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THE STYLE MAGAZINE FOR YOUR HOME NOVEMBER 2017 £4.50

Modern

Oriental

WHY STYLISH HOMES ARE LOOKING TO THE EAST FOR INSPIRATION

BEDROOM BLISS

The ideas, trends and buys to help you create your perfect sleep space

Bergen The Scandi city to visit now

World class

BEAUTIFUL HOMES AND AWARD - WINNING DESIGNS DEFINING GLOBAL STYLE

9 770957 894212

RED ALERT NOW’S THE TIME TO PAINT YOUR HOME FASHION’S HOT TEST HUE

N O V E M B E R 2 017

SLEEP SPECIAL

25 It’s time to invest in your bedtime ritual. We’ve put together the latest must-buys, tips and tricks to help you drift off and achieve that ever-elusive eight hours of slumber

THE COVER

STYLE 51

Design The history of French brand Ligne Roset, why we love design hero Michele de Lucchi and a cultural chinwag with Simon Wallis OBE, director of The Hepworth Wakeﬁeld

NEWSSTAND COVER: SHARYN CAIRNS (PHOTOGRAPHY) SUBSCRIBER COVER: PAUL RAESIDE (PHOTOGRAPHY), HANNAH BORT (STYLING)

57 Decorating Dulux’s Colour of the

Newsstand The Chinese red living room on this cover, featuring vintage Minotti sofas around a Baxter table, is a shining example of the Modern Oriental look, p122

Year for 2018, David Hicks-inspired fabrics and more. Plus, we delve into the story of the richest, most dramatic and passionate of reds: oxblood

Architecture We take a closer look at the groundbreaking designs of three companies’ new headquarters and chat to the director of Living Architecture, Mark Robinson

Technology The smartest home security gadgets, digital wall art and a revolutionary coffee maker

75 The world’s best designs

Presenting the winners of the ELLE Decoration International Design Awards 2017 – as judged by us and our 25 esteemed sister titles around the world

BEDROOM TRENDS

85 Dreaming of a bedroom update?

Snuggle up with our bumper sourcebook for all the inspiration you need to create the most stylish of sleeping spaces

Subscriber This exclusive cover is from the Orient excess shoot in this issue, and features the stunning ‘À Contre-Jour’ curtain fabric in ‘Blu Alba’ by Dedar, p140

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HOME

120 Modern oriental Editor-at-

Large Michelle Ogundehin talks us through the theme of this issue’s homes

122 Red revival Shades of Chinese

red set the scene in this Australian home that brims with personality

132 Meditative mood This Swedish apartment has a simple, white scheme that brings to mind the spiritual calmness of the East

140 Orient excess Rich lacquer,

191

luxurious materials and lavish colours – the design world’s Eastern inﬂuences are taking an opulent turn

FINALLY

148 Shared traditions This Danish

holiday home is built using techniques common to both Scandinavia and Japan

Subscribe Fantastic offers for our most loyal readers

156 Zen masterclass It’s time for

202

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

a lighter design touch. Be inspired by the simplicity of Japanese-style interiors

218

The story of the knife We take a look at the world’s oldest eating iron

162 Natural harmony Architect

Sergey Makhno’s Kiev home fuses the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi with his Ukrainian design heritage

180

172 Creative calm In Stockholm’s

newest co-working space, splashes of red and jade green take inspiration from Eastern design’s more playful side

180 Balancing act The owners of

this mid-century modern Melbourne home, enveloped by a Japanese garden, have mastered the art of Zen living

ESCAPE

191 News Pay homage to iconic painter David Hockney

with our pick of venues and activities in his native Yorkshire. Plus, two new Danish-inspired restaurants in Paris

196 Gardens We pick our favourite green spaces from Sophie Walker’s new book, The Japanese Garden

199 Getaway Get your winter ﬁx of Nordic cosiness

in Norway’s new hotspot, the cool and colourful Bergen 16 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2017

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GROU P E DI T OR I A L DI R E CT OR Susy Smith Group Editorial Director’s Assistant Sandra Tear (020 7312 4114) Editorial enquiries elledecoration@hearst.co.uk (020 7439 1044) Homes submissions homes@elledecoration.co.uk 72 Broadwick Street, London W1F 9EP

E DI T OR I A L Executive Editor Ben Spriggs Acting Executive Editor Jackie Daly Photography Director Flora Bathurst Deputy Art Director Philippe Blanchin Chief Sub Editor Clare Sartin Features Editor Amy Moorea Wong Interiors Editor Kiera Buckley-Jones Photography Editor James Williams Senior Features Writer Charlotte Brook Junior Designer Jack Melrose Sub Editor Rebecca Hastings Managing Editor Ingrid Eames Workflow Director Carly Levy Contributing Editors Amy Bradford Eliza Honey Emma Love Sarah Slade Contributing Stylists Hannah Bort Sania Pell Amanda Smith-Corston Suzanne Stankus With thanks to Isabel Cruz Editor-at-Large Michelle Ogundehin

PU BL I SH I NG & A DV E RT I SI NG Chief Brand Officer, Lifestyle & Homes Sharon Douglas Chief Brand Officer’s Assistant Helen Hart (020 7439 5258) Associate Publisher Christopher Daunt (020 7439 5175) Director of Homes Julia Goodwin Account Manager Stephanie Tomlinson (020 7297 5462) Classiﬁed Sales Executive Charlie Ollivier (020 7297 3482) Regional Sales Lisa Rogers (016 1962 9254) Director of Commercial Strategy Dan Levitt (020 3640 2184) Project Manager Camilla Weston (020 7439 5376) PR Executive Alice Roberta Taylor (020 7439 5047)

PRODUCT ION Production Director John Hughes (020 7439 5200) Production Manager Stephen Osborne (020 7439 5414) Production Coordinator Carl Latter (020 7439 5402)

CI RCU L AT ION

H E A R ST I N T E R N AT ION A L

Circulation and Marketing Director Reid Holland Head of Consumer Sales & Marketing James Hill Group Customer Marketing Manager Karen Sharp (020 7439 5543) Junior Consumer Marketing Manager Vicky Chandler (020 3728 7688) Subscriptions Marketing Executive Kimberley Cooper (020 7439 5687) Customer Marketing Manager Georgina Pearson (020 7439 5145)

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and General Manager Simon Horne Senior Vice President/International Publishing Director Jeannette Chang Senior Vice President/Editorial Director Kim St Clair Bodden

H E A R ST U K President & Chief Executive Officer James Wildman President’s Executive Assistant Faye McNulty Chief Financial/Operating Officer Claire Blunt Chief Strategy Officer Robert Fﬁtch Chief Operations Director Clare Gorman Chief Agency Officer Jane Wolfson Chief Digital Officer Paul Cassar Director of Communications Lisa Quinn HR Director Surinder Simmons Director, Hearst Live Victoria Archbold Managing Director, Brand Services Judith Secombe ELLE Decoration is published by Hearst UK, a trading name of The National Magazine Company Ltd.

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

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I PICTURE: JAMES MCNAUGHT

t’s somewhat of a cliché to talk of the only constant being change, but in this world of political uncertainties, shifting social movements – not to mention digital media refreshing on a second-by-second basis – it seems that the concept of transformation surrounds us more than ever. For me, the shift between the seasons is always a time for embracing change. I particularly love the inﬂux of new colour combinations and must-buy pieces that arrive with the onset of autumn. Then, there’s the fact that the way we live and interact with our homes changes as the temperature drops. Now is the moment to retreat indoors; to refresh your space by tackling those pre-winter decorating jobs; to bring warmth and texture into your home. It’s now that our minds turn to snuggling up, often focusing on the most intimate space in the home: the bedroom. Indeed, ideas of where and how we sleep, and the search for a perfect night’s slumber have preoccupied us this issue, so you’ll ﬁnd plenty of advice, from technology to transform your bedtime to 17 pages of inspiring trends. Speaking of change, we’re going through our own period of transformation here at ELLE Decoration, and I’m both thrilled and proud to have been given the opportunity to head up a magazine that I have loved for over 20 years – and for which I have been part of the team for almost ten. I also acknowledge that an essential part of any change (within your home or elsewhere) is realising what you don’t need to alter. So, with that in mind, we will continue to inspire, delight and – above all – to bring you the most beautiful homes in the world. This month, our Modern Oriental houses (read about the trend on p120) span the globe, from Denmark to Australia. I’d love to hear what you think…

Executive Editor

Follow me on

Instagram: @mrbspriggs

Twitter: @ELLEDecoBen

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22 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2017

SLEEP

IN STYLE How did you sleep last night? Eight hours of shut-eye is the magic number for health, beauty and happiness. Here, we share the tips and must-buys to help you rest easy…

FIVE-STAR FORTY WINKS There’s nothing quite like the sleep you’ll have in a penthouse suite. We’ve checked into four hot hotels to unveil the secrets behind the world’s most luxurious bedrooms

1 PUBLIC, New York Hotelier Ian Schrager – founder of Studio 54 – has opened this affordable Manhattan hotel, designed by architects Herzog & De Meuron (herzogdemeuron.com). How’s the bed? Custom-made from wire-brushed oak, it slots perfectly into the bleached-oak-clad ‘sleep space’ by the window. Bonus Triple-glazed windows and blackout blinds block the noise and light from the city that never sleeps (public-nyc.com). ➤

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2 NOBU HOTEL, London

This is Nobu’s ﬁrst British outpost, co-designed by Ron Arad (ronarad.co.uk). How’s the bed? Low-slung, dressed with ‘inner chamber’ pillows (two pipes of feather surrounded by soft down to provide a ‘valley’ for your head) and 400-thread-count sheets. Bonus There’s a traditional Japanese tea set in every room, ready for preparing a calming brew (nobuhotelshoreditch.com).

3 HOTEL PANACHE, Paris

Pigalle, ‘the Soho of Paris’ – as its sometimes known – has a new hotel occupying two 19th-century houses. Its chic look is the brainchild of visionary design studio Chzon (chzon.com). How’s the bed? We love the bent steel and canework headboard, lit with bespoke lights by Atelier Areti (atelierareti.com). Bonus Many rooms come with a balcony (hotelpanache.com).

4 THE NED, London

Soho House’s newest jewel dazzles with the glamour of the jazz age – the era in which its home, a Sir Edwin Lutyens-designed former bank, was designed. How’s the bed? Mahogany four-posters robed in ﬁnery. The mattresses come courtesy of Royal Warrant holder Hypnos, and the bedlinen is 350-thread-count cotton sateen from Tielle. Bonus Slippers and a robe by Italian brand Frette (thened.com). 26 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2017

It is a fact that without sufficient sleep, our bodies fail to function as they should – our immune system is weakened, our learning, memory and decision making all impaired. Also, sleeping well begets good mornings, and having a solid start can ease you into having a clear-minded, active and productive day. As Aristotle once said, ‘It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth and wisdom’. However, neither sleep nor jolly mornings are possible without a good mattress. And yet in the UK, we are reputedly not changing our mattresses every five to seven years, as is the customary recommendation, opting instead for something more like every 12–15 years. And forget about rotating the mattress every six months, too – it’s largely not happening! Personally, I must admit to being put off by the sheer schlep of getting a new mattress up the stairs to my bedroom – not to forget the perceived hassle of disposing of the old one. An uncomfortable bed, though, can rob you of up to an hour of sleep each night, and that’s before we even talk about the important hygiene aspect – we typically shed a pound of skin a year, and lose half a pint of moisture each night. The state of our beds after seven years doesn’t bear thinking about. A good mattress can literally be the foundation on which your wellbeing depends. As American sleep clinician Terry Cralle puts it, ‘Your mattress is critically important to sleep quality. It’s a performance tool’. One of the latest people to leap into this competitive market is Hilary Devey, former Dragons’ Den star and serial entrepreneur. If she seems an unlikely newcomer to the sleep scene, then that is to underestimate her understanding of an industry that’s absolutely booming. From JP Morgan to Uber, companies are now employing sleep experts to coach their staff, and sales of snooze-improving technology, from tracking devices to goggles designed to reset your body clock, are also on the rise. As she says: ‘Ensuring a good night’s sleep forms the basis on which to have productive days, which ultimately turn goals into reality.’ Handmade in Yorkshire, the Hilary Devey ‘Duvalay’ collection of five luxury mattresses purports to use only the finest materials – wool, silk, cotton and cashmere. And with its Good Housekeeping Institute-approved ‘Diamond’ mattress costing £880 for a double (roughly 34p a night if divided over seven years), I decided to put it to the test. I ordered a ‘Diamond Luxe’ (£1,029), which takes all of the elements of the ‘Diamond’, adding a lambswool-based filling to offer maximum breathability and temperature control. In short, from the moment I sank into its plump softness, I’ve been wondering why on earth it took me so long to invest this way in my health. I’ve never particularly had a problem falling asleep, but now it feels as if I sleep deeper, and for longer. And they’ll even take away your old mattress for £30 (hilarydeveycollection.co.uk).

WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK PICTURES: EMMA WEBSTER, WILL PRYCE, SIMON BROWN

ELLE Decoration Editor-at-Large Michelle Ogundehin ESTS tests out a Hilary Devey T ‘Duvalay’ mattress to see if she can upgrade her sleep

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COMPILED BY: KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES

SEEK SERENITY Channel Japanese simplicity with a soft, neutral palette and handcrafted pieces 1 ‘Iswik’ ﬂatweave rug, from £59, La Redoute (laredoute.co.uk) 2 Block print tassel quilt, £225, Toast (toa.st) 3 ‘Akari 10A’ lamp by Isamu Noguchi, £448, Aram Store (aram.co.uk) 4 ‘Capo’ bed by Neri & Hu, £4,332 for a super king size, The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk) 5 ‘Bayleaf’ woven screen, £795, Sebastian Cox (sebastiancox.co.uk) 6 ‘Palazzo’ pendant light by Rubn, £389, Holloways of Ludlow (hollowaysoﬂudlow.com) 7 ‘Modulo’ wallpaper from the ‘Figura’ collection, £119 per ten-metre roll, Arte (arte-international.com) 8 ‘Welcome’ absolute matt emulsion paint, £42 for 2.5 litres, Little Greene (littlegreene.com) 9 Marble shelf, £45, and brass brackets, £12.99 for two, all by House Doctor, Mon Pote (monpote.co.uk) 10 ‘Kartio’ glass by Iittala, from £12 for two, Goodhood (goodhoodstore.com) 11 ‘Rush’ woven lidded basket, £105, Native & Co (nativeandco.com) 12 ‘Kalia’ vase by Gray & Willow, £25, House of Fraser (houseoffraser.co.uk) 13 ‘Bonny’ side table, £80, Habitat (habitat.co.uk) 14 ‘Agna’ circular rug, £175, Cox & Cox (coxandcox.co.uk)

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TESTS Contributing Editor Eliza Honey tries to welcome the dawn with the Lumie ‘Bodyclock Luxe 750D’

THE BOUTIQUE BEDROOM CHECKLIST Tamara Heber-Percy, co-founder of boutique hotel travel company Mr and Mrs Smith (mrandmrssmith.com) shares her formula for a peaceful slumber

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Lighting This can make or break a room. Lights need to be dimmable, and you should be able to turn all of them off with one quick ﬂick of a bedside switch.

Scent Amangiri (a spa in Utah; aman.com) and the Upper House (in Hong Kong; upperhouse.com) both smell incredible. Those aromas completely transform the setting and, of course, help you to relax. At home, I burn a ‘White Wood’ candle from Clement & Claude, made from soy wax. It smells heavenly (£14; clementandclaude.com).

The bed Your hotel bed should be better than your bed at home. It will, naturally, have freshly ironed sheets. Thread count isn’t always everything – often a quality-made 400-count sheet can be better than one that’s 700. In fact, if you go too high, the sheets will become stiff. There should be a hard and soft pillow to choose between, and a soft-tothe-skin throw to snuggle under. At home, I have a mattress from Hampshire-based manufacturer Millbrook Beds – we slept on one once at one of our favourite hotels and it’s one of my best-ever purchases (millbrook-beds.co.uk).

Technology You know how in some rooms, you feel as though you’re ﬁghting a battle with it? Figuring out how to turn off the bathroom fan or that blinking LED light… That’s the opposite of a perfect room. Minimising wires and switching off standby lights is a good start.

5 WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK

Darkness If you’re a light sleeper, like me, an effective blackout blind, windows that block out any noise from the streets and heavy curtains that properly shield you from any light are essential – velvet is my go-to fabric.

TA M A R A’ S B E D T I M E ESSENTIALS C L O C K A ‘Gingko’ alarm clock (£28, John Lewis; johnlewis.com) because there’s no LED display at all until you signal for it to show (by tapping it or making a sound nearby). SLEEPWEAR

A camisole set and pure silk sleep mask made by Olivia von Halle (oliviavonhalle.com). The mask is so light, but big enough to block out all light – I can’t sleep without it, especially when I’m travelling.

REFRESHMENTS

I have a beautiful antique glass carafe that I ﬁll with No 1 Rosemary Water – it’s meant to have amazing antioxidant, anti-inﬂammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties, but I just love the taste! (£3.95; rosemarywater.com).

What does it do? Also known as a ‘dawn simulator’, this alarm clock’s main attraction is its light, which is specially developed to help reset your bodyclock to ease you into early mornings. This updated version also comes with an integrated DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a white noise setting. How does it work? The clock, which is bigger than most, gradually lights up each morning to wake you up – you can choose how gradually, from 90 minutes to 15. The idea is that, prompted by the light, your body stops producing melatonin and instead produces cortisol, which is the hormone that rouses you. The same can be done at night, slowly decreasing the light in the room to prepare you for sleep. Do I need it in my bedroom? I’ve trialed this for a long period of time – in the winter it’s quite effective (and bright, be warned), but it’s not necessarily useful in the summer months as the sun tends to beat the Lumie to it. While this clock hasn’t succeeded in re-setting my bodyclock – or turning me into a morning person – I am happy to never hear the ring of an alarm clock again (though that setting is available). £199 (lumie.com).

