The Wallpaper* living room: make yourself at home with the latest lounge luxuries
Step inside our ever-evolving living room in the W* House, a space of perfectly formed and functional furniture. From slender chaises and contemporary consoles to vibrant vases and compact storage units; lounge lizards are invited to enter and relax...
Name: Costume
Designer/brand: Stefan Diez for Magis
Price: on request
A while back, Magis went to its long-term collaborator, designer Stefan Diez with a question: ‘what if we completely rethought the sofa?’ Drawing from his approach geared towards sustainable furniture, Diez’s answer was to imagine a sofa system made of just a few parts and as little polyurethane as possible, that could be completely dismantled and featuring a cover that is both washable and replaceable. ‘At the beginning, it all seemed quite complicated, almost impossible,’ the designer says. ‘In the end, we worked on it for four years and invested a lot of time in studying it.’ The Costume system (featuring sofas and armchairs available in different compositions) features a recycled and recyclable plastic core (from car and furniture waste), fitted with pocket springs and a thin layer of polyurethane, covered with a fabric that is fastened with tension belts and easy to remove. Its modular structure means each piece can be easily replaced, extending its life.
Name: Furniture collection
Designer/brand: Kara Mann for McGuire
Price: on request
Few design styles evoke the same combination of comfort and flair as the earthy, craft-centric aesthetic of Californian design in the 1970s, which is what made it a natural source of inspiration for veteran designer Kara Mann when creating her furniture collection for the California-based furniture company McGuire. Mann’s new 24-piece range imbues a level of luxury and refinement to pieces that otherwise embrace a casual ease, whether its in their low profiles, vintage proportions or use of highly textured materials.
From the seductive Lattice chaise, which features a woven rattan frame and an olive-toned leather cushion, to the round edged Column desk and its monolithic silhouette, the collection brings the nostalgia of the past straight into the present day.
Name: ‘Touch Half Moon' stool, maple
Designer/brand: Ilse Crawford – Studioilse for Zanat, available from WallpaperSTORE*
Price: £357
Created by Studioilse for Bosnian brand Zanat, the 'Touch Collection' is a multifaceted series of home accessories that includes benches, tables, lamps, consoles and sideboards. The semi-circular 'Half Moon' stool is one of the variations of seating from the series, and is defined by a sequence of carvings on its top. Made by hand by Zanat’s expert craftsmen, no two stools are exactly the same
Name: ‘Myself and I’, bordeaux
Designer/brand: Garth Roberts for Dante - Goods And Bads, available from WallpaperSTORE
Price: on request
A beautiful desk sure to stand out in any space, ‘Myself and I’ is a striking composition of elegance and practicality. Comprising a sturdy powder coated steel frame and surfaces upholstered in bordeaux-hued leather, this Garth Roberts-designed table is sure to make an impact in any space.
Name: TABA
Designer/brand: Alfredo Häberli for Moroso
Price: on request
Swiss/Argentinian architect Alfredo Häberli’s latest collection for Moroso is defined by overlapping line. ‘I play with the precision of lines and the poetics of the organic language,’ he says. It was old Argentinian rural game TABA that inspired Häberli for the range, which is played with a cow’s bones. The eight-piece Taba collection can be arranged in both public and private places, and fit together for multifaceted use with its asymmetric angles and impactful colour combinations.
