Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2025 i Living Etc

I know we’re meant to start the year off with a spring in our step but I tend to use this month to ease myself in gently. I want extra blankets, extra throws, extra nights in hunkering down with my dogs on the sofa. After all the entertaining of the last few months, the living room becomes the new heart of the home – I’m not doing any more cooking – which is why we’ve devoted two whole sections to it, from page 97. It’s there you’ll find new ideas for how to decorate yours and our laser-sharp edit of the pieces to buy. The yellow stripy sofa on page 125 could be the best – and most cheerful – impulse purchase you’ll ever make. In fact, homes that make…

it’s very easy to read the word ‘handmade’ and assume that somewhere a hand is pressing a button on a machine, but on a recent tour of Mosaic Factory’s workshop in Tangier I was blown away by just how handmade every tile truly was. Concrete tiles were shaped by a man at a table, paint was poured individually by people with very steady hands to create intricate patterned designs and the way zellige was glazed piece by piece was painstakingly artful. Most impressive was the terrazzo, where each big shard was hand positioned before the resin around it was poured. In a crowded tile market it means every design here is easily specifiable, and the team is up for trying anything. Step forward French designer Anthony Authié of the studio…

Pip Rich I wanted to ask you about your approach to craft. In design right now, we’re seeing more and more contemporary rooms feature vintage products and I know you’ve always been drawn to working directly with makers. Do you think there is a similarity between newly crafted pieces and filling your home with antiques? Charu Gandhi Absolutely. And I know what you mean, people are becoming more open to mixing eras at the moment, and understanding how doing so brings more depth to a property. A piece you’ve commissioned from a maker has the same effect, adding layers of story and personal connection and uniqueness. If you have a knowledge of a piece’s provenance, it plays a big role in how you feel about it. PR Strangely, I think…

two full years – all documented on Instagram – that is the time it took Marine Koprivnjak and Victor Chabaud to transform a run-down townhouse in the southern France region of the Luberon into their happiness-inducing, colour-saturated home. They found the 1920s villa via an online ad. Located in the centre of a small town, around a 20-minute drive from Aix-en-Provence, it is typical of the types of houses seen in this region. However, this property had been abandoned for about 20 years, so the leaking roof and overgrown garden were the least of their worries. Deciding to do the restoration entirely themselves and in their spare time, it was ‘an adventure that lasted longer than expected’, admits Marine. Their choice to undertake all of the work isn’t so surprising…

CHORUS OF COLOUR We’re talking all things upholstery over on page 98, so we thought we’d kick things off with Samuel & Sons’ latest charming collection, Kaleidoscope – a celebration of the pure joy of passementerie. This vignette advocates for a maximalist approach to design – and the wiggle-patterned fabric of the ottoman, with its multicoloured pom-poms and fringing, makes us feel happy just looking at it, despite the winter grey outside. Do as the brand does and inject a bit of colour into your scheme, then the weather forecast won’t matter quite so much – not when you have this year-round dose of joy. IT’S COLD OUTSIDE, SO WE’VE DEDICATED THIS SECTION TO DESIGN INSPIRATION FOR GETTING YOUR LIVING ROOM EXTRA COSY…

CASSINA This brand offers different options for block shelving. The Veliero bookcase, with its glass shelves and steel rods, is sculptural but light while the Nuage (1) by Charlotte Perriand, with its mix of shelves and cabinets, is a little more unconventional but still has a mid-century vibe. PORADA We use shelving systems quite a lot – either as partitions between spaces or just to fix to a wall, depending on the layout of the space. If it’s an open-plan living/dining room, quite often we’ll place shelving between for separation – but with more transparency than a wall, to help add a feeling of spaciousness. Porada designs beautiful wooden shelving with a mid-century feel – I like the Aria shelving unit (2), which is made with solid ash. HAY Scandinavian…