MY BEDROOM RITUAL Joyce Wang, interior designer Surrounding your body in softness is key to a good night’s sleep. I ﬁnd that having a bedside rug or cashmere slippers as the last thing my feet touch before climbing into bed makes nighttime feel complete NOVEMBER 2017 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 31

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9 OF THE BEST

BEAUTIFUL BEDS

Slumber in style with our favourite new designs

‘Lucia’ black metal double bed, £375, Habitat (habitat.co.uk)

‘Canopy’ bed, from £ 11,022 for a queen size, Uhuru (uhurudesign.com)

‘Richard’ bed by Antonio Citterio, from £4,260, B&B Italia (bebitalia.com)

‘Backstage’ bed, from £4,160, Roche Bobois (roche-bobois.com)

‘Lunetto’ bed, from £1,982, Team 7 at Wharfside (wharfside.co.uk)

‘Blanket’ bed by Bonaldo, from £2,890, Go Modern (gomodern.co.uk)

‘Svevo’ bed, from £2,970, Natuzzi (natuzzi.co.uk)

WORDS: AMY MOOREA WONG

‘Geo Brass Inlay’ bed, £1,700, Anthropologie (anthropologie.com)

‘Newbridge’ bed by Flexform, from £9,640, Aram Store (aram.co.uk)

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Go for alternative autumnal inspiration with bold tropical prints in cosy hues 1 ‘Orchard Pink’ emulsion paint, £39.50 for 2.5 litres, Fired Earth (ﬁredearth.com) 2 ‘Mountain’ print by Cult Living, £25, Cult Furniture (cultfurniture.com) 3 ‘I Flauti’ pendant lights, from £1,180 each, Giopato & Coombes (giopatocoombes.com) 4 ‘Palma’ fabric (on wall), £109.50 per metre, Lelièvre (lelievreparis.com) 5 ‘No.049’ mirror from the ‘Design Project by John Lewis’ range, £375 (johnlewis.com) 6 ‘Half Circle’ velvet cushion, £32, Oliver Bonas (oliverbonas.com) 7 ‘Hugger’ bed in ‘Terracotta’ velvet, from £975 for a double, Loaf (loaf.com) 8 ‘Oslo’ tumbler, £3.50, Sainsbury’s Home (sainsburys.com) 9 ‘Charlie Bell’ alarm clock by Newgate Clocks, £25, Amara (amara.com) 10 ‘Hollo’ bedside table by Amandine Chnor and Aïssa Logerot Bordeaux for Petite Friture, £193.50, Smallable (smallable.com) 11 ‘Purlin’ ﬂatweave rug by Eleanor Pritchard for Case, from £425, Heal’s (heals.com)

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COMPILED BY: KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES

TROPIC SLUMBER

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REST OF YOUR LIFE TESTS Features Editor Amy Moorea Wong drifts off with a little help from the ‘Dodow’ sleep light system

WORDS: AMY MOOREA WONG PICTURES: D BLACKMORE

What does it do? The ‘Dodow’ projects a slowly pulsating beam of light onto the ceiling, which you synchronise your breathing with, inhaling as it gets bigger and exhaling as it becomes smaller. The device is wonderfully neat and compact – I barely noticed it during waking hours. How does it work? The light will help you gradually slow your breathing down to the optimal rate of six breaths per minute, which balances the nervous system and calms the body down before sleep. You’re also encouraged to focus on abdominal breathing (deep, yogic breaths). The light is subtle enough not to disturb partners who drift off quickly, and will automatically turn off when it’s finished, after eight or 20 minutes. Do I need it in my bedroom? As someone who finds it fairly easy to fall asleep, I did find myself ready to close my eyes before the light show was over, and having to keep lying on my back to watch it was slightly uncomfortable (apparently I’m a side sleeper). But it did slow my breathing down – I could feel my body physically relaxing – and it managed to stop my mind from making the next day’s to-do list, as I really focused on just breathing. £44 (mydodow.com).

Luxury British bedmaker Savoir Beds turned to renowned Israeli-born artist and designer Arik Levy to create its latest covetable bed: the ‘Shift 01’. The sculptural piece features a stacking headboard that is upholstered by hand in London, with each section sliding left and right, allowing you to adjust its look to suit your room. £23,365 for a super king, including mattress and topper (savoirbeds.co.uk).

MY BEDROOM RITUAL Chrissie Rucker, managing director of The White Company I love to bring ﬂowers from my garden into the bedroom – waking up with their blooms in my eyeline every morning never fails to make the sound of the alarm more bearable

SHUT EYE Thought silk couldn’t get any softer? Try sandwashing it, which is what London-based sleep and swimwear brand Asceno does with the material that makes its eye masks. Perfect for travelling, they are as soft and light as you could ever dream of. £45 (asceno.com).

P I L L O W TA L K S O F T ‘Low Proﬁle’ pillow by Hypnos

The perfect option for front sleepers, this is made of naturally hypoallergenic, breathable latex. It is thin but mouldable, meaning that it will comfortably cradle your head without straining your neck at an angle. £70, John Lewis (johnlewis.com).

M E D I U M / S O F T ‘Soft and Light Breathable’ pillow by The White Company This hypoallergenic pillow is made with a cotton case and microﬁbre ﬁlling – it won’t clump and feels just like down. It’s a design that works well for both front and back sleepers. From £37 (thewhitecompany.com). M E D I U M ‘Studio by Silentnight’ pillow

BEDSIDE ESSENTIAL For the freshest supply of water throughout the night, take your inspiration from a trick used by the ancient Egyptians and store it in copper. The material is proven to be germicidal, signiﬁcantly purifying water overnight. Try Urban Nature Culture’s ‘Brushed Copper Water Jug’, £54.95, and matching cup, £9.75, available at Borough Kitchen (boroughkitchen.com).

With three different inner pads in three different thicknesses, this is the pillow for indecisive types. You can adjust the thickness with a combination of one, two or all three pads zipped into the quilted microﬁbre cover. £49 (silentnight.co.uk).

M E D I U M / F I R M ‘Ultimate Hungarian Goose Down’ pillow by Soak and Sleep Designed with two compartments – goose feathers to provide structure and goose down for softness – this pillow is a perfect balance of comfort and support, ideal for side sleepers. From £45.50 (soakandsleep.com). F I R M ‘Traditional’ pillow by Tempur Side and back sleepers will appreciate the support of Tempur’s own specially developed memory foam, which will hold your neck in place to align your spine. It will mould to you, but can be easily ‘ﬂuffed’ into its original shape. £129.99 (uk.tempur.com). NOVEMBER 2017 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 37

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THE MAKING OF A MATTRESS

Two days, two specialist artisans and yards of white silk: who knew crafting a mattress would be like making a wedding dress? Across Britain, mattress-making is an ancient artisan skill that continues to thrive. Inside the Somerset factory of bed-making brand Relyon (relyon.co.uk) sewing machines hum, while busy hands tease ﬂuffy clouds of mohair into kingsized panels and tug 12-inch tufting needles out of a foot-deep mattress. Plymouth-based brand Vispring (vispring.com) upholds similarly high standards of hard work and heritage, while Hypnos (hypnosbeds.com) is a family business in its ﬁfth generation. Smaller-scale mattress manufacturing companies are also prospering, such as interiors insiders’ favourite Goodchild & Palmer (goodchildpalmer.co.uk). We asked some mattress makers to talk us through the practicalities and intricacies of this enduring art.

HISTORY Founded in 1901, Vispring brought the pocket sprung mattress to Britain. The design was commissioned to furnish the First Class rooms on the Titanic, and today, Vispring is the bed brand of choice for the Dorchester Hotel. It’s not the only company with a past to be proud of. Since 1929, Hypnos has held the Royal Warrant, meaning it has kitted out noble abodes from Buckingham Palace to Balmoral, while Relyon has been producing, in its words, ‘beds you can rely on’ – principally by hand – since 1858.

WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK PICTURES: CRISTIAN BARNETT

TECHNIQUES A top-of-the-range mattress can take around 32 hours of labour to produce. ‘The majority of mattress manufacture can’t be done by a machine,’ says Paul Little, head of sales at Relyon. ‘We’ve tried, but the results are either too restrictive or simply not intricate enough.’ Both Relyon and Vispring run apprentice programmes to train each new recruit in every specialist bed-making skill, some of which can take up to a full year to master. The four key procedures are: WOOL TEASING Transforming balls of raw wool into rectangular mattress-shaped panels. TUFTING Hooking a ribbon from one side of a mattress to another to hold it compactly together – craftspeople wear custom-made white couturiers’ gloves for this, to keep the fresh cotton pristine and to protect their hands. TAPE EDGING This is the process of sewing the mattress’s top panel to the side border. SIDE-STITCHING Hand-stitching the side wall of the mattress to an inner row of springs, in order to prevent the side from collapsing out.

COMPOSITION ‘Finding the perfect mattress formula is a bit like magic,’ says Little. There are a lot of tests involved – a mattress sample the size of a cushion is manually bumped in a pumping machine for 12 hours to test its resistance – and also a lot of trial and error. On top of the central platform of pocket springs (coils of wire compressed and housed in a tightly-sewn ‘pocket’ of 100 per cent cotton calico) go layers of horsehair, lambswool, a cashmere and silk mixed ﬁbre and soft mohair. To ensure proper consistency throughout, all of the layers are weighed by hand using hanging scales.

COVERINGS Mattresses are sewn into a hard-wearing cotton – Goodchild & Palmer use herringbone ticking or Belgian cotton damask. Like Vispring and Hypnos, this brand specialises in upholstery, meaning that it can create your headboard, divan or mattress in any fabric you like – a task its staff relish.

MATERIALS Relyon sources from near and far: horse hair from China, merino wool from New Zealand and fabric woven by Fox Brothers, a UK-based textile mill local to the brand. Suppliers on the Shetland Isles sell their sheep’s wool exclusively to Vispring – the brand prizes the Cheviot-Shetland breed for the premium springiness of its ﬂeeces (supposedly down to how much seaweed the sheep eat), and the brand visits every year to award a trophy to the ram and lamb with the springiest wool.

DELIVERY Heal’s mattresses (heals.com) have always been delivered to the door by an in-house team – via horse and carriage until 1925, and now a ﬂeet of vans. If you buy a Vispring mattress from Harrods (harrods.com), you’ll experience the retailer’s free ‘white glove’ delivery service – a team of two will bring, unpack and install it, and take your old one away for recycling. NOVEMBER 2017 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 39

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DRIFT AWAY WITH THE BLUES COMPILED BY: KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES

Let moody shades of navy and teal envelop you as you slip into sleep 1 ‘Cross Leg’ lounge chair by Magnus Long, £2,000, The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk) 2 ‘Betty’ ceramic vase by Sue Pryke, £70, Oggetto (oggetto.com) 3 Murano glass bowl, from £900, Armani Casa (armanicasa.com) 4 Oversized bottle vase, £59, Marks & Spencer (marksandspencer.com) 5 ‘Content’ black enamel tall bookcase by Jasper Conran, £899, John Lewis (johnlewis.com) 6 Marble pendant light by Jasper Conran, £50, Debenhams (debenhams.com) 7 ‘Blue Pearl’ emulsion paint, £46.50 for 2.5 litres, Paint & Paper Library (paintandpaperlibrary.com) 8 Expo #1 print by Neasden Control Centre, £80, Print Club London (printclublondon.com) 9 ‘Deco’ cotton-mix fabric in ‘Peppermint’, £75 per metre, James Hare (james-hare.com) 10 ‘Hawksmoor’ bed by Matthew Hilton, from £2,816 for a king size, SCP (scp.co.uk) 11 Colour block blanket by Vitra, £175, Nest (nest.co.uk) 12 ‘Minty’ rectangular cushion by Sideline, £89, Couverture and the Garbstore (couvertureandthegarbstore.com) 13 Textured silk fringe cushion cover in ‘Shadow Blue’, £34, West Elm (westelm.co.uk) 14 ‘Hayden’ table lamp, £149, Heal’s (heals.com) 15 ‘Maddox’ mug, £8, Habitat (habitat.co.uk) 16 ‘Bistrottafel’ bedside table by Antonino Sciortino, £259.95, Serax (serax.com) 17 ‘Stardust’ rug in ‘Deep Blue’, from £750, Floor Story (ﬂoorstory.co.uk)

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COVER STARS Marilyn Monroe famously favoured silk sheets, but which material is best for you? L I N E N Best for style and comfort Pure linen is breathable, hypoallergenic and regulates body temperature, cooling in summer and warming in winter. It also becomes softer the more it’s washed. ‘The beauty of this textile (top left) is that it’s not perfect,’ says Larissa Cairns at The Linen Works (thelinenworks.co.uk). ‘It takes minimal fuss to make it look beautiful.’ S I L K Best for your skin Snoozing on silk can be deemed ‘beauty sleep’ – the fabric doesn’t crease the skin and can reduce the appearance of ﬁne lines. It also contains amino acids that keep hair sleek, and the fabric is not absorbent, so your skin will stay hydrated. ‘It’s a must-have beauty accessory,’ says Deborah Fiddy of bedding brand Gingerlily (middle left; gingerlily.co.uk). O R G A N I C C O T T O N Best for the environment As well as being soft and lightweight, organic cotton is picked from ﬁelds free from pesticides and fertilisers, so it’s the sustainable choice. Try Muji – ‘We create bedding (left) that is gentle for those who use it and safe for those who make it,’ says European managing director Takuo Nagahara (muji.com).

MY BEDROOM RITUAL Kelly Wearstler, interior designer I keep a glass of water with lemon in it by the side of my bed and mist the room with Cire Trudon’s ‘Trianon’ spray. Luxurious linens are also a must: if there is anything worth splurging on, it’s bedlinen

SOUND THE ALARM No bedside table is complete without a stylish alarm clock. Avoid ﬂashy LED designs and opt for one of our top three analogue options

WORDS: AMY MOOREA WONG PICTURES: KAMERA TWO

‘Optic’ alarm clock by Joe Colombo, £43, Alessi (alessi.com)

‘Norm Tumbler’ alarm clock in brushed brass, £149.95, Menu (menu.as)

FIVE STEPS TO CLEAN SLEEP

Dr Nerina Ramlakha, sleep expert at Silentnight, helps you wake energised, happier and ready to take on the day

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Make your bedroom a haven. Remove any clutter – Muji’s aesthetic (below) is perfect. Don’t commute on an empty stomach – it uses ‘adrenaline energy’, a cause of shallow sleep.

TESTS Chief Sub Editor Clare Sartin rests her head on the ‘Zeeq Smart Pillow’ by REM-Fit What does it do? Tracks the quality of your sleep, plays audio through its built-in speakers to help you drop off and wakes you with a gentle vibration. But its most enticing claim is to be able to stop you snoring. How does it work? Once charged, you sync the pillow with an app on your phone to set up your sleep preferences. These include setting alarms, deciding if you want to fall asleep to music and, if so, what (it can connect to Spotify, Android Music and iOS Music), and choosing whether or not you want it to track and control your snoring. This works by monitoring sound and, when you hit a high decibel, lightly vibrating to encourage you to move without waking you. It’s like a partner poking you until you turn over, but less stressful for all involved! Do I need it in my bedroom? If you want to track your sleep and, like me, don’t enjoy wearing a ﬁtness tracker to bed, then it’s an effective alternative. However, part of me is wary about placing my head on an electrical device every night – aren’t we being told to banish gadgets from the bedroom? Oh, and did it stop my snoring? Not totally, but there is an improvement. £199 (rem-ﬁt.co.uk).

Think before you make that cuppa. Caffeine sipped at 5pm will be in your system at 10pm. Have four early nights a week – sleep in the pre-midnight hours is deeply restorative.

Banish your phone from the bedroom. Using it stimulates the brain, keeping you awake.

‘AC 01’ alarm clock by Jasper Morrison, £115, Punkt (punkt.ch)

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PIGS IN BLANKETS

Senior Features Writer Charlotte Brook wakes up and smells the coffee with the ‘Sensorwake’ What does it do? Frenchman, alarm avoider and morningmisanthrope Guillaume Rolland dreamt of a world where one would be woken by the scent of breakfast, or perhaps a freshly mown lawn, rather than the ringing of a bell. That’s the concept of his invention, ‘Sensorwake’ – the world’s first smell-based alarm clock that wakes you with a pleasant, but potent, scent of your choice. The design is square, not dissimilar to a retro TV, with a digital clock face that glows. How does it work? Firstly, choose your aroma: these include peppermint, cut grass, coffee, chocolate, croissant and ‘seaside’, which is evoked using actual sea water and a type of tropical Tahitian gardenia oil called monoi. These come in capsules, which last for 30 awakenings. Set the alarm and, as the hour to arise approaches, the scent is emitted. And if the perfume doesn’t do the trick, after three minutes, a jolly tune kicks in. Do I need it in my bedroom? If you find the traditional gong of an alarm clock traumatic, then this is a good alternative. If, like me, however, your instinct when awoken by the smell of something very strong is to panic that there’s a house fire, then maybe it’s not. £100, Harrods (harrods.com).

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Piglet may not be the obvious name for a new British bedding company, but for Jessica Mason, who founded the brand this year, it was the logical choice. ‘The name epitomises something that’s scruffy and unpolished, not immaculate but still loveable,’ she explains. ‘My idea was to create affordable designs for people who might not want to spend all of their time ironing sheets.’ Made from natural, stonewashed French ﬂax, Piglet’s 100 per cent linen bedding is incredibly soft, and gets even more supple after being washed – ‘it’ll last for years and years,’ promises Jessica. Double duvet cover, £129 (pigletinbed.com).

MY BEDROOM RITUAL Jonathan Adler, designer When I design bedrooms, I want people to experience the bliss of a good night’s sleep. A neutral palette provides a serene foundation, and then I layer in different textures to keep things interesting H O W T O S L E E P L I K E A N O LY M P I A N

Nick Littlehales takes snoozing seriously. We quiz the sleep coach to Team GB and author of ‘Sleep’ (Penguin, £9.99) on his top tips for us mere mortals Find out your chronotype A chronotype is what kind of sleeper you are – essentially a morning or evening person. For a diagnosis, Littlehales recommends taking the Munich University Questionnaire (bioinfo.mpg.de). Once you ﬁnd out your type, you can learn to juggle your day to better suit it. Think in terms of marginal gains This is the technique used to improve elite sportspeople’s performance using tiny adjustments. For example, try to sleep on your non-dominant side (lefties on their right etc.), or invest in hypoallergenic bedding. Try a ‘zone out’ period ‘Call it a nap and you won’t get anywhere – think

of it as a recharge moment,’ advises Littlehales. This can be 15 minutes of staring out of the window or a walk, but no screen-watching. Manipulate daylight ‘Schedule your lifestyle around hours of daylight,’ suggests Littlehales. During winter, he champions dawn-wake simulators to help you wake up to a faux sunrise. It will raise levels of the awakening hormone serotonin. Don’t lie-in at weekends If you are a ‘PM-er’, you spend the week adjusting your natural body clock to start at 9am. ‘Throw this out at the weekend and you’ll get what we call social jet-lag come Monday,’ says Littlehales (sportsleepcoach.com).

WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK, AMY MOOREA WONG

TESTS

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THE SENSES OF SLEEP Trouble sleeping? Focus in on all ﬁve senses to ease yourself along the journey to dreamland

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The results are in and the studies all say the same thing: the light that streams from electronic devices has a negative effect on sleep, circadian rhythms and morning alertness levels. Smartphones, tablets and laptops all emit a blue light – beneﬁcial in daylight hours, as it boosts attention and improves your mood, but bad news after sundown, as it causes the brain to stop producing the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, which tells the brain it’s bedtime. Apple offers its ‘Night Shift’ setting, which makes the colour of the display warmer and can be scheduled to turn on automatically. Android has a similar ‘Night Light’ function, and most other brands have some form of ‘night mode’ to allow you to check your phone without disrupting your body’s sleep preparation.

SMELL Incorporating a certain smell into your bedtime routine over time can make you naturally drowsy, as the brain learns to associate the fragrance with sleep. There are also speciﬁc scents that are known for their slumberinducing properties. ‘Certain essential oils can help us to relax and improve the quality of our sleep,’ explains Anne Murray, an aromatherapy expert at Aromatherapy Associates. ‘One of the most widely studied is lavender, which has a long history of use for reducing anxiety and helping insomniacs. Studies show that it can lower your blood pressure, reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol, and have a generally calming effect on the nervous system.’ Other well-known essential oils that contribute to sleep include sandalwood and chamomile. Try burning Neom’s ‘Tranquillity’ candle from its ‘Scent to Sleep’ range (£45; neomorganics.com) – a blend of 19 essential oils – two hours before you want to nod off, for a nightly hit of English lavender, sweet basil and jasmine.

WORDS: AMY MOOREA WONG PICTURES: GETTY

TASTE What you put in your body at the end of the day is important when it comes to getting a solid slumber. ‘Try to eat your evening meal at around 7pm – it gives your system time to process everything efficiently, so that during sleep, your body can focus on rest and replenishment,’ says Lily Simpson, founder of The Detox Kitchen. Dan Parr, co-founder of Clipper Tea, recommends a nightly brew: ‘the act of drinking a cup of tea at around the same time each night can act as a psychological trigger for wind-down in preparation for sleep’. Try Clipper’s ‘Snore & Peace’ infusion, which contains lemon balm, lavender and chamomile (£2.25 for 20 bags, clipper-teas.com).

HEAR

Lying in bed can be the only time the mind is able to wander, so it’s not surprising that it can be difficult to switch off. Having something relaxing to focus on can help to calm your thoughts – which is why reading in bed is so meditative. However, upon closing the book and shutting your eyes, the brain can often re-awaken. Enter the podcast. There are many sleep-inducing

‘The act of drinking a cup of tea at around the same time each night can act as a psychological trigger for wind-down in preparation for sleep’ shows available: tune in to ‘Radio Headspace’ to drift off to talks on mindfulness, altruism and creativity (headspace.com), try ‘Meditation Minis’ for short guided meditations to calm anxiety and negative thinking (meditationminis.com), or head to ‘Sleep With Me Podcast’, which sends you to sleep with stories that get progressively more boring (sleepwithmepodcast.com).

TOUCH Physically preparing the body for sleep will enable you to drift off that much more quickly. James Reeves, teacher at London practice TriYoga and specialist in Yoga Nidra – which translates as ‘Yogic Sleep’ – recommends the Uttanasana ‘wall hang’ as a pre-bedtime stretch. ‘Start with your heels a foot’s length away from a wall, with your hips, upper back and the back of your head touching the wall behind you,’ he explains. ‘Begin a slow roll down through the spine so that the head hangs forward, then the shoulders, and then your upper body hanging from your hips (which are resting against the wall). Bend your knees on the way. Once your head is low, let out three long ‘ahh’ sounds – the slower the better. Roll back up just as slowly. This will reduce your blood pressure and prepare the body for sleep’ (triyoga.co.uk ). NOVEMBER 2017 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 47

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THE BEST OF THE REST ‘BED IN A BOX’ BRANDS

Hügge Available in Harrods, this Cambridgeshire-based company’s mattress is made up of two layers of memory foam and a foam base with zoned support. From £395 for a single (huggemattress.com).

Casper This US-based company’s dreamy mattress claims to offer ‘just the right amount of sink, and just the right amount of bounce’, all thanks to its four layers of foam. From £350 for a single (casper.com).

MATTRESSES: A NEW DAWN A new generation of ‘bed in a box’ companies are revolutionising sleep. The first of this new breed of entrepreneurial mattress brands was London start-up Eve, which launched in 2015: it now delivers 700 mattresses a week, and is projecting a twenty million pound turnover by the end of this year. Eve’s founders, Jas Bagniewski and Kuba Wieczorek, felt that mattresses had been too expensive for too long – the solution was compression. By squeezing a mattress to just ten to 20 per cent of its original size, you could send it directly to customers – beautifully packaged in a branded box – bypassing shops and cutting the price significantly. But don’t worry – your mattress won’t stay pancake flat. Unbox and unroll it, leave it for four to five hours and it will have risen to perfection. Not only is delivery easy and the prices refreshingly low, but your choice of mattress is also far more streamlined than ever before. There’s no decision to be made between a firm, medium or soft mattress, because, as Eve puts it: ‘perfection is not subjective’. Each of these new companies has spent time developing its perfect formula for a good night’s sleep. For Eve, that’s three layers of foam – a supportive base layer, a breathable cooling layer, and a section of memory foam that contours to your body (you can try it out at several Debenhams and Fenwicks stores across the UK). Plus, with many of the ‘bed in a box’ brands now offering more than just mattresses – Eve sells a pillow, sleepwear and even a whole bed frame, and Simba also offers the easy to assemble ‘Simba Base’ bed and an adjustable, hybrid memory foam pillow – your dream slumber is just a click away. 48 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2017

Leesa This brand can sleep even more soundly at night, as for every ten of its award-winning three-layer foam mattresses sold, it donates another one to charity for those in need. From £390 for a single (leesa.co.uk).

Simba The result of research based on the sleep preferences of ten million people, this mattress combines foam with 2,500 conical springs. Try it out in selected John Lewis stores. From £399 for a single (simbasleep.com).

WORDS: CLARE SARTIN

You’re supposed to change your mattress every ten years, but how will you purchase your next one? Perhaps it’s time to buy online…

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

Known for making cutting-edge furniture by the world’s top young talents, this French firm has been innovating ever since it was founded in 1860 Most people familiar with Ligne Roset associate the brand with one piece: the 1973 ‘Togo’ sofa by Michel Ducaroy (above) – it was the brand’s first launch under its current name and is now regarded as an icon of 1970s style. Far fewer know that the company’s origins go back to 1860, when 19-year-old Antoine Roset opened a wood-processing factory near France’s Swiss border, in an area known for its beech forests. To begin with, Roset made walking sticks and parasol handles, but when parasols went out of fashion, he turned his hand to making chair frames instead. By the time Antoine’s son Emile took over in 1910, the firm was making cane seating – and in 1936, it produced its first upholstered chairs. Emile died in 1946. Under his heir, Jean Roset in the 1960s, the brand really began to flex its design muscles. Its catalogues from the period show brightly coloured lounge furniture in fashionable linear shapes. Emboldened by their success, Jean shifted his focus to the domestic market in 1973, renaming his company Ligne Roset and opening

WORDS: AMY BRADFORD

Ligne Roset’s 2017 range includes striking designs by more new names, including a stylish take on the sofa bed a series of retail stores. A commitment to championing the work of young designers commenced when Jean picked out Michel Ducaroy, a recent graduate, to create the ‘Togo’ sofa. The 1960s and 70s saw Ligne Roset capitalise on its cool credentials with a series of Pop-style seating designs – including Bernard Gauvin’s ‘Asmara’, a series of undulating lounging islands – and trendily shot advertising (right). This period also saw Jean’s sons, Pierre and Michel, join the ﬁrm – they are now CEO and general manager respectively. Ligne Roset’s 2017 range includes striking designs by more new names – such as Ukraine’s Kateryna Sokolova, whose ‘Oxidation’ tables (below) are made of patinated metal and Tuscan stone – and German duo Müller & Wulff, whose ‘Berlin Loft’ (right) is a stylish take on the sofa bed. As always, the pieces are all true originals (ligne-roset.com/uk).

F O U R K E Y FA C T S A B O U T LIGNE ROSET

Ligne Roset’s products are made at a group of ﬁve facilities in the RhôneAlpes region, at the foot of the Bugey mountains – the same area where Antoine Roset set up his factory in 1860. They are run on sustainable principles, with wood waste being reused to heat the plant and ofﬁces.

The brand’s three best-selling designs are all sofas – (right, from top) ‘Togo’ by Michel Ducaroy (1973), ‘Ploum’ by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec (2011) and ‘Prado’ by Christian Werner (2014). 1.2 million ‘Togo’ sofas have been sold in total.

Ligne Roset furniture has been used in a number of prominent hotels around the world, including the Standard, Hollywood and Munich’s Bayerischer Hof. In 2010, it was also featured as part of an exhibition on modern French furniture at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

The work of more than 70 designers from all over the world features in Ligne Roset’s current catalogue. In order to ﬁnd new names, the brand collaborates with design schools, such as the École Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle (ENSCI) and the École Camondo, both in Paris.

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DESIGN HERO MICHELE DE LUCCHI

With his love of the anti-establishment, this Italian has become one of the design world’s most treasured names Florence might be synonymous with the Renaissance, but in the 1960s and 70s, the city was a hotbed of experimental style. It was the birthplace of the Radical Design and Anti-Design movements, whose key players included avant-garde collectives Superstudio and Archizoom. These groups wanted to shake up mainstream Italian design, and the emphasis that they believed it placed on ‘good’ taste at the expense of social needs. The extraordinarily prolific architect and designer Michele De Lucchi – who was born in 1951 in Ferrara, northern Italy – was closely associated with both groups while studying architecture at the University of Florence from 1969 to 1975. ‘We were influenced by the May 1968 antiestablishment protests in Paris,’ De Lucchi explains. He and his peers were also influenced by kitsch and Pop art, and aimed to imbue design with humour and human qualities. ‘We rebelled against objects that felt cold and distant,’ he says. In 1973, De Lucchi co-founded forward-looking architecture group Cavart and in 1978 joined Studio Alchimia, for which he produced the eccentric ‘Sinvola’ light, incorporating a tartan

WORDS: DOMINIC LUTYENS PICTURES: GIOVANNI GASTEL

De Lucchi and his peers from Superstudio and Archizoom were influenced by kitsch and Pop art, and aimed to imbue design with humour and human qualities pin cushion bristling with pins. In the late 1970s, he also created electrical appliances in nursery hues, such as candy pink and baby blue. He achieved greater fame designing pieces for 1980s group Memphis, notably the now highly collectible ‘First’ chair. One of Memphis’s members, Ernesto Gismondi, the founder of lighting firm Artemide, commissioned De Lucchi to create one of his most iconic designs: the ‘Tolomeo’ desk light, whose head rotates 360 degrees. Launched in 1987, it’s a bestseller to this day. In 1988, De Lucchi founded his Milan-based, multidisciplinary studio, now called aMDL – it’s a truly global enterprise, which has designed buildings in Italy, Japan, Switzerland and the US. De Lucchi has also created such classic homeware products as the curvaceous ‘Pulcina’ espresso coffee maker for Alessi, the solid beech ‘Radetzky’ chair for Gebrüder Thonet Vienna, the elegant ‘SanGirolamo’ bookcase for Poltrona Frau and the ‘Dehors’ outdoor sofa for Alias. While more restrained than his earlier creations, every one of these pieces still reflects the unique and idiosyncratic approach to design that was engendered by De Lucchi’s formative years in Florence. From top ‘Tolomeo’ lamp for Artemide. ‘First’ chair for Memphis. The first sketch of the ‘Tolomeo’ lamp. ‘Pulcina’ coffee maker for Alessi. ‘Sedia’ chair and ‘Horizon’ bed, both for Memphis

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M Y C U LT U R A L L I F E S I M O N WA L L I S

We ask an arbiter of style what they’re reading, visiting, listening to and more Simon Wallis OBE is director of 2017’s Art Fund Museum of the Year, The Hepworth Wakeﬁeld (3). The gallery was named after 20th-century sculptor Barbara Hepworth. ‘Human Landscapes’, a retrospective of Polish artist Alina Szapocznikow opens there this month (@simon_wallis; hepworthwakeﬁeld.org).

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and gets me desperate to see all the art again for myself… So, job done! If I won the lottery, the work of art I’d buy would be Lady Agnew of Lochnaw (4) by John Singer Sargent (1892). I love the deft freshness of the paint handling and the subject’s totally relaxed pose, but mostly the mischievous, bored look on her face. The portrait is of one of the first people I ever fancied in art, and I always enjoy seeing it in Edinburgh [at the National Gallery of Scotland]. My favourite place in the world is Kyoto in Japan. I’m passionate 6 about experiencing the Zen rock gardens (1), the temples and food. Japanese culture is fascinatingly rich and welcoming, and Kyoto is a great place for contemplation. If I had a free day in London, I’d spend it on a boat on the Thames (6) with food, friends and plenty of wine – it’s a great way to watch the city unfold around you while moving through its core. I enjoy seeing the changes at the fringes of the city as you travel, and the juxtaposition of old and new buildings. Next, I’m travelling to St Ives (8) in Cornwall, for the opening of the newly extended Tate St Ives. The Cornish landscape was a huge influence on Barbara Hepworth’s art, and I’m excited to see what the brilliant architect Jamie Fobert will have created at Tate. Modernist art, surfing and a fish supper are a perfect combination.

WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK PICTURES: HANNAH WEBSTER, IWAN BAAN, ALAMY, GETTY

My all-time favourite record is New Order’s Temptation – the 12-inch version from 1982. It’s a perfect combination of post-punk and electronic dance music. As with most Factory Records releases, it came in a beautiful sleeve designed by Peter Saville without the band’s name on it: a beautiful object before it even goes on the turntable. At the moment, I’m listening to that perfect string quartet combination: Debussy and Ravel played by Quatuor Ébène. It’s truly intoxicating, filmic music to listen to for a lifetime – the sound of my middle age. The book that has influenced me the most is Wuthering Heights (5) by Emily Brontë. Such astounding psychological insights and spirit of place from someone so young – it’s one of the few novels I regularly re-read. I enjoy visiting Howarth, where the Brontës lived, not far from my house. At the moment, I’m reading Mindfulness: 25 Ways to Live in the Moment through Art (2) by Christophe André. It’s a really compelling book about the power of reflecting on great art and living in the present moment. My favourite film is Les Quatre Cents Coups (9), the debut film 4 from 1959 by director François Truffaut. It’s one of the defining films of the French New Wave, about a tearaway adolescent in Paris, Antoine Doinel, who struggles with his parents and teachers due to his behaviour. Podcast-wise, I’m listening to A Piece of Work (7), hosted by comedian Abbi Jacobson as she discovers and thinks about works of art at MoMA in New York – she’s witty and engaging

DECOR ATING NEW SEASON SHADE We’ve seen dusky, earthy pinks on the horizon for a while, and it’s now official, as Dulux has deemed its ‘Heart Wood’ to be the colour of 2018: the future is looking cosy and rosy. The hue is inspired by warm woods, handcrafting and tactile leather, and was chosen to reﬂect our need for comfort in these uncertain times. It’s rich and inviting without being overbearing. Add walnut ﬁnishes, dulled brass accessories and indigo touches for a look to carry you through the new year. £25.72 for 2.5 litres (dulux.co.uk).

WORDS: KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES PICTURE: HEARST STUDIOS

SICILIAN ADVENTURE Known for its traditionally printed fabrics, textile house Fermoie has released a new collection inspired by the colours and cultures of Sicily. Our favourite is ‘Quartz’ (below), a marbled linen design, available in four colourways, that the British brand refers to as a ‘dance between old Sicilian glazed pottery and the streaming bubbles of a spring’. £96 per metre ( fermoie.com).

CAPSULE COLLECTION Interior designer Rose Uniacke, noted for her serene and understated style, has ventured into fabrics. The ‘RU Fabric’ range was initially created to serve her interior design projects, but its 61 options – including linens, wools and cotton velvets, with further additions due this month – are now available to all. Peruse the collection at Uniacke’s new store, the RU Fabric shop, which has opened next door to her main showroom at 84 Pimlico Road, London. From £60 per metre (roseuniacke.com). NOVEMBER 2017 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 57

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G E N E R AT I O N X

What better way to celebrate ten years in business than to create something striking? Leather expert Studio Art (studioart.it) has asked three emerging designers – Giorgia Zanellato, Elaine Yan Ling Ng and Massimo Brancati, the creator of ‘Frammenti Urban’ (below) – to each create a wallcovering that will show off the versatility of the material. The ‘X Anniversary’ collection costs from £488 per square metre (studioart.it).

DESIGN DYNASTY To coincide with the release of David Hicks Scrapbook (Vendome UK, £60), his son, Ashley Hicks, has designed a fabric with GP & J Baker featuring a geometric pattern that his father would surely approve of. ‘Hicksonian’(right, £89 per metre; gpjbaker.com), available in a choice of two colours, blue or scarlet, is inspired by a wallpaper design of his father’s from 1974. The scrapbook itself comes in a volume of 25 individual tomes and covers the period from 1950 until the renowned interior designer’s death in 1998, offering an intimate insight into his work, including candid personal snaps of celebrities of the day, press cuttings and fabric swatches.

B E S P O K E O N A B U D G ET

EFFORTLESS TERRAZZO With its beautiful coloured jewels of marble set in concrete, the terrazzo trend is here to stay, so it’s no surprise that it’s now possible to get the look without the hassle. This vinyl flooring by Atrafloor comes in two designs, the subtle ‘Fleck’ or the large scale ‘Terra’ pattern (above). You also have the option to customise the print in different colours for a look that’s hardwearing and unique. £59 per square metre (atrafloor.com). 58 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2017

WORDS: KIERA BUCKLEY-JONES PICTURE: SARAH WEAL

Transform tired looking kitchen units or add ﬁnesse to an Ikea design with fresh new doors and plinths. Custom Fronts uses sustainable materials to create these affordable updates – choose from basic Ikea ‘Metod’ and ‘Besta’ dimensions or send your own measurements. Pick from six wood options, including a Scandinavian birch ply, or go for a hand painted ﬁnish, such as ‘Musk Mallow’ (below).From £18 for one door front (customfronts.co.uk).

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FOUR OF THE BEST PLACES TO BUY BLINDS Best for simplicity Loaf Loaf’s Roman blinds are handmade in Britain, and come in a range of plain (‘Tufted Duck’ vintage linen, right) and striped cottons and linens. Measure your window, then place your order online. Delivery takes three to four weeks. From £265 (loaf.com).

