LAIDBACK LUXURY
As soon as I saw the image we’ve used for the news-stand cover
(the kitchen shot on page 44 for those with the special subscriber cover), I knew it was perfect for this issue. The sun streaming in, the fruit on the table, its quiet sense of a morning off with no pressing things to do. That was the vibe I was clamouring for this month – a chance to carve out a moment to restore and revive ourselves from the madness of the last two years.
As ever, design has a huge part to play in making us feel good. The curves of that kitchen table draw you in and invite you to sit around it – chin in one hand, mug in the other, nothing but daydreams on your mind. The way the skylight is angled to catch the morning sun seems deliberately enticing, and you don’t have to be a biophilic scholar to appreciate the rejuvenating properties of the green picked up in the textiles and art. There may be some simple tweaks you can make in your own home to lift your mood – I simply turned the sofa around in our (horrible, condemned) conservatory so that instead of facing the wall it looks out onto the garden, and now it’s my favourite morning coffee spot. Or you could take a slightly more decorative approach, in which case the feature on page 36 about how to create a low-maintenance home will leave you with much more time on your hands to spend doing the things you love.
This is also a time of year for planning. In those rare moments off, we naturally start to think about what to do next. Our gallery of the latest flooring trends on page 104 might inspire your next project. I am taken with the 90s-meets-greco-roman mosaic in the bathroom by Maddux Creative and wondering if I can get it past my husband. (Doubtful, unless I show him something even less likely to appeal – a sneaky trick I’ve picked up to allow him to feel like he’s said ‘no’ to something.) And I love the stair runners and rugs by A Rum Fellow for Roger Oates Design, above, in a joy-providing rainbow of colours. They’re lovely underfoot, too. The height of laidback luxury.