hello again - loooong time no see! i do apologise for having disappeared quite a bit. the studio has got somewhat busier but all in a good way, with markets, beautiful bespoke orders and of course, the launch of our brand new tileset (it is definitely coming in september, promise!)

what also seemed to have completely past us by, is the anniversary of our website’s launch, on the 15th august, 2020 which was already four years ago would you believe? throughout this time, this blog has grown quite a bit, so i thought it’d be a good occasion to let you in on the origin story if you’re interested.

i actually didn’t have a clear idea what this will all be when i bought the domain for zitozza in 2018, i was just working in the netherlands at a renowned design agency on a huge interior design project with a lot of italians, and one of them used this nickname for me. i thought it sounded fun, italian and designery - i could certainly see the word “zitozza” on a showroom in milan for sure (don’t laugh, it’s okay to dream - it might still happen one day!)

our first ever prints forming a placeholder background for our website before launch

indeed it was a hyper inspiring and stimulating environment and only a year after finishing my masters i was still full of dreams and ideas, although i was not quite sure what i wanted to do yet. something something brutalism, because i’m me, something something jute, because sustainability, and something something block printing because i already had some printing blocks cut for uni and i didn’t want to stop using them (because it’s so much fun)

the interest in jute and block printing came earlier, at uni, in 2016 when i had undertaken a research project about industrial heritage and dundee, because it was easier for me to research locally than to do something at the borders (i was already living in fife and working as a graphic designer.) because i was a graphic designer, i wanted to print digitally on jute, but i was warned it might not work as it is very fibrous and the printing assistant was worried about messing up his printer and that in turn got me worried about not making my project so i had a “plan b” and i quickly designed some printing blocks to get made as that seemed the easiest thing to do at home during an all-nighter should i need to…

digitally printed jute for dundee heritage project

block printed jute for dundee heritage project (created as "plan b")

block printed jute inspired by industrial landscapes

in the end, the digital printing worked out but i fell in love with the block printing process and simplifying designs into a system of elements. i loved this process so much that i used the same material and the same process again for my final masters project, the “anthropocene” treble collection. „GRIDS”, part one of three used a fresh set of industrial and traffic and logistics inspired printing blocks on jute - it was quite successful and i finished uni on such a high that lead to the amsterdam job straight away - yet somehow i still felt that i was not done with these blocks.

then of course, lots of things happened, i came back from the netherlands and found myself in 2020 when we all had to stay at home. i decided to think about it as the perfect chance to do something i always made vague steps towards but never really managed to finalise. first i took a colour and shape research in the form of embroidery, because during those times we couldn’t even travel anywhere to take photos. so i dyed some yarn and i finished an 8-part series of mini-tapestries which you can find today in the wall-art section.

then i organised my existing printing blocks and i decided to complete both the first bit, from the dundee heritage project which became the HERITAGE series, and the smaller 10×10 additions to GRIDS, which became the MODERN series, and with a lot of colours i printed day and night until the house was chocka with jute and we had to move where we now have a studio with an actual printing table (as opposed to the kitchen floor), a website, a few stockists, been on telly and some magazines and hopefully continue growing into something really quite cool and interesting to many more homes!

anyway, this is kind of the origin story of zitozza. the rest is not yet history because it’s only just started! after just four years, the rest is still the present and the future.

DESIGN CONVERSATIONS, BEHIND THE SCENES, INSPIRATION, TEXTILE INDUSTRY

in conversation with jessica clements of JESS ANNE

Zita Katona · September 22, 2022

my oh my, it’s been a while since we had a good, deep design conversation hasn’t it! the talent of course has always been there and shining, but we now finally had the time as well, to meet some and explore their fabulous work. i’m very excited to introduce jessica clements of JESS ANNE today. she is a woven textile designer whose gorgeous works, with incredibly bold and bright colourways caught my eye immediately, and we’ve gone into process, materials and inspiration to bring her vibrant textiles closer to you.

ZITA: hi jess! first things first - could you say a few words about yourself, what you do and how you got there?

JESS: of course! so hello everyone my name is jessica, i’m 26 years old and live in broadstairs in kent and i’m the founder of JESS ANNE! i started my brand in 2019, just before the pandemic and i really wanted to create a brand that explores woven cloth featuring bright colours that spark joy!

ZITA: and it’s working i think! the first thing that really catches the eye about your work i think are your vibrant colourways! i just love the high contrasts and the neons so much. could you share a little bit about the thoughts that go into putting your wonderful schemes together?

