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“Home” is a hard concept to pin down in design terms, but in our new issue – available now – we try to do just that, looking at Barbara Bestor’s Dutch woonerf in LA, modernist villages in Essex and the details that bring a house to life “Home” is a hard thing to pin down, in design terms. The place itself is where you live most often, but not always. It’s a feeling, isn’t it? To be “at home” could mean to be anywhere: at your office if you love your work, possibly, or more romantically maybe it’s out in the middle of nowhere surrounded only by nature. So, building “homes” and designing things “for the home” cannot just be about function, but also producing some kind of atmosphere – it’s often simply about stories and sentimentality. Sometimes what can make you feel at home is just to have, according to writer Lyra Kilston for instance, “my daughter’s toys”; hardly the most objectively important thing for a house. It’s why, for our photo essay this issue, we focus in on one of the finer details of interior design: the door handle (“home” is in the details). And, as it turns out, quite a lot of major architects have made their contribution: David Chipperfield, David Adjaye and Zaha Hadid – all featured, among others. We also visit Maison&Objet, the yearly trade fair in Paris, focused on all things domestic (and more). With a fair that size, you’re bound to run into quite a lot of novelty and bad ideas. But then, “home” is also about personal taste – some gag at what others might gasp for. But what we’re gasping for is featured in our coverage of the event. Finally, we send Charles Holland to roam Essex, a county that hosts suburban overspill from London – and Holland’s first home, too – while boasting an incredible collection of modernist residences see some of the photos from the article here). And we head to Los Angeles where Barbara Bestor has imported the Dutch woonerf, and a refreshing focus on density and neighbourliness, to her new Blackbirds development. |
Words David Michon
Cover image Leon Chew
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IN THIS ISSUE COVER STORY: Marjan van Aubel The London Design Medal winner harnesses the power of light around everyday objects Paramount by The Office Space Hot desking ages gracefully in Sydney’s Surry Hills Bestor’s Blackbirds Barbara Bestor’s answer to the future of LA living comes from an unlikely place Essex modernism Charles Holland takes a trip down memory lane, and encounters a handful of radically modern gems See some of Catherine Hyland’s photographs from the article here and on Instagram Big ideas Three ideas making micro homes a real solution for the future of city life Winnipeg Designers in a sleepy Canadian metropolis hope its latest architectural renaissance will last Reviving brands From eyewear to motorbikes, a new generation of entrepreneurs breathes life into family businesses Maison&Objet The refreshed Parisian fair has become a can’t-miss for brands and buyers the world over Rua do Lavradio Designers around Rio de Janeiro’s Rua do Lavradio hope for the best as the Olympics approach Open door policy Benjamin Swanson and Icon get to grips with some of the hottest handles PLUS Review Mexico Olympics designer Lance Wyman finally gets his dues in Unit Edition’s latest monograph, as do the builders behind London’s finely crafted National Theatre in the new “Concrete Reality” catalogue Rethink Alitalia’s visual identity is brought to new heights |
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