Playfulism Have some fun with a mix of marquetry, rattan and bold colours and shapes 90s reinvented Make a cool metal table your starting point and soften the stark palette with curves and waves Colourful classic An upholstered coffee table in a pastel hue makes the perfect base for mix-and-match colour Retro revival Take your cue from the 1970s with burled wood, coloured glass and a touch of tortoiseshell…

FINDERE The main focus of Chiswick-based lighting design studio Findere is the curation of delicate and softly crinkled-looking lamps and pendant lights. The brand takes its name from Middle English and means ‘one who finds, attains knowledge or invents’. ‘I’m inspired by the beauty of natural, organic minimalism – creating unique pieces that tell a story, combining functionality with artistry,’ says designer and founder Henry Farrant. ‘The dyes I work with are especially meaningful, as they carry rich histories that connect us to the past.’ Possibly the most significant moment in his design practice to date has been his discovery of a natural dye from the bark from oak trees. ‘Rich in tannins, it produces a beautiful, warm tan colour,’ he says. While nature is the main inspiration, Henry defines…

CORSTON Kitchen hardware needs to be three things: robust, comfortable to use and good-looking. While there’s a place for colourful versions in a fun, ultra-modern design, we love the range of contemporary-classic options from Corston. The brand’s cupboard furniture comes in three finishes – bronze, antique brass and polished nickel – and is a Livingetc favourite because of the sheer range of styles, from minimalistic knobs to shapely T-bars and elegant cup handles. Pick your switches, sockets and even lighting to match (or not) and you’re good to go – it’s the one-stop hardware shop of dreams.…

FUNCTION FIRST Putting function first looks like prioritising what needs to be in a space based on what you use the most. ‘If clutter is getting in the way of functionality, the clutter has to go,’ says Tessa Hughes, decluttering professional and owner of Spatial Awareness. Before you buy into the latest fad, take a look at your existing set-up. ‘If you cannot access your blender because there are four other appliances jammed into the cupboard, then it is time to declutter,’ says Tessa. Try and differentiate what you always find yourself reaching for versus what is currently gathering dust. YOUR HOUSE SHOULD SERVE YOU Before you start decluttering, remember that our homes are built for us and our needs. ‘My house serves me, not the other way around,’ explains…

OSSERVATORIO FONDAZIONE PRADA Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, 20121 When it comes to art, the Osservatorio Fondazione Prada – an avant-garde contemporary art space consistently offering thought-provoking exhibitions, coupled with stunning panoramic views of Milan – is a top favourite. It’s a place that profoundly inspires and refines my artistic sensibilities. And with its dynamic blend of art, architecture and cultural events, the Fondazione Prada complex is another iconic hotspot that enriches the city’s vibrant creative scene. TRIENNALE DI MILANO Viale Emilio Alemagna, 6, 20121 The Triennale Milano Museum deserves a spot on this list: a custodian of iconic works and design history, it beautifully bridges past and future, showcasing the evolution of design while promoting new ideas. HORTO Via S. Protaso, 5, 20121 Marchesi 1824 is a must for its…

SOFTLY, SOFTLY It seems New York interior designer Giancarlo Valle is the name on everyone’s lips right now – we feel like we’re seeing his work everywhere. It goes without saying that we’re big fans of his rich, layered and playful aesthetic – so we’re excited to get our hands on his new collaboration with New York and Madrid-based lifestyle brand Viso Project, which has just launched a collection of exquisite blankets and ceramics in a high-gloss finish. Valle’s contribution is a beautiful edit of mohair, basketweave and wool blankets in rich colourways – just the thing to warm up your interiors, literally and aesthetically, this season. THE DESIGNS, PEOPLE AND LOOKS WE LOVE, FROM SQUASHY FURNITURE AND WIGGLE MOTIFS TO THE CREATIVES SPREADING HAPPINESS…

