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Anya Cooklin-Lofting is a freelance writer and editor. Specialising in design, culture and the arts, Anya works with media houses and brands on editorial features and SEO-driven website copy.
Life & arts
Eye of the Collector founder Nazy Vassegh speaks to Effect Magazine about the groundbreaking London art and collectible design fair
As the clocks go back and the cold sets in, it's time to up the ante on your lighting at home. From holistic philosophies on what it means to light your home well, to the kind of bulbs you should choose, Anya Cooklin-Lofting rounds up top lighting tips from experts
The latest breaking news, comment and features from The Independent.
The latest breaking news, comment and features from The Independent.
What comes to mind when you think of British summer festivals? Thumping basslines, moshing crowds and tens of thousands of voices chanting iconic lyrics in unison? Well, naturally, but the festival scene extends beyond the Glastonburys and All Points Easts of this world.
The start of a New Year is a time for reflection, and for many, resolutions. Weight loss and fitness are ubiquitous terms when it comes to resolutions, and while maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regimen is important, sometimes such lifestyle changes can feel more like punishments than life improvements that actually serve your overall wellbeing.
By Anya Cooklin-Lofting There is an enormous appetite on social media for behind-the-scenes access to the lives of business people, creatives, and entrepreneurs through snapshot videos of days in their lives, flitting in time to the beat of an Insta-famous song. Business leaders possess an enduring appeal.
Kitsch mugs are out and thoughtful design is in, says Anya Cooklin-Lofting, who looks at classic commemorative pieces ahead of King Charles III's coronation
Nurturing a garden of which to be proud is no small feat. It involves months of pre-planning, consistent attention and dedication to detail. However, the benefits of nailing your garden design, from layout to colour, function to fragrance, is one of the most rewarding domestic pleasures.
In today's fast-paced and technology-driven world, time is a precious commodity, and productivity is paramount. As professionals, we often find ourselves overwhelmed by an ever-increasing workload, endless meetings, and the constant need to stay on top of information.
Independent Premium Anya Cooklin-Lofting explains which upcoming events to look out for if you're a collector or have a keen eye for style Thursday 02 March 2023 13:05 Uncertainty abounds as closure announcements from major organisers rattle the 2023 design calendar.
Independent Premium Anya Cooklin-Lofting looks at small changes that make all the difference in crafting a unique aesthetic Tuesday 31 January 2023 11:20 Every January, I revel in comforting conversations with friends and family about new year's resolutions.
Swedish super-designer Martin Brudnizki talks to Effect Magazine about his latest creation, London restaurant Bacchanalia. "Experiential luxury isn't as important as people thought it might become in the post-pandemic world," says Martin Brudnizki, the designer and architect known for his spell-binding hospitality interiors including Soho House, the Royal Academy of Arts, and the legendary London members' club, Annabel's.
A new generation of home buyers are valuing rarity and uniqueness, finds Effect Magazine's Anya Cooklin-Lofting, who speaks to the company leading efforts to address the trend Named after the foremost 17th-century architect Inigo Jones, Inigo is a London real estate company founded by architectural journalists Matt Gibberd and Albert Hill to host property listings of specifically Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian homes (Inigo's sister company The Modern House focuses on modern property...
As the days get shorter and cooler, it's time to retreat into the warm, inviting lobbies of London's finest venues, museums and galleries to get your autumnal cultural fix.
More than any time of year, the Christmas build-up requires a hefty serving of our social lives. I'm sure I'm not the only one with a calendar filling up with after-work drinks, Sunday lunches and dinners with friends in anticipation of the over-stuffed calendar itself; we book 'drinks' in as early as possible to combat the time-poor Christmas preamble, simultaneously succumbing to it.
The job of a genealogist is to prove, beyond reasonable doubt, the distinct, frequently remarkable, often unpredictable history of a family. Using family lore, genetic analysis, redacted files, historical documents and medical records, genealogists connect the dots to create a more rounded picture of how their clients have come to exist.
Leighton House, the beautiful former London home of 19th-century painter Frederic Leighton, has unveiled a major refurbishment Leighton House, the architectural jewel in the gilded coronet of London's leafy Holland Park, will reopen this October following an £8m ($9.6m) redevelopment.
For many, investments of passion are a welcome balm to the complexities and intangibilities of more traditional investment categories like stocks and bonds. At their most basic, passion investments involve the purchase of items you love that tend to be defined by their rarity, quality, cultural or aesthetic value and of course, their demand.
Ironically, the public perception of public relations is inaccurate. For an industry so concerned with the positive reputation of its clients, its own image in the mainstream has been warped, defined by uproarious recalcitrants like Samantha Jones, Malcolm Tucker and Edina Monsoon.
For interior designer, Nicky Dobree, collectible design brings uniqueness to her projects and a sense of connection to her clients
FAIRS Anya Cooklin-Lofting | 16 Mar 2022 Design journalist Anya Cooklin-Lofting explores the successes of Collect as it celebrates its 18th anniversary and returns to Somerset House Collect is produced by the Crafts Council, a national charity for craft that encourages public engagement and contribution to craft in all forms, as well as promoting galleries specialising in collectable craft around the world.
