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Get the Look: Citrine and Olive in this... | Spencer Thorpe Blog

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Some colour combinations are loaded: with meaning, with vitality, with nostalgia for a specific era in time. Such a combo is citrine and olive, the sunny golden yellow and rich deep green of the Mediterranean.

Citrine takes its name from the coloured quartz which can occur in a range of yellows. Olive, of course, is the deep rich green of the leaves and fruit of the olive tree. Together they create a perfect balance that we’ve seen put to good use by interior designers of the mid-century modern era, such as the Eames and George Nelson, for companies like Vitra.

Vitra is the Swiss family-owned company whose name is synonymous with streamlined and liveable design for residential and commercial interiors. Founded in 1950, Vitra began collaborating with great designers from the outset – early partnerships with Charles and Ray Eames and Nelson set the tone for years to come. Today Vitra is renowned for well-made furniture and its work with designers that reinterpret the values of the past in designs that are made for modern living.

A perfect example is the modular sofa designed by Vitra regular Jasper Morrison. It offers maximum comfort and flexibility – add seating and a chaise or ottoman as you wish.

The sleek, angular unit goes well with the strong round contours of this blonde wood Guéridon Bas coffee table designed by Jean Prouvé.

Over the years Vitra made full use of new technologies in moulded plastic and these occasional chairs by Jasper Morrison are a good example of the state of the art. They are reminiscent of a classic wooden chair, but are solidly indoor/outdoor and have a sophisticated built-in flex mechanism and a choice of two-tone colouring. And this handsome Hal Ply wood chair, also by Morrison, is a curvier iteration of the dining chair.

Vitra pieces are well-made, very attractive, and worth every penny. But you can also get a similar look on the high street with lower priced versions sourced elsewhere. We’ve discovered some great comparable pieces for a Vitra-inspired living room in shades of citrine and olive with pale wood accents.

Take this yellow fabric sofa from Habitat, for example. Sunny yellow, it features comfy cushions and a sleek profile, with a chaise extension on the left and wooden legs, £765. Habitat also carries a slightly more formal version – more formally tufted, this modular unit can be upholstered in either green or citrine (and a bunch of other colours).

When it comes to anchor pieces of furniture for your living room, it’s important to choose colours for your comfort level – you have to live with them after all. Select a more neutral tone with the odd citrine or deep green accent, or go for the boldest colour and temper it with other furnishings and accessories in more muted shades.

Either way the Vitra-inspired look we’re building from today features lots of pale wood – as in this oak coffee table from Choice. £195 Or go straight to the source for Vitra’s Noguchi classic coffee table in maple and glass, £1260. Chairs in the Vitra tradition, like these natural oak veneer ones from Habitat, are also an option. £60

We also suggest adding smaller accent pieces in natural materials like these pale beech wooden bowls, or even greenery in terra cotta pots relocated from the garden (these one are personalized too!), to add texture and dimension to the room. £15/£30 Textiles that pick up on the citrine and olive theme can easily be made into curtains or soft furnishings to pull the entire look together. This yardage is available at John Lewis; it has the requisite retro feel as well. £17.60/metre

The Vitra look is sophisticated and warm; aspiring to its streamlined and classic values will land you in a living room to be proud of.

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Concrete luxury in a beautiful Scandi renovation | Spencer Thorpe Blog

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When we wrote our city guide to Stockholm, one of the places we didn’t know about was At Six, in Stockholm’s Brunkebergstorg Square. Opening this month, it’s an amazing transformation of a brutalist 1970s high rise building that previously housed the HQ of Swedbank, although unlike the new Ned Hotel built within the former Midland Bank in London, it is at least a building that was originally designed as a hotel, but until now has never been used as one. Like most places, Stockholm suffered/enjoyed (depending on your viewpoint) the sweeping zeal for brutalism in the 1970s, which led to many belle époque squares being replaced by concrete.

The owners have approached the renovation with real imagination. They tell us it will house one of Europe’s most ambitious modern art collections (and mention the likes of Julian Opie, Sol Le Witt, and Tacita Dean) which will be curated by Sune Nordgren, formerly of Gateshead’s BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art and the interior has been reimagined by London’s Universal Design Studio and features local and classic furniture, custom lighting and local wood. This was no simple makeover though – they also added three new floors to the building, a bunch of restaurants, a gym and a wellness centre.

The look throughout is sympathetic to brutalism, but has touches of luxury throughout: think sawn stone, blackened steel, polished granite and rich timber. Universal’s brief was to humanise the building: adding touches of luxury and elegance to what would otherwise be a stark building to reinvent the grand hotel of old for the modern age.

Get the Look at Home

We love the look that Universal have achieved in the At Six hotel. We also have a soft spot for concrete, brutalism and rich midcentury furniture, so we love that they’ve worked ‘with the grain’ by celebrating the building rather than hiding it. Here’s how to take inspiration from some of Universal’s ideas.

1. Don’t be scared of grey

The starting point of the redesign of the hotel was the architectural context of the city square it sits in and the béton brut of the building itself. Rather rather turning its back on the grey of concrete, they’ve embraced it. Grey can be a warm and rich-looking colour if used right. We’ve featured concrete shades of paint before and there’s even concrete-style wallpaper you can get hold of to add texture to a scheme too. We also love this faux fur throw from Feather & Black which gives elegant cosiness to a monochrome scheme. Don’t overdo it with grey: the trick in the hotel is to contrast grey with classic furniture, light colours and punchy art.

