AgendaDESIGN
Northern LIGHTS
The latest pieces from Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland reveal the Nordic design DNA is as strong as ever WORDS AND RESEARCH • MORAG BRUCE
Douglas fir floorboards, from £103.20 per sq m, Dinesen.
CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT James lamp/coat stand, £998, Ruben Lighting at Chaplins. CH33 chair in Black, £495, Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen at Aram Store. Allas candelabra, £58.95, Iittala at Hus & Hem. Barboy trolley, £995, Verpan at Ivor Innes. Häggå 988 rug, from £328.80 per sq m, Kasthall at Sinclair Till. On The Move side table, £284, Cane-line.
It’s functional
ADDITIONAL RESEARCH K ATE WORTHINGTON
T
he brilliant thing about Nordic design is that it all works – beautifully. Products just quietly get on with doing what they should do in your home. As Christian Rasmussen, head of design at Fritz Hansen, explains, ‘Our whole approach is about well-argued design solutions and a respect for the user and the materials.’ But this dedication to the cause of functionality doesn’t mean the mood is austere. Piece are created with everyday homes and regular people in mind, so they tend to have warmth, personality and adaptability. Take Swedish company Ruben Lighting’s James lamp (above right). With its slim profile, and somewhere to hang your coat and throw your keys, it’s an ideal hallway companion. Danish brand Cane-line’s indoor/outdoor On The Move table (right), meanwhile, can be picked up and carried where needed by its handle; the top then lifts off to become a tray. Fellow Dane Verpan’s Barboy (far right) – a 1963 classic by Verner Panton recently released from the archives – is like a mini butler for your living room. Its neat, moulded wood structure swings open to reveal two tables and two storage spaces. M AY 2 0 1 2
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AgendaDESIGN CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT HV1-04 mixer tap, £434.40, Vola. Rut wallpaper, £65 per 10m roll, Villa Harmonica by Sandberg. Pedrera PD-4 ABC table lamp, £169, Gubi. CH24 Wishbone chair, £565, Hans J Wegner for Carl Hansen at Aram Store. Cottage throw, £159, Lexington at Occa-Home. Mormor bowl, £47.75, Normann Copenhagen.
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ith such a focus on clean-lined spaces, Nordic interiors have classically been about a light palette. After all, spring-bright, crisp blues and whites are just the thing to contend with long, dark winters, and uplifting, modern checks (as in Swedish brands Sandberg and Lexington, and Danish company Normann Copenhagen) are an easy-does-it pattern for everyday homes. Checks are also synonymous with historic Swedish bed-maker Hästens. As Jan Ryde, owner and director, says, ‘My father, Jack, designed the check in 1976. At the time there was a trend in Sweden for yellows and browns, so it was a brave move, but it made our beds stand out. Due to the intricate measurements used, we were able to patent the design so no other companies could copy it.’ It may be calm and cool, but pale blue created a bit of a stir when Carl Hansen revealed the new pastel versions of Hans J Wegner’s iconic Wishbone chair – an instant Livingetc favourite. Similarly iconic, Vola’s single-lever mixer now comes in pale blue – who knew a tap could be so pretty? The key is that these pared-back pieces sit very comfortably with brighter colours and quirkier designs – the overall look is informal and relaxed.
Auroria bed, from £6,970; Original pillowcases, from £34 each; Original double duvet cover, from £169; all Hästens.
