The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - The Telegraph Magazine
House style
The brands making comfortable cool
ART INFILTRATES LIFE
Homewares intended to inspire relaxation can only be a good thing. The American textile brand Slowdown Studio, which aims to do just that, has been making waves here in the UK in recent months by exporting a dose of sunny LA style in the form of comfortable blankets with colourful, abstract patterns. The company, set up by graphic designer Marc Hendrick, collaborates with artists around the world on patterns for its products, so each limited-edition design has its own character but fits within the company’s painterly aesthetic.
Its Mooney blanket was designed by 26-year-old London-based artist Daniel Fletcher, whose work Hendrick spotted at a gallery in LA, and who creates large-scale artworks in paint, markers and cut paper that are then screen-printed on to canvas or cloth. This particular design comes in a palette of pink, orange, green and teal, anchored by black and edged with a multicoloured fringe.
The blankets, woven in cotton, are great for decorating a bed or sofa, or as wall art, and Slowdown Studio has also branched out into rugs, towels and cushions, plus accessories such as vases and candleholders; a beach collection is coming in the spring. The products are available in the UK through WA Green, The Conran Shop and Trouva. slowdownstudio.com
GOING SOFT
Comfort is also key to the first furniture collection by London-based interior designer Elnaz Namaki. Inspired by the poet May Sarton’s observation that ‘a house that does not have one warm, comfy chair in it is soulless’, the range comprises sofas, chairs, benches and a clever seat/table hybrid. With a nod to mid-century shapes and a plump, enveloping look, they combine leather, suede, wood and metal elements with shearling upholstery in pink, grey, white or black-and-white stripes. The furniture is handmade in the UK, and there is a line of shearling cushions to match. elnaznamaki.com