Livingetc COV-ISS5 | P3

Photography Shane McCauley / @shanemccauley stylist Danielle Goldberg / @daniellegoldberg Hair Stylist Irinel de Leon @ Mane Addicts / @hairinel Makeup Artist Dana Delaney @ The Wall Group / @dana-delane Manicurist Natalie Minerva @ Forward Artists / @natalieminervanails Set Designer Cecilio Dolcetto Lara Ramirez / @dolcetto Director / DP James Ollard @ Amusement Productions / @amusementproductions.la Director of Production Samantha Rockman / @rockman_productions Executive Director, Entertainment Jessica Baker / @jbake21 VP of Creative Alexa Wiley / @awiley_creative Global Brand Director Sarah Spiteri / @Sarah Spiteri

Feature Ellen Finch Photography Alice Mesguich, William Jess Laird, Ekaterina Izmestieva, Genevieve Lutkin, Nicole Franzen, Dave Wheeler

The party vibe of this minimalist aesthetic is perfect for right now, but this is a style that will work well into next season, as these schemes show

How Designers are Interpreting This Trend for a Look That Lasts all Year

infuses it with warmth through layering detail. Textures like soft, flowing linens and rich, dark woods, colours like buttery yellow, sky blue and burgundy, and fun touches like skirts and pleats all offer a softness, a way to take the edge off of the starkness and make it work for how we want to live today. But how, exactly, do you make the look work for your own home? We’ve picked out six schemes by interior designers that break down some of the key pillars of this aesthetic – and show you just how to incorporate them into warm, inviting, entirely liveable schemes.

hen we say 90s minimalism’, what do you picture? Clean lines, simple shapes, neutral palettes and polished surfaces? In the context of the decade, this aesthetic made sense – as a response, of sorts, to the flounce and excess of the 1980s – but while beautiful, it feels too cold for today’s layered aesthetic. Enter the reinvention. It’s a new way to decorate that takes the essence of the original look – the pared-back base, the silvery metallics, the air of simplicity – and

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There are layered shapes (the wavy candlesticks) and colors (the buttery yellow walls) – but it’s the textures that soften the stainless-steel kitchen and coffee table in this space by Parisian architecture and design studio Le Cann. “We love to play with contrasts – the contrasts of volumes but also of materials to define spaces,” says co-founder Guillaume Fantin. “From the sisal carpet, the stainless-steel kitchen contrasts with the very matt, cloudy clay paint on the walls and ceilings. The graphic effect of the grid of the kitchen cupboards makes the light vibrate and multiplies the reflections, responding to the touches of chrome, stainless steel, black lacquer and gold elsewhere.”studiolecann.fr

CREATE CONTRAST THROUGH LAYERS

Despite the selective number of furniture pieces in this living room, New York interior designer Margaux Lafond manages to make the space feel warm and welcoming. “I don't think you need a lot of furniture to have the space feel warm but you have to pick the right pieces,” she says. “The curve of the sofa and the [texture of the] cashmere rug feels very inviting.” It’s the rich wood panelling, however, that brings the scheme together – and makes the chrome coffee table pop. “The wood paneling gives that warmth,” Margaux adds. “The armchair and the side table were existing pieces from the client but they worked perfectly within the space – I love mixing silver metal and wood, so that worked out well here.”margauxlafond.com

PAIR CHROME WITH RICH WOODS

It’s through color that London interior designer Hollie Bowden tempers the cooling effects of the stainless-steel surfaces, cooker hood and dining chairs in this kitchen. Soft, buttery yellow is trending in its own right, but it’s a particularly apt pairing with cool metallics: it has just enough coolness in its undertones not to feel jarring, but still brings warmth. Paired with a dark wood table, the chair feels less stark, more inviting.holliebowden.com

WARM UP COOL METALS WITH BUTTER YELLOW

Softening the streamlined, straight-lined aesthetic of 90s minimalism can also mean paying attention to movement – of materials, and of the eye as it travels across the room. In this bedroom by San Francisco design practice Studio Ahead, metal accents interrupt an otherwise ethereal scheme. “Billowy curtains, a whimsical but sensual art piece by Jeff Cheung and an oneiric mirror [out of shot] feel dreamlike and reposed,” says principal designer Homan Rajai. “For a bit of visual tension, we added a metal lamp and a metal chaise by Paul Mathieu. In the morning the metals and silver accents catch the sun's light and glimmers – a beautiful way to wake up. At night, with lit candles, it has the same effect with subdued energy.”studioahead.com

CONTRAST HARD LINES WITH FLOWING FORMS

For New York design studio Husband Wife, balance within a space is important – and it’s also key to perfecting a 90s minimalism reinvented look. “Having points and counterpoints throughout our projects is a primary focus within our practice,” explain co-founders Brittney Hart and Justin Capuco. “This sometimes happens with a mixture of muted and vibrant tones, sometimes with hard and soft textures, sometimes with mixing old and new.” For this dining room, “The cooler metals add an unexpected pop of harder-lined futurism into an otherwise rather warm palette of tones, textures and design personalities. Ultimately, being calculated about design tension contributes to an overall sense of symmetry. We never want for our projects to feel like any one thing – we prefer a curated collection of items and design gestures, each thoughtfully considered, to sum up a comfortable equilibrium.”husband-wife.us

CREATE BALANCE IN THE SCHEME

Already layered with shapes, textures and neutral colors, this living room scheme by New South Wales architecture firm Georgina Wilson Associates reaches new heights once you spot the ‘frilled’ accents of the floor lamp, the artwork and the decorative coving. “We aimed to craft a richly layered, earthy ambiance that mirrors the serene natural surroundings while also harmonizing with the architecture of the space,” says Georgina Wilson. “The silvery coffee table and bold lines of the bench and floor lamp were chosen to add definition and contrast, grounding the room with a subtle edge. They offer an interplay of tension and balance, punctuating an otherwise soft, organic color palette. The more decorative touches, including the plasterwork, artwork and floor lamp, introduce a gentle femininity and warmth.”georginawilsonassociates.com

INCLUDE ‘FRILLED’ DETAILS FOR A DELICATE TOUCH

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90s Minimalism Reinvented

Alice Mesguich

William Jess Laird

Genevieve Lutkin

Ekaterina Izmestieva

Nicole Franzen

Dave Wheeler

Feature Ellen Finch Photography Zara Home, Kelley Shaffer, William Jess Laird

A softened approach to 90s minimalism is the perfect look for an understatedly glam party – these designers explain how to create the vibe

8 Rules Designers Use to Entertain Now – Decor Advice For the Chicest Dinner Parties

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Shop the Look

90s Minimalism Reinvented

8 Rules Designers Use to Entertain Now – Decor Advice For the Chicest Dinner Parties