Design writer, Anya Cooklin-Lofting, appraises the creative output of the annual design fair and explores the artistic impulses of contemporary designer-makers under lockdown
The UK is incredibly lucky to have such a rich, well-preserved design heritage. Our ancestors still stand in bricks and mortar along the Thames, pockmarked and glistening; they still tower above the cities, perched upon high baileys, and nestle into the ancient ripples of hillsides.
Art performs many functions in the home. Interior designers rely on it to bring life into the rooms they've conjured from their early moodboards, sourcing trips and bespoke commissions.
EXHIBITIONS Anya Cooklin-Lofting | 04 Jan 2022 For London Craft Week, the gallery group Crafting a Difference took over the official residence of the Argentine Ambassador in London to stage an exhibition curated by Andrea Harari and Brian Kennedy Stepping through the lacquered, black doorway of the Thomas Cubitt-designed 49 Belgrave Square, London, now the official residence of the Argentine Ambassador, is akin to passing through a Carrollian looking-glass.
DESIGN Anya Cooklin-Lofting | 04 Jan 2022 From her new gallery space on Rue Mazarine, Laurence Bonnel, the founder of Galerie Scene Ouverte, celebrates and protects the fresh talent blossoming in Paris, a design capital of the world Julien Cedolin, Pilliers, stools, side tables and sculptures, ceramics - 2021 Gemma Barr, stainless steel and roughcast - 2021 Assi Joseph Meidan -2021 Rino Claessens, Carine Delalande, Maarten Vrolijk Han Chiao, Vases, ceramics - 2021
In a new exhibition that tackles the most pressing dilemma facing contemporary designers, Mia Karlova Galerie spotlights some of the leading designers who hold the key to the future of conscious creation.
'Tis the season to gift and be gifted, and with that comes a cinnamon-scented cocktail of gifter-panic, giftee-grimacing and of course, however rarely, some good old wholesome, festive gratitude. It's true that the best gifts are thoughtful, often personal and increasingly locally sourced from independent makers, but there is an unspoken language that underscores the entire cultural choreography of gift-giving.
This is the time of year I find myself rereading some of my favourite books filled with cosy fireside scenes, turning leaves and cold, wintry evenings. As the festive period takes hold, this kind of nostalgia-inducing exercise feels like a pleasure no less guilty than an extra mince pie or mug of mulled wine.
In the stillness of the morning before sitting down at my laptop, I watch the little birds flitting about in the branches of the unassuming suburban treetops. This is where the illusion begins, that I am not within smelling distance of the Northern Line in a first floor flat, but instead looking out towards the ancient oaks that line the neighbouring fields of my sprawling country pile.
First impressions count, especially when it comes to our homes. Whether you're buying or selling a home or welcoming guests to a beautiful hotel, there is something tone-setting about a lobby or hallway. At home, you can achieve a sense of calmness and decompression as you pass through a front door into a soothing, cocoon-like space, signalling the end of the working day.
It has come to my attention that WFH's delicious novelty is slowly starting to wear off. Although the lack of a commute and lunchtime strolls around the park still feel like luxurious balms against a difficult workday, the paraphernalia of the day-to-day has become dreary, unexciting and quotidian.
In a hugely exciting turn of events, two medieval tapestries, which have been displayed at London's Victoria & Albert Museum for the past 60 years, have recently returned to their rightful home of Chatsworth House, Derbyshire, for the remainder of 2021.
Lifestyle Design I've always had a habit of 'saving for best', keeping hold of nice items I have bought for the perfect occasion, now I'm trying to stop this and use the best always, writes Anya Cooklin-Lofting Sunday 07 March 2021 00:01 U nderneath a chest of drawers in my living room, there is a vintage sake set that I picked up at a market over 10 years ago.
A weekly literary newsletter from editor and journalist, Izzie Price
Lifestyle Design Perhaps my growing collection of glass is one of very few possible guilt-free indulgences, writes Anya Cooklin-Lofting. Here are some tips to use glass around your home Sunday 07 February 2021 00:01 I t is only when you begin to train your eye on a sequence of numbers, a turn of phrase, or perhaps a material, that you begin to notice its ubiquity.
It is an age-old question - what to bestow upon the Valentine who has everything, from gleaming skis to the latest smartwatch and a myriad objects of desire in between. On any other given year, the romantics amongst us may whisk their beaux to Capri for a weekend of cocktails in cascading, cliff-encrusting villas.
Lifestyle Design Sales of art from online platforms has skyrocketed since March. Anya Cooklin-Lofting looks at what's selling in our troubled times Saturday 17 October 2020 15:03 O ne of the ways we've been making our homes more comfortable and enjoyable in the lockdown is through interior decorating, and a significant part of that has been the purchasing of new artwork.
