ELLE Decoration UK

California dreaming is something I do a lot. As the UK’s short-lived summer slips away and we move into the mellow, crisp-leafed days of autumn, I find myself thinking about the sand between my toes on the beach at Point Dume in Malibu or hiking the trails in Griffith Park. Los Angeles is a city close to my heart. My sister moved there around 20 years ago, and it’s somewhere I have loved getting to know. It’s a magical place where the grittily urban collides with stunning natural beauty, filled with an empowering sense that anything is possible. It’s bursting with creativity too, with a varied architectural heritage and thriving design scene. This issue seeks to tap into that sunshine-bright energy and the rich inspiration it provides. First up, on our…

The inspiration Conceived by British designer and ELLE Decoration’s founding Editor Ilse Crawford, the boutique Ett Hem guesthouse in Copenhagen is the perfect rebuttal to anyone thinking Scandinavian design isn’t cosy. For Crawford, always in tune with addressing true human needs through her designs, the renovation of this former private residence, built in 1910, involved creating a series of rooms that make you feel instantly at ease when you walk into them. The layering of greens (from sage through to an almost tartly apple hue) with dark wood and leather feels like a marriage between the minimalism of Danish design and a sensibility that is slightly more akin to a modern take on the homely warmth of English country houses. The palette The colour card The interior When the vitamin D levels of summer begin…

Every year, Margaret Howell releases a calendar (which also coincides with a complementary exhibition) focusing on a different design topic through 12 images. Previous calendars have included archive photographs of Isokon furniture, Brian Willsher sculptures and covers of the magazine Architectural Review. For 2025, though, the calendar will feature silk mosaics (including Little Tangram Turquoise, pictured) by one of the most innovative textile designers of the 20th century, Lucienne Day. £15 (margarethowell.co.uk). Internationally acclaimed interior designer Tatjana von Stein has a way with texture. Having made her first foray into the furniture-design scene last year with a collection made from robust materials including walnut-burr wood, stainless steel and glass, the designer has now introduced a softer, more relaxed piece to her offering: ‘The Armchair’ (above, from £11,667). It has a stainless-steel…

The powerful women of Ancient Egypt were the starting point for Balineum’s second ‘Egyptomania’ tile collection with French artist Louis Barthélemy, who is based in Marrakech, Cairo and Paris. Figures such as Verdi’s Aïda and Queen Cleopatra have been recast as joyful illustrations ‘exploring the intricate dynamics of leadership and femininity in Ancient Egypt, while infusing each handcrafted tile with a playful and lustrous spirit,’ says Barthélemy. From £28 (balineum.co.uk). Nedre Foss, the Anderssen & Voll-led, Norway-based furniture brand, is now available in the UK via Finnish Design Shop. The brand’s DNA is its ‘Century Product +’ philosophy – the idea that every object it releases should serve for at least 100 years. Among these durable pieces, our favourite is the ‘Ildhane’ cast-iron candleholder (approx £75) – functional, sculptural and one…

Edra’s new ‘Phantom’ dining table can’t help but create a party mood. It’s by Jacopo Foggini, a long-time Edra collaborator, who made it ‘so you don’t have to look into a person’s eyes but can look at their reflection secretly’. Clad in mirrored surfaces that help it disappear into its surroundings, the table (approx £15,685), consists of three solid volumes – two tapered bases and a smooth top – while the mirror’s edges are hand-finished in gold. Complete the magical effect with ‘Milano’ chairs (approx £3,060 each) (edra.com). A bold yet skeletal backrest is what makes the ‘Samba’ so special. Created as part of American brand Aguirre’s ‘Ode to Nature’ collection (which pays homage to organic forms), the fibreglass dining chair’s sculptural silhouette is the result of horizontal bars that extend…

To mark the 75th anniversary of one of the world’s most recognisable timepieces, its ‘Ball Clock’, Vitra has released a limited-edition version in four colours – ‘Dawn’, ‘Sunrise’, ‘Sunset’ (pictured) and ‘Dusk’. Created by renowned American designer George Nelson, whose work is featured in MoMA’s permanent collection, the design classic has ping-pong-shaped wooden spheres in place of numbers, mounted on metal spokes – a playful touch to bring joy to any wall. £365 (aram.co.uk). Those of you who follow the work of British creative Bethan Laura Wood may recognise a design feature from these new chairs. An addition to her ‘Meisen’ desk and cabinet, released in 2021, they also feature bug-like legs inspired by crickets and beetles. Each chair, which is manufactured by Atelier F, is available in custom colours and…