For some bright art prints that sit well with modern schemes, take a look here.

2. Add pieces that look luxury

Black, walnut, copper, brass and marble are all really in vogue right now and bring a rich luxury feel to any bedroom or living room scheme. We’ve featured Tom Dixon lighting in a number of our shopping guides and we’re big fans of Buster & Punch too. Whatever you do, make sure you tie it together well — gold, copper and brass for example all together work well but too many metals can look cheap.

3. Play with scale and mass

An interesting aspect of these high-end design schemes is the contrast between elegant, fine accessories with chunky, solid woods and marbles. We love the chunky smoked glass and metal accessories on this coffee table.

4. All white bathrooms are boring

There’s much more bathroom choice on the high street than there used to be both in colours, materials and finishes. You may not be able to stretch to a carved marble free-standing bath like here, but marble and marble effect tiles or deep grey floor tiles can add a spot of luxury to a regular bathroom. Remember the duplex makeover we saw with the Japanese bath? We love these Statuario tiles from Topps tiles made of pure white natural Italian marble.

Getting there

If you’d like to stay at the At Six hotel, take a look at their website. They have 343 (beautifully designed) rooms. Flights to Stockholm from London Stansted via Ryanair start at £42. Easyjet flies from Luton and British Airways from Heathrow.

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World-class elegance and liveability from Space... | Spencer Thorpe Blog

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It’s not often you get to sit on chairs designed for the people behind Noma, voted for four years the world’s best restaurant. But with the new collection from Space Copenhagen, inspired by the chair they designed for Noma spin-off, Restaurant 108 in Copenhagen, you can have a slice of Noma for keeps.

Space Copenhagen

There’s a lounge chair, dining chair, side chair, dining table and coffee table all with that trademark beautiful finish redolent of relaxed high-end living. But these aren’t just furniture pieces to be admired from a distance. Design duo Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou are passionate about functional furniture, designed for comfort, living and fitting in with the realities of family life — this is elegance with liveability.

Introducing Slow

We caught up with Peter and Signe to find out more about them and the story behind their Slow Collection. Their inspiration is a mix of mid-century Danish and classic Japanese design. The collection is a tribute to heritage and craft, while remaining modern and comfortable. The wood is rich walnut and ash, and seating features thick leather to maximise comfort. The style throughout is understated luxury.

IDEALIST: Can you tell us about how you came to work on the Slow Collection that you’re launching today?

Signe: Peter and I have known each other for more than twenty years dating back to our time at the Danish Academy’s School of Architecture. Not long after finishing school we started our businesses and in a small city such as Copenhagen, we became each other’s best competitor very fast. So ten years ago we decided to join forces and here we are today. That’s a very short version of the past twenty years!

Peter: I think one of the things that stood out was that our focus was on something in Copenhagen and Scandinavia that nobody else really did. You had a lot of architecture companies but none of them were handling the intermediate scale between design and architecture. It was a very mutual passion of ours: the place where crafts, the detail, the presentation of the textures meet. It was something we had as a mutual interest and we bonded on that from the very beginning. It became the basis and the focus of our practice and I think we were about the first that really focused in this way and applied such thinking to hotels and restaurants. There was almost no competition at the time. And since we were friends as well it made sense to team up. We also appreciated each other’s opinions and the dynamics of the dialogue itself and I think we benefitted tremendously from the duality of being two sexes and you could say about our work that the aspect of contrast is very important.

IDEALIST: So, when we met downstairs just now, it was the first time you’d seen the new finished furniture collection together. Is that right?

Signe: Yes. But it’s very often like that. It’s a very exciting moment. We originally did these chairs for a restaurant in Copenhagen that opened last summer so this has been going on for a while. We started with the dining chair and that’s how many of our furniture products originate: from a project with a certain intention of a space or a collaboration with a client.

When you see the first prototype chairs, you then you need to go through all these different tests because one thing is the beauty of the details, but it is also about functionality. Given their slender form, we need to ensure they are sturdy enough to be sold in the market for commercial projects.

Peter: In the past, Milan was used to showcase prototypes, but increasingly designers are showing their finished work, so there is additional pressure to show pieces that are truly ready and not just aesthetically ready.

IDEALIST: And you were showing me downstairs how you have a range of different woods in a range of different colours. How do you decide the woods and stains to use and how does it all come together?

Signe: It’s very much the way we’ve always worked. I think many of our projects look very different but there’s one consistent thread — and that’s the passion for material. For as long as we can remember we’ve worked with different treatments, such as different types of woods and different stains, different smokes, different lacquers, different oils, different ways of actually showing the beauty of the wood. And that also goes for the metal. In the dining table, you saw how the metal is inserted into the table top: it’s a darkened metal in a certain colour and tone. All these kinds of things we’ve always been extremely fascinated about.

We feel there is a certain luxury in that slowness, that intimacy which is connected to the slowness of a wonderful meal or the slowness of a chair changing its character over the years.

