EDITOR’S LETTER
I took a welcome break from my house renovation to help judge the first Livingetc Style Awards recently. Sat in a room with two of our columnists, Linda Boronkay and Minnie Kemp, along with the fashion guru Lucinda Chambers, it was fascinating to hear their thoughts on what constituted style today. Style, we decided, comes from the ease in which a piece can be used to bring life to a room, a smile to anyone who views or uses it, and the way a design can get better with time.
Casting our eyes over hundreds of products, we whittled it down to just over 50 that we think are the best buys you could make today – see the edit on page 29. They vary massively, covering everything from a cushion to a whole kitchen, but they’re connected by the way they all brought delight to our panel, and I think they will bring joy to you, too.
Less delightful – I’ve left the noisy stage of my refurb and entered the really noisy stage. It’s the untold story at Livingetc that for every beautiful project you see – and the houses in this issue, from page 70, are particularly wonderful – there are seemingly hundreds of tradespeople, countless bangs and drilling sounds and even more piles of rubble involved. People keep telling me the end result will be worth it, and I am sure they’re right, but for now I’m poring over designer
Noa Santos’ renovation in New York on page 70 and dreaming of a quieter future. Not that I mean to sound negative – if you’re embarking on a project of your own, it’s enriching to witness the moments of progress that break through the clouds of brick dust. The arrival of my new Pendle kitchen sink from Shaws of Darwen felt like a glimpse into another world, where the kitchen is finished and I can spend my evenings relaxing rather than choosing which light switches to go for (brushed brass from Wandsworth Electrical, since you ask).
And the paint going on makes all the difference, which is why we’ve asked our favourite experts for their latest ideas on how best to use it, starting on page 137. There’s a general move to pairing pigments that I find really rich and interesting, a sure-fire way to winning style.