#01 - Opening Thought

London may be a hotbed of small businesses, but there’s still something of a stigma here around talking about your venture with unyielding optimism. It’s what makes visiting Nordic nations – and cities like Stockholm – so refreshing, where entrepreneurialism feels culturally encouraged. Here, business confidence comes across as competence, tinged with a Nordic directness that sidesteps American start-up hyperbole. This approach matters most in an industry as tough as European furniture manufacturing – squeezed by tariffs, material sourcing constraints, and a race-to-the-bottom culture of copycatting and quality shortcuts. Last week at Stockholm Creative Edition, it was heartening to hear design-business owners speak optimistically about this industry as a system to be innovated, without compromising quality or heritage.

This was the gist of my exchange with entrepreneur Christoffer Söderqvist, founder of EXAKT MFG, who debuted a collection with some pieces designed in collaboration with Superlab. The handsome, minimalist wares (which included the cheekily named Assprint stool, pictured) introduced a brand spun off from his existing manufacturing operation in southern Sweden. Here, he uses the most advanced machinery to keep the business lean and profitable. Yet, despite investing in robotics and engineering, Söderqvist doesn’t sacrifice the past in the pursuit of progress. He explains how, for one sofa, he partnered with an upholstery company in Älmhult – IKEA’s hometown. To refine the piece, the owner had to call in a retired female colleague, dubbed the “upholstery ninja,” who was considered essential to achieving the ultimate result. This is industry best practice – treating craft knowledge as an equal to innovation.

#02 - Feng Shui

We’re about six weeks into 2026, and the word of the year has already emerged. Analogue (or ‘analog’, depending on which side of the Atlantic you sit) has been enlisted to symbolise anything unshackling us from the deluge of AI-generated slop we’re subjected to every day. It’s typically broadcast as a showcase of vintage design, print advertisements, or visual references harkening back to an era when we weren’t glued to screens. This is all a little ironic, of course, as analogue appreciation tends to happen on algorithmically driven feeds on screened devices designed to monetise our attention - but that’s another story for another day.

What I’m keen to unpack is how quickly things come back into vogue. Nostalgia is always such a powerful force in our lives. We’re already deep into a 1990s and early 2000s-style revival (an era with just the right amount of ‘analogue’), and visual feeds are cluttered with imagery inspired by this moment.

A trend I’m seeing in the design space is a moodboard lust for the aesthetically pleasing but functionally awful ‘white slipcovered sofa’ style that stemmed from a late 1990s new-age ‘casual cosy’ era. This was a moment when inspiring interiors were low-key, earthy, and faintly spiritual. While today’s revival leans heavily on taupe palettes and modish minimalism, what’s missing is the thinking that once underpinned the look.

In the 1990s, casual cosiness wasn’t just an aesthetic posture. It was deeply informed by feng shui - an ancient sort of interior design strategy that proliferated across East Asia from China. With its emphasis on harmony, energy flow, and spatial intention, feng shui aligned perfectly with the relaxed ethos of the 1990s in the West, turning slipcovered-couch-laden living rooms into deliberate sanctuaries rather than styled backdrops.

If there’s anything worth resurrecting from the past in 2026, it’s that sense of balance and flow - particularly as global headlines grow bleaker. So instead of wrapping my sofas in soon-to-be-red-wine-stained white sheets, I ordered a copy of Sarah Shurety’s 1997 book Feng Shui For Your Home (how very analogue of me), an illustrated guide to creating ‘a harmonious, happy, and prosperous living environment’.

I’m a good chunk of the way through and, while the numerology element still eludes me, I have learned why beds shouldn’t sit directly in line with doors (in the ‘coffin position’, alluding to how the dead are traditionally carried out of a room). I can now also appreciate how mirrors can either amplify calm or quietly sabotage sleep, and why the kitchen is considered the home’s energetic engine. It’s ancient homemaking wisdom blended with spiritual belief, but much of it feels like practical intelligence shaped over centuries.

The first rule of feng shui is no clutter - which I wholeheartedly endorse. Some ideas I’m less convinced by: the notion that a round house has superior feng shui because there are no corners to trap stagnant energy (alongside the obvious inconvenience of having no flat walls for framed pictures or bookshelves). But there’s a lot of grounded common sense - real fireplaces over artificial heat, pollution-absorbing plants genuinely improve how a space feels, and we should all have a general wariness of microwaves as energy-disrupting, chi-killing, rubbish.

In its essence, feng shui is about attentiveness - to space, to movement, to how environments subtly shape mood. It’s not prescriptive so much as observational, less about achieving perfect harmony than noticing when things feel off. I’m not about to relocate to a round-walled converted lighthouse, but I have doubled down on decluttering and started paying closer attention to where the afternoon sunlight falls. It’s definitely more enriching than scrolling through vintage homewares images on my phone.

#03 - Design Selection

A trio of French releases anchors this week’s edit, beginning with the (1) Sandows Daybed N°114 by René Herbst for Petite Friture (beautiful explainer video here). Unveiled in Paris this January, the re-edition pays homage to the pioneering modernist’s 1927 original - tubular steel and elastic strapping (sandows) that defined French industrial design’s interwar moment. The (2) LOU Stool from Tiptoe distils Gallic pragmatism into a stackable seat that assembles in under a minute. The new CORE edition adds a brushed stainless steel finish to the brand’s signature clamp-on legs, elegantly harmonising industrial utility with chic, covetable design. Rounding out the French contingent is the (3) Drift Chair from Theoreme Editions, designed by Studio BrichetZiegler and pictured in the oak edition. A beautiful creation, its cantilevered seat appears to float above its minimalist frame - a feat of engineering paired with artisan French finishing. It’s available in various timbers with interchangeable fabric or leather cushions.

Moving to Stockholm, vintage purveyor of Nordic design, Modernity (which also has a showroom in London) has a rare (4) Helmet Table Lamp (Model 9209) by Paavo Tynell on the market. Originally produced in 1940 for Finnish manufacturer Taito, the perforated brass shade, nicknamed “Kypärä” (helmet in Finnish), creates a mesmerising starlight-like sparkle through hand-punched triangular patterns. Back in the less elusive realms, (5) Connexion Collection is a easy-self-assemble discovery we missed from 2024 from Milan-based designer YuoNing Chien for 808: Studio. Solid oak half-lap joints create a sturdy grid base that requires no tools or hardware to assemble, and the base is topped with cushions in handwoven ramie, sourced from Chinese artisans. Finally, some fine Mexican tiling from (6) Lofa Ceramics, the Guadalajara-based studio fusing high-temperature techniques with natural glazes to striking effect. Fired at 1,250°C, each tile is made individually using ceramic paste and in-house-formulated glazes made from natural oxides and minerals, yielding colours and textures unavailable through industrial methods.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images & Illustration: EXAKT MFG, Jiye Kim, Petite Friture, Tiptoe, Theoreme Editions, Modernity, 808: Studio, Lofa.

#01 - Opening Thought

“The reason to travel is to find a world that you don’t know,” explains Gerold Schneider. Along with his wife, architect Katia Schneider, he owns and operates Hotel Almhof Schneider in Lech and a constellation of other thoughtful projects in this snowy corner of the Austrian Alps. His statement, strangely, doesn’t compute with the luxury travel sector these days – where design feels ubiquitous, and a sense of place is replaced by engineered, cut-and-paste ‘good taste’. Pull up at Almhof Schneider, however, and you’ll certainly step into a world you’ve never experienced before. The first port of call is the concrete-and-polished-asphalt car park, created by the Schneiders in collaboration with Japan’s Shinichiro Ogata. It’s where the above image (taken by Jake Curtis for the Provenance exhibition by Rajan Bijlani) was made under the space’s perfectly proportioned circular skylight. It’s hardly traditional Alpine construction, but like the rest of the design here, it resonates naturally with its surroundings.

“The most common word we hear from those who describe this place is ‘home’,” says Schneider, who emphasises that more people are coming round to an appreciation for places that don’t try to “control the experience”. “The tendency in modern society is to control rather than accept things as they are,” he adds, describing the shifting mindset Almhof Schneider embodies as one that’s closer to simply letting things be and appreciating quality without pretense. Through this philosophy, design from around the world finds an easy home here. When London-based collector Rajan Bijlani visited, he insisted the Provenance exhibition’s Le Corbusier and Lucie Rie pieces be displayed openly in the hotel’s public spaces. Schneider’s hesitation was practical: “I said, do you realise people will throw their wet jackets over these very expensive pieces?” But that’s precisely the point. Museum logic gives way to something better here – the chance to live with real beauty.

Provenance is a collaborative exhibition presented by Rajan Bijlani at Hotel Almhof Schneider in Lech, Austria, bringing together works by Frank Auerbach, Lucie Rie, Le Corbusier, and Pierre Jeanneret. It runs until 6 April 2026.

#02 - For Your Consideration

1. While slashed budgets mean many mainstream design media outlets have evolved into recyclers of press materials, international dailies are picking up the slack and delivering insightful industry reporting. This New York Times deep dive into rebooting the midcentury design intellectual-property economy featuring Form Portfolios is top-shelf reporting that highlights how legacy design can be commercialised without being cheapened.

2. The Financial Times also presents some of the strongest industry insight and criticism spanning furniture manufacturing, architecture, design, and interiors. Edwin Heathcote’s beautifully crafted architectural review of SANAA’s new museum in Taichung argues for civic generosity over spectacle. A Big Read on Trump’s furniture tariffs punctures reshoring rhetoric with inflation and frozen demand. And a clever (and lush to look at) interiors feature on social-media-friendly kitchens unpacks how fridges, joinery, and patina now function as cultural capital online.

3. I’m certainly not down on the quality of design reporting as a whole; you just have to know where to look to find the good stuff. Oxford Talks recently hosted a podcast conversation with legendary Pentagram partners Michael Bierut and Harry Pearce that cuts through creative folklore and focuses on how good studios survive. Bierut says that long-term success comes from caring about invoicing, taxes, and operations as much as the work itself, while Pearce outlines how Pentagram’s unique structure — autonomous studios, profit splits, and no hierarchy between partners — is held together by trust, discipline, and collective responsibility.

4. For more quick-to-consume content on good graphic design, you can jump on Instagram to view Loan Bottex’s new identity for Notes de Bas de Page, a Parisian niche perfume house. A bespoke serif logotype, rooted in French typographic history and defined by enlarged capitals and oldstyle figures, gives the brand clarity and cultural confidence without leaning on cliché. One should also sneak a peek at London-based A Practice for Everyday Life’s visual identity for the 12th SITE Santa Fe International, a calm, coherent system deployed across campaigns, publications, and exhibition design, with a tasteful use of a poppy blue that adds lift without distraction.

5. Now, enough screen time. There’s much on the agenda in the real world, with plenty of European trade events worth pencil-marking in the diary. Stockholm Creative Edition (3–7 February 2026) brings a focused, tasteful design week to the Swedish capital. Collect at Somerset House, London (27 February–1 March 2026; previews 25–26 February) follows, with TF Chan, the talented new director, setting the global craft agenda with a sophisticated curation of global galleries. Matter & Shape Paris (6–9 March 2026) rounds things out nicely in the Jardin des Tuileries, continuing its cross-disciplinary mix of architecture, furniture, and objects, and bringing us (hopefully) into sunny Spring. I’ll be making my way round the lot, so if you’re around, do say hi.

#03 - Design Selection

Released last year and designed by German-born, London-based Mathias Hahn for Spanish masters of lighting Marset, Gambosa is lamp-craft at its loveliest. With a focus on appealing proportions and the considered use of coloured steel, alongside a translucent shade option, this indoor lamp is measured and composed.

Deceptively simple in form, it is built from three clearly defined elements: a circular base, a slender vertical stem, and an offset curved shade. Its clean lines guide the eye gracefully across the object and establish a sense of equilibrium between parts. Hahn’s expertise in industrial design is evident in the lamp’s clarity. Lines are precise, volumes are easy to enjoy, and the relationship between solid form and open space is carefully considered. Whether on or off, Gambosa maintains a strong visual presence in any room.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images: Jake Curtis, Marset.

#01 - Opening Thought

The notion of luxury is evolving, and one of the greatest names in luxury over the last 50 years, Dries Van Noten, has his sights set on what a modern definition for this contentious term should be. Through his Fondazione Dries Van Noten, the retired fashion designer and entrepreneur, with his partner Patrick Vangheluwe, takes that question out of the showroom and into Venice – inside Palazzo Pisani Moretta, the handsome 15th-century palazzo in San Polo (illustrated above in 1847), set directly on the Canal Grande between the Rialto Bridge and Ca’ Foscari.

Opening in April 2026, the Fondazione uses the palazzo as a working setting rather than a runway. The programme spans art, design, fashion, architecture, and dining, bringing established figures and emerging makers into the same rooms, with the expectation that methods, materials, and habits of thinking will travel between disciplines.

Set in a city shaped by commerce, craft, and long memory, the project grounds luxury in practice rather than proclamation. It frames the term as something you can interrogate up close – in skill and time applied well – and positions Van Noten’s next chapter as a considered extension of the values of quality that have always defined his work.