JESS: it’s hard to explain but typically i don’t have a source of inspiration as such, it’s more of a feeling that i have. when i look at colours i don’t tend to think of trends or “what’s in”. i tend to think do they spark anything within me, do these colours remind me of a pleasant memory or place, or do they make me feel like if i wore those colours, i would feel confident? pretty? bold? i just sense my way through the colour choices rather then trying to have an elaborate explanation behind them. if the colours feel right, it feels right! obviously, every individual will have different tastes or opinions on style, however, the colours i choose express who i am as a designer and just as a human being!

ZITA: as a fellow pattern lover, i find weaving – and your particularly geometric patterns fascinating, i guess weaving is very “mathematical”. can you explain a little bit about the process of designing your patterns? what does it look like when one of your colourful patterns come together – is it a long chain of trials and errors, or do you nail it most of the time?

JESS: so, weaving is definitely not for those who don’t enjoy maths. weaving is one of those processes where accuracy and maths is everything and could make or break a pattern or even the physical cloth. when i begin my design process i always start with the colours (obvs!). from there, i tend to experiment with whatever i feel like i need to personally conquer as a weaver who is always trying to progress. as i’ve said before i’m not too driven by trend or styles, but much rather just expressing who i am as a designer and where i am in my personal development as a young creative. the geometric patterns was a real test for me! however it was one I wanted to conquer and prove that i can push my limits (and my own confidence!). when developing a design, the maths has to be spot on, and the maths can shift/change depending on the types of yarns and patterns chosen. i experiment with smaller samples first, writing every calculation to make sure I have the right amount of yarn ends and that i’m using the correct size of equipment such as the reed for the cloth i desire.

it’s definitely a trial and error thing! i wish i could say i nailed it on the head every time but that wouldn’t be true. sometimes yarns do not want to cooperate, even if you double checked every calculation and detail. sometimes, even the smallest of details overlooked can dramatically change the look and feel of the cloth. however, once the sample is nailed and its something that i feel proud to put my name too, i would then expand on this sample to create a range of products!

ZITA: what a fascinating process. i find the abstract nature of your work very interesting – i particularly love your woven artworks, it’s like you deconstructed your own craft into something else, something a bit more abstract, they feel quite architectural to me but also remind me of op-art a little bit. can you share a few thoughts about these pieces?

JESS: oh the card windings! i love these little pieces. when studying, we were taught that these card windings were used initially as just a development stage, to try out colourways and warp patterns. however, I started to expand on these using different shapes of card and found they deserved to be mini pieces of art in their own right! carefully hand wrapping card with desired colours in any order?! who wouldn’t?! i think the woven structure will always have an element of being architecturally inspired because the typical woven form relies so heavily on being constructed in a way that it will structurally hold together! not only do they help inform the woven cloth designs but they create such dynamic little studies that are interesting enough to want to hang on the wall!

ZITA: i think they work brilliantly, i really love them. now, let’s talk materials! what kind of materials do you work with – do you mix them often, or do you stick to one or two that works? what works?

JESS: oh good one. i’m a typical creature of habit, however as i’ve been designing, i’ve been trying my hardest to break free from my comfort zones. i tend to weave mainly with lambswool, however, in my most recent collection i have really been trying to expand on my products and offer lighter alternatives to the heavier & warmer wools and been experimenting with cotton/linen blends. i tend to use cottons for my card windings and happen to find myself using these now in my newer designs as a supplementary yarn. i’m hoping the more i evolve as a designer, the more i will be adventurous and try more yarns! eek!

ZITA: have you found that sustainability and ethical sourcing has become more of a point with your customers as well as in your supply chain? how do you find this – have you always worked with such materials?

JESS: i think by now most consumers are concerned with the environment, as they should be! it’s so important for people to realise the impact the textile industry has on the environment, and this should definitely be more integrated into our buying habits. as an independent designer and so early on in my journey, i handweave all of my designs, eliminating the risk of buying into any sort of sub par factory conditions or any sort of exploitation (although, it’s of my understanding now these regulations are in place and finally the textile world is shifting into a much more ethical way of producing). the yarns i order are from smaller independent shops in the UK, who also do their own background investigations into where they source their yarns. the company that i purchase my lambswool from and the cottons are very transparent in their processes which makes the selection process much easier. it’s so difficult to navigate through the world of industry, however, i remain conscious of my purchases and in the future when i have built up my brand, i strive to be a designer who is part of the ever so important sustainability movement.