Name: ‘Palm Leaves’
Designer/brand: Rosenthal, available from WallpaperSTORE*
Price: £75
A revival of Emilio Pucci's 1967 ‘Foglie’ collection, the 'Palm Leaves' series from Rosenthal applies a print created by the Florentine designer following his travels through Africa, Indonesia and South America. A detail of the resulting print is reproduced on the slim and tall ‘Palm Leaves’ vase, which is characterised by bold geometric arrangements in tones of orange, pink, red and blue
Name: #staythef***home desk
Designer/brand: Stykka
Price: £75
The current public health situation has made office workers around the world to retreat to their homes, and in some cases, work from their own dining tables and kitchen counters for lack of a proper desk. Those in search of a temporary workstation should look no further than Danish furniture startup Stykka, which has launched an affordable yet stylish desk in recycled cardboard. Shipped flat-packed, easily assembled in a couple of minutes with the help of zip ties, and fully recyclable once it is no longer required, the playfully named #StaytheF***Home desk meets all the requirements of the pandemic era. To allow more users to enjoy the design, Stykka is even offering the desk’s production files as a free download, so anyone with access to a laser cutter can print their own
Name: ‘Flora’ candlesnuffer
Designer/brand: Nick Ross for Skultuna
Price: on request
‘Flowers have been used throughout history as decoration in domestic settings, and have traditionally been popular gifts,’ Stockholm-based Nick Ross discusses his first design for Swedish brand Skultuna. ‘So when designing the candlesnuffer I felt the symbol of the flower was a beautiful metaphor to explore for Skultuna’. Part ornamental, part functional, the piece, made up of handle, heat guard and snuffer dome, mimics the shape of a daffodil, and has been elegantly sculpted by the heritage metal objects company in brass.
Name: Verso table
Designer/brand: Caterina Moretti for Peca
Price: $930
Following the Guadalajara-based brand’s motto ‘its all in the details,’ Peca launches this beech wood table that has effortlessly connected parts, which come together as an assortment of curves. Two intertwined legs touch the disc tabletop for a seamless finish that showcases artistic joinery. Realised by the Peca’s studio director and head designer Caterina Moretti, she embeds her passion for nature in the piece, and elevates this with a refined sense of geometry. The Verso design also is available in a larger coffee table version that sees the top extended, balancing on double converged legs.
Name: Bohemia Lamp
Designer/brand: Joan Gaspar for Marset
Price: on request
While the Bohemia lamp by Marset appears to be made from blown glass, it has in fact been crafted from polycarbonate, which allows it to take on a form fit for a cosy, 1970s-inspired living room. Created by Spanish designer Joan Gaspar, the lamp is available in three finishes: a deep red, an olive green and a rich purple. Its interior is white, allowing the light to reflect brilliantly across each of its surfaces. To showcase the lamp in all its glory, the brand enlisted the help of two bright sparks from the photography and set design worlds – Dani Pujalte and Josefina Sierra Guzmán.
‘I wanted to work from the functional decomposition of the object, to concentrate on materiality, form and colour. I abandoned logic to compose a series based on the free dialogue between objects,’ Guzmán explains.
Name: ‘Landry’ bookcase
Designer/brand: Egg Collective
Price: from $16,200
All-female design group Egg Collective revealed five new pieces that explore the relationship between architecture and furniture design during New York Design Week earlier this year. The new suite of living room furniture was developed during the design of the group’s Tribeca showroom, and the handmade bookcase’s asymmetrical composition is an elegant floating structure that is available in multiple wood finishes
Name: ‘Strøm’ jug
Designer/Brand: Nicholai Wiig-Hansen for Raawii, available from WallpaperSTORE*
Price: £92
Designed by Nicholai Wiig-Hansen for Raawii, the 'Strøm' jug is refined simplicity at its best. Bold faience inspired by the work of Danish artist Vilhelm Lundstrøm is defined by a strikingly crisp silhouette and the piece works equally as a functional or sculptural piece. Clean and uncomplicated, the jug is a seamless translation of Lundstrøm's interpretation of form and brilliant application of colour
Name: Vondel side table
Designer/Brand: Lemon
Price: from $834
