Tabla de contenidos para June 2024 en Living Etc

They say a change is as good as a rest, but isn’t it surely better to have both? I’m working towards that goal as we speak – midway through a bathroom refurb that will change how we use this house (thanks to the steam room function added to the shower) and, with warmer weather finally here, I’m looking forward to long afternoons outdoors with nothing to do but relax. This issue also has both those ends in mind. Change is in the air, and has been for the last three years, since designers totally altered their approach away from how rooms look to how they feel. There’s a new excitement and sense of creativity – even possibility – afoot, so the front section of the magazine focusses on the trailblazers…

MOVE WITH THE TIMES Sophie Jungkvist graduated with a master’s degree from the Swedish School of Textiles in 2022 and her degree project – Woven Change, Shifting Expressions – won an award at Ung Svensk Form 2023. Pushing the boundaries of woven craft, the designer has created five textiles that change their appearance through adjustments between two layers, causing the transparency, pattern and colour to adapt. Sophie Jungkvist DIGITAL AGE Boasting a unique digital embroidery stitch that morphs colours as the textile moves, DUO-HUE is the brainchild of Amelia Ayerst, who developed this innovation while studying at the Royal College of Art. Having created a homeware, fashion and art collection using the textile, the studio has gone on to work with international firms such as Dyson and Heatherwick Studio. From…

technology is our best bet for a sustainable and smart future – that’s the motto of Joris Laarman, a globally renowned, award-winning Dutch designer. His studio, comprising coders, engineers and craftsmen, works with artificial intelligence and digital and robotic fabrication to create high-concept projects that poetically merge design and science. From furniture to public bridges, Joris has stretched the possibilities of technology to produce that which is timeless and beautiful. Your products – chairs, tables, lounges and shelves – are craftsmanship marvels. How do you make such artistic pieces also practical, approachable and affordable? In our work the storytelling comes first. There are many others who are way better at making practical pieces of furniture. We like to try out new things and inspire the industry to take on these…

globally revered for his daring pushing-of-creative-boundaries and continuous exploration of materials, form, furniture and beyond, Tel Aviv-born designer Ron Arad has a decades-long history of blazing trails. Known for his collaborations with a bevy of leading international brands, his latest partnership with Moroso has resulted in One Page, a chair that’s as mesmerising as it is comfortable. Why did this project pique your interest? When Patrizia Moroso [the brand’s art director] said that she could make a chair’s shell with an incorporated padded element, that was something new so I got involved. I’m very curious about creating new things – I have designed a lot of chairs – and to me there’s no point in creating something if it’s been done before. When I’m developing objects, I have a very…

DREAM WORLD Rich woods are well and truly the stars of bespoke carpentry, if the designer projects we’ve been seeing are anything to go by. From walnut to mahogany, the most sought-after types are intense, red-toned and romantic – and, as this scheme shows, the perfect foil to a dreamy mid-tone blue. It’s a mid-century palette brought bang up to date. Turn to page 78 to see more of this bold and tactile LA home – it’s a true expression of modern Californian style.…

walk into this Mar Vista new build and the last thing you’d expect to encounter is a 1970s-style sunken living room with an overscaled banana leaf wallpaper or a Moroccan rug in a very bold magenta colourway. But these striking interiors are owned by a well-travelled couple with an artistic eye, keen to take an unconventional approach to their home’s clean lines. The house was built in 2017 by Californian architecture firm Marmol Radziner, renowned for its uncompromisingly clean-lined approach, and, according to interior designer Jen Samson, it was, ‘the ultimate modern slate for us to layer with a bold palette and eclectic design’. The challenge was marrying the distinctive tastes of this couple – one a British entrepreneur with a home in London, the other an actress and artist…

when the reflections come off the water, it’s the most beautiful light you can get. It’s one of the pinch-me moments of living here,’ says Kristina Line, gesturing to the bright, sparkling light that dances around the living room of her Copenhagen boathouse. This light has found the perfect setting in her home: the proportions, the materials, the muted colours – everything is designed around its waterside location. ‘It’s a small house, but the deck is a physical extension of the space through the spring and summer, and a visual extension in the winter.’ It was the harbourside location that Kristina and her partner Anton fell for; the boathouse itself was unremarkable and shoddily patched up, so the pair decided to rebuild from the well-insulated floor up. Boosting the ceiling…

