ARCHITECTURE INTERIOR DESIGN FURNITURE LIFESTYLE MARBELLA · LONDON · MILAN
Nº2 SUMMER 2018
LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE INTO THE LIGHT DARE 2 BE A REBEL DESIGNER ESCAPES MAKING A STATEMENT INTERVIEW TOM DIXON
The company moved to a much larger premises in San Pedro. Upholstery & soft furnishings added to workshop. Team of 18.
UDesign was set up at the start of the financial crisis with a 150 m2 carpentry workshop. 2 designers, 1 carpenter.
2010
2008
2015
2012 Workshop size doubled to 300 m2 for an additional specialist paint finishing facility. 3 designers, 7 craftsmen.
Now 2 showrooms terraces & living/ accessories. Team of 26. International interior design projects in Marrakesh, Ireland & Luxembourg.
Added Architecture Department to enable us to create from the ground up. Team of 30. International design projects in Paris, the Cayman Islands and Verbier in Switzerland.
3.500 m2 of showroom & workshop space. New Kitchen showroom. Team of 44. Architecture & interior design projects in La Zagaleta, La Reserva del Alcuzcuz and Los Monteros.
2017
2016
2018 Interior design & bespoke furniture for one of the UK’s most exclusive properties in London’s Belgravia. Team of 36. Extended showroom from 2 to 3 floors. Started UD Magazine.
Many thanks to our clients & friends for all their support! udesign.es
WELCOME TO OUR MARBELLA SHOWROOM
LIVING
BEDROOMS
KITCHENS
OUTDOOR FURNITURE
Open: Monday – Friday 10 am – 7 pm & Saturday 10 am – 2 pm Polígono Industrial San Pedro de Alcántara, C/Países Bajos 6, San Pedro (Marbella) (on the Ronda road) Tel: (+34) 952 794 117 Email: info@udesign.es udesign.es
In our second issue we are delighted to bring you four people who have impacted the design world in a great way: Jimmie Karlsson and Martin Nihlmar from the avant-garde designers Jimmie Martin, who have worked with Madonna, Pete Townsend and a host of other celebrities; the quintessential Englishman, Tom Dixon, who has permanent exhibitions in the world’s top design museums, and the effervescent and illuminated Enzo Catellani, whose lights hang in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. People aside, this issue is jam-packed with gorgeous imagery, exceptional architecture, cutting-edge design and creative inspiration. Jason Harris CEO & Creative Director UDesign
“A good designer may not have all the answers, but he knows which questions to ask.” (Rudy Duke)
Editor: Cheryl Gatward ud@udesign.es Sub Editor: Vivion O’Kelly Design, Layout & Production: Next Idea S.L. info@nimarbella.com Contributing Writers: Fiona Flores Watson, Giles Brown, Sophie Gatward-Wicks Architects & Designers: Anja Maria Catharina Dekkers, Noa Mayor Díaz, Dmytro Dubchak, Claire Harris, Kristina Petrauskaite, Diana Robezniece 3D Virtual Artists: Dmytro Dubchak, David Jesús Espada Ruíz, Diego Camacho Sánchez, Pablo Aranda Varo Interior Design Assistant: Stephanie Georgiou Photography: UDesign, SPCA Visual Marbella, Catellani & Smith, Creativespace, Jimmie Martin Advertising: Diana Robezniece diana@udesign.es Social Media: Ben Pandoo ben@udesign.es Administration: Patricia Jiménez Martínez patricia@udesign.es Published by: UDesign Polígono Industrial San Pedro de Alcántara, C/ Países Bajos, 6, 29670 Marbella, Málaga, Spain Tel: (+34) 952 794 117 info@udesign.es udesign.es Printed by: Jiménez Godoy jimenezgodoy.com Deposito Legal: MA-1335-2017
CONTENTS ARCHITECTURE 10
LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE
30
INTO THE LIGHT
INTERIOR DESIGN 44
ENTERTAIN ME!
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PAPER MAGIC
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BORN TO DESIGN
90
SHOWCASE
FURNITURE 104 MAKING A STATEMENT 116
DARE 2 BE A REBEL
LIFESTYLE 132 DESIGNER ESCAPES 144 DESIGN TRENDS
UD is published three times per year in January, May and September.
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ARCHITECTURE
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ARCHITECTURE
A terrace is a home outside home, a place to lounge outside your lounge. And the better you furnish it, the more you’ll enjoy it. Text by Vivion O’Kelly / Concept & Design of all terraces in this feature by UDesign /Photos © UDesign
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LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE
A terrace should be a natural extension of the lounge, architecturally & socially There was a time... When terrace furniture meant half a dozen plastic chairs stuck under a plastic table, and tied together with a piece of rope when the wind blew hard. Or when a terrace was occasionally used for barbeques, or sometimes as a place of solitude on a warm summer’s night (because nobody else was using it) or more often than not, as a useful place to hang out wet swimwear and towels. Or not used at all. But those times are long gone. These days, a terrace is part and parcel of the house itself, both architecturally and socially.
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ARCHITECTURE
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LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE
With the floor-to-ceiling windows and glass patio doors of contemporary houses, the space on the outside is not very different from the space on the inside, and the view from one side is as good as the view from the other. The concept of the terrace as a separate entity has disappeared. These days, one should spend as much effort and thought on decorating and furnishing a terrace as on the rest of the house. Not to do so would be a waste of some of the most valuable space to be lived in and enjoyed by the whole family. The key word here is luxury, both in the quality of visual design and the materials used. As we can see from the pictures on this page and the next, these terraces are as different from the more traditional plastic-chairs-and-table layout as a politician’s promise is from a pot of home truths. 14
Clearly, you need physical space in a terrace to eat and lounge about in. If you choose your pieces and design your space with care and a little knowledge, size can be relatively unimportant.
ARCHITECTURE
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LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE
It’s the mirrors that give this terrace its contemporary Moroccan feel. The key to pulling off a themed look is to be subtle, with one or two key pieces, just enough to create the look without overdoing it.
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ARCHITECTURE
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LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE
Who could fail to love life in a setting like this? This is an orchestra of colour, shape and light, especially light. The colours have been chosen to fit in perfectly with the natural surroundings, the shapes are simple geometry with enough variation to make them interesting, and the lights have been speckled about by an apparently carefree hand. But look again: these lights define the space, providing enough light to read a book by and with no single source of origin that would cause glare. The result is stunning.