ZITA: i think it’s growing really quite fast, nearly all designers i know are now considering this. i got to know you as a fellow participant of a new TV Show and you’ve also been through some thorough mentoring and an intensive development process i guess! how has it been for you in the last few months? without any spoilers, can you share a little bit about how you have developed your work and maybe about some of the new pieces?

JESS: so the show really helped me become who I am today in just a short amount of time! the mentoring was pretty intense to say the least and it was difficult at times to break old habits and ways of thinking, but it was exactly what I needed to tap in to the potential for my woven designs! before filming i lacked confidence and found my development of designing was very slow, as i was always very nervous of trying new patterns/yarn in case they didn’t work out (yes, i am one of those people that if i don’t nail it first time, i get very frustrated!) however the mentoring on the show really helped me overcome that fear and removed the barrier between me as a designer and creating much more statement designs. the designs that will feature in the show really came from a place of needing to push my own boundaries rather then a specific source of inspiration. i view this collection as a natural progression from my previous broadstairs project and i think there something really lovely about my projects linking this way.

ZITA: this is very exciting and i can’t wait to see al this progress on TV soon. development is an interesting process, have you found any new sources of inspiration? where do you normally go to or look to? have you found it’s changed lately?

JESS: i think my design process and sources of inspiration changes almost constantly. as my practice and skills develop and as i continue to design, i find my inspiration shifts so frequently that’s its hard to even keep up with myself! i was inspired mostly by nature and my surroundings in my home town, however i found that more recently my work is more inspired by my own feelings and the feeling i wanted to provoke in people if they were to wear my design. i’m starting to really explore how fabric design and colour combinations can provoke different emotions.

ZITA: fascinating! and where do you want to see your work most? what’s your dearest ambition, where do you want to take your work next?

JESS: i would absolutely adore to see my brand grow and eventually develop into a fashion brand. the dream has always been to see my fabrics on garments such as beautiful, tailored suits and dresses and feature in glossy magazines (i think most designers have this day dream!), TV, instagram… and just generally see my work being used by all over the world! the sky is the limit!

ZITA: yeah, you go girl! and now the question i ask from everyone - can you recommend a book? or an artist or a maker whose work is worth looking into? something or someone that keeps you thinking forward?

JESS: oh my goodness there’s so many artists and designers that inspire me from across the board i couldn’t possibly narrow It down! there’s so many amazing weavers out there such as margo selby, ptolemy mann, rita parniczky, theo rooden… the list is endless! i think any of these artist would be good start if you wanted to understand more about woven design and what is possible!

ZITA: and lastly but most importantly, where can we see your work next?

JESS: so as i’m typing this i have no current exhibitions or markets coming up, however my products are available through my website and i welcome emails or instagram DMs enquiring to commission or purchase. i’m currently still in the process of re-branding and re developing my website and i’m communicating with smaller retailers about becoming stockists. exciting! ahh!

ZITA: sounds like you have a lot on your plate, but i’m sure it will work out. thanks so much for talking with me!

Links:

JESS ANNE website

JESS ANNE instagram

‘make it at market’ (BBC media centre website)

margo selby website

ptolemy mann (crafts council website)

rita parniczky (saatchi art website)

theo rooden website

DESIGN CONVERSATIONS, INSPIRATION, INTERIOR DESIGN, MODULAR SYSTEM, SUSTAINABILITY

in conversation with matt maurer of mr.m ideas studio - designer of arnie.m

Zita Katona · December 9, 2021

good morning december, how did we get here again? i can’t quite believe how fast this month has gone again but with all the busy festive preparations, i hope there is a little time left for inspiring stories and interesting conversations - and i really did bring a good one for you this time, as i managed to get a few words in with matt maurer, designer of the smart and sustainable home office system of arnie.m, featured in our post about interior trends at the start of this year.

ZITA: hi matt! first things first, can you say a few words about yourself – what you do and how you got there?

MATT: i’m the founder and creative director of mr.m ideas studio. mr.m specialises in brand identity, visual communication, digital design and environments. with over 50 design awards and 20 years’ experience i collaborate with creative people in many fields to make great ideas happen.

my journey before arriving at mr.m was studying graphic design at university and spending my earlier professional career working for some of the most renowned design agencies in manchester.