#02 - Screen Grind

Sometimes you need separation to see things more clearly. Taking a proper break in December did it for me. When I came back and picked up where I’d left off, I had to rub my eyes in disbelief at the rubbish I’d been enduring on the screens that I am tethered to for work. Why, for example, did I have a top-of-the-range iPhone (essentially a full-blown pocket cinema) and use it to watch DIY home-video-quality footage of untrained, amateur presenters, mostly talking nonsense about themselves? And why does it make more sense to view it all with the sound off, reading subtitles riddled with typos?

The internet is a mystical space: no sooner had I self-diagnosed that three weeks away from the screen had helped cure a bout of digital brain-rot than I was presented, as if by design, with articles online supporting the theory. The most enlightening was from Christopher Mims in the Wall Street Journal, who calls for 2026 to be the year of “Critical Ignoring” the trash on our feeds. As he writes: “Problems managing our attention in the face of a never-ending media onslaught are so widespread they’ve spawned high-tech remedies, including dumbed-down phones and e-ink gadgets.” We’ve built these unbelievably advanced objects - high-resolution, high-refresh-rate, cinema-grade-screened ‘smart’ devices - yet the media we consume on them is so poor that people are now willingly spending money on worse versions of the same technology. Greyscale smartphones!?

What I’m getting at is this - if you’ve made something in your creative profession that is genuinely good, you still need a medium capable of telling its story properly. Self-promotion - whether you’re making furniture, designing lovely buildings, or physically building houses - is now a key part of your job - and right now, despite the wealth of options to do so, doing it well is tougher than ever. And it will get tougher. The digital space is only going to get more clogged, more synthetic, more hostile to anything real. Sadly, the line between what’s worth your attention and what’s engineered to steal it is disappearing.

What is the right path for the design industry to improve storytelling? Real sources of truth: books, films, properly produced media, events, in-person conversations — maybe even a renaissance of that old classic, the trade fair. And this is where Design Considered fits in: to showcase what’s really worth considering, and what’s worthy of your critical time online.

#03 - Design Selection

Printed matter is back in 2026, and multiple titles we picked up over the festive break prove this thesis. (1) Mid-Century Modern Designers from Phaidon and written by Dominic Bradbury showcases the works of 300 designers, richly illustrated across furniture, glassware, ceramics, and textiles. It reveals just how global the postwar design conversation was - an era reanimated through objects that still feel startlingly contemporary. For a different sort of reference material, (2) The New Japan is a magazine initiative from NOT A HOTEL — the Japan-based hospitality brand building architect-designed vacation homes. Its printed brand extension makes perfect sense, spotlighting the nation’s exceptional, but overlooked assets to encourage a more sophisticated exploration of Japan for discerning travellers.

Down the rabbit hole of semiotics, (3) Branding Fiction: Designing Visual Identities for Narrative Media beautifully highlights invented logos and made-up packaging. Citing examples like Ted Lasso’s AFC Richmond, this title shows how made-up brands in film, TV, and games achieve their uncanny realism through systems: typography choices, colour logic, brand architecture, and consistency. From US-based Cultured - a magazine spanning contemporary art, design, and architecture - comes (4) Cultured at Home, an annual volume devoted to the rooms, objects, and private rituals that shape contemporary culture. Finally, staying in the magazine world, (5) Cose Journal is a compelling new European title taking a philosophical, image-led approach to the things we handle every day (‘cose’ is Italian for ‘things’).

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images & Illustration: Meyers Universum, Jiye Kim, Phaidon, The New Japan, CAPSLOCK, Cultured, Cose.

As a business, our studio works with design-led organisations across Europe to develop thoughtful brand storytelling and content, shaped by a publishing mindset and editorial rigour.

We produce books, brand magazines, films, newsletter series, white papers, events, and talks. All of our projects are made in collaboration with best-in-class writers, editors, photographers, art directors, and filmmakers.

The newsletter - hosted on Substack - offers industry practitioners a thoughtfully edited perspective on the business and culture of design, from the objects and brands shaping taste to the ideas that shape how good work is made, marketed, and experienced.

A reflection of our studio’s discerning mindset, Design Considered presents a regular mix of formats: opinion writing, a curated selection of references, and a considered shortlist of design pieces and projects worth your consideration.

Design Considered’s director is Nolan Giles, formerly Executive Editor of Monocle magazine and Global Head of Corporate Content at Birkenstock.

For enquiries: info@nolan-giles.com

#01 - Opening Thought

A few terms used by marketers in the Italian furniture industry don’t translate so well into English. Novelties — borrowed from the much lovelier novità and used by brand reps to describe their latest collections — is one of them. Novelties wear off, but recently catching up with old collaborators in Italy’s fine furnishing world, I was reminded how design companies here remain novel in the grandest sense.

Lighting specialist Flos, for example, has held its retail post on Milan’s well-heeled Corso Monforte since the 1960s (pictured: display designed by Achille Castiglioni), and the wares in its windows feel as contemporary today as they did at the time of that first installation over half a century ago. With a knack for introducing pieces by new talent into their catalogues alongside reproductions from the legendary likes of Castiglioni and company, the top furniture and fixtures brands in Italy continue to project freshness while remaining (to use another clumsy English word) classic.

It works — in my career, I’ve watched these firms conquer the global spend of interior designers and developers seeking to serve the most refined sense of luxury, first across Asia and now throughout the Middle East. Next month, Salone del Mobile.Milano (the world’s foremost furniture fair, founded in Milan in 1961 and long the industry’s measure of taste) holds a landmark debut in Riyadh — another novel move that further cements Italy’s place at the centre of global design culture.

#02 - For Your Consideration

1. In the digital world, your website is the only real estate you truly own and have dominion over, so making it a good one is worth the effort. This is the argument made by international design practice Studio Koto in its OFF Brand newsletter, through a well-written manifesto on why websites still - and always will - matter.

2. At its worst, graphic design is simply advertising; at its best, it’s art. This New York Times article on the designs of Vasilis Marmatakis - the talent behind the film posters for Yorgos Lanthimos’s catalogue, most recently Bugonia - proves this idea. Properly conceptual work that is a true act of collaboration, this showcase is a study in best practice for any creative professional.

3. Continuing with good graphic design - Matt Willey’s Pentagram case study for SCENARIO - a Chinese textile brand with a craft-led focus - shows how a modular wordmark, a strict grid and custom characters can carry clarity without shouting.

4. Good design needs good visuals, and there aren’t many backdrops as handsomely formed for a film shoot as modernist architect Arne Jacobsen’s Bellevue Teatret outside Copenhagen, Denmark. Here, Georg Jensen, the heritage brand that straddles the art of silver design for home wares and fashion, highlights its jewellery in a campaign worth repeated viewing.

5. The Holcim Foundation Awards showcase the best sustainable design projects, selected by the industry’s smartest. The Awards’ jury roster (whose regional chairs include architects Lina Ghotmeh, Sou Fujimoto, Jeanne Gang, Sandra Barclay and Kjetil Thorsen) proves that when credibility is curated, best-in-class rises to the top, as seen in the Awards’ recently announced 20 winning projects.

#03 - Design Selection

Koreans tend to be serious about their work culture, so a seriously well-designed set-up for commercial pursuits makes sense. New Document is a relatively new office furniture firm founded in 2023 in Seoul, with a mission to propose “the next office culture” through minimalist yet characterful pieces. The stackable BOB Chair, made from mint-painted ash timber with metal legs and designed by Studio PESI, perfectly complements the Chamfer Desk, created by the same Korean outfit. Alongside a growing collection of New Document furniture, BOB makes an equally fine addition to a smart home office or the well-appointed studio of an enterprising firm.

While its pieces are resolutely contemporary, New Document’s brand image hints at a more cinematic aesthetic. Its retro-futuristic approach to both design and visual promotion recalls the idiosyncratic cubicle culture of the 1990s — almost making you want a Sharp fax machine and an Armani power suit to complement your new office furnishings.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images: Flos, Studio PESI.

#01 - Opening Thought

The furniture and homewares industry defines itself through physical form. After all, at the heart of this multi-billion-dollar business are high-quality, hand-finished goods that must be experienced in person to be appreciated. Yet increasingly, the way names at the higher end of this trade advertise their wares has little to do with this reality. Brands in the design space that previously chased page space in interiors titles now look to digital visibility.

Today, premium furniture marketers are trading in tough-to-define social media metrics and often spending advertising money engaging with people who will never buy what they are selling. The likes stack up, but those behind them are often students, enthusiasts, and aspirants- an audience that admires from a distance but doesn’t spend. Meanwhile, the real customer- the one willing and able to purchase a €10,000 sofa—remains elusive.

Not in Stockholm, where Svenskt Tenn on a Small Scale condenses more than a century of design history from one of the world’s most coveted interiors brands into nine miniature room sets that will surely encourage custom. The exhibition is advertised to passersby via a diorama displayed at Svenskt Tenn’s showroom facade, in the well-heeled district of Östermalm. Beautifully crafted, it invites visitors to explore the brand’s historical exhibition designs from 1934 to the present day. The exhibition of miniatures (made by local talents Ray Atelier) goes well beyond marketing, of course, but it remains an alluring showcase rooted in the same values as the products themselves: craft, quality, and colourful imagination made tangible. It also attracts the right shoppers from the right neighbourhood, with the right spending power, physically onto the shop floor. And for those further afield, well, it’s fair to say the gorgeous models still work a treat when showcased on the small screen.

Svenskt Tenn on a Small Scale is on view at Strandvägen 5, Stockholm, until 19 October 2025.

#02 - Ageing Gracefully

Many hours were spent last weekend wandering the leafy streets of Antwerp’s Berchem district, seeking out a one-of-a-kind beer cafe whose name we’d never saved properly and whose location we couldn’t exactly remember. This was probably due to the amount of beer consumed during our last visit. Yet, the memory of the venue itself was almost photographic in our minds: the antique grandfather clock sitting charmingly behind the bar, with cash payments received via a decorative, old-fashioned Art Deco-era till. The family-friendly establishment featured vintage Belgian beer posters plastered to its walls and offered simple yet stylish furnishings to enjoy your Vedett from. But it was the owners whom we remembered most. A warm, old couple who appeared to possess well over a century of combined years spent joyfully serving thirsty patrons and pumping the country and western music that defined their 1960s youth through vintage speakers.

The search concluded at a handsomely branded coffee establishment, Café Betty, and after some peering through windows and online research, the sad truth was revealed. Café Het Been was the bar we were looking for, but the place no longer existed. Health troubles had forced the family business to close. The signage and the name of its successor were a kindness from the venue’s new owners - a nod to Betty Deckers, who, with her partner, had run Het Been as a true Antwerp ‘brown’ café, a living room for the neighbourhood for many years.

The handsome street-corner venue is now owned by Andy Roasters, a classy local outfit whose ventures serve the city’s best coffee and whose team knows how to commission good interior design. The venue serves espressos from a sleek, hissing machine, and afternoon natural wines and craft beers are paired with locally sourced sourdough and pastries. The designers stripped Café Het Been back to basics and rebuilt it for today, incorporating a tasteful colour palette, custom furniture, and vintage materials, retaining some of the classic beer signage from the past.

While Café Betty still fits the neighbourhood’s drift, all the good design and taste in the world cannot trump history. With its creaky charm, Café Het Been provided what new venues can’t: a genuine sense of place. I have no doubt that the smart owners behind Café Betty will allow their place to evolve in the right way, but for it to live up to its predecessor’s prestige, it will take a very long time. All the best spaces do, and we, as the people shaping spaces, shouldn’t forget this.

#03 - Design Selection

Decorative candles are typically high-margin products, so brands entering this lucrative game sometimes cut corners to maximise profit. Not so with Danish bed-linen label Tekla, whose (1) scented candle debut, created with Irish ceramicist Sara Flynn, is defined by craft rather than compromise. Flynn has translated her sculptural design language into slip-cast, refillable vessels, which are made in Portugal with the wax candles poured in France. Equally craft-conscious, the growing Finnish timber furniture specialist Nikari integrated fellow Finnish firm Poiat’s entire furniture line under the “Poiat Collection” banner earlier this year. A standout piece is Antrei Hartikainen’s (2) Bastone cabinet, featuring elegant oak, slatted sides that filter light and cast rhythmic shadows. It’s produced in Finland by Nikari and offered in natural or black finishes. Continuing the Scandinavian theme via an Italian manufacturing detour, Oslo-based architecture firm Snøhetta has partnered with Brianza-based Citterio to show how contract furniture can be designed for scale but still with style. Their collaboration, (3) Borealis, is an oak-framed modular system whose square modules include armchairs, benches, and two- or three-seat sofas.

The (4) Kantarell Pendant Lamp Ø60 softens the atmosphere of a space without disappearing into it. Designed by Oslo’s Falke Svatun for Copenhagen brand New Works, and made from aluminium and steel, its flared form is anchored by a central cup that conceals the core. Light reflects off a white-coated interior and falls in a calm, downward glow. Finally, another fine piece cast by Brussels-based Maison Vervloet, these five (5) bronze handles demonstrate how hardware can shape architecture when the materials set the tone. Founded in 1905 and now backed by the Belgian interiors group Prado, the atelier continues to shape, sand, and finish every piece by hand.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images & Illustration: Svenskt Tenn, Jiye Kim, Tekla, Nikari, Snøhetta, New Works, Vervloet.