These sculptural side tables were designed by Lemon – a South African studio founded by brothers Kevin and Ricky Frankental. While describing the shape as being ‘fundamentally functional’, the duo aimed to create a simple design that would highlight the natural properties of the travertine and marble from which it is made – creating a simple silhouette that allows the material to speak for itself. The table is available in four variations of stone: Rosso Levanto, Verde Guatemala, Red and Natural travertine
Name: 'Mirtus' vase
Designer/brand: Ivan Baj, for Visionnaire, available from WallpaperSTORE*
Price: $4,462
Blown from smooth amber-hued glass shaped into a sleek and sinuous vessel, 'Mirtus' is a statement vase in every sense. Designed by Ivan Baj for Italian brand Visionnaire, the rounded bottle-shaped container is all the more eye-catching for its clear crystal shell, which offers a second casing to the vase's exterior for a double layer effect
Name: ‘Niki’ modular tables and ‘Twel’ armchair
Designer/brand: Patricia Anastassiadis, for Artefacto
Price: from $2,074.36
Brazilian designer Patricia Anastassiadis describes her new range for Artefacto as ‘a more holistic aesthetic linked to values.’ She imbues memories of places and people collected during her travels for the materials and shapes in the collection. For the ‘Niki’ modular tables, earthy terracotta tones hearken back to ancient places and ceramics, while the ‘Twel’ armchair is a riff on a traditional household piece through sharp points and edges
Name: Lolita wall lamp and Gelato coffee table
Designer/brand: Humbert & Poyet, from The Invisible Collection
Price: €3,780 and €15,645
Designer duo Humbert & Poyet looked to the Art Deco movement when it came to crafting their own furniture collection, which features these polished brass lamps and handmade marble table. Available exclusively through The Invisible Collection, the pieces are typified by bold colours and luxurious materials, creating what they describe as a range of ‘unique pieces of art that express contrasts of modernism and classicism’
Name: 'Distinct’ side table
Designer/brand: Ferm Living
Price: £969
Danish brand Ferm Living explores geometry, colour and materiality through its ‘Distinct’ side table. Using Japanese minimalism as a reference point, the piece examines how complex structures can be created from a single element, namely acrylic-stone. Using various expressions and layers of the material, ‘we get to create a unique and harmonious design language,’ states Ferm Living founder and creative director Trine Andersen
Name: 'Mantis’ desk
Designer/brand: Samuel Wilkinson for Case Furniture, available from WallpaperSTORE*
Price: £1010
Designed by Samuel Wilkinson for use in compact areas, Case Furniture’s ‘Mantis’ desk was created to facilitate neat and tidy workspaces. This is enabled by attachable accessories — including a small draw, a file holder and a back panel that can be used as a note board or a privacy screen — which work alongside a solid ash wood top that features a removable plate concealing an internal storage tray, ideal for hiding cables and wires. Bolstering this unique level of practicality are four detachable steel legs that allow the table to be packed up and transported with ease
Name: 'Babel' and 'Saba' scented candles
Designer/brand: Indici, available from WallpaperSTORE*
Price: £232
Housed in an exquisite white porcelain vessel designed by Sayar & Garibeh and created by renowned British porcelain manufacturer Jotta House, Indici's 'Babel' and 'Saba' candles are the perfect balance of modernity and traditional. The scents and concepts are designed by Loulwa Dimachkieh; 'Saba' features top notes of bergamot, cloves and cumin, middle notes of cedar and wood fire, and base notes of patchouli, hay, vanilla and musk, while ‘Babel’ has top notes of wallflower, buckskin and everlasting flower, heart notes of cinnamon, cloves and orris, and base notes of leather, amber and patchouli
Name: ‘Link’ suspension lamp
Designer/brand: Utu
Price: from €3,542
When Utu was planning the design of its new Link lighting collection, the team were keen have it exuding sophistication. Utu decided to work with glass for the first time, pairing soft globes with intersecting, metallic tube configurations. Handmade in Portugal, the end result is a striking yet subdued form which is available in coloured lacquered metal, brass and copper finishes. Writer: Luke Halls
Name: ‘Classic’ tray
Designer/brand: Wetter Indochine, available from WallpaperSTORE*
Price: £62
