Design Awards 2017: best of the rest

Best reissues
Updated design classics have come full circle

This year we were delighted to welcome back Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s ‘Miss’ chair from 1986 and Walter Knoll’s ‘375’ chair series from 1957. New old lighting came in the form of the iconic ‘Taccia’ lamp by the Castiglioni brothers, now available with a dimmable LED in a black or silver anodised finish, while Gino Sarfatti’s ‘Model 2065’ pendant has been revived by Danish/Italian brand Astep. Meanwhile, Italian carpet maker Amini has translated Joe Colombo’s sinuous pop shapes into rugs in a series of colour palettes.

Pictured: ‘Miss’ Chair, £900, by Tobia Scarpa, for Molteni & C. ’Isola’ rug, £1,400, by Joe Colombo, for Amini. ‘Model 2065’ light, £735, by Gino Sarfatti, for Astep. ‘375’ Sofa, £3,943, by Walter Knoll. ‘TACCIA’ Lamp, $2,995, BY Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, FOR FLOS. douglas flooring, from £63 per sq m, by Dinesen.

Photography: Paul Zak. Interiors: Amy Heffernan. Writer: Rosa Bertoli

Best panic room
‘Strong and Panic Room’, by Agresti

Luxury safe specialist Agresti has created the ultimate place to hole up in comfort. A new concept in protected space, the ‘Strong and Panic Room’ acts as a vault for jewellery, watches and fine wines and as an emergency area providing total safety. The structure can be installed in any location and has impressive technical features: it’s fire- and gas-resistant, soundproof and accessed via biometric recognition through an armoured door. The dressing room-style interiors are fully customisable, while Agresti’s technology allows you to control your house from within using CCTV and anti-intrusion tools. There’s no place we’d rather sit out a siege.

Pictured: ‘Aster X’ ARMCHAIR, £2,750, BY Jean-Marie Massaud, for POLTRONA FRAU. On shelf, Allsorts, €7, packaging by Bond Creative Agency, for Cloetta. JG’s octopus in olive oil with garlic, £8; JG’s small mackerel in olive oil, £5, both FROM A Portuguese Love Affair. Cornichons, Dkk36 (€5), packaging by Mouse Graphics, for Feldthusen. Pear crisps, £1, by Perry Court Farm Shirt, £310; wrap, Price on Request; skirt, £295, all by Pringle of Scotland. Shoes, £350, by Church’s.

Photography: Alberto Zanetti. Fashion: Lune Kuipers. Writer: Rosa Bertoli

Best speckle
We’re dotty about these terrazzo-inspired homewares

Mario Botta’s reinvention of the Fixpencil uses a chessboard pattern to emphasise its hexagonal shape – a perfect complement to Normann Copenhagen’s new stationery range, designed by Danish fashion-design agency Femmes Régionales. Terrazzo turns up again in Altfield’s splotchy fabrics and Schönstaub’s carpet, with Max Lamb’s splattered stool sitting pretty on top.

Pictured: ‘Splatterwear’ fabric, £146 per m, by Pollack, for Altfield. ‘Daily Fiction’ File Holder, £20; Notebooks, from £15, all by Femmes Régionales, for Normann Copenhagen. Fixpencil, £50, by Mario Botta, for Caran D’ache. ‘Obloha’ Lamp, €199, by RacoLab, for Raco. Schonstaub x Terrazzo project carpet, €1,320, by Schonstaub. ‘Last Stool Splatter’, €249, by Max Lamb, for Hem. ‘Down pipe’ paint, £40 for 2.5 litres, by Farrow & Ball.

Photography: Paul Zak. Interiors: Amy Heffernan. Writer: Rosa Bertoli

Best henge
Our monument to the high, mighty and monolithic

Diamonds are the designer’s best friend, if these towering examples are anything to go by. The dazzling facets of Baccarat’s ‘Louxor’ vase create almost psychedelic optical effects, in marked contrast with the sombre oak planes of Restoration Hardware’s ‘Geometric’ cabinet. In a show of technical virtuosity, meanwhile, Fort Standard has fashioned its ‘Relief’ cabinet from soapstone, referencing industrial storage with hinged compartments and diagonal ‘bracing’. Industrial materials also make an elegant appearance in Uhuru’s ‘Tack’ console, with its zig-zagging sheet of blackened steel. Christopher Stuart describes his ‘Glitch 2’ desk as ‘sculpture at a furniture scale’, but you could say the same of everything here.

Pictured (from left): ‘Louxor’ Vase, $950, by Baccarat. ‘Tack’ Console, $5,400, by Uhuru. ‘Relief’ Stone Cabinet, price on request, by Fort Standard. ‘RH geometric Double-Door Cabinet’ in Ash Brown Oak, from $3,195, by Richard Forwood, for Restoration hardware. ‘Glitch 2’ Desk, $20,895, by Christopher Stuart, from The Future Perfect.