#01 - Opening Thought

Poring through the brilliant Birkenstock archive (250 years of shoemaking history!) for the brand’s Book of Birkenstock, a project I recently worked on, I was struck by images of the incredible modernist structure that once housed its US distribution. This summer, the now-unused building was bought by the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity, which will bring this beauty back to life, assisted by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron and locals EHDD. I couldn’t be happier.

Designed in the early 1960s by John Savage Bolles for publisher McGraw‑Hill, the Californian site pairs a sculpturally roofed warehouse with a handsome, hulking office block. Beyond its sheer beauty, the warehouse roof (pictured in production) is a feat of function: the thin-shell, hyperbolic-paraboloid concrete lid set on a wide structural grid creates spacious column-free bays. The good news for the Institute—which stewards a 40,000-object Eames collection and has recently expanded into publishing with acquisitions of William Stout Architectural Books and Lars Müller Publishers—is that it’s almost a perfect template to operate a museum from. Its partly subterranean design offers thermal stability and precise control over natural light, making it ideally suited for exhibition programming.

#02 - For Your Consideration

1. LinkedIn is not all slop and show-offs — there are some genuine legends on there. One worth following is IKEA CEO Jesper Brodin, who walks the talk when it comes to the brand’s values. Catch him clearing dishes in the staff kitchen of the Helsingborg branch and explaining the importance of the company’s anti-bureaucracy stance here.

2. Sticking with no-nonsense communications – Japan House (funded by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with hubs in London, Los Angeles and São Paulo) is showcasing the precise craft of pictogram creation at its UK outpost. The exhibition traces Japan’s influence on global visual language from the pioneering 1964 Tokyo Olympic system through to the smart signage visible across the nation today.

3. Design media today sadly too often descends into regurgitating press releases or pushing pretty press imagery on social media without much critical thought. Thankfully, quality editorial inspiration is increasingly coming from the practitioners themselves. One standout is the Spanish architecture studio Mesura. The firm’s essays — like this one on Le Corbusier’s La Tourette — are both beautifully photographed and sharply written, offering original thinking and visual depth.

4. Of course, there’s still proper design journalism being done on the right platforms. Konfekt editor Sophie Grove’s insights are always pertinent and articulately written. Her recent column for the Financial Times looks at the overlooked importance of acoustics in how interiors function. This grounded, eloquent piece focuses on how materials like textiles, books, and carpets can shift the sonic atmosphere of a room.

5. Finally, a late-summer indulgence from M, Le Magazine du Monde: a full feature on the Tournesol pool in Les Lilas — one of France’s retro-futurist public swimming centres from the 1970s. Its design’s yellow dome, circular portholes, and sci-fi-inspired shell roof peeling open to the sky are all captured in sumptuous detail by photographer Cornelius Kaess. The full story runs in M (for subscribers), while teaser shots are available on the media brand’s Instagram.

#03 - Design Selection

Karimoku, one of Japan’s largest timber furniture makers, has built its reputation on its craft-driven approach to production at scale and unique collaborations that push its design language into new territory. The latest sees the brand partner with US-based Lichen, within its CMPT platform, which explores compact, modular living. Out of this comes the Glass CMPT Table: a glass-topped, chesnut frame that docks four apple box-inspired ‘AppleBox’ cubes, each ready to slide out and act as a stool, side table, or storage unit.

The idea was born from a shared interest in function. Lichen, a US-based design practice and retailer, has built its name by curating and creating adaptable, utilitarian furniture while cultivating a community hub in Ridgewood. Karimoku brings the refinement: clean joinery, Japanese carpentry heritage, and a knack for elevating simple forms into fine objects of design. This transformation of the humble apple box into a modular system will be available from August 13 through Karimoku dealers, with a launch pop-up at Isetan Shinjuku.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images: Eames Institute, Karimoku CMPT.

#01 - Opening Thought

Zipping north along the glittering Côte d’Azur by train toward Cannes, the undulated form of the Marina Baie des Anges rising up in four monumental arcs is impossible to miss. Conceived in 1968 by architect André Minangoy (and not fully finished until 1993), this ambitious development embodied postwar optimism, une ville dans la ville, a self-contained town within a town, blending wide-balconied, socially attuned apartments with serene marina life. Open to the public, it was all sunny modernist thinking à la La Grande-Motte, France’s pyramidal prototype for a new era of leisure-driven urbanism. Smaller in scale and more desirable in location, Marina Baie des Anges, however, was a bit more on the premium side.

While today Marina Baie des Anges has lost some of its sheen, its approach to multi-res coastal luxury living offers a far more generous vision than what we’re now seeing in places like Miami or Marbella. Here, ‘branded residences’ promote a cold kind of privacy, operating in isolation from the cities and cultures they’re supposed to be a part of. If architecture reflects ambition, it’s worth asking what today’s most desirable coastal developments are aspiring to, and what they could be doing better.

#02 - Topiary Talent

As I type slowly and haphazardly into my word-processor and an AI tool whizzes through the text and spruces it up succinctly, I can almost feel the winds of change on my fingertips. This once-largely-human endeavour is becoming increasingly AI-enhanced. I think about what’s next, as new tech comes for laptop-based knowledge worker jobs, and I see opportunity in the great outdoors, a place I generally prefer to be anyway. While I imagine I may be genetically suited to farming (which my forefathers in England’s southwest practiced since the Norman invasion in 1066), I sadly feel this tight-margined type of business will also become an AI-run venture. Plus, it involves early mornings and hard, muddy labour...

I wonder if there’s a paid outdoor pursuit that’s a little more considered? Which is why I felt enamoured viewing images of the beautiful grand opening of Thom Browne’s boutique on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where, among a sophisticated crowd, a topiary shaped like Browne’s iconic Hector dachshund bag had been carved into the surrounding hedges. Designed by the ever-clever Graphic Services NYC, the leafy 4ft sculpture greeted guests as both symbol and spectacle—an “ode to topiary”, perfectly in tune with its well-manicured surroundings.

People don’t talk enough about topiary. Mad, in this image-obsessed world—after all, who wouldn’t want to pose before a lovable, leafy canine?

Originating in ancient Rome, topiary was later embraced enthusiastically during the Renaissance, adorning grand gardens with whimsical geometric forms, animal shapes, and even mythical creatures. Its popularity surged again in the formal gardens of 17th-century France and England, where it became an aristocratic art form symbolising status and control over nature. By the mid-20th century, modernists like Belgian master Jacques Wirtz revitalised topiary, sculpting boxwoods and yews into abstract, minimalist forms that harmonised with contemporary architecture.

Unlike our 17th-century predecessors, we shouldn't be looking to control nature (climate change says we can’t anyway). However, as our city parks are (rightly) being allowed to grow more wild and meadow-like, perhaps a growing class of out-of-work creative practitioners could seek a meaningful career change sprucing up these green spaces’ outer hedges via tasteful topiary.

For further reading on the matter, I’d encourage you to explore:

Country Life – Topiary: The Ancient Art

The Book of Topiary (1904)

Financial Times – On the Art of Topiary

And, if you’re in New York, make a pilgrimage to see the perfectly pruned Hector (more info on the real Hector here) located at Thom Browne, 72nd Street and Madison Avenue, Manhattan.

#03 - Design Selection

A tidy list of tomes for your summer kicks off with (1) Chanel’s Arts & Culture Vol.1, designed by the London-based graphic design office Zak Group and confirming the luxury brand’s continued commitment to print. Backed by Chanel’s influential Culture Fund, it's impeccably produced, smartly uniting fashion, contemporary art, and cultural dialogue through essays, visual portfolios, and interviews with luminaries like Refik Anadol, Tilda Swinton, and Tracey Emin.

Whether you’ve been to the Venice Architecture Biennale or you're planning to, (2) The Monocle Companion complements the event perfectly. It offers an insightful exploration of themes emerging from the Biennale via essays written by a bright cast of designers and design thinkers, lovingly illustrated by Jon Arne Berg, it also features a compelling photo essay by the talented Andrea Pugiotto. Also visually lush, (3) Brand Identification Manuals for Coca-Cola by Standards Manual collates Coca-Cola’s branding guidelines in inspiring fashion. The New York-based publisher should be celebrated for preserving classic graphic design manuals, highlighting the enduring power of precise visual guidelines.

(4) Concéntrico: Urban Innovation Laboratory, published by Park Books, captures the dynamic explorations of urbanism and temporary installations from Logroño’s annual Concéntrico Festival. Edited by the event’s founder Javier Peña Ibáñez, the volume thoughtfully showcases experimental designs that interrogate public space, sustainability, and community interaction through visually arresting photography and incisive essays. Finally, (5) Architecture Guide Miami by Åvontuura is a breezy companion mapping out the city's standout architectural highlights, all wrapped in a vibrant Miami-pink cover, capturing the city's spirited charm.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images & Illustration: Text et Image, Jiye Kim, Graphic Services NYC, The Public Domain Review, Zak Gorup, Monocle, Standards Manual, Park Books, Åvontuura.

#01 - Opening Thought

The prefabricated concrete housing blocks—Plattenbau—of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) remain shorthand for the ideological rigidity and architectural uniformity that defined East German urban planning from the 1950s through to the 1980s. Yet, as the above image from East Berlin’s Lutz‑Werner Brandt illustrates, the ideas of the architects of the time weren’t always aligned with what was being built by the communist state.

Works like Brandt’s Balkonträumereien (1983), now on display at Berlin’s Tchoban Foundation in the exhibition "Plans and Dreams – Drawn in the GDR," reveal a moment of ambition and imagination, where architects pushed against state-imposed constraints, albeit, sadly, only on paper.

Drawing on around 140 original works—ranging from fantastical visions to progressive urban proposals—the exhibition captures an overlooked chapter in architectural thinking. As curator Wolfgang Kil says in a recent FAZ article, GDR architects rejected the idea of buildings as sterile "living machines," instead emphasising modesty, flexibility, and practicality—qualities that feel particularly relevant amid today’s housing crises.

#02 - For Your Consideration

1. Nomad art and design fair co-founder Giorgio Pace’s residential property in coastal Molise, Italy, comes to life in a sumptuously shot feature in the Financial Times. A tastefully decorated home in Termoli’s old quarter, the artist’s residence is part of Pace’s vision to transform this tranquil Adriatic town into an influential hub for the creative world. Pace has also enlisted Japanese architect Kengo Kuma to design the forthcoming Giorgio Pace Foundation, a cultural space set to open in Termoli next year.

2. Indonesia’s Ronald Akili is another discerning entrepreneur who has attracted a cultured crowd to the projects gathered under his Potato Head Family hospitality brand. In this Travel+Leisure video interview, Akili inspiringly unpacks the philosophy—smart, social, and sustainable —that has sensitively shaped the Balinese spaces his team crafts and grows.

3. A further splash of sunshine can be found at the photography exhibition Sunset Ketchup, by Romain Laprade, in Antwerp’s great FIFTY ONE TOO Gallery, which is wrapping up this week. The works offer a languid vignette of aesthetically striking spots at dusk, from Marrakech tennis courts to Mexican coastal towns, captured through the French photographer’s lens.

4. A Practice for Everyday Life breathes originality and sophistication into brand activations, deftly balancing client needs with their distinct graphic sensibility. For Vitra’s exhibition The Shakers: A World in the Making, now on display at the Vitra Design Museum, the studio’s custom sans-serif typography—inspired by historic Shaker objects—and tactile signage unify the religious movement’s stripped-down design sensibility with contemporary clarity across the exhibition’s storytelling elements and book.

5. Birkenstock continues to get retail right, favouring small-scale, neighbourhood-specific spaces over shiny but soulless high-street shops. For the sandal specialists’ latest outpost in The Hague, the brand collaborated with ADH Design, elegantly blending local cues, such as hues from the Hague School art movement, with Art Deco geometry, expressed beautifully through Fußbett-inspired graphic window panelling.

#03 - Design Selection

Muji's recently reissued hard-shell aluminium luggage pieces make a compelling case to muscle out Rimowa this summer as your new, cheaper and maybe sleeker transit companions. Available now in Europe via the Japanese brand’s higher-end line, Muji Labo, these precisely engineered anodised aluminium suitcases in black and silver were initially released in 2017, designed by Japanese legend Naoto Fukasawa.

Muji is a master of product creation for travel (once you adapt its space-saving clothing compression bags into your packing routine, you'll understand). Its well-made wares are also well-priced, and the costs of these robust yet lightweight pieces (available in small and medium sizes) are much more sensible than similar items from premium luggage purveyors. With dual TSA locks, a zipper-free latch closure, and smooth 360° wheels, these suitcases offer a functional punch in an irresistibly stylish form.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images: Lutz‑Werner Brandt, VG Bild-Kunst, Muji.

John Pawson welcomed me to his King’s Cross office in London a few weeks ago. I've been fortunate enough to interview him previously and have enjoyed his warmth and dry humour at dinners and events over the years. Still, when I emailed him at the beginning of the year, expressing my interest in chatting for this fledgling newsletter (alongside a few other industry luminaries I admire), I was pleasantly surprised that his reply landed first in my inbox. His door, it turned out, was open whenever our diaries could align.