Form, function and flair meet agreeably in this magnificently designed poolside terrace 18
ARCHITECTURE
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LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE
Just enough ambient light to allow other sources of light to shine 20
ARCHITECTURE
Surround sound, surround light. The single feature of this covered terrace is the blue LED strip lighting overhead. It draws a line around the space as an artist might do with florescent paint, illuminating the entire terrace while allowing for spots in the ceiling to pick out specific areas without interference. Even candlelight can be seen here. The subtlety of the lighting scheme is carried over to the furniture and objets d’art: muted, luxurious and designed for comfortable conversation, idle reflection, serious thought or a quiet gin and tonic.
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LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE
Some terraces need grass, but the area is often too small and user-specific for walking on without it turning dusty or muddy. The answer is the vertical garden, which is not just natural but also beautiful to look at.
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LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE
Natural materials, woods and exterior fabrics give this terrace a natural, organic and comfortable feel. The wooden ceilings also add warmth to the overall look.
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LIFE ON THE OUTSIDE
This is the ultimate expression of ‘Life on the Outside’. With today’s high resolution exterior screens you can sit poolside, or enjoy the cool water, while watching a movie in HD.
All the furniture and accessories that appear in the feature are available from the UDesign showroom in San Pedro (Marbella). udesign.es 26
ARCHITECTURE
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TOUR DU MONDE
DEDON COLLECTION MBRACE Design by Sebastian Herkner www.dedon.de
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE DESIGN
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INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE DESIGN
Strike a match and you’ve made light in much the same way as your ancestors did many thousands of years ago. Blow it out immediately and in the time it has taken you to do so, its waves of light, if they could follow the curvature of the earth, would have hit you in the back. Light is life. Light is extraordinary.
So too is the craft of producing light. Enzo Catellani does this, and he does it like nobody else in the world today. 31
INTO THE LIGHT
Sorry Giotto Pure and unadorned, reflecting its light on the wall behind, this iconic lamp is a masterpiece of minimalism.
INTERVIEW WITH ENZO CATELLANI
UD Magazine talks to the lightsmith of Lombardy, arguably the most creative lighting designer in the world.
E
nzo Catellani began making lamps in his workshop in Bergamo in the 1980s, selling them through his own shop. They attracted the attention of a top German distributor who presented them at the Ambiente Expo in Frankfurt in 1989, and they were a huge success. He then set up his own company, calling it Catellani & Smith (he explains the name in the interview). Since then his reputation has been growing worldwide. Everything he produces is still made by hand. Simple, beautiful shapes that happen to be lamps. This is what he does, and one of his most basic designs, the Fil de Fer range (see opposite page), is not only one of the public’s favourites but has been installed in some of the most prestigious buildings in the world, such as the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. In recent years he has been devoting much of his time to outdoor lighting, some photographs of which can be seen on the following
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ARCHITECTURE
Fil de Fer Suitable for indoors or outdoors. Each globe hanging in the Victoria & Albert Museum measures two metres in diameter.
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INTO THE LIGHT
pages. Organic forms rising from the earth like glowing flowers, trees of glittering bulbs, otherworldly stalks of light like magic bulrushes, clouds of light floating overhead: welcome to the world of Enzo Catellani. In our interview he speaks of the past, the present and the future of lighting, the importance of craftsmanship and light technology, art, public spaces and much more. Do you think you’d have been as happy being a blacksmith, as you once famously claimed to be? Light has always been my raison d’être, a dream that has become reality. When I started to create my lamps, I didn’t know if I would ever sell them. I only knew that this was my life. Then I decided to follow and develop my dream to reach the light, giving it a shape through the objects that I was able to create. I’m surprised at what I’ve succeeded in doing, without teachers or guidelines.
“Light has always been my raison d’être, a dream that has become reality”
The start of my working experience as a blacksmith is part of the plainly fictitious story about occasional meetings with Logan Smith, who we encouraged people to believe was a London architect, but was actually the name of my horse. I didn’t want to draw attention to myself; I thought that my work could tell my story. If I had not become a designer, I would probably have chosen to be a fisherman. Do you see what you do as art? I don’t consider my work and the objects I create as works of art. Nevertheless, Fil de Fer, one of Catellani Right: I Maestri del Paesaggio Installation by Catellani & Smith, showing the Syphasera lamp, an opaline glass cylinder with natural brass detail and black stem
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This page & opposite: Installation by Catellani & Smith in Casa Tresoldi Garden - Bergamo, made for the International Meeting “I Maestri del Paesaggio�,
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& Smith icons, has been acknowledged as a work of art, worthy of protection under copyright. I like to play down my creations, even if I put all of myself into them and they are the fruits of research and the expression of my feelings. I don’t consider myself an artist. I’m a person who loves what he does. I like to give a touch of irony to my work. Catellani & Smith is known for it’s craftsmanship, but how important is technology to you? At the Catellani & Smith factory each lamp is made by hand. We’re still producing our lamps in the same way as we started in 1989, but technology has allowed me to develop new concepts of lights, especially by using LEDs. The development of alternative energy sources has brought about a revolution in the field of lighting. With the Eco-Logic Light collection, for instance, I interpreted LED technology by moving away from the industrial uses of LED. I wanted to create new applications that could express a new concept of light – a sort of Zen light – combining technology with unexpected materials, embracing at the same time the increasing demand for energysaving and respect for the environment. So you don’t sacrifice design and style for technology? On the contrary, technology helps me to translate new ideas into objects that reflect my personality and lets me experiment with new combinations of materials and alternative lighting sources. How important is it for you to work in public spaces? Public spaces allow the creation of objects in huge dimensions, which can be installed in a museum, in the hall of an airport or a renowned hotel, in historical places or outdoors, in parks and public spaces. Large outdoor installations are more
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“I like to give a touch of irony to my work”
INTO THE LIGHT
interesting since you can play with nature, when the lamps brighten the dark of the night. What materials do you like to work with? I like to work with natural materials and metals such as brass, aluminium, iron, for their ageing properties. Rolled iron is resistant, but would need protection to maintain its original appearance. I prefer to protect it with just a bit of beeswax, applied manually to remove just the surface roughness. Aluminium is the best combination of resistance and malleability, as used for the Fil de Fer. Do you prefer lighting a house inside or out? The most recent collection is devoted to outdoor lighting. I designed it in response to the trend that has seen living spaces move outside into terraces and gardens, creating extensions of the house. The lamps for the outdoors should not look like an ‘unnatural’ object, but, on the contrary, they should mimic nature.
