est magazine is a global design resource curating the best in architecture, design, interiors and products. Uniting the creative talents of architects, designers, photographers, stylists, writers and tastemakers, est inspires exceptional living.
From Copenhagen to London, this letter comes on the heels of another design festival and an extended European summer. Taking this time away from my desk has meant that this magazine, more than most, is a credit to our advisor, Karen McCartney; publisher, Miffy Coady; head of creative, Jack Seedsman; and the editorial team. While in this part of the world, I travelled to Belgium, where I had the rare privilege of stepping inside Vincent Van Duysen’s Antwerp home, greeted at the door by his three dachshunds, Flora, Pablo and Vesta. In Ghent, I caught up with long-time contributor Thomas De Bruyne, who has photographed the Sestig Pavilion—architect Glenn Sestig’s 1970s home—for our latest edition, Creative Minds at Home. This issue enters the spaces where creatives live to see how…
Thomas De Bruyne As an architecture and interior design photographer, Thomas De Bruyne describes his style as abstract and graphic but not cold. His training as a graphic artist is consistently evident in his portfolio of work, which spans Belgium, as well as abroad, including Paris, London, Amsterdam, and the South of France. In this issue, De Bruyne photographs the Sestig pavilion, near Ghent, for our series on iconic architecture, The Greats. @cafeine https://www.instagram.com/cafeine/ Anson Smart Sydney-based photographer Anson Smart captures beautiful food, spaces and places. Studying at San Francisco’s College of Fine Arts, he returned to Australia to begin his photography career in Sydney. Twenty years later, Anson has established a portfolio shaped by the work of the world’s best creatives across editorial, advertising and published books. Smart captures…
LOCATION Madrid, Spain A 1930s building in Madrid’s San Diego neighbourhood of Puente de Vallecas provided the perfect springboard for architect Bilbo Garcia-Conde to create his home. While the Spanish architect had envisioned a warehouse for his wife, Itziar, and three dachshunds, Lio, Gilda and Pipa, the unassuming two-storey brick structure had a lot going for it. “What attracted me was that it was a corner property with metres of façade, and very close to the centre of Madrid,” recalls one of the founding trio behind CDP Arquitectos. His approach shifted given the different set of parameters. “I was looking for a warehouse to build a loft, but here in Madrid, the transition from commercial to residential use is complicated,” Garcia-Conde explains. His unorthodox solution was to buy a building…
LOCATION PARIS, FRANCE A touch of eccentricity is the natural order inside the private apartment of architect Luis Laplace and his partner Christophe Comoy, co-founders of the international architecture firm Laplace. Following a years-long renovation process, the Haussmannian residence in Paris’s Place Saint-Georges reimagines heritage through unapologetic texture, décor and ornamentation. Despite being a trove of collectable art and design, Laplace and Comoy maintain that their home is, above all, to be lived in casually and comfortably. From an architectural perspective, how did you achieve an “eclectic heritage revival” in this project? Luis Laplace: We approached it as a dialogue with history. The Haussmannian structure, with its high ceilings and mouldings, was never meant to be concealed. Rather, we adapted the flow by closing some of the enfilade doors to…
https://estliving.com/product/tongue-groove-established-sons-wall-to-wall-a/ Australia’s leading producer of European oak flooring, Tongue & Groove, presents the second collaboration in its Co.Lab series: Wall to Wall. Developed with London-based design studio Raw Edges and British design brand Established & Sons, the collection transforms traditional herringbone parquet into a canvas for colour, pattern, and craftsmanship. Launched in March 2025, Tongue & Groove’s Co.Lab series provides a platform where precision craftsmanship meets the artistry of leading creatives, rethinking timber flooring not just as a surface but as a defining element of space. Following the inaugural Bosco Collection by Australian designer Greg Natale, the series continues to explore colour, pattern and form as tools for transformation. “It’s about pushing the boundaries of what flooring can be and giving visionary talents a platform to bring their artistry to…
Villa Junot by Claves Paris, France The perfect expression of Parisian Art Deco, the main bathroom at Villa Junot evokes the glamour of ancient bathing traditions. Spearheading the project, Claves approached the monumental bathroom with a spirit of restoration rather than reinvention. Dating back to 1926, the volumes and tiling have been maintained, with the original mosaics painstakingly restored by master mosaicist Delphine Messmer. Contemporary insertions have been kept deliberately discreet: travertine vanities with rounded profiles, ecru upholstery, patinated brass and oak joinery, all chosen to frame rather than compete with the mosaics. “We wanted this bathroom to retain its grand, cinematic aura while also feeling like an inviting space to linger,” Claves co-founder Laure Gravier explains. The restored mosaic fountain wall, depicting cascading water, cements this bathroom as a…