ZITA: and about your product - would you say that developing arnie.m was a long-held dream of yours, or was it something that evolved over time? can you give a little insight into the birth of your business?

MATT: birth is the key word! my studio is based at our small home and when we found out my wife, angela was expecting we also knew that we were presented with a spatial challenge.

life and work need to be in balance especially within the home environment. the limited space presented a challenge but that is what led us to thinking about creating a workspace that could accommodate all my design paraphernalia, yet still be compact enough to shut up shop of a working day and become an attractive piece of domestic furniture.

so, with the help of friends and contacts in the creative and craft industries in and around manchester, we took our design ideas and skilfully translated them into a for-real form – a workspace.

we were swept away as new parents when arnie arrived but once we started to get our heads around everything including sleep deprivation, we began to see how the workspace really helped. when friends and family complimented on the complete ‘office’ it led us to start out on our adventure. it took just under two years of developing and tweaking to turn our workspace in what it is today — arnie.m. (we had to name it after the little man who inspired the idea!)

ZITA: how lovely - and impressive! i actually discovered your furniture in search of home office trends which obviously blew up since 2020 and the pandemic. how has this experience been so far for getting your range known?

MATT: we only truly launched arnie.m at the end of december / january 2021, we are very much still in our infancy. we want arnie.m to be a family adventure for angela, myself and arnie plus the amazing network of skilled people who are part of a wider, very support arnie.m family. i have to say we are still finding our feet but the response and support we have received has been amazing! the highlight for us has been getting arnie.m featured in variety of well-known/high end publications which has raised our profile.

ZITA: modular design systems in general are a smart way of working but there’s also a lot of play in it for your clients. can you expand a little bit about the possibilities or how your furniture can be built up? are there any limitations to your systems or can it be theoretically expanded to huge environments (e.g. contract?)

MATT: we know creating your perfect working environment is personal, so by making arnie.m modular makes it adaptable. arnie.m starts with a frame, and you basically hang the units that best meet your needs on the sturdy (yet elegantly formed) frame. currently arnie.m has a range of different modular units which include a desk unit to several storage and display unit options, this gives you the flexibility to create your very own arnie.m

each arnie.m is handcrafted with pride and attention to detail, we only make to order. this means with the support a small but talented collective we can customise and be creative with the modular design if required, individual unit designs, sizes, even colour can all be considered. this way of working gives arnie.m the flexibility to work in different ways and look at opportunities in different environments.

ZITA: that’s really clever! i think handmade processes always allow a lot of custom tweaks indeed. can you tell a little bit more about the material choice? how important are sustainable qualities for you with regards to both materials used and your working processes?

MATT: we are not, nor do we want to be a mass-producer, having to use cheaper materials like mdf. we love ply it’s basically a ‘green’ product, its beautiful, durable and long lasting. we designed arnie.m to be easily reconfigured to meet your needs over a lifetime, individual hand-made, built to last in natural birch plywood that is FSC certified.

arnie.m has some clearly defined ambitions which focus around sustainability. we want to grow arnie.m carefully for everyone’s benefit, as mentioned we are a family not a vast global corporation. we want to support our small collective. we use only what we need in materials and packaging, avoiding waste and keep production local. by building a sustainable business we want our boy arnie to benefit from the work he’s inspired.

ZITA: this is very inspiring! i love plywood in general, i even print with it - it’s so universal. and beautiful too. what were the aesthetic driving principles of your product? do you follow any particular design school or style, or was it purely driven by function?

MATT: function was at the heart of the idea. simply our brief was to create a practical, adaptable and functioning workspace within a small space, that could also be aesthetically pleasing.

ZITA: it makes perfect sense! and now a question i ask from everyone - can you recommend a book, or another designer, artist or a maker whose work is worth looking into?

MATT: angela was the really driving force for developing the workspace into arnie.m but we were inspired by the books produced by the do book co we highly recommend taking a look at them.

ZITA: i definitely will, thank you! and last, but not least, where can we see your products at the moment? and what next for arnie.m? are you looking to grow your range?

MATT: you can view arnie.m on our website but we also currently have one arnie.m displayed in a house by urban splash show home in new Islington in manchester.

next year we look to continue to build the arnie.m brand. we are also going to explore adding new units designs to our range. and most importantly enjoy the adventure!

links:

arnie.m

mr.m ideas studio

house by urban splash

paul moffat photography

the do book co

ARCHITECTURE, SUSTAINABILITY, SCOTLAND, ZERO WASTE

AT THE COP26 HOUSE, GLASGOW (spot the zitozza rug!)