Above: Mimicking nature perfectly, the More lamp, an irregular sphere made of transparent glass with green gold coloured stem (LED 1,5W) Right: Outdoor installation using lights from the More and Syphasera range
Your lights are generally minimalist. Should the concept extend to the overall lighting of a house? The lamps of the first collections are objects that, due to their gold or silver finish, are closer to Baroque than minimalist. In many cases they are considered to be lighting sculptures, combined lighting sources with hand-worked screens, to let light play by refraction on textured surfaces. Later, with the advent of LEDs, I’ve been able to create linear and minimalist lighting objects, with thin micro cables. What matters is to create an atmosphere, in accordance with the taste of the people who live in a house, and the way they live. What light hangs over your dining room table? I’m renovating my house, but I’ll still be keeping one lamp: the Arco by Castiglioni. Thank you, Enzo, for sharing your light with us.
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ARCHITECTURE
Cultivating chandeliers since 1724
www.preciosalighting.com
ENTERTAIN ME!
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Entertainment rooms are the fun and funky spaces where you can let your imagination run riot. Giles Brown discovers that stylish staying in is the new going out.
All Photos Š UDesign
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INTERIOR DESIGN
W
e’ve all seen them. Those picture perfect homes that seem to have come straight from Homes and Garden magazine. The kitchens are uncluttered and the lounges and living spaces have every objet d’art perfectly placed. The problem is though, if you want to chill out with the family and binge watch a box set or catch up with the boys over a few beers and the big match, then your spotless living room can be impractical. Which is where your entertainment space comes in. In simple terms this can be the room where you can tune in, turn on and chill out, but it can be much, much more than just a modest man cave.
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ENTERTAIN ME!
Jason Harris explains the evolution of the entertainment space. “It’s interesting how the concept of the entertainment space actually came about. In Spain when they build huge houses they start with large basements, building the house on top of them. This becomes important when they come to sell it because they add the basement space to the square metres of the house. “The reality is that only half of the space is above ground. So they have these huge basement spaces and then they think about how they might fill the space. You might have one or two cars, but unless you are a car collector, to have a 600 square metre garage doesn’t make sense.” The first thing that people started to do was to create private cinema rooms with lights and padded walls, up to 12 cinema chairs and projectors. But the novelty soon wore off. “Clients would visit me and I would ask them how their cinema room was going,” Jason explains. “They would tell me that they had used it on the day that it was finished and the following week, but now they didn’t use it, mainly because it was just a big room with chairs and sofas that was very cold.”
The novelty of just the ‘cinema room’ soon wore off
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INTERIOR DESIGN
The inspiration for this entertainment room came from the movie Gangster Squad. The client, an art deco fan, fell in love with the club, Slapsie Maxie’s, that was featured in the movie. He loved it so much that he asked UDesign to recreate it in his basement.
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ENTERTAIN ME!
With a themed entertainment space like this one, staying at home has never been so much fun!
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The advent of large flatscreen TVs with high resolution also means that you can now experience cinema quality without having to have a dedicated cinema room. Thus the entertainment space evolved as people wanted a room in their houses where they could enjoy some serious down time, without compromising the style of the rest of their home. It was, if you like, an evolution from the “man cave”, but rather than being a dark room where only the brave or foolhardy would dare venture, the entertainment space is a place for the whole family to hang out in. “You can show off all your toys” says Jason. “The kids can
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ENTERTAIN ME!
Today’s bodega isn’t just about storing wine, it’s about creating a feature wall and a comfortable space where you can enjoy spending time.
be playing on a console with an 85-inch screen, while Dad is playing pool and Mum is picking out tunes on a retro jukebox. So what you have done is to create a space that you can all enjoy, and also, it really adds value. Because now it’s not just a room with a bar, or a room with a pool table, TV or cinema. Now, it’s actually a multi-purpose family entertainment room.” It also gives you a place where you can let your imagination run riot. “You can do things down there that you don’t want to do in your formal lounge because it’s a bit too wacky – like the Space Invaders tables, for example. We all love these and it reminds us of our youth, but we don’t necessarily want one stuck in our living room next to our sofa”, grins Jason. “With an entertainment room, however, we can go back to our youth and it
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A multipurpose room where you can let your imagination run riot
INTERIOR DESIGN
An entertainment room where you can keep your eye on whoever is in the swimming pool. This adds a beautiful light and dimension to the room.
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ENTERTAIN ME!
doesn’t matter because it’s the entertainment room and we can have fun there. It doesn’t have to be serious or sophisticated, retro or modern, cluttered or industrial – whatever suits and you can get away with because it’s not like you are affecting your beautiful sophisticated interior design concept upstairs. You are in the right place, it’s there so you can have fun and it’s not meant to be serious.” The entertainment space is also perfect for holding parties and events, and UDesign have incorporated dance floors, DJ booths, VIP areas and even poles and Jacuzzis, bringing the after party to the house itself. There really is no limit to the possibilities of the entertainment space. “We designed one space with a bowling alley and virtual golf” says Jason.
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With today’s golf simulators you can go to any golf course in the world and enjoy a round.
The space doesn’t have to be serious or sophisticated, it’s created just for having fun
INTERIOR DESIGN
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VIP seating, sunken cinema area, professional poker table, pool table and a state-of-the-art cocktail bar (see image on the following page).
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INTERIOR DESIGN
The state-of-the-art cocktail bar makes this entertainment room a perfect place for the after party.
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The Car’s The Star. Perfection for a petrolhead with the supercar taking centre stage in this motor enthusiast’s Man Cave. Feel free to unleash your inner Clarkson with your very own Top Gear.
“Imagine. It’s raining, you’re a golfer, you’ve got this state-of-the-art golf facility and you can go to any golf course in the world. So while you are golfing in Augusta, your friends can be bowling and the kids are watching TV.” “The possibilities are endless. It’s basically just down to your imagination and what you want. We design bespoke entertainment spaces that are purposely built for our clients. We create a wow space that takes living in the house to another level.” Forget “Don’t leave home without it” – with these exciting, eccentric and eclectic entertainment spaces, you don’t need to leave home at all.