The prestige - the recognition of one's career in design - is unrivalled when the body has giving out the gongs has historically been dubbed The Oscars Of The Interior Design World. Shanghai-based interior designer, Ben Wu, the winner of the 24th annual Andrew Martin Interior Designer of the Year Award, has been decorated for his pioneering of a new aesthetic paradigm for Chinese design.
If Jean-Paul Sartre had a sense of humour and a creative oeuvre that extended beyond heavy lectures delivered in Parisian theatres and 800-page long essays, I think he may have come to make The Connor Brothers' Pulp Fiction series all on his own.
Some of life's finest pleasures are harder to spot. Silence is a good example, as is privacy. Less obvious luxuries such as these often make themselves apparent the moment they are taken away. The sudden, persistent ringing of a car alarm outside raises the status of the purest silence to one of precious luxury.
This apartment at Chapter House, a restored Victorian property in the heart of London's theatre district, has two bedrooms, an open-plan living space, 'zoned' to give a distinct feel to the living, kitchen and dining areas. The apartment also features generous outside space with views of the varied architecture of the area.
Design & style
The latest breaking news, comment and features from The Independent.
Anya Cooklin-Lofting explains how to pull off the classic look without falling victim to triteness
I spend the majority of my free time gazing into jewellery shop windows or scrolling through Instagram accounts dedicated to all that glitters. Between browsing the expressive work of contemporary designer-makers to squinting at velvet-clad plinths in antique jewellery ateliers, there's hardly time to stop for a spot of lunch.
Earlier this year, House of Hackney moved its headquarters into the former clergy house of the Church of St Michaels, tucked into a maze of residential streets and ecclesiastical buildings in East London. The clergy house, built in 1865, is a fascinating Grade II-listed network of grand rooms with imposing gothic windows and original period features.
From exposed concrete to velvet-upholstered dining chairs, sleek fireplaces to rich, wooden panelling, Nicky Dobree's portfolio of luxury ski chalets serves to prove that your home on the slopes can be as tailored to your tastes as your city pied a terre or your country pile.
The future of the office isn't at stake, but workspaces need to embrace great design to make the hybrid model worthwhile "Over the last few years, we have all proved to ourselves that remote working is totally feasible but not always optimal," says Sam Lawson Johnston, a co-founder of Kinrise, a hybrid office firm.
I can't imagine a finer holiday than a few days in France, punctuating the languorous poolside hours with jaunts to the nearest antique market for a good rifle through rustic, storied bric-à-brac to take home.
Little pleated sprays of chintz on bedside tables, a floating canopy of rattan over a kitchen island and protruding brass stapes with mushroom caps of silk from heavily papered corridor walls, lampshades are some of the most expressive, eclectic and memorable elements of any room in the home.
Wellness in the home can mean different things to different people. Aesthetically, a sense of calm, safety and wellbeing is derived from whatever your sensibilities are when it comes to style and colour.
It seems the sartorial eye finds a comfortable home in fashion and interior design alike, dressing and undressing, styling and refining rooms and wardrobes with ease. This year, fashion designers, both current and former, have been turning their hands to home design with the couture aplomb one might expect, creating homeware collections to bring a fashion-forward approach to interiors.
From Sunday 13th to Friday 18th March, the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour opened its doors once again to hoards of interior designers, home renovators and the media to celebrate its loyal brands' new spring/summer collections for London Design Week 2022.
They are at once statement objects and great concealers; their majestic presences lend living rooms, drawing rooms, libraries, bedrooms and even bathrooms a sense of grandeur, establishment and mystery. Decorative cabinets are artworks in themselves, often richly adorned inside and out.
A hybrid model of working has taken shape in many offices throughout the country, allowing staff to divide their time between laundry-intercepted projects and gossip-punctuated tasks. By that, of course, I mean that working only part-time in the office has become a new (rather comfortable) reality for many who, for all they knew, had committed to many more years on the relentless treadmill of daily commuting before the pandemic took hold.
Innovative uses of natural materials are characterising the design industry in 2022. Shopping for homeware is no longer an exercise in blissful ignorance when it comes to our favourite brands' eco-credentials: we have arrived at ethical enlightenment, tapping drop-down boxes for product information and reading about companies' commitments to sustainability and staff welfare.
The maelstrom of posts on social media concerning the state of the nation's pantries, utility rooms and chests of drawers this week has been far more blizzardly than years previous. Carried on the affecting winds of our collective urge to reorganise are whispers of nifty spice racks or label makers, self-deprecating boasts of use-by dates pre-dating the pandemic and squeals of delight at the rediscovery of long-lost napkin rings.
Do you have any resolutions to keep in the New Year? Increasingly, my friends and I are stepping consciously away from fitness-related, unsustainable "resentolutions" that leave us feeling burnt out and frustrated. Instead, many of us are making more wholesome promises to ourselves, such as keeping diaries, eating in a more earth-conscious way or spending more time with loved ones.