Photography: Anthony Cotsifas. Producer: Michael Reynolds. Writer: Christopher Stocks

Best tossers
We’re flipping loving pancakes right now

The once-humble pancake is now complex, multi-layered and a little bit of a show-off. In New York, streetfood-style cassava-flour crêpes from Brazil got a Manhattan makeover courtesy of Oca. Paper-thin but with the crunch of a taco, they contain organic fillings, such as wild salmon, wasabi, pumpkin seeds and avocado. In Osaka, Hummingbird by Very Fancy specialises in fluffy pancakes made with cheese and best enjoyed simply with granola butter. But the humble buttermilk pancake, flipped on its head by Dutch foodie Patricia Trijbits at London’s Where The Pancakes Are, had us at the first stack. With an option for every hour of the day, our current favourite is the cinnamon-tossed pineapple with cream, lime, coconut, pomegranate and toasted almonds.

Pictured: ‘Table S’, €1,800; ‘First Chair’, €900, both by Muller Van Severen, for Viaduct. cutlery, part of The cutlery project, from €11, by Maarten Baas, for Valerie Objects. ‘Sediment’ cup and plate, from £25, by Os & Oos, for Umbra Shift, from future and found. Coffee Jug, £85, by Hend Krichen, for Clerkenwell London.

Photography: Matthew Donaldson. Writer: Emma Moore

Best boat
Tinnie 10, by Joey Ruiter

‘I’m curious to see if the icons we know and love can be articulated in another way,’ says American industrial designer Joey Ruiter of his reimagined ‘Tinnie’, the classic small Australian fishing boat. A dart-like two-seater, his tiny Tinnie 10, just 3m x 1.9m, comes in at under 80kg and is formed from welded and bent powder-coated aluminium, with white oak flooring and high-tech fabric on the centre bench. ‘My dream is to start a small regatta race series,’ muses Ruiter, who is pictured with his Tinnie 10, inspired by fishing boats usually found in the southern hemisphere. ‘slow speeds, cocktails, inner-city river racing viewable from rooftops and buildings.’

Photography: Jesse Chehak. Writer: Jonathan Bell

Best hot desking
The latest moves in the agile office

Nendo has reinvented the whiteboard, transforming the standard rectangle into a fabric-backed disc that rolls into place as a room divider. Meanwhile, this desk by US studio Ladies & Gentlemen puts the Shaker aesthetic on wheels, and Joan Gaspar’s lamp for Marset has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, making it wire-free and utterly portable. Emeco may be best known for its aluminium chairs, but now Sam Hecht and Kim Colin have successfully applied its industrial aesthetic to shelving.

Pictured: ‘Shaker’ Desk, $6,600, by ladies & Gentlemen Studio. ‘Ginger’ Lamp, £240, by Joan Gaspar, for Marset. ‘T‘ Chair, £469, by Jasper Morrison, for Maruni. ‘Spectre’ Laptop, from £1,150, by HP. ‘Space One’ on-ear headphones, £370, by Kef and porsche design. ‘Rolling Workspace’, price on request, by Nendo, for Kokuyo. ‘Run’ Shelves, from £3,698, by Sam Hecht and Kim Colin, for Emeco. ‘Nuage’ Vases, from £109 each, by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, for Vitra. ‘Waxed Khaki’ paint, £37 for 2.5 litres, by Dulux Heritage. Douglas flooring, from £65 per sq m, by Dinesen.

Photography: Paul Zak. Interiors: Amy Heffernan. Writer: Christopher Stocks

Best cover star
Blackstar, by David Bowie and Jonathan Barnbrook

David Bowie’s passing heralded a year of frightful and saddening comings and goings. Bowie died just two days after the release of his final album, Blackstar. He was experimental to the last; the album’s cover, created by graphic designer and long-time collaborator Jonathan Barnbrook, was the first not to feature an image of Bowie but instead a series of mysterious hieroglyphs. And the album artwork kept delivering surprises. If you hold the gatefold cover to the light, a celestial image is revealed; expose it to a black light and it shines a vivid blue. ‘I think it is boring to understand everything immediately,’ says Barnbrook. ‘There are some people who have the album that don’t realise the front says “Bowie”. It is all about a sudden realisation, or knowing there is sensitivity in the design that equates to the sensitivity of the music, or that life has magic which doesn’t reveal itself straight away.’ Barnbrook has now made the album’s sign system common property. Download it at imablackstar.com.

Pictured: Wallpaper’s artistic impression shines a light on the secrets hidden within the vinyl edition album cover.

Writer: Nick Compton

Best toolkit
‘Kit del Legnamé’, by Giacomo Moor

Milanese designer Giacomo Moor’s ‘Kit del Legnamé’ toolbox, conceived for the Doppia Firma project, which teamed Italian designers and artisans, is so beautifully crafted that it’s a decorative object in its own right. Handmade by renowned cabinet-maker Giordano Viganò from olive, Italian walnut, leather and brass, the box opens to reveal six essential carpentry tools.

Pictured: handcrafted from contrasting walnut and olive wood, the toolkit features a hammer, a bevel square, a scriber, a pencil, a chisel and a planer, each with its own place in the box.

Photography: Leonardo Scotti. Interiors: Olly Mason. Writer: Christopher Stocks

Best curves
‘Prism’ partitions, by Tokujin Yoshioka, for Glas Italia

Glas Italia’s curving mirrored screens reflect a clear trend towards glass furniture this year. Created by Japanese designer Tokujin Yoshioka, the shimmering dividers are bent into shape by hand, creating ripples in the glass that add a bit of artisanal individuality to their sleekly reflective surfaces. This is glass with real class.