Peter: We also tend to go quite soft in terms of colours. The Slow idea is translated into the materials and the way they appear is that they’re not aggressive. It should be that you don’t grow tired of the colours and design. There are a lot of colours used that are fashionable but will not endure. For that reason we very often go with natural colours, with the qualities that a certain wood has and then we then complement that with the darker finishes. When we go into the leathers, we have a tendency to go for the complementary blacks, the browns and the grays. A certain aspect of our look is being neutral and at the same time being fun. So, I think that’s something we tend to go back to over and over again. When you buy a piece like ours, our intention is you should actually keep it for a long time and it withstand the challenges of everyday life and the changing rooms and fashions, living a very long life.

IDEALIST: So, everything is also very liveable?

Signe: One of the reasons why the collection is called Slow is because everything seems to go so fast around us in the modern world. We feel there is a certain luxury in that slowness, that intimacy which is connected to the slowness of a wonderful meal or the slowness of a chair changing its character over the years. In a market where everything is substituted very fast, we feel that there is a certain beauty in investing in something and keeping it for a long time, so the collection is also about celebrating slow in many ways.

IDEALIST: It seems every season there’s a new Scandi word that we should live by. Last year it was hygge and now it’s lagom, we’re told. Is the vogue for these things just crazy to you, just silly?

Peter: I don’t think we relate to that in particular. We’re quite aware that the world is certainly interested in Scandinavia at the moment but you have to remember growing up there is different because it has been our reality which means we don’t consciously enforce the values that become vogueish: they are just unavoidable for us. They’re part of our way of thinking. I think we just basically come in with our background and a certain upbringing and then apply it with the curiosity that has to do with everything else. I think it’s the infusion or the confrontation with different cultures into a very set and sturdy and heavy Scandinavian background. That’s where we get the work from: it’s that dialogue between different cultures from overseas and our home.

IDEALIST: Is there one designed object to see and think ‘I wish I’d made that’?

Signe: I think that’s probably a very difficult question to answer but I think the answer is that there’s a lot. I think we find that there’s so much beautiful especially actually historic pieces out there and we actually talk a lot about that when we look back at our Scandinavian heritage but also in general: there’s a lot of modern heritage furniture that was extremely daring.

There was something very playful about many of these iconic pieces but we are always relaxed about the origin of designs: we don’t see ourselves as Scandi, for instance. For us, coming from a small country we’ve always travelled abroad and all the pieces that you see now and also in our past are inspired by Africa or Japan or American industrial design, for example. We’ve always been influenced by different cultures and we still feel that’s a very important value: to take inspiration and curiosity instead of looking back at history. It’s about being open to the world and being constantly curious about what’s going on.

IDEALIST: You’re not going to name one favourite, are you?

Peter: No, but I think it’s because the whole idea of favourites is questionable. Even within your own range, your mood changes It’s not just about saying what I like, it’s just saying that the complexity is exactly what makes it worthwhile.

It also means that there’s a multitude of things that I might find fascinating but they do different things for me and I can’t compare them. There is something about Japanese design and architecture that works amazingly when you’re Scandinavian because there is a mirror effect but there is also that curiosity around difference. There is recognition somehow because we’ve seen it but then they do it so differently so there’s also that curiosity and that’s very interesting because you certainly find yourself into this kind of momentum where you’re both looking but you’re also thinking and that’s very stimulating.

IDEALIST: Both traditions have a really strong respect for natural materials and craftsmanship.

Signe: Yes, definitely and very often when we go to Japan we see they definitely have the feel and attraction to Danish design and they see that Danish furniture works very well within their very traditional buildings. But the funny thing is that many Danish designers were originally inspired by everything in Japan, so there is a dialogue somehow which has become a part of our mutual history. And there is a certain slowness, a certain filtering of detailing and very subtle ornamenting. So we have that, we share that belief or passion in these two very different countries.

Peter: What we hope for example with a chair is that once somebody acquires it it should be open for whatever happens to it and the life of the chair actually contributes to its beauty — that small dent that somebody makes, that stain that becomes part of it — and all of a sudden out of thirty years that chair has not only survived, it has history and at that point something amazing happens. That’s also what we feel when we visit classic cities such as here in Italy. There is an abundance of life and history in Italy: cities that show the traces of time and all of the life that’s been lived within them and that’s just something beautiful you cannot beat.

To find out more

You can see Space Copenhagen’s range, from design and furniture to architecture and interiors here.