For many, Christmas this year will be fraught with special considerations. Careful socialising, elements of shielding and meeting outdoors for brisk, wintry walks are still very much on the cards for the Covid-conscious. From intimate drinks receptions with friends to the proceedings of the big day with extended family, I know I'm not the only one who will feel keenly the lack of certain family members.
This is the time of year I feel most like myself, most cocooned and comforted. I go about my days in autumn with a kind of cosy reassurance that each of us on this chilly little island has "given in to winter's big excuse", its "boxed-in allure" as poet Maggie Dietz so evocatively describes in her 2016 poem "November".
Where some people have stacks of magazines that flank sofas and top coffee tables, I have picture frames. My purchases are compulsive, spontaneous and often unconscious. It is by default that I pick up a few, sleepwalk to the till with them tucked under my arm, and rediscover them in my bag at home.
Behind the gently sweeping frontage of Regent's Crescent, interior designer Olga Ashby has evoked the very essence of her client with a scheme devoted to the luxury of a high-end boutique
PEOPLE Anya Cooklin-Lofting | 04 Sep 2021 For Theoreme Editions' Jerome Bazzocchi and David Giroire, beauty itself is a non-negotiable function of the very best contemporary furniture design, especially as homes take centre stage in a post-COVID world "An edition house is to furniture what a gallery is to art," says Jerome Bazzocchi, one half of the design duo behind Theoreme Editions, the three-year-old French maison d'édition.
Breaching the crisp, auburn seal of October feels something like crossing the finish line at the end of a marathon. The summer is comfortably out of the way, tucked into the recesses of my consciousness while I dig deep into the ottoman to retrieve necessary paraphernalia for the cosier seasons (read: throws, lots and lots of throws).
The appeal of floral appliques, prints and artworks in the home is undeniable. I'm drawn to the waxy splay of striped tulip petals in Dutch Golden Age masterpieces and painstakingly embroidered suzani fabrics, laden with richly stitched pomegranates, irises and carnations.
The elusive promise of the heat of high summer has slipped through our fingers like August drizzle down a storm drain. We feel cheated, resentful, and chillier than we expected. To add insult to injury, dusk has begun to press in at the windows with her glaucous wash at earlier hours, plunging us into a daily, jarring, autumnal haze.
Pre- pandemic, the stricture around causes for celebration was more rigid than it is today. A birthday, a promotion, an anniversary of any sort was grounds enough to open a bottle of something lovely and gather. These days, though, I feel we're all far quicker to reach for the party poppers.
As a gardenless woman, last weekend I was lucky enough to spend lots of time in the company of friends in suburban gardens attached to houses and flats alike, enjoying the sun and the (still relatively novel) hospitality.
We've become quite quickly accustomed to disappointment. The last year and a half has shown that low expectations are incredibly valuable (think Eurovision, sodden pub gardens, the government etc). We have saved ourselves immeasurable grief by expecting poor outcomes, preparing for the worst and enjoying sheer elation when things turn out a little better than our late-night anxieties portend.
I'm a sucker for serendipity. Whenever coincidence shuffles around the chaos and arranges it neatly between the delineations of years, the thrilling fortuity is worth talking about. I find the "on this day" app functions or miniature "memory" curations conjured from the archives of the photos that my phone so judgingly retains unmanageably affecting.
The reassuring quality of natural stone constitutes a warmth and a presence in a room that's hard to ignore. Whether it's the coolness of flagstone underfoot in a country kitchen or a soaring overmantel, grounding the room with its tea-stained mottles and fortuitous motifs of nature's own design, natural stone lends at once a gentle yet imposing weight to an interior.
f it were up to me, I'd live in an eco pod high up in some distant hills with nothing but a weekly food market (and maybe a good hairdresser) within hiking distance. Although this is likely my anxiety at the easing of lockdown talking, the more I think about it, a simple, kind, quiet life of Earth-friendly living appeals.
hat does your lunch hour mean to you? Is it a walk around the block, a quick home workout or a bite to eat with a family-member-cum-colleague? Perhaps it's more of a lunch minute, back to the grindstone, still chewing. Maybe, though, it involves making some quick home updates to set you up for a productive, happy afternoon.
Lifestyle Design Over the last year, the status of the garden has been elevated from a pleasurable convenience to a hugely valuable luxury, writes Anya Cooklin-Lofting Sunday 21 March 2021 00:01 I n the absence of a garden of my own this spring, I have taken to following quaint garden accounts on Instagram, scrolling and lingering on the images of sun-baked, walled lavender gardens in Provence, bejewelled terraces of English roses and richly tiled, cactus-clad, Mexican sun traps.
Lifestyle Design It's time to raid your nearest antique store, as furniture from yesteryear is back in style, writes Anya Cooklin-Lofting Sunday 24 January 2021 00:00 I t's common these days to hear that a particular style of furniture, colour or fabric is "in" or "out".