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Our favourite Nordic bloggers Annaleenas Hem (annaleenas hem.blogspot. com); Emmas Designblogg (emmas.blogg.se); Darling Clementine (dcstudio.tumblr.com); Design Shimmer (designshimmer.blogspot.com); Dos Family (dosfamily. com); Helt Enkelt (helt enkelthosmig.blogspot. com); Mackapär (mackapar.blogspot.com); Rum För Två (rumfortva. blogspot.com)
CONTACTS Aram Store (aram.co.uk); BoConcept (boconcept.co. uk); Cane-line (cane-line. com); Carl Hansen & Son (carlhansen.com); Chaplins (chaplins.co.uk); Dinesen (dinesen.com); Gubi (gubi. com); Harrods (harrods. com); Hästens (hastens. com); Hay (hayshop. dk);Heal’s (heals.co.uk); Hus & Hem (husandhem. co.uk); Iittala (iittala.com); Ivor Innes (ivor-innes.co. uk); Kähler (kahlerdesign. com/en); Kasthall at Sinclair Till (sinclairtill. co.uk); Klaus Haapaniemi (klaush.com); Lexington (lexingtoncompany.com); The Lollipop Shoppe (thelollipopshoppe.co.uk); Monna Glass (monnaglass. com); Montana (montana.dk); Normann Copenhagen (normanncopenhagen.com); OccaHome (occa-home.co.uk); Republic Of Fritz Hansen (fritzhansen.com); Ruben Lighting (rubenlighting. com); Sandberg (sandbergab.se/en); Stelton (stelton.com); Svenskt Tenn (svenskttenn.se); Verpan (verpan.dk); Vola (vola.co.uk) For stockist details, see page 172
PHOTOGR APHY ( WALLPAPER) PIXELEYES
It’s fresh
TOP BLOGS
AgendaNEWS HUBBA HUBBA Has technology ever been as poetic as this Hub For The Lonely City by David Weeks? It might have four handy USB ports, but it sounds more like a particularly poignant novel by Bret Easton Ellis. £15 (kikkerland.com)
STAND AND DELIVER
T
his Flat washstand 90, from new-to-the-UK Italian brand Ex.T, could just as easily be a beautiful, minimalist console table. It picks up on the wider furniture world trend of mixed materials – in this case steel and oak – and cleverly conceals any hint of plumbing behind a huge drawer. Washstand, from £1,084. (plugbathrooms.com)
Cutting edge Cutlery was fine, it worked. Then along came the Propeller collection by Robin Levien in sexy black. The knife handle is on its side, so sits flat in your palm – far more ergonomic. From £5 (johnlewis.com)
In the fold These paper pendant shades were stacked in the office for a couple of days and had the accolade of being loved by everyone (we’re a team of many tastes). They remind us variously of iced gems or fortune tellers, and come from a very stylish new Anglo-French online shop called Cachette. Available in seven colours, each shade comes with a black-andwhite flex and a porcelain bulb socket. £75 each (cachette.com)
PHOTOGR APHY PIXELEYES
ARTY MOBILE
This year would have been Gustav Klimt’s 150th birthday. You could mark it by buying one of his masterpieces, but big paintings are so, well, big – don’t you find? This bespoke Bauergarten phone case is far more convenient. £24.99 (giantsparrows. co.uk)
RAISE YOUR TATS Historically, there was little that was edgy or menacing about the Seventies sideboard standard, the giant brandy glass. But look at them now, with their rock ’n’ roll tattoos, hanging out in a gang. Our mother warned us about accessories like these. From £25 each (re-foundobjects.com)
APRIL 2012
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news etc Arc royal Worn well Weave a trad twist into a modern scheme with an ever-stylish kilim in bright orange. Each Patina rug, new from BoConcept, takes six months to make and is sheared to create that worn, bohemian look. From £1,295 (boconcept.co.uk)
Spanish-born, London-based designer Héctor Serrano says his Carmen lamp for FontanaArte is inspired by the overlapping discs in armour. The steel ‘petals’ are built on a series of rings, so soft light diffuses through every layer. Also available as a pendant, standard or table lamp. £2,148 (chaplins.co.uk)
Livingetc
loves
NECKS APPEAL This winter, the collar is the new scarf. This sheepskin version in chic navy is Livingetc’s favourite – it’ll add cosy glamour to a simple turtleneck or Céline-style collarless coat. £95 (gemmalister.com)
Dish of the day
Established in 1920, Falcon Enamelware is the epitome of utility-cool kitchenalia. Now its classic white-and-blue dishes have been updated in Pillarbox Red (pictured), Sky Blue and Pigeon Grey. Bake set, £54.99 (falconenamelware.com)
AMERICAN IDOL Finally, Jonathan Adler’s world of ‘happy chic’ is available on this side of the Pond, with a new standalone boutique in London (the first outside of the States) and a UK webstore. The shop, on Sloane Avenue in Chelsea, will cover up to 3,000 sq ft spread over two floors, selling a specially curated selection of Adler designs, which the man himself describes with, ‘If your heirs won’t fight over it, we won’t make it.’ Channing desk, £1,078.81; Shell lamp, £305; George wallpaper, £154 per 13.7m roll (uk.jonathanadler.com)
Livingetc November 2011 <#R#>
Peopleetc
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1 Villesavin tie-back in Peony, £105, Designers Guild. 2 Daho platforms, £440, Jerome C Rousseau at Oxygen Boutique. 3 Beachborough mirror, £125, The Chandelier & Mirror Company. 4 One of Janie’s designs for Mad Men (guess who?). 5 Janie’s inspiration for Don and Betty Draper: Life magazine poster, £57.99, allposters.co.uk. North By Northwest DVD, £8, HMV.
