La Grande Bellezza opens with forgivable cliché. Picture a scene of tourists on a hill overlooking the cityscape of Rome – a Japanese man faints from the sheer beauty of what he is seeing. Sorrentino's film is pure sensual overload. The leading light, Jep Gambardela is an elegant, well-connected flâneur and I think the London equivalent might well be Nicky Haslam. Italy seduces us all and this month tempts us once again. For the design cognoscenti there is the Salone del Mobile furniture and design week in Milan. For those going off-piste the Spazio Rossana Orlandi showing Ochre’s Seed Cloud Installation is must. The Glamour of Italian Fashion 1945 - 2014 has just opened at the V&A and explores great craftsmanship and creativity, luxurious materials and expertise for which Italy has become renowned. de Le Cuona scours some of the world's unlikeliest places in the hunt for beautiful textiles but works with Italian mills to weave the most exquisite cashmere. Illusion, is a gossamer fine cashmere with a whisper of a paisley design woven into it. Bernie de Le Cuona has launched her first collection of accessories online called Shop the Studio. This edit of handcrafted items includes designs woven from ultra-soft Italian cashmere, such as this sublime Balmoral Cashmere throw cum bed blanket. delecuona.co.uk ochre.net
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Craftwork2/4/2014 Craft may be the new luxury, but at its roots it’s the honestly of materials, integrity of purpose and simple aesthetic that make the heart sing, and not always the hefty price tag. These values are found in this modern farmhouse with terracotta lights by the Hand&Eye Studio. Owner-architect Lucy Marston has designed this modern farm conversion, which was awarded the Grand Design House of the Year. Built from timber and red brick, it’s a fresh take on a traditional long house, a contemporary farmhouse in tune with the open landscape that surrounds it. Inside it is a home full of the depth and warmth of a period building. Lucy says ‘I wanted to design something that fitted into the family of buildings that formed a relationship with them. I wanted a similar palette of materials: red brick, timer, red pantiles. I wanted it to look and feel like a farmhouse in Suffolk and to feel timeless – just a simple farmhouse, all done very honestly.’ It’s a real tribute to superb Suffolk craftsmanship and lighting by architect-designer Tom Housden for the Hand&Eye Studio really fits into this considered space with its honest design aesthetic. The pendants are hand made in the UK using the warm hues of kiln-fired terracotta. London based Hand&Eye Studio designs and produces the work of practising architect Tom Housden. Each item is designed by the studio and then produced in collaboration with small British manufacturers, all of whom are masters of their craft. Catch the full house story in House & Garden, April 2014. handandeyestudio.co.uk Categories
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