EASY CHAIR That designer Niccolò Devetag’s chair was inspired by its namesake leaf makes sense, given he was creating it for Porada. As a brand known for its woodworking tradition, where else to draw inspiration from but the natural world? The Ginkgo chair has all of Porada’s materiality – the canaletta walnut frame, the leather detailing – but even while the inspiration has been translated into the brand’s language, Niccolò has still managed to capture the leaf clearly, not least through the chair’s shape. The backrest curves around and cuts into the middle: its contour is snug and enveloping. Comfort was, of course, key to the design and so the shell and cushion together are designed to maximise contact with your body, so that you feel cossetted and supported. Also…

HAPPY HOMES We love how playful interiors are right now – it feels like a response to the minimalism of recent years, or, perhaps, of the heavy nature of the news cycle and our desire to create homes that feel happy, uplifting and safe as a result. This month’s houses are full of mood-boosting ideas big and small – like this corner of the living room of the Provence home on page 46, which integrates colour into niches designed as a wall ‘colour chart’ that can be switched up with the owners’ favourite hues. Proof that the little details make a huge difference – we’ll be trying out this cheerful approach to display storage in our own spaces. THERE’S NO END TO THE FEEL-GOOD FACTOR OF THIS MONTH’S HOMES –…

‘Make the craziest, coolest, most luxe property on the island!’ This was the design brief given to interior designer Carmen Straatsma by the house’s owner, Mati Rachminov. ‘He told me not to think about anything else.’ What’s more, Mati only wanted eight ‘very big’ suites, Carmen adds – even though the vast space could have fitted in many more smaller bedrooms. Holiday homes don’t get much more sophisticated than this: there’s a soundproofed nightclub for up to 80 friends, a home cinema and a hotel-sized pool, complete with Tuuci parasols, shaded cabanas and Loro Piana stripes. ‘Outside, I wanted to create a combination of Ibiza, Italy and Miami together,’ explains Mati. And let’s not forget the sea views and showstopping 100sq m main bedroom complete with its own secret bar.…

santa Fe, New Mexico, has an other-worldly beauty. Surrounded by mountains and desert, its downtown is characterised by adobe buildings in abstract cubist shapes, dotting the skyline like giant anthills. ‘We often say Santa Fe is baked out of the sun and earth,’ says the interior designer Heather French, co-founder of the studio French & French Interiors (along with her husband Matt), and a proud inhabitant of the city. ‘It’s made from mud and clay and there is a lot of soul to it.’ She could just as easily be talking about this three-bedroom house she has recently refurbished. It’s a perfect smooth-edged and rounded-corner example of the city’s architectural style, built in the 1980s into the side of a mountain, a crescent moon-shaped footprint to accommodate the rocky terrain.…

Well, this is a struggle. Where to look first? What most deserves the attention – the glowing gold cabinet? The low-but-statementmaking purple-y dark red storage? The touch-me-touch-me velvet of the pale red chair? The subtle textures and alluring materials all around? Step back and enjoy it all at once – which is how it was designed, of course – and it comes together like a puzzle, each piece neatly clicking into place. This room is arguing with itself. Okay, it’s more like a friendly debate or some playful teasing, but there’s a slight ruckus, an undercurrent of a tussle, as the dramatic textures and tones strike intense contrast with one another. Warm versus cold. Colour versus neutrals. Slick versus textured. Organic versus machined. Rustic versus new. Soft versus hard. ‘The cool…

A perfect version of any room should see it being multifunctional, and nowhere is that more true than a living room. It needs to be able to work as an intimate, private and personal space while also being the place you have your friends over to, with enough seating so that no one is perched on the back of a sofa. But also not so much that when it’s just you and your book or the dog and the TV it doesn’t feel like you’re in an otherwise empty airport lounge. Really, you should be able to have a meeting and a rave in the same space, allowing you to be serious or to dim the lights, turn the music up and get a little drunk. So how can it…