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Some things are not what they used to be. Wallpaper was guaranteed to give a dowdy look to a drab room, and we always knew what to expect. But a touch of magic has been injected into the extraordinary wallpapers made by an Italian firm called Creativespace. Now, we can expect the unexpected. Text: Sophie Ann Gatward-Wicks
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Photos: Creativespace
PAPER MAGIC
Rather than simply decorate a room, 3D wallpaper transforms it completely
W
e don’t have any other word for it, so we call it wallpaper. But this is wallpaper of a different species: not flimsy paper that weakens body and soul trying to paste it on a wall as background decoration, and not design motifs limited to repeat patterns inspired by flowers, and more flowers, and the odd plant and then more flowers. This is none of that. No, this is a way to utterly transform a room, to become a new room – almost literally – using digital printing technology to create a durable, washable wall-size mural based on any design or image anybody could possibly come up with. If you can conceive it, they can create it. And if you can’t, the aptly named Creativespace company can still do it by presenting suggestions and samples that will blow your mind. You pick the emotion and mood you want, which is basically what constitutes all art. Emotion and mood, photographed or painted, drawn by hand or generated by a sophisticated computer programme, copied from a work in a museum, from a doodle on
Above: You can reach out and touch the sunlight in Green 2. Right: Poetry and bougainvillea to wake up to in Fiona.
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“We reinterpret photographic emotions by dressing walls.�
the back of a used napkin or from a snapshot of your cat: the only limitation is that the original work is not still subject to copyright. Or you can choose the most normal of images: trees in a forest, flowers in a field, an ancient doorway hanging off its hinges, and the technology used by Creativespace will print it in absolute detail on tough paper or fibreglass to cover any vertical space in your house. You may be in the difficult but rewarding process of restoring an old property and need to re-create some of the vintage wallpaper on the walls. You have no more than a small fragment, but that is enough. The Creativespace designers can use it to continue production, however long ago it stopped. This will not come cheap, of course, although costs may be reduced by ordering less than a complete roll for a smaller area. But take a closer look at the pictures on these pages: rooms using contemporary mural wallpaper are focusing attention on the mural to such an extent that all furniture in the room must complement the mural, rather than distract from it. That invariably means very little else is needed, or indeed desirable. A glance at the photographs shows the huge variety of moods one can create in a room, and closer examination reveals how it is done. They all have one thing in common: The dream-like Face, with its close, intrusive perspective, brings the mural into the bathroom with you.
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This mindbending mural, named Castles, extends both the room itself and the spatial perception of the person in it.
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they almost all extend the room, sometimes by using a design that one can reach out and touch, sometimes by using clever perspectives to show what could possibly be an actual extension of a room, and sometimes by inviting the viewer to keep walking – out into the forest or straight up the steps in the last two photographs. On the other hand, in the image on page 69, the face seems to come into the room, which is devoid of any other decoration. The photographic images are so lifelike that they turn the rooms themselves into new worlds, but there are many other options available too: the use of painted artwork, graffiti or hand-drawn sketches are just some. A basic knowledge of decoration is needed to make the best use of the mural wallpaper. No point, for example, in using ill-chosen colours in the furniture against a subtle grey mural: one visually obliterates the other. In the bedroom opposite, the colour of the headboard matches that of the mural, while in the last two photographs already mentioned, the shapes, positions and tones of the furniture are just right for what we see in the murals behind. Evidently, planning is essential from the start. The Creativespace company can provide you with a 3D rendered preview of what you want, which could be particularly useful when using bold designs. You send a picture of your wall with its measurements and the
Above: Tree, a still and visually silent landscape. Right: Nat, a misty forest to lull you to sleep.
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design you want, and they give it back with the simulations. The service is free of charge. The wallpaper itself (paper-based for dry spaces, fibreglass for bathrooms and the like) costs between fifty and a hundred euros per square metre, but you are advised to use the services of a professional interior designer in making your choice of image. You may also need a professional to hang it, which ups the cost by between ten and fifteen euros per square metre. This is, in fact, very reasonable, taking into account the results achieved and the more expensive alternative means of decorating space and transforming it completely.
If you can imagine it, they can make it happen
creativespace.it
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Above: Step, and right Candle, both entreating you up where your imagination takes you.
INTERIOR DESIGN
The wallpapers that appear in this feature are available from the UDesign showroom in San Pedro (Marbella).
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Polígono Industrial San Pedro, C/Países Bajos 6 San Pedro de Alcántara (Marbella) T: (+34) 952 794 117 E: info@udesign.es
udesign.es
Find the latest collections of contemporary wallcoverings at the UDesign Showroom
Tom Dixon pictured with Cut. Futuristic and faceted, Cut is an exercise in optics. Its space-age mirror finish when switched off transforms to reveal a translucent kaleidoscopic gem when switched on.
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BORN TO DESIGN INTERVIEW WITH TOM DIXON
“I wouldn’t want to be orthodox, would I? I think...”
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BORN TO DESIGN
To know about Tom Dixon, there’s no need to read a word. Just look at the pictures. In fact, the story of his life, even without pictures, would make a fascinating article in itself, but we believe his life, his story and his work are one of a piece. He is, quite simply, defined by what he makes.
‘Bea t’ Ta ll Pe nda nt B lack
Born in Tunisia, brought up in London, studied for six months in Chelsea School of Art, printer, designer, cartoon film colourist, pop musician, night club manager with a need to decorate and thus, welder of scrap metal and designer. The bare bones of his life-story give some hint of the way life itself turned him into what he is today. Little would he know then that his work would now be in some of the most prestigious museums in the world, such as the Victoria & Albert, the Moma and the Pompidou Centre, and that his products would be on sale in more than seventy countries in the world. Oh, and an OBE in 2001. Tom Dixon makes things, in an uncomplicated way: “My stuff isn’t complex. Most of it is making it look simple and getting it at the right price. And still allowing it to be different from everything else... “I just like seeing things made. And I think, weirdly, everybody kind of does. Humans have a natural inclination to fiddle with stuff and learn how it works and be part of it.” And his close friend Deyan Sudjic, director of the Design Museum, says of him: “Tom’s always coming up with something new. I don’t think he’s an evangelist. He just likes to do interesting things in a not too Sturm und Drang kind of way.” Some of the details of his career have become legendary. He stole manhole covers in the street for use in seats and replaced them with others of his own design. He gave away hundreds of chairs in
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Void surface and pendant lights with Fan table and chair.