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Amazing Designer Lighting Spotted at Milan Design... | Spencer Thorpe Bloghttps://spencerthorpe.tumblr.com/post/159411069779/amazing-designer-lighting-spotted-at-milan-design_=_ Milans Salone del Mobile is one of the biggest events in the diaries of interior designers around the world so we couldnt resist the chance to visit one of our favourite cities to check it out. You might also like: Idealist City Guide to Milan Were big fans of designer lighting here at The Idealist so when we visited the exhibition we were like moths to a flame drawn towards the lighting displays. Some of our most-loved designers like Buster amp; Punch and Tom Dixon were in town showing off their own lighting collections and we also discovered some new favourites along the way. You might also like: Buster amp; Punch Modern Heroes While we were there we noticed a movement towards designs that illuminated the natural qualities of light how it looks as it hits the surface of water for example or what it does when it enters a glass prism. The other trend we couldnt miss was the use of handmade elements in designer lighting collections. We spotted hand blown Murano glass a number of times most notably in the spectacular installation named Between Light and Time by London-based lighting design company WonderGlass. These were some of our favourite lighting designs from the newly-unveiled WonderGlass installation. Fluid Collection and Fluid Edition by Nao Tamura Fluid Collection Nao Tamura is a New York based Japanese designer whos known for her ability to find an emotional connection with her audience. Fluid is her fourth collaboration with WonderGlass and its as innovative as it is beautiful. Taking inspiration from the sun hitting the surface of a lagoon Tamura aimed to capture the lens effect of this natural occurrence in her Fluid Collection and Fluid Edition. She particularly focused on the spark-like moment that occurs when light hits the water and the end product is a beautiful collection of sculptural glass designer lighting. Fluid Edition Were picturing this beautiful design in an industrial space or even a nautical inspired room. The collection is striking enough to be a statement but soft enough to be integrated into the existing decor of a space. You might also like: Lights Camera Action Cinema Style Lighting Rise amp; Drift by Hideki Yoshimoto This stunning designer lighting collection was created by Hideki Yoshimoto of Tangent design studio. It was unveiled as part of an installation at Maison et Objet in Paris earlier in 2017 and showcased again at Salone del Mobile in Milan. Inspired by the refraction of light in water bubbles these eye-catching lights look more like pieces of art than just a way to illuminate a room. The resin cubes contain crystal bubbles representing air bubbles rising to the surface of the water. The light itself comes from LED sources underneath the cubes so the bubbles are lit to look like theyre breaking free to the surface. The result is breathtaking and certainly a statement piece for a bold interior design. Luma by Zaha Hadid WonderGlasss collaboration with the much-missed superstar architect Zaha Hadid was one of the Euroluce designer lighting collections that immediately caught our eye. Hand blown in Murano Luma perhaps best described as a chandelier features tubular segments each subtly diffusing light through organic shapes. The effect is designed to celebrate the unrivalled logic and beauty found in nature and the resulting soft glow of the designer lighting concept is both enchanting and spectacular. Luma was originally created in 2014 but it has been reimagined and updated for 2017. We can imagine this mesmerising design in large open spaces like a minimalist lobby for example. Wherever you see it though Luma is bound to steal all of the softly-glowing limelight! The post Amazing Designer Lighting Spotted at Milan Design Week appeared first on The Idealist. from The Idealist https://www.theidealist.com/designer-lighting-milan-design-week/ from The Idealist Magazine https://theidealistmagazine.tumblr.com/post/159411032998

Get a fresh mid-century modern look with this new... | Spencer Thorpe Blog

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Today’s bedroom design takes its inspiration from some mid-century classics, teaming Ercol with Eames and George Nelson and decorating with olive, orange, pale blue and cream. A classic and fresh combination with pale woods throughout.

Mid-century Modern

Mid-century modern is a design style that describes 20th century developments in graphic arts, furniture manufacture, architecture and urban planning. The term covers the years from roughly 1933 through 1965.

You’ll likely recognise the style from pop culture vehicles like the American TV series Mad Men (2007-2015). The sets of this show about Madison Avenue advertising culture in the 50s and 60s were dressed with then demure/now show-stopping pieces by mid century modern masters such as Charles and Ray Eames, Isamu Noguchi and Eero Saarinen.

The Mid-century Modern Style

These mid century modern furniture designs feature the simple angular or organic shapes, tapered legs and classic wood materials that have become synonymous with the look. The colours are generally pale – untreated or clear-lacquered oak and beech, or richly polished teak and walnut, in the woods.

Geometric patterns for textiles often incorporate starbursts, arrows and iconic nods to the cosmos and progress, all in a sophisticated mix of olives and rusts/orange, and pale blue to offset all that blonde wood. Many of the wooden furniture pieces are dressed with subtle bronze or copper details. From the sixties on, the occasional punctuation of primary colours added vitality.

Large mid century furniture pieces are also frequently crafted from cushy leathers, and chairs from moulded plastics, an innovation of the period. Not unexpectedly, the craftsmanship for mid century modern furniture is pristine, with dove-tailed joinery and precise proportions, in a natural extension of the Arts and Crafts movement in hand manufacture with a bit of new industrial technology mixed in.

Get the Look

Get your own fresh mid-century modern style look with Teramo, a new line of bedroom furnishings from Ercol, available at Feather & Black. Expertly crafted from pale oak and designed with Ercol’s hallmark spindle headboard, the Teramo bedstead has the easy, timeless quality that typifies mid-century interior design. As the centrepiece of your bedroom, this good-looking bedstead will set the tone for an elegant and unfussy space in which to cocoon from the everyday world.

Mid-century colours for the bedroom

The Eames were huge influences on the colour palette used in the mid-century style and used pale blues, burnt orange, olive and cream in their fibreglass work and accessories alongside beautiful pale woods.

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The heritage of Ercol

Founded in London in 1920 by Italian immigrant Lucian Ercolani, the furniture design and manufacture company Ercol came to prominence with designs that turned war time austerity into a virtue of simple lines and unassuming beauty.

Today, the company’s use of sustainably harvested hardwoods and environmentally-friendly water based stains and lacquers, rather than solvent based finishes, is widely lauded. And their reissues of classic pieces from their mid century modern series, including the iconic Butterfly chair, Stacking chairs and settles are highly coveted.