Lifestyle Design Fear of getting it wrong is driving the boring floor market, says Anya Cooklin-Lofting. But plan from the beginning and soon you'll have a space that's vibrant from the ground up Saturday 09 January 2021 10:26 T here's a reason neutral, plain carpets dominate the flooring market.
Lifestyle Next year is likely to focus on homeliness - reconfiguring our homes to enhance our daily tasks, work and routines, writes Anya Cooklin-Lofting Friday 08 January 2021 15:34 Trends in the homewares market have been duly informed by the persistent, lingering and insidious threat of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Lifestyle Design Having a choice of surface space in a room can be a true luxury, writes Anya Cooklin-Lofting, and so here are some design tips for picking the perfect side table Thursday 10 December 2020 16:09 I f, like me, you're always manically scanning the room for the nearest place to rest a cup of tea or coffee, you too may dream of rooms filled with eclectic side tables of different heights, circumferences and styles.
Lifestyle Design Whether you're dusting off some artwork to hang or scrolling for the perfect rug, it's time to give some love to the humble hallways and lowly landings, writes Anya Cooklin-Lofting Friday 27 November 2020 20:47 I f the Covid crisis has taught us anything about our own homes, the lesson learned is that space is a luxury.
Sometimes a pared-back simplicity can do more for a home than multiple patterns and colours, writes Anya Cooklin Lofting Speaking as a dedicated accumulator of all things patterned, colourful, inherited, whim-purchased and found, delivering a few hundred words in celebration of monotone interiors, in the traditional black-and-white sense, has been an exercise in self-restraint.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the rooms in which we spend most of our time must be in want of a proper lighting scheme. By "scheme" I mean a network of lamps to allow you to achieve different atmospheres in the same room, instead of relying on a (deep breath) "Main Light" for all your lighting needs.
Lifestyle Design A more pared-back approach to passementerie has caught Anya Cooklin-Lofting 's eye Thursday 01 October 2020 15:17 T he tassels, edgings and embellishments of contemporary homeware often place the decorated sofa, cushion or throw in questions into the hugely popular category of Maximalism.
I'm forever in awe of the timeless style of the cities and homes that luxuriate saltily around the Mediterranean Sea.
The more I speak to people about working from home, the more I am convinced that it is a long-overdue benefit for those it suits. Yes, it took some adjusting, but the huge positives are ones it will hurt to give up when we all make our way back into the office.
The allure of the indoors-outdoors fusion is nothing new despite its prevalence in design discourse of SS20. Of course, those lucky enough to have gardens throughout the lockdown will have been making much better use of them, undoubtedly enjoying a blissful merging of the two realms.
Twinkling lights across the UK, emanating from suburban gardens, city balconies and roof terraces need not be confined to the cooler airs of the festive season. Outdoor lighting in the summer can be just as beautiful and uplifting, transforming a dark and unwelcoming outside space into an enclave of flatteringly lit clam.
Fireplaces, much like the ceiling roses of 2018 or decorative architraves of 2019, have become something of an obsession for me in 2020. Whether peering into rooms of near-strangers on Zoom calls, webinars or Instagram Lives, I have become increasingly aware of their sheer beauty and variety.
It seems that when asked how they feel about natural light in the home, interior designers grow verklempt with passion for the subject which seeps out into a lyrical poeticism worth scribbling down. The benefits of natural light reach beyond its positive physical and psychological effects and into the aesthetic value we place on the areas of our homes that receive it.
This swift, dutiful retreat into the home has a distinctly historical feel to it. Suddenly, the refuge of the bars and restaurants of Soho is no longer and our communities have shrunk to Medieval proportions.
If you are lucky enough to have the capacity to work from home over this strange period of uncertainty, video conference calls will have become a significant part of your working day. Marketwatch.com has reported that video calling app, Zoom, has added more active users so far this year than it did over the whole of 2019.
How many times have you balanced a cup of tea on a pile of books, which are teetering over your reading glasses, on a bedside table that's no bigger than a postage stamp? Until recently, this was my nightly fate; fumbling with the physics of balancing bedtime paraphernalia like Jenga blocks, growing more frustrated each evening - and spilling lots of tea.
I have been advised against starting this article with a reference to Game of Thrones for want of avoiding cliché, but I don't watch it and frankly am frightened by the level of commitment required to surmount the unending stream of episodes. So here we go: Winter is coming.
One surefire way to give yourself a sense of accomplishment before you've finished your first coffee is to make your bed - and make it properly. Because we are spending more (read: all) of our time at home, it's important that we create for ourselves a space in which we are happy to spend time in.
Winding down for a restful night's sleep needn't be a ploddingly monotonous nightly chore. Great design can elevate the everyday, from your nine to five, to your five to nine. So why not make the most of these precious evening hours with the help of some of the leading design brands launching sleep-savvy products.