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BORN TO DESIGN
Wingback Armchair. Inspired by the 17th century wingback and the smaller 18th century balloon back, these refined hybrids have been re-imagined and updated for the 21st century. The exaggerated proportions of the wing and the extravagant scale of the chair allow the sitter to be enthroned against a grand backdrop or completely hidden from view.
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Trafalgar Square. He submerged chairs for years in Miami waters just to see what happens to them, and to save on storage costs. He designed a couple of vibrators. Among other things, of course. But he will be remembered by many as the designer who loved to scavange in tip heads. “The fight even now,” he told UD Magazine, “is to avoid being typecast or pigeonholed into being the person who makes chairs out of scraps.” People are becoming more aware of design, he believes: “They are interested in the process and where stuff comes from. There’s such a remoteness from how things are made now and how they function. There’s a symptom of people not feeling like they have any power over their environment. You don’t know how a phone is made.” We asked him which design he would most like to be associated with in the long term: “The S-Chair provided a step out of the self-production ghetto,” he said, “while the Jack proved a convincing attempt at mass production.” The first is a reference to his most famous design, the S-Chair (pictured right), which he made while working at the Italian giant Cappellini, and the second is what he describes as a “sitting, stacking, lighting thing”, a multifunctional object that was one of Tom’s first experiments with plastic, made by a process of air rotational moulding which gives an even wall thickness. We asked how he managed to keep coming up with new ideas: “A designer has to be working on the edge of their comfort zone, innovating with new processes or materials or shapes or new combinations of functions to create something new...they have to be in the present.”
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As for the future, he writes in his Dixonary, exciting times are coming with the new decentralised digital manufacturing processes.
Th e M
irr
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“Products can now be made, adapted and reinvented to suit individual needs with simple software that is common between designers and industry - a dream for designers, manufacturers and shopkeepers for centuries.” His empire is in constant expansion. He opened his New York office and distribution centre in 2007, his Brand Centre and Retail Shop in London and his office and distribution Centre in Hong Kong in 2010, his first concession store in Harrods of London in 2014, his second Tom Dixon Shop in SoHo, New York, in 2015, and his third stateside Shop in Los Angeles a year later. Curiously, one of the products that helped turn his company global was, he says, a design failure, although if he had achieved what he wanted with this design, it would have adversely affected the growth of his company. The Mirror Ball is a highly reflective lamp made of a lightweight transparent plastic sphere coated with a thin layer of aluminium, and sells, on average, more than a thousand every month. “I thought that if I made the simplest shape I could get away with in highly polished mirror, it would be invisible because it would reflect its surroundings.” The best-laid plans... “In practice, it did the polar opposite,” he says. “It is very much a focal point of a room, almost a blingy object in a way. But it made it a more successful object commercially as a result. So that’s a lesson for all designers. Sometimes your biggest failures could be your biggest successes.”
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Melt is a beautifully distorted hot-blown glass globe that creates a mesmerizing effect, which is translucent when off and mirror-finish when on. It is the result of Tom’s work with the Swedish radical design collective FRONT
Melt Surface Light: this latest evolution of Melt can now be mounted on any surface – wall, ceiling or floor.
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The company was bought by a private equity firm in 2015, but this has not changed Tom’s approach to his work in any significant way, even if he was initially uneasy with the situation. “It’s a fight that is quite often: how do you maintain the joy of making stuff, and maintain freshness when the thing becomes a proper business?” A recent BBC programme gave us part of the answer. At issue was the primary purpose of the already famous Delaktig bed/sofa, designed in a minimalist style by Tom Dixon for IKEA as a kind of updatable platform – essentially a single bed – in tough aluminium, with the possibility of adding parts and changing its purpose as life’s needs evolve. Basically, it can be a bed or a sofa, but the
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design permutations are endless, and best of all, it can all be easily done by the owner.
The Delaktig bed/sofa pictured with our favourite haute couture hack, the Furry Cover. IKEA have grown accustomed to being hacked; it is, in a way, a mark of appreciation. But now the company, and Tom Dixon, invite us to hack their most recent star creation, by adding components as the years go by. Welcome to the future!
This was a new departure in furniture design, and surprisingly, a product nobody had really thought about before. It is quite beautiful, both in its simplicity and its concept, and it will clearly have a decisive influence on furniture design in the future. Dixon had insisted from the start that it was to be a bed first and a sofa second, given that a bed is the most important piece of furniture in a house. He also knew there were bureaucratic issues to be resolved if it was to be sold as a bed, and they were resolved. But the IKEA bosses were more interested in getting it on the market quickly. At one point, while the product was being shown for the first time at the Milan Furniture Fair, it looked as if they might win. The documentary was a thriller right to the end, and guess who won?
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Superior food preservation. Professional cooking performance. Craftsmanship and technology without equal.
www.subzero-wolf.co.uk 251 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London SW3 2EP 0845 250 0010
UDESIGN
ARCHITECTURE & INTERIOR DESIGN
Our Showcase features architecture and interior design by UDesign – a space where we can show off our brand-new projects and designs.
We are proud to present a rather special villa design, with its main focus on an open interior garden that can be seen, enjoyed and accessed only from the lounge. The garden is based on the traditional Zen Garden, although it could be in any style, and its purpose is to bring the natural beauty from the outside, inside. In this particular case by using a fountain, a pond with koi fish and water lilies, stones, rock, bamboo, evergreens and a dominating red maple tree at its core. The minimalism of the garden reflects the architecture and design of the interior, with its contemporary Asian touches.
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The interior Zen Garden with lily pond, koi fish and its own Maple tree takes on another life under nighttime illumination.
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The wood panelling in the recess of the terrace subtly illuminates the contemporary lines of the architecture.
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The natural materials used work exceptionally well with the clean lines of the structure itself
The wood panelling of the main entrance reaches to the ceiling, transforming a door into an integral part of a large-scale minimalist design concept.
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Natural materials are used throughout, and nothing is more natural than the two vertical gardens on each side of the floor-to-ceiling onyx panels extending high over the fireplace. Cool clean lines everywhere, with walls of glass bringing the outside in and flooding the room with natural light. Notice the Catellani & Smith lighting, whose Fil de Fer main lights are almost invisible in the daylight, and whose designer we interview on page 30 of this issue. Vertical gardens gracefully flank a 6-metre high piece of illuminated onyx. What more could you want in a wall?