After all, this is a busy man currently shaping hotels, galleries, and refined residences across multiple continents. Responsible for celebrated projects such as London's Design Museum, his minimalist approach has inspired zeitgeist-defining figures like Kanye West and Calvin Klein, for whom he designed a flagship store on Madison Avenue, a project that helped refresh how we look at experiential retail environments.

When asked about his formidable body of work and the creative world’s admiration, Pawson quickly noted he’s been too busy —in his quiet, below-ground studio—to consider external views too deeply. Yet he's no recluse. Pawson enjoys engaging with the next generation of architects drawn to his work and always relishes opportunities to connect socially.

Capturing John Pawson's wry wit and unassuming wisdom purely through words is challenging. Still, these excerpts from a free-flowing conversation about his life and work should inspire further exploration into his designs. Here, he discusses projects such as the monastery in Nový Dvůr, Czech Republic—a Cistercian abbey that uses stone, wood, and plaster to create serene spaces illuminated by natural light—and Home Farm, his thoughtfully renovated Cotswolds farmhouse, where muted materials like lime plaster, concrete, and elm combine seamlessly to accentuate shifting daylight. He also shares insights into his personal philosophy on minimalism and the influence of Japanese culture on his practice.

Design Considered - You’re designing projects all over the world, are some places easier than others to see the work realised exactly how you would like it to be?

John Pawson - In Korea, there's a level of quality, professionalism, and hard work; there's a general focus, similar to that in Japan. America is very difficult to build in, because they don't understand the tolerances. However, in Japan, they're almost too precise. Laying stone, they work to one or two millimetres - it almost looks too good.

DC - You were shaped early on in your career by spending time in Japan.

JP - That just followed 25 years in Yorkshire - you can't take the Halifax out of the lad. However, Japan is near the top of my list of places I’m sympathetic towards.

DC - It feels like Japan, as a place, should resonate with everyone, given the way people pay so much attention to detail and quality there. I don’t think it’s perfectionism, because they also appreciate imperfection.

JP - But only perfect imperfection.

DC - How much of that has rubbed off on you?

JP - I am comfortable in Japan. There's plenty which is not great. Stress levels. It's not a relaxed place. It's not casual.

DC - But are you relaxed and casual?

JP - Not about work. I like my work to be perfect. But if you were to ask me, ‘Would you rather have a perfect home or a relaxed partner?’ I'd go for the relaxed partner. I wouldn’t like to live with me. But whoever lives with me does have a perfect interior and perfect architecture; however, it may not be quite so relaxing.

DC - You're pretty close, right, with your place in the Cotswolds, to having the combination of both?

JP - Yes, when I started that project, I said to my wife Catherine, ‘one of us has to do this. We can't do it together. It's either me or you, and I think it should be me.’ It was tricky for Catherine because she's also a designer, so she has strong taste, but she's not a minimalist, if that's the right word.

DC - Is being a minimalist stressful?

JP - It's not stressful. One aspect of minimalism is the design, which is done for ourselves and our clients. The other aspect is living with minimalism, living this special existence, which also requires some effort, but it's worth it.

DC - Why?

JP - Just the enjoyment of the space and your freedom, and not having more than you need. Of course, it isn't entirely minimalist, and the irony is that achieving minimalism is very difficult. And these are expensive places that I design. So they're not minimal in terms of cost or quality of materials. Ultimately, having nothing would be the most minimalist way to live.

DC - But I think even if your brand of minimalism is luxury, it’s still meaningful - these are good values you place into your designs.

JP - I think so. We receive these commissions for fairly sophisticated places, which often end up being expensive. However, the approach to dealing with them remains the same, whether it’s a big house or a small one - it’s about living in them simply. It's not a religious thing. If you're designing for monks, especially Cistercian Trappist monks, whom I have worked for, who typically have little beyond their watches, undergarments, and a few personal items, you're encouraging a meaningful yet simple way of living.

DC - I don't imagine what you designed for the monks in Novy Dvur, Czech Republic, is austere, though, or is it?

JP - I don't think so. Some people would call it austere, but the monks spend their whole lives in this place. They don't go outside the monastery grounds unless they're leaving the order for good. Therefore, what you do for them must be of a quality that enables them to live comfortably. So they get quite a bit of space—it’s quite a few square meters each—and it’s pretty durable, because, you know, there are 40 men, and there are no cleaners, so they do everything themselves. Laundry, washing up, cooking, everything.

DC - I'd love to hear what people can learn from that lived experience you were talking about. Minimalism is maybe the wrong word, but I don't know what the right word is - to me, your work is about stripping things back and making the best of what you have, whether that's material, space, or light.

JP - It's having everything you need, but not more than you need. I think it's just a considered thing. But as I said, it's not about being extreme—anything where you go overboard, too much or too little, becomes stressful in every way. Architecture serves the needs of human beings. So people need shelter. My design is for people who find pleasure in the exhilaration of the spaces and the calmness, and who feel good in them. I think it makes their lives better. And I think it makes it easier to deal with whatever things are in front of them, whether it's bringing up children, studying or working in a workshop.

DC - Do you feel like you've been able to teach people about better design through your work over the years?

JP - I’ve been working here with my head down in a basement in Kings Cross since 1997. I haven't had your viewpoint. I don't look at what other people are doing, because I'm getting on with this. However, recently I’ve had more time and become more aware, and then you suddenly see that numerous architectural practices are doing what I do. And many of them are doing more interesting, better, or more expansive work, which I'm slightly jealous of.

When I started, people thought I was mad. And, you know, as I’d spent four years in Japan, it meant people kept saying, ‘Oh, you were in Hong Kong, weren’t you?’. The only people who got what I was trying to do were my ex-wife Hester's parents, who were Dutch. They just had a visual literacy. They got it, and that was a huge relief for me because parents-in-law wouldn't usually be on your side, unless they really believed in you.

DC - How introverted are you, and how much does that apply to what you do? What have you learned from it?

JP - Gosh, what a question. To sell your idea, convey it to a client, or navigate the entire architecture process, requires a certain ability to effectively communicate the idea and persuade the client to take action. When I was younger, I had the amazing opportunity to have lunch at the New York Four Seasons with Philip Johnson at his table. I made a very big mistake. I was trying to explain the qualities of being a great architect, like Mies van der Rohe. I paraphrased something I read: ‘To be a great architect, you must have deep inner conviction, a modicum of ability and also a huge amount of charm.’ Johnson’s response was - ‘I don't know about charm… maybe Mies could have charm after 10 Martinis’. So that didn't go down very well. And that was the end of lunch.

DC - Is architecture still an ego-dominated field?

JP - I don't meet many architects. I meet young ones because they show an interest, and therefore, I show an interest in them. I used to meet big-name architects at The Groucho Club, and we would have great conversations. But then some clients would come into the club, potential clients, and the architects would just be gone. I thought it was really weird. I never leave a conversation just for a client. I never fall out with somebody because I want a client. But on the other hand, good clients don't grow on trees.

DC - A lot of clients surely see through ruthless behaviour, though?

JP - Well, I think they see it eventually, if they're smart enough. However, the architects have already secured the job, and the client is paying this person. You know, architects are capable of some pretty underhanded business practices. Someone once wrote to my client, Calvin Klein, and said, ‘I understand you've hired John Pawson, good luck. If it doesn’t work out, call me’, type thing. That’s hard, because you’re not exactly feeling 100% secure at the beginning of a job like that. Then some asshole...

DC - I don't think people can carry on like that forever...

JP - They can. But I don't think they need to. I recently had my 70th birthday party, and one of my sons said he was going to make a speech. And I was like, ‘Really?’ And I said, ‘How long is it?’ He said, ‘11 minutes’. I said, ‘Wow, 11 minutes!?’ I was like, ‘How about 30 seconds?’ However, he did it, and his key point in the speech was that we prioritised our children over work. It's like, would you like to be Palladio or have wonderful children?

DC - Finally, I don't know how many photos you've taken now—thousands, hundreds of thousands? I’d love to hear more.

JP - Hundreds of thousands... Photography dates back to my time in Japan in the 1970s, and you can imagine that it was a culture where people were obsessed with expensive cameras. You know, there were people with massive box cameras that they would take to temples or tourist sites. I had a small Japanese camera, and I started taking photographs while teaching at the university there. Photography made it easier to convey points to the students or entertain them a bit, showing them what I had seen.

When I got into this game, directly into architecture, my sketching was (and is) cartoony; it doesn’t convey what I want. I can write, but it takes too long. Therefore, showing people photographs is a way to describe an idea and also document a site. It’s not about copying some inspiration, like a stone pattern I’ve seen somewhere else, directly - it’s a suggestion. This might inspire ideas for what we could do on the site. I also enjoy photographing as a means of extensive documentation for design projects, capturing them in all weather conditions and seasons to showcase their details, architecture, and materials. I’ve never thought of myself as a photographer; it felt more like a way of relaxing, but now, after having books published and exhibitions of my work, I can say that I am a photographer.

DC - And you’re an Instagram star with half a million followers.

JP - Luckily, the office didn’t tell me to take it down, but they’ve also told me not to give up my day job for it.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Jiye Kim (Illustration), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

#01 - Opening Thought

Architects seem to like words as much as writers do. At the recently opened 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale, architects trade written language with a reverence equal to their designs across sprawling exhibitions. But while good writers write for everyone, good architects tend to write for other good architects. The result is an event awash with placards that are nearly indecipherable to non-professionals.

Thankfully, architects speak with poetics and punch when asked to talk, not write, about their craft. Tip for Biennale visitors: skip the wall texts. Ask someone nearby what’s going on. A good architect in the room will gladly share a considered explanation.

Not all examples of writing at the event’s exhibitions are tough reads. At Migrating Modernism, a detailed showcase of the life and work of Austrian-born Australian maestro Harry Seidler (pictured, 3rd from left, at the Rose Seidler House he designed in Sydney)—who trained under Walter Gropius, Josef Albers, and Oscar Niemeyer—vivid letters from Seidler, his wife Penelope, and his global network transport you to a more romantic era, when correspondence was lovingly handwritten and infused with personality, warmth, and insight.

Migrating Modernism. The architecture of Harry Seidler is co-organised by SMAC and the University of Sydney’s Chau Chak Wing Museum. It’s on view until 13 July 2025.

#02 - Calm Technology

Part of the allure of digital tools like OpenAI’s ChatGPT is the supreme simplicity of the user experience. Thanks to the wizardry of large-language models, a basic, text-based setup is all one needs to type a request and receive a clear, often spot-on response within seconds. This efficient journey is the polar opposite of ‘Googling’ a recipe or an itinerary for restaurants in a city you might be visiting, then sifting through endless results and navigating websites cluttered with noisy advertising technology to find your answer. For now, at least, we’re exploring a new, cleaner territory in the digital space.

The first physical products with genuine global impact in this soon-to-dominate-our-lives space may be crafted by the visionary behind the iPhone and MacBook, Apple’s former chief design officer, Jony Ive. In a teaser film for io, a new hardware initiative which sees Ive’s design firm LoveFrom developing technology for Sam Altman’s OpenAI, Ive reflects: “Everything I have learned over the last 30 years has led me to this place and this moment.”

For clues on what this moment could look like, London-based studio Special Projects offers a compelling example with Aperture. This pared-back concept, explained beautifully here, quietly transforms your smartphone into something purposeful and delightfully straightforward. Aperture works by physically overlaying your phone’s screen with a minimal, intuitive ‘case,’ while the software is navigated by a voice-controlled UI that offers concise, step-by-step guidance without unnecessary visual clutter. The intentionally quiet execution reflects Special Projects' ethos of creating calm, human-centered tech. “We wanted it to have just enough whimsy to feel magical, without being gimmicky,” explains co-founder Adrian Westaway.

The subtle genius here lies in Aperture’s human-first, empathetic approach—taming digital complexity rather than compounding it. When the iPhone launched over fifteen years ago - an iPod, web browser, and mobile phone rolled into one - it was both loved and loaded with promise. Today, however, the same device often feels like a portal to algorithmic distraction and brain rot that’s monopolising our attention. I hope this next generation of physical tech tools will be thoughtfully engineered to restore focus and enrich our lives.

#03 - Design Selection

A tasteful twist on the compact La Marzocco espresso machine, the (1) Linea Micra “Aimé Leon Dore” Edition, comes in a classic racing green colour with brass and walnut accents. It’s guaranteed to age gracefully. Similarly, the (2) PH 2/2 Luna Table Lamp revives Poul Henningsen’s 1930s classic Danish design for Louis Poulsen in a handsome ‘aged’ brass finish. Layered opal glass shades atop the pre-patinated stem deliver an intimate, glare-free glow.

Minimalism meets metalwork in a new piece from uber-talented Canadian industrial designer Nathan Martell. The (3) Seam Table showcases powder-coated steel planes that are artfully folded and hemmed, exposing joinery that turns a simple surface into a conversation piece. The (4) S 64 JS Chair by Thonet and Jil Sander reimagines Marcel Breuer’s tubular steel icon. A stand-out piece from this year’s Milan Design Week, the celebrated German fashion designer somehow adds to the timelessness of this chair’s cantilevering form through various sleek, glossy finishes and leather and canework options. More restrained, but no less resolved, the (5) eFloat Quattro Desk by US-headquartered Humanscale elevates the sit-stand category. Unlike most two-leg sit-stand desks, its uncommon four-leg configuration ensures greater lateral stability, especially at full extension. At the same time, quiet electronic lifts and built-in cable management provide a refined, clutter-free workspace.