They just don't make them like they used to anymore. Most contemporary new build homes are stark in aesthetic contrast to the architectural curiosities of period properties, what with the latter's acanthus plasterwork, Deco-style arches and high, corniced ceilings.
This year, summery floral patterns and prints won't be wilting as we descend into the winter months. Dark, moody floral homewares and accessories are this season's must-haves, and there are many ways to incorporate the trend into every room in the house.
So, your child is fleeing the nest in search of higher education, the best friendships they will ever forge, and the cheapest drinks they will ever buy, all in the name of getting a degree.
Neon typography art is a go-to for all new, Insta-centric bars and restaurants, and it's easy to see why.
There's a new rule that design gurus are urging us to follow: mix up your materials and finishes. Interior designer Katharine Pooley tells me that "a simple piece of furniture can be completely transformed with the use of high contrast finishes, adding interest and a sense of luxury to even the simplest pieces".
I can't possibly be alone in feeling as though my sofa is becoming the centre of my universe. It's where I check my work emails first thing in the morning with a coffee and it's the place to which I return after my lunchtime excursion.
Victorian-style animal patterns and tropical prints have become increasingly popular in the design world in recent months. From the domestic to the endangered, prints inspired by zoological and cryptozoological drawings from the mid to late 1800s can be spotted in homewares collections from the high street to the high end.
Hosting guests at home is the ultimate exposure. I have always found that my eBay mismatched tumblers, previously imperceptibly creased tablecloth or unknowingly un-plumped cushions all leap to the forefront of my vision as soon as guests pass over the threshold. Luckily, friends and family usually find it within themselves to overlook these minor hiccups.
It will be news to many that art need not be confined to canvases, imprisoned in frames or suffocated behind panes of glass. Generally, when we think of an art collection, we think of framed paintings and drawings hung on the wall.
According to a recent Savills report published over the summer, renter demand has become more discerning. A wave of interest in "lettability" among potential tenants is driving rental market trends. It is forcing a higher standard of finish across UK, and largely, positions character as an important marker of "lettable" properties.
We have seen some of the most wild and bold trends come out of the interiors industry in 2018. Maximalism in rich wallpapers and fabrics, black kitchens and art deco accents, just to name a few. However, there is one master trend that has found its way into all of these popular styles.
Not all chairs are created equal. Some are for dining, some are for children, some are on trains, planes and in cars, and some are just an extension of our wardrobes (read: chair-drobes). But chairs aren't always just for sitting - some have a little more personality.
It's a known fact that bathrooms can turn into overflowing medicine cabinets quicker than you can say "open shelving". Dreams of a restorative, tiled haven can seem out of reach, much like the new bottle of bodywash (refillable, of course) still sitting in your bag-for-life.
With more and more people opting for flexible working or freelance careers, the home office is becoming something of a necessity in British homes. Emma Gannon, author of the must-read The Multi-Hyphen Method, is a true pioneer of flexi-working and self-designed, bespoke careers.
There is an art to decorating your home for the festive period. It is one of the world's most democratic art forms, with endless themes, colours and tastes counting towards what is deemed a successful scheme. The criteria? Whatever makes you feel festively fuzzy on the inside.
As the clocks go back, many will start to live their lives largely by night. Without a brisk lunchbreak stroll, many an office worker will seldom see sunshine, commuting to and from their desks in a murky continuum of dusks and dawns.
Often, grey is forgotten. It is allowed to hang silently in a room like a shadow, its effects felt more keenly than they are seen. In other words, grey creates a base for a space or colour, rather than a focal point.
Velvet is fast becoming something of a trans-seasonal fabric choice in interior schemes all over the world. From hotels and bars to the most Pin-able of living rooms and bedrooms, velvet has scalloped, pleated and dimpled its way onto our feeds and into our homes.
Unless you've been living under a rock under the sea for the last year or so, you'll be hyper aware of the damage we're doing to our oceans. These watery plains have been the focus of many a news story in recent months, with shocking images of plastic-pocked waters and the animals impacted by our wasteful ways.
Amongst the chaotic trends of animal and suzani prints, stripes, tassels, velvets and novelty lamp shades is something of the English country home.
When Tom Howley decided to create a kitchen empire void of soft-close, handleless, high-gloss cabinetry, the interiors industry listened and consumers duly purchased. Kitchens often fall into two groups - the sparkling, luxe, tech-driven machines (that also - sometimes - accommodate some sort of food prep), and the classic country kitchen.
Almost a decade has passed since the publication of Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and the design community has reacted to this minimalist dogma in both cult-like and resistant ways. However, it seems the latter is having its moment, from fashion to interiors.
The kitchen is often the first place homeowners look to change when the urge to renovate kicks in. Post Office Money's 2019 survey about popular home improvements found that kitchen refurbishments were the most common improvement carried out over the last five years.
Maximalism, as we had expected, is still rife in interiors as we come into spring. One strand of this long-standing trend is chintz, which is experiencing a popularity of its own. From Gucci's pop-up store at Salone del Mobile this year to a selection of heritage British brands that have reappropriated this contentious design classic, chintz is back in full force.
