Tag Archives: hay

sorrento simplicity.

Sorrento is a beautiful coastal town on Victoria’s Mornington peninsula, and I have very fond memories of seemingly endless summer days spent on the beach there. This summer house captures the vibe perfectly in its simplicity and feels just about right on these gorgeous, late September days.

Natural materials reflect the surrounding landscape with timber floorboards, in this case Fir with a white oil finish, and the woody exterior, stained black. Clean white walls reflect the coastal light, with texture provided by the timber lined ceilings, again kept white. The living spaces are open plan with the clever insertion of a log-burning stove and bank of cupboards on one side, and kitchen units on the other. The joinery is kept consistent throughout – white cabinetry and palest grey glass mosaic tiles adding texture and tone wherever a waterproof surface is required. Built-in shelves and a low ledge behind the bed are always a good idea. A second bathroom is kept simple with panels of ply and a reclaimed metal trough.

Scandinavian classics are plentiful with low-slung leather armchairs, Louis Poulsen’s PH5 light, and lots of pieces by Hay and Iittala.

House in Sorrento by Shareen Joel Design. Photographs, Brooke Holm. Via

a modernist in berlin.

15 Replies

Part of the 1957 building exhibition in Berlin’s Tiergarten park, this Modernist glass atrium house was designed by Eduard Ludwig, an architect who studied briefly at the Bauhaus, and whose passion lay in the design of bungalow-style houses. He studied under Mies van der Rohe and the influence of modernist masterpiece the Barcelona Pavillion is evident here.

The simple lineality of the building is echoed internally with the floating linear kitchen cabinets, built-in, low-level storage lining the living area, and bathroom vanity in palest stone suspended against a full wall of mirror. Textured surfaces abound and are enhanced with splashes of intense colour in the palette of dark orange, black and off-white. Simple, classic furniture pieces like the shaker style chair (Hay do a simlar one, here) and brass domed kitchen pendant hold their own and yet perfectly compliment the space.

Beautifully restored by architectural firm bfs design: Atrium House by Eduard Ludwig via Daily Icon.

Photos: Annette Kisling

fab four: side tables.

3 Replies

1. DLM (Don’t Leave Me), manufactured by Hay is really a tray with legs and a handle. Made from powder-coated steel, it is available in some fabulous colours. Also by Hay, the Tray table

2. Marrakech tile tables designed by the multidisciplinary design/architecture studio Claesson Koivisto Rune would look fabulous on a terrace or as a plant table. From Twentytwentyone (currently on sale!)

3. Summit Nesting Tables by Brooklyn-based industrial design practice Moving Mountains. Made by hand and crafted in solid ash, via design milk

4. Small table with tray, manufactured by De Padova. White laminate tray with curved solid beech wood trim and painted steel base. From Twentytwentyone (currently on sale too)

Which do you like best? I spied more side tables on the always interesting D-Pages blog, yesterday. I particularly like the organic form of the Powell table.

More fab four, here

folklore.

9 Replies

Islington in North London is home to an abundance of design stores, from the big players – Twentytwentyone, Coexistence, Aria – to the smaller independants, to the wonderous antiques and ephemera shops that line the cobble-stoned Camden Passage.

The latest addition to Upper Street is Folklore, a collection of simple and functional, often recycled, homewares, furniture, art and lighting. The aesthetic of the interior is raw and natural but refined, with pale walls, white painted floors and reclaimed timber panels, all housed behind a simple, dark framed shopfront. There is a wonderful cohesion between interior and product, with the products displayed on hanging shelving made from reclaimed scaffolding planks which have been sanded back and left untreated. With the ethos that ‘better living is possible through design’, the product focus is clearly on well crafted and functional pieces.

Products are sourced globally, for ‘simplicity, craftsmanship, quality and durability’. Some products are unique to the store; of note, a dining table by Soren Rose Studio in Copenhagen, and textile designs by local artist David Shillinglaw. Others are recognisably current and sought after – Scrapwood Wallpaper by Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek and the PJ60 Desk Lamp by Orsjo. One of my favorites is the recently relaunched J110 by Danish design house Hay (see my previous Hay product review, here) and some beautiful, simple clever lighting pieces like the Pulp pendant, made, unbelievably, from old newspapers.