Calm and Grounded Home Launches for Autumn-Winter 19
If the slight turn in temperature hasn't got you reaching for everything cosy, these new Autumn-Winter '19 home launches will. This is my time of year, let me tell you. I live for the blankets and chunky knit jumpers, the hunkering down as the leaves start to fall and evenings draw in.
The latest Autumn-Winter home collections from the high street and beyond seem to offer up a response to all the uncertainty in the news of late, too. That home is a comforting and grounding space in which to be, a reflection of ourselves. Simplicity is a common thread that runs through each collection, tied together in the use of natural, sustainable materials with an artisanal feel and a neutral colour palette.
Yes, I know what you're saying - "but this isn't real, Tiff! Where's the cat vom? The bits of lego on the floor and the two-inch thick layer of dust over everything?" Of course, it's not real, but we all need to aspire to something, right? There are some great styling takeaways to glean from my picks for the coming season. Shall we?
Zara Home - A Life of Simplicity
I've really fallen for the restrained elegance of these almost sparsely decorated rooms. The use of negative space. Sometimes a room just feels better with space left empty. Shot at architect Danielle Siggerud's MD Townhouse in Copenhagen, Zara Home's 'A Life of Simplicity' looks like it belongs among the patinaed walls and aged wooden beams. Mixing pieces from other designers within the styling, a combination of contrasting materials and fabrics lend it a curated, lived-in feel. Highlights of the collection include the Silla chair with cane seat (as seen in the top image), an array of highly textured soft furnishings and organic shaped recycled glassware.
Styling by Colin King, photography Frederik Vercruysse.
Tine K Home - Slow Collection
Set against textured lime painted walls and dark wood floors, the 'Slow collection' by Tine K feels calm and sophisticated. Drawing from nature, a palette of Ocean, Walnut and Terra holds this edit together creating an altogether earthy and cocooning aesthetic.
A brand that continues to produce their collections by hand with small, artisanal workshops, you can pick up on their influences of travel within their Scandinavian roots. Pieces like the woven rattan pendant lamp lend texture to a room and the standout of the collection, the Feelchair, made from recycled aluminium is the latest example of their commitment to sustainability.
Introduce autumnal hues into your home through the plumpcious PufSoft velvet pouf and rough linen lampshades - I love the Ecru.
Styling by Pernille Vest.
French Connection - Le Brun and Dark Shadow
This season French Connection has brought two collections to the table. Le Brun (the brown) which encapsulates an earthy, artisanal craft aesthetic and Dark Shadow, based on minimal lines and concrete brutalism. Yep. My favourite.
An additional capsule collection includes a sustainable range of textiles. Rugs made from recycled bottles and cushions made from denim scraps demonstrate French Connection's 'reuse, recycle, reinvent' approach to production.
Looping back to wanting our homes to feel comforting and grounded, Le Brun draws inspiration from tribal culture and global style in its woven, tasselled accessories and cane furniture. The Parallel chair in acacia wood (as seen above) is designed to fold away and can be used both inside and out.
Styling by Nuala Sharkey, photography Russell Duncan.
Ferm Living
Those soothing, neutral interiors continue on into Ferm Living's A/W 19 lookbook. Never afraid to do Nordic design differently, feminity leads as the main influence with fluid, curved and chunky silhouettes. Irregular shapes found in nature have been applied to some of the pieces making them irresistibly tactile (see the Hebe lamp, above).
Stepping away from tone on tone, the Ferm Living collection is all about contrast. Deep and spicey tones add depth to a muted interior reaching into blue. The ridiculously cuddly Rico lounge chair, first seen here in off-white boucle, has been given a rich update in Tiger Mountain upholstery.
Still top of my list, the Haze Vitrine has been given a softer, more feminine Cashmere colourway and the aptly named 'Braided Belly' pendant lamps in rattan are quietly confident statement pieces.
Photography by Heidi Lerkenfeldt and Martin Neve.