Best for service Prêt A Vivre This brand is an expert at providing a great one-to-one service with pro designers, either online, over the phone or in one of its ﬁve showrooms. Blinds are made to measure by skilled craftspeople in Nottinghamshire. From £200 (pretavivre.com).

We shed some light on the most versatile of all window dressings Why should I choose them? Roman blinds give a more decorative look than other types of blinds, forming soft pleats when raised and hanging flat when lowered. The pleats are kept in place by dowel rods or slats sewn into casings in the lining, and a chain or cord allows the blind to be raised and lowered. They can also be motorised for a cordless look. What styles can I choose from? Several are available, from the very simple and minimal to the more elaborate. The most common is the flat fold or classic style, where a fabric panel lies flat against the window when extended and forms a neat stack at the top when the blind is up. Other types include pleated Roman blinds – which have folds all the way up, even when the panel is extended – and hobbled or looped shades, which have a soft, draped feel. ‘Flat shades pair well with curtains, and are equally useful if you don’t have the wall space either side of a window for drapes,’ says Nicola James, home designer at John Lewis. ‘They can also be used with or without a fabric valance.’ What kind of fabric can I use? Most made-to-measure curtain fabric is suitable for a Roman blind – however, it’s best to avoid anything too heavy, embellished or rigid, as it won’t stack as neatly. Thicker fabrics work well as a flat shade, whereas softer materials will suit a more relaxed design. If you’re using a large-scale pattern, choose a flat blind to show it off properly. ‘Roman blinds can also be lined in thermal or blackout fabric,’ says Emily Clarke, brand manager at Curtains.com. Although there is much debate around the subject of the positioning of blinds, Clarke advises that ‘if the blind is fitted inside the recess, light may still seep through. Fitted on the wall surrounding the recess, however, it will cover the entire window and completely block out the light’. 60 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2017

Best for choice Hillarys With 326 fabrics to select from, including ‘Shibori Aquamarine’ (right) Hillarys is sure to have a Roman blind to suit every room. Blinds are all fully lined, with the option of adding blackout fabric. Measuring and ﬁtting is included. From £155 (hillarys.co.uk).

WORDS: CLAUDIA BAILLIE PICTURE: ELLOS.SE

D E S I G N D E TA I L S R O M A N B L I N D S

Best for bespoke John Lewis John Lewis offers a made-to-measure service using fabrics from brands including Sanderson, Morris & Co, Scion, Voyage and Harlequin. There’s also a good selection of ready-made blinds in neutral shades (right, ‘Milton’, from £35; johnlewis.com).

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COLOUR OXBLOOD

Glamour, passion and drama – this shade has always been about making a statement

Diana Vreeland, the legendary fashion editor of Harper’s Bazaar and editor of Vogue, was almost as famous for her offbeat wit as for her equally eccentric style. ‘I want my apartment to look like a garden,’ she told her interior decorator, Billy Baldwin. ‘A garden in hell!’ He took the hint and created a room in her New York apartment that was a symphony of full-blooded reds. Crimson walls covered with a striking and exotic ﬂoral print, sofas and cane chairs to match, all overlaid with deeper-toned accessories: bookshelves, leather screens, blowsy peonies. The effect was certainly dramatic, as Vreeland knew only too well. ‘Anyone who can photograph this place would find the Sistine Chapel a cinch,’ she once remarked. Reds, particularly the deeper ones, are a glorious shorthand for wilful personalities and wild, untameable passions. Perhaps this is because, True oxblood is the on a subconscious level, they remind us of the blood that runs in our colour of blood on veins, and that rises visibly to the surface when our emotions are running away with us. Given the closeness of the relationship, it isn’t surprising the cusp of drying: a that some have actually used blood as a colourant in the past. Falu Red, sanguineous red-brown the brick-coloured dye traditionally used on Swedish cottages and barns from the 16th century, was mostly made using red earth pigments, but was occasionally enriched with blood, giving it a darker, rustier tone once dry. Suffolk Pink, a paler, limewash-based paint used on homes in rural southern England, also sometimes counted the blood of pigs or oxen among its ingredients, as did Turkey Red, a popular 18th-century fabric dye whose manufacture also involved cow dung. True oxblood, however, is darker still. It’s the colour of blood on the cusp of drying: a sanguineous red-brown that retains the glamour and energy inherent in all reds, but with a more traditional, lived-in air. It is the perfect colour to use to create a cosy feel at this time of year – used judiciously, it imparts warmth as surely as a glug of hot, spiced wine. And although it can be made to feel contemporary, history fans will be comforted to learn that it is a very near relative of the Tuscan reds so popular in the heavy schemes of the late 19th century. For PA I N T S T O T R Y those wanting to harness the colour’s natural drama, Rubelli’s new fabric collection includes several wine-dark colourways. Perhaps the most extravagant is a gold-patterned Baroque ‘Baked Cherry’, £42 for 2.5 litres, brocade named in honour of French king Louis Little Greene (littlegreene.com) XIV – the ‘Sun King’ – notorious for his many lovers and his desire for luxury (‘Roi Soleil’ in ‘Rubino’, £240 per metre; rubelli.com). Those bold enough to use it can rest assured that Vreeland would certainly have approved of the use of this most passionate of hues. ‘Bengal Red’, £43 for 2.5 litres, Sanderson (stylelibrary.com) Passion, she once said, was the greatest thing. ‘Without it, what have you got?’

‘Geisha’, £46.50 for 2.5 litres, Paint & Paper Library (paintlibrary.com)

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WORDS: KASSIA ST CLAIR PICTURES: GETTY, HEARST STUDIOS

PANTONE ® P54-15C

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D E C O R AT O R I N D E X P E T E R M I K I C

WORDS: AMY BRADFORD PICTURE: FELIX CLAY

We talk to the Australian-born, London-based designer and discover how he puts his bold interiors together Who is he? Peter Mikic arrived in London in 1992 and is renowned for his colourful, glamorous designs. His confident style is the legacy of his fashion career – after studying the subject, he designed womenswear and accessories before moving to London and setting up a menswear label with a college friend. Fashion remained his focus until 2006, when property entrepreneurs Candy & Candy commissioned Mikic to design uniforms for staff on a luxury yacht. The kimonos he produced, embroidered with Japanese cranes, proved so popular with the duo that they asked him to create matching cushions, curtains and upholstery. ‘That was the beginning of my new career,’ he says. Mikic set up his studio in 2006 and now has an office in Shoreditch, as well as a Notting Hill showroom. What’s his style? He describes it as ‘personal and luxurious’, explaining: ‘I aim to capture the client’s personality and what their house wants ‘I aim to capture the client’s personality – texture, colour to be. Texture, colour and pattern play key roles in my interiors, and I like to mix highand pattern play key roles in my interiors, and I like calibre antiques with modern pieces and to mix antiques with modern pieces and flea-market finds’ flea-market finds’. Mikic also says that the clear Australian light inspires his vibrant colour palette, while his fashion expertise EXPERT ADVICE helps him to ‘understand shapes, layers and volume when building an interior’. Peter Mikic’s guide to creating Other influences include mid-century interiors with character modern art and architecture – such as the Colour When choosing colours, think about work of Mies van der Rohe and Giò Ponti how you will use a room. Always be brave – and the natural world. ‘Nature’s colour in reception areas and opt for calmer tones palette is full of inspiration – I’m obsessed in bedrooms. Pops of colour in a dining room with moss and bark,’ says Mikic. ‘Country are perfect, because here you’re looking walks help me clear my mind and focus.’ for visual stimulation and can experiment. What are his notable projects? Mikic Bedrooms should reflect the cocooning instinct, so I use deep, warm shades. Finally, is as likely to be found kitting out a private don’t restrict colour to walls: if you want to jet as he is to be reinventing a home. His maintain a simple look, add a colourful rug first solo project, a 1970s yacht called or upholster one chair in a contrasting hue. the Elisabeth F, was furnished with midPattern and texture Entrance halls and century modern furniture and heralded bathrooms are ideal places for patterned a new, more relaxed approach to boat wallpapers, as you’re only in them for a few interiors. Among his residential projects, minutes at a time. Textured wallpapers create a smart, cosy feel. the Islington drawing room he designed Artworks As architect Zaha Hadid once in pink, turquoise, yellow and spring said, you don’t always have to show art in green (top right) demonstrates his flair a white box. Brightly coloured or dark for pulling off daring colour schemes. textured walls can help to lift a painting. What is he currently working on? The Consider frames, too: I like to use old, penthouse at The Glebe – a development wooden ones in casual spaces and gold of seven individually designed apartments ones in smarter rooms. I often study how artists such as Francis Bacon framed their in Chelsea. ‘I’m using burnt orange fabrics paintings when putting together a scheme. on the walls and velvet sofas,’ says Mikic. Finishing touches Don’t worry too much He’s also designing a Chelsea gym called about excess when it comes to putting KXU, a Jacobean-style house in Windsor together cushions, art and objects. Certain and a contemporary home in Oxfordshire. pieces can look odd on their own, but work He says ‘Interior design should be fun, well in combination. Leave them together so find a decorator that you enjoy being for a day or two, then adjust things if you with. Go and have cocktails together! need to – I often move a lampshade or a few cushions to a different room. I often take my clients antiques shopping, or to art fairs.’ petermikic.com NOVEMBER 2017 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 65

ARCHITECTURE

GOOD COMPANY We take a closer look at the design of three organisations’ new headquarters

WORDS: JAMES WILLIAMS PICTURES: HAYES DAVIDSON, JOHANNES MARBURG

GOOGLE, London, by BIG Architects and Studio Heatherwick Earlier this year, tech giant Google announced a brand new Kings Cross headquarters to house its 7,000 staff members. The 11-storey mega-structure (above) will boast an expansive landscaped roof garden, while the contemporary open-plan interior consists of a series of double-height spaces to house an events centre, a swimming pool, a sports court, a gym and cafés. Construction is due to start in 2018. RIBA NORTH, Liverpool, by Broadway Malyan Sitting on the banks of the Mersey river, the recently opened RIBA North explores the rich architectural history of the north of England. Its two angular joined structures that make up the building are clad in reﬂective black tiles. The cultural destination features a mixture of galleries and a space for talks, as well as a café and shop. AMAZON, London, by Foster + Partners The online retailer has chosen hip Shoreditch in east London as the base for its new headquarters. The design of the black steel-framed tower is a nod to the work of architectural great Mies van der Rohe. Constrastingly, the interiors are laid-back, with warehousestyle features as well as multi-use meeting points, a verdant roof garden, and tennis and basketball courts.

BLACK MAGIC

‘Black: Architecture in Monochrome’ (Phaidon, £29.95) is a fascinating exploration into the historical signiﬁcance of a colour used to evoke a sense of luxury and mystery. The book showcases over 150 incredible dark and dramatic structures designed by some of the most notable architects of the 20th century, including Philip Johnson,Eero Saarinen and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, alongside contemporaries such as David Adjaye and Jean Nouvel.

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LIVING WITH ARCHITECTURE

WORDS: JAMES WILLIAMS PICTURES: JASON ORTON

Founded in 2007 by philosopher and author Alain de Botton, the Living Architecture organisation has commissioned the likes of British architects John Pawson, Lord Michael and Lady Patty Hopkins and, recently, Swiss visionary Peter Zumthor. We talk to the company’s director Mark Robinson What sparked the idea of Living Architecture? Alain wanted to build contemporary houses for the public to experience and ‘live in’ – at least for a few days. Not many people are in a position to build their own homes, most either rent or buy housing stock that’s been around for generations, or that’s been created by developers based on some quaint notion of the past, rather than looking to the future. It was our aim to encourage people to embrace a more modern way of living, hoping that there would be a trickle-down effect that would, perhaps, influence the way we design homes in the UK. What’s changed since you started out? When we began, there were only a few contemporary properties available to rent for short holiday breaks in the UK. We wanted to create a portfolio of newly constructed houses that would emulate the successful lettings of historic properties by the Landmark Trust. Now, of course, people can also rent out their modern homes for a few days at a time with companies such as Airbnb, which has further increased the reach and influence of contemporary design. How do you pick the architects you work with? At the outset, Alain and I both compiled lists of people we would be keen to collaborate with. They included architects whose work we admired, or who we thought could be challenged by our brief. We then looked to see who we had in common and, from this, we made our approaches. More architects were added to the list as we developed, but to date, we have managed to only work with those that we both favoured. Which comes first, the site or the architect? We had to From top ‘The Balancing Barn’, secure at least one site before we could approach anyone, but ‘A Room for London’, staircase there have been some cases where we asked the architect in ‘The Long House’, ‘The Secular if they would be keen to work with us in advance of finding Retreat’ (opening in 2018) a site. The first people we approached were from the Dutch ➤ NOVEMBER 2017 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK 69

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practice MVRDV. By this time, we had two sites, and we asked them which they would prefer to work on. They chose a location in Thorington, Suffolk, where we came to build ‘The Balancing Barn’. The other plot was in Cockthorpe, Norfolk, the location of British architects Sir Michael and Lady Patty Hopkins’ ‘The Long House’. Peter Zumthor’s ‘Secular Retreat’ is your current project. How did that new collaboration materialise? I visited his home in Switzerland, showed him what we were doing and asked if he would like to design a house for us. He said no, but that he might reconsider if I could ﬁnd the right site to inspire him. His brief was singular: no immediate neighbours and expansive views in all directions. Prior to my visit, we had

purchased a site in Devon and had been developing a design with another architect, but after about six months’ work, we decided to part ways. I hadn’t been in touch with Peter for some time, but sent him some photographs of the Devon site on the offchance that it might hit the spot – and it did. Peter is renowned for working at his own pace. He won’t reveal everything; he leaves space to make changes and develop ideas. This can be very alarming for a client who wants to know what they are getting, how much it will cost, and when it might be finished. If you want all of the answers on day one, you don’t commission Peter Zumthor! What has been your favourite project to date? It has changed over the years, but ‘The Balancing Barn’ will always hold a special place in my affections. Being our firstborn, it had so much riding on it. We put MVRDV under enormous pressure to deliver a project with which to launch Living Architecture. They came up with at least ten different concepts, and even the barn-shaped design went through changes, but to my mind, they succeeded. Even now, it is the one house I return to and feel a great sense of joy and pride. The most interesting project would have to be ‘A House for Essex’. In formulating and nurturing an equal partnership between architect and artist, we created a house in which it is difficult to distinguish where one authorship starts and another ends. Charles Holland and Grayson Perry had not met or worked together previously, but they still managed to achieve a collaboration that’s rarely seen across different creative disciplines. All of your projects start from scratch. Have you considered working with an interior designer to rework an existing house? Our current thinking is that the houses should be a direct link to the time they were conceived, designed and built. We aim to retain the architects’ vision for years to come and do not have any plans to rework the interiors, other than with like-for-like replacements. As we have added houses to the portfolio, though, we have realised that some items or materials used in earlier buildings have not lived up to our, or the architects’, expectations. Designing purely for the holiday letting market, with a different set of people staying each week, can be very punishing to the buildings. We have learned to find more resilient materials and equipment to withstand the inevitable knocks. What does the future hold? We hope our houses continue to provide inspiring holidays. We want those who stay in them to come away feeling that they could find a plot of land and commission an architect to design a house. From £600 for a four-night break in 2018 (livingarchitecture.com). E D 70 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2017

From top ‘The Life House’, ‘The Dune House’, interior detail from ‘A House for Essex’, the exterior of ‘A House for Essex’

WORDS: JAMES WILLIAMS

‘We think the houses should be a direct link to the time that they were conceived, designed and built – we aim to retain the architects’ vision for years to come’

TECHNOLOGY SERENE SOUNDS

DOWNLOAD A MASTERPIECE Depict is the world’s ﬁrst digital canvas to produce an image with the detail of a painting in a gallery. The 49-inch screen allows anyone to line their walls with priceless art. Browse the ‘Depict’ app, tap on an artwork (still or video) and rotate the frame to switch between portrait and landscape. £700, available from 2018 (depict.com).

Bang & Olufsen is renowned for its restrained, luxurious aesthetic, but the Danish audio maker’s ‘Beoplay AW17’ collection, inspired by the serene hues of Japan, is pitched at a more trendconscious audience. The new range of premium portable audio devices includes the ‘P2’ Bluetooth speaker in soothing lilac – a nod to dawn over Mount Fuji. The device’s sleek aluminium casing has been stripped of buttons in favour of easy-to-use gesture controls and an app that wakes you with the same song you fell asleep to. £149 (beoplay.com).

THREE OF THE BEST S M A RT H O M E S E C U R I T Y GADGETS

Want to free your desk of trailing wires? The aluminium ‘D’E-Light’ by Philippe Starck for Flos is an elegant solution – its design combines an LED task light with a handy iPhone/iPad dock. Plus, as you work late into the evening, touch the sensor to dim the beam. £32, Clippings (clippings.com).

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THE NEW HOME BREW Bonaverde’s ‘Berlin’, the world’s ﬁrst roast-grind-brew appliance, transforms raw green coffee beans into black coffee in around 15 minutes. The brand has partnered with ethical growers to deliver beans to your door – scan the pouch and the machine will roast the beans to perfection. From £799 (bonaverde.com).

The doorbell The ‘Ring 2’ video doorbell with night vision allows you to keep an eye on visitors from anywhere in the world. You can also remotely chat to guests or delivery people on your doorstep, using the Ring app for phones and tablets. £179 (ring.com). The lock Fed up with rummaging around for your keys? Yale’s ‘Conexis L1 Smart Door Lock’ supports keyless entry via Yale’s Bluetooth app. Twist your smartphone 90 degrees to gain access. £269 (yale.co.uk).

WORDS: TOM BAILEY PICTURES: JEPPE SØRENSEN ARTWORK IN FRAME: MARK LOVEJOY

TA C T I L E LIGHTING

The camera The super-smart ‘Cam IQ’ security camera by Nest has built-in facial recognition and alerts your smartphone when it spots an unfamiliar face (don’t panic, it’s probably just the window cleaner). £299, plus £8 per month for the Nest Aware subscription (nest.com).

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THE WORLD’S BEST DESIGNS Presenting the winners of the ELLE Decoration International Design Awards 2017. Now in its 15th year, the EDIDA Awards is judged by us and our 24 sister titles around the world, highlighting not only the most exciting designs this year, but the designers, both new and established, who’ve got their fingers on the pulse

Words ELIZA HONEY Photography GIOVANNI GASTEL Styling STUDIOPEPE

DESIGNERS OF THE YEAR NERI & HU Since founding their multidisciplinary Shanghai design studio in 2004, Lyndon Neri and Rossana Hu have made a name for themselves by melding a sense of local Chinese culture into their internationally acclaimed buildings, exhibitions, interiors and products. Recent highlights include their poetic ‘Yanzi’ collection of lights for Italian lighting company Artemide, which features designs that resemble birds perched on a wire, and their ‘Immersion’ bathtub for luxury bathrooms specialist Agape, reminiscent of traditional Chinese and Japanese soaking tubs (neriandhu.com).