Finally, a lucky few will get their hands on the limited edition of this seriously cute (6) Aluminium Stool, part of a unique collaboration between European design giants Vitra and German luggage maker Rimowa. A refined office organiser that doubles up as a mobile perch, there’s still time to enter the draw for an option to buy here.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images & Illustration: Rose Seidler House, Wahroonga, Sydney, Australia, 1950. Mural and architect Harry Seidler. Mural © Penelope Seidler, Jiye Kim, Aperture, Aimé Leon Dore, Louis Poulsen, Nathan Martell, Thonet, Humanscale, Rimowa.

#01 - Opening Thought

It’s a strange sight, seeing a K-pop star singing and dancing amid the grounds of a project by trail-blazing Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill. Yet Espaces Abraxas—featured prominently in Rosé's music video for “Number One Girl” (not an instant classic) has evolved far beyond its original purpose. Located on the outskirts of Paris, its monumental, post-modernist forms have become more known for their strikingly dystopian aesthetic than for Bofill’s original ambition of creating a vibrant, socially diverse community.

Indeed, the design is a bit mad for a housing project: towering façades resemble a colossal theater set, complete with dramatic arches and imposing symmetry that can overwhelm rather than invite. Landlord CDC Habitat has recently initiated a significant €16 million restoration project, aiming to transform residents' quality of life while carefully respecting Bofill's visionary architecture. Let’s see if new energy can be breathed into this surreal landmark to better serve its original purpose.

#02 - Better in the USA?

As a refresher on the United States' world dominance in innovation, it's worth picking up the Spring edition of Fast Company magazine. ‌The title’s 'World's 50 Most Innovative Companies' list shows that the US sets the standard when it comes to creative business. While we wait for delayed trains from overwhelmed rail operators in Europe, the leader of this list, Waymo, seamlessly transports millions of passengers across US cities in autonomous cars. Other global household names in the ranking, such as Nvidia, Notion, and Duolingo, demonstrate that Silicon Valley continues to wield significant industry influence while fostering originality and invention in emerging businesses.

Sadly, I was struck by the fact that not a single proper design company made this innovation ranking. The closest industry-associated name was Figma, an American digital tool that enables creatives to design better online. Switzerland's On also received a nod for disrupting an entire industry with its patented LightSpray manufacturing technology, which reduces both the weight of its running shoes and production waste.

It’s challenging to name furniture companies that have achieved comparable global success through positive industry disruption. Bigger brands are making meaningful strides—from European names like IKEA and Vitra advancing circular agendas to architecture businesses like Snøhetta pioneering innovative products in construction, such as eco-concretes. Yet, there is clear space for genuine game-changing companies in design, architecture, and construction. As Philippe Starck rightly points out in this Dezeen article, the design dialogue is precariously drifting away from smart problem-solving solutions toward trendy provocations.

Had Fast Company conducted this survey 75 years ago, the Eames Office in California would have sat at the top of the charts. The firm's furniture and production innovations paved a new path, enhancing the way we live. Three-quarters of a century on, the industry they helped create now feels ripe for reinvention.

#03 - Design Selection

This month's picks span Europe to Asia, starting with something fresh from the French Alps. Each of the (1) Poterie d’Évires ceramic mugs (available from Abask) feature characterfully rendered animal designs on their exterior. Founded in 1971, the family business fires each piece in a traditional wood-burning kiln, creating rustic yet refined (and enduringly tasteful) tableware. Over in Seoul, tradition takes an ethereal turn with designer Seoyoon Rim's creation, (2) 空器—pronounced "gonggi," meaning "Air"—recently exhibited at House of Shinsegae's A Bojagi Story. The artist's translucent textile objects layer gauzy fibres to suggest ghostly vases made of air and fabric. Bringing Korean craftsmanship to Milan Design Week via Montreal, Canadian firm Lambert & Fils teamed up with Kwangho Lee to launch (3) Bolda last month. Named after a Jeju Island word evoking waves and breezes, it pairs polished aluminum with large-scale, enameled copper plates inspired by traditional Korean chilbo glazing.

Chilean studio The Andes House presents a functional piece for the home with Piso 01, a sturdy stool that serves multiple purposes. Made from painted steel and American oak, the piece offers honest practicality— a stylish stackable perch to bring out when hosting friends. Finally, Barcelona's Santa & Cole shifts from lighting homes to greening cities with its updated (5) Canon de Belloch book, a thoughtful guide for curious gardeners and urban planners alike. Combining ecological insight and design thinking, this beautifully illustrated catalogue promotes better, greener cityscapes.

#04 - For Your Consideration

1. When writing on-screen, ditching Microsoft Word and working with well-designed, distraction-free tools yields a significant improvement. iAWriter, developed by Switzerland’s Information Architects (iA), is the most clutter-free word processor in the business. The masters of tech minimalism have received a prestigious Red Dot “Best of the Best” award for a more physical tool—a notebook. Crafted entirely from paper, the award-winning iA Notebook draws inspiration from the brand's digital elegance, featuring subtle watermarks and embossed guidelines that subtly support superior writing.

2. Brand collaborations with artists often seem disingenuous, but French fashion house Lemaire always bucks the trend. Its artistic directors have the most thoughtful curatorial eye, and its partnerships always make sense. One such tie-up is its Spring–Summer 2025 collaboration with French illustrator Philippe Weisbecker, whose intricate pencil drawings capture the timeless appeal of everyday objects.

3. Another connoisseur of good taste, who even makes Inditex look chic via his work for Zara Home, is Vincent Van Duysen. The Belgian designer now spends much of his time in his second base in Portugal. Here, he has collaborated with Amorim Luxury Group on JNcQUOI Comporta—where a tasteful cluster of 64 sensitively designed villas is coming onto the market, showcased via this beautiful website.

4. Staying in Portugal, Danish furniture brand Gubi is showcasing its wares used in a handsome upgrade to the National Library of Portugal in Lisbon. A testament to the enduring nature of its designs, the warm hues of its furniture feel like a natural extension of the library’s mid-century modernist architecture, adding softness and elegance without disrupting its calming charm.

5. Finally, another newsletter you should sign up for—Cinemagoer, which celebrates film and the venues where it’s best enjoyed—showcases Stockholm’s Swedish Grace-era Bio Skandia. Gunnar Asplund so fastidiously (and tastefully) crafted this 1923 venue that visitors might be inclined to ask its operators to keep the lights on during screenings.

#05 - On Reflection

For those whose memories of Milan Design Week might already be fading, let this timeless shot from the archives of Bar Basso's owner, Maurizio Stocchetto, refresh your memory. Featured in the smartly executed design of the bar's website by Studio Vedèt, it is a reassuring reminder: trends come and go, but Bar Basso endures. A sanctuary for the entire design industry, it's famed not just as the birthplace of its creative innovation—the Negroni Sbagliato (a cocktail born from the happy accident of substituting gin with Prosecco) — but for interiors that whisk patrons back to Milan of yesteryear. Here, red velvet banquettes, polished brass trims, and warm lighting preserve a golden era of elegance.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images & Illustration: Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, Jiye Kim, Abask, Seoyoon Rim, Lambert & Fils, The Andes House, Santa & Cole, Bar Basso.

#01 - Opening Thought

When it comes to celebrating craft in design, it’s the hand of the maker, the context, and the journey that give the work depth. Telling the story behind an object — properly — is tough, so we should commend Viaje a Los Amuletos, a new book from Agnes Studio and Beth Wilkinson Studio (the force behind Lindsay magazine) documents a trip across Guatemala to uncover the process and people behind Agnes Studio’s Amuletos project. The book, which reveals the richness of Guatemala’s resources - from marble from Guatemarmol to textiles inspired by the woven ponchos of Momostenango - is a design travelogue: part object study, part creative gesture. Photography by Andrés Altamirano captures both place and process with warmth, while words from Maya K’iche’-Kaqchikel poet Rosa Chávez deepen the connection between craft and culture.

April launch details:

• New York: Friday 4 April, 6—9pm, Maryam Nassir Zadeh

#02 - For Your Consideration

1. WHAT TO BUY

Rimowa has dipped into its archive and pulled out something rather wonderful for the summer: a reissue of its 1988 Holiday Hand-Carry Case. Impractical? Sure — although the addition of a sturdy shoulder strap helps. But these glossy, primary-coloured pieces are less about logistics and more about celebrating the nostalgia of good old fashioned holiday-making.

There’s something charming about a big brand embracing heritage like this, especially as the season of travel approaches (it’s also a smart publicity move, even if these don’t sell). Billed - back in the day - as a suitcase for young people, the playful, wheel-less case now feels just as suited to sitting proudly in your hallway or bedroom as it does accompanying you on a weekend away. It’s the kind of object that makes you want to book a train, pack light, and chase some sun no matter the time of year.

2. WHAT TO READ

After hearing good things (and struggling to track a copy down in London), I optimistically paid €30.00 to Le Monde for its recently relaunched M International magazine, imagining I might receive it at some point before the summer (magazine distribution is not what it used to be). A few days later, I heard a thud at my doorstep and a new favourite magazine arrived in beautiful, branded, brown paper packaging. Luxuriously produced and magnificently art-directed, the French title’s offering in English means the perfectly on-point still life shoots, ambitious photojournalism (lots of good architecture), and witty writing can be enjoyed more broadly in the anglophone world.

3. WHAT TO SEE

Previews and events at Milan Design Week begin as early as Saturday and will roll on across what looks to be a sunny, busy week. Selecting what’s worth seeing across a sprawling showcase spanning the city and out-of-town Rho Fairgrounds is never easy. For some help I’d point you toward Monocle’s lovingly crafted Salone newspaper, which can be found on good newsstands in the city (and further afield). For a digital digest, look at design editor Amy Frearson’s easy-to-use Milan Map, and Camron’s beefy Milan Guide and Invitation Gallery.

I’m waiting to hear what’s worth seeing and making a Milan pitstop mid-week - so keep me posted on prize finds please. However, one definite visit on my list comes from Saint Laurent, honouring the legendary Charlotte Perriand at Padiglione Visconti. The pieces on show include the tiered Table Mille-Feuilles (1963), the elegant Fauteuil Visiteur Indochine (1943), the rosewood Bibliothèque Rio (1962), and the five-seat Banquette de la Résidence de l’Ambassadeur du Japon à Paris (1967). The event is being presented under the curatorial direction of Anthony Vaccarello and offers a glimpse at archival pieces never before shown to the public.

#03 - Design Selection

Working from home shouldn’t mean having to roll a big, ugly—but ergonomically efficient—task chair into our living spaces to make it safely through a day of calls. Mynt from Vitra means we don’t have to. The piece is a sleek new office perch created by French designer Erwan Bouroullec. Available in fine finishes, including oak, with myriad upholstery colourways, it’s an ergonomic chair with the quiet poise of a well-designed domestic object. A sleek profile and pared-back silhouette means it doesn’t dominate the room; it provides a warm, understated presence in the home.

“Work is meant to become more and more collective,” says Bouroullec of the design, “so a chair needs to welcome anyone, any task, any moment.” That’s the principle behind Mynt’s most intriguing feature: a patented, body-responsive mechanism that separates the seat from the backrest. “Instead of having a couple of positions, you’ve got a million. The body is surfing on the chair.” While it looks simple, the chair is incredibly optimised. “Mynt is made of very few parts. Everything can be recycled. Everything is recycled first. Everything can be exchanged, repaired, or replaced,” he says. It’s modular, built for circularity, and designed with care.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images: Agnes Studio, Andrés Altamirano, Saint Laurent, Vitra.

#01 - Opening Thought

Switzerland’s culture, deeply tied to precision, simplicity, and reverence for what nature provides, informs a distinctive approach to design exemplified by architect Peter Zumthor. Key moments in his career are documented in the recently updated five-volume monograph Peter Zumthor 1985–2013: Buildings and Projects by Park Books.

I’m encouraged (and encourage you) to spend time with these tomes, which highlight Zumthor’s patient and precise architectural approach. This is demonstrated in his Leis Houses (pictured), pared-back retreats in Vals, Switzerland (near his world-famous stone Therme Vals). In the Leis Houses, Zumthor’s refined take on Alpine construction employs locally sourced materials that gracefully age and deepen in character over time. The homes’ clean lines and natural integration with the mountainous terrain illustrate the best and most honest kind of design, imbued with an enthusiastic care for clarity.

#02 - Somewhere to Sit Down

It could be something to do with getting older; maybe I'm just getting boring, but as someone who spends a lot of time considering the design world, I find myself increasingly favouring function over form.

Over the past month, I've absorbed plenty of good design, notably in the impeccably curated halls of Paris's Matter & Shape fair. Yet here, my eye kept drifting away from what's conventionally beautiful and gravitating towards things that simply work, beautifully. Sure, this collectable design trade fair offered plenty of pretty objects, but the clean layout and thoughtfully planned public spaces were my favourite parts. Room to sit down and talk productively with vendors and contacts is rare at these industry jamborees (ironic as often what tends to be sold here are chairs). But at Matter & Shape, generous public spaces were placed across a tight and orderly floor plan. I liked it a lot. Navigating the disorganisation of the forthcoming Milan Design Week (with too many chairs to see, yet nowhere to sit in sight) worries me.