As I write this, there are 283,940,545 #food posts on Instagram. Scrolling through, it becomes evident that, besides the single-hand-holding-bubble-waffle-with-busy-yet-blurred-metropolitan-background posts, all the images feature delightful bowls, boards and plates. It seems the humble food flat lay has become something of a phenomena.
It is fascinating that the vibrant, joyous and stimulating patterns and colours we have come to associate with Frida Kahlo were bred from such a sad, difficult life. Kahlo is known to have said, "I am happy to be alive as long as I can paint," shining a bittersweet spotlight over her prolific portfolio, and over the iconic image she created of herself.
With the odd exception, interiors brands seem to have entered into an unspoken eco-off. New brands must abide by the popular and necessary doctrine of environmental sustainability, and older, more established brands must change their outlooks, and more importantly, their materials and manufacturing methods.
"And the sun took a step back, the leaves lulled themselves to sleep and autumn was awakened." This short poem by Raquel Franco captures the sudden shift in season over the last few days with a sense of visceral tangibility. Also, I'm a sucker for a little personification.
Each summer, lamps become redundant relics of the cooler months gone by. That is, however, just the uninteresting variety, forgettable in stature and unoriginal in style. These are the kind of lamps that, once turned off, slip into the background of your design scheme leaving a general lacklustreness about your home.
As our homes shed their Christmas spirits, decorations are retired to attic-bound boxes and wizened pines are propped miserably against suburban kerbs. For so many, much of the joy of Christmas can be found in the adornment of the home: decking the halls, as it were.
The design industry
By Anya Cooklin-Lofting Dec. 13th, 2020 Chapter House X ELLE Decoration penthouse This month, ELLE Decoration, the prestigious design magazine and authority on luxury living, has partnered with Londonewcastle's residential development, Chapter House, to launch a show penthouse.
I know I'm not the only one to have taken pleasure in the resourcefulness this strange time has required of us. Crawling into the darkest depths of the pantry to retrieve cans and spices from which to conjure something vaguely edible (a compliment, in my household) has brought with it such a thrill, all to save one less unnecessary trip to the supermarket.
The aesthetic movement is often associated with the maxim, art for art's sake, identifying beauty as the primary objective in the creation of homewares, art, buildings and beyond. The phrase is taken from a 19th-century French philosophy that posits physical objects can only be considered true art if their creation is severed from any moral or functional intention.
Art industry experts are saying the era of the billion dollar painting is inevitable, tracking the resurrection of art to its once revered status. The buoyant art market is showing no signs of slowing down, a forecast echoed in the recent sale of Leonardo da Vinci's Salvator Mundi to the Louvre Abu Dhabi for a record-breaking $450.3m (£340m).
The parallels between fashion and interior design are multiple. We all aim to reflect our personalities through what we choose to wear and what we bring into our homes. We (oftentimes reluctantly...) follow trends, trying out a Bardot neckline or perhaps a few new velvet cushion covers.
Beyond art and jewellery, the modern day collectable is far-removed from the market for Baroque console tables or Georgian grandfather clocks. A younger demographic of affluent buyers is looking to brands that focus on quality over quantity, create limited edition pieces and provide exclusivity.
It has been the year of the collaboration. From IKEA X Adidas to Habitat X Shrimps, we have seen brands twist and fuse to create the most striking clothing, accessories and design items, bearing uncanny and delightful resemblances to each company involved.
As the year vanishes before us faster than you can say "Indian summer", September is almost here. In the interiors industry, September is a chaotic month of design shows and launch parties as London's design districts swell with visitors to the events, installations and trade shows.
It goes without saying that high-quality sleep has become a trend, a must-have and a sales angle. Good sleep is to people in 2018 what several espressos for breakfast was to those in the 1980s. Sleep sells, and all things somnolent - from mattresses to headboards and everything in between - will bubble up this month for a cluster of sleep-awareness initiatives.
Exclusive interview with Andy Sturgeon on Chapter House by Anya Cooklin-Lofting Covent Garden is one of London's most celebrated cultural neighbourhoods. Of late, this pocket of London has become a world famous destination for fashion, culture, food and theatre lovers. Covent...
Christmas is a time for reflection, storytelling and gratitude. So this week, I spoke to five top designers about the industry figures that have inspired them the most; the designers' designers, if you will. So, do read on to hear how the greats have influenced the greats in the unwaveringly supportive and appreciative design community.
The design community has been celebrating some major anniversaries, with more to come in the next year. 2019 will mark the 100th year of Bauhaus, and iconic scandi brand, string (as seen in the headquarters of the UN), will turn 80.
The pervasive nature of modern technology has found its way into the interior design industry in unexpected and exciting ways.
Clerkenwell Design Week is on the horizon, with BCN Design Week, Maison et Objet and London Design Festival following closely behind.
