Decor 101

Last week I headed to Copenhagen for its annual 3 Days of Design festival, which sees showrooms, interiors brands and studios host exhibitions, talks, workshops and tours across the Danish capital. It’s free to attend and open to all (you certainly don’t need to be part of the design industry to go along), and I always come back brimming with inspiration . I’ll be sharing some of my highlights from this year’s event over the next couple of weeks, starting today with two collaborative exhibitions that took place within the walls of private members’ club The Conary: Gestures of Home and Apartamento Secreto . Gestures of Home Curated by interiors stylist Henriette Schou, Gestures of Home brought together creative studio and magazine publisher Openhouse , Australian rug maker Armadillo and European furniture companies Expormim and Saba Italia . The aim was to reimagine and challenge the boundaries between home and gallery by exploring how design can be both a form of artistic exp...

I’ve long admired the work of Netherlands-based interior designer Holly Marder. Pared-back yet full of soul, the spaces she creates combine earthy colours, textural layers and handcrafted pieces with a deep respect for the architecture of the building in question and the needs of her clients. As well as running her own boutique practice, Avenue Design Studio, she’s the founder of A . Gallery , which is housed in a former 1930s mechanic shop in Rijswijk on the edge of The Hague and showcases a carefully curated collection of art, ceramics, decorative accessories and furniture. I first met Holly in person last year when I featured her beautiful house in my book , The Soft Minimalist Home , and I’ve since worked with her on another project that I’m excited to share soon. On a recent trip to the Netherlands, I took the opportunity to spend a morning photographing the gallery and chatting to her about her journey into interior design, finding inspiration, renovating period homes, start...

The arrival of hot, sunny weather means shade is essential for enjoying whatever outside space you have safely and comfortably. It’s something I know all too well: I’m lucky enough to have a south-facing garden, but the sun is so strong that it would be unusable for a lot of the day without something to keep the rays at bay. So, I thought a round-up of the best parasols on the market at the moment would be both useful and timely, and I’ve picked out 15 different options below. There are choices for all budgets and types of space, from cantilever parasols that cover a wide area to half parasols that squeeze neatly into compact gardens and onto balconies. There’s also something to suit every style, whether you want to keep things simple and timeless or make a statement with a striped or scallop-edged design. And, to help you select the right parasol for your needs, I’ve included some handy buying tips at the end of the post. Skagerak ‘Messina’ UPF50+ pulley-operated parasol wi...