If using bold colour in the home can be said to be a brave act, then the designer of this space deserves a medal. Call off the hunt – this is where the vividity has been hiding. Stimulating the senses, the living room is a high-intensity celebration of can’t-go-any-higher saturation. I feel partly like I need to find my sunglasses, partly like this is where the action’s at and partly like I’m having a lucid dream. I know I’m not bored. Electricity pulses through the room. Lime green. Acid yellow. Neon blue, if there’s such a shade. You can practically hear the power vibrating through the air. ‘The palette was inspired by the bold colours and energy of Venice Beach – graffiti, rollerblades, sunsets, amusements,’ its creator, Jessica Ayromloo, owner…

SCHUMACHER Schumacher’s outdoor collection is always a winner for outdoor cushion fabric; it has really great patterns and colours. I chose a gingham fabric for my kitchen banquette – perhaps not the first place you’d think to use an outdoor textile but it’s a great hack, easy to wipe clean with a beautiful woven quality so it looks like linen. PERENNIALS When I’m sourcing outdoor textiles I initially turn to Perennials, which has always been ahead of the curve and was one of the first companies to have an interesting collection when outdoor fabrics were hard to find. I especially like the classic stripes and strong plain colours – Jake Stripe is the perfect stripe and it comes in some fantastic colours. DEDAR When using fabrics outside, there’s a lot…

ROMY ST CLAIR, SAGE FLOWERS Founded more than five years ago and growing from a Peckham pop-up into a fully fledged business, Sage Flowers is the florist of choice for top brands, as well as those who want its unique bouquets delivered straight to their door. In that time, says Romy St Clair, who founded the brand with Iona Mathieson, Sage’s aesthetic has evolved. ‘When we started it was quite loud, quite clashy, with loads of texture and different heights and shapes – but that look has become quite saturated,’ she says. Instead, the brand is stripping things back to a more minimalist palette, ‘still maintaining the interesting texture and height elements and giving people unexpected combinations, but more with the selection of flowers we pair, as opposed to just…

BRIGHT IDEA Part basin, part lamp, the new Albume Lux – a standout hybrid basin by Antoniolupi – features a base made from Flumood, a translucent resin that spreads low-level light uniformly throughout the bathroom. Choose from multiple combinations, including marble, lacquered Flumood and this on-trend claret Melograno Cristalmood colourway. Albume Lux basin, £3,947, Antoniolupi at West One Bathrooms PLASTER ON Replicate the textural energy of raw plaster finishes, minus the dust, with Claybrook’s latest tile drop. Marmorino is a robust porcelain collection in five earthy tones that will bring a sense of texture and movement to your walls and floors. Outsized at 60x60cm (or 60x120cm by special order), minimal grout lines help reinforce the raw plaster illusion. Marmorino tiles, from £59.97sq m, Claybrook ARTISTIC LICENCE Commissioning an actual sculptor…

1 INTRODUCE WATER ‘Introducing water into this garden (designed by Akas Landscape Architecture) creates a tranquil courtyard. Looking at the fish swim below is great fun and creates connection with the living environment. The water and plants also have a cooling effect in the courtyard and the rooms adjacent.’ Ben Callery, founder of Ben Callery Architects 2 ADD TREES ‘Trees are a wonderful addition to a small garden and can be used to bring structure and interest to the space. Many small or courtyard gardens are in cities, so using a tree to create a sense of privacy can be very effective, as well as making the space appear larger, as the eye is naturally drawn upwards to the tree’s canopy. Just one specimen tree placed in the centre or…

METAL WORKS Steel is an inherently sustainable material thanks to its ability to be forever reusable. Historically, in our opinion, it’s been a criminally underused material in interiors – but now designers are crafting luxe-looking pieces that cast off the material’s associations with ‘industrial’ style and instead let it sit comfortably among contemporary schemes. Kristina Dam Studio is one of those: the brand’s 2024 collection includes its Foldable series, a range of clean-lined shelving with a nod to that industrial aesthetic (but far more refined). But our pick of the collection is the Solitude lounge chair, with a sculptural shape and the dream combination of steel arms and creamy boucle upholstery.…