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Back in the bedroom, continue creating your version of mid century modern serenity with bedside tables from the Ercol Teramo line. Made from pale oak and adorned with touch-friendly oval drawer pulls, these tables display the detailed craftsmanship (dovetail joints, finished and tapered edges) common to mid century modern wood pieces. £235*

Styling the Look

Top them with a warmly glowing table lamp. This bedside version from John Lewis utilizes a less common, but still important, hue from the mid century modern colour palette: pale blue. £160

For additional ambient lighting, we love this tripod lamp from Habitat. Made from natural ash with a silk off-white shade, this simple piece will gently brighten up a corner of your mid century modern oasis £139

Keep time in your timeless bedroom

Forgo dressers completely by installing this three-door wardrobe – it’s large but could replace several smaller pieces, so ultimately will help maximize the bedroom floorplan. And the piece contains tons of storage space with its combination of closets and drawers. The wardrobe echoes the design and materials of the bedside tables and bedstead; it’s a solid piece that will last decades. £1405*

Adding Classic Pieces

Epitomising the playful side of mid-century modern design, the RAR Chair by Charles and Ray Eames from Heal’s feels as fresh today as when it was first introduced over 60 years ago. The plastic moulded rocking chair version sits atop a chromed wire base and two arched maple beams. It comes in several colours, but we love the calm of this chair in cream. £465

Keep time in your timeless bedroom with this quirky multi-coloured George Nelson wall clock for Vitra. And hang your robe on this metal clothes rack also featuring coloured balls, a match for the clock and further evidence of mid century modern’s playful side. Hang It All clothes rack by Charles & Ray Eames for Vitra £205

Finally, complete your mid century modern look with the Teramo storage bench stowed at the foot of the bed. £470* Use for storing extra bed linens and blankets and pile it high with books about the era (we recommend Modern British Furniture: Design Since 1945 by Lesley Jackson from V&A Publishing) and a few of these geometric patterned throw cushions from Habitat.

You may also like

The Complete Guide to Midcentury Style

Modern Heroes: Charles and Ray Eames

Design Hero: George Nelson

Lowdown Upper Street

Design Shopping in Islington

This is a sponsored post which contains affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions expressed however are those of the author for The Idealist and are not of the sponsoring company.

*Prices are valid as of time of initial publication and could differ.

The post Get a fresh mid-century modern look with this new range from Ercol appeared first on The Idealist.

from The Idealist https://www.theidealist.com/mid-century-modern-ercol-bedroom/



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Designing the perfect urban escape: the story of... | Spencer Thorpe Blog

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On the launch of a new book about the design, style (and food!) at the Nordic Bakery, The Idealist meets with Miisa Mink about designing the urban Nordic escape, the Scandi aesthetic of calm, welcoming warmth and of course their beautiful food.

Font and flavour is the Nordic Bakery’s first lifestyle book and will be out in May. We’ve seen an advance copy and can report it really conveys the Nordic Bakery aesthetic and captures the quintessential elements of coffee culture, design and food. It’s filled with beautiful minimalist photography and the story of those behind the Nordic Bakery and some of their customers.

The face behind Nordic Bakery

The ‘face’ behind the business is Miisa Mink who wants to share her belief of the joy that comes from simple moments of calm and how the harmony of attention to detail fusing with freshly baked cakes and the smell of cinnamon buns coming from the oven can only ever be a good thing. Miisa, comes from a career in branding and design but is also a passionate baker. In 2008 she left the corporate life and became a partner in Nordic Bakery.

IDEALIST: Can you describe the Nordic Bakery experience for someone who hasn’t yet visited the cafe?

Miisa: Nordic Bakery is a beautiful Scandinavian style café coffee chain famous for cinnamon buns, dark rye and honest coffee.

A place of calm

When you step inside one of our four London coffee shops, your enter a place of calm with the welcoming aroma of coffee and cinnamon buns. We’ve used each space in a minimalist way to create a space that is uncluttered in contrast to the frantic lives lead by Londoners. There is no noisy background music and the experience is still and silent so that customers can enjoy a place where they can have a meeting or rest their mind.

beautiful design and honest food, thoughtfully served

IDEALIST: Was there a sudden moment that led you to quit your corporate life for the Nordic Bakery?

Miisa: No, but I had stepped away from the corporate world of international advertising and was living my life in a more balanced way. I already knew the first Nordic Bakery café in Soho – I loved it for its silence and beauty and decided to get involved. I have loved helping it grow into the brand and community that it is today.

Baking is love

IDEALIST: What is it about baking that you love so much?

Miisa: My love of baking developed from an early age. I grew up in a foodie family. There was always fresh bread at home too, baked by my father who ground his own flour from whole grains bought locally. Baking was and still is a social activity in my family and when I bake, a crowd gathers in my kitchen, drawn by the smell of fresh bread or cakes.

The Scandi aesthetic

IDEALIST: You have a very distinctive aesthetic at Nordic Bakery. How did that come about?

Miisa: The cool, northern aesthetic of Scandinavia speaks minimalist in every way and this is reflected in the very essence of Nordic Bakery. When the business was established, the goal was to create something of lasting quality based on a philosophy of no gimmicks, beautiful design and honest food, thoughtfully served. No one else was doing it. Ten years on, people are buying into the Nordic way of life – crime dramas, literature, fashion, food and design.