I spend a fair bit of time on Switzerland's rarely-ever-a-second-late SBB trains and marvel at their functional design details. Writing this from a spotless, perfectly temperature-controlled cabin, the sudden alpine sun blinds me - but of course, there's a handsome, hardy blind that I can lower with satisfying precision, blocking the glare yet preserving my view of the mountains. On most nations' public transit systems, the wisest option is not to touch anything with bare hands, but here, well-thought-through tactile and functional elements empower users to enjoy their journeys.

Perhaps I'm not alone in my newfound prioritisation of function and control in the things surrounding me. History demonstrates that people seek comfort through purposeful simplicity in times of uncertainty. During the Great Depression, ‘Streamline Moderne’ emerged, a movement favouring durable, unfussy furniture over ornate excess. Minimalism flourished after the 2008 financial crash; high-function, low-cost ‘tiny homes’ were suddenly appealing, and gaudy McMansions lost their shine. Today, as global uncertainties swirl, I guess there’s a reason why I’m sourcing solace in adjustable window blinds and well-ordered trade fairs.

#03 - Design Selection

Design debut season is here, and the inevitable deluge of new product press releases from Milan and beyond is about to fill your inbox. Skip the noise—below is a tight edit of five recent releases worthy of your time, attention, and a place in your home.

(1) Big Glow is a big beauty of a lighting solution, developed as an initiative from The Woolmark Company by Dutch outfit Studio Truly Truly and manufacturer Rakumba. Made in the Aussie state of Victoria with Victorian wool and plant-derived fibre, the soft glow and sumptuous form command attention, whilst clients can be assured it comes from a properly sustainable mindset. Blending Bauhaus inspiration with a Belgian sense of sophisticated elegance, Bob Verhelst’s (2) Fred armchair debuted at last year’s Salone del Mobile is now available to order from Serax in six tasteful colour combinations.

The most refined made-to-order music player on the market comes courtesy of Waiting For Ideas, a Paris-based creative studio founded in 2021 by Jean-Baptiste Anotin. (3) Turntable PP-1, available with an equally sleek pair of speakers, is a minimalist marvel: a monolithic aluminium block designed to restore intentionality to music listening. It is sharply designed and packs a significant technical punch. Staying in France, elegant lines and exceptional craftsmanship define the new (4) Contrepoint collection designed by Maxime d'Angeac. Reinterpreting Art Deco sensibilities through a contemporary lens, this chair’s refined silhouette and luxurious materials speak to a quiet sophistication, brought to life by France’s finest ateliers and available bespoke on request. Finally, the (5) Loggia Tea Table from South Korea’s Artizac pairs strength with subtlety. Crafted from solid natural materials, its clean lines and thoughtful proportions bring a quietly confident aesthetic to contemporary interiors.

#04 - For Your Consideration

1. Continuing this newsletter’s theme of design for longevity, legendary German luggage makers Rimowa have just announced plans to offer refurbished suitcases to the US market. Building on success in Europe and Japan, Rimowa’s Re-Crafted program sells revitalised but nicely patinaed vintage pieces, the most prized ones featuring pre-LVMH-era logos.

2. Another bulky yet streamlined (although slightly bigger) design, Sweden’s VÅGA Water Tower by White Arkitekter, is an assured contemporary take on brutalism. The new project proves that robust concrete forms still resonate—provided they’re designed for context, crafted with restraint, and placed sensitively within the landscape.

3. Pioneering Swiss architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron took to the streets—stylishly— last week, launching their latest monograph, Arquitectura Viva Monografías. Herzog & de Meuron 2017–2024, from the back of a vintage three-wheeler. Rolling between their Basel offices at Rheinschanze and Aeschenplatz, the cool mobile kiosk offered staff an exclusive first look at the book, which takes deep dives into 34 standout projects from the past 7 years.

4. Well before 2017, Herzog & de Meuron were involved in one of architecture's greatest refurbishments—transforming a former London power station into the Tate Modern. Ahead of the building’s quarter-centenary, an article in The Guardian revisits a remarkable chapter of creativity and cultural wonder in a landmark structure that reshaped the city.

5. The refurbishment of a more refined historic building than a bulky industrial behemouth comes vividly to life in Michael Kimmelman’s brilliant review of the soon-to-reopen Frick in The New York Times. Set in Henry Clay Frick’s 1914 Fifth Avenue mansion, The Frick Collection returns next month with a skillful expansion—led by architect Annabelle Selldorf of New York-based Selldorf Architects.

#05 - Through The Lens

Between jetting worldwide for editorial and commercial shoots, Venice-based photographer Andrea Pugiotto has dedicated part of the past decade to documenting the fragile landscapes and communities of his hometown's lagoon islands. His ongoing project, ISLANDS, has been featured in several international and Italian national magazines and exhibited at MOMus, the Art Gallery of Thessaloniki, Greece. “Over time, I have observed both the slow disappearance of the Venetian Lagoon’s land and the gradual exodus of its people,” says Pugiotto.

This image from the series captures an eerie serenity on Mazzorbo island, where pastel modernist buildings frame an empty square with a lone young man absorbed by his phone. “The light and overall mood reflect the feelings of the island’s residents,” explains Pugiotto, reflecting on the surrealism of the image. Mazzorbo’s strangeness results from an ambitious public housing project designed by Giancarlo De Carlo and developed by Venice’s municipality in the early 1980s. This experimental complex aspired to be a miniature version of Le Corbusier’s visionary estates outside Paris. Yet, Pugiotto notes, “they focused too much on aesthetics—tiny apartments with beautiful façades—but no practicality.” Today, the houses remain largely unoccupied. Mazzorbo is rarely visited; residents rely entirely on neighbouring Burano for daily necessities. Through his lens, Pugiotto captures a telling portrait of a little-known failed creative vision across the pond from a city famed for its architectural ingenuity.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images & Illustration: Park Books, The Woolmark Company, Bob Verhelst, Waiting For Ideas, Maxime d'Angeac, Artizac, Andrea Pugiotto.

#01 - Opening Thought

With many Japanese people living in close quarters of friends and family in small apartments, love hotels rose to prominence in the second half of the 20th century. These characterful by-the-hour spots are for couples to secure some privacy and, well, make love. Enthusiastically designed, their quirky, fantastical facades have been captured by French photographer François Prost, for his brand new book Love Hotel, funded as a Kickstarter project and available to buy now. "I'm drawn to the aesthetic of these places and how their facades reveal something about the people who inhabit or frequent them," says Prost of the photographic fruits of a road trip between Tokyo and Shikoku Island in 2023 and his prior work documenting the facades of American roadside strip clubs, as well as similar projects in Spain, Ivory Coast, and beyond.

Prost says that Japanese love hotel designs evolve to suit an era's cultural zeitgeist (apparently bamboo-y Balinese style retreats are the rage these days), but all aim to strike a careful purpose - fun, a bit mad, but never sleazy. "The venues aim to evoke a sense of romance, escape, and fantasy, yet they also need to feel safe and inviting—not tacky or sordid," Prost explains. "It's why some of these places have an almost ‘Disney-like’ aesthetic - playful yet carefully curated." His images reveal recurring themes that echo Japan's imaginative national spirit. Boat-shaped facades like the Hotel Sea Stork (pictured next to the dinosaur-themed Hotel Artia) frequently appear, symbolising a sweet sunset voyage toward intimate escape and perhaps a nod to Japan's longstanding maritime heritage.

For Parisian readers, Prost invites you to the launch of Love Hotel at 6 p.m. on March 20th, 2025, at Galerie du Jour (Place Jean-Michel Basquiat, 75013 Paris). The exhibition runs until May 18th, 2025.

#02 - For Your Consideration

1. WHAT TO SEE

Despite the accolades and the architecture link, I'm still not ready for three-and-half hours of The Brutalist. In the meantime, I'm keen to check out two films (soon available to stream on Apple TV and showing at some good cinemas) with design woven into their narratives. Walter Salles' I'm Still Here, Brazil's first-ever Oscar winner for Best International Feature, intertwines the story of a family shattered by the military dictatorship with the striking sunny modernism of 1970s Rio de Janeiro. Meanwhile, Viktor Kossakovsky's visually sumptuous Architecton, featuring Italian architect Michele De Lucchi, critiques our relationship with building and construction. It explores how human ambition to create has often led to destruction, from ancient Lebanese temples to the aftermath of Turkey's recent earthquakes.

2. WHAT TO READ

Following the news these days isn't a particularly uplifting experience. If we retreated into a cabin for a few months—or even years—would the world we return to be all that different? And how much better might we feel after a proper digital / news cycle detox? If the idea tempts you, Cabin Crew, the latest book from The Modernist Society, is the right inspiration for designing your own cosy escape. Beyond typical cabin cliché, it showcases the story behind the finely designed but highly functional holiday works of Welsh architects Hird & Brooks—handsomely crafted getaways that blend Danish summerhouse style with modernist ideals.

3. WHAT TO BUY

This beauty is free, though tracking it down will require some effort. Available if you ask nicely (and probably buy something) at Loewe flagships, the Spanish luxury house's collectable magazine (Issue Six) showcases the brand's sophisticated approach to print—beautifully tactile, thoughtfully curated, with art direction from Thomas Petit.

Inside is a showcase of David Sims' Loewe SS25 campaign imagery and a handsome exploration of the work of Spanish architect Javier Carvajal (check out some amazing images of his 1960s buildings for the brand here). The title demonstrates print's ability to communicate atmosphere and nuance in ways digital cannot replicate. Tasteful and highly expressive, a refined postcard set is included, and the cover transforms cleverly into a poster.

#03 - Design Selection

While a $5,000 upgrade to your games cupboard might not be in everyone's budget, these striking brass dominoes by Vienna's Werkstätte Carl Auböck would find an enduring place on the most discerning coffee tables. Handcrafted in a family-run workshop (current custodian Carl Auböck IV continues a century-long legacy of brass and cast iron craftsmanship), each domino is heirloom-quality. The whole set is elegantly presented in a refined Italian leather travel case. This means you can bring out these beauties in the lounge bar of a grand hotel to raise both eyebrows and the tone of the evening.

Much credit should go to British brand Abask for shining an international spotlight on Auböck's masterful creations, one of many of artisanal makers celebrated in its meticulously curated online catalogue.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images: François Prost, Loewe, Abask.

#01 - Opening Thought

Two brands globally do good design for all. One is headquartered in Älmhult, Sweden, and is known for instantly recognisable blue boxy retail spaces on city outskirts; the other launched in Japan in 1980 - selling Mujirushi Ryohin “no-brand items of good value” as a reaction to rampant consumerism. While Ikea brings well-engineered, affordable products to homes through economies of scale and flat-packing innovation, Muji runs a good global business selling well-priced, well-made products stripped of excess packaging and design.

Japanese graphic designer Kenya Hara, one of the key figures shaping Muji’s brand essence as it internationalised in the early 2000s, encapsulates its philosophy in an advertising image from 2005 (pictured). A small contemporary Muji tea bowl sits calmly within a 16th-century Dojinsai room at Ginkaku-ji Temple, Kyoto. The visual speaks to the brand’s ethos - that not dressing design in decoration is both beautiful and deeply rooted in Japanese culture.

Muji is celebrating its heritage through its ‘Icons’ collection - design objects that rarely get the spotlight like a shampoo bar, storage solutions, and a gel pen - well-made, easy on the wallet, life-improvers.

#02 - Outskirts of Town

“You need to check out this industrial estate” is a phrase I rarely hear regarding travel tips, especially from one of my most well-informed friends. But there I was on my holiday, being directed away from the pristine beaches of Byron Bay to explore an old manufacturing quarter on the outskirts of town. I’m glad I did. Here, a series of smart interventions to Banksia Drive and its surrounding streets have brought cultural vibrancy to a previously little-known-about part of Australia, transforming it into a thriving creative and commercial hub and boosting the local economy.

Sure, the sun-kissed cast of impossibly laidback people populating the coffee roasters, ceramics studios, surfboard manufacturers, etc, help provide its charm. Still, the clever way the area has been developed to allow making and manufacturing to flourish and connect these crafts with the paying public gives it an authentic edge. “It's much better if there are people making things in this area,” explains Alex Douglas, Sole Director of developers Norfolk Projects, which has spearheaded progress here, commissioning top architects like Richards & Spence to create buildings, which bring the best of out of a unique government zoning, key to the area’s success.

While zoning law is an even less talked-about topic than out-of-town industrial estates, the fact that here it allows entrepreneurs to work, make, and sell in the same area is a rare luxury in town planning. “Banksia Drive has been a great business place long before we started building here—fashion brands, muesli makers, surfboard shapers have been around for years,” says Douglas, speaking to the bonds of a genuinely creative business community his firm is tapping into. “We arrived and brought a certain energy and control to the precinct, especially regarding a holistic marketing approach.”