Pictured: ‘Prism’ partition, low version, £2,526; high version, £2,585, by Tokujin Yoshioka, for Glas Italia Jacket, £1,315; top, £370; trousers, £430; shoes, £775, all by Prada. Socks, £15, by Falke.

Photography: Phil Dunlop. Interiors: Maria Sobrino. Fashion: Jason Hughes. Writer: Christopher Stocks

Best ombre
We’re tripping the light prismatic in a host of rainbow shades

Designers have been busy playing with the colour spectrum and tonal gradations – witness Christine Rathmann’s rainbow-coloured vases for Rosenthal, or Tomás Alonso’s technically challenging series for Swarovski, in which a series of glass-crystal prisms are bonded together for maximum brilliance and reflectivity. Leucos’ ‘Trigona’ pendant lamp, designed by Danilo de Rossi, casts a subtle light through three nested borosilicate-glass diffusers, which fade from white to clear.

Pictured: Trigona’ lamp, €2,650, by Danilo De Rossi, for Leucos. Low table, price on request, by Germans Ermics. ‘dawn’ light, price on request, by Sabine Marcelis. ‘prism’ tray, price on request, by Tomas Alonso, for Swarovski. ‘Hot-spots’ vases, from £180, by Christine Rathmann, for Rosenthal. ‘As If’ vase, €762; bowl, €381, by Kueng Caputo, for 2016 Corporation

Best stretch
Design goes loop-the-loop

Creative director Jonathan Anderson brought added stretch to Loewe’s A/W16 collection with a dress hand-woven from 4,500 rubber bands – finally we know what to do with ours. Antonio Citterio has been getting into the string of things too, with his ‘Crono’ chair for Flexform. Formed of cowhide cords, the back gives it an intriguing touch of the Wild West.

Pictured: Dress, price on request; Earring, £425, both by Loewe ‘Crono’ dining chair, £3,642, by Antonio Citterio, for Flexform, from Interdesign UK. Screen, showpiece only, by Flexform.

Photography: Leigh Johnson. Fashion: Lune Kuipers. Interiors: Maria Sobrino. Writer: Laura Hawkins

Best broom cupboard
Contemporary classics to help you make a clean sweep

We’re bringing utility out of the shadows. Mathias Hahn’s red-glazed oak cabinet for Zeitraum shares an almost doll’s house-like simplicity with Bower’s arched floor mirror and E-ggs’ stool for Ton. Perfectly complemented by the childlike squiggle of GamFratesi’s bentwood coat rack for Thonet, we think they’re brushed with greatness.

Pictured: ‘Handy’ folding ladder, $5,000; ‘Handy’ sweeper, $1,000, both by Christopher Specce. ‘Kin long’ cabinet, £4,140, by Mathias Hahn, for Zeitraum. Brushes, prices on request, by Zoe Mowat. ‘Lollipop’ light, £1,570, by Boris Klimek, for Lasvit. ‘Arch’ floor mirror, price on request, by Bower. ‘leaf’ low stool, from €258, by E-ggs, for Ton. ‘Waltz’ coat rack, £345, by Gamfratesi, for Gebruder Thonet Vienna. ‘Split Bright’ rug, £1,965, by Paul Smith, for the rug company. ‘herringbone’ wallpaper, £275 per m, by Nigel Peake, for Hermès. ‘Stone Blue’ paint, £40 per 2.5 litres, by Farrow & Ball. ‘Norr’ tiles in Vit RR 01, price on request, by Mirage.

Photography: Michael Bodiam. Interiors: Maria Sobrino. Writer: Christopher Stocks

Best brunch
Fortnum & Mason spins British breakfast staples into a slap-up morning meal in its latest book

Teapot and cups: Paired with Sue Pryke’s matt-finish, saucer-less teacups, a silver teapot from the godfather of minimalism, John Pawson, brings the morning brew bang up to date.

Sugar bowl, creamer and spoon: Todd Bracher’s refined, stackable sugar bowl and creamer are made of 3D-printed porcelain, while the sculptural scoop is 3D-printed polished silver.

Brunch: Fortnum & Mason’s The Cook Book offers recipes that put a clever twist on British breakfast classics by mixing the culinary low and highbrow. It inspired our spread of baked beans with chorizo, caviar boiled egg, and toasted crumpets and Marmite with poached Burford Browns.

Trolley: With its oversized wheels, the walnut and black steel ‘James’ bar cart by Yabu Pushelberg is inspired by the world of performance cars.