Nordic Bakery is more than a café or a brand. It reflects a whole way of life where joy is allowed to come from simplicity not complexity and its ethos has never been more relevant than now.

IDEALIST: How do you want people to feel when they visit Nordic Bakery?

Miisa: I want people to feel that Nordic Bakery is their refuge and to feel welcome and relaxed when they visit us – like coming home.

The book

IDEALIST: Why have you chosen to do a book?

Miisa: This is our tenth anniversary and the opening of our new flagship store in Covent Garden marks a step-change for Nordic Bakery. It puts us on the global stage. So it seemed very timely to publish Font and Flavour as a celebration of the principles on which Nordic Bakery is based.

IDEALIST: What’s in the book?

Miisa: The essence of the book enables you to lose yourself and be transported to a place where silence and beauty is evident. The beautiful photography shot by Milla Koivisto captures the essence of the Norse people and the narrative of Nordic Bakery. The book gives a glimpse into how our ideas are conceived and where we source our products with stories from my own life and those of our community of customers.

IDEALIST: Who are your heroes both in the kitchen and in design?

Miisa: I admire Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall for his back-to-basics food philosophy and appreciation of pure ingredients, forest-to-plate recipes and his campaigning for the environment and the oceans.

My design hero is Kit Kemp for the unique interiors she has brought to Firmdale Hotels. Even though her visual aesthetic is very different to Nordic Bakery, the underlying values of quality and harmony remain.

IDEALIST: What are your ambitions for the next 12-18 months?

Miisa: We are working to establish our flagship store on Neal Street, in Covent Garden’s Seven Dials district as the go-to place to take a refuge and enjoy a perfect cup of coffee and some hearty Nordic baking for people who work and live in the area and for those visiting. Further expansion may also be in the cards.

IDEALIST: What’s your favourite recipe?

Miisa: My favourite recipe is Nordic Bakery Date cake – a wonderful moist and sticky cake that is great with a cup of coffee for fika or for dessert.

IDEALIST: Is there anything you would do differently if you had your time over?

Miisa: I’m not one for regrets!

To find out more

To see more from Font and flavour, Scandinavian moments with Nordic Bakery, visit the publisher’s page here.

Thank you to @MILLAKOIVISTO for NHP Publishing for all photos.

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Tom Dixon x Bemz for IKEA | Spencer Thorpe Bloghttps://spencerthorpe.tumblr.com/post/159223227554/tom-dixon-x-bemz-for-ikea#_=_ Who would have thought that high end luxe designer Tom Dixon whos known for his designs in copper marble and stone would team up with Scandinavian affordable furniture specialists IKEA? A brand thats synonymous with pale wood and simple designs doesnt scream haute couture but thats exactly what Tom Dixon is bringing to this unusual collaboration. Tom Dixon The design began with a hackable piece of furniture (more on what that means shortly) and is complemented by a haute couture cover thatll turn an IKEA sofa into a show-stopping design piece. You might also like: Our Top 5 from the Loaf Spring Collection So whats this collaboration all about? Read on to find out. The DELAKTIG Bed/Sofa This piece of furniture created by IKEA in collaboration with Tom Dixon was designed with furniture hacking in mind. If youve never heard the term furniture hacking before its not as technical as it may sound. I bet youve been in this position before. Youve imagined a perfect piece of furniture but then its impossible to find. You might be able to stumble upon something close but its not the right colour or the right height or the hardware is all wrong. So what are your options? Either you settle for something that doesnt quite work in your space or you spend an astronomical amount on a custom piece of furniture. Right? Well actually theres a third option. And IKEA knows it. Its called furniture hacking and its the idea of customising a piece of furniture so it suits your needs. The Creative Director of the DELAKTIG spoke about this concept saying We know that people want to make things different to have their own identity. Until now in order to achieve this people have been coming up with their own ways to redesign or hack IKEA furniture to suit their needs. It could be as simple as repainting a piece or as complex as completely repurposing an item into something else altogether. But rather than resisting the customisation of their pieces IKEA has decided to embrace it by creating something thats made to be changed. Tom Dixon worked with the Scandinavian furniture designers to create a product that can change and evolve according to the owners needs. The IKEA DELAKTIG has so far been reimagined as a bunk bed an airport lounge and even a raft. And now Bemz is the first company to hack the bed with a collaboration that was announced at Milan Design Week. Bemz x Tom Dixon transform the IKEA DELAKTIG Bemz is a Stockholm-based textile design company that specialises in custom-made covers for IKEA furniture. They only select high-quality fabrics made from natural materials that are all machine washable and are designed to extend the life of the IKEA furniture they were created for. Bemz and Tom Dixon have teamed up to create an unusual haute couture cover that is sure to transform the IKEA DELAKTIG. We have developed an extra furry cover in brownish black Icelandic long-haired sheepskin destined to transform the DELAKTIG sofa from a hyper-normal IKEA product into a super-texture Tom Dixon seating sculpture. This illustrates in the most extreme way the transformative nature of the project where a new cover manufactured by Bemz can completely change the character of your sofa through the power of design. A previously sensible minimal and rational bed sofa transforms into a moody dark and tactile animal said Tom Dixon about the product. This cover which was unveiled at Milan Design Week is just the beginning of a whole Bemz x Tom Dixon collection of stylish covers which could transform your IKEA sofa from average to incredible in just a matter of seconds. The Bemz x Tom Dixon collection of covers will be available to the public in February 2018. The post Tom Dixon x Bemz for IKEA appeared first on The Idealist. from The Idealist https://www.theidealist.com/tom-dixon-x-bemz-ikea/ from The Idealist Magazine https://theidealistmagazine.tumblr.com/post/159223058473