LAP OF LUXURY Should you find yourself at Chelsea Harbour, make sure you head to THG Paris – the French bathroom fittings specialist unveiled its new showroom in the London design hub in September and it’s a sight to behold. View over 220 product ranges in shiny display cases and within the setting of luxurious contemporary and classic bathroom schemes, including one of the brand’s most recent launches, a collaboration with architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte and his mechanically-minded ZOOM Collection. It’s well worth a visit for bathroom inspiration aplenty – see you there. NEW YEAR, NEW STYLE – COLOURFUL EXTENSIONS, STATEMENT FIREPLACES, MIRRORED DESIGNS, SAVVY STORAGE AND MORE…

CONCRETE PLANS If you love the idea of a concrete fireplace, look no further than Hutch’s converted barn project for inspiration. ‘This fireplace was created using cast-in-situ concrete, with a board-formed finish that highlights the texture and grain patterns of wood,’ says Craig Hutchinson, Hutch ’s founding director. ‘Pine boards were used to mould the concrete, the most visually interesting of which were placed at eye level for maximum impact,’ says Craig of the design, which divides the living area from the bedroom, and incorporates a wood-burning stove and concealed TV. ‘We angled the walls and added openings to the concrete fireplace to improve views throughout. We also created niches with elm joinery by cabinet-maker Jacob Alexander to enhance both warmth and storage.’ HOLISTIC APPROACH ‘When it comes to fireplace…

TRULY SCRUMPTIOUS The glam aesthetic is well and truly back and it’s on display at Sael, a new London brasserie headed up by chef Jason Atherton. Rosendale Design, the studio behind the interiors, infused the spaces with rich hues, intimate lighting and plenty of reflective surfaces – mirrored tiles over the brasserie bar and a copper-clad ceiling above Apples & Pears (pictured), a separate bar above the main space. It’s a design asdelicious asthefoodonoffer: atthe time of writing, the menu includes Port-roasted figs with stracciatella and cobnut hummus and Orkney scallop with razor clams and smoked leeks. Meet you there for dinner. DREAMY EUROPEAN HOTELS TO CHECK INTO, A GALLERIST’S GUIDE TO MILAN AND A DECORATIVE PAINTER ON OUR RADAR…

DECORATIVE ART You can’t help but fall in love with Queenie. I adore her and use her for almost every project I do. Having trained in trompe-l’oeil in Brussels, she’ll create all kinds of bonkers and beautiful murals that are essentially little worlds within people’s homes. Recently, she painted a whole night sky across one of my clients’ ceilings, and I previously got her to paint me a wisteria garden in someone’s bedroom. It’s a bit like commissioning a modern-day Michelangelo, as if you give her the space she’ll fill it with a work so rich and wonderful. But she’s not just for the big ideas – she’s brilliant for a little ‘cheat’ moment, too. There’s a lot of mood-boarding from Queenie, she soaks up inspiration from the clients and…

Bathrooms tend to be one of the smaller rooms, and because of this they offer a good opportunity to be playful with colour in a way that won’t take over your entire house. And if you carefully consider and use colour well, the bathroom will become a space that you really want to be in – it will be a part of your home that continually inspires you to feel happy whenever you’re in it. The starting point for this shower room in my own home was the floor tiles. I’d been on holiday in Normandy and become obsessed with the tiles that seem to cover the town. I’d originally intended to pair them with white tiles on the wall but against the bold colours below the samples looked bland,…

Over the years, various highstreet brands have had moments where their home offerings are so strong that designers and stylists all flock there. Zara, H&M and M&S have taken it in turns. But now is the surprise domination of Oliver Bonas, a chain whose star was on the rise last year (our editor bought – and loves – a wood and cane chest of drawers) but has become the go-to you never thought would be on your destination list. From contemporary lounge chairs you could easily slot into a home by Livingetc favourite designers like, say, Roísín Lafferty, to chequerboard accent pieces that move the playfulism movement on for 2025, it’s a veritable trove of modern style that could well be setting the agenda for the year (we’ve already had…