Zita Katona · November 9, 2021

hello! first of all, apologies for not having posted anything for ages, zitozza have been very, very busy in the last few weeks with making stuff and taking them to events… but we haven’t yet shared the best news on the coolest (probably ever!) project - the COP26 house in glasgow. this is a sustainable model house built at the broomielaw for the COP26 climate conference and as an obsessive architecture and sustainability geek, i was eager to learn more about this and with a huge thanks to beyond zero homes i managed to put together a little bit about this.

the house itself is a project of many contributors, designed by peter smith of roderick james architects, developed by members of beyond zero homes - a collaboration between developers, architects, suppliers and industry bodies with the single aim to demonstrate how beautiful, affordable, healthy and comfortable homes can be developed with minimal impact on the environment, throughout their lifecycle.

*photo by fourfifteen, with thanks to beyond zero homes*

there’s an important thing to mention here before delving into the details here - i’d like to emphasise that this house isn’t some kind of futuristic concept, but designed for the present and built using materials and technologies that we have available today and it is very much a present imperative to use them across our building projects if we take our climate goals seriously. so what exactly are these materials and technologies and what makes a building sustainable?

according to this assessment by daniel doran of circular ecology, the house is an exemplar of embodied carbon. most embodied carbon emissions come from the supply chain of construction products – the extraction of raw materials, processing, transporting and manufacturing and then there’s transporting products to site, installation, repair and replacement during use, and their end-of-life deconstruction and disposal. what makes the house actually carbon negative, beating RIBA’s own carbon target by large, is largely thanks to the material choice of locally grown timber. the uk is one of the largest timber importers in the world which is not only an unnecessary addition of shipping-related carbon, but growing them locally also supports reforestation and capturing carbon.

the house is of course eco-conscious in using responsible heat sources and airtight insulation - it is using infrared heating which works by heating the house itself rather than the air in it, so it is much more efficient, comfortable, space saving, and perhaps the biggest benefit in a wet country such as scotland is reduced moisture. of course the insulation is achieved with triple glazing and even the insulation and the cladding is using timber.

i’m not an expert on construction and structure, but it really amazes me how many places in the design uses timber even where we’re not that used to seeing it and it is also designed to dismantle easily - this will be demonstrated live after the conference, when the house will be disassembled and re-built in aviemore to join an affordable housing scheme of 12 of such houses. i’m going to be honest, i was a little bit sceptical about how much of these houses we can build efficiently in a city though - after all, timber is not known to be hugely scaleable, and in a climate-stable future, we want to spare as much land as possible, don’t we? however, talking about RIBA’s operational carbon targets, the architect peter smith said “for larger houses using this same build system, the target is significantly easier to achieve” which leaves me hoping it would work with multiple households too.

last, but not least, we should talk a little bit about the decor - the house was styled by roddy clarke who made conscious decisions to continue the use of sustainable and natural materials inside with wood furniture and locally sourced soft furnishings - which is why i’m so proud and pleased to loan one of my jute rugs to the project. (while we cannot grow jute here locally, it is still one of the most sustainable textiles in the world in terms of carbon capture and water footprint.)

it really is a wonderful project and i hope that in the past few weeks, all the important people in the sector has visited and learnt from this model because we need to implement these practices right now if we want to keep our future liveable. it is easy to get into a negativity spiral about climate change, because we are undoubtedly on a depressing course and we are definitely going to feel the effects of our ignorance for a long time. however, it’s not true that we haven’t done anything or that we are unable to. we do have affordable solutions at hand with which we can limit some of this damage and we are able to use them. i do believe we are smart enough and projects such as this house makes me feel hopeful and positive for the future!

links:

beyond zero homes

roderick james architects

home grown homes

wood for good

roddy clarke designs

BEHIND THE SCENES, JUTE, SUSTAINABILITY, WORK IN PROGRESS

a survey on rugs - your opinion wanted!

Zita Katona · June 19, 2021

INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE, JUTE, SCOTLAND, TEXTILE INDUSTRY, SUSTAINABILITY

jutefest is coming!