They’ve also brought in attractive - nationally respected - brands, the brilliant Jardan (pictured), and outdoor furniture specialist Tait, which now occupy beautiful trade showrooms in the new Richards & Spence buildings from Norfolk. Walking through the broader development, you sense real momentum here - businesses blurring boundaries between production and retail. For example, customers are more inclined to buy a handsome object from Jedda Clay after seeing Jedda (pictured) making ceramic pieces in situ.

What’s happening here — typically free-wheeling and Byron Bayish - should be a lesson for developers and urban planners worldwide. Sometimes, the best solution in ‘place-making’ is getting out of the way and letting the people whose place it is simply get on with it.

#03 - Design Selection

Balancing function, craftsmanship, and elegance, this month's design selection offers inspiration for a spring home update. London-based Pophams, known for its artisanal baked goods and a growing network of cafés, is expanding its handcrafted tableware line. The (1) Wood Ash Serving Plate by TKJ Ceramics is a favourite - its earthy, ashy glaze adds subtle texture and depth to the piece. Ariake's (2) Futago Nesting Table, designed by Gabriel Tan (more on him later), is an elegant space-saving solution for busy lounge rooms. It’s made in Japan in oak and ash.

Staying in Japan, Norm Architects (3) N-TL01 Table Lamp - for Kanagawa-based lighting specialist Ambientec - offers a lesson in warm minimalism. Working with Kyoto's Kojima Shoten, a historic lantern maker, the Danish firm designed a bronzed stainless-steel and leather base that supports a washi-paper shade, tastefully softening the glow from a rechargeable light. For another sharp, architectural take on a familiar object, media brand NR’s limited-edition (4) brushed stainless-steel Ashtray was created in collaboration with Milan-based studio NM3. Known for its precise, geometric approach to raw materials, NM3 applies its stripped-back design language to this collectable piece.

Besides being a top designer, Gabriel Tan and his wife Cherie Er co-founded Origin Made in 2018 to connect leading creatives with Portuguese artisans to craft contemporary objects rooted in tradition. A standout is the (5) Constellation Incense Burner, designed by Sebastian Herkner and made by metalworker Francisco Andrade. Coming in solid brass and engraved with constellation patterns, it holds multiple incense sticks simultaneously. Finally, Swedish design standouts and brothers Per and Pontus Nadén continue their material-led approach with the (6) Open Frame System. Nadén makes furniture using wood grown and milled in a naturally managed forest one hour from their workshop.

#04 - For Your Consideration

1. The Grand Tourist by design editor Dan Rubinstein is podcasting done properly—well-researched interviews, smartly written introductions, charmingly hosted, audio-only, and seriously in-depth. Season 8 starts with a 90-minute sit-down with New York-based architect Liz Diller, who shares her life story, the philosophy behind her firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro, and sage advice for anyone in a creative profession.

2. OEO Studio (featured in Design Considered 22) is releasing a title that needs to make it onto your spring shopping list. The Danish studio's Rizzoli-published Compelling Minimalism goes far beyond being a portfolio piece, showcasing the myriad inspirations that have shaped their architectural, interior, and product design style. Essential for those who appreciate restraint done right.

3. Speaking of spring, the design industry event schedule becomes increasingly relentless, and while these gatherings tend to pop up in lovely cities—Paris, Milan, etc.—separating the wheat from the chaff at these sprawling jamborees is tedious and time-consuming. One fair that does all the hard work for you is Matter and Shape, which takes place in the French capital next month. It brings together a tightly edited selection of what's essential in contemporary and collectable design. Reserve your pass now.

4. A made-in-Switzerland shelving system from USM should be an office (and home) staple for anyone who takes design seriously. They are so sturdy they survive daily batterings with style and so sleek they fit seamlessly into any space. Brand fans should check out NKYINKYIM, a collaboration between USM and designer Armando Cabral. On display at USM's SoHo showroom in New York until May, the installation features custom USM pieces inspired by West African motifs—bookshelves, a platform bed, a side table, and a very handsome custom armchair.

5. Finally, UK-based masters of clay plasters & natural finishes, Clayworks, has launched a new website as handsome and warmly enveloping as the sustainably-minded spaces they’ve helped craft over the years.

#05 - Through The Lens

There’s never a bad time to be in Paris. But there is something remarkable about a springtime sojourn, observing well-dressed citizens re-emerge on bistro terraces and across the city parks, embracing the warming season. One top spot for people watching is the famous Jardin de Luxembourg, where this image was taken by British, Porto-based photographer Michael Gannon. It shows a pair of well-maintained Parisians luxuriating on the green Sénat public seats (produced near Lyon by Fermob), which are exclusively reserved for the Garden.

Gannon says lunchtime is the best time to observe the city and its people. “Paris is a city that knows how to pause,” he says. “Spaces like shaded terraces, hidden courtyards, and wide boulevards create these small pockets of calm that encourage people to step away from their routines.” These moments of pause make a city feel more human, adds Gannon, who shot this image as part of a personal series available here. Perhaps this is why Paris is a city that feels so engaging to visitors, because its citizens know enjoy their city - an extended lunchtime, reclining on a park bench or cosied up with a cigarette watching passersby from a well-made bistro chair.

“When I shoot cities and their built environments, I focus on how people interact with their surroundings,” adds Gannon of his process, noting that the bustling riverside marketplaces of Porto are another favourite spot to shoot. “Small details catch my eye: a shadow, how light plays on a surface, or how someone moves through a space. For me, it’s always about capturing the relationship between a place and the life it holds.”

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images & Illustration: Muji, Jiye Kim, Banksia Drive, Pophams Home, Ariake, Norm Architects, NR, Origin Made, Nadén, Michael Gannon.

#01 - Opening Thought

As Nokia rolled out classic phone after classic phone in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was less the form we talked about and more the increasing amount of function these fun little devices could pack in as technology advanced. Yet, looking back at the Finnish brand’s product history —now beautifully documented in Aalto University's Nokia Design Archive—it's the warmth and approachability of the designs that capture the imagination.

Back in the Nokia days, we'd rattle off our phone's strange number and letter combination (like the 5110 pictured) with pride. With their changeable cases and faces, Nokia phones were lively accessories we loved to have around. Poring through this new dynamic digital encyclopaedia, the creativity seen in the shapes, colours, and ideas empowering the Nokias on display blows away the monotony of today’s ‘smarter’ phone releases.

A few choice selections from the 700+ entry-deep depository are advertising images of uber chic, business-ready Communicator and the archive's in-depth film interviews, including one with the project’s lead researcher and former Nokia designer Anna Valtonen.

#02 - For Your Consideration

1. WHAT TO BUY

The tiny microphone trend needs to end. Having worked in media for many years, my advice to YouTubers / creators is that you can’t feign being a broadcaster with a thimble-sized mini mic between your fingertips. Even worse is wearing one of those tee-shirt-collar-stretching clip-on things that seem to dominate the small screen today.

The lavalier microphone was popularised on television 50 years ago and still works—chuck on a blazer and subtly clip a Rode Wireless Pro to your lapel for instant star-journalist status. Out and about? Teenage Engineering’s TP-7 Field Recorder delivers broadcast-quality audio, compact portability, and intuitive one-handed operation—a serious (and seriously sleek) tool for those who care about sound.

Finally, while it’s tough to agree with Joe Rogan on many things - the man knows what a good podcasting setup is. His choice, like many others in media, is the Shure SM7B, renowned for eliminating background sound and delivering a crisp vocal recording.

2. WHAT TO READ

Those with a Financial Times subscription should dig into The Modern House co-founder Matt Gibberd’s recent comment piece, where the property expert fantasises about down-sizing and doing away with home DIY. Monocle’s excellent newsletter often features quality reporting on architecture. This week, Mathias Agbo Jr looks at Africa’s ‘starchitect’ problem and the poor state of affairs in Ghana’s built environment. Finally, the biggest starchitect of all, Norman Foster, was recently profiled in a whopping 15,000-word feature in the New Yorker, the revealing piece is well worth a read (or a listen for those on the move).

3. WHAT TO SEE

Saudi Arabia is placing a growing emphasis on architecture, exemplified by the Islamic Arts Biennale 2025. This year’s event featured a remarkable contribution from Lebanon-based EAST Architecture Studio, renowned for a recent renovation of the Niemeyer Guest House at the Rachid Karami International Fair in Tripoli. In collaboration with artist Rayyane Tabet and engineering firm AKT II, EAST Architecture Studio designed “AlMusalla,” a modular structure inspired by regional weaving traditions.

The AlMusalla structure thoughtfully reimagines traditional prayer spaces through sustainable and modular design, using waste materials derived from local date palm trees. The design draws inspiration from regional weaving traditions, creating a space that is both innovative and deeply rooted in cultural heritage. Those in the region can swing by to check it out - the Biennale runs until May 25th at the Western Hajj Terminal in Jeddah.

#03 - Design Selection

When it comes to fine contemporary Scandinavian design, Copenhagen’s OEO Studio, led by Thomas Lykke and Anne-Marie Buemann, is top of mind. The firm, which leans toward a high appreciation for quality materials in its essentialist work, has most recently collaborated with Danish furniture maker &Tradition on an extensive six-piece furniture family named Ita. The oak pieces come in tastefully stained or natural finishes, perfectly proportioned to balance their minimalist construction with purposeful form.

Comprised of benches, tables, and the beautifully crafted coffee table (pictured), the collection’s design language reflects the refined simplicity the studio has become celebrated for - where every detail is considered, and nothing is superfluous.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images: Nokia Design Archive, EAST Architecture Studio, &Tradition.

#01 - Opening Thought

Something of a Scandinavian special to kick off Design Considered’s newest newsletter, starting with the masterful renovation of Finlandia Hall in Helsinki. The sprawling 1971 events venue by modernist maestro Alvar Aalto underwent an overhaul via Architects NRT (the same local talent behind the city’s sensitive Olympic Stadium refurb and extension in 2020).

Stepping into Finlandia Hall’s key public spaces—bistro, café, and shop—the interior architecture was reimagined by Helsinki firm Fyra, known for some of the city’s cosiest and cleverest retail and hospitality spaces (Bouchon Carêm is particularly worth a visit).

Fyra’s design subtly embraces Aalto’s principles, seamlessly integrating new elements like custom-made furnishings with restored features such as original lighting. Warm oak and Carrara marble nod to Aalto’s fondness for natural, high-quality materials. The result is a renovation that feels entirely in tune with Aalto’s design ethos—considered, contextually appropriate, and true to what the master himself envisioned.

#02 - For Your Consideration

1. WHAT TO BUY

A big beauty of a tome landed with a thud on my desk last week, a title that shows there’s plenty of longevity in the printed page, particularly pages inspiring an affluent and influential audience. Maison Ë’s ‘Founders Issue’ is available to buy online - in print. It’s a handsomely designed high-end title, with a discerning approach to storytelling. I was fortunate to contribute some design articles, speaking to industry legends like Fabrizio Casiraghi and Thommy Bindefeld, Creative Director of Svenskt Tenn.

2. WHAT TO READ

Canary Wharf is a close as you get to Singapore in the UK, and unlike many Londoners - who say it’s devoid of charm - I love the place. For me, safety, cleanliness, a good underground mall and public spaces (and many excellent Asian restaurants) make it easy to see past its lack of old-world allure. Sadly though, this smart piece of 1990s urbanism has been hobbled since office workers deserted its myriad towers during the pandemic and haven’t all returned. Covered in the Financial Times and the Guardian, Citigroup’s £1bn revamp of its Canary Wharf tower signals a sense of confidence from big corporates in improving design to bring back staff to physical workplaces.

3. WHAT TO SEE

Christmas lights have come down, but Hamburg’s Hindenburghaus (pictured) remains handsomely lit until January 31, 2025 via Illuminating Spaces, a collaboration between Danish lighting brand Louis Poulsen and The Embassies. Louis Poulsen, known for classics by designers like Poul Henningsen and Verner Panton, has worked with the Swiss concept hospitality brand to light up the building’s lovely historic windows via 70 of Panton’s Panthella 320 lamps. The project precedes The Embassies’ move into the 1909 building, a former grand hotel. The organisation is rethinking ‘retirement’ living with properties across the globe that offer tasteful mixed-use spaces and well-appointed apartments for people to age gracefully within.

#03 - Design Selection

Royalty and good design rarely mix. King Charles famously decried modernism, once describing a proposed extension to London’s National Gallery as “a monstrous carbuncle on the face of a much-loved and elegant friend” (to be fair that particular design was pretty ugly). But trust the Danes to have a consistently tasteful monarch - 84-year-old Queen Margrethe II, whose illustrations grace the Anniversary Mug from Royal Copenhagen. The limited edition piece was launched this month to celebrate the brand’s 250th anniversary, and is tastefully decorated with her Majesty’s freehand drawings of two charming fish. Alongside celebratory product launches, the home wares brand is marking a quarter millennium of craft via beautiful storytelling, which makes fine use of the brand’s archive, follow along here.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images: Riikka Kantinkoski, The Embassies, Royal Copenhagen.

#01 - Opening Thought

Hopefully not too many of you are already pondering whether you’re working to live or living to work. One thing worth bearing in mind in planning the year ahead is to use scenery shifts as productivity boosters. Ian Fleming found what writer Cal Newport calls “intentional slowness” at an untamed 15-acre plot of Jamaican land where he built a modest timber retreat. Negotiating with his employer - Kemsley Newspapers - a 10 month work year; he proceeded to spend two British winter months per year hammering out James Bond novels, snorkelling and drinking, at his own pace.