Every piece created by Wetter Indochine adheres to the Vietnamese brand's mission to produce homewares that uniquely balance contemporary design, nostalgic silhouettes and minimalist finishes. The 'Classic' tray brings the brand's East-meets-West approach to life by applying a contemporary aesthetic and finish to a piece that has great significance in Asian dining culture. Cut from locally sourced lacquered MDF and featuring two handles for ease of use, the sunken tray presents a chic way to serve food and beverages
Name: Epasso+Motta
Designer/brand: Atelier Carlos Motta for Espasso
Price: from $3,650
For the first time in its 40-year history, the architect and designer Atelier Carlos Motta has produced a furniture collection for an international showroom. Teaming up with design gallery and retailer Espasso, the Espasso+Motta range is comprised of a lounge armchair, dining armchair, dining chair, dining table, and this sofa and minimal, angular coffee table. Effortlessly refined, the collection is Brazilian to the core, combining homegrown modernist design with sustainably reclaimed Peroba wood, native to the southern Brazilian rainforest. Writer: Luke Halls
Name: 'Alberi' vase, tall
Designer/brand: Hands on design, available from WallpaperSTORE*
Price: £484
Conceived by Italian studio Gum Design and produced by Hands on Design, the 'Alberi' vase manages the feat of being rustic and contemporary in equal parts. Carved from pine, which presents a soothing gradient of brown, this taller version of the 'Alberi' vase is thoroughly unique and makes a beautiful centrepiece
Name: Disused tables
Designer/brand: Supaform
Price: on request
For the Disused collection, Supaform founder Maxim Scherbakov used digital artwork to inform the architectural silhouettes. These multifunctional tables meld materials and appear as contemporary sculptures for the living room set with their geometric compositions
Name: ‘Tríptico Infame’
Designer/brand: Pedro Paulø Venzon
Price: from US$ 3,8002
This sculptural table is a continuation of the Brazilian designer’s exploration of narratives in the culture of design, particularly differences between form and function. The balance in its abstract silhouette is formed by a whimsical configuration of wooden shapes, lending itself to its name that translates to ‘Infamous Triptych’
Name: ‘Atoll’ sofa
Designer/brand: Antonio Citterio for B&B Italia
Price: from £5,702
Italian maestro Antonio Citterio has been designing sofas for B&B Italia for years, yet shows no signs of running out of ideas. His latest modular seating system, ‘Atoll’, includes chaises longues, pouffes and this perfectly symmetrical sofa. Its expansive, slender base – in pewter or black chrome – emphasises the line between the frame and the cushions. Whether in fabric or leather, it’s just what we need for a long lie down. Illustrator: Klima. Writer: Harriet Lloyd-Smith
Name: Irene Infantes for Christopher Farr rugs
Designer/brand: Irene Infantes for Christopher Farr
Price: from £4,300
The London-based rug company is introducing a collection of four contemporary rugs designed by textile artist Irene Infantes. Spanish-born Infantes’ designs are energetic and abstract, appearing like hand-crafted wool or silk collages. Each rug is produced in different parts of the world, such as India and Afghanistan, and applied with versatile craft techniques available to Christopher Farr. Infantes’ rugs all feature a single line running through the design, symbolising the journey of the artist, and tracking changes in her inspiration and life – each one acts as a snapshot in time. Graphic and upbeat, these rugs, which are inspired by the surprises of daily life, would add a surge of flavour to any interior
Name: 'Casa Modernista' sofa
Designer/brand: Doshi Levien for Moroso
Price: from £8136
The Casa Modernista Sofa is welcoming and soft, while maintaining an industrial, geometrical style. Doshi Levien payed homage to Gregori Warchavchik, a Russian-Ukrainian architect responsible for promoting modern architecture in the 1920’s Brazil for the sofa’s charming and modern silhouette that celebrates contradictions in its design. The London-based duo see this sofa as ‘a space where opposite interpretations of time transit: productive and disconnected, social and personal, temporary and continuous’
Name: ‘Tenon’ table
Designer/brand: From the Land Studio
Price: £645
The Peckham-based studio is developing its use of natural stone, progressing from designing plant pots to now launching side tables. The Tenon table is made up of two hand-cast sections that join together forming a contrasting look of alternating stones, such as Derbyshire limestone, Shropshire black basalt or Scottish red granite. With the option of 36 different colourways, the terrazzo-style table offers a playful addition to any modern abode
Name: ‘Mellow’ vase
Designer/brand: Studio Hattern, available from WallpaperSTORE*
Price: £152