Zita Katona · May 25, 2021

oh hello (limited, face-masked) general public! zitozza are excited and proud to announce to be a founding participant of JUTEFEST dundee! this is a brand new initiative with three makers working with jute differently (that’s - jist jute, knotty but nice, and zitozza) and our aim is to bring this wonderfully versatile and sustainable fabric back to its city where it once came out of in the tons.

the three of us work with jute in different ways - you can read our design conversations with jist jute already - there is a great deal of research and local history in alison’s work and she will also be signing her book “if these wa’s cuid talk” at the event. maite of knotty but nice is a crocheter who uses twine from nutscene to make strong and colourful bags and accessories. so there will be jewellery, fashion accessories - and cushions, rugs and lampshade by zitozza also for sale. but apart from setting up market stalls with our things, we will be making live at the event and demonstrate our crafts as well as preparing some exhibition materials on the history of jute in the city as well as some modern takes on the golden fibre.

there’s certainly a lot of heritage to celebrate in dundee but we also believe in embracing the present and we have our modern-day reasons why we work with it - one of these is of course sustainability, because we recognise our responsibility and we want to promote materials with less of a carbon, chemical, and water footprint. however, there is also a more artistic take on it - jute is a very utilitarian material, and when it was mass produced in dundee, it was fully to serve other industries and agriculture with its sacks and ropes. the three of us don’t use it this way though. we inject it with colour, design and individuality while keeping what’s good about it - the warmth, tactility and environmental qualities. there’s a lot to discover and play with and we want the locals to join us to celebrate that!

zitozza are preparing with a special launch of mini-tapestries as well, an initial 8-piece exhibtion will be set up for visitors - all wall-art will be available to be purchased online soon as well!

so when is this is happening? this is going to be a series of pop-up fairs stretched out between june and september on the first saturdays of each of these months. so that’s 5th june, 3rd july, 7th august, and 4th september.

and where about? at the artantics building (many thanks to scrapantics!), that’s right across from verdant works. the address is unit 2, anchor mill, west henderson’s wynd, dundee, DD1 5BY.

this is going to be a real-life event which is why it’s a big deal to those of us having been confined to our studios and council areas and whatnot. even though we are super happy to be finally free to meet you and celebrate, we still have to be careful and be aware of the spread of coronavirus. we want to be as safe as possible, so please note we will require face masks to be worn and we may still limit the number of people indoors in order to be able to keep a safe distance. thanks for your understanding and see you soon!

links:

jutefest instagram and twitter

jist jute instagram and etsy shop

knotty but nice (instagram)

scrapantics (website)

INTERIOR DESIGN, SUSTAINABILITY, TEXTILE INDUSTRY, INSPIRATION

the 8 interior trends that will define 2021 - and the good news is, eco-conscious design is growing!

Zita Katona · January 14, 2021

first of all, happy new year everyone! i guess we have all agreed not to talk about 2020, so i don’t want to say too much apart from how much i hope you all have an amazing new year with many well deserved, happy moments. for now, it seems as though we are stuck indoors for a little extra time again, and it’s all a bit grim. but here at zitozza indoors is what we’re good at, and with that in mind, you are invited to look through the interior trends of 2021 with our research glasses!

1. ECO CONSCIOUS DESIGN!

i was hesitating whether i should really call this a trend at all, when in fact it should be the standard really, but it’s just a fact that eco-consciousness has not been high on many agendas until recently. from the design industry’s perspective this has been imperatively rising though - and i’m 100% certain that it will be the most important one for decades to come. personally what i’m most excited about is the revolution collection by vondom - the first part of it (called “ibiza” by eugeni quitllet, made of plastic waste in the mediterranean) came out last year - read a little bit on design milk.

and this year we’re expected to see sustainability in many more ways - not just in durability and reusability but also in more innovative material choice such as foresso - the timber terrazzo, this beautiful surface. i love how it looks - texture within texture! made in the uk (birmingham) with bio-resin and timber waste, their sustainability credentials and transparency with their products and traceability are truly exemplary.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Foresso (@_foresso)

image and product design by foresso.

2. EARTH TONES AND TEXTURES

warm is the new cool, and interpreting a luxurious space as a kind, bracing cosiness has been growing and growing in recent years, resulting in a beautiful play with many textures and organic designs. clay, woodwork, boucle, velvets… this is very much about tactile qualities combined with warm colours and round, cocooning forms. coleur locale illustrates a rich, well-travelled take on this - below in the styling of the brilliant cleo scheulderman. it’s the comforting hug of mother earth that we crave!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cleo Scheulderman (@cleoscheulderman)

photography by Jeroen van der Spek. styling by Cleo Scheulderman, 
client: Coleur Locale.