ZERO WASTE Textile designer Freya Walker is seeking to encourage customers to turn from the pitfalls of a throwaway culture by creating homeware through upcycling and considered production methods. Freya hand-weaves her creations from sustainable, recycled or waste materials with her cushions made entirely from the offcuts of the making of her lamb’s wool blankets. £95, Freya Walker AHEAD OF THE CURVE South African designer and woodworker David Krynauw’s new collection is crafted entirely from timber offcuts and showcases his breadth of skill. Exhibited at this year’s Cape Town Furniture Week, in partnership with local gallery Clout/SA, the Hart Ruk furniture collection included a curvaceous four-poster bed, stool, dining table and dining chairs. From ZAR 8000, David Krynauw Design retro revival With 60s-inspired flair, the limited-edition furniture designs of Senimo…

The Ecotone range of surfaces from Quartzforms, a brand specialising in (you guessed it) slabs of quartz agglomerate, is an exciting move towards more responsible design. Available in four colours, the beautiful and finely veined surfaces are made from resin derived from biocompound and recycled glass. All are designed to be a ‘transitional material’ between technical quartz and the even more sustainable surfaces of the future. The eco credentials extend to production, too: wind power makes up 60% of the energy needed to craft the material and all water used in production is recycled.…

Lime plaster isn’t new, exactly – it dates back to antiquity – but Armourcoat’s clay lime iteration is. The material’s earthy mix of unfired clay, natural hydraulic lime and crushed recycled marble forms a genius plaster that creates a matt stone-look finish. It’s naturally low carbon, highly durable, breathable and VOC-free, plus it’s incredibly versatile – Armourcoat recommends using the plaster to create ombre colour fades, layered ‘rammed earth’ finishes or graphic stencilled patterns. Choose from two textured finishes and 15 colours.…

Rather than use pigments derived from petroleum to add colour to aluminium – a process that’s bad news for the environment – the team at Dutch design studio Loop Loop think they’ve made a breakthrough with Local Colours, a project that uses an anodising process with bio-based solutions to colour the metal. So far, they’ve created four hues using dye from flowers and roots they’ve grown themselves – but the hope is that in the near future the processes and recipes will be made available for use in small-scale production. The studio’s Fade chandelier is one of the first products to be given the treatment.…

hailing originally from the rolling hills of Tuscany, Giulia and Giacomo made the move into Milan’s hip Isola district in 2019 when they fell in love at first sight with this beautiful apartment located in a Liberty-era (Italian variant of Art Nouveau) building. North of Porta Garibaldi station and next to Porta Nuovo, Isola is the perfect blend of old Milan, with its historic houses and metropolitan vibe, and new, evidenced by artisan shops, vintage stores, chic restaurants and cool bars. Although the apartment had been renovated a decade before, as parents to two young children, the couple needed it updated a little in order to function better for family living. So they consulted a family friend, Monica Merra, who owns the architecture and interior design practice Ameno Architettura. ‘The…

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1 ROLL IN MoMA Design Store’s spring preview was always going to be a delight – it’s the brand’s ethos, after all, finding and customising products that surprise and amuse us. One particularly aspirational yet totally attainable product it’s unearthed is a colourfully powder-coated Urban garden trolley that arrives via flatpack (easy on the environment) and, unlike traditional outdoor planters, pops with bright colours (easy on the eyes) like sun yellow and olive green. To me, it looks like a bar cart for your herbs and botanicals – something to spruce up a garden party. 2 SHARP LINES The latest launch by Dallas-based Sutherland Furniture, which has a sizeable showroom at New York Design Center, is a striking homage to Japanese aesthetics. Embracing functional clean lines, the Wabi Sabi collection’s…

TABLE TALK If you’re blessed with a sunny garden, an outdoor living area is well worth the investment for spring, summer and even autumn (with the addition of a heater). Plus brands have made it even easier to create one that looks great – see Atkin and Thyme’s new collection, including this marble-effect coffee table that’s chic, weatherproof and under £500. It’s also available as a bistro or side table. Mason coffee table, £499, Atkin and Thyme PERFECT POTS Cox & Cox’s SS24 outdoor collection is a dreamy combination of soft, neutral hues, natural materials and simple yet sophisticated silhouettes. The new planters are a fabulous alternative to plastic pots and the fibre clay construction makes them easy to move around to suit your space. Two handmade footed planters, £140,…