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The natural materials and soft furniture sit comfortably within the ultramodern architectural design of the villa
A Walter Knoll chair with pouf and a Harlequin side table is all that is needed to give this area of the room its own special ambience.
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Apart from a few pieces of specially selected leading brands, most of the furniture, including the kitchen, was custom-made by UDesign.
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A kitchen with a view, a delightful understatement. The wood panelling on the ceiling is the perfect nod to the beautiful wood island on the floor. While cooking, recipes are easy to follow on the large television set facing it, one of two on each side of the central column.
Attention to detail within an exceptional overall design is our passion, and we will be happy to share it with you by studying your proposal and making a presentation. To learn more about us, visit udesign.es. 100
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Bring some contemporary French flair into your life with Lissoy’s unique home textile collection of environmentally friendly linens in unexpected colors and weaves.
www.lissoy.eu | Tel: +33 984 484 094 | Email: service-client@lissoy.fr
MAKING A Allow us to present a mini exhibition of what we think you’ll need in your home this year, because these designs will take your breath away, or at least make you smile. Stunning design combined with superb craftsmanship make these must-have, iconic pieces.
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SYMPHONY SIDEBOARD by Boca do Lobo 105
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LAPIAZ CONSOLE & ROBIN MIRROR by Boca do Lobo 106
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MONROE FLOOR LAMP by SOHO Bessa SIDEBOARD Art & Design by Boca do Lobo
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RIVA 1920 - RIFLESSI MILLENARI by by Helidon Xhixha SOHO CABINET by Boca do Lobo 108
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NEMO ARMCHAIR by Fabio Novembre for Driade 109
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EUGENE HISTORIC CHANDELIER by Preciosa Lighting
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LIMBO CHANDELIER by Kenneth Cobonpue
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IMAGINARIUM MIRROR by Bessa Art & Design
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HONG KONG PERFECTION by Jimmie Martin
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LAPIAZ SIDEBOARD by Boca do Lobo 114
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IMPERFECTO SOFA by Boca do Lobo
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INTERVIEW WITH JIMMIE MARTIN
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Jimmie Martin is not really a furniture label, or an industrial design label, or a fashion label. Or any other kind of label, for that matter. They are just two guys from Sweden, Jimmie Karlsson and Martin Nihlmar, who refused to be labelled from the start, and they are still difficult to tie down with words on a page. But if you’re interested in furniture and interior design, you’ll certainly need to know about them. Cheryl Gatward talks to Jimmie Karlsson, Creative Director
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Jimmie Karlsson
Martin Nihlmar
The new millennium was four years old when the two guys, then living together for seven or eight years, were picking up old pieces of furniture at auctions and markets and painting them to create quirky and often cheeky new pieces. A neighbour spotted one, wanted to buy it for his new shop, and a business was born that would make them the hottest ticket in the world of design in recent years. They obey no rules. They reject technical perfection in favour of sparkling creativity, turn opulent decadence into fun, take nostalgia and shake the soppiness out of it, splashing old and tired pieces of antique furniture with paint, gold leaf, varnish or any other material at hand to create
On this page and opposite: Jimmie Martin’s Phoenix from the Naughty Angel range.
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something entirely new, surprising and glamorous. What you see may not be what you think you see when they’re finished with it. “I like to paint a different picture,” says Jimmie Karlsson in our interview, and that just about sums up the work philosophy of Jimmie Martin. He paints the pictures and his partner Martin takes care of almost everything else. They won the Best New Designer Award in the UK the very year they started, not having sold a single piece, and their reputation kept growing. Everybody in the design world knew Above: The Jimmie Martin Infatuation Cabinet, a commission for the Surrey Hotel in New York City.
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This page: Detail of the beautiful Bouquet table Right: Kenneth on his famous Yoda chair
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Jimmie Karlsson’s pad in London is a riot of colour, graffitti and original artwork.
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they could be beautifully surprised, if sometimes mildly shocked, by the stock on show at 77 Kensington Church St, London. Their collection is now also on show in Maison 24, Park Avenue, New York, and they sell and carry out design projects all over the world. How do you describe yourselves – furniture designers, interior designers or artists? Funiture and interior designers. The work has expanded so much we make sculptures, cushions, lighting. A lot of people see us as artists though. I mean, I paint on things – people like it and buy them. I’m humbled by this. Which part of your work is the most dominant: the one-off furniture pieces or the interior design service? We started the business 14 years ago with furniture. We became the Best New Designers that year without selling a single piece of furniture. The business kept growing and growing and we kept adding services. Naturally people then started asking us if we could decorate their homes. I’ve been interested in interior design since I was a kid. I used to spend all my money on clothes and furniture when I was 14 years old. I’m completely self-taught. I have always had a good eye and a strong passion for interiors. It’s something that comes quite naturally to me. We got into the Top 100 Designers in the Andrew Martin Design Review. This proves that you don’t have to go down normal routes to succeed. Now people are recognising us for our interior design. I usually bring in art pieces and mix and match things from other designers. I like to paint a different picture. Bring a surprise, fun colours. A mix of classic and crazy. We currently have four interior design projects running, and this side of the work is growing fast. Jimmie Martin Mannequin Lamps. Left: The Black and White Diamond. Right: The Seated Clement Stripes.
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What’s your favourite paint colour? I overdose on paint colours on a daily basis so this is a difficult question to answer. One year ago at Maison & Object in Paris our stand was really bright, neon colours, bright yellows, and we had palm trees and everything, it was really quite exotic. This year it was all pastels, turquoise, pink, romantic. Actually, it looked like some kind of wedding event stand. People asked me what the inspiration was and basically it’s the love connection. I’m in a good place right now. How you live your life comes out in your design. Interior design has so much to do with psychology. It reflects who you are as a person. A lot of people buy fancy clothes and have a bloody boring house. They go out all dressed up and then come home and life is not so interesting. But why not have fun at home as well? Feel amazing at home, even if you’re just in your pyjamas. Make it a place you want to be. What’s the story behind the ‘imperfection’ range? This was one of our first designs, made 14 years ago and it still works today. It’s become an iconic design piece really. Imperfection is more beautiful than perfection. What is perfection? Everyone is trying to be perfect, and they just end up confused. Imperfection has soul and beauty. It’s truth. What work are you most proud of? I’m proud of a lot of things. We started this business from nothing and we now have a rich and famous clientele. I am proud to have got this far. I’m quite proud of being little me in my little shop. But seriously, it was great to work with Madonna. We don’t do things like that on a daily basis, it was a major work. It was certainly not the most beautiful thing I’ve done, absolutely not, but it was a great honour. We have 1,500 pieces on the website now, so
Right: Interior design project in Belgrave Place, London. Featuring a Jimmie Martin Chaise Longue and The Pink Lips Cushion, designed using artwork from an original Jimmie Martin piece. Left: Imperfection Number 13 tub chair.