Pictured: Teapot, €2,090, by John Pawson, for When Objects Work. ‘Mr & Mrs’ TeaCups, £30 each, by Sue Pryke. ‘Kyou’ Sugar Bowl, Creamer and Spoon, $650, by Todd Bracher, for Othr. ‘James’ Bar Cart, £2,960, by Yabu Pushelberg, for Stellar Works. ‘Mr & Mrs’ Tapas Bowl, £20; dinner plate, £12, both by Sue Pryke. ‘Eierbecher dunkelgrau hellgrau’ egg cup, €24 for two, by Pur punkt. ‘Slice’ Chopping Board, £65, by Darkroom. ‘Collo-Alto’ cutlery, from $11 per piece, by Inga Sempé, for Alessi. ‘Soda, Fog’ fabric, price on request, by Kirkby Design. Dishes from The Cook Book, £30, by Tom Parker Bowles, for Fortnum & Mason, from 4th Estate

Photography: Matthew Donaldson. Lifestyle: Emma Moore. Food Stylist: Maud Eden

Best ribs and ripples
We’re seeing a pattern in the prevailing trend for unusual textures and surfaces

Glass is currently resurfacing in more imaginative forms. We fell in love with Ron Gilad’s mirrors for Cassina, their surfaces etched with discreet patterns and shapes. Other glass pieces that caught our attention include Nude’s ribbed vessels, with their semi-industrial feel and oblique forms. Ribbed glass also appeared in the collections of Paola C and Ferm Living, while Glas Italia and Staffan Holm took the technique to a larger scale with textured glass storage units and coffee tables.

Pictured: Commodore’ storage unit, from £3,131, by Piero Lissoni, for Glas Italia. ‘TRACK’ bowl, €1,500, by Klaar Prims. ‘Routine’ water glass, €39; flute, €30, both by Matteo Cibic, for Paola C. ‘Reeded’ table, €2,000, by Staffan Holm. ‘Ripple’ Carafe, €34; glasses, €40 for four, both by ferm LIVING. ‘Mist’ vase, £62, by Tamer Nakışçı, for Nude. ‘Deadline’ mirror, £1,290, by Ron Gilad, for Cassina. ‘Hague Blue’ paint, £40 per 2.5 litres, by Farrow & Ball. ‘Norr’ tiles, price on request, by Mirage.

Photography: Philippe Fragniere. Interiors: Olly Mason. Writer: Rosa Bertoli

Best cabin
Rock House, Alberta, Canada, by Cutler Anderson Architects

The Rock House doesn’t give much away to the visitor. A compact, one-bedroom retreat, it lies tucked into a hillside site in a remote spot west of Calgary. Approached from the rear, all one sees is a slender entrance door cut into a concrete wall. Yet once inside, the sheer drama of the landscape is unveiled, with floor-to-ceiling windows showing a panoramic sweep of prairie and woodland reaching all the way to the horizon, split from the sky by the jagged white peaks of the distant Rockies.

The house was designed by James Cutler of Cutler Anderson Architects, a studio that specialises in discreet but dramatic and, above all, slow-burning residential architecture. ‘We only do buildings that are very carefully fitted into landscapes,’ says Cutler, whose approach splices craft with respect for the world outside and an embrace of new materials. The architect still draws details freehand and won’t design anything he can’t build himself. ‘Houses are dreams. People hire me to create a stage set for the drama of their lives,’ he says. ‘I have to make an emotionally powerful connection with the landscape.’

The Rock House provides the dream modernist experience, bringing the outside in while staying safely ensconced behind thickly insulated glass. Insulation is a necessity out here. A few miles north of the Trans-Canada Highway, between Calgary and Banff, the land is rolling prairie. The only occupants are widely scattered farms, remote private plots and reservations, as well as elk, bison, eagles and wolves. Winter is hard and lasts many months, during which time many tracks and cabins are almost inaccessible. For Cutler, the landscape was a major component of the design. ‘Our clients understand that we’re going to do things really carefully,’ he says. ‘I don’t send a surveyor out – I personally engage in the landscape with a tape measure. We looked at 15 potential sitesfor a house on this land. I walked the whole property and I thought it was the best spot.’

The cabin nestles alongside a rare outcrop of lichen-covered rock, creating a natural break in the treeline where the land gives way to a sharp dip and a long, open view. The design is like a ship’s prow, a glassy point that rises up from the cut in the rocks and oversails the landscape. The structure is simplicity itself, with a central steel I-beam lifted up on slender steel columns, above which floats a wood-framed roof. Every façade is glazed and the careful cut into the rock means the house literally abuts nature, offering up a miniature landscape of time-worn rock in the foreground, the epic vastness of Alberta in the background. ‘We can’t give this view away,’ says Cutler, ‘so we came up behind the building and it reveals itself as you enter the house. The biggest tool that architects have is the power of contrast.’

There are more houses in this remote spot than one realises, such are the size of the plots, but this particular view is remarkably unbroken by lights and roads. However, the Rock House will soon be joined by several more equally spectacular structures. Cutler Anderson has another scheme ready to go, as does Olson Kundig, while Saunders Architecture will break ground on two houses once the ground thaws in the spring.

Photography: Bent Renè Synnevåg. Writer: Jonathan Bell

Best Chinese takeaway
Make ours a modern Oriental

We made an aesthetic pivot towards Asia this year, and our dressing room, in particular, acquired more than a hint of New Chinoiserie. Neri & Hu’s ‘Ren’ dressing table for Poltrona Frau took centre stage, with its Canaletto walnut frame and saddle leather surface. Able support came from the ‘Minima Moralia’ screen (named, as all good critical theorists know, after Theodor Adorno’s finest work) by Christophe de la Fontaine for Dante Goods and Bads, and from Konstantin Grcic’s ‘MingX’ armchair for Driade.