A sprawling landscape of installations (and bank-breaking cafes,) the bi-annual Parisian design fair, Maison & Objet, took place last month. From the emerging to the established, designers and brands from across the globe populated the labyrinth of eight large, interconnected halls across 115,000 square metres.
Deliciously chunky books with thick pages and glossy covers are to coffee tables what plates are to the dining variety. Weighty and sleek, these books may look like display fodder, but are instead reachable and readily readable. As Henry Miller posited in The Books in My Life (1969), "a book lying idle on a shelf is wasted ammunition".
Restaurants, hotels & travel
As the summer descends in rays and frittering hours, I find myself longing for an escape from the daily grind. Instead of quick deskside sandwiches and (increasingly humid) tube journeys, I'm pining for something a world away, for something unusual, where I can be free of the iron grooves of modern life and briefly settle somewhere remote to press pause.
For many years, my Grandmother has refreshed an annual subscription to my favourite print magazine for Christmas. Not only is it a generous and thoughtful gesture, but I look forward to sitting down with a coffee each month and leafing through the carefully curated pages, taking the time to read and enjoy great writing and beautiful photographs.
More than any time of year, the Christmas build-up requires a hefty serving of our social lives. I'm sure I'm not the only one with a calendar filling up with after-work drinks, Sunday lunches and dinners with friends in anticipation of the over-stuffed calendar itself; we book 'drinks' in as early as possible to combat the time-poor Christmas preamble, simultaneously succumbing to it.
The very idea of getting away from it all, feeling soft white sand between your toes and the sound of wind amongst rustling palm leaves, is enough to ease anyone through a slow Wednesday at their desk.
What cities spring to mind when you fancy a culturally rich, stimulating, exciting city break with friends or a loved one? Paris, of course. Rome, naturally. Innsbruck? If you say so.
One of my 2022 New Year's resolutions was to take a trip outside of my comfort zone, so my partner and I hired a campervan and toured some of the most beautiful parts of the Scottish Highlands.
Picture the scene: you've donned your coolest, floatiest clothes, a pair of trusty flip-flops and a rather sweet straw hat you picked up at the stifling market square just yesterday afternoon. Your skin smells of suncream and there is a light breeze to cut through the relentless rays of glorious sunshine.
Absolute privacy is a luxury only a few can afford. For the super-rich, low-key living in the suburbs doesn't always prove a reassuring option as it might for even A-list celebrities, forcing many to spend millions on establishing a veil between themselves and prying eyes or the paparazzi.
A continent fit to burst with things to do and see, Africa is a place of sheer diversity, both culturally and geographically. From the chance to see awe-inspiring landscapes and majestic animals to the opportunity to sample the very best African wines, music and arts at festivals and events, there is no more exciting, varied and striking place to visit with friends, family or as a solo traveller.
In Kazuo Ishiguro's 1989 Remains of the Day, his butler narrator, Stevens, spends considerable copy inches rhapsodizing over the English landscapes he witnesses on a short road trip permitted by his master. He describes a "quality that will mark out the English landscape to any objective observer as the most deeply satisfying in the world...
The thrill of revisiting old haunts for 'the usual' or discovering new places to wine and dine is still tangible after months of seemingly unending captivity. For me, it's the snippets of conversations collected like appetisers as you weave through busy tables, the fragrance from the kitchen as a waiter guides you towards your table.
When one visits Budapest, one is greeted by two very distinct yet equally charming plains. I'm not talking about the city's divided origins as Buda and Pest, but about the two most prominent ways of seeing it. Its first apparition as the Pearl of the Danube is the hodge-podge of Gothic, Renaissance, Romanesque and Baroque Revival architecture.
It is rare these days to stumble upon moments devoid of the need for distraction. Podcasts and music streaming services deliver almost constant scores over which to perform our daily tasks and we have windows to the Universe tucked into our pockets for easy-access escapism.
As the ashes of New Year's fireworks settle and the Christmas ornaments are wrapped in their ancient papers and stored, from the glittery haze of Betwixtmas emerges a singular sensation, a paradoxical cocktail of both gloominess and determination.
As much as great hotel design has inspired residential homes over the decades, hotels created with this influence in mind are emerging at a higher rate than ever on an international scale. A common theme in these dynamic new spaces is androgyny; a cool, dynamic and unrestrained aesthetic, unfettered by expectations of colour, material or shape.
As our collective thirst for photo-ready interiors is baited on Instagram and Pinterest, so is it quenched by the myriad design hotels and members clubs materialising across the globe. From the international Hoxton chain to largely millennial pink, velvet-centric independent joints, the modern western metropolis cannot compete in the hospitality sector without such spaces.
Lifestyle Design The indoor furnishing of a building should reflect its history and enhance the visual storytelling, writes Anya Cooklin-Lofting Sunday 21 February 2021 00:00 I f you ask any interior designer working today whether the wallpapered, upholstered, arranged, plumped and snagged innards of any heritage building should reflect its history, the answer will unfailingly be yes.