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M Y I NTER IOR LIFE
Janie Bryant 6 7
Occupation Award-winning costume designer and the creator of Mad Men’s lusted-after wardrobe. Working life Tennessee-born Janie studied art history at Georgia State University before swapping
to a fashion course at the American College For The Applied Arts. After graduating, she lived in Paris and New York, where she found her true calling working on film costumes, before moving to Los Angeles in 1999. She won critical acclaim for her work on western TV series Deadwood and again for Mad Men. She also collaborated with Banana Republic on a Mad Men-inspired collection.
Home life She lives in Silver Lake, Los Angeles, with her husband, Peter, and French poodle, Lucie.
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MY INSPIRATION
6 Atollo 233 table lamp, £1,636, Oluce at Nest. 7 Luxury Pele cowhide (200 x 200cm), £330, WovenGround. 8 Butterfly wedding cabinet, £1,990, Orchid. 9 Tigrette suede shoulder bag, £895, Gucci at Net-A-Porter. <#A#>
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Costume design tells the story of the character visually. It’s often about the fantasy of being in a different time. I was always really attracted to that. I work closely with [Mad Men creator] Matthew Weiner. He has a strong point of view – he’s definitely our leader – but his focus on the fine detail is what makes the show so successful. I find ideas in issues of Time, Life, Ladies’ Home Journal, and Sears and JC Penney catalogues. I do look at high-end fashion magazines of the time, but
Mad Men is about reality, so it can’t be all couture. My starting point for Don Draper was Cary Grant in North By Northwest, for his elegance and refinement, but also an air of mystery. Betty was a mix of Grace Kelly and my grandmother – an elegant woman who made an apron to match every one of her outfits. For mood, I keep The Apartment and Les Bonnes Femmes in mind. The perfect wedding dress for Roger Sterling’s daughter was close to home – it was my mother’s.
MY HOME Rumour has it that my house was [legendary silent film director] DW Griffith’s holiday hideaway. My decor style is high contrast – Sixties Palm Springs meets Renaissance. I mix white, black and gold, patterns and neutrals – cowhide rugs and Seventies brass lamps, French Baroque, foo lamps and gilt mirrors. It’s like my wardrobe – an ever-expanding blend of vintage and modern. To make it perfect, I designed my own sofa. It’s mid-century style, in pale-pink velvet. I’d love to create my own furniture collection and it’s safe to say it would be pretty opulent. I’d get lost in upholstery fabrics. And I can’t get enough of tassels. My wardrobe is our former galley kitchen. It’s so full and I can’t edit. I like to go in and look at my clothes and be able to feel them – it’s my archive. I just got back from Moscow and St Basil’s Cathedral is the most incredible thing I have ever seen. That’s what I want my house to look like. Find out more about Janie at janiebryant.com. For contacts, see our Stockists page
INTERVIEW MOR AG BRUCE RESEARCH MOR AG BRUCE AND K ATE WORTHINGTON PHOTOGR APHY PIXELEYES
MY LIFE I had my first fashion moment aged eight. It was a blue-and-white striped dress with anchor buttons. I made it myself and still love bold stripes to this day. My mother was a great creative influence on me when I was a child. She was obsessed with interior design (I used to cut up her sample books to make Barbie clothes) and collected hand-painted Asian furniture. I found it so exotic and inspiring. Growing up, I wore vintage clothes. Everyone at school was preppy and I’d be in my grandmother’s green satin heels. It was my way of being rebellious in a small town. I used to change five times a day. I’ve always been drawn to the flamboyance of musicals. As a child, I was captivated by a scene in Guys And Dolls where the male characters are wearing bright socks and matching braces. My all-time favourite designer is Christian Lacroix. His creations are so theatrical. My must-have heels are by Jerome C Rousseau and I love the Tigrette bag by Gucci.