Clockwise from back left, ‘Hibou’ vase, £2,045, by Michael Verheyden, for Willer. ‘Ren’ dressing table, £4,600, by Neri & Hu, for Poltrona Frau. ‘minima moralia’ room divider, €2,300, by Christophe de la Fontaine, for Dante Goods and Bads. La Promeneuse diffuser, £250, by Pauline Deltour, for Cire Trudon. ‘Mingx’ armchair, €660, by Konstantin Grcic, for Driade. ‘Maru’ tables, £851 each, by Doshi Levien, for B&B Italia. ‘Hemisphere PM’ bowl, £540, by Pierre Charpin, for Hermès. ‘Taipei’ wallpaper, £100 per m, by lorenzo de grandis, for Wall & Deco. ‘Eating room Red’ paint, £40 for 2.5 litres, by Farrow & Ball. ‘Autumn fall’ carpet, £43 per sq m, by Axminster.

Photography: Michael Bodiam. Interiors: Maria Sobrino. Writer: Nick Compton

Best outpost
Aquavit, London

London diners can be a jaded lot, but news that New York’s two-Michelin-starred Aquavit was crossing the Pond to open an outpost in the British capital’s St James’s saw everyone sit up and reach for their phone. Fans of the East 55th Street flagship are in for a treat. The menu, created by its executive chef Emma Bengtsson and overseen in London by Henrik Ritzén, is styled as contemporary Nordic, which explains the seasonal forays into delicacies such as venison tartare, and cod with brown shrimp and smoked egg yolk. But the secret ingredient is the dining space, a grand, high-ceilinged room that interior designer Martin Brudnizki has fashioned after the soaring interiors of Gothenburg City Hall in western Sweden. Commissioned by Philip Hamilton, founder and CEO of the Aquavit London concept, Brudnizki’s interiors include 330 sq m of Brannlyckan marble shipped from Sweden and wall hangings by Olafur Eliasson and Barbro Nilsson. After dinner, adjourn to the bar for Montecristo cigars and schnapps served in fish-shaped decanters designed by Svenskt Tenn.

Photography: Catherine Hyland. Writer: Daven Wu

Best charm
’Charmed’ bracelet, curated by Liz Swig, with Ippolita

Liz Swig of New York’s LizWorks is the architect of unlikely artistic collaborations with beautifully unexpected results. ‘Though a charm bracelet isn’t unexpected in itself,’ she explains, ‘a bracelet featuring creations from seven female artists is.’ Working solo, each artist had no idea what the others were creating, but the result is a ‘diverse dialogue between the women who would live together on the wrist’. This jangling conversation is brought to life in precious materials by Italian jewellery brand Ippolita. 

Pictured, Ippolita Bracelet in 18ct green gold, $58,000, with charms by (clockwise from top left):

Laurie Simmons: For her green gold, diamond and sapphire camera, the artist drew inspiration from her mother’s own charm bracelet.

Wangechi Mutu: New York-based Kenyan artist Mutu’s green gold, rock crystal and printed resin charm explores themes of immigration and identity.

Mickalene Thomas: The rhinestone-encrusted lips in Thomas’ paintings inspired her green gold pout, complete with blue sapphires.

Rachel Feinstein: Drawing on her rococo aesthetic, Feinstein’s charm depicts a lady’s profile in white gold and enamel.

Cindy Sherman: Symbolising fertility and femininity, this green gold egg contains photographs printed on ceramic, with a hidden steel magnet clasp.

Barbara Kruger: A white gold coin with red enamel detailing plays on ideas of value and desire.

Shirin Neshat: This green gold hand, complete with rock crystal and emeralds, is the Iranian-born artist’s first foray into jewellery.

Photography: Antony Cotsifas. Producer: Michael Reynolds. Writer: Elly Parsons

Best razzle dazzle
A relaunched table in golden hues and a note-perfect sequinned jacket make us shiny, happy people

The ‘Tense’ table, by Piergiorgio and Michele Cazzaniga, incorporates a technological feat that allows for a very large, light tabletop with minimal leg support. First launched in 2010, MDF Italia has now released it in three new materials, including stone and wood. However, we were most dazzled by the golden finish of the brass version, perfectly complemented by Dolce & Gabbana’s sparkling number. Featuring a sequinned, optical composition of intersecting musical instruments, the jacket was part of a 100-piece collection delivered as a tribute to music’s golden eras.

‘Tense’ table, €9,558, by Piergiorgio Cazzaniga and Michele Cazzaniga; ‘Link 2’ bench, from €3,373, by Bruno Fattorini, both for MDF Italia Jacket; shirt; trousers; shoes, all price on request, by Dolce & Gabbana. Socks, £15, by Falke.

