INTERIORS • SPOTLIGHT
~ “This design is
beautiful and relevant, existing outside of fashion and relying on craftsmanship and quality”
~
Skandium’s new homeware mecca, in a two-storey building at 35-36 Thurloe Place – directly opposite the Townhouse - showcases a range of soft furnishings, accessories and one of the largest collections of Scandinavian lighting in London. skandium.com
materials with perfect proportion to create a fully satisfying piece of functional design with no excess, no frills, no fuss. It was the essence of potness. And from this they devised their philosophy of design that is beautiful and relevant, existing outside fashion and relying on craftsmanship and quality. And now Skandium has rolled out its vision in the form of an entire home. The pioneering retail vision sees a four-storey house at 31 Thurloe Place, South Kensington, transformed into a fully shoppable, Scandinavian-inspired home, with living rooms, dining areas, a reading nook, a children’s bedroom and even a Scandinavian garden. Skandium’s design team explained: “Working within the natural scale of a residential property, we are able to demonstrate exactly how our customers can capture the unique character of Scandinavian living in their own homes. The residential-meets-retail space has been populated with our engaging mix of modernist masterpieces and future classics, expertly curated for the design conscious and the curious.” Walking round, it is impossible not to wish this was your actual house. Everything fits together but doesn’t feel overly matching; it feels individually created rather than put together by a brand.
If Scandinavian design is known for its simplicity, that doesn’t translate into it being boring because there’s a wide variety of shapes, materials, textiles and influences on show, with pieces dating to all periods of the 20th and 21st centuries. Fritz Hansen chairs, Örsjö Belysning lamps, and Iittala glassware are able to shine like never before. Schmidt explains ‘Scandinavian design is perceived by many people as rather boring if they don’t understand it, because it is not made to impress you, it is made to live with you like an old friend. It’s just comfortable and easy.’ A B S O L U T E LY. L O N D O N
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