Studio Hattern’s ‘Mellow’ vase is a minimalist interpretation of the moments of colour, tone, texture and light conveyed in Impressionist paintings. Graduating tones of green and blue are paired with a blurred transparent finish that causes the acrylic vase’s colours to change and diffuse under the effect of refracted lighting. The result is an object that offers a unique experience of colour and light through a contemporary realisation of an iconic art movement
Name: ‘Thomas’ armchair
Designer/brand: Metrica for SP01
Price: from £673
Thomas armchair, designed by Metrica for the Australian furniture brand, SP01, features delicately sculpted details and a rigorous form. The Milan-based design studio embraces Italian craftsmanship while also maintaining an international outlook – Thomas could fit in anywhere. Featuring a bent plywood shell integrated into a solid ash frame, with elegant timber detailing, this chair is strong and inviting. In order to pair Thomas with a range of interiors, SPO1 provides many fabric and leather upholstery choices. The chair is available in a natural, light wooden veneer or painted black, offering a classic addition to a living space
Name: ‘Curva’ magazine holder
Designer/brand: AYTM, available from WallpaperSTORE*
Price: £138
Undulating strands come together to form AYTM’s ‘Curva’ magazine holder, a whimsical yet sleek storage solution. Between each rise and fall of the thin brass-finished bars, space is created for magazines and small books to sit neatly in a beautiful design that will introduce a contemporary aesthetic into any space
Name: ‘Yves’ console
Designer/brand: Studio Ashby, for The Invisible Collection
Price: €19,285
Digital design brand The Invisible Collection have enlisted Studio Ashby for its latest range. British designer Sophie Ashby nods to her nomadic lifestyle and penchant for art in the 17-strong collection. This is reflected in the eclectic materials and styles used throughout, from a contemporary acrylic console that takes its cues from the works of Yves Klein (pictured), to more organic and classic pieces like marble side tables, and an oak grain veneer dressing table
Name: ‘Trio’ unit
Designer/brand: Achille Castiglioni, for Karakter, available from WallpaperSTORE*
Price: £479
Milanese designer Achille Castiglioni thought a lot about lost space. So much so that many of his designs were intended to slot into the empty corners of the home — areas where precious square metres and inches were lost due to layout. Designed by Castiglioni in collaboration with Giancarlo Pozzi, ‘Trio’ is a triangular multipurpose unit intended to fit into empty corners. Crafted from black stained oak, the unit offers three shelves and will make the most out of awkwardly shaped voids at home and in the office
Name: ‘Courtesy’ side table
Designer/brand: Michele Seppia, for Nero Design Gallery, available from WallpaperSTORE*
Price: £638
Designed by Michele Seppia for Nero Design, the ‘Courtesy’ table uses shape and material to take you on a journey across space and time. With a top made of Giallo di Siena marble and an iron base featuring blue enamel detailing, the piece was produced as a limited-edition series of 30
Name: ‘Folkifunki Elephant’ vase
Designer/brand: Jaime Hayon, for Vista Alegre, available from WallaperSTORE*
Price: £328
A bold, unmistakable palette of red and blue accented with hints of gold is the unifying aesthetic of the Folkifunki collection by Jaime Hayon. Created for Vista Alegre, each piece in this series of decorative porcelain tableware is adorned with a unique artwork inspired by animals, plants, masks or images, including elements of national folklore. This vase takes its inspiration from the elephant, seen clearly in its silhouette and depiction of facial characteristics, and can be displayed when empty as an original piece of art
Name: ‘Echo’ side table
Designer/brand: Mark Albrecht
Price: €4,250
Mixing minimalism and modernism, Mark Albrecht studio developed a fresh take on the side table with ‘Echo’ that launched last year. The table is a combination of wood, steel and leather to form a utilitarian piece handmade in Albrecht’s New York workshop. The round, vertical shaft of the ‘Echo’ minimises vibration, and the ‘Solist’ – a version with only the top tray – is ideal for sliding under a sofa to maximise living space. ‘With my latest work, I feel I am probing deeper into my roots as a sculptor,’ says Albrecht, who reaches the perfect balance between the practical and ornamental with this collection
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Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.
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