Fashion: Roberta Pinna. Photography: Alberto Zanetti. Writer: Rosa Bertoli

Best piercings
If you want the hole picture, there’s a host of perforated pieces to choose from

Say hello to the perforated pad, punctuated by Valeria Pantone and Dennis Pavoncello’s dimpled pendant lamps for Slamp and Odo Fioravanti’s hole-punched armchair for Pedrali, not to mention Evangelos Vasileiou’s 1970s-inspired steel-mesh table lamp for Ligne Roset. Even Lalique has released a limited-edition crystal vase with a hole in its centre. Created by Mario Botta, it’s the latest in a line of architect collaborations. And casting an atomic glow is our screen made from Nya Nordiska’s laser-cut polka-dot fabric, designed by Sebastian Herkner.

Pictured: ‘Stacking/packing’ Stools, £180 each, by Dean Edmonds. ‘Dome 266’ Chair, €115, by Odo Fioravanti, for Pedrali. ‘Dimple’ lamps, from £138, by Valeria Pantone and Dennis Pavoncello, for Slamp. ‘Lou’ fabric, £100 per m, by Nya Nordiska. ‘gÉo’ glass Vase, £9,500, by mario botta, for Lalique. ‘Asola’ Lamp, £384, by Evangelos Vasileiou, for Ligne Roset. ‘Maki’ Bench, £711, by Drill Design, for Crassevig. ‘TurtleDove grey‘ paint, £37 per 2.5 litres, by Dulux Heritage. ‘Norr’ tiles, price on request, by Mirage.

Photography: Paul Zak. Interiors: Amy Heffernan. Writer: Christopher Stocks

Best colada parlour
We’re getting into the spirit with a contemporary cocktail lounge

De Intuitiefabriek’s new cabinet for Böwer got us dreaming of how the quintessential cocktail den might look. Teaming it with Dimore Studio’s ‘Poltrona 081’ chair, Giorgetti’s new bar range and Mathieu Lehanneur’s ‘Spring’ light helped our lounge find its groove, somewhere between 1930s deco decadence and late-1960s Barbarella cool. We also rooted out the year’s best revival of a classic cocktail. The matcha colada takes that kitsch tropical tipple, the piña colada, and brings it up to date using green tea powder. Inspired by a version called The Way of the Warrior at New York bar Pouring Ribbons, ours contains lime and pineapple juice, coconut cream, vanilla, Rhum JM rum and a touch of matcha.

Pictured: ‘Secant’ floor Light, price on request, by Daniel Rybakken, for J HILL’s Standard. ‘Shade’ cabinet, €2,280, by De Intuïtiefabriek, for Bower. Family Reserve Gin, £30, by Hayman’s. City of London Dry Gin, £35, from city of london distillery. Jensen’s Old Tom Gin, £26, from the whisky exchange. dodd’s Kew Organic Gin, £29, from master of malt. Rhum JM Cognac Cask Finish, £80; williamson tea Mini Green Matcha elephant, £25, both from harvey nichols. ‘URKIOLA’ pitcher, from £80, by Patricia Urquiola, for Georg Jensen. ‘Cold cooler’, €150, by Claesson Koivisto rune, for Smaller Objects. ‘Shadow’ Glass Set, £36, by Tonfisk Design Oy, for Clerkenwell London. ‘Jour’ Glassware (also on coffee table), price on request, by Inga SempÉ, for Nude. ‘Giorgetti’ cocktail set, price on request, by Giorgetti. ‘Landscape’ rug, £1,727, by Hella Jongerius, for Danskina. ‘LUDWIG’ cabinet, price on request, by Andrea Parisio, for Meridiani. ‘Domino Next’ coffee table, from £2,021, by Nicola Gallizia, for Molteni & C. ‘Spring’ lamp, price on request, by Mathieu Lehanneur, for Carpenters Workshop Gallery. ‘Poltrona 081’ chair, price on request, by Dimore Studio. ‘Issey Miyake’ Plate, £20, by Iittala, for Skandium. ‘Aerial’ floor lamp, price on request, by Bjørn van den Berg and Falke Svatun. ‘Lead Colour’ paint, £38 per 2.5 litres, by Little Greene. ‘Mosaic’ wallcovering in mylar, £41 per m; ‘monochrome’ wallcovering in serene, £119 per roll, both by arte. ‘Mystone Pietra di Vals’ tiles, price on request, by Marazzi.

Photography: Matthew Donaldson. Interiors: Olly Mason. Food stylist: Maud Eden. Writer: Emma Moore

Best elder statesman
A new show celebrates the career of Mario Bellini

Mario Bellini’s long and distinguished career spans design brands and counter-trends. As a designer who grew up in the austerity of post-war Italy, then began his career at the height of Pop and the Italian industrial boom, Bellini would be forgiven for an unrooted eclecticism. Yet what defines his work (still in progress) is a commitment to a sense of place and a sense of beauty, but bound up with a functional rigour that transcends shifts in the way we interact with places and things. As his ‘Italian Beauty’ exhibition opens at the Milan Triennale, it’s perhaps time to take stock and celebrate a lifetime in design. Curated by Deyan Sudjic, Italian Beauty’ on view until 19 March at the Milan Triennale – read more about the show here.

Pictured: Bellini at his Milan Convention Centre, completed in 2012. Part of the 15,000 sq m silvery canopy roof tapers to the ground behind him.