Be happier By Liv Wallers, co-founder of Yellow London a home can make you happy in so many different ways. From the colour choices to the way you group your personal artefacts, you can tell a story, draw your eye and boost your mood through decor. My co-founder Cath Beckett and I [Liv, seated, is pictured with Cath, right] are – on the whole – allergic to grey tones. They bring you down. We’re not neutral-averse, we just tend towards stonier versions that have a bit of heat to them, red pigments or warm yellows. Or, if we have cool tones – and we do like a lot of blue – then we’ll contrast them with a blast of fire like a pillar-box red. Where a home starts to feel…

it’s perhaps not surprising that a large bar in a welcoming shade of terracotta tile takes centre stage in this Mexico City home. It is, after all, called Casa Mezcal, named after the traditional local tequila, distilled from a specific species of agave plant. As it happens, every corner of this home is given over to hedonism in some way, from the cinema room to the plunge pool, from the sun-baked roof terrace to the squashy built-in sofas in the ground-floor den. And, in fact, this soothingly smooth concrete home in a leafy enclave of the Mexican capital was once a mezcal tasting room, a place for people to gather and, well, drink and be merry. ‘We really saw the soul of the space,’ says Valérie Boerma, co-founder of Dutch…

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NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK Hot new French brand Laclaux’s exclusive range for Invisible Collection embodies all the things we want from our furniture. Made up of playful shapes, natural materials, a rich palette of warm woods, sunset reds, pale pinks and complementary neutrals – we haven’t seen a piece we don’t love, though if we had to pick a favourite, it would be the Carciofi stool, with its fun fringing and undulating base. Each item combines the moods of playfulism and sharp tailoring, two of our favourite trends of the last year – a sign that these looks are set to continue long into 2025. EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SHOP FOR YOUR LIVING ROOM – FROM SOFAS AND BOOKSHELVES TO COFFEE TABLES AND RUGS…

Family style Comfy, casual and roomy, these relaxed picks offer a seat for everyone and the dog Cocktail party A variety of gorgeous designs that will be the life of the party Space savvy Compact loveseats, two-seaters and sofa beds to help maximise the space you have…

First, you need to decide what size carpet would suit the space, and also what shape. We always recommend going big! It provides a comfortable, more luxurious effect and also quietens the room – the carpet absorbs sound and echo. We can make any carpet shape: in our London gallery at the moment we have a design called Lilypond, which is an irregular curved shape like a natural pond. Think, too, about whether you would like a handmade/woven carpet or one that is machine-made, and in which materials – natural fibres or synthetic. A handmade carpet in pure wool and silk is the best quality there is and it will last a lifetime, even with lots of use. Our Tibetan wool is hard-wearing and easy to look after, so it…

Grand Hotel Central, BARCELONA IN A SENTENCE After undergoing a renovation inspired by its storied history, this hotel at the heart of Barcelona is the chic spot in which to set down your bags – rooftop infinity pool, secret garden and all. DESIGN DOWNLOAD The 1920s building’s history, as a private residence created by Spanish politician Francesc Cambó, is preserved in an apartment on the eighth floor, and the rest of the hotel’s Catalan Noucentisme-style decor nods to the original features through details like decorative ceiling rosettes and luxurious chaise longues. ON THE MENU Restaurant Can Bo opened last year and is set to be a must-visit. Led by chef Oliver Peña, it serves tapas and sharing plates highlighting Catalan produce – and a 150-strong wine selection. UP TOP The…

The most important route to creating a kitchen that feels calm is to make sure that you get the layout right. Before we plan any kitchen we spend a lot of time with the client working out exactly how they like to live – where they’ll want to have breakfast, where they’ll want to eat dinner – making sure there is room for each dedicated activity. This will make your life flow very naturally through and around the space. Then it comes to storage. Think really carefully about this before you do anything else. All those boring things like the recycling bin have to have a hidden home – the last thing you want is to have forgotten about it then need to leave it on show in the corner…