FLOOR COVERING ‘VISIONI’ BY PATRICIA URQUIOLA FOR CC-TAPIS The latest in a winning streak of hits by the Spanish designer is this rug for CC-Tapis. A graphic statement for the ﬂoor, it plays with geometry and colour for a three-dimensional effect. From £4,100 (cc-tapis.com). ➤

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FURNITURE

LIGHTING

‘REN’ TABLE BY NERI & HU F O R P O LT R O N A F R A U

‘ C A N D E L A’ BY FRANCISCO G O M E Z PA Z FOR ASTEP

With ‘Ren’, the new set of luxurious, multipurpose furnishings in Canaletto walnut wood, brass and leather, the Shanghai studio has earned further acclaim. Mirrors, storage trays, hooks and more make each piece extra useful, and at home in any room in the house. From £1,536 for a side table, Utility Design (utilitydesign.co.uk).

An old-fashioned lantern this is not. Not only does the ﬂame it produces generate enough electricity for its LED light to glow, but it also doubles as a USB charger for phones, making it a neat deskmate. £659 (astep.design).

BEDROOM ‘ M A K U R A’ B Y PIERO LISSONI FOR PORRO

OUTDOORS ‘ C A L A’ B Y DOSHI LEVIEN F O R K E T TA L Inspired by the wicker chair in the classic 1970s French ﬁlm Emmanuelle, British studio Doshi Levien’s rope weave chair for Spanish outdoor specialists Kettal packs a retro punch. With its high, wide backrest and intricate latticing, it creates a private oasis. £1,831 (kettal.com). ➤

A suspended oasis, Lissoni’s take on the bed is composed of soft, sinuous forms. The headrest is complemented by two built-in cushions and emphasises his concept of the bed as a locus of total comfort. From £3,172, Harrogate Interiors (harrogateinteriors.co.uk).

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SEATING ‘ G E N D E R ’ B Y PAT R I C I A URQUIOLA FOR CASSINA The designer plays with traditional shapes for the seat and backrest of this chair, bringing two seemingly incongruous elements together into a ﬂuid new form. The mix-and-match colour palette makes this design all the more dynamic. From £3,468 (cassina.com).

TABLEWARE 2 0 1 6 / B Y 1 6 I N T E R N AT I O N A L D E S I G N E R S F O R A R I TA To celebrate 400 years of traditional porcelain manufacturing in the Japanese town of Arita, a group of 16 international design names, including Tomás Alonso, Big-Game, Pauline Deltour and Stefan Diez have collaborated with local craftspeople on a range of over 300 pieces for the table (2016arita.com).

YOUNG DESIGN TALENT M AT T E O C I B I C Obsessive, proliﬁc, humorous and quirky are just a few of the words one might use to describe this up-and-coming Italian designer. Encapsulating all these qualities is his ‘VasoNaso’ series, which saw Cibic draw and then sculpt, glaze and ﬁre one unique, somewhat anthropomorphic vase every single day in 2016. The result was a veritable menagerie of wacky pieces. Working in multiple disciplines, whether it’s a Murano glass vase for Italian homeware company Coincasa, or an intricate, horn and bone inlaid cabinet for new Indian luxury brand Scarlet Splendour, his work bears a boisterous and somewhat fantastical edge that’s gained him much notoriety in a short time span (matteocibicstudio.com). ➤

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WALLCOVERING ‘PLUMAGE’ TILES BY CRISTINA CELESTINO FOR BOTTEGANOVE Inspired by bird feathers, the Italian designer created a line of overlapping 3D tiles in ceramic or Limoges porcelain for a textured wallcovering. Although manufactured by traditional means, these tessellating tiles are anything but old-fashioned. £345 per square metre (botteganove.it).

BATHROOM ‘FRAME & REST’ BY NORM ARCHITECTS FOR EX.T The Danish design trio’s modular steel frames are the base for bathroom options such as round mirrors, oak shelves and washbasins made from Navona Travertine stone. From £39.95 for the ‘Felt’ shelf, CP Hart (cphart.co.uk).

FABRICS ‘PROMENADE AU FA U B O U R G ’ B Y N I G E L PEAKE FOR HERMÈS

KITCHEN ' V V D ’ B Y V I N C E N T VA N D U Y S E N F O R D A D A In soothing tones of green and pewter, the Belgian designer’s kitchen design contrasts thick stone worktops with ultra-slim walnut, oak or elm cabinets for a novel take on the room’s classic proportions. Kitchens from £15,000 (dada-kitchens.com). 80 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2017

Architect and illustrator Nigel Peake’s fabric design for the French fashion house is a virtual jaunt through Paris, featuring a dizzying array of pattern inspired by everything from the city’s bricks and tilework to its grand staircases. In the picture, a horse has lost its buggy – it’s up to the viewer to reconnect them through the illustrator’s maze. £512 per metre (homefabricshermes.dedar.com). E D

WELCOME HOME The 2018 Colour of the Year reveals a growing need for interiors to serve as sanctuaries in which to recharge. Discover your perfect palette with Dulux Styling LAURA FULMINE Photography BEN ANDERS

ELLE Decoration | P R O M O T I O N

uch like any creative industry the design world is driven by trends. The key lies in identifying the drivers behind those trends and applying that information to create interiors that capture and nurture our collective mood. Enter the panel of experts who recently came together at AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Centre to identify 2018’s Colour of the Year (COTY) for interior wall paint. Established 15 years ago as part of AkzoNobel Colour Futures – which monitors and analyses social and design trends and translates them into colours for interior paints – the COTY serves to distil the ‘mood of the moment’ into a single colour and related paint palettes for our homes. It will come as no surprise that recent uncertainties in global events had a large influence on this year’s selections. A subtle, warm, ‘grown-up’ pink, Dulux ‘Heart Wood’ reflects the growing desire for individuals and families to see their homes as places to retreat to and revitalise; to create spaces that feel both safe and embracing. It’s time to ‘press pause’, explains Heleen van Gent, the Global Aesthetic Centre’s creative director. ‘Our home needs to be a place where we can recharge. Colour can play a significant role in addressing the balance between outside clamour and inner calm.’ The ‘Heart Wood Home’ palette (featured here) achieves this by blending harmoniously with the natural, tactile materials that serve as inspiration to its hero paint colour. Three supporting paint palettes – ‘Comforting Home’, ‘Inviting Home’ and ‘Playful Home’ – offer variations on the calming, restorative ‘Heart Wood’ tone to ensure that, in 2018, every home can be a welcome home. Discover ‘Heart Wood’ and the four ‘Heart Wood’ colour palettes at dulux.co.uk/colourfutures2018 Walls painted in ‘10YR 28/072’ (main), ‘60YR 20/117’ (column) and skirting boards in ‘46RB 06/074’. All part of the ‘Heart Wood Home’ palette, Dulux (dulux.co.uk) From left Blue velvet ‘Swoon’ armchair by Space Copenhagen, £2,307, Viaduct (viaduct.co.uk). ‘Primitive Wave’ silk rug by CC-Tapis, £4,970, Silvera (silveraltd.co.uk). ‘Billy BL’ floor lamp by Ilse Crawford for Kalmar, £1,686, Kalmar (kalmarlighting.com). Brown velvet ‘Clarence’ sofa and rectangular linen twill cushion cover in ‘Lipstick’, £45, both The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk). Bronze ‘Loren’ coffee table by Baxter, £4,030; black ceramic bottle by Living Divani, £235, both Silvera (as before). ‘Small Rimmed Plate 2’ handmade ceramic plate by Kasper Wurtz, £35, Sigmar (sigmarlondon.com). Wooden bowl, £450, Quindry (quindry.net). Wooden wall sculpture (on back wall), £125, Tilde Grynnerup (tildegrynnerup@gmail.com). Double-sided linen throw in ‘Salmon’ and ‘Bark’, £160, Larusi (larusi.com). African Kamba wooden stool, £650, Quindry (as before)

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BEDROOM

TRENDS Dreaming of a bedroom update? Here’s all the inspiration you need to create the most stylish of sleep spaces Words ELIZA HONEY

SINK INTO BLUE

PICTURE: EVE WILSON

Rich blue is the colour to covet – it is the star of the richly toned palettes that set the style for 2018. Mix this grown-up hue with sorbet shades for a softer take on the trend. Australian design shop Barnaby Lane (barnabylane.com.au) nails the look by layering dusky pink bedding – the ‘Brisa’ linen set at Made is similar (from £99.99; made.com) – against a deep blue backdrop. Try Farrow & Ball’s ‘Hague Blue’ (£43.50 for 2.5 litres; farrow-ball.com).

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PICTURE: TOM FERGUSON

HEAD IN THE CLOUDS Cole & Son’s ‘Nuvolette’ wallpaper by Fornasetti (£255 for two ten-metre rolls; cole-and-son.com) makes for a dreamy scheme, but a practical one, too – this extended headboard also acts as a partition wall, separating the bed from a dressing area. Australian designer Tom Ferguson (tfad.com.au) also added a ﬂoating marble nightstand and ‘Lola’ oxidised brass wall lights by Gibas (£89.49 each, Clippings; clippings.com) to give this cloudscape an even more opulent edge.

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PICTURE: JAKE CURTIS/HOUSE & GARDENS © THE CONDÉ NAST PUBLICATIONS LTD.

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DREAM IN TECHNICOLOUR Paint isn’t the only way to inject colour into a room. Choose bright tiles framed by black grout and primary-hued furniture for a look that’s inspired by the adventurous style of the Memphis design group. Johnson Tiles’ ‘Prismatics’ collection comes in a selection of bold shades (£39.95 per square metre, Walls and Floors; wallsandﬂoors.co.uk). For a similar blue sideboard, try Ikea’s ‘PS’ cabinet (£70; ikea.com).

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GREY EXPECTATIONS

PICTURE: RAGNAR ÓMARSSON/LIVET HEMMA

It is possible to create a perfectly minimalist bedroom that also features plenty of storage. Swedish stylist Pella Hedeby designed this slick headboard with hidden shelves by attaching a piece of MDF board to three ‘Mosslanda’ picture ledges on the wall (£8.95 each; ikea.com). The front has then been painted a soft shade of grey to match the textured walls and the ‘Ängslilja’ bedding, also from Ikea (£24).

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PICTURE: ROMAIN RICARD

PARADISE FOUND Turn bedtime into a tropical escape with a leafy wall mural, such as this ‘Tana’ design by French brand Ananbô (from £553; ananbo.com). Add verdant greenery and a punch of colour for a scheme that transports you from the everyday to the exotic. Try Merci’s ‘Imperial Yellow’ duvet cover (part of a set for £248.74; merci-merci.com), and the ‘Nelson’ cushion by Lindell & Co (£245, Pentreath & Hall; pentreath-hall.com).

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TOUGH LUXE

PICTURE: DITTE ISAGER

Be inventive with salvaged ﬁnds to create a look that’s original and stylish. Here, a mattress rests on old builders’ palettes, while a wall of scuffed steel lockers acts as a headboard and a smart storage solution. Layers of ‘Dusty Pink’ bedding from Toast (£30; toa.st) elevate these time-worn ﬁnds to something far more luxurious.

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SLEEP PATTERN

PICTURE: ALEXANDER LAGERGREN

Simple stripes and geometric designs are bringing fun back to the bedroom. Follow the example of Swedish stylist Saša Antić (sasaantic.com), an expert at playing with pattern. We love the placement of this convex mirror by Josef Frank for Svenkst Tenn (£516; svenskttenn.se) amid a carefully arranged wall of framed graphic prints – try Playtype (from £50 for one poster; pltyplaytype.com). The monochrome ‘Eivor’ throw from Ikea (£15; ikea.com) ties the bedding in with the art on the wall.

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SUNKEN TREASURE

PICTURE: BIRGITTA WOLFGANG/SISTERS AGENCY

Why not create a bed that you can sink into – literally – like the one in this restored riad in Essaouira, Morocco? Tadelakt, the traditional North African lime-based plaster, is so versatile it can be moulded into virtually any shape and here, designers Graham Carter and Emma Wilson have used it to create the white ledges and raised headboard into which this bed is artfully set. Try Decor Tadelakt (from £140 per square metre; tadelakt.co.uk).

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THE COLOUR PURPLE

PICTURE: YVONNE WILHELMSEN/HOUSE OF PICTURES

Rich shades of aubergine and plum are having a moment in the interiors spotlight – and they work especially well in the bedroom. Mimic the textural appeal of the walls in this Italian villa using Fresco Lime paint in ‘Aubergine’ by Pure & Original (£45 per litre; pure-original.com). Continue the colour scheme with furniture and fabrics: this bed has an extra-wide ‘Fenix Decor’ headboard by Jensen (£618.80; jensen-beds.com), and is teamed with linen bedding – try Once Milano (from £37 for a pillowcase; oncemilano.com).

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NIGHT ON THE TILES

PICTURE: YVES DURONSOY

For a modern twist on the traditional headboard, cover an area of the wall behind your bed with tiles. Go for a geometric design (try Bert & May’s black ‘Alalpardo’ tiles, £123 per square metre; bertandmay.com) and mix with smart monochrome linens – these are by Linge Particulier (from £38.70 for a pillowcase, Smallable; smallable.com).

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GOLD STANDARD

PICTURE: BEN ANDERS

Brighten up even the dreariest morning with golden accessories. To make this most precious of colours sing, set it against sumptuous blue walls. Paint & Paper Library’s warm ‘Blue Gum’ paint (£46.50 for 2.5 litres; paintandpaperlibrary.com) is the ideal partner for this vintage quilt and brass spotlight. Even the custom-made white linen curtains have golden corduroy patches sewn in (from £1,440, Nest Design; nestdesign.co.uk).

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PICTURE: CHRISTOPH ROKITTA

PLEATS PLEASE A curtain can be an architectural detail, as this bedroom by Berlin-based studio Atheorem shows (atheorem.de). The floor-to-ceiling fabric not only dresses the windows, but also conceals storage. Use flexible ceiling-mounted tracks, which allow curtains to float sinuously through the space to recreate this look. The ‘Aluglide’ hand-bendable metal curtain track set by Integra (from £22.50; curtain-tracks.com) is an excellent option.

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Want a statement headboard? Inspiration lies beneath your feet. Herringbone parquet ﬂooring looks equally impressive when used as cladding above a bed. The warmth of wood creates a scheme that is cohesive and cosy. Try ‘Giant Iroko’ parquet blocks, £125 per square metre, Retrouvius (retrouvius.com).

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PICTURE: TOM FALLON

FLOOR SHOW

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RELAX INTO MONOCHROME For a timeless bedroom, look no further than simple black and white. By using just these two shades, on everything from the furniture to the artwork displayed in the alcove above the bed, Singaporean design studio 0932 (0932design.sg) has made a virtue of simplicity. For a similar bedside table, try Bloomingville’s ‘Cube’ (£195, Nunido; nunido.co.uk).

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BEDTIME STORIES

PICTURE: JELTJE JANMAAT/HOUSE OF PICTURES

Drift off to sleep surrounded by an easily updated mix of inspirational images and precious trinkets, all suspended from ladder-style shelving that acts as a headboard. This shelf is the ‘Nomad’ by Skagerak (£296.89, Ambiente Direct; ambientedirect.com). Plus, using a clever clip-on lamp, like the ‘Noc’ by Hay (£119, Twentytwentyone; twentytwentyone.com), you can transform a vintage frame into a nightstand.

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REWORK THE CLASSICS

PICTURE: LARS RANEK

Give heritage designs, such as this ‘Honeysuckle & Tulip’ wallpaper by Morris & Co (£72 for a ten-metre roll, Jane Clayton; janeclayton.co.uk) a new lease of life by pairing them with future classics. We love Thornam’s leather ‘The M’ headboard (from £1,390; bythornam.com) that hangs from two hooks on the wall. For a similar bedspread, try the ‘Charlotte’ waffle throw from Perch & Parrow (£145; perchandparrow.com).

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BETWEEN THE SHEETS A heavenly sleep starts with the softest bedding. In this room, the bed is dressed in sumptuous ‘Linen by Geismars’ light grey bedlinen (from £49 for a pillowcase; geismars.dk). For a touch of glamour, team your sheets with contrastingly angular designs, such as this Serge Mouille wall lamp (£3,382, Uber-Modern; uber-modern.com).