Photography: Albrecht Fuchs. Writer: Jonathan Bell

Best entrance
A leggy model offers a warm welcome to our favourite new bits on the side

Fritz Hansen’s latest collection of accessories pairs Scandinavian cool with quirky functionality, from Studio Roso’s rainbow-surface steel mirror to Jaime Hayon’s vases and candlesticks in polished brass, untreated cedar and handblown glass. They perch perfectly on Pietro Russo’s floor-to-ceiling shelving system for Baxter, with its split-cane shelves and brass connecting pins. There’s no smarter way to make an entrance.

Pictured: ‘Rainbow’ Mirror, £510, by Studio Roso, for Republic of Fritz Hansen. ‘Libelle’ bookcase, price on request, by pietro russo, for Baxter. on shelves, from top to bottom, left to right: ‘Stack’ tray, £130, by Wednesday Architecture, for Republic of Fritz Hansen. ‘Low’ vase, £93; Single candleholders, £53 each; TeaLight holder, £93; ‘Ikebana’ vase, £130; Large candleholder, £130; ‘High’ Vase, £105, all by Jaime Hayon, for Republic of Fritz Hansen.

Photography: Beppe Brancato. Writer: Christopher Stocks

Best sleepover
Inspired by some dreamy developments in the bedroom department, we’re having a slumber party

Clockwise from left...
Cabinet: Marcel Wanders’ rare foray into minimal design comes in the elegant form of the wood and glass ‘Theca’ cabinet. Manufactured by Poliform, its set-up can be customised entirely to suit storage and display needs.

Radiator: The essential modular radiator, ‘Rift’, designed by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba for Italian company Tubes, comes in a variety of colours that can be combined in a multitude of arrangements to suit any space.

Lamp: The modular design of Antoni Arola’s ‘Flamingo’ lamp for Vibia makes for reconfigurable flexibility.

Bed: Destination beds were officially a thing this year; we chose Piero Lissoni’s ‘Extrasoft’ platform bed for Living Divani, featuring a series of soft volumes to comfortably accommodate welcome bedside visitors.

Bedding: Inspired by its own legendary underwear, Calvin Klein rolled out a collection of jersey bedding that should keep you snug in all the right places.

Acoustic panels: Made from wood sourced from the Småland forest in Sweden, these acoustic panels, designed by Form Us With Love for Baux, are environmentally friendly and recyclable, and come in a variety of patterns and colours.

Pictured: ‘Theca Cocktail’ Sideboard, price on request, by Marcel Wanders, for Poliform. ‘Extrasoft’ Bed, price on request, by Piero Lissoni, for Living Divani. ‘Modern Cotton’ duvet cover, $175; pillowcase set, $35; fitted sheet, $80, all by Calvin Klein home. ‘Oops’ vases, from £268, by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba, for Bosa. ‘Rift’ radiator, £2,072, by Ludovica + Roberto Palomba with Matteo Fiorini, for Tubes. ‘Flamingo’ Lamp, £958, by Antoni Arola, for Vibia. ‘Plank’ tiles, price on request, by Form Us with Love, for Baux. ‘Mud Lark’ paint, £37 per 2.5 litres, by Dulux Heritage. ‘Down pipe’ paint, £38 per 2.5 litres, by Farrow & Ball. ‘Norr’ tiles, price on request, by Mirage.

Photography: Tobias Alexander Harvey. Interiors: Maria Sobrino. Writer: Rosa Bertoli

Best new angles
From blinds to bookcases, chevron patterns are adding extra zig to our zag

We’re always on the look-out for new-fangled angles, and so we’re very taken with Massimo Castagna’s ‘Isola’ bookcase for Gallotti & Radice, with its technically accomplished combination of glass sides and diagonally sloping brass shelves. Just as sharp in its own quiet way is the freestanding ‘BuzziBlinds’ room divider, designed by Alain Gilles for BuzziSpace. These rotating acoustic blinds are covered with felt on an aluminium frame, and can be opened or closed with a simple twist. Armani Casa, meanwhile, maintains its cutting edge with its ‘Link’ coffee tables, which look good from every angle, even upside-down.

From top, ‘Isola’ Bookcase, £3,155, by Massimo Castagna, for Gallotti & Radice. ‘BuzziBlinds‘ room divider, price on request, by Alain Gilles, for BuzziSpace. ‘Ajiro Chevron’ wood veneer panelling in Gunmetal, £222 per m, by Maya Romanoff, for Altfield. ‘Link’ coffee Tables, £13,500 for set of three, by Armani Casa. ‘Prometeo’ tiles, part of
the wood collection, £322 per sq m, by BDS, for Bisazza.

Photography: Thomas Brown. Interiors: Matthew Morris. Writer: Christopher Stocks

Best after dinner tipple
Sweet wine and supergraphic chocolates make the long winter nights fly by

Our current post-prandial palliative is the brainchild of jewellery designer Kristina Apostolou and oenologist Lefteris Mohianakis. Based on the oldest named wine known to man, the Anama Concept is a sweet wine made using a contemporary oenology technique and housed in a minimal bottle. We serve it in Adi Toch’s elegant blackened silver pourer, with Brandon Olsen’s eye-catching chocolates. Taking inspiration from Willy Wonka, Jackson Pollock and Buckminster Fuller, the Toronto-based chef’s sweet creations feature geometric shapes and bold colours in mouthwatering flavours that include yuzu-saké, pistachio-bergamot and raspberry-rose-fennel.