CA’ PIETRA There is an interplay of light that you only get with a Ca’ Pietra tile. As a brand, it has almost every shape, colour and finish you could hope for, but within the mix are an almost chalky limestone, a pleasingly dappled brick bejmat and irregularly hewn ceramics that invite shadows to catch on them throughout the day. Its latest launch is the Stucco collection, a richly matt porcelain that has a sandiness to its texture, a way of adding depth subtly and sensitively to a wall or floor.…

WOW FACTOR It’s the third year Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is putting on the WOW!house exhibition, and as the fantastic second year topped the amazing first year we can only speculate how wonderful this will be. Our favourite designers pair with incredible brands to create installations-as-rooms. And with no real client to answer to, their imaginations run wild. Always brilliant, this year sees creatives like Sophie Ashby, Ken Fulk and Veere Grenney get in on the action. You’ll leave feeling inspired by the mastery at work. From 4 June - 4 July; tickets at dcch.co.uk…

There’s an ever-growing buzz about biomaterials in the design industry, from plant leather to hempcrete. One of the company’s at the forefront of the movement is Copenhagen-based Natural Material Studio, founded by Bonnie Hvillum, whose research is resulting in some of the most exciting products out there right now – think panels made from leftover beer for a brewery’s new restaurant or lights crafted from bio-polymers and chalk, showcased at Alcova Miami in December and available to buy. Most recently, the studio collaborated with House of Grey on a workspace project in Shoreditch, creating hanging bio-algae wall panels. pictured, to incorporate the grounding effect of nature into a city context.…

ask any architect to describe their core objectives on a recent project, and one item almost guaranteed to make the cut is bringing in more natural light. And while there are many ways to harness the sun, many homeowners are turning their sights towards the ceiling with statement skylights – or even clerestory windows – that channel light from above. Compared to conventional windows, skylights can filter light into the home from new directions while creating a unique sense of openness throughout interiors, even increasing the amount of natural light your home receives throughout the day. ‘As so much housing stock consists of terraced or semi-detached houses, relying solely on light from the front or rear elevation is not sufficient to achieve bright inviting spaces, therefore skylights are often the…

even wallpaper, it turns out, can have an agenda. The American artist and activist Malene Djenaba Barnett is talking to me from her elegant Brooklyn townhouse, and behind her is a wall covered with her own, instantly recognisable design, Mosaic, created for the LA-based interiors brand Lulu and Georgia. This dynamic pattern with metallic accents ‘celebrates the legacy of Afro-Caribbean women potters’, she explains. Legacy-making is Malene’s mission (well, one part of it) – not so much for herself, but, more importantly, for her many silenced ancestors. ‘I think about what we’re going to leave behind, and how we have to take agency over our narrative,’ she explains. ‘We can’t rely on anyone else to tell our story.’ That’s why, she adds, ‘it’s really important for me to tell these…

LEE BROOM In design right now, people are becoming more and more attuned to how the things around them affect how they behave, their mood and their mental health. PIP RICH I agree. All any conversation about decor focuses on now is how a space will make the people who experience it feel – it’s much less about how it looks. This happened right after 2020, and was a direct result of what happened that year. LB Right – people want peace and joy and are so much savvier about how the things around them can influence them in this way. When I started 15 years ago design was about functionality and the idea of emotions in interiors seemed less important, almost frowned upon. But if a product is designed…

the design duo Christoffer and Josephine Du Rietz aren’t going to pretend that the sympathetic modernisation of this grand, 124-year-old townhouse was easy. ‘It took three-and-a-half years,’ says Josephine. But, she adds, that’s about average for their passion projects. ‘Of course we have clients with super-modern houses, but we prefer these old properties with high ceilings, beautiful stucco, and so much soul and character – that’s what gets us going.’ Along with the house’s original features, such as its majestic spiral staircase, chiselled stone facade and stone floor tiles, they also found an interior untouched since the 1960s. Prior to their purchase, the house had been inhabited by an old woman, who had adapted the lower two floors to spare her the climb upwards, even building a bathroom into the…

at first glance, the Canadian granite kitchen splashback of this Lisbon home is simply a beautifully carved piece of stone. Actually, it’s been shaped to reflect the sound waves of the owner’s voice – one of the magical intricacies of this apartment, and a testament to both the creativity of its designer, João Gameiro, and the power of a great designer-client relationship. The story of the splashback was a long-running joke during the project. ‘The client had certain sayings he would repeat, such as, “Trust doesn’t avoid control”,’ says João. ‘We recorded it and modelled the splashback on the sound waves.’ In the garden, a column is modelled on a recording of the studio’s name. ‘We wanted to add in these little surprises – elements that no one would know…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH PASTELS FOREVER Sorbet shades are classic fare at this time of year – they evoke the blue skies, pink blossom and new shoots of the season. They’re also soothing and easy on the eye – just take this scheme from Crown, based on their ‘Escape’ colour trend, which mixes soft, retro candy hues with a very modern sensibility. It’s an example of how to use pastels in a very grown-up way – and we’re a fan.…

