As the world continues its relentless passage, sometimes we need to simply let it flow around us while we remain oblivious to it, leaving ourselves free to create our own rhythm and make our own choices. Opening ourselves up to be inspired and find the style and mood that perfectly reflects our unique, inimitable personality and lifestyle.
A Milanese apartment
A home, a haven of understated glamour which is reflected in every detail, through artful use of texture, form and materials, and stamped with an indefinable, inimitable sense of style.
Living Tokyo
“Were it not for shadow there would be no beauty” writes Japanese author Junichiro Tanizaki in his 1933 essay In Praise of Shadows.
Dreaming of Paris
You wake up on a Saturday morning to shafts of sunlight filtering in through the windows of a charming fifth-floor apartment in St Germain and the smell of coffee wafting from the kitchen.
The magic of life in Copenaghen
The true nature of Scandinavian design doesn’t end with minimalism.
New York, New York
Everyone knows New York. From its iconic skyline – the skyscrapers, Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Liberty – to the hot dog vendors, yellow taxis and Times Square, New York is one of the most recognisable cities in the world.
London Calling
The frenetic rhythm of the morning commute as the Tube whooshes through the tunnels below the city. The synchronised spontaneous ballet of thousands of umbrellas popping up against the light drizzle falling from the blue-grey sky.
London’s hidden French Side
The French consulate in London estimates that there are between 300,000 and 400,000 French people living in the British capital, making it the sixth largest French city in the world. And, as a cosmopolitan and integrated as London is, it is still possible to find small corners of the city where French is the first language, such as Le Beaujolais near Covent Garden, the oldest wine bar in London, or Maison Bertaux in Soho, a patisserie founded in 1871.
Tel Aviv style
A lot has changed in Tel Aviv over the past century. From the fledgling settlement, founded in the sand dunes on the shores of the eastern Mediterranean, Tel Aviv has grown into a global city – the technological and economic centre of Israel, and a thriving centre of contemporary design.
Discovering Hong Kong
Hong Kong brings to mind images of colourful, closely set apartment blocks and narrow alleyways of shops and shoppers. But, a few minutes drive from the city centre, the roads begin to wind up through forests and into mountains that tower over the metropolis.
Canalside living Amsterdam
The Brouwersgracht in Amsterdam’s Jordaan district takes its name from the breweries that once lined its banks, but while noise and activity has long since disappeared from the broad, tree-lined canal, the stately houses and warehouses of the brewers remain.
The essence of Madrid
The Puerta de Alcalá stands proudly in the centre of Madrid. Erected in 1778 and the first triumphal arch to be built in Europe since the Roman period, it is a symbol of Madrid, the subject of popular songs, and – in the three tall, elegant rounded arches – inspiration for the Salvatori apartment in the city.
Paris is always a good idea
Whether it’s for business or pleasure, your first time in the city or your tenth, one cannot come to Paris without taking some time to walk along the dark green waters of the Seine. Lined by some of the best examples of mid-19th century Haussmannian-style buildings, and offering postcard views of the city’s famous sights – the bridges, river islands and Notre Dame; the d’Orsay and Louvre museums – the Seine flows through the heart of the city.
On the shores of Lake Garda
Lake Garda, where the placid water, mountains and sky are balanced in an elemental harmony, has long been a source of inspiration for writers and thinkers. Despite changing hands between the French, Austrians and various Italian states, little has changed for the largest Italian lake since Catullus and Dante, Byron, Goethe and Tennyson were drawn here by the surprisingly temperate climate and the scent of the hardy citrus trees; the water as famously clear and tranquil now as when the Romans, 2000 years ago, founded one of the best preserved ancient sites in northern Italy.