Pictured: ‘Up and Over’ rug, £1,008 per sq m, by Deirdre Dyson. ‘985’ Coffee Table, £1,385, by Labsdesign, for Rolf Benz, from Chaplins. ‘Domestic Collectables’ CakeStand, £230, by Grace Souky. Wine Pourer, £2,450, by Adi Toch. Anama Vintage 2011, Price on Request, by The Anama Concept. ‘lavish’ bowl, £23, by Armani Casa. ‘Omnia Ritual’ breakfast plate, €369, by Eoos, for Fürstenberg. Chocolates, from a selection, by cxbo. ‘Horizon’ glass, €28, by Guillaume Delvigne, for Cristal de SÈvres, from Galeries Lafayette.

Photography: Tobias Alexander Harvey. Interiors: Maria Sobrino. Writer: Rosa Bertoli

Best facade
Indigo Slam, by Smart Design Studio

With a concrete façade that combines serenity with impact, Indigo Slam, located in the Sydney suburb of Chippendale, is the home of art collector and philanthropist Judith Neilson, also serving as a base for her work and art collection. Architect William Smart, of Smart Design Studio, sculpted volumes of natural light that are cast into the interior, using a ‘language of peeling and folding’ to carve up the façade and control how light enters the building. And in response to Neilson’s request that the house be built to last 100 years, the materials used are hardwearing, with elements being mechanically rather than digitally operated. This includes oak veneered blinds that open and retract by means of hanging brass chains and awning windows operated by geared winders.

Pictured: the curves and planes of the sculpted concrete façade act as screens to provide privacy and shade.

Photography: David Roche. Writer: Harriet Thorpe

Best sticky situation
‘Air’ sauna, by Talocci Design, for Effegibi

These days, you don’t have to be in possession of a cabin buried in a snowy-frosted birch forest to enjoy your own sauna experience. The likes of Italian bathroom company Effegibi are making the Scandi wellbeing staple as easy and as desirable as possible to install at home. The customisable ‘Air’ design, launched this year, features suspended benches around a central heater, allowing the sauna to be placed on existing flooring. The airy feeling is enhanced by LED lighting below the benches and the toughened glass façade.

Pictured: ‘Air’ sauna, from €18,375, by talocci design, for Effegibi. ‘Lipe’ bathrobe, €275, by Society Limonta. Dali: Les Diners De Gala, £35 (Taschen). Wood containers, €955; Ice bucket, €2,020; Soap dish; €307; Rice container, €700, all by Shigeo Mashiro, for Sfera.

Photography: Alberto Zanetti. Writer: Emma Moore

Best garden party
Our favourite alfresco companions are no fairweather friends

This year’s pick of the outdoor crop, shot in Terry Farrell and Nicholas Grimshaw’s late-1970s Wesley Square gardens in London, proves good design can survive wind and rain (not to mention a bit of fog). Emu’s Terramare collection includes a lounge chair in water-repellent fabric, while Minotti’s chaise is wrapped in polypropylene webbing, and Ethimo’s dining table uses synthetic materials with a natural feel. Thonet has reinvented Mart Stam’s Bauhaus-era chair in bold, weather-resistant finishes for its All Seasons range, and illumination comes courtesy of Artemide’s outdoor ‘Tolomeo Lampione’, combining the flexibility of a desk lamp with the scale of a street light.

Pictured: ‘Terramare’ lounge chair, €1,450, by Chiaramonte Marin design Studio, for EMU. ‘Tolomeo lampione’ outdoor floor Lamp, £675, by Michele de Lucchi, for Artemide. ‘S 33 N Thonet All Seasons’ chair, £565, by Mart Stam, for Thonet. ‘Esedra’ dining table, €1,700, by Luca Nichetto, for Ethimo. ‘Indiana’ Outdoor Sofa, £17,085, by Rodolfo Dordoni, for Minotti.

Photography: Philip Sinden. Interiors: Olly Mason. Writer: Christopher Stocks

Best urban jungle
We’ve got a frondness for hot pots

Indoor gardening is now as fashionable as baking bread or making your own pasta, but a few things will make your hothouse more sizzling than the rest, namely top-notch pots and a nose for the latest foliage fashions. Our terracotta dreams were realised this year by a pot project from Danish architects COBE, working in collaboration with Kilo Design. Inspired by the materials and forms of the COBE-designed kindergarten Forfatterhuset, in Copenhagen, the vessels were conceived to bring a sense of the urban landscape into the living room. Meanwhile, plant inspiration is moving from the desert to the rainforest; the richly patterned leaves of the calathea and lush tendrils of the Komodo Sumatra hanging vine are currently the favoured tenants for our terracotta.

Pictured: Terracotta pots, limited edition, from DKK195 (£22), by Kilo Design and cobe. selection of plants, price on request, from Conservatory Archives. Copper Wooden Garden Tool, £45, by Grafa, for Clerkenwell London

Photography: Tobias Alexander Harvey. Writer: Emma Moore