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FURNITURE Right: Interior design project in Soho, London, featuring the Jimmie Martin “Old Bond Street” Mannequin lamp.
Left: Jimmie’s bedroom with the iconic Imperfection design as the headboard. Lower right: Jimmie Martin Duchess Dining Chair.
as far as what works, it’s difficult to choose. Although the Naughty Angels range is doing well. We launched it a year ago and sold 50 in that year. In the last three weeks we sold 30. We are selling them in Los Angeles, Tokyo, San Francisco. They are something that everyone can relate to. Everyone’s naughty. What’s your dream commission? I’d love to design a boutique hotel. I just love interior design and the best results come when clients put their complete trust in you and let you get on with it. Then the look on their faces when its finished – that’s the best! Beautiful spaces don’t always have beautiful interior design, when interior design becomes just a business, it doesn’t work. There has to be love and passion. Everyone needs downtime to stay creative. How do you make sure you get yours? I’m really good at multitasking and I’m a bit of a workaholic, always checking my emails, sometimes even on holiday. But I’m in the shop from 11am to 6pm. I stop at 6pm every day. I take time off, I have holidays. You have to take breaks or you can’t enjoy it.
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Best thing about your work? Creative freedom. I take my clients on a journey. If they tell me that they hate yellow, for instance, I put yellow in it, of course, and they love it. Latest design obsession? Don’t really have one, to be honest. Everything we do is new and fresh. What’s good for one person is not for another. We use cheap and expensive items. Whatever looks good for that purpose. We’re not trying to rip people off. It’s the same amount of work for an interior designer whether the bill is 2,000 or 20,000. What have you learnt about business that you didn’t know when you started out? The client is not always right. Many people are negative and stressed but you can’t really offend me, I’m always happy to show someone the door, not that it happens often. It’s like life, you have to be positive and then people are positive back. Every day is a new day, I learn something new each day. What’s next for Jimmie Martin? World domination! :-) Lots of things are happening this year. We are expanding with two more stores in the States and possibly in Ibiza for this summer. Ibiza has so many beautiful houses, there’s plenty of room for work like ours over there. And plenty of people who wouldn’t be too shocked by our designs. Oh and also a TV show….just joking! Right: The Penthouse Suite at the Exhibitionist Hotel in London, designed by Jimmie Martin. Left: Jimmie Martin “Pilot Blue” Shakespeare bust.
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The complete ‘LADENAC MILANO’ range of home fragrances is available at the UDesign Showroom Open: Monday – Friday 10 am–7 pm & Saturday 10 am–2 pm
P.I. San Pedro de AlcĂĄntara, C/PaĂses Bajos 6, Marbella, Spain T: (+34) 952 794 117 info@udesign.es udesign.es
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DESIGNER We travel to an uber-stylish, awardwinning seaside hotel, the epitome of designer rustic-chic, on the Greek island of Mykonos, and to France’s Atlantic coast, for a boutique property converted from a Royal Mint, marrying period charm with cutting-edge art. by Fiona Flores Watson
This is the stunning vista from the villa at the Kensho Boutique Hotel & Suites. Each private pool in every room overlooks the Bay of Ornos, and the turquoise waters of the Aegean.
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KENSHO BOUTIQUE HOTEL & SUITES MYKONOS, GREECE Perched above beautiful Ornos beach on the Greek island of Mykonos, favoured destination for the rich and famous, this hotel is the epitome of designer luxe, from the private plunge pools to the Patricia Urquiola chairs.
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Rooms have a rustic feel: bare stone walls enhance the striking designer furniture and private pools.
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Fine dining with a view across the Aegean Sea.
Kensho means “enlightenment” in Japanese.
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he decor defines minimal chic: island simplicity + cuttingedge contemporary, making a winning combination. Sophisticated neutrals in stone floors and pale wood act as a backdrop for statement pieces by big-name designers like Tom Dixon and Kenneth Cobonpue, as well as Urquiola. We especially like Cobonpue’s woven bedside lamp and Yoda chair, Dixon’s pendant lamps in the bar and spa, and Urquiola’s poolside sofa pods. As is now the norm in top-end luxury resorts, most of the 35 rooms and suites have their own private pool, whether Jacuzzi or plunge pool, enjoying stunning views down to the Aegean. Bathroom goodies are by Hermes, and each room has its own Nespresso machine and iPad with in-house Spotify playlist and app guide. Naturally, the hotel also has a larger infinity pool for all guests, and for the even more energetic, there ¡s a fully equipped gym. Afterwards guests can relax in the spa’s cave-like hot tub and hammam, be gently pummelled by a futuristic massage chair, or indulge in a pampering treatment such as a facial.
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The cool white and inviting rooms, and the cave-like grotto of the spa’s hot tub, create such a welcoming ambience that some guests seldom leave the hotel.
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As you would expect, the cuisine is also of the highest standard - George Stylianoudakis’ creative modern Greek dishes, exquisitely presented, are best sampled in the 10-course tasting menu, which includes scallops and wagyu beef, while local specialities include kakavia (fisherman’s stew). You also have the option to eat outside in the more casual Sunset Lounge and watch the lights twinkling across the bay on a warm summer night. Even the cocktails are masterpieces, made by the hotel’s professional mixologist. This luxury retreat, whose awards include Boutique Hotel Awards World’s Best New Hotel and Mr and Mrs Smith Top 10 Best Boutique Getaways, cements Mykonos’ reputation as the go-to glamour spot in the Greek islands. kenshomykonos.com 137
Island simplicity + contemporary design = pareddown chic
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LA MONNAIE ART HOTEL AND SPA, FRANCE In the chic French seaside resort of La Rochelle, on the Atlantic coast – think fabulous seafood and a historic old town – this converted 17th-century Royal Mint leads the growing hotels-as-art galleries trend.
