 577111 (www.moroso.it) Mydeco (www.mydeco.com) Niki Jones 0141 959 4090 (www.niki-jones.co.uk) 95% Danish 01932 789721 (www.95percentdanish.com) Nogg 07812 084 335 (www.nogg.co) Not on the High Street 0845 259 1359 (www.notonthehighstreet.com) The Original Metal Box Company 01453 833 016 (www.theoriginalmetalbox.com) Places and Spaces 020 7498 0998 (www.placesandspaces.com) Plank 0039 0471 803 500 (www.plank.it) Poggenpohl 01727 738 100 (www.poggenpohl.de/en) Porada 01252 717 771 (www.porada.it)
Rothschild & Bickers 020 8418 5900 (www.rothschildbickers.com) The Rug Company 020 7229 5148 (www.therugcompany.info) Ruth Kaye Design 020 7722 7227 (www.ruthkayedesign.com) Sanderson 0844 543 4749 (www.sanderson-uk.com) SCP 020 7739 1869 (www.scp.co.uk) Selfridges 0800 123 400 (www.selfridges.com) Shan Valla 07966 240175 (www.shanvalla.co.uk) Skandium 020 7584 2066(www.skandium.com) Skitsch 020 7589 1154 (www.skitsch.com) Smythson 0845 873 2435 (www.smythson.com) twentytwentyone 020 7288 1996 (www.twentytwentyone.com) Valentina Gonzales Wohlers 07908 334388 www.valentinagw.com Viaduct 020 7278 8456 (www.viaduct.co.uk) Villeroy & Boch 020 8871 4028 (www.villeroy-boch.com) Vitra 020 7608 6200 (www.vitra.com) Vitrapoint 020 7064 9681 (www.vitrapoint.co.uk) welovekaoru 07766 608 873 (welovekaoru.com) West Architecture 020 8741 4381 (www.westarchitecture.co.uk) The White Company 0845 678 8150 (www.thewhitecompany.com) Zara Home 0800 026 0091 (www.zarahome.com) Zelli Porcelain 020 7224 2114 (www.zelli.co.uk)
For complete supplier listings go to www.homeworksmag.co.uk
Race Furniture 01451 821446 (www.racefurniture.com) Re 01434 634567 (www.re-foundobjects.com) Roost Living 020 7485 3455 (www.roostliving.com)
TOM DIXON COMPETITION
Kylie Annan was the winner of last issue’s competition to win a Tom Dixon Etch pendant lamp. Four readers also receive an Etch candleholder: Debbie Burrows, Eleanor Hullock, Fred Inman and Zoe Daniels.
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HOMEWORKS gets under the skin of good design. This month: Matthew Hilton’s Cross table for Case
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FLAT-PACK FURNITURE DOESN’T OFTEN GET A GOOD PRESS, BUT MATTHEW HILTON’S CROSS TABLE FOR BRITISH FURNITURE COMPANY CASE MANAGES TO DELIVER A FORWARD-THINKING, HIGH-QUALITY PRODUCT THAT STILL COMES AT A REASONABLE PRICE. EASY? WE ASKED HIM… 1.“This was an early concept, showing the cross-shaped legs – hence its name. It was the first piece I designed for Case, and I wanted to end up with a reasonably priced, extending dining table, which didn’t have a leg at each corner for people to bang their legs against, so it doesn’t prescribe where you sit.”
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packaging and transportation are huge issues. The legs also took on a more dynamic shape – something with a bit of tension and movement adds a bit of personality.”
2. “We went through loads of different ways of working out how the legs and the bar would all fit together – the bar is very important structurally, pulling it all together.”
4. “The top is basically a box, with the leaves stored inside. Using veneer rather than solid timber allows us to make the top hollow, but it’s much more economical too, obviously. You lift the leaves out manually so it’s not very whizz-bang – in fact it’s pretty analogue – but again, it’s a more “economical approach.”
3. “The cross-shaped legs eventually became two sets of U-shaped legs on each side, partly because they’d flat-pack and ship better – ease of
5. “This is the finished table, but it’s actually now on its third or fourth incarnation since we started selling it: if there are production problems,
they need to be designed out. For example, at first the veneer ran lengthways, which meant more wastage, and the factory couldn’t guarantee that the grain of the pieces of wood would match up when the table was assembled. That problem’s eliminated if you run it widthways, and it looks better, too.” HW Cross table by Case, £1,599, John Lewis
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DESIGN PORTRAIT.
Bend-Sofa is music to Kate and Davide. Bend-Sofa is designed by Patricia Urquiola. info: Tel. +39 031 795 213 - info@bebitalia.com - www.bebitalia.com B&B Italia Store London, SW3 2AS - 250 Brompton Road - Tel. 020 7591 8111