3. FRESH, OPEN BLUES

remember what free, open spaces used to be like? remember the summer breeze under the bright wide sky? remember the beach, the colour of the ocean? it’s hard to imagine it right now, scooped up inside in the midst of an ugly, grim january but those amazing blue hues are being brought indoors with rather spectacular results. as a fan of this colour i’m really excited about benjamin moore choosing it to be colour of the year. if you’re familiar with nicola harding and co. then you’ll know that she is an expert of using these shades for cool, thoughtful spaces with lots of charm and character. the below snippet is from this project (published in house & garden last year) - can we please take a moment to note the rugs too!

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A post shared by Nicola Harding & Co (@nicolahardingandco)

design by Nicola Harding & Co, photography by Paul Massey

4. ONE ROOM, MANY FUNCTIONS

hands up, who’s surprised at this one? since we have spent pretty much all events of our life at home recently, this trend has risen perhaps out of necessity, but it’s here to stay because it’s immensely practical. while it has really been simple reality for many people, 2020 has certainly brought it to the surface and the market for functional solutions might expand as a result. expect to find space dividers and lots of clever home office furniture - the personal pick is this super smart, modular home office by arnie.m - the brainchild of angela and matt maurer. british made (in manchester), masterfully skilled, fully customisable and it’s sustainable too - made of 100% natural plywood (with beautiful wood pattern on the surface) and none of that awful mdf stuff.

design by Arnie.M, photography by Paul Moffat Photography.

5. FUNKY ACCENT RUGS

the one i’ve been waiting for! this one is for the pattern lovers out there and it’s just become barefoot-friendly. we have been layering upon layers upon layers for the past few years now, but increasingly we’re doing it to the floors as well and i’m 100% here for it. rugs outside, rugs in the kitchen, rugs on rugs, everything goes with everything. it’s the floor that makes the statement in 2021 so give it the love it deserves. london-based floor story always has some of the brightest and most exciting collaborations to look forward to - a great start to the year with the mediterranean collection by adam furman.

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image by Floor Story, rug design by Adam Furman.

6. NORDIC WABI SABI

minimalism has also taken a more inviting, warmer form in recent years. it’s still quite rustic and sparse but with plenty of thought-provoking richness in texture and imperfect, natural form. it still seeks that delicate contentment, and it still finds it in the peaceful serenity of warm, monochrome hues and natural surfaces, worked with the most skilled craftsmanship. but recently, it has all taken a more hugging, cosy, organic form in a somewhat scandinavian manner - or dutch as seen on this take by cleo scheulderman for vtwonen. it’s an artful creation of an unfilled but stimulating space where we want to go to to feel better about everything again.

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photography by Jeroen van der Spek, styling by Cleo Scheulderman, 
assistance by Mette Sophie, client: vtwonen

7. VINTAGE LOVE

classic styles become such because they work, there is nothing new about that. however there are always new and ever more inventive ways to widen the boundaries and take braver, bolder twists on our cherished favourites. and if sustainability is chic, then surely, the glamorous way to do it is to give our vintage treasures the love and attention they deserve. it’s all about expression, maximalism, individuality and all the personal stories each object bears. i chose another take from nicola harding & co to illustrate this - a fabulous, opulent space that feels inviting and familiar at the same time.

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interior design by Nicola Harding & Co, photography by Paul Massey

8. NATURE AND GREEN (and all the other colours)

maybe houseplants are not a “trend” so much, we just collect them because they are great and we love nature. but those of you with gardens and balconies have really hit the jackpot and a new appreciation certainly grew out of last year’s events. outdoor spaces are being increasingly valued as an extension of the living space and they’re now getting their rightfully earned, fully saturated upgrade with appropriate cosy cushions and floor covers. this one by mimi forrest is obviously not an outdoor rug but first of all it’s too beautiful not to be shared here and secondly, the styling might just give you the right idea - it is exactly the type of indoor space we want to see more of in 2021.

i hope you will all have an amazing, productive and successful 2021 with lots of colour and pattern - and more importantly please stay safe and healthy! although the start to the year feels worrying and sad, i’m hoping that it won’t be much longer until we can work more closely again and i’m looking forward to seeing more of your creative projects. happy new year!

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image by Floor Story, rug design by Mimi Forrest