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he period building with 41 guest rooms marries traditional architecture with contemporary touches, such as graffiti, Modigliani-type sculpture, and iconic pieces by the likes of Philippe Starck and Gerrit Rietvald. The vibe is luxurious and cleverly quirky. The hotel has a monochrome palette of glamorous black, smooth white and soft dovegrey, accented by metallic pink lamps, turquoise chairs and glass chandeliers. In the new annex, a neighbouring 19th century building, classical French decor features Louis XV-style gilt chairs, marble fireplaces, and wallcoverings in graphic print or Renaissance icon, plus a roof terrace with views to the Tour de la Chaine. If you choose the magnificent suite, you get a bath for two and Pierre Frey elephant wallpaper.
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Room Nยบ6: Soft, soothing, stillon-trend dove-grey walls and furnishings are accented by a vibrant pink wall and lamp.
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The art has been collected by the owners, Sylvette and Pascal Lebeau, and exhibitions are held in May and June each year. Artists whose works hang in the hotel permanently include Mexican painter Liz Bono, designer Bernard Dagan, and homegrown La Rochelle graffiti artist (“graff” en français), El Peon. Celebrities love the glam touches – every July, French rock stars from the Francofolies Festival take over the hotel. Not to mention that La Minimes is France’s largest yacht marina, with almost 4,500 vessels moored. A small garden, Jardin des Loges, continues the theme of stylish comfort, with wooden chairs and daybeds with pretty plump cushions, while the bar has bold black-and-white striped wallpaper, Charente-Maritime and île de Ré wines, and a cocktail of the month. The pampering spa, with dark walls and low lighting, has two hydro-massage beds with 12 programmes offering different combinations of jets, plus a sauna. Pure sophistication, as the French know best. hotelmonnaie.com
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DESIGN TRENDS The iconic Panton Chair turns 50 Right: the new Panton Chrome and below Panton Glow
NEW LIMITED EDITION PANTON CHAIRS Half a century after the launch of the Panton Chair, the first allplastic one-piece cantilevered chair, two new limited editions appeared at the Cologne Furniture Fair in January 2018: the Panton Chrome and the Panton Glow. As the names suggest, one is shiny metallic and the other is glowing psychedelic. In the first, back in the sixties, Verner Panton explored mirror coating, especially suited to the chair’s dynamic curves, but the finish was too delicate to be practical. New technology uses multiple coats of varnish with metal particles to give a highly resilient finish. The second is glowing and psychedelic, like the Danish designer’s legendary 1970 light installation Visiona 2, developed in consultation with Panton’s widow. vitra.com
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DESIGN TRENDS A WORLD OF COLOURS We’re loving the new collection of fabrics from DEDON. The gorgeous colours of their new Twello Cushion collection reflect the elements of water and earth with a wide selection of mineral and natural tones to choose from, as well as mixed fabrics. They employ some of the world’s most advanced textile technology processes to create cushions you can leave outside without a second thought. They are not only splash resistant but also UV-resistant, thus ensuring no loss of colour. dedon.de
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PAINT & GEO CUSHION COLLECTIONS FROM TOM DIXON Tom Dixon commissioned a series of abstracted watercolours based on urban themes from upcoming British talent Josephine Ortega, and the result is the PAINT set. These cushions are woven from linen mixed with lightweight viscose, producing a soft, natural feel. GEO is a series of embroidered graphic illustrations inspired by rock formations and layered sediment. Celebrating the decorative qualities of natural phenomena in bold embroidered lines, GEO is a no-fuss monochrome design that packs a graphic punch. Two cushions, a double-sided throw and a tote bag make up the collection. tomdixon.net
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DESIGN TRENDS Siren is available in plain crystal (right) and colour combos of grey/red, amber/grey and rose/ grey
SHINING LOUD & CLEAR Designer Dima Loginoff is the creative mind behind Preciosa Lighting’s newest Solitaire, named the Siren. The design shows his hallmark: familiar yet new, traditional yet trendy. The bell shape may be one we have all seen before, but Mr. Loginoff’s take on it, using very different colours and surfaces, turns it into something entirely new. “The mysterious underworld caught my imagination while I was designing this pendant,” he said. “Siren is a mythical creature, beautiful, delphian, enigmatic and dangerously inviting. The fantasy inspired me to design the eye-catching suspension – simple, stylish and minimal.” Siren is the first collaboration between Mr. Loginoff and Preciosa Lighting. “I am happy that Preciosa isn’t afraid of style experiments,” he said. “And I am extremely happy to see how they made it, the quality is unbelievable!” presciosalighting.com
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DESIGN TRENDS THE GRID COLLECTION This sunlounger from Gloster’s Grid Collection is such a nifty design. Notice the built-in side table for your drink/book/ sunglasses/phone. It comes as a double too, with tables each side. The collection is designed by Hendrik Pederson, who runs a Danish design studio focused on lifestyle-based design. Henrik says “An important aspect of our work is keeping up with market trends, and therefore travelling, exploring and being inspired by the moment are essential to being able to see beyond tomorrow.” gloster.com
AMBIENT LIGHTING These portable eco lights from Gloster create a changeable ambience in your outside space, capable of being moved easily around the garden in any configuration. This is remote controlled illumination with style, and no cables. Charge during the day and use at night to create the perfect mood. gloster.com
Wallpaper. Created by artists. Meet a new type wallpaper company. FEATHR work with contemporary artists to create truly original wallcoverings. Discover over 150 exclusive wallpapers. More Art. Less Decoration. www.feathr.com | @wearefeathr
Pictured: Oh La La wallpaper by Kiki Slaughter. From â‚Ź149 per 10m roll.
WHAT’S NEXT?
THE LIGHT FANTASTIC
Flynn Talbot, lighting artist and designer based in London, will represent Australia at the London Biennale in September 2018 with a new coloured light installation in Somerset House. We talk influences and inspirations.
SPLASH OF COLOUR
Colour speaks to us, and sometimes shouts. Most of us love it, but would like to know how to use it well.
IN THE KITCHEN AT PARTIES Kitchens you’ll never want to get out of.
CRYSTAL MAGIC We talk to the young Czech-Austrian Michael Vasku, Creative Director of Preciosa Lighting.
DESIGNER ESCAPES
Aynhoe Park is a place to withdraw from this world and discover a new one. 152
Custom-made artwork available from UDesign (+34) 952 794 117 info@udesign.es udesign.es
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