MUJI showcases contemporary Japanese creators in... | Spencer Thorpe Blog

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There’s a new interiors trend that seeing artists and designers introduced to a wider audience by showcasing them in high street stores. Similar to diffusion ranges in fashion, we’re seeing collaborations between the likes of Habitat and Henry Holland, Tom Dixon and IKEA and now MUJI is host to six contemporary Japanese creators in their new offering in Milan. The Idealist met with them at their launch as part of Milan Design Week to find out more about the inspiration behind the range.

The MUJI look

MUJI has always been known for their muted colours and minimalism and that aesthetic is certainly reflected in this new exclusive range, but this is the first time we have seen them showcase the designers/artists of the works themselves and talk about the process of their creation.

Tatazumai

The exhibition is called “Tatazumai” which translates to “appearance,” “shape,” or “atmosphere,” and is an expression of the way a single object can change and charge the atmosphere around it. All the pieces we saw are modest, handmade and beautiful and speak to the process of their own creation (I mean, they look made rather than manufactured). We particularly liked the glassware from Tsuji Kazumi in sea green, orange, blue and white. All of her handmade glass is created in her own atelier, from glassblowing, to cutting, decorating and delivery.

The tatazumai range is comprised of over a hundred woodwork, ceramic, glass and clothing objects, reflecting the brand’s emphasis on the power of simplicity, quality and functionality. This is quite a departure from the plastic boxes, selvage jeans and pale wood pieces that MUJI is known for, but fits in perfectly with their overall look.

This focus on celebrating the small things suffuses the whole range.

It’s all in the name

If you’ve ever wondered why MUJI products are so plain (it’s the kind of plain we love that’s shared with a certain Scandi aesthetic, it’s all in the name. The name comes from their vision to sell ‘No Brand, Quality Goods’ which in Japanese is “Mujirushi Ryohin”, or MUJI for short. They’ve come along way from their first concession in Liberty of London in 1992, but the cool, perfectly thought out look remains.

Beautiful ceramics

We spoke to another of the artists, Iwata Keisuke, a ceramicist who explained his work and encouraged us to pick it up. He was first introduced to pottery many years ago when his father took him to a ceramics factory which lay in a valley two hours away by bus and train from his home. People sat cross-legged on straw mats working on things and people seemed serene compared to life in his coal-making town. He was drawn to the dusty water jugs at the back of the shelves and now finds himself creating ceramics that incorporate water. The most curious piece was a beautiful ceramic ball designed to hold a single seed which when waters will grow into a plant. This focus on celebrating the small things and the beauty of hand-crafted objects suffuses the whole range. While none of it was cheap, we could have cheerfully filled a box with all of it. A handmade wooden box with no writing on it, obviously.

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Idealist City Guide: MILAN | Spencer Thorpe Blog

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Milan is today’s style capital of focus for The Idealist. Home year round to a world-class array of shopping and sights, it’s also host to a range of fairs for the world of fashion, furnishing, books, cars, technology and food. Ellie takes us on a hunt for places to shop, places to stay (if you can get in!) and Milan’s top sights.

Situated in the northwestern Po Valley, the province of Milan is well-known as one of the fashion and design capitals of the world. Milan is also known for its world-class opera theatre, Teatro alla Scala. Throughout the year Milan plays host to a rolling parade of trade shows and fairs, but whatever you’re in town for, try to venture out beyond the main drag and see a bit of the city like a local.

Style Shopping

Arform

Founded in 1955, Arform was one of the first furniture stores in Via Turati. It was created with the goal of refurnishing houses after World War II, but in a way that didn’t follow trends. This is the perfect shop for design lovers. This is a great spot to pick up glassware, dinnerware and other small kitchen items.

Via della Moscova, 22, 20121 Milano, Italy

+39 02 655 4691

De Padova

De Padova began selling imported imported Scandinavian furniture at their store in the 1950s. Over the last six decades, they’ve worked to design and furnish many famous buildings, including the Centre Georges Pompidou’s cafe. We love De Padova’s range of neutrally coloured sofas, armchairs, tables and chairs.

Via Santa Cecilia, 7, 20121 Milano, Italy

+39 02 777201

Understate

The main attraction of Understate is their exclusivity; their furniture comes from lesser known brands. While they may not be the biggest name in the fashion world, Understate has worked tirelessly to create a unique design style. This is a great shop for modern seating and lighting.

Viale Francesco Crispi, 5, 20121 Milano, Italy

+39 02 6269 0435

Nilufar

In 2015, one of Milan’s premier design dealers, Nina Yashar, opened Nilufar as a way of sharing her previously private collection of thousands of pieces of furniture with the world. Nilufar is three stories of absolutely stunning interior design. We absolutely love their selection of rugs.