Fleming’s retreat, Goldeneye (where you can, yourself, stay today), was more than a getaway; it became the creative incubator for some of the 20th century’s most enduring fiction. It’s a testament to the idea that stepping away from the usual grind—finding a rhythm dictated not by deadlines but by the natural world—can produce fine results.

#02 - Seasonal Shift

Firstly, cheers for subscribing in 2024 and following this evolving project. Thanks to all the talent who participated in interviews and allowed me to republish their remarkable work, words and imagery. 2025 brings change to this newsletter to make it a more digestible and enjoyable read. You’ll notice tweaks to the schedule (and a nice new cover concept from Hyo Jung Lee) as new newsletters are introduced and a rhythm is settled on that makes sense to readers.

Right now, design media relies too much on repurposing other people’s work. Time-poor website writers regurgitate press releases with no added insight, while social media creators aggregate “aesthetic” photos of architecture - rarely name-checking the original image-maker. Besides promising to use the word ‘aesthetic’ correctly, the main aim of 2025 for this newsletter is to serve the design & architecture industry more original, opinionated and useful material. This means sit-down interviews with the world’s top design talent and guest columns from those who know much more about their craft than I do. The image-driven design and architecture curation will continue alongside a sprinkling of fresh illustrations from Korea’s Jiye Kim.

I won’t reveal too much, but the main newsletter in its current guise will remain as a monthly release, while other punchier, topic-specific dispatches, will also find their way into your inboxes. As things change I am interested in people’s opinions. I’m also keen to hear of relevant studios or projects to profile. So do drop me a note via email if you have something to say.

#03 - Design Selection

Home improvers and declutterers this January should take some inspiration from William Morris’ sage advice: “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” True to this philosophy, E15’s (1) sculptural paperweights serve as functional forms for your desk while adding a touch of neo-Bauhaus artistry—both useful and undeniably beautiful. Shipping from next month, Louis Poulsen’s new (2) VL 45 Radiohus Portable Lamp, a modern take on Danish architect Vilhelm Lauritzen’s classic pendant, travels effortlessly with you around your home or garden. Available in opal white, soft rose, or yellow, it emits a warm, ambient glow wherever you need it.

Charnon Nakornsang’s cherry wood (3) Day Bed’s clean lines and warm tones make it the perfect spot to relax, contemplate, and dream up your next project. That next project may indeed be visiting Nakornsang Studio, which offers woodworking classes in Thailand. Launching next week, Nordic Knots’ (4) Pavilion rug series are cosy, handsome additions to your living space. Handcrafted from New Zealand wool, the various minimalist styles are inspired by Swedish ‘funkis’ design, a 1930s movement focused on clean lines and practical beauty.

For the eco-conscious, this sleek (5) Mill Food Recycler from US-based startup Mill transforms leftovers into nutrient-rich fertiliser overnight, helping you reduce waste while nourishing your home’s green spaces. Finally, for stylish storage, exclusively from Abask, British artisan Otis Ingrams’ (6) Ample Leather Large Storage Basket is both practical and elegant, offering a refined solution for tidying up your home.

#04 - For Your Consideration

1. LVMH-owned Belmond’s on-point marketing makes you want to holiday within days of returning to work from your last one. This month the brand launched ‘Long Shots’ simple, but creative 60 minute films of ‘slow’ viewing - allowing you to visually luxuriate in the fine grounds and surrounds of their properties on your laptop.

2. Paris Design Week has kicked off and those in town shouldn’t miss aforementioned Nordic Knots at its exhibition, The Grand, in collaboration with the respected arts & sculpture institution Galerie Chenel. Also worth checking out is Porto-based Origin Made’s latest collection of furniture, designed by a unique roster of talent, unveiled at Maison et Objet.

3. New York design title Curbed claims timber can transform our cities for the better. In an in-depth piece it cleverly goes about proving its point by asking four firms to come up with a “speculative but realistic public projects” in timber for New York. A solid read for architects in the audience.

4. Also, for architects, urban planners and developers with a sustainability agenda - there are four weeks left to enter the Holcim Foundation Awards. For the Swiss-based non-profit, I worked with Bangladeshi filmmaker Piplu Khan, to cover the work of a past winner, WOHA’s BRAC University in Dhaka, truly one of the world’s best new sustainable buildings of scale. Watch here.

5. Finally, for myself, leaving the sunny beaches of Australia’s East Coast and returning to freezing Europe this month has been bitter. So, with quiet amusement, I’ve enjoyed following news of the ‘Cabana Wars’ back home. Beach furniture causing summer turmoil on Australia’s pristine coastlines.

#05 - Through The Lens

German photographer Markus Edgar Ruf says that he’s spending more and more time in Italy’s South Tyrol region these days - drawn to the abundant natural beauty of the place alongside its excellent architecture and hospitable culture. One destination that encapsulates this all is Miramonti, a refined retreat, which Ruf has been documenting for the past eight years, highlighting both the sensitively design interiors from Harry Thaler, and the fine architecture that allows the resort’s buildings to appear to have always been there. “When you’re designing in these alpine regions, the best architecture is architecture looks like it belongs with the nature,” Ruf notes.

Ruf’s photography reflects an honest sensibility, favouring a restrained, almost minimalist aesthetic. He shoots Miramonti with natural light, allowing the majesty of the landscape and the cabins’ clean lines to speak for themselves against a natural backdrop. When it comes to its fine interiors, which pay homage to the region with locally quarried stone - and fittings and furniture all made in South Tyrol, Ruf patiently waits for the perfect moment. "I just look around and follow the light across the day taking notes - then I wait,“ he explains. “The next day you might find me lying spa area, waiting, as I know in 15 minutes time when the sunlight hits there will be a beautiful photo to be taken.”

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images & Illustration: Getty Images, E15, Louis Poulsen, Nakornsang Studio, Nordic Knots, Mill, Abask, Markus Edgar Ruf.

I hate to kick off this year’s last newsletter on a downer, but as many of its readers are shaping the built environment, it’s worth reflecting on where designers should draw the line as 2024 closes. Writing this from my hometown, Australia’s Gold Coast, I’m struck by how this once pastel-hued paradise—where mid-century low-rise apartments hugged pristine beaches, and the atmosphere was endlessly relaxed—has been transformed for the worse.

Developers chasing quick profits have bulldozed the city’s breezy charm, building bulky, soulless towers marked by black-tinted windows and cheap, quick-to-date materials. Around a decade ago, designer Andrew Suggit documented the Gold Coast’s spritely mid-century signage that clung to the city’s old hotels (like the highway-side Hi Ho, pictured ) through his ‘Golden Sans’ project. While the old Hi Ho stands strong, much of what he honoured has now met the wrecking ball. What was once a beachside idyll now stands as a cautionary tale—a reminder that design that doesn’t respect its place shouldn’t have a place at all.

#02 - Designs of the Year

As social media absorbs more of design companies' marketing budgets, the traditional media landscape has pivoted toward monetising awards programs. With advertising harder to sell, pay-to-play design competitions have become a key revenue driver. Recognition for good design now often comes at a cost. For entrants, it's yet another budget consideration alongside advertising, industry fairs, and social media campaigns. For design media, this revenue model comes at the expense of their independent voice, as judgment of good design is outsourced to appointed juries to maintain some sense of impartiality. In the process, these outlets risk losing the authority and trust of their in-house editorial perspective.

Against this backdrop, I want to celebrate the best designs I've encountered in 2024 using the simplest (and wholly biased) criteria: concepts I've personally experienced and genuinely enjoyed.

Best Film: Perfect Days

This enchanting and profoundly human story could only come from Japan, a country that treats public toilets as an art form. The film follows a quiet protagonist who navigates Tokyo while cleaning restrooms designed by Tadao Ando, Masamichi Katayama, and Shigeru Ban. Perfect Days captures the simplicity and depth of daily life, paying homage to design, dignity, and the small rituals that make life meaningful.

Best Design: Toyota Landcruiser (2024 Relaunch)

Japanese designers excel at more than just handsome toilets. The relaunch of the Toyota Landcruiser this year proves it's still possible to create a modern classic in the automotive space. To do this, the Japanese brand returned the 4WD to its rugged roots while crafting an approachable and versatile vehicle. Over the past few days, I've watched in envy as these boxy beauties cruise Australia's coastal roads. Whether tackling off-road adventures or the urban school run, it's design elegance for all terrains.

Best Concept: Caffè Rimowa

Nostalgia can be a powerful design tool when harnessed correctly. In this regard, Rimowa nailed it at Milan Design Week with Rimowa Caffè, a branded take on a classic Milanese cafe. From welcoming baristas proud and passionate about their craft to even warmer interiors, the luxury design studio Nuova Group handled the meticulous pop-up concept, design, and production in collaboration with Studio Temp and designer Annalisa Marchetti.

Best Magazine: Russh Home

Ilse Crawford's tenure as editor of Elle Decor—a title she launched from the fashion powerhouse Elle in the 1990s—paved the way for her industry-defining career as an interior designer. Taking the opposite path, acclaimed Australian interior designer Tamsin Johnson is thriving as editor of Russh Home, a spin-off of Australia's best fashion magazine, Russh. Johnson's deeply personal and intuitive perspective brings a fresh voice to an increasingly tired format. The result? A new magazine that's lushly art-directed, serious without pretension, and a tactile reading experience that's fastidiously crafted.

#03 - Design Selection

Of course, we’ve all done our Christmas shopping, and next week can be a relaxing one. But for those who haven’t (or those who have and can now just put their feet up), here’s a list of last-minute, recently released reading options to inspire tasteful loved ones.

For the last decade, essentially everything Loewe creative director Jonathan Anderson has touched for the Spanish brand has turned to gold. (1) LOEWE, edited by Anderson and stylist Benjamin Bruno, unpacks this transformative period for the creative company in a lush, inspiring tome. Illustrator and graphic designer Christoph Niemann’s work doesn’t date, and (2) Away (published by German print master Steidl) offers an impeccably presented sense of wanderlust via brush and ink drawings created on the visionary’s extensive travels.

Japan appears to be a running theme in this week’s newsletter. Still, the following titles are must-haves - (3) Kyoto Serenity from Assouline projects Kyoto’s meditative elegance onto the printed page. At the same time, (4) Comme des Garçons Parfums is an ode to the Japanese fashion house’s groundbreaking fragrances. Charting the brand’s olfactory experimentation, it offers a visual deep dive into the minimalist, sculptural bottles and unconventional campaigns that have become as beloved as the scents.

Finally, we all need a bit of calm this time of year. Solace can be found in (5) Stillness, a Gestalten book by Norm Architects that explores the beauty of Japanese aesthetics. It juxtaposes the studio’s Copenhagen projects with evocative photography from the Asian nation. Through imagery and essays, it offers a blueprint for finding quiet and balance in design and life, harmonising Japanese and Scandinavian design principles.

#04 - For Your Consideration

1. A much more comprehensive design retrospective than mine above can be found over at Readymag, where its 2024 Websites of the Year highlight the finest concepts and art direction in the digital space.

2. In my biased opinion, the standout website of 2024 was a project I worked on with AKQA and Bureau Borsche via Birkenstock. It is a digital companion to The Book of Birkenstock, seamlessly showcasing the brand’s remarkable archive.

3. Recently featured on Design Considered, German photographer Robert Rieger continues to elevate architecture through his lens. His recent campaign work in sunny Brazil for a major hotel booking service is a vibrant antidote to winter blues.

4. Christmas time in London has been made all the more cosy with this week’s opening of Danish design house Georg Jensen’s Mayfair retail space. Champagne, a florist, and - most importantly - good gifting advice, are all on offer here over the next few days.

5. Finally, this week’s homage to Japanese design concludes with this brilliant piece from Logo Histories, exploring the cute yet massively impactful branding work of Okinawa’s Expo 75.

#05 - Through The Lens

A New Year’s resolution worth making, from Swedish photographer Felix Odell’s perspective, is to sort plans to see the world’s most beloved cities off-season. This year, he travelled to Venice in February to do just that, armed with two analogue cameras and advice from a friend that the mist that casts itself over the city’s waterways at this time of year is magical.

While initially annoyed that the place’s main arteries were still awash with tourists - even in the February chill - Odell persevered and made his way into Venice’s more hidden corners (in the earlier hours) to photograph a series of personal images that capture the city in a mesmerisingly moody manner. “Some people describe my work as melancholic, and I suppose that fits,” he says. “It’s not sad, but it’s not happy either—it’s somewhere in between, which is my favourite space to explore.”

Often working with film photography, Odell enjoys capturing a landscape or portrait with just one click. “You think before the photograph, not after it,” he notes of this process, which involves preserving precious film rather than snapping hundreds of shots and selecting afterward. Odell’s work reminds us that the best moments often come from patience and presence. Perhaps another fitting resolution for the year ahead is to slow down and spend more time looking at things properly.

Credits: Hyo Jung Lee (Art Direction), Nolan Giles (Writing & Editing).

Images & Illustration: Golden Sans project via Andrew Suggit, Jiye Kim, Loewe, Steidl, Assouline, Comme des Garçons, Norm Architects, Felix Odell.