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MELBOUR NE • GOTHENBURG • L A ESØ • STOCKHOLM • KIEV

HOMES In this issue, we explore why the most stylish homes in the world are looking to the East. From Sweden to Australia, homeowners are being inspired by what we are calling the Modern Oriental trend – turn the page for a closer look at this new aesthetic…

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M O

odern riental THE BIG TREND

Modern Oriental? At first read, that might seem like something of a contradiction. Surely ‘Oriental’ prompts visions of ancient rituals and filigree detail, whereas ‘modern’ is all achingly streamlined, contemporary cool? The idea for a Modern Oriental issue came out of my exploration of Japonisme in the August 2017 Trends issue. There, I wrote of the emergence of a new simplicity and elegance in design that owed a lot to Japan. I believed this was the result of four key ingredients: harnessing the power of nature and natural materials; revelling in finish and texture; paying attention to the smallest details; and approaching design with a respect built upon centuries of ritual, but also with an irreverence that enables constant evolution. It’s a revival of age-old obsessions coupled with a zeitgeist-led twist. And it is precisely this clashing of cultures that we wanted to explore. However, this was ‘The Big Trend’ that was newly hitting the mainstream, albeit notable for its employ of a certain capriciousness in the design of furniture and home accessories. It was also a feel that was very much led by Japanese techniques and aesthetics, rather than the style of the Far Eastern hemisphere as a whole. What we were interested in for this issue was that which has already seen widespread articulation in interiors. The redux version of ‘East meets West’, if you will – homes that exhibited the marriage of the 21st-century urban home with a touch of the exotic. Modern Oriental isn’t about It is, personally, a favourite style of mine. I love the union of two simply sticking an ornately aesthetics, especially when it is grounded in such a precise carved piece of lacquerwork understanding of the fundamentals of design excellence – in short, the importance of palette, presentation and a desire for perfection. into a contemporary home, And yet, Modern Oriental is a theme that also allows great freedom it is a design language that of interpretation. What you will see over the next 68 pages is a selection of the world’s most beautiful examples of this trend revels in the subtlety of detail – homes that demonstrate this new, deluxe vision in many different ways. They proffer a masterclass in how to get the look, whether that home is in Sweden, Australia or Japan. For Modern Oriental isn’t about simply sticking an ornately carved piece of lacquerwork into a contemporary home, it is a design language that revels in a subtlety of detail and the careful combination of materials. And while there can be no preordained menu of moves that instantly add up to create this look, I believe it can be described as the intention to create a space that has a simplicity and authenticity that harks back to notions of wabi-sabi – the Japanese understanding of the beauty in imperfection – and a finishing, with fittings and furnishings, of that space in such a way as to crystallise this intent. Materials such as wood abound, connoting as they do an honesty and truth. Walls are generally plain, or artfully rendered in plaster, hand-worked to an exquisite patina. Artworks are carefully considered, entering into an intimate dialogue with the rooms in which they hang; shadows too are considered an artful part of any design. And then there will be that top note of exoticism – the merest evocation of chinoiserie – whether that be a single flowering stem displayed in an earthenware pot or a cluster of shapely vases on a dining table. Nothing is by accident, everything is considered; nothing is excessive, everything is beautiful. As Leonardo da Vinci once said: ‘Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication’. And so today, we feel, is Modern Oriental. 120 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2017

PICTURE: ANDREY AVDEENKO

Michelle Ogundehin, ELLE Decoration’s Editor-at-Large, talks us through the key theme of the homes in this issue

RED REVIVAL

Words SOPHIE BAYLIS Photography SHARYN CAIRNS

Statement shades of Chinese red set the scene in this contemporary Australian home that brims with personality

M O D E R N O R I E N TA L

Living room A pair of vintage Minotti sofas reupholstered in Kvadrat’s ‘Sonar 2’ fabric in ‘173’ form an intimate seating area around a low-slung ‘Loren’ table by Baxter. The shelves either side of the striking onyx-clad chimney breast are painted the same colour as the walls and ceiling (try Annie Sloan’s ‘Burgundy’ chalk paint). The colour highlights Todd Hunter’s She Does Tell Tales artwork (left) and Rock Stack by Melbourne-based artist Alice Wormald. Uplighting is provided by Ettore Sottsass’s ‘Callimaco’ ﬂoor lamp for Artemide, available at Utility Design. The rug is by Flack Studio Stockist details on p202 ➤

vents business owners Nicole and Peter Worth took on a radical redesign of their home when their three children reached adulthood. They approached interior architect David Flack of Flack Studios to revise their century-old Melbourne house in line with their new lifestyle, and to express their refined decor tastes, which had previously been negated by a need to ‘childproof’ the space. He conveyed their style through a bold palette, and set the scene with shades of Chinese red, underpinned by luxe materials in marble, blackened steel and American oak. It is this bold hue, tempered by exquisitely crafted bespoke joinery, which lends the interior a modern oriental flavour. This influence is especially noticeable in the red living room, where Asian-inspired objects fill the shelves beside the marble-clad fireplace. The colour is swept across the walls and window frames in the room, which creates a warm, cocooning ambience that is perfectly accentuated by the comfortable furniture. The open-plan kitchen/living space is a serene pause amid the blocks of colour. Here, the warm white finish showcases art, antiques and collectables that the couple have gathered over the years. ‘When the children were young, I loved to collect special pieces as mementos of our experiences,’ says Nicole. ‘I remember one occasion in Bali, when I bought a batch of huge baskets with the intention of turning them into lamp bases. They cost around ten dollars each – an absolute bargain – but I was then charged 1,000 dollars to clear them through Australian customs.’ The couple’s personality is evident throughout David’s scheme, and he was encouraged to make a grand statement where possible. Take the former corner storeroom in the house, which David transformed into a luxurious and striking bar area. ‘Nicole called me one day and said, “Why don’t we create a bar here?”’ David recalls. ‘Our intention was to design a jewel in the corner of the room – a gold nugget that would glow from morning to evening.’ Their vision is realised through glass-backed goldmirrored shelves, sleek marble countertops and mustard walls. ‘Smitten’ is Peter and Nicole’s reply when asked how they feel about their home’s new, sophisticated interior. ‘It’s relaxed, and has a huge sense of fun,’ David adds. ‘It remains a home that all the family enjoy – nothing is precious, or if it is precious, it’s practical, too. It’s a liveable space.’ flackstudio.com.au

Left Flemming Lassen’s ‘The Tired Man’ armchair for By Lassen (left, try Twentytwentyone) sits beside a shelf displaying Asian-inﬂuenced objects Above ‘Saints Hand’ by Kelly Wearstler and a copy of Liaigre by Christian Liaigre are showcased on the coffee table Stockist details on p202 ➤

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The open-plan kitchen is a serene pause amid the blocks of Chinese red – here, the warm white ﬁnish showcases antiques, collectables and displays of nature Kitchen This bespoke design is by Flack Studio (try Christopher Peacock for something similar). The cabinets are painted in Dulux’s ‘Natural White’. Finishing ﬂourishes include a Gessi tap and the ‘Flying Saucer’ lamp by Dazor (try 1st Dibs) Stockist details on p202 ➤

Interior architect David Flack set this home’s sophisticated feel with statement shades of Chinese red, underpinned by luxe materials in marble, blackened steel and American oak Seating area A custom-built sofa by Flack Studio is upholstered in velvet (try James Hare) and teamed with Cassina’s ‘Wink’ chair. Further custom-made features by Flack Studio include the scatter cushions (West Elm is a good source) and joinery (Middleton Bespoke Joinery can create a similarly sleek look) Stockist details on p202 ➤

Interior architect David was encouraged to make a statement where possible – take the former corner storeroom, which he transformed into a luxurious, gold-mirrored bar area Left A carefully curated collection of stylish objects resides on the bespoke shelves in the living area Above right The bar features gold-mirrored shelves and a marble countertop (try Lapicida). The wall panelling has been painted in ‘Balsam Pear’ by Dulux. To the left of the bar is a ‘Parabel’ side table by Eero Aarnio (available from the Finnish Design Shop) Stockist details on p202

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DERN

ORIEN

v i em t a t i o d e

The owner of this Swedish apartment has a ‘less is more’ design mantra, choosing a simple scheme that brings to mind the spiritual calmness of the East Words TRISH LORENZ Photography LINA ÖSTLING Production MARI STRENGHIELM

his 110-square-metre apartment in the Swedish city of Gothenburg resides in a building that dates back to 1908, but there are no extravagant flourishes of period-style excess here. Instead, an air of peace and quiet pervades the stripped-back interior – one that is more reminiscent of an oriental meditation space than a modern, northern European interior. The flat is home to Johanna Rautio, co-founder and creative director of Swedish fashion brand Vintage by Fé, who has lived here since 2015. ‘There is a spiritual calmness to this apartment that I appreciate very much. It gives me emotional satisfaction and helps with my creative flow, too,’ says Johanna. ‘It was inspired by all the travelling I do, to Asia and India, and also Marrakech.’ Painted in white, and with vast, seven-metre-high ceilings, the apartment resembles a calm, monastic space. In the main living room, there’s little in the way of furniture, apart from a long bespoke sofa and a bench running along two of the walls, each covered with cushions in natural fabrics, such as linen, wool and cotton. A jute rug feels grassy underfoot, and a small hammock in front of the open fire encourages you to nestle and daydream, or curl up with a book. Rather than choosing armchairs, Johanna opted for low-level seating. ‘There are quite a few spots in the big living room where you can hang out. My idea was to create many rooms within the one room, because I want the apartment to be a creative space, as well as a place for relaxing with friends and family.’ Next to the living room is the dining area, with an impressive table large enough to comfortably seat ten people, and a mix of vintage dining chairs. ‘I love vintage furniture. There is a soul in used objects that gives off a different energy to new pieces,’ says Johanna. Upstairs in the loft, beneath the eaves, is the tranquil main bedroom, with a window above the bed that looks skywards. ‘The loft is perfect for meditation,’ says Johanna. ‘I like watching how the weather changes, the clouds moving above me.’ As creative director of her own design brand, as well as a mother of two teenagers, Johanna has a busy lifestyle, but this meditative space helps to keep it balanced. ‘My perfect day would start with waking to the sound of rain on the roof. The loft is so close to the sky that you can almost feel the weather,’ she says. vintagebyfe.com

Living room (previous page) The sofa is a bespoke design and the baskets on the wall, as well as the vases and pots, are from PB Home. The hammock is from Granit (try ‘Hanging Chair’ by Amazonas, available at Wayfair), while the hemp rug is from Tell Me More Far right A simple white table and pendant light from Ikea contrast with black iron chairs from PB Home in the kitchen Stockist details on p202 ➤

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‘I love vintage furniture. There is a soul in used objects that gives off a different energy to new pieces’

Dining room The table can comfortably seat ten people. Homeowner Johanna has complemented it with a mix of vintage chairs, including Thonet’s bentwood design (try 1st Dibs). The two portraits on the wall are from PB Home Stockist details on p202 ➤

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‘There is a spiritual calmness to this apartment that I appreciate very much. It gives me emotional satisfaction and helps with my creative f low’

Bedroom A little vintage desk acts as a dressing table (try French Farmhouse Furniture for similar). The chair is the ‘Ant’by Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, available at Skandium. A shawl from homeowner Johanna’s fashion brand Vintage by Fé acts as a throw. The striped brown pillow was a market ﬁnd – the rest are a selection from Afroart and Vintage by Fé Stockist details on p202

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ORIENT EXCESS Rich lacquer, luxurious materials and lavish colours – the design world’s Eastern influences are taking an opulent turn Styling HANNAH BORT Photography PAUL RAESIDE

From left ‘Cloud’ pot (on ﬂoor) by Lisa Stockham, £1,775, Mint (mintshop.co.uk). ‘Shuffle’ side table by Mia Hamborg for &Tradition, £800, Viaduct (viaduct.co.uk). ‘Alcor’ storage unit by Antonio Citterio, £4,355, B&B Italia (bebitalia.com). ‘Scorched Oak’ wooden vase by Malcolm Martin and Gaynor Dowling, £390, Flow Gallery (ﬂowgallery.co.uk). Vase, £1,133; low container, £1,807, both Visionnaire (visionnaire-home.com). ‘Swoon’ chair by Space Copenhagen for Fredericia, £1,835, Skandium (skandium.com). ‘Salon’ cushion in ‘Mosaic Curry’, £99, Ferm Living (fermliving.com). ‘Lace’ smaller rug, £1,350, Stepevi (stepevi.com). ‘Caractacus’ large rug, £15,783, Luke Irwin (lukeirwin.com). ‘Bell’ coffee table by Sebastian Herkner for ClassiCon, £2,245, Aram Store (aram.co.uk). ‘Rosiers’ tile, £106 per square metre, Emery & Cie (emeryetcie.com). ‘Cylinder’ ceramic vase by Mizuyo Yamashita, from £48,

Momosan (momosanshop.com). ‘Idra’ Murano glass tumblers, from £49 each, The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk). ‘Targa’ sofa by GamFratesi, £3,220, Wiener GTV Designer (gebruederthonetvienna.com). ‘Suzani’ red cushion, £385; ‘Ikat 4731p’ black and white cushion, £195, both Yastik (yastikbyrifatozbek.com). Patched kantha quilt, £650, The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk). ‘Dandy’ fabric in ‘Ombre’ (on cushion) by Metaphores, £139.80 per metre, Abbott + Boyd (abbottandboyd.co.uk). ‘Model 2065’ pendant light by Astep, £846, Viaduct (viaduct.co.uk). ‘Lantern’ ﬂoor lamp by Neri & Hu for ClassiCon, £1,656, Aram Store (aram.co.uk). ‘Bai Lu’ chair by Neri & Hu, £1,161, Lema UK (lemamobili.com). ‘Romeo & Giulietta’ curtain fabric in ‘Dune’, £319 per metre, Dedar (dedar.com). ‘Midsummer Night’ wallpaper by Wall & Decò, £100 per square metre, West One Bathrooms (westonebathrooms.com) ➤

From left ‘Cato Blues’ rug, £15,783, Luke Irwin (lukeirwin.com). ‘Beetle’ chair by GamFratesi for Gubi, £2,139, The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk). ‘Panton Wire 6161T’ modular shelving by Verner Panton for Montana Furniture, £139 per unit, Skandium (skandium.com). ‘Ecume’ blue serving bowl, £21, Caravane (caravane.fr).‘Vessel No.4’ bowl (on top shelf) by Virginie Besengez, £130, Bon Ceramics (bonceramics.com). ‘Braque’ vase by Kose, £687, Urban Living Interiors (urbanlivinginteriors.co.uk). ‘Udon’ bowl in ‘Rust’ by Miro Made This, £60, Bon Ceramics (bonceramics.com). ‘Planet’ coffee table, £1,520, Rimadesio (rimadesio.com). ‘Beldi’ glass, £4.30, Caravane (caravane.fr). ‘Scorched Oak’ wooden vase by Malcolm Martin and Gaynor Dowling, £350, Flow Gallery (ﬂowgallery.co.uk). ‘Jesmonite’ black bowl by Malgorzata Bany, £170, The New Craftsmen (thenewcraftsmen.com). ‘Censer’ incense burner by Apparatus, £700, La Gent (la-gent.com). ‘Esper’ pendant light, from £1,011, Roll & Hill (rollandhill.com). ‘Fil Noir’ armchair by Christophe Delcourt, £4,010, Minotti London (minottilondon.com). ‘Marriage’ fabric (on cushion), £145 per metre, Jason d’Souza (jasondsouza.co.uk). ‘Lagoon’ wallcovering from the ‘Masquerade’ collection, £229 per square metre, Arte (arte-international.com). ‘Adamo & Eva’ curtain fabric in ‘Ocean’, £120 per metre, Dedar (dedar.com)

From left ‘Takenawa I’ rug, £11,750, Tai Ping (houseoftaiping.com). ‘Era’ table by David Lopez Quincoces, from £556, Living Divani (livingdivani.it). ‘Milky Way’ blue plate, £21; blue bowl, £21, both Caravane (caravane.fr). Rosewood chopsticks, £3.48, Japan Centre (japancentre.com). ‘Kashiwan’ wooden bowl by Kihachi Kōbō, £45; ‘Shuro’ brush, £13; cherry bark tea caddy, £86; teapot, £60, all Momosan (momosanshop.com). ‘Flora’ tile, £392 per square metre, Botteganove (botteganove.it). ‘Pique Fleur’ raku bowl by Cécile Daladier, £230, The Cold Press (thecoldpress.com) ➤

From left ‘Minima Moralia’ screen by Christophe de la Fontaine for Dante, £2,400, Mint (mintshop.co.uk). ‘Bokeh I’ rug, £22,980, Tai Ping (houseoftaiping.com). ‘Chair Nr. 0’ cane chair by Front (two pictured), £597 each, Wiener GTV Designer (gebruederthonetvienna.com). ‘Glove’ patterned chair by Patricia Urquiola (two pictured), £683 each, Molteni & C (molteni.it). ‘Iron Natural Sides’ dining table by Giovanna Azzarello for Riva 1920, from £5,550, Heal’s (heals.com). ‘Ecume’ bowl, £26; ‘Milky Way’ plates, £21 each; ‘Tetsu’ cutlery, £11 per piece; ‘Suni’ napkins, £10 each, all Caravane (caravane.fr). ‘Idra’ Murano glass tumblers, from £49 each, The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk). Wine glasses, from £7 each; pasta bowls, £30 each; white vase, £70, all Tine K Home (tinekhome.com). ‘Formakami JH3’ pendant light by Jaime Hayón for &Tradition, £169, Viaduct (viaduct.co.uk). ‘Pleat’ paint, £47 for 2.5 litres, Little Greene (littlegreene.com). ‘Romeo & Giulietta’ curtain fabric in ‘Dune’, £319 per metre, Dedar (dedar.com) ➤

From left ‘Lake Floral’ rug by Raw Edges for Golran, £9,000, Moroso (moroso.it). ‘Ikat’ red chevron cushion, £195, Yastik (yastikbyrifatozbek.com). ‘Colonial OW150’ daybed by Ole Wanscher, £3,275, Carl Hansen & Søn (carlhansen.com). ‘Boulevard ’ red fabric (on cushion) by Metaphores, £207 per metre, Abbott + Boyd (abbottandboyd.co.uk). ‘Tiers’ blue cushion cover, £40, Caravane (caravane.fr). ‘Suzani’ patterned cushion, £245, Yastik (yastikbyrifatozbek.com). ‘Aura’ throw, £181, Caravane (caravane.fr). ‘Sen’ side table by Kensaku Oshiro for De Padova, £953, Boffi (boffi.com). ‘Pique Fleur’ raku bowl by Cécile Daladier, £200, The Cold Press (thecoldpress.com). ‘Idra Rigadin Ritorto’ pink tumbler by Nason Moretti, £69, The Conran Shop (conranshop.co.uk). ‘Poissons et Ondes’ tile by Pham Tien Khang, £63 per tile, Emery & Cie (emeryetcie.com). ‘Limed and Scorched’ vase by Malcolm Martin and Gaynor Dowling, £312, Flow Gallery (ﬂowgallery.co.uk). ‘Giraffe’ console table, £970, &New (andnew.co.uk). ‘Chinoz’ table lamp by Jaime Hayón for Parachilna, £1,335, Monologue (monologuelondon.com). ‘Pleat’ paint, £47 for 2.5 litres, Little Greene (littlegreene.com). ‘À Contre-Jour’ curtain fabric in ‘Blu Alba’, £228 per metre, Dedar (dedar.com)

From left ‘Giraffe’ console table (as before). ‘Poissons & Ondes’ tile (as before). Red vase, £1,467, Visionnaire (visionnaire-home.com). ‘DIM-1’ oblong vase by Dimorestudio, £710, Bitossi Ceramiche (bitossiceramiche.it). ‘Cylinder’ small vase by Mizuyo Yamashita, from £48, Momosan (momosanshop.com). ‘Pacay’ large sculptural vase by Kose, £690, Urban Living Interiors (urbanlivinginteriors.co.uk). ‘Lip’ round bowl by Kristina Dam Studio, £59, Search & Rescue (searchandrescuelondon.co.uk) E D

M O D E R N O R I E N TA L

Shared traditions This Danish holiday home is built using artisanal techniques common to both Scandinavia and Japan, creating an aesthetic that values the minimal and the modest

Words KARINE MONIÉ Photography IDA SCHMIDT/HOUSE OF PICTURES Styling HANNE VIND

Dining area The table from Genbyg is teamed with ‘Søborg’ chairs by Danish designer Børge Mogensen, from Fredericia. The ceramics on the table are from Roxy Klassik (try Scandinavian Design Center for similar pieces or Wagumi for Japanese designs) Stockist details on p202 ➤