Via della Spiga, 32, 20121 Milano, Italy

+39 02 780193

Kartell Milano

Kartell Milano has it all, from beautiful pieces of furniture to lighting and home accessories. In addition to creating and curating exquisite furniture collections, Kartell Milano has a strong focus on functionality and ease of use. They have excellent selections of minimalist tables and chairs for both dining and working.

Via Carlo Porta, 1, 20121 Milano, Italy

+39 02 659 7916

Staying Over

Nu Hotel

Clean, elegant design with a focus on function makes this hotel a great spot for design lovers. It’s also conveniently located near the Udine Metro Station.

Via Feltre 19/b, 20132 Milan, Italy

+39 02 971 5451

Starhotels Anderson

If you’re looking for a hotel that absolutely oozes style, the Anderson is for you. It combines minimalistic style with beautiful colours and is a favourite amongst the design jetset when the shows are in town.

Piazza Luigi di Savoia, 20, 20124 Milano, Italy

+39 02 669 0141

nhow Milan

Falling somewhere in the middle of every spectrum, nhow Milan’s innovative style and plentiful accommodations are sure to keep you entertained. The penthouse rooms are to die for and have been occupied by the likes of Brad Pitt, Rihanna and Edward Norton (not at the same time, we imagine — but that would make a great story!). Designed by Matteo Thun, you’re looking at about 2,000 euros a night for that experience.

Via Tortona, 35, 20144 Milano, Italy

+39 02 489 8861

Galleries and Museums

Kaufmann Repetto

Formed through a collaboration between Francesca Kaufmann and Chiara Repetto, this gallery has a range of wonderful exhibits — from the main exhibition to the larger outdoor pieces. This is the home of single-artist special exhibitions.

Via di Porta Tenaglia, 7, 20121 Milano, Italy

+39 02 7209 4331

Pinacoteca di Brera

If you can only see one gallery in Milan, Pinacoteca di Brera is a good choice. It was established in 1776 and is the main public gallery in Milan. Think Bellini, Raphael, Carravaggio.

Via Brera, 28, 20121 Milano, Italy

+39 02 7226 3264

Studio Guenzani

Directed by Claudio Guenzani since its opening in 1986, Studio Guenzani presents work from both local and global artists, including having shown such names as Louise Lawler and Cindy Sherman.This is modern photography and art on display in a great setting.

Via Bartolomeo Eustachi, 10, 20129 Milano, Italy

+39 02 2940 9251

Food

Of course, Milan is a great destination for wonderful eating from the simple to the extravagant, with all the high-end hotels offering world-class and world cuisine. Seta, for example, within the Mandarin Oriental, is the top-rated restaurant in Milan and offers beautiful tasting menus of fish and game and rich cuisine. But we figure you know how to find smart restaurants, so we’ve picked out a couple of alternatives which are simple, honest Italian food for when you’re on the go.

Verace

Verace has a simple tag line: “Pizza. Food. Coffee.” By constantly searching for ways to better their quality, Verace has taken this simple concept and made it into something extraordinary.

Corso Buenos Aires, 80, 20131 Milano, Italy

+39 02 3652 6503

Sapori Solari

By offering a wide variety of cold cut meats and cheeses, Sapori Solari provides an authentic Italian dining experience for a reasonable price.

Via Sofonisba Anguissola, 54, 20146 Milano, Italy

+39 02 3651 0020

Piz

When people think of Italy, pizza is often the first thing that comes to mind. If you’re looking for some of the best pizza in Milan at an affordable price, check out Piz.

Via Torino, 34, 20123 Milano, Italy

+39 02 8645 3482

Must-See Attractions

Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Last Supper”: You’d be hard-pressed to find an artist more revered than Leonardo Da Vinci, or a painting more famous than The Last Supper. Painted on the wall of the Covent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, The Last Supper is one of Milan’s most treasured historic artefacts. Just don’t ask why they’re all sitting on one side of the table.

Piazza di Santa Maria delle Grazie, 20123 Milano, Italy

+39 02 467 6111

The Duomo de Milano : The Milan Cathedral is one of the most extravagant buildings in Milan. Construction on the Milan Cathedral began in 1386, and additional pieces were added over the next 130 years. Look out for some particularly puzzling and curiously modern-looking statuary: Left of the altar is the most famous statue of all the Cathedral, the Saint Bartholomew Flayed (1562), by Marco d’Agrate: the saint carries his flayed skin thrown over one shoulder like a stole. Damien Hirst has nothing on this! We also recommend going up on the roof — it can get crowded up there, but the views of the city and surrounding landscape are amazing.

Piazza del Duomo, 20122 Milano, Italy

Parco Sempione: This scenic city park is a combination of a quiet, relaxing area and a must-see attraction. It covers 95 acres, which includes an aquarium (with occasionally free entry), a sports stadium, and a medieval castle.

Piazza Sempione, 20154 Milano, Italy

+39 02 8846 7383

Getting there

Depending on which airline you book with, a flight from London to Milan will cost you between £65 and £200. Note that there are 3 airports close-ish to Milan, but travel time into the city varies from 20 minutes to over an hour, depending on whether you come into Linate, Malpensa or Bergamo. Linate is the closest to the city. The flight takes about two hours each way.

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from The Idealist https://www.theidealist.com/city-guide-milan/



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London, UK

A design enthusiast from London, UK. I love spending time with family, friends, and travelling. Love all types of music. Work hard Monday-Friday, spend my off time on hiking trails.