holiday spirit
House Tours is back! Find out how to book tickets to our live event on page 46
The easing of lockdown has felt a little like the end of term, being released from the confines of school into the wonderful wider world beyond. As I write this, the UK’S rules have relaxed and for a few weeks many of us have been lucky enough to grab our blankets, head outdoors and see the world again. Freedom tastes good, doesn’t it? Like a cross between rosé, salty fries and friends. It’s a shot in the arm – literally – to jolt us out of the last 15 months.
Design offers a feeling of liberation, too. I spent a recent bank holiday weekend drilling up the 1970s lino from my new house to find damaged but beautiful flagstones. I tried not to think too badly of owners gone by who would have been so liberated by their new vacuum that they were keen to have an even, easy-to-clean floor, saved from hours of toil. These days, I’m focusing on good design that allows us to relax, freeing us from the busy strains of daily life, like the expert decorating advice on page 40 with suggestions for making your home look and feel like a week in the Med, or the brilliant outdoor living dossier on page 127. It’s there you’ll find inspiration to make an alfresco space where good times are just destined to be had.
And speaking of pleasure, I was fascinated to read Rohini Wahi’s report on the return of the pleasure garden on page 35.
Like seemingly everyone, I watched Netflix’s Bridgerton back in January and was taken with the notion of promenading in the park. Thinking about what Thomas Heatherwick and the like are now busy creating, it reminded me how much joy there is in a sunny stroll and in, as Rohini puts it, ‘spaces designed for comfortable socialising, appreciation of nature and good old-fashioned fun.’ Almost all of us can venture into a public space, marvel at the landscaping, architecture and sheer exuberance of sunshine on our faces. It’s that feeling I hope this issue encapsulates, showcasing how design can recharge you like a holiday or, at the very least, make you smile.