‘Danish Modernism is deeply inﬂuenced by the Japanese aesthetic – it is similarly minimal and modest, with structural and material honesty’

ime seems to have magically stood still on the island of Læsø, an idyll off the northeast coast of the beautiful Jutland Peninsula in Denmark. Here, concealed by pine forests and overlooking the ocean, is New Seaweed House. Built using artisanal techniques, this home is every bit as enchanting as its natural surroundings. Architect Søren Nielsen of Vandkunsten Architects used larch as a framework for the building, which was then covered in seaweed, reviving an ancient island building method. ‘Traditional Danish rural houses have strong similarities to Japanese architecture,’ Søren says. ‘You can see a synergy if you look at the Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto, where half-timbered walls, clay and reed – or seaweed, in our case – are the main building materials.’ All of the rooms in the house are arranged around an open-plan living space. The expansive double-height ceiling is padded, which has the effect of softening the Swedish pine walls and floorboards. White linen panels are stuffed with seaweed, cotton and fire-retardant ammonium salt, and their gentle curves help to naturally diffuse the light that seeps into the space through large skylights. Twin bedrooms and bathrooms, with sleeping lofts above, bookend this central space. ‘We applied Nordic Modernist principles to the design of the house, with an emphasis on craftsmanship,’ says Søren. ‘There is a tension between the strict modular geometry and the raw materials. Danish Modernism is deeply influenced by the Japanese aesthetic – it is similarly minimal and modest, with structural and material honesty.’ The furniture throughout is Scandinavian, which lends a contemporary edge to the scheme. Yet, the look is sparse – a simple daybed sits in the living space, a larch-topped island defines the kitchen, and a large dining table creates a formal eating area. Comfort and wellbeing were carefully considered when building this home, and several nooks provide opportunities for quiet. ‘Modern architecture is too masculine. It is dominated by hard materials, geometry and precision, which does not reflect human nature,’ Søren says. ‘Here, we have struck a balance, adding softness through materials, while the understated decor creates a connection with nature.’ vandkunsten.com

Seating area The daybed is from Griffen Shop – Ole Wanscher’s ‘OW150’ design for Carl Hansen & Søn is a stylish alternative. Try Wayfair for a selection of hanging chairs Stockist details on p202 ➤

See even more of New Seaweed House, plus the full edit of the world’s most beautiful countryside homes, in ELLE Decoration Country Volume 11, on sale 16 November 2017. For more previews, follow us on Twitter and Facebook @ELLEDecoCountry

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Modern architecture is too masculine. It is dominated by geometry and precision. Here, we have struck a balance, adding softness through materialsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

Kitchen Bespoke cabinets are tucked neatly beneath the staircase, while the larch-topped island separates the space from the dining area. Kitchenware and the ceramic pieces are from H. Skjalm P and Roxy Klassik Stockist details on p202 â&#x17E;¤

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The furniture throughout New Seaweed House is Scandinavian, which lends a contemporary edge to the simple pine wood walls and floors

Study The chair is by BĂ¸rge Mogensen for Fredericia and the lamp is from Roxy Klassik. The accessories are from H. Skjalm P, while the art on the wall is from Kbh Kunst gallery Bedroom This calming space is dominated by a vintage industrial lamp from Roxy Klassik â&#x20AC;&#x201C; try The Old Cinema Stockist details on p202

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ZEN MASTERCLASS

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time for a lighter design touch. Be inspired by the simplicity of Japanese-style interiors Styling ELISA OSSINO STUDIO Photography FEDERICO CEDRONE

From left ‘Ypsilon’ chair by Toni Grilo, £566, Blackcork (blackcork.pt). ‘Lapis’ sofa by Emanuel Gargano and Anton Cristell, £4,920, Amura (amuralab.com). ‘Strato’ coffee table by Victor Carrasco, £1,126, Living Divani (livingdivani.it). ‘Équilibre d’Hermès’ brass and leather bowl, £4,040, Hermès (uk.hermes.com). ‘S.Pot’ pot set, £478; teapot, £121, all Maddalena Selvini (maddalenaselvini.com). ‘Moon’ pendant light by Davide Groppi, £720, David Village Lighting (davidvillagelighting.co.uk). ‘Langley’ stool by David Chipperﬁeld for E15, from £600; ‘Mate’ shelving unit by Florian Asche for E15, £1,240, both Viaduct (viaduct.co.uk) ➤

Furniture from left ‘T Chair’ dining chair by Jasper Morrison for Maruni, £539, Twentytwentyone (twentytwentyone.com). ‘Tee-Table’ dining table by Tomoya Tabuchi for De Padova, £4,019, Progarr (progarr.com). ‘Giardino’ pendant light, £1,730, Servomuto (servomuto.com). ‘Osaka 2810’ chair by Cazzaniga Mandelli Pagliarulo, from £295, Pedrali (pedrali.it). ‘Sag’ stool by Nendo for MDF Italia, £298, Aram Store (aram.co.uk). ‘Clerici’ blue chair by Konstantin Grcic for Mattiazzi, £650, SCP (scp.co.uk) On table, from left ‘Aurora’ tray by Federica Biasi and Simone Bonanni, £155, Incipit (incipitlab.com). ‘Lovatt’ small beaker by Cathérine Lovatt, £5, Serax (serax.com). ‘Kioku’ earthenware vase by Kazuhito Nagasawa, on loan from Officine Saffi gallery in Milan (officinesaffi.com). ‘Hémisphère’ box in orange by Pierre Charpin, £755, Hermès (uk.hermes.com). ‘Linna’ teapot, £36, Asa Selection (asa-selection-shop.com) ➤

This page, from left ‘Home Hotel’ bench by Jean-Marie Massaud, £1,855, Poliform (poliform.it). ‘Rugthko’ limited-edition rug (on wall) by CC-Tapis for 10 by Yatzer, £1,197, Spazio Pontaccio (spaziopontaccio.com). ‘Model 2065’ pendant light by Gino Sarfatti for Astep, £846, Viaduct (viaduct.co.uk) Opposite, from left ‘Collector’ desk by GamFratesi for Porro, £3,700, Viaduct (viaduct.co.uk). ‘Billy’ table lamp by Kalmar, £647, Skandium (skandium.com). ‘Silo’ red container by Filippo Castellani, £129, Incipit (incipitlab.com). ‘Remo’ chair by Konstantin Grcic for Plank, £39, Made In Design (madeindesign.co.uk) E D

M O D E R N O R I E N TA L

NATUR AL HARMONY Architect Sergey Makhnoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kiev home is an imaginative fusion of the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi with his Ukrainian design heritage Words AMY BRADFORD Photography ANDREY AVDEENKO

‘Y

ou’d think it would be easy for an architect to design a home for his own family,’ says Sergey Makhno. ‘But no! It’s very complicated. You feel a big responsibility creating a space for those closest to you.’ In his native Ukraine, Sergey is known as the leading exponent of wabi-sabi, a Japanese philosophy that celebrates imperfection, natural materials and the marriage of old and new. It’s not surprising that he was nervous about applying this approach in his Kiev apartment: it’s on the 16th and 17th floors of a modern block, which had to be expanded at the perimeter to accommodate his vision. But as it turns out, the combination of wabi-sabi’s raw beauty with the urban architecture, looking out over the city, is magical. Sergey shares the three-bedroom flat with his wife Vlada, an interior decorator, and their two sons. His starting point for the decor was a desire to combine his Ukrainian heritage – which is all about bright colours – with his love of quieter Japanese style. Quite a challenge, you might think, but Sergey pulled it off by teaming folksy details with an understated, nature-inspired backdrop. ‘My husband experiments in every one of our apartments,’ explains Vlada. ‘The craziest ideas, we try on ourselves!’ Sergey is a passionate collector of ancient ceramics and contemporary art: he chose artworks with a handmade or distressed look that blend beautifully with the rough clay walls in the space. In addition, both he and Vlada love floristry, and in particular the Japanese art of ikebana, which involves arranging plants and flowers to imitate the living beauty of nature. One such display is situated next to the staircase, where stems are displayed in a vase made from the wreckage of an old house. Most of the furniture in the apartment is made of natural materials such as wood, iron, copper and ceramic – Sergey designed it all himself, along with the wooden beams that line the ceiling. The glass-walled bathroom is the one area that feels slicker – although here, too, there is a wabi-sabi element in the form of a sink made out of an ancient wooden vessel. The family have been living in the apartment for six months – has their decorating experiment been a success? ‘I can say with modesty that it has,’ says Sergey. ‘It shows that Japanese and Ukrainian culture can co-exist in harmony, demonstrating beauty in simplicity.’ mahno.com.ua

Living room For a similar ochre paint shade to these walls, try ‘Caddie’ by Paint & Paper Library. The sofa is a custom-made design, as is the coffee table. On the wall is an artwork entitled Fragility by Kiev artist Roman Mikhaylov. The ceramic sculptures on the plinth are by Ukrainian artist Sergey Radko, and on the window ledge is a bronze sculpture named A Girl With A Branch by Dmitriy Grek Stockist details on p202 ➤

Ancient ceramics and contemporary artworks feature prominently in the apartment â&#x20AC;&#x201C; pieces with a handmade, distressed look blend beautifully with the rough clay walls

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Dining room ‘Elephant’ chairs and a bespoke table furnish the space – all were designed by the homeowner, Sergey Makhno, as were the ceramic hanging lamps Kitchen The ‘Sidai’ table and chairs are also by Makhno Stockist details on p202 ➤

Most of the furniture in the apartment is made from natural materials such as wood, iron, copper and ceramic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the homeowner designed it all himself

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‘The design of this home shows that Japanese and Ukrainian culture can co-exist in harmony, demonstrating beauty in simplicity’

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Main bedroom The ash bed and bedside tables were designed by the homeowner, Sergey Makhno, and the pendant lamps suspended above the bed are from his ‘Lacuna’ collection (the ‘Caravaggio’ lamp by Cecilie Manz for Lightyears, available at Skandium, has a similar feel). Sergey inherited the wooden benches from his grandparents – try Design Vintage for similar Stockist details on p202 ➤

In his native Ukraine, the homeowner is known as the leading exponent of wabi-sabi, a Japanese philosophy that celebrates imperfection, natural materials and the marriage of old and new

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Children’s bathroom For similar ceramic mosaics, try Reﬁn’s ‘Fossil’ collection Bedroom, left The decoration of Sergey’s eldest son’s bedroom was inspired by photos of carp in a pool, taken in Japan. The walls are ﬁnished with blue plaster, graduating in places to grey – for paint in a similar hue, try ‘Hague Blue’ by Farrow & Ball. The carp sculptures on the wall were designed by Sergey, as were the ‘Elephant’ armchairs and the coffee table Stockist details on p202 E D

Creative calm M O D E R N O R I E N TA L

Serene spaces can be bright too. In Stockholm’s newest co-working space, splashes of red and jade green take inspiration from Eastern design’s more playful side

Words EMMA LOVE Photography JAMES STOKES

Left A triptych of paintings by Charlie Roberts, Natalie 2014, hangs behind the ‘Together’ extending table and stool by Ilse Crawford for De La Espada (available at Twentytwentyone). The ‘Hastoe’ chairs by Matthew Hilton (available at Heal’s) are also for De La Espada. The vase is by Carl August Sandgren and the plate is by Rikard Palmquist (both available at the Kaolin gallery in Stockholm). The walls and ceiling are painted in ‘Skugga’ by Alcro (available at Paint & Paper Ltd), while the rug is from Kasthall Stockist details on p202 ➤

tockholm’s new creative co-working members’ club, Alma, opened its doors earlier this year in a building that once housed a school of design. The carefully re-imagined space is divided into social and work zones, a central atrium restaurant, a coffee bar and the first European outpost of Austere, the furniture concept store founded by Fredrik Carlström. Carlström is also creative director at Alma, and it was he that enlisted Stockholm architects Tham & Videgård to work on the project. The aesthetic of the space is undoubtedly Scandinavian, but there are key elements of the interior that chime wonderfully with the principles of modern oriental design: the striking splashes of Chinese red, the exquisite ceramics and the marrying of the contemporary with handcrafted details. ‘When you create a space, the most fundamental aspects are light, colour and materials. These are all things that many people would agree connect Scandinavian and Asian design,’ says Bolle Tham, co-founder at Tham & Videgård. ‘You should never overdecorate – it’s important to ensure that the architecture and design feels serene.’ Three characteristics are consistent throughout the space: the three-tone ceramic tiles, which were laid to emulate a traditional parquet floor, the grey walls and the ‘W171 Alma’ ceiling lights, designed by Tham & Videgård for Wästberg. ‘We liked the idea that if you look quickly at the floor, it seems as though it’s always been there, but each batch of tiles are a slightly different shade,’ Tham continues. This echoes the principle of wabi-sabi, the Japanese notion of celebrating beauty in imperfection. Rather than restoring each wall, Tham & Videgård decided to clad them in wood, which was then painted in grey tones. ‘We wanted to create a pure space. We see the walls as a backdrop that will allow the atmosphere of Alma to change and develop over the years. We chose a cosy grey, so that the space feels calm and homely.’ Additional modern oriental twists are evident in the simple, organic tableware by Danish potter Rikard Palmquist, stoneware ceramic sculptures by Tufva Design and the clean lines of the ‘Arrow’ desk and chair by Erik Järkil for Austere. ‘Rikard’s pieces needed to retain their handmade quality, with imperfections and personality. Then, with the interior, I wanted to express humility with the choices of furniture and lighting,’ explains Carlström. ‘Although there is nothing flashy about Alma, it still feels quite luxurious, and I did spend a tremendous amount of time picking pieces that I felt honoured material, form and function over any unnecessary frills. I believe that is what makes it beautiful, and will make Alma wear nicely with time.’ thisisalma.com; tvark.se

Right The ‘Arrow’ desk and chair are by Erik Järkil for Austere. Built-in shelves display vases by Tufva Design and Carl August Sandgren, as well as ceramics by Rikard Palmquist (all available at the Kaolin gallery in Stockholm) Stockist details on p202 ➤

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Left The ‘Valet’ chair by Hans J Wegner for PP Møbler (available at Twentytwentyone) sits in a corner of the atrium restaurant, next to the ‘Arrow’ stool by Erik Järkil for Austere. The shelves are lined with cups by Carl August Sandgren and Rikard Palmquist, and pots by Isa Deco. The wall is painted in ‘Lagerkrans’ by Alcro (available at Paint & Paper Ltd). The parquet-style ﬂoor tiles are from the ‘Global Collection’ by Mosa Above In the Alma retail shop, glasswork by Åsa Jungnelius is placed on a stool by Andreas Bozarth Fornell for Austere. Underneath stands a vase by Carl August Sandgren Stockist details on p202 ➤

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DESIGN DETAIL Architects Tham & Videgård’s guide to choosing the perfect colour palette for your project

Consider the age and original character of the building. With most of our projects, we look for colours that really complement the history of the architecture – they feel as though they could always have been there. Pick colours that will stand the test of time. Interiors that are overly decorated can soon start to feel dated, because they don’t allow the space to grow and develop as you add in any new furniture or move objects around. Think about how you plan to use the space. The colours you choose should reﬂect the function of a room. At Alma, we like to think of the walls as a solid base or backdrop for the different activities that are taking place. Ask yourself what kind of atmosphere you want to create. We wanted a cosy, almost domestic feel for Alma and, for us, grey achieves this far better than white.

2 3

Left A ‘Together’ bench by Ilse Crawford for De La Espada (available at Twentytwentyone) runs along the back of the members’ lounge area. The ‘Turning’ table by Theresa Arns for Menu (available at Nest) displays a cup and teapot by Rikard Palmquist (available at the Kaolin gallery in Stockholm). Members can recline in the ‘PP129’ chair by Hans J Wegner for PP Møbler (try 1st Dibs) while admiring The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, 2015 hanging artwork by Bella Rune. The ‘W171 Alma’ ceiling light is by Tham & Videgård for Wästberg and was developed for Alma Above The ‘Spanish Chair’ by Børge Mogensen for Fredericia (available at Skandium) sits next to the ‘Seven’ table by Lith Lith Lundin (available at Austere). On the wall is About Darkness, 2016 by artist Maria Nordin. The space is accessorised with an ‘Ildhane’ candlestick by Anderssen & Voll (available at Twentytwentyone), ceramics by Tufva Design and a Riedel glass (available at John Lewis) Stockist details on p202 E D

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M O D E R N O R I E N TA L

Enveloped by a Japanese garden, this mid-century modern home in Melbourne shows a mastery of the art of Zen living Words AMY BRADFORD Photography LISA COHEN

lover of pared-down, geometric buildings, Australian architect Robin Boyd (1919–1971) railed against over-decoration in architecture in his 1960 book, The Australian Ugliness. Such flaws were nowhere to be seen in his Bridge House, completed in 1955 in suburban Melbourne. Designed as a bridge-like structure, it is supported by dramatic geometric trusses, with a flat roof and floor-to-ceiling windows on either side of an open-plan interior. But a renovation in the 1980s introduced walls, and filled in the area beneath the house with storerooms and a cellar, compromising the design that had made it seem as though the house was floating above the landscape. The Liberman family bought Bridge House 25 years ago, but waited until 2012 to undertake a major renovation of the property. The family – which includes jeweller Karen Liberman and her ceramicist daughter Lulu – brought in Melbourne architectural firm Jolson to sensitively adapt the building to their needs. The firm’s founder Stephen Jolson remembered staying in the house as a child, when it was still in its original condition. He was therefore perfectly placed to set about reviving Robin Boyd’s vision. Stephen was not permitted to alter the exterior, as the design is protected by both heritage laws and the Boyd Foundation, which safeguards the architect’s legacy. However, he did want to restore the link between the interior and the landscape. ‘We designed a circular terrace, which only touches the house at minor points,’ he explains. ‘The idea was to celebrate the structure in a modern way, while also being sympathetic to Boyd’s preoccupation with geometry.’ The entrance to the house is now reached via a series of linked bridges (right) – giving visitors a feeling of walking through the treetops – with a round deck that connects to the living room. Stephen also removed the storerooms and the cellar beneath the house, replacing them with a lighter, glass-framed space. The Liberman family are wine connoisseurs, so a new circular, oak-clad wine cellar was incorporated within the new structure, which allows light to flow around it. ‘We used every opportunity to bring more light into the house,’ he says. With this in mind, Stephen also removed the entire interior of the bridge section, replacing the walls with floating partitions that create sightlines all along the building. After extensive negotiation, he was permitted to replace Boyd’s white-painted timber windows – which had started to rot – with new, black-painted steel versions that frame the white rooms. Stephen’s practice focuses on interior design as well as architecture, and he worked closely with Karen Liberman to combine her love of layering with Boyd’s concept of open-plan living. ‘The whole house has a handmade, crafted feel that responds to Karen’s personality – she wanted her home to be a nurturing environment,’ he says. A restrained palette of materials – including American oak, bronze steel and travertine – acts as a warm, neutral backdrop, and complements the terrace gardens, which were created by landscape designer Michael McCoy. Dominated by bamboo and ornamental greenery, the outdoor spaces have a Japanese feel. The only remaining trace of the 1980s renovation is a separate three-storey building, which houses four bedrooms, linked to the main house by a walkway. The building’s original structure is thus freed up for relaxing with family and friends, and the enjoyment of the natural world – just as Robin Boyd intended. jolson.com.au; karenliberman.com.au