NATURAL ATTRACTION Magnolia, Poliform’s latest collection for outdoors, is a celebration of the lightness of wood – inspired by the fluid lines of branches and the floating quality of a falling leaf. Designed by Emmanuel Gallina for the Italian brand, the chairs in the collection feel suitably delicate and airy, with a simple, slightly rounded frame in light and dark finishes. Paired with the Monolith table, about which we’ve waxed lyrical in past issues, it’s the perfect blend of materiality for an outdoor space that’s just as sophisticated as indoors.…

As far as garden renovations go, an outdoor bar often comes under the category of ‘aspirational’. But we’ve seen some pretty persuasive examples recently that have convinced us that maybe, after all, a slither of patio or bijou balcony might just be enough space for a dream alfresco bar. The first decision is whether to go for a bespoke, custom-fitted bar or a smaller freestanding option. The latter might suit gardens where space is at a premium, whereas bespoke bars might be more viable if you have sweeping acres of outdoor space and a bigger budget to play with. Consider whether you want to incorporate outdoor plumbing for a fully functioning sink and electricity to keep drinks cool. Your planned layout should cater to these preferences. Designate areas for refrigeration…

LAP OF LUXURY If it feels like marble and emanates the same sense of luxury as marble, well, then it must be marble, right? Not when it’s Purestone, a new material created by new bathroom brand Landmade for its tubs that is almost half as weighty and more affordable and sustainable. It has a smoothness to it that invites you to soak for hours; the various tub shapes are a mix of classic and contemporary beauty. The Leven, shown here, is clean-lined and covetable, but also look out for the monumental Torrens bath.…

There are many types of plaster wall effects, but tadelakt, a rather durable product that made waves over the past decade, is still on the rise thanks to its luxurious lustre and water-resistant qualities. Well suited for surfaces bound to get wet, like those in bathrooms and kitchens, the method itself is ancient, arriving by way of Morocco where it’s a staple in the traditional hammam. What’s its secret sauce? Lime plaster is burnished with olive oil soap to create a protective membrane unlike other plasters; when properly sealed, tadelakt is both water and mildew resistant. But it’s also an aesthetic choice: its signature shine adds texture to walls, and unlike tile, it covers surfaces seamlessly, making an entire space glow without a single grout line. ‘It’s most captivating feature…

Solar de Vila Meã, Barcelos, Portugal IN A SENTENCE An immaculately finished hotel with a dreamy, romantic style, nested in the serene Portuguese countryside – what more could you want from your summer holiday stay? DESIGN DOWNLOAD As the creative force behind the operation, Lisbon-based Joana Aranha studio drew on the landscape of northern Portugal in a big way for the hotel’s interiors: think panoramic murals depicting romantic natural vistas, paired with dainty furniture pieces and an elegant colour scheme. There’s a real sense of romance to it all. ON THE MENU The interior of on-site Barro Restaurant is all elevated terracotta, quite literally – there are terracotta pots hanging from the ceiling – and the food feels both refined and rustic to match, offering regional dishes and an impressively…

SCULPTURAL BEAUTY I discovered LS GOMMA’s account on Instagram in 2021 and since then I have been admiring his work as well as subsequently seeing it pop up in projects. I love the studio’s fresh approach to objects – it’s deceptively simple. The dripping resin coating over puckered mesh forms is so seductive, and the sleek metal bases of the lamps enhance their sculptural quality. Each piece has a wonderfully dense and strange materiality. The shapes and textures of the lamps are unique: I like how they balance the mix of technology and craft. The lamps and vases fit well into our own interior projects: they have a playful elegance that instantly draws your eye. While I’ve been putting them forward to clients in presentations, I’d actually love one for…