Living area (previous page) For a similar sofa try Heal’s, and for a side table like this, try the stools by Charles and Ray Eames for Vitra. Ikea’s ‘Persisk Hamadan’ rug collection has a similar look to the one here Left Two ‘Strip’ chairs by Henge ﬂank a breakfast bar designed by the architects in bronze and Marron Emperador marble Stockist details on p202 ➤

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‘The whole house has a handmade feel that responds to Karen’s personality – she wanted her home to be a nurturing environment’

Kitchen Warm American oak is used here, along with both bronze and black steel. The wall light is a bespoke piece by LA-based designer Lindsey Adelman. The architects created the wall of shelves for displaying ceramics – including pieces by the homeowners’ daughter, potter Lulu Liberman – as a way to signpost the entrance to the pantry Stockist details on p202 ➤

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Robin Boyd’s original geometric architecture has been sensitively adapted to meet the needs of a modern family

Left This painting, entitled Lion Island – Pittwater by Australian artist Joshua Yeldham, echoes the restrained colour palette of the house Above The circular oak cellar houses the homeowners’ extensive wine collection ➤

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Hallway Bolanzas, a sculpture by Spanish designer Paco Camús for Camús Collection, makes a statement in this large, open space Bathroom The ﬂoor and counter are made from Roman travertine (for similar, try Lapicida). The bathtub was custom-designed by the architect. Gong sells similar petriﬁed wood stools Stockist details on p202

DESIGN DETAIL Architect Stephen Jolson shares his secrets for simple living Highlight white walls with black window frames. This simple detail instantly creates a sense of paredback calm. If, like the Libermans, you like to use warm, organic materials and layer textiles, this will also help to keep your interior looking polished. Use texture to add warmth to a minimalist interior. Lulu Liberman’s Japanese-style pottery (@luluclay) has a rustic, imperfect feel that brings a human touch to the house. Rough wood and metals with a patina, such as bronze steel, have the same effect. Create space to breathe and move around freely. The rooms in Bridge House are not empty, but there is plenty of free space around objects that allows light, air and the occupants of the house to circulate unimpeded. The floating partition walls also work subconsciously to create a sense of calm. Design green terraces. Don’t use flowers, as they can often deflect attention away from the pared-down architecture. Landscape gardener Michael McCoy used tall trees and dense screens of bamboo to create a modern oriental feel, with smaller ornamental rock gardens acting as serene pause points. E D

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ESCAPE

HOTELS • R ESTAUR A NTS • GA R DENS • GETAWAYS

WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK PICTURE: MARTIN KAUFMANN

DINNER À LA DENMARK Flora Danica and Copenhague are two new restaurants created by Maison du Danemark, an institute in Paris with a mission to champion Denmark’s arts and business. It turned to Copenhagen-based interiors and architecture practice GamFratesi to design modern interiors for the new venues. Turn to see inside both venues ➤

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Escape | N E W S

As its name suggests, Flora Danica (left, and previous page) blends paredback design with botany: we love the seaweed-coloured marble bar, chevron ﬂooring and moss green ‘TS’ Table and ‘Beetle’ chairs, specially designed for the project with Gubi. They sit under delicate silver birch trees inside the building, opposite a wall hung with original plant drawings saved from the restaurant’s original 1970s incarnation. On a sunny day, make for the lush garden outside. The menu is every bit as fresh as the decor – a simple smoked salmon, crunchy apple and radish smørrebrød or a green bean and red currant salad, ideal with a light Grønjægers Pilsner beer.

With interiors designed by GamFratesi, these venues have a distinct Danish look Meanwhile, sultry grey walls and dark blue textiles from Raf Simons’ Kvadrat collection in second restaurant Copenhague (left) – punctuated only by snowy-white plates co-designed with porcelain specialists Royal Copenhagen – make for a moodier dinner atmosphere. The menu is wildly inventive – think a pear and white chocolate starter – meaning the dishes always bring colour to the table. Book now for a taste of Danish style in the French capital (maisondudanemark.dk; ﬂoradanica.fr; restaurant-copenhague-paris.fr).

WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK PICTURES: THE ROYAL COLLECTION, FINNISH NATIONAL GALLERY, YEHIA EWEIS

T H R E E Q U I R K Y E X H I B I T I O N S Visit one of these new UK exhibitions showcasing the eccentric in art

Tove Jansson at Dulwich Picture Gallery Chronicling the lives of the mythical, white Moomins was Jansson’s biggest commerical success, but as the first retrospective of her work held in the UK proves, she was also a fine figurative artist (25 October–28 January 2018; dulwichpicturegallery.org.uk).

‘Royal Fabergé’ at the Sainsbury Centre, Norwich Although many of Russian jeweller Carl Fabergé’s objets d’art were melted down in Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution, a treasure trove of pieces commissioned by Edward VII survived, and will be displayed in all their glory (14 October–11 February 2018; scva.ac.uk).

‘Sheer Folly – Fanciful Buildings of Britain’ at Yorkshire Sculpture Park This exhibition by Ed Kluz – featuring collages, oil paintings and prints – celebrates curious and fantastical buildings throughout the UK, including a summerhouse in the shape of a pineapple (11 November–25 February 2018; ysp.org.uk).

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Escape | N E W S

HOCKNEY AT HOME

GALLERY ‘I used to love going as a kid – it was the only place in Bradford I could see real paintings,’ Hockney once said of civic art gallery Cartwright Hall. The admiration is reciprocated: the venue gave him his own gallery for his 80th birthday. The permanent space showcases a brilliant mix of his work – from a 1986 abstract self-portrait to a sun-soaked Los Angeles 1960s swimming pool painting, Le Plongeur, plus a recreation of his studio (bradfordmuseums.org).

B O N V O YA G E

‘Nostalgic Journeys’ (TeNeues, £45) is an evocative new tome providing instant escapism from the trials and tribulations of modern-day world travel. Charting the cultural history of travel and tourism in words and archive photography, the book is peppered with romantic images of immaculate passengers queueing – in pillbox hats and gloves – to board a transatlantic steamship, cocktail hour in the Orient Express dining carriage, the famously glamorous 1960s air hostesses welcoming passengers (right), and the wide-eyed delight of Concorde passengers awaiting departure. 194 ELLEDECORATION.CO.UK NOVEMBER 2017

FILM Visit Yorkshire vicariously through David Hockney at the Royal Academy of Arts, a cinematic celebration of the artist’s work (in cinemas nationwide from 21 November). Curators go up-close to the pictures from the academy’s last two exhibitions (including ‘82 Portraits and 1 Still-life’, left) and behind the scenes at Hockney’s studio, where we meet him slapping oil paint onto the canvas for Winter Timber in Bridlington (above).

CENTRE The converted Salts Mill – a former textile mill in Victorian model village Saltaire, now home to art, shops, studios and a restaurant – is a true Hockney haven. The galleries own one of the world’s biggest collections of Hockney’s work: on permanent show is his Arrival of Spring iPaddrawn series, the Salts Diner former factory walls are lined with portrait paintings and the napkins are printed with the artist’s dachshund drawings (saltsmill.org.uk).

WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK PICTURES: GETTY, EXHIBITION ON SCREEN AND DAVID BICKERSTAFF, JEAN-PIERRE GONCALVES DE LIMA

Wry, dry and arguably the most popular British painter alive today, David Hockney has had a big year in 2017: turning 80, publishing a super-sized book with Taschen and partaking in a sell-out exhibition at Tate Britain. If you’re a fan, this could be the moment to pay homage to his motherland of Yorkshire. Here are three ways to do so.

GARDENS MEDITATIVE NATURE ‘An ancient cultural form that is potent, mysterious and esoteric,’ is how British landscape designer Sophie Walker describes the subject of her new book, ‘The Japanese Garden’ (on sale 30 October, Phaidon, £49.95). As well as digging into the history of popular oriental motifs, such as the cherry blossom, the book features a timeline of key periods in Japanese horticultural history and a gardenthemed map of Japan. Here are five of our favourite entries. KAHITSUKAN KYOTO MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART, Kyoto (1) The tree perforating the Sun Garden – the top floor of this art gallery – was a trailblazing feature when first unveiled. ‘This small courtyard garden distils the fundamentals of Japanese design,’ Walker writes, ‘consisting simply of moss, two rocks and a single acer tree that grows towards the sky.’

SHISEN-DŌ, Kyoto (3) The temple that this garden surrounds was built by a 17th-century intellectual, who lived here in exile, dedicating his time to the lofty matters of tea, poetry and calligraphy. The enchanting plot is all about form, with its voluptuous topiary. ‘Clipped azalea bushes appear like clouds lingering on the surrounding hills,’ describes Walker. ISE JINGŪ, Ise (4) Walker says that this sacred site is a proto-garden of Japan. Set within a forest of ancient hinoki cypress and sakaki trees on the banks of the Isuzu river, it is home to over 100 shrines, and was created between the third and ﬁfth centuries to celebrate the sun goddess Amaterasu.

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ADACHI MUSEUM GARDEN, Yasugi (5) ‘The founder of this garden-museum complex, Zenkō Adachi, believed that the garden could be composed as a living painting, as great as any work of art,’ writes Walker, pointing out the garden’s confusing scale – the petite pines, trimmed niwaki-style (a technique known in the UK as ‘cloud-pruning’), resemble looming trees, and the curving hillocks look like rolling valleys.

WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK PICTURES: ALAMY, SOPHIE WALKER STUDIO, JOHN LANDER, MALCOLM RAGGETT

KŌRAKU-EN, Okayama (2) During the celebrated Edo period in Japan (1603–1868), imperial palace gardens typically included decorative additions, such as pavilions and moonviewing platforms. ‘In towns, public parks echoed the features of the imperial gardens,’ says Walker. Kōraku-en is one of those beautiful public spaces – its name literally translates to English as ‘garden for taking pleasure later’.

LIVE LIKE A LOCAL

BERGEN, NORWAY

The fjords can wait: before chugging up Norway’s rugged west coast in pursuit of icy swims, glaciers and the last of the summer blackcurrants, spend 48 hours in Oslo’s smaller, but cooler, sibling city Words CHARLOTTE BROOK

THE CITY Behind the rows of pink-, rust- and mustard-

WORDS: PICTURE: NAME GETTY PICTURES: NAME

hued clapboard houses, residential Bergen teeters on the hill that rises from the seafront. Norway’s second biggest city is perhaps best-known in Britain as the jumping-off point for exploring the Western fjords, but although parts of it still feel like a ﬁshing village, a wave of inventive cooks and creatives and – of course – a thriving coffee culture is now making the city start to sparkle in the eyes of design, art and architecture magpies. ➤

WHERE TO STAY Villa Terminus, a beautifully restored 17th-century house, where the 18 bedrooms – chalkywalled and lit by subtle skylights and Arne Jacobsen lamps – are chic, yet homely. At breakfast, guests mill around the architectdesigned kitchen island while the house chef brews fresh mint tea and cooks perfect scrambled eggs to order (£162 per night; villaterminus.no). It is the oldest of ﬁve small, interesting hotels recently set up by a Bergen family in a variety of historic buildings – the biggest, Zander K (1), is spread over a 1920s bike shop, ex-garage and new building (£105 per night; zanderk.no), and the grandest, Bergen Børs (2), is housed in a red tiled and soapstone Neo-Classical building (£162 per night; bergenbors.no). All ﬁve hotels were designed by Stockholm studio Claesson Koivisto Rune and kitted out with custom furniture by Norwegian carpenters, interspersed with pieces by a roll-call of our favourite names in design, from Ilse Crawford and Josef Frank, to Danish furniture designer Børge Mogensen and east Londoner Samuel Wilkinson.

BREAKFAST AND LUNCH En route to the morning fish market, pick up a cup of Oslo-roasted Solberg & Hansen coffee from tiny café-shop Blom (kaffemisjonen.no), and a seed-steeped cobbler from locals’ go-to Godt Brød (4) which, translating as Good Bread in English, does what it says on the tin (godtbrod.no). At sunrise, a riot of pinks, oranges and pungent salty air awaits at Torget’s 300-year-old daily dockside fish market, where you will find everything from cured salmon on slabs of brown bread to just-caught crayfish sold by the kilo. Wander through Nygårdsparken park to Møhlenpris, a formerly thriving neighbourhood that the proprietors of retro, pistachiogreen-painted new café-concert hall Nobel Bopel hope to return to its former glory. The venue is vibrant, with a seasonal lunch menu, a bi-monthly beer-brewing festival, and mini performances by the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (nobelbopel.no).

WINE AND DINE A potent cocktail at Bare – a restaurant located within the grand former stock exchange’s Chamber of Commerce, where a Carrara marble bar now occupies the space in which the boardroom table stood – is an excellent way to start the evening (barerestaurant.no). The building’s interior is deliberately reminiscent of men’s tailoring – think houndstooth upholstery and argyle patterned ﬂoor tiles – and the restaurant serves sophisticated dishes, such as halibut with gooseberries and buckwheat ice cream. Cool Bergeners come here for a beer on Monday evenings. Similarly modern-but-cosy are Lysverket (3), a brasserie attached to the Kode 4 art museum (try the delicious roasted cauliﬂower with miso and peat; lysverket.no), and Marg og Bein, a light, airy dining room with huge windows, bare bulbs and lush, green plants – make sure to leave space for the delicious lemon meringue pudding (marg-bein.no).

Escape | G E T A W AY

ARTS AND CULTURE

On a fine day, hike – or take the fun funicular railway – up Fløyen mountain for spectacular views and to pay a visit to Tubakuba (6), a contemporary cabin that was designed by Bergen School of Architecture students and is rented out to families in order to encourage city children to explore the wild (floyen.no). Back in town, head to Hordaland, Bergen’s first artist-run art centre, which currently has British book designer Phil Baber in residence (kunstsenter.no), or the waterside ‘house of culture’ Kunsthall, with an exhibition of sculptor Magali Reus’ work opening 3 November (kunsthall.no).

SHOP Things to admire or acquire across Bergen include cult LP sleeves at Apollon record shop (apollon.no), designer anoraks at Norwegian Raincoat’s ﬂagship (norwegianrain.com) and carefully curated clothes and perfumes at Pepper, a shop stocking treats, from Italian brand Marvis’ cult toothpaste to Commes des Garçons’ coats (pepper-bergen.blogspot.com). Plus, you can take home Nordic berry preserve or cured salami from Colonialen, the deli-café at The House of Literature, where you might catch a debate – if you’re lucky, in English – on anything from ﬁshing to feminism (litthusbergen.no; colonialen.no).

ESCAPE THE CITY If you’re after a night in the wilderness, but would prefer not to sacriﬁce great design and a hot shower, head out to A292 Aurland (5, from £154 per night; 292aurland.com), a working farm where ‘300 years of happiness meets modernity’, as its owners put it. Check into its Goat Barn, a genius new-build that was assembled using windows from the estate’s derelict outhouses and built with timber boards salvaged from the former smokehouse. There’s a sauna, eco hot tub, woodburning stoves and a breakfast of eggs (from the neighbour’s hens), goat’s cheese and raspberry juice to propel you up the mountains for a bike trip along the former Flåm railway track. 6

PICTURES: ÅKE E:SON LINDMAN, ALAMY, LINE KLEIN

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THE STORY OF THE KNIFE

Next in our series investigating the history of household objects, a look at the world’s oldest eating iron

The knife has always been a device suited to drama, playing its part in various traditions – from the cutting of the wedding cake with a jewel-encrusted sword, to the Mexican folk dance with machetewielding performers and the Burns Night custom of rounding off the poetry reading by stabbing the haggis. Primarily, though, it’s a practical tool: here are some highlights of the knife’s evolution. 19 T H CE N T U RY KNIFE REST, Britain The Victorians turned their taste for novelty decor to this contraption, used to keep tablecloths clean. High society rested knives on the tail of a silver peacock or a dachshund’s back. More commonly used were rests propped up by a pair of silver jacks, glass orbs or eagles.

5 T H –15 T H CE N T U RY DAGGER, Britain Medieval men carried a small multi-purpose dagger. Gentry were expected to bring their own knife to dinner: ‘A whetstone was often placed by the entrance to the great hall for guests to sharpen their knives on before a feast,’ says Suzanne Von Drachenfels, author of The Art of The Table, (AbeBooks, £12.30).

M I D -19 T H CE N T U RY FISH SLICE, Britain Before this utensil was invented, English nobility would cut and serve fish with two dinner forks, because they considered it uncouth to use the knife for fish. The fish slice has a wide blade, adorned with a rich pattern, and a flick-shaped tip for separating the fish bone from the flesh.

16T H CE N T U RY RITUAL KNIFE, Tibet The ceremonial role that knives play isn’t just for effect: Tibetan Buddhists turn to the wonderfully curved iron blade on speciallymade ritual knives to metaphorically ‘chop up’ negative forces and cut through any obstacles on the path to spirituality.

2 0T H CE N T U RY SEBATIER BREAD KNIFE, France Cutlers and cooks around the world have long considered slicers stamped with the name of French brand Sebatier to be the best in the business. Originally an Auvergne-based manufacturer, it’s now an unofficial sign of quality used by several brands.

E A R LY 19 T H CE N T U RY MEZZALUNA, Italy Beloved by TV chef Nigella Lawson, the two-handled mezzaluna (so-called for its crescent blade) was invented for mincing garlic, ﬁnely chopping herbs at speed or cubing vegetables for soffritto, the essential Tuscan stew or soup base.

2 017 SANTOKU KNIFE, Japan Santoku is Japanese for ‘three virtues’, and it’s the triple-use quality of the blade – slicing, dicing and mincing – that has put this scythe on chefs’ lust-lists. The ﬂat grooves along the blade help prevent food from sticking to the knife. Try the ‘Signature Santoku’ knife, £42, Robert Welch (robertwelch.com).

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WORDS: CHARLOTTE BROOK PICTURES: ALAMY, GETTY

4 M I L L I O N – 2,0 0 0 B C FLINT SLICER, Britain Stone Age dwellers carved a sharp-edged blade from ﬂint for preparing meat that we recognise as the ﬁrst ‘kitchen knife’, even though the lump of rock looks more like a fossil to the